AITAMITB Chapter 34

“Captain, Zhao Xiaokui is missing.”

Zhang Hongyi asked, “What do you mean by missing?”

Lin Bai replied, “Her phone is unreachable, the location check shows she’s not at home, and there’s no trace of her in the surveillance records.”

Zhang Hongyi frowned, “When did she go missing?”

“Just now,” Lin Bai said, “just when I was about to have Su Mingyue inform her that Shen Zhifei had an accident.”

“…” Zhang Hongyi felt a vein throbbing on his forehead. “When did Shen Zhifei have an accident? What happened?”

“This afternoon. She had bad luck and encountered the suspect from the serial murder case chased by Captain Wang when she was driving through a traffic light. She was hit by the suspect’s car.”

“Let’s go, go to the hospital where Shen Zhifei is staying. She is currently the only person close to Zhao Xiaokui. If something happens to her, Zhao Xiaokui’s superhuman abilities are likely to go out of control. What the hell is Wang doing? I have to clean up his mess.” Zhang Hongyi grumbled as he grabbed his clothes and headed out. Hong Ying and the others saw the captain taking action and followed silently. “Has the alert been issued? Issue it again, saying that there is another superhuman who may lose control at any time, combat level C, and let all departments be on high alert, ready to clean up the mess.”

…

“Mild concussion, no organic damage. The patient may experience some dizziness when she wakes up. She should rest in bed more and avoid strenuous exercise. Nothing serious.”

After hearing this, the hurriedly arrived aunt from the Shen family turned to the secretary and said, “Since it’s not a big deal, I’ll go back first. I’ve arranged to meet a few ladies for a sauna tonight. You take care of your boss here, and your salary and bonus won’t be lacking.”

The secretary nodded, “Understood.”

Shen’s aunt smiled at the doctor, making a good show, “Then, our niece will trouble you.”

The doctor nodded casually, indifferent to the warmth and coldness in the wealthy family. He had long been accustomed to the relationships in private hospitals.

Shen’s aunt adjusted the blanket for Shen Zhifei and took out a stack of money from her bag, handing it to the secretary before leaving gracefully.

After the doctor explained some matters to the secretary, he put the pen in his pocket and said, “If there’s anything, just ring the bell.”

The secretary replied, “Thank you, doctor.”

The doctor said, “It’s what I should do.”

Seeing off the doctor and looking at her boss lying on the bed with her forehead bandaged, the secretary sighed, sat down nearby, took out her bag, and retrieved her laptop.

Even though the boss was in trouble, work still needed to be done. Taking a break today meant being exhausted like a dog tomorrow.

Shen Zhifei paid her a decent salary, but her workload justified the salary Shen Zhifei paid.

Just as the secretary opened a document to start editing, a gentle knock on the door suddenly came from outside.

She was surprised at who would come at this time. She was about to get up to open the door when suddenly her heart pounded, and she felt an unprecedented fear.

Her legs went weak, and she held onto the wall, barely avoiding collapsing on the floor.

Leaning against the wall, she breathed lightly, thinking, could it be that the recent workload was too high, and her body was starting to protest?

Fortunately, this feeling came and went quickly. After breaking out in a cold sweat, the secretary quickly recovered. She walked to the door, opened it slightly, and saw a woman standing outside wearing a fisherman’s hat and a little black dress.

The person wore the fisherman’s hat low, revealing only a delicately carved chin. The secretary recognized her at a glance and exclaimed, “Miss Zhao?”

Zhao Xiaokui softly “Hmm” and stepped inside.

The secretary checked the time and found that it had only been two hours since Shen Zhifei had the accident. Even she had just received the news and rushed over. Surprisingly, Zhao Xiaokui wasn’t much slower.

If it weren’t for the fact that the boss was still lying unconscious on the hospital bed, she would have wanted to take out her phone and shout in the Shen Entertainment group, saying that they had really formed a CP.

She tactfully said, “I’ll go to the rest area outside. Here’s my business card. Miss Zhao, you can call or text me if you have any needs.”

Zhao Xiaokui took the business card, her gaze always on Shen Zhifei’s face. She didn’t turn to look at the secretary, just nodded and said, “Thank you for your hard work.”

The secretary awkwardly smiled, “No trouble at all. I just arrived too.” Saying this, she bundled her bag and laptop together, hugged them, and headed out, conveniently closing the door to the ward.

Hearing a click, Zhao Xiaokui raised her hand and took off the fisherman’s hat from her head.

Her seaweed-like long hair cascaded down, covering the organ behind her ears resembling fish gills. She bent down, pressing her head against Shen Zhifei’s neck. The unique fragrance emanating from Shen Zhifei calmed her emotions. The transformed organs on her body gradually returned to their original state, retracting the sharp fangs. Only her vertical pupils, resembling those of a wild beast, still retained a hint of coldness and cruelty.

Outside the window, birds on the treetops were startled, flapping their wings as if frightened, hastily flying away.

…

In the Deep Sea.

Realizing that she might have arrived at the mermaid kingdom described by Zhao Xiaokui, Shen Zhifei didn’t rush in. Instead, after bidding farewell to the luminescent fish, she hid in a secluded place.

