Su Shiye looked ahead, maintaining a soundproofing spell as he said with a faint smile, "Gexi, I appreciate the depth of your feelings for me, and I admire your worldly innocence. But there is one thing you must remember: at this stage, I have no intention of souring my relationship with the Light Sea."
Gexi shot him a quick glance. She couldn't read his emotions, but a chill ran down her spine, leaving her terrified. She wanted to say that she wasn't the one targeting Suiyi—she even considered throwing Nini under the bus—but her subconscious knew that such petty tricks used on ex-husbands wouldn't work on Su Shiye.
"Am I making myself clear?" Su Shiye turned back, his voice gentle.
Gexi immediately recalled what the Chief Supervisor had told her. Her voice trembled, bordering on tears. "C-clear! Perfectly clear! I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I shouldn't have targeted Great Oracle Suiyi. It was all my fault! I was just... I love you so much that jealousy clouded my judgment. I won't do it again. I promise I’ll never embarrass her in public again..."
Su Shiye patted her shoulder and walked away.
After chatting with Feng Jin in a secluded corner for a while, Fanli’s mood had improved significantly. She began to gossip. "How did you know Gexi had slept with so many men? What if she really had only been with her ex-husband? Wouldn't that have been a major backfire?"
"Oh, don't worry. I may not have much personal experience, but don't forget how many of Su Shiye’s women I’ve battled. I’ve looked into all their backgrounds. Nowadays, I can tell at a glance if a woman’s history is messy. This Gexi doesn't come from much; her only weapons are her looks and her 'devotion.' She puts on that same face for every man—loving them all without regret. It’s just that Su Shiye doesn't care about that sort of thing."
"Does Su Shiye not care, or can he just not tell?"
"He doesn't care, obviously. He knows exactly what kind of girl he’s picking up the moment he sees her. That man can be quite the fox. He’s infinitely kind to his mistresses and asks nothing of them; but for his wife, he’d practically lock her in a shipping container and demand the world."
"Did he treat you like that before?"
"He treated *you* like that!" Feng Jin let out a sigh. "In his eyes, I wasn't a wife or a mistress. I was a mission."
Fanli couldn't help but be amused.
As the banquet entered its later stages, the music swelled. Eize invited Princess Chiyue to dance, leading the opening of the ball.
Lina was taking turns dancing with two handsome young men. Xia Mi, dressed in a sky-blue gown, watched her old classmate’s spirited display in silence, suddenly feeling the weight of passing time. She pushed up her glasses, intending to shift her stance and keep watching, when a hand appeared before her. She was about to refuse when a familiar voice spoke:
"Beautiful lady, would you be interested in a dance with me?"
Xia Mi turned and found Qiong standing there. She said awkwardly, "Your aunt isn't very good at dancing."
"It’s fine. I’m not very good either."
"Don't waste your time on me. Today is a great opportunity; there are many single girls who haven't been invited yet. If you play your cards right, you might even get a dance with the Princess."
"But I only want to dance with Aunt Xia Mi." Qiong was stubborn. He had been hesitating by the dance floor for a long time, finally working up the courage only to be rejected. He wasn't in a good mood.
"I know you’re a good boy, Qiong, and you don't want your aunt to be lonely, but I’m long past the age of fantasies. Besides, we’re so close; we can dance whenever we want, can't we? Go find a young girl..."
Qiong’s temper flared. Without listening to the rest of her sentence, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the center of the dance floor. "No. I want to dance with you. Tonight. Right here."
The result was predictable: a flurry of clumsy movements and missed steps. They stepped on each other's feet several times. Once they found their balance, Xia Mi sighed helplessly. She corrected her posture, placed his hand on the small of her back, and began to lead him in a slow, steady dance.
"Aunt Xia Mi, you’re so good at this..." Qiong marveled.
"Your aunt was raised in a Great Clan of the Resurrection Sea, after all. I’m not some village girl, you know." Though the words were proud, Xia Mi’s delivery was endearing, making Qiong laugh. Then, she patted his shoulder. "After this dance, go mingle with the girls. You’re an adult now; it’s not right that you’ve never had a girlfriend."
