Within the Aether Gate, the tiny universe seemed both frozen and like a rushing river, sweeping away tens of millions of years in the blink of an eye. It was like an amber dream, one that made it easy to forget the passage of time. Fanli sat upon the river of stars, hugging her knees, and looked up with a sigh. After the crushing disappointment of failing to bring Su Shiye back to life, she felt a sense of world-weariness, yet simultaneously realized she shouldn't keep trapping herself in this dead end.
Life, like the seasons, had its spring, summer, autumn, and winter. If one always mourned the vibrant spring, they would never be able to appreciate the withered beauty of winter.
"Did it fail?" Yejia’s voice echoed before the Aether Gate.
"Yes." Fanli stood up and turned to give him a small smile. "But it wasn't a total failure. At least I’ve gained something new."
"Oh? What did you gain?"
"I’m going back to St. Yegana." Seeing Yejia’s confused expression, Fanli spoke decisively. "Back to work."
Yejia was slightly stunned. "Why? You’re not thinking about Su Shiye anymore? You’ve suddenly moved on?"
"Of course I’m thinking of him. It’s precisely because I miss him that I need to work harder and live better. I’ve realized that he worked so hard to protect this world; he certainly wouldn't want to see me living aimlessly, drowned in the pain of missing him..." Fanli closed her eyes, recalling Su Shiye’s face—a face that was gradually blurring in detail yet growing deeper in her soul. Her smile brightened. "He would want me to live happily, remembering his kindness while striding forward! So, from now on, I won't try to find a way to bring him back anymore. I don't need to look for him. Because he lives forever—he lives in my heart."
Yejia gave a bitter smile. "Strong girl."
"Alright, Xiao Ye. I’m going to wander around Phili Town for a bit. You go on back. I’ll see you in St. Yegana."
"Alright."
Fanli strode out of the Aether Gate and into the undersea forest, her long blue tail swaying gently in the water. Seeing the clusters of jellyfish teeming with life all around her, she finally felt a sense of release.
Winter was over; a new spring would soon arrive.
Inside the gate, Yejia shook his head helplessly. In his youth, he had always thought Su Shiye was a scoundrel, unworthy of Fanli’s absolute devotion. But after learning everything Su Shiye had sacrificed for her behind the scenes, he increasingly felt that the man deserved it. He deserved to be loved this much; he deserved the fact that she was currently driven mad by his memory.
He simply felt sorry for her.
Just then, Yejia noticed the celestial bodies around him jumping erratically. He instinctively reached out to grab one, but his hand passed through thin air. The stars darted wildly through the black void, inadvertently spilling their radiance into this endless, narrow space. They lingered with the cold air one moment and pushed away the next, passing through Yejia’s icy skin.
He stared at the back of his hand for a long time. Suddenly, a hypothesis formed in his mind—one so bold it terrified him. He did not leave the Aether Gate; instead, he stood his ground, silently watching the transformation of the stars.
Fanli had used the excuse of wandering around simply because she wanted to be alone. That way, she wouldn't have to force a smile to keep Yejia from worrying. She hailed a taxi-sub and headed to the Phili Town vessel station, boarding a long-distance public cruiser bound for Ergoling. Phili Town was sparsely populated, so even the cruiser to Ergoling had few passengers. Most were simply-dressed local Shark-folk residents, discussing the price of food in Ergoling, the frequent generator failures in Phili Town housing, or how a nest of squids had taken up residence in their home pillars and couldn't be driven away.
Fanli felt that choosing this way to return to St. Yegana was wise; it allowed her to remain among people while maintaining her inner peace. Watching the swaying coral, seaweed, and schools of marine life outside the window, she spent a great deal of time emptying her mind. Before long, she arrived in Ergoling.
The vessel station in the capital of the Starry Sea was much grander, its diversity and bustle rivaling the city stations of St. Yegana. Fanli bought a ticket to St. Yegana and picked up the current month’s *Starry Sea Navigation Magazine* at the station. She followed the crowd into the terminal and queued to board the passenger cruiser. Although the vessel was the latest fully automated model produced by the St. Yegana Arcane Co., Ltd.—with the fastest speed in the Light Sea—not a single seat inside was empty. The atmosphere was far less comfortable than the boat in Phili Town. Every so often, someone would pick up a phone and snap, "I don't negotiate deals under two million floats," before hanging up angrily. Sea God girls struck various poses, demanding their boyfriends take photos, only to whine afterward, "You made my tail look too short and fat!"—making the man in front of them, who was reading a book on Abyss Economics, click his tongue in annoyance. Elsewhere, two intellectuals were arguing until they were red in the face over St. Yegana’s upcoming ban on non-eco-friendly tableware.
