“How many people know about this?” Fan Li asked.
“This is a top-tier imperial military secret; no one knows. I can’t even tell anyone that I know, otherwise I’d already be…” Ye Jia made a slicing motion across his throat.
“Then how did you find out?”
“I stumbled upon it, of course. It also helps that I understand Su Shiye. Tell me, would you say Su Shiye is a man of taste?”
“Yes,” Fan Li said without hesitation. “His knowledge of jewelry, minerals, algal crafts, wines, sculpture, painting, drama, literature… it all runs very deep.”
When Su Shiye used to give her jewelry, she had assumed he’d had someone else arrange it. It wasn't until she spoke with him later that she realized it was all his own doing. More impressively, he could categorize the number and species of every known black coral in the deep sea, and he knew exactly how to design a piece to evoke a specific temperament. It was as if he had worked simultaneously for the Imperial Department of Biogeography and a high-end fashion magazine.
“So, do you think this ‘Dream Agate’ fits his taste if it were merely a work of art?”
“It does,” Fan Li thought for a moment. “So, how did you discover it was actually a weapon?”
“Well, let’s look at two things Su Shiye has done. First: he studies jewelry and minerals regularly, but unless it was to win the heart of Academician Sui, he wouldn’t spend massive sums of money to collect these things. At the very least, he wouldn't oversee it personally, right?”
“True.”
“Second: at the end of the last era, he mobilized massive resources for the Marine Expo. That wasn't because he liked the art inside; it was to win over the Red Moon Sea and use the factions behind those exhibitions to strengthen the Holy City Party.”
“Right.” Fan Li blinked. “In other words, he enjoys studying these things, but he wouldn't exhaust massive funds just to show off his taste unless there was a purpose?”
“Exactly. Talking to Academician Sui is so easy—it’s aesthetically pleasing and gets straight to the point.”
“Alright, enough with the flattery. Get to the point.”
“As you wish, my Queen.” Ye Jia laughed so hard his anti-skid chains rattled. “But he started the ‘Dream Agate’ project three hundred years ago. With his efficiency, a transparent egg on a mountain peak shouldn't take three centuries. Furthermore, throughout the promotion of ‘Dream Agate,’ I haven't been able to discern any political motive from the press releases. To deploy so much manpower and resources without a clear goal—claiming it’s just to create a new landmark in the Winter Sea—and then to supervise it personally? Does that sound like Su Shiye’s style?”
“And by making it completely transparent, he ensures no one would suspect it’s anything dangerous…”
“So, having nothing better to do, I curiously poked around. I took a sample of the ice and analyzed it. Guess what I found?” Seeing Fan Li listening intently, Ye Jia leaned forward and whispered, “After it melted, the Total Dissolved Solids were only 4. Aside from hydrogen and oxygen, the most abundant elements were carbon, sodium, and calcium.”
“Isn’t that… fairly normal? The water is just very clean.”
“The fact that carbon, sodium, and calcium could even be detected means it’s very close to an industrial source, doesn't it?”
“Ah!” Fan Li slapped her forehead. “Looking at it that way, it’s actually strange that the water there hasn't been corroded.”
“Exactly. It’s as if the water source was deliberately purified to hide something. So, the next time I went, I went fully equipped with the latest arcane measuring instruments. The results finally satisfied me.” Ye Jia wore a look of genuine pride. “In the actual ice layers, the iridium content was off the charts.”
“You really have the spirit of a truth-seeker, Ye Jia.”
“Indeed. It took me seventy-two years to deduce what was actually hidden in that ice.”
“…” *Was he really just that bored?* Fan Li wondered.
In truth, Ye Jia’s discovery was a mix of coincidence and inevitability. No one else possessed his specific combination of understanding Su Shiye’s psychological motivations and having such deep expertise in broad fields like military arcana.
After the meal, Ye Jia handed Fan Li a file containing his investigative data on "Dream Agate," suggesting she study it herself to see if she could reach a new conclusion. But Fan Li had just missed a thousand years; she hadn't even seen her son or daughter yet, and things with Su Shiye were a mess. She had no heart for research. Upon returning home, she tossed the file aside.
Fan Li didn't want to return to work yet. She just wanted to be an ordinary citizen of Saint Yegana and remain hidden in the city for a while.
The next day, Feng Jin and Landi Rose came to visit, helping her tidy up the house.
“Actually, Sui, there’s one thing I can’t figure out,” Feng Jin said, tilting her head as she organized the bookshelf. “You were merged with Deep Blue for a whole millennium, and now you’ve become a heroine in the history books. Why did you suddenly come back? Don’t you find it strange?”
“I do. And the timing was exactly one thousand years minus a few days, so I don’t quite understand it either.”