"I don't want a girlfriend."
"Why not?"
"I’m satisfied just being with you. I don't want to meet new girls."
Xia Mi was first surprised, then embarrassed. Looking up at that face so strikingly similar to Alan’s, her heart began to race. "The feelings you have for your aunt can't be compared to feelings for a girlfriend. You’re still too young, you don't understand..."
"Mm, you’re right. Then we’ll talk about it when I grow up."
Despite his words, as the music reached a small crescendo, Qiong—like the other men—spun Xia Mi out and then pulled her back sharply into his arms. He held her waist tight, pulling her almost flush against his chest. He looked down at Xia Mi’s feminine white curls, her pointed chin, her swan-like neck, and her full bosom, momentarily dazed.
Xia Mi pushed against his chest, unable to meet his gaze. "You’re over four hundred years old. You aren't that young."
"That’s strange. A moment ago you said I was young, and now you say I’m not. So, am I young or not?"
"You little brat, always picking at my words..."
"I don't know if I’m picking at words, but I do know that Aunt Xia Mi is beautiful tonight." With that, he reached out and took off her round glasses. He caught his breath—Xia Mi was even more beautiful without them. Her eyes were bright and watery, easily rivaling the peacock-like beauties at the ball. Why did such a beautiful woman dress so modestly?
"Give them back..." Xia Mi was quite nearsighted, and it was worse in the air; she was practically blind. Unlike the others, she didn't wear contact lenses and relied entirely on those glasses.
"I won't." Qiong hid the glasses away, admiring her beauty even more brazenly. "...Let me be Aunt Xia Mi’s eyes for a while."
Only after losing her sight did Xia Mi realize that even Qiong’s voice sounded exactly like Alan’s.
She knew Qiong wasn't Alan. She knew that Qiong would eventually have his own life and leave her. She didn't want to bind him too tightly, but she felt so weary. She let out a silent sigh and buried her head against Qiong’s chest.
Just for a little while... this was okay.
She had never hugged Alan. Did hugging Alan feel like this?
There was heartache, dependence, reluctance, and sweetness...
Meeting Feng Jin here had been a surprise, but Fanli hadn't expected to run into Miser Xun Yue as well.
She had intended to go over and greet Xun Yue, but she saw her speaking with Su Shiye under a soundproofing barrier. Su Shiye’s gaze was wandering and he spoke little, while Xun Yue looked solemn, her expression occasionally flashing with anger.
After the Dual-Party War ended, Fanli had once asked the Miser Clan about her origins: why she was an orphan, and why she had been a Sea Race child when she was young but turned into a Sea God Race as she grew.
Only Aunt Miser had told her that she had been left at the gates of the Bodhi Sect’s Divine Palace. As for the bloodline issue, they weren't entirely sure either.
Even so, Aunt Miser or Xun Yue would call her every hundred years to ask about her health and her life. They were very happy to hear that she hadn't suffered any more prolonged fainting spells.
For the past few centuries, Fanli had poured her heart and soul into her work and hadn't dwelled on the matter. But seeing Su Shiye and Xun Yue now, she suddenly remembered something: she had lived in the Bodhi Sea for nineteen years, and it was Aunt Miser who had sent her to the Starry Sea, yet they had never given her a reason. Based on what she knew of Xing Hui’s family, their connection with the Miser Clan hadn't been particularly close before they adopted little Fanli. Later, when Su Shiye founded the Holy City Party, Fanli had always been the intermediary connecting them to the Bodhi Sea.
Logically, since Su Shiye had left the Light Sea and the Miser Clan had no intention of following him, they shouldn't have much contact.
So what was this situation?
Once they finished their conversation, Fanli walked over and smiled at Xun Yue. "Sister Xun Yue, long time no see. What are you doing here?"
"I came for you, of course." Xun Yue suppressed her previous anger and smiled. "His Majesty Su Shiye is too reckless, dragging you off to Barmanboya like this without considering your future."
"My future?"