She speculated that her current state allowed her to survive in the deep sea without being detected by ordinary creatures. However, whether mermaids could sense her, she was not sure yet. Zhao Xiaokui had mentioned that merfolk were natural soul hunters, and it was challenging for any creature with a soul to escape their gaze.

She thought she should have a soul because Zhao Xiaokui had said that the soul was the foundation of everything, the basis of consciousness. Without a soul, there was no consciousness, and she couldn’t clearly think and move.

Shen Zhifei suddenly felt grateful that when Zhao Xiaokui whispered about the mermaid world to her, she had absorbed every detail. Therefore, now, she could easily recall those details Zhao Xiaokui had once shared with her.

“The mermaid kingdom’s barrier consists of three layers. The first layer covers several core areas of the mermaid tribe, with the central statue as the center. Without a special command, no one is allowed to enter. The second layer covers the entire city, only accessible to merfolk and approved guests. The third layer has a broader coverage, allowing passage for non-hostile creatures below the first rank, not posing a threat to the mermaid tribe.”

She should be between the second and third layers of the barrier now. After confirming her location, Shen Zhifei gazed in the direction of the mermaid kingdom, waiting patiently. Considering her current state, she should stay away from the merfolk. However, the encounter with the High Priest just now led her to a bold speculation.

Mermaids might… not see her.

Although merfolk in their larval stage are not allowed to leave the deep sea, their range of activity is quite extensive, freely moving within the second and third layers of the barrier.

Shen Zhifei noticed a young merman passing by her and silently followed him.

The merman, known as a soul hunter, didn’t detect her presence.

Half of her anxiety lifted, and she slowly approached, overlapping her body with the merman’s. Now, the possessed merman reacted, abruptly stopping, looking around, and defensively wielding his trident.

But soon, he shook his head, seemingly mocking his hypersensitivity. Swinging his fish tail, he quickly approached the vicinity of the second layer of the barrier. The semi-transparent barrier separated most creatures, leaving only the city belonging to the merfolk.

Without paying attention to the barrier, he swam inside.

Upon entering the second layer of the barrier, Shen Zhifei’s first reaction was silence. The deep sea was actually very noisy, with the roar of water flow and various peculiar sounds, creating a seemingly quiet but very noisy world.

The second layer of the barrier not only isolated external organisms but also separated the common noises found everywhere in the deep sea.

Shen Zhifei separated from the merman who served as her temporary host, hovering in the water, overlooking the city crafted by the merfolk from top to bottom.

Elegant, exquisite.

She felt that, no matter how many adjectives she used, she couldn’t truly describe the beauty and grandeur of this city. Occasionally, returning merfolk entered from outside the barrier, and others exited from inside. They moved between the palaces, rarely interacting. If she didn’t accidentally overhear a conversation between two merfolk, Shen Zhifei would almost think that they didn’t produce any sound underwater.

Strangely, she found herself understanding the language of the two merfolk—even though it wasn’t any language she already knew.

Despite marveling at the beauty of the merfolk, Shen Zhifei didn’t linger too much. She still remembered her purpose in coming here—to find the hidden library.

She thought, since Zhao Xiaokui had praised the vast collection of the merfolk’s library, maybe she could find a solution to her current problem inside.

Zhao Xiaokui’s simple descriptions transformed into a map in Shen Zhifei’s mind. She flew in a specific direction, and as the library described by Zhao Xiaokui appeared before her eyes, she suddenly heard a few brief exchanges.

“That weirdo is back.”

“She’s still alive?”

“If I were her, I’d find a place to crash and die. Does she really think reading a few more books can make her a great sage? Hahaha…”

Bullying incidents also happened among the merfolk?

Shen Zhifei looked amused, but her gaze froze when it fell on the person being mocked.

The mermaid girl being ridiculed had long, seaweed-like dark hair, skin whiter than pearls, delicate features, and lips as soft as delicate petals.

Shen Zhifei’s gaze moved from her face to her fishtail—

She had a rare golden fishtail. At least Shen Zhifei hadn’t seen a second mermaid with the same color beside her. The golden fish scales sparkled, but unfortunately, in the lower-middle part of this beautiful tail, someone had taken a piece away. The healed flesh formed a depressed, scarred area, making this fishtail, despite its beauty, seem less smooth and natural when swaying.

The mocking voices made her, who had been walking with her head down, stop in her tracks. She turned her head, and the expression on her face was a coldness Shen Zhifei had never seen before.

She heard her say, “If you don’t want to die, then scram—”

She just stood there quietly, confronting several mermaids with obviously stronger fishtails and even taller stature. There was no hint of fear on her face.

Several mermaids exchanged glances, and a flash of wariness appeared in their eyes. Ultimately, unwillingly, they retreated.

Shen Zhifei noticed that, after this group of mermaids left, the girl straightened her shoulders, and they drooped slightly.

She turned her head, and although her expression didn’t show much change, Shen Zhifei keenly sensed a feeling of disappointment emanating from her.

For a brief moment, Shen Zhifei saw a glimmer of what seemed like brilliance in her eyes, but this shimmer quickly merged with the seawater.

“Xiaokui.”

The familiar gaze had already confirmed Shen Zhifei of the mermaid girl’s identity.

She wanted to touch Zhao Xiaokui’s cheek and comfort her, but her hand passed through the girl’s body.

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