Fanli lost the mood to enjoy the scenery. After reading the magazine for a while, she put in sponge earplugs, leaned against the back of her seat, and fell asleep.
Shortly after the onboard announcer signaled their arrival in St. Yegana, the passengers began to stand up and carry their luggage out. Fanli had slept through the entire journey in a daze. She woke up with a yawn, shivered while hugging her arms, and swam out of the cabin with the crowd.
The St. Yegana City Vessel Station was a sunken, eighty-meter circular pit. The luminous seawater zone hugging the walls served as the swimming lanes for the merfolk, while the central cylindrical seawater zone was the transit lane, where countless taxi-subs, luxury private vessels, and city buses sped along. Just as Fanli entered the taxi queue, she received a call from Feng Jin.
"Suiyi, are you back in St. Yegana?" Feng Jin’s voice sounded chirpy over the phone. "Perfect timing! Xiao Lan’s opera debut is tonight at nine. We’re all going. We’ll pick you up at seven-thirty and head to Eternity Square!"
"Alright."
Though she was tired, Fanli didn't want to let herself be idle. She went home, changed into a shawl-style water-blue evening gown, pinned a Holy Light Sea Feather in her hair, and put on a full face of makeup. She went downstairs and entered Feng Jin’s vessel.
Besides Feng Jin, the pilot Mise, and He Ge, Bu Ke Sha Sha was also with them. From the moment Fanli entered the cabin, the three of them chattered incessantly; it was incredibly lively. Listening to them gossip about the capital’s latest fashions, snacks, and scandals, Fanli felt much better and couldn't help but smile.
It was a night in the winter of the year 1792 of the Radiant Era. This brand-new, polished supersonic private sub was being taken out by its owner for the first time. It sped impatiently through the wealthy West District and the Endless Sea God Avenue, its propellers roaring and drawing the gazes of countless pedestrians, leaving a trail of fine bubbles in its wake. With a burst of momentum, it steered toward St. Yegana’s Eternity Square, stopping at the "Crossroads of the Light Sea" as the green vessel traffic light flickered on.
The window of a private sub parked alongside Feng Jin’s opened in a flash. A young dandy of the Sea God Race whistled at a shapely Ocean Race girl on the roadside. The girl flipped him off and swam away without looking back. Unfazed, the dandy cranked his music to the maximum, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the window frame as if in sync with the dynamic arcane advertisements flashing above the buildings.
The most prosperous district was split in two: to the south was thriving growth, to the north was noble luxury, and in between lay the sixty-five-meter-wide Endless Sea God Avenue.
To the east were shopping streets, street performers, and restaurants. On the sidewalk, an art student who had come from her home in the Bodhi Sea to study in St. Yegana was dancing. She was of the Black-lip Ribbon Goby tribe, swaying her vibrant yellow caudal fin with every movement perfectly harmonized. When people tossed coins to her, she could catch them precisely with her fin, flick them upward, and catch them in the bulging pocket at her waist.
Looking across from this street, vessels were arranged from bottom to top by size. Below, public cruisers moved in a steady stream; at the very top, supersonic racing subs zipped past. And opposite them, separated only by a single lane, was North Loya Road, the gathering place for the elite of politics, business, art, and entertainment. The most striking building there was undoubtedly the Holy Capital Opera House. There, the descendants of the Sect Gods, the Sea God Race, and high-level Predator tribes made up the majority, though since the start of the Radiant Era, the Ocean Race had become increasingly common.
This was St. Yegana, where the spirit of the Sea Goddess had transformed into the stars—the first holy city birthed by primitive civilization. She bloomed with the most brilliant flowers of civilization, an oil painting spanning four hundred and thirty million years.
On the street, a Scorpionfish boy spotted a girl of the same tribe and excitedly shook his head and tail in a display of affection, only to be bitten on the hand by the girl. Fanli was distracted by this scene, failing to notice that the cabin, which had been boisterous until a moment ago, was now deathly silent. For a private sub carrying three women, this was absolutely abnormal. When she finally realized something was wrong, she turned to see them all looking toward the entrance of the Holy Capital Opera House, appearing as dazed as if they had each been punched in the face.