"Yes. The deep sea is dangerous, isn't it? But he’s still as headstrong as ever, insisting he can guarantee your safety."
"Oh, I see..."
"Let’s not talk about that. When do you plan to return to the Light Sea?"
"I have no such plans for the time being."
"Don't say that. Do you plan to stay in the Abyss Empire forever? The Light Sea isn't complete without Great Oracle Suiyi."
"I used to think those words were an exaggeration, but now I’m starting to believe them. So, what secret is hidden in my bloodline? It’s been so many years; surely Sister Xun Yue can tell me now."
"I’d like to know that myself."
"Do you really know nothing? Not even a clue?"
Seeing Xun Yue shake her head, Fanli knew she was lying. She felt a flicker of irritation but kept smiling. "Fine. For every day you don't tell me the truth, I’ll wait another day to have children."
"Fanli!" Xun Yue’s authoritative streak as a Clan Head flared up. "What good does it do you to threaten me with your own lifelong happiness and future?"
"I don't believe a woman is necessarily happy just because she has children. You know me; I prefer my career. Since you know nothing about my bloodline, there’s no need to rush. I’ll just settle down in the Abyss Empire."
"Sigh! I knew I couldn't hide it from you. I told my mother, but she wouldn't believe me. She even told me to drop hints to get you to have children."
"So, I have the right to know everything now?"
In truth, the answer Miser Xun Yue gave still left her confused.
It turned out the Miser Clan possessed a prophecy scroll that had been passed down for thirty million years. It contained records of the ocean’s secrets from 430 million years ago, written in ancient script. Unfortunately, no one could read the text. Members of the clan had tried to decipher it, but because it was so ancient, they couldn't successfully translate the full text. The information they did have was this: the phenomenon of the "Burning Sea" occurred once every hundred thousand years. Until a specific event was triggered, this phenomenon would continue. Then, the "Holy Infant of the Sea of Fire" would descend upon the world. From then on, the "Burning Sea" would cease to occur, but the Holy Infant’s curse would forever accompany the Light Sea. The Holy Infant could not be allowed to die; she had to continue her lineage to maintain the balance of the Light Sea’s arcane power. Otherwise, all life in the endless oceans would go extinct, civilization would vanish, and everything would return to a primitive state.
Hearing this, Fanli asked in shock, "So, I am that Holy Infant?"
"Yes."
"My existence affects the arcane divine power of the Light Sea?"
"Yes."
Finally, Fanli knew why she could make arcane testing instruments explode and why Xing Hui’s family insisted she live and have children. She began to laugh. "So I’m some kind of extraordinary person."
"More than just extraordinary. Your life is cursed. Every hundred years, it will happen once, and every time, it could take your life."
"What..." Fanli was stunned for a moment, then fell into thought. "So that’s how it is... Then why has my condition been so much better these past three hundred years?"
"We don't know the reason. We only know one sentence that our ancestors managed to decipher: 'The Lord of the Light Sea possesses the power to revive the Holy Infant of the Sea of Fire.' We are still trying to decipher the rest of the scroll, but there has been no progress for nearly a century. Only one person has understood the full text, but he won't say a single word."
"Who?"
"His Majesty Su Shiye."
Fanli quickly figured it out. "He can read it because his Aether Body contains the divine consciousness of the Lord of Aether?"
"Yes."
It turned out that after Fanli’s collapse at the age of one hundred, Su Shiye had requested a copy of the scroll from Miser Xun Yue. Once he obtained the Aether Body, he fully understood the scroll but refused to reveal its secrets to anyone.
Connecting this to Su Shiye’s subsequent actions, Fanli felt a chill run down her spine. If Xun Yue knew that Su Shiye wanted to unify the Light Sea just to throw all the descendants of the Sea Gods into a furnace, she would surely regret letting him see the scroll.
"Though I don't know how the Lord of the Light Sea can revive the Holy Infant, it’s quite obvious..." Xun Yue let out a long sigh. "He started the war for you."
"What?"
"How can you be so smart normally but so dense when it comes to matters of the heart? Think about that sentence on the scroll again. He was afraid you would die, so he wanted to obtain the power to revive you. That’s why he found a way to unify the Light Sea."