“Right, right. The furnace activation time was exactly on the Little Prince’s birthday. I remember that clearly.”
“Maybe the seal of Deep Blue just happened to last exactly a thousand years. What’s so strange about that?” Landi Rose shrugged, her fair pinky finger—adorned with red nail polish—hooked as she toyed with an algae pot she’d just bought for Fan Li. “Rather than the thousand years, I’m more curious about His Majesty Su Shiye’s reaction when he saw you. Did he cry his eyes out and scream, ‘Wife, I missed you’?”
“I’m curious too.” Feng Jin swam over to Fan Li, resting her chin in her hands. “Tell us your story. We all want to know. Is he almost done with his work? When he gets back, will we lose the chance to see you? You two will probably be stuck together for at least a month, right?”
“For those two, at least this much.” Landi Rose gave a cold smirk, holding up three fingers. “The unit is ‘ten thousand years.’”
“Actually…” Fan Li took a breath.
“Yes, yes, tell us!” Feng Jin nodded like a woodpecker. Landi Rose also cast a curious glance.
“We aren't together anymore.” Saying those words, Fan Li felt a sense of relief, exhaling a long string of bubbles.
“Why?!” Feng Jin looked as if she’d been punched.
Landi Rose, who had always been indifferent to love and even viewed it as a burden, didn't react as strongly. “Oh, I see.”
“Sui, what exactly happened?”
Fan Li knew Feng Jin would get to the bottom of it. She could only briefly explain what had happened since her return, omitting the past history of the Lord of Ether and Deep Blue.
“No, that’s not right. I don’t think that’s right.” Feng Jin pondered deeply, slowly shaking her head. “Usually, when a man initiates a breakup, it’s because he has someone new. If there isn't another woman, they’ll at most just settle for their current partner until the woman who makes them want to change appears. But there’s no woman around Su Shiye.”
“Maybe our Emperor is different from ordinary men. If he doesn't love her anymore, he ends it,” Landi Rose said.
“But our Sui didn't do anything wrong! What right does he have to just end it? They have two children! Doesn't he even talk to her properly? This is so disappointing!”
“It doesn't matter. Losing Sui is his loss.” Landi Rose shrugged again and patted Fan Li’s shoulder. “Anyway, you are the famous Sui Fan Li. Whenever you want to date again, you can handle any man. Let him regret it then.”
“Well said! I’m with Lan!” Feng Jin was getting angry. “I’ve always felt that women shouldn't be too proud for the sake of so-called ‘feminism’ and give up a relationship that could be managed well. But since he’s gone this far, I also think it’s time to let him go.”
After chatting with her friends and seeing them so full of energy, Fan Li felt much better. She nodded with a bitter smile. “Yes, I’m very tired too… I think maybe I’ll be happier if I’m not with him.”
“Exactly, Sui! Let’s find someone else to love.” Feng Jin leaned in and whispered, “What do you think of Xiao Yu?”
“Huh?”
“As his sister-in-law, I unilaterally announce: I’ve decided to give him a chance to pursue my best friend!”
“What??”
“I really think Xiao Yu likes you. If you don’t believe me, let’s test it.” With that, Feng Jin took out her communicator and dialed Yu Jin’s number.
The call was answered almost instantly. “Hello, Sister Feng Jin.”
Though he called her “Sister,” Yu Jin’s voice was much more stable and deeper than before. Landi Rose gave a wicked grin, giving a thumbs-up and mouthing: *That voice… it makes my ears tingle. Not bad, not bad.*
Feng Jin cleared her throat. “Where are you right now? Do you remember that your Sister Fan Li is back? Why haven't you called her?”
“I’m on my way back to Saint Yegana. I’ll arrive at eleven tonight. I’ll go see her tomorrow morning.”
Feng Jin pressed her lips together, trying to suppress a laugh for a moment. She pointed at the communicator as if to say *See?* then spoke seriously in her sister-in-law tone: “Alright then, move fast. Don’t keep your Sister Fan Li waiting too long.”
“Okay.”
Only after hanging up did Feng Jin burst into laughter. “See? Xiao Yu likes you! My divine eyes never fail.”
“I think men from the Jante Clan are fine; they all look like good husband material.” Landi Rose curled her lip. “Unlike His Majesty Su Shiye. One look at him and you know you’re going to be played. Better to stay away from men like that.”
“Xiao Yu’s reaction was just that of an ordinary friend…” Fan Li rubbed her temples. “Stop messing around, you two. My head hurts.”
“Jante Yu Jin is very handsome. I really think it could work. I’m with Feng Jin this time.” At this point, Landi Rose looked at the ceiling in thought for a moment, biting her lower lip. “However, if His Majesty Su Shiye asks you out, having a quick fling is still fine.”