Fanli followed their gaze.
By the long queue at the entrance stood a group of political and business elites, clan nobles, and entertainment superstars—including Gars Xitian, the Jante Yuyou brothers, Young Master Mo'er, Sephiyon, and others. They were surrounding a man with snow-white hair. Gars Xitian was laughing wildly, but the man responded in a very soft voice, nodding occasionally, his "Eye of Flame" yellow sapphire earring swaying slightly.
In an instant, the neon lights and the glittering colors seemed to fade into mere shadows.
In the center of this four-hundred-million-year oil painting, only he remained.
*Thump-thump, thump-thump.* Her heart felt as if it had forgotten how to beat.
Perhaps because the screams of He Ge, Feng Jin, and Sha Sha were too abrupt, the man turned his head sharply. Half of his face was illuminated by the lights, while the features on the other side of his nose were swallowed by shadow.
He captured Fanli’s gaze with unerring precision.
His eyes were filled with the depth of the night and the tenderness of the light.
"Sister Fanli, what are you dazing out for!" Yu Jin waved at her vigorously. "Look who’s back!"
Fanli didn't know what was happening; she only knew that her eyes were brimming with tears, yet she didn't dare even blink. She was terrified this was a dream—that if she blinked or moved, he would vanish... No, even if it was a dream, she wanted to see it through to the end.
With the combined effort of her three friends, Fanli was suddenly pushed out of the sub. she looked at Su Shiye, who had stepped out from the crowd and was facing her, then looked down at her blue gauze dress and her tail. Hearing her heart thundering like a drum, she finally decided to take a risk.
She gathered her skirts and charged forward recklessly.
Life spread its massive wings.
Her blue evening gown was like the tides of the sea, shaking out continuous ripples; her graceful, cloud-like hair spread wide, like the long-suppressed passion of a sunset bursting into ten thousand rays of rosy light. Streaks of flashing lights and vessel beams swept over her, making her as pure as the dawn, her silhouette flitting through the eyes of every passerby.
The man opened his arms and caught her perfectly.
Fanli dove into his embrace, clutching his waist tightly before moving her hands upward, confirming his reality inch by inch... After a long time, she called out timidly, "Su Shiye, is it... is it real?"
He cupped her head with one hand, holding her so tightly it hurt. "Lili, I’m back."
Not far away, Feng Jin wiped her tears and dove into her own husband’s arms. "I don't know what’s going on, but I’m so moved! Waaaah, I’m so moved!!"
The other old friends, seeing this scene, began to applaud for them even if they didn't fully understand.
Then, these two quite disloyally skipped Landy Rose’s performance.
Without looking back, Su Shiye pulled Fanli away, swimming all the way to his private vessel. Whether they were citizens of St. Yegana or tourists, everyone was stunned by their simultaneous appearance. The "click-click" of cameras sounded incessantly, but it didn't hinder Su Shiye’s speed in the slightest.
Su Shiye brought Fanli into his private vessel and slammed the hatch shut, checking repeatedly to ensure it was locked. She gripped his hand, her heart trembling. "Su Shiye, how did you come back? I’m so confused right now..."
He turned around but gave her no answer. Instead, he lowered his head to kiss her, pressing her into the seat as he quickly began to remove her clothes.
"Tell me, how did you—"
"Shh." Su Shiye covered her lips with his finger. "Don't talk. I missed you too much."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
以太之门 | Aether Gate | A mystical gateway where time and space behave differently.
圣耶迦那 | St. Yegana | The primary holy city of the undersea world.
尔国临格 | Ergoling | A major city/region in the Starry Sea.
斐理镇 | Phili Town | A quiet, sparsely populated undersea town.
星辰海 | Starry Sea | The broader region/sea where the story takes place.
海神族 | Sea God Race | A high-ranking, noble race of merfolk.
海洋族 | Ocean Race | The common or general race of merfolk.
浮 | Float | The currency unit used in this world.
永恒广场 | Eternity Square | A famous landmark/crossroads in St. Yegana.
落亚北路 | North Loya Road | A prestigious street in St. Yegana for the elite.
圣都歌剧院 | Holy Capital Opera House | The main opera house in St. Yegana.
耀光时代 | Radiant Era | The current chronological era of the story.
焰之眼 | Eye of Flame | The name of Su Shiye's signature earring.
兰迪玫瑰 | Landy Rose | Likely the stage name or title of the performer/opera.
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