"No, that’s not it." Fanli shook her head. "He had other reasons for wanting to unify the Light Sea. It’s been so long now, there’s no point in mentioning them, but it definitely wasn't for me..."
As Fanli spoke, she felt more and more that something was wrong.
Could it be that merging all the Sea God descendants together to obtain the Deep Blue Power could save her?
The plan for the Crucible of Creation had indeed only come about after Su Shiye obtained the Aether Body. Before that, he had simply wanted to unify the Light Sea.
Everything he had done was to keep her alive. She knew he loved her, and she knew she loved him, but they were forever so different. For his own selfish desires, for the person he loved, he could let so many people be buried with him; she would rather die a hundred times than use the lives of so many to trade for her own survival. He must have understood her thoughts perfectly, which was why he refused to tell her the truth even unto death, claiming it was all for himself.
Looking at Su Shiye now, he was the same as before—his gaze calm and unruffled, yet radiating a predator’s cold aura that made people instinctively fear him. But Fanli had almost forgotten what kind of demon, what kind of madman this man was. She only remembered him as a little boy, an angel surrounded by the glowing squid of the undersea forest, looking at her with clear eyes and calling her "Lili" in a small but firm voice.
She missed him so much.
Even with him standing right in front of her, she couldn't suppress the longing overflowing from her chest.
No matter how many things he had done wrong, no matter how obsessed he was, in that moment, he had loved her.
"Sister Xun Yue, can you give me a copy of the scroll?" Fanli finally said softly.
"Are you sure you want to see it?"
"Yes."
A long silence stretched between them. Xun Yue nodded. "I’ll have someone prepare it for you when I return."
After finishing her conversation with Xun Yue, Fanli walked over to Su Shiye’s side and said, "Your Majesty Su Shiye, do you remember? Over four hundred years ago, at Miss Pao Pao’s wedding, there was a ball just like this."
"It’s all in the past. Don't bring it up."
"Okay."
But after a moment, Su Shiye looked at the dance floor and said in a low voice, "You danced with Ye Jia that day."
"I did dance with Ye Jia, but you left a deeper impression on me." At this, Fanli smiled. "For me, everything started over then. Whether it was Xing Hai or the Lord Dictator, you were both guides at the starting point of my dreams. Even if everything started over, I would still fall in love with this ocean."
*And fall in love with you.*
*Like a cycle of fate.*
Just then, Yu Jin walked over and bowed slightly to her. "Sister Fanli, I wonder if I might have the honor of asking you for a dance?"
"Xiao Yu is actually inviting me to dance? Of course..." Fanli reached out her hand, but before she could place it in his palm, she was pulled behind Su Shiye. She said in shock, "Your Majesty?"
Before the words had fully left her mouth, she was dragged into the center of the dance floor by Su Shiye.
When the monarch took to the floor, the brightest lights naturally followed them. Fanli looked at his hand holding hers, then carefully placed her free hand on the back of his neck. The sensation of touching his neck and hair instantly transported her back four hundred and forty-two years. Back then, she had often held his neck like this, usually before a kiss or in bed. Consequently, her reflex was to meet a tender gaze, but what she met instead was a pair of cold eyes, which made her heart ache.
The music began, weaving the radiance of the deep sea into a tapestry of hope. Su Shiye used a soundproofing spell and then led her in the dance, his jewels swaying gently under the lights.
"This seems to be our first dance." She looked at him, her eyes reflecting both starlight and the shimmer of tears. "I thought I’d never have the chance to dance with you again."
"I don't like dancing."
"I remember. When you were little, you said dancing was for girls. But you’re very good at it, very impressive." She also knew it was because her "brother" disliked anything that made him look less than masculine.
"It’s just entertainment. You can learn it easily enough. There’s nothing impressive about it."
"Why did you start learning to dance after coming to the Dark Sea?"
"I didn't learn it in the Dark Sea. I’ve known how for a long time."