Feng Jin was shocked. “Lan! You’re a girl, how can you just say things like that…”
“Isn't it true? With a man like Su Shiye, you should just sleep with him and run. Don't give him a title!”
“My Saint Ti Deity, what kind of language are you using now!”
Fan Li: “…”
The two of them carried on all day, and Fan Li felt much better. She didn't suffer from insomnia that night and fell asleep quickly.
In the middle of the night, Fan Li was sleeping fitfully when she felt someone lightly stroking her cheek. She opened her eyes slightly, realized she was dreaming of Su Shiye, turned over, smacked her lips, and went back to sleep. But just as she fell back into the dream, she snapped her eyes open and rolled over to look at the bedside. Her heart nearly stopped from the fright.
It wasn't a dream!
It really was Su Shiye!
“Why are you…” Fan Li patted her chest. “It’s the middle of the night. Why are you here?”
“Sui, in my position, there is no one left I can trust.” In the darkness, Su Shiye’s eyes shimmered with a lonely, cold light. “Even the most fragile woman is someone I don’t quite trust.”
“I understand… if you’re unhappy, you can talk to me. I would never harm you.” Though she didn't know why he had suddenly brought this up, Fan Li missed him so much that even one more word from him made her happy. She tried her best to be a listening ear.
“I don’t want to talk.”
“Then… then we won’t talk. Shall I go for a stroll with you?”
“Mate with me once, alright?” Su Shiye said softly.
“…”
Fan Li nearly choked. What was Su Shiye doing? What kind of confusing statement was this? Connecting it to what he’d just said about not trusting others, the translation was essentially: *For all these years, I’ve wanted someone to mate with, but I don’t trust anyone else and don’t want them near me. I trust you, so you’re the one.*
So, was Su Shiye just driven by biological urge right now? Fan Li felt a bit awkward, but she still nodded. “Alright.”
“Think carefully. Just once.”
“Since you want to relax and don’t want to talk about love, then we won’t talk about love.” Without a second thought, Fan Li wrapped her arms around his neck and took the initiative to kiss him, her face flushing. “It must have been lonely without a woman for so long. Can you be a bit gentle? I’m afraid I won’t be able to—”
The rest of her words were drowned out by a wild, frantic kiss.
Su Shiye hadn't listened to a word she said. Gentleness did not exist.
The night was both brief and long. Fan Li and Su Shiye had mated countless times before; even if he just touched her hand, her skin and nerves were exceptionally sensitive. But no night in the past had been like this one—her heart was on a roller coaster the entire time, rising and falling in terror. Every time she began to relax or drift into a haze, she felt as if she were being pushed off a cliff again, facing a mixture of lethal pleasure and despair.
Once, the Lord of Ether was a god who could silently awaken her entire world even in an ocean devoid of life.
Once, her brother was the light that slowly illuminated her fleeting youth in the underwater forests of Philly Town and under the starry nights of the Red Moon Sea.
But this was a silent night where even Saint Yegana had entered darkness. Su Shiye was neither a god nor light; he was just a man, using thorny kisses to delicately and cruelly brush against her wounds. He spread his hands, relaxing the cage, yet he locked her love and hate, her passion and desire, within a space devoid of light and oxygen.
She had no choice but to accept.
Past five in the morning, Fan Li’s physical strength gave out. She couldn't even keep her eyes open and suggested they rest. Su Shiye hadn't finished even once yet, so he had to let her go. The moment she closed her eyes, she fell asleep instantly.
After three hours of dreamless, deep sleep, Saint Yegana had entered another day. Fan Li rolled over and bumped into Su Shiye’s body. She squinted, wanting to hold him and keep sleeping, but he lowered his head and kissed her again.
Another time.
Su Shiye’s "once" lasted far too long. She requested five breaks in between, feeling she had reached her absolute limit. If the roller coaster continued, her heart would give out. Finally, he decided to end it.
At the final moment, he intended to pull away, but she whispered, “Give me another child. You don’t have to be responsible.”
He frowned, appearing somewhat dazed. “No responsibility… a child without a father, is that really okay?”
“It’s okay.” Fan Li pressed against his back, terrified he would leave, and said firmly, “It’s really okay. I’m not an ordinary woman. I can do it.”
Su Shiye closed his eyes, his frown deepening. He seemed to be struggling; his breathing was rough, and his clasped fins twitched with tension, but he still pulled away abruptly.
Fan Li froze, watching with disappointment as the white traces diffused through the seawater like shifting clouds of smoke. Then she gave a self-mocking laugh. “This is the only thing I wanted, and you won’t even give me that… Fine.”