"You knew even back in the Light Sea?" Fanli laughed. "Could it be because I danced with Ye Jia once and you were jealous? Thinking to yourself, 'Next time, I must dance with Lili'..."
"Yes."
Fanli stared at him blankly, momentarily unsure how to respond. She had only been joking.
"I loved you then. Everything I did was for you." Su Shiye looked at her, his tone as detached as if he were telling someone else's story. "I’m not ashamed of my past, so you don't have to guess. My past—all of it—is related to you."
On the black-and-white checkered floor, which resembled a chessboard, the light from the fel-lamps rippled like phosphorescent fire.
An amber domain spread through the deepest halls of the ocean.
It was this mysterious dream that brought them back to where they started. In hundreds of years, these were the few minutes Fanli cherished most. Dancing with the man she loved really did feel like a dream.
She looked up and gave him a sweet smile. "Me too. My past—all of it—is related to you."
"Mm. I know." Su Shiye’s voice was low and pleasant, but devoid of emotion.
"If only you had asked me how I felt when you came up with the Crucible plan..."
"So you know."
"Yes."
Su Shiye looked out the window at the desolate undersea mountains and the endless water. "In all the infinite oceans, I am likely the only man willing to overturn the entire Light Sea for you. I am also the only man with the power to do so. But you don't want my love. So, I don't want it either."
"Did you think I’d be moved to tears of gratitude?" Fanli didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "When the Flame Race was wiped out, I was already in such agony. Back then, you wanted to wipe out all the Sea God descendants in the Light Sea, including so many of my good friends... Do you think I would be happy if their deaths bought my life?"
"I’m not as noble as you think, considering your feelings just because I love you. Your happiness isn't the most important thing; you being alive is what matters to me."
"What if I committed suicide if you actually did it?"
"First, you wouldn't. Because you know the consequences of suicide. Second, even if you did..." Su Shiye turned back, his golden pupils filled only with cold murderous intent. "I would still do it. Because this world didn't show me any mercy, so I have no reason to show mercy to this world."
"Your misanthropic streak is still as strong as ever."
"If that’s how you want to interpret it, fine."
"It might be presumptuous of me to say this, but I still want to say it: no matter how many irreversible things happen, I will always consider you my most beloved brother. No matter how many friends come and go, no matter who I start a family with, you will always be the most important person to me. We loved each other, but staying together isn't the only way for two people to be..." At this point, she laughed. "I don't even know what I’m saying. Anyway, I hope you’re happy."
"Mm, me too."
"That’s good then. That’s truly good."
Throughout the dance, Fanli hoped time would slow down, because this might be their last dance; yet she also hoped time would speed up, because whether she was looking at him or speaking to him, she had to force herself to keep smiling, and it was painful.
Finally, the song ended.
The Emperor of the Red Moon had danced in public for the first time, and with the Great Oracle of the Light Sea no less. Everyone understood what this implied for the future of cooperation between the Light and Dark Seas. Consequently, the hall erupted in thunderous applause. Amidst the applause, Fanli let go of his hand and whispered one last time, "You don't love me anymore, do you?"
"No." Su Shiye’s reaction remained faint, without any emotional fluctuation.
"Okay, I understand." She withdrew her hand and gave him one last smile. "Coincidentally, neither do I. That way, neither of us has to suffer."
She turned and fled, but just as she reached the door, her left arm was caught by Su Shiye, who pulled her forcefully to the side. "Where are you running? Did I give you permission to leave?"
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 火海圣婴 | Holy Infant of the Sea of Fire | A cursed figure from an ancient prophecy. |
| 燃烧之海 | Burning Sea | A recurring catastrophic phenomenon in the ocean's history. |
| 菩提宗 | Bodhi Sect | A religious or clan organization in the Light Sea. |
| 复活海 | Resurrection Sea | One of the seas in the setting. |
| 邪能灯盏 | Fel-lamps | Lamps powered by fel or dark energy. |
| 深蓝之力 | Deep Blue Power | A powerful force mentioned in relation to the Sea God descendants. |
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Her 4.3 Billion Years | Chapter 102 | The Cursed Holy Infant | Novela.app | Novela.app