Su Shiye didn't look at her. He stood up and dressed. He hadn't taken his clothes off completely to begin with, so he quickly returned to his impeccably dressed state. Though he didn't speak, his actions told her: *I’m sorry, I don’t want any further involvement with you.*
Fan Li hugged her arms, feeling her heart break. If the pain during their intimacy had been a sharp, intense shock, this was a dull ache, like being slowly torn to pieces before death. Seeing him about to leave, she quickly got up and dressed. “Wait, I’ll see you out.”
“No need.”
“Wait, I want to see you out.”
“Then hurry up.”
Su Shiye swam to the front door of the living room, not even sitting on the couch. As soon as Fan Li came out, he put his hand on the doorknob.
“Wait…” Fan Li caught up and blocked his path. “Kiss me one more time, alright?”
Perhaps because he had had his fill and was unwilling to linger, Su Shiye lowered his head, coldly brushed his lips against hers, and pulled back. Fan Li wanted to ask him to stay a little longer, but facing this attitude, she couldn't say a word. She could only open the door for him.
However, two people were standing outside.
“Ah, Sui! You’re actually out. I was just about to knock.” Feng Jin looked at her in surprise, pulling the person beside her closer. “Look who’s back…”
Then, Fan Li and Feng Jin both wore looks of astonishment. Fan Li was shocked because the person Feng Jin had brought was Yu Jin; Feng Jin was shocked because she saw Su Shiye behind the door.
“Sister Fan Li…” Though he had heard she was back, seeing her in person still moved Yu Jin deeply.
“Why… why is His Majesty Su Shiye here?” Feng Jin’s long white eyelashes fluttered, her joy no longer containable. “Wow, you two made up?!”
“No, no, it’s just…”
Fan Li waved her hands, but before she could finish, Su Shiye said indifferently, “Sui, I’m leaving.”
The smile on Feng Jin’s face vanished in a second. She blocked Su Shiye’s path. “If you didn't make up, what are you doing at her house?”
Neither Su Shiye nor Fan Li spoke. Feng Jin looked at Fan Li’s misbuttoned shirt, her messy hair, and her humble, wounded expression. Having been married for years, she immediately understood what had happened between them. She narrowed her eyes and said, “Su Shiye, I’m asking you one more time: have you and your wife made up or not?”
“Feng Jin, don’t ask…” Fan Li said urgently. “He just came to talk about the children. Nothing else matters…”
At that moment, Feng Jin gritted her teeth and—*slap!*—she raised her hand and struck Su Shiye across the face!
“You scumbag!!”
Su Shiye’s head was knocked heavily to the side. His mouth opened slightly, then his lips pressed into a thin line, the corners turned down, but he didn't turn his head back.
“Sister Feng Jin, don’t!” Yu Jin panicked, stepping between Feng Jin and Su Shiye and grabbing her hand. “Let’s sit down and talk. There might be a misunderstanding. Don’t hit people…”
“I’m hitting a scumbag!” Feng Jin’s chest heaved with rage, her voice trembling uncontrollably. “Su Shiye, tell me—you knew she loved you, yet you still took advantage of her. Do you even have a heart? I’m telling you, I’ve been annoyed with you since Sui went to the Abyssal Empire for research! You can have any woman you want, yet you insist on playing with her. You’re a total scumbag!!”
“Is it because Sui is annoyed with me?” Su Shiye gave a short laugh, turning back to look at her with a hint of mockery. “Really? Are you just standing up for your best friend, or is it because you can’t have me yourself, so your love turned to hate?”
“What did you say…”
“Since you feel so bad for her…” Su Shiye’s smile was wicked, looking exceptionally alluring on his sharp-featured face. “If you want to take her place, I might consider it.”
Feng Jin’s eyes widened in disbelief. Yu Jin was stunned as well.
In the next second—*slap!*—Su Shiye was struck across the other side of his face!
This time, the one who struck him was Fan Li. But unlike Feng Jin, she had no anger. After the slap, she looked as if she were about to cry. “How could I love someone like you? You’re pathetic!”
“Didn't we agree not to talk about love? Breaking your word?” Su Shiye used the back of his hand to lightly wipe his cheek and sighed. “You women are quite a hassle. It was just for pleasure—can’t you keep it simple?”
“Disgusting! You’re disgusting!” Tears welled in Fan Li’s eyes as she turned and swam back into her room.
In truth, if it hadn't been for Feng Jin, she wouldn't have even had the strength to slap him. Though she said the words, she didn't feel any disgust, nor did she feel any anger.
She was hurt to the absolute limit. Aside from heartbreak, she could feel nothing else.
***
