To find a way home, one had to study hard. And studying hard could never be just a matter of words.
Fan Li channeled the same desperate energy she’d used for her college entrance exams, filling her walls with daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly plans. She used a red quill to highlight the most critical tasks, such as mastering the Sea Race language and pre-studying her coursework.
Every morning at 5:00 AM, her alarm would blare, and she would bolt out of bed like a lightning strike. Take her medicine, brush her teeth, change, do her hair—by 5:05 AM, she was seated at her desk, memorizing vocabulary, practicing listening, and poring over textbooks. At 5:50 AM, she went downstairs for breakfast, returning at 6:05 AM sharp to dive into her major-specific books.
Learning a completely unfamiliar field from scratch was essentially "Hell Mode," but for Su Yi’s brain, these problems weren't problems at all. She seemed born for academia.
She quickly grasped the basic framework of Arcane Arts. For instance, she learned that Arcane Arts were divided into "Basic" and "Private" categories. The former consisted of standardized models and effects issued by the Republic or specific sea territories, while the latter represented the crystallized wisdom of powerful Arcanists—customized spells and unique constructs.
The only issue was that this brain’s "battery life" was abysmal. Fan Li could learn other subjects rapidly, but the moment she touched Arcane theory, she would start feeling nauseous within five minutes. If she pushed through, she’d be bedridden for the rest of the day. She reasoned that since it required immense mental energy, she needed to maintain a strong physical constitution. Thus, after an hour of study every morning, she would exercise—swimming and performing Sea Race aerobics (which involved twisting her tail into unimaginable angles). After her workout, she would head to her next study spot depending on her class schedule.
On the morning of Oda Day, Fan Li attended her Sea Race History lecture and seminar. With four hours to kill before her afternoon class on Abyssal Fel Research, she met up with Xing Hai, You Can, Liu Xiang, and the "Double Si" couple at the library.
From a distance, the Luoya University library was a sight to behold. Standing between two teaching buildings were eighteen classical hardback books as tall as the buildings themselves, stacked vertically with their spines facing the crowds. The titles on the spines read: *The Secession of the Light Sea*, *The Hunt*, *The Ladder to the Illumination of Amaterasu*, *The Mangroves*, *Abyssal Psychology*, *Love in the Year 7201.8*, *The Doomsday of the Hybodus*... but after a minute, the titles and patterns on the spines shifted simultaneously, like a slideshow, replaced by eighteen different books. These spines averaged twenty meters in height and nearly eight meters in width. Upon closer inspection, the "bookends" between the volumes were actually corridors leading into the library, shimmering with a golden hue.
Inside, the library offered another peculiar vision. All the bookshelves resembled the inner pages of a book, rendered in a vintage, pale tea color. There were no floors; instead, seven hundred and twenty-five massive bookshelves floated neatly in all directions. Students never got lost, for as long as they wrote a book title in the Arcane pool at the counter, a tiny phantom jellyfish would appear above their heads, guiding them to the correct shelf. Between the shelves were tables, chairs, and stationery for reading and transcribing. Seven massive crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, bathing the entire library in a magnificent golden glow.
After greeting the other five, Fan Li sat down and began reading. She and Liu Xiang were looking at the same book, *Abyssal Fel Research*. But in less than five minutes, she realized that everyone except Xing Hai was staring at her. She looked up and whispered, "...What is it?"
Liu Xiang pointed at Fan Li’s book. "The speed at which you flip pages is twice mine."
"Not twice. Four or five times," Lan Si corrected ruthlessly.
"Li-zi, are you... actually taking it all in?" Fei Si asked.
You Can gave a small shudder of intimidation.
Fan Li recalled what she had just read and nodded. In truth, she wasn't just taking it in; she could already recite over 90% of the content and construct detailed mental images and diagrams of the concepts.
"Terrifying..." Fei Si shook her head in disbelief. "I’m glad we weren't in the same high school. Otherwise, Lan Si and I would have had no hope of being top of the class."
Annoyed by Lan Si’s earlier jab, Liu Xiang idly flipped through her copy of *Abyssal Fel Research* and changed the subject. "I don't quite understand. Why are we so harsh toward the Abyssal Race? Weren't their ancestors our close relatives?"
Fan Li found the question a bit naive. If the Light Sea Race could accept buying their own kind as slaves and treating them like livestock, wasn't it even more "normal" to execute harmful, similar organisms?
"It can't be helped. Their very existence is a threat to the Light Sea. Coral bleaching is caused by the thermal energy released by the Abyssals. If we don't deal with them strictly, imagine what would happen if a large number of them entered the Light Sea."
Fan Li had already read about this in her books.
The composition of the Abyssal Race was far more complex than that of the Light Sea Race. A portion of their ancestors belonged to the Fire Sea Legion—the Flame Demons—sent by the Lord of Flame forty billion years ago to battle the Glazed Legion. The Flame Demons and the Sea God Race were like fire and water, darkness and light, Fel and Arcane—diametrically opposed descendants of the gods.
Compared to the Sea God Race’s genetic pride, which rejected crossbreeding, the Flame Demon genes possessed an ambition to devour different species. They had no reproductive isolation from the deep-sea Hunter Race, so many ordinary Hunters carried Flame Demon genes. The Fel energy mastered by the Flame Demons functioned by devouring other lives and spirits; their survival, physical stamina, and power depended on the strength of their Fel. Consequently, Abyssals would occasionally rush into the Light Sea to devour the Light Sea Race. In mild cases, victims lost limbs; in severe cases, they were sucked dry until only a pile of white bones remained.
Because the essence of Flame Demon Fel energy originated from hydrothermal vents and the divergent and convergent boundaries of the mid-ocean ridges, the thermal energy they released could reach up to 400 degrees Celsius. It was even more diffusive than the vents themselves. If brought into the Light Sea, it could cause massive coral bleaching and death. Since coral and algae were the "oxygen" that sustained most Sea Races, the loss of coral would lead to only two outcomes: death or corruption by Fel energy.
Thus, the Light Sea Race needed to not only prevent surprise attacks from the Flame Demons but also stop them from sabotaging the coral reefs they relied on for survival.
These concepts and the Fel formulas from the book merged into vivid images in her mind.
After two hours of reading, Liu Xiang and You Can began discussing the chapter again. For every point they made, Fan Li’s mind automatically corrected them: *Wrong. Wrong. Correct. Too narrow. Wrong again. Correct. Off-track. Wrong...*
However, she didn't voice a single opinion. When they asked her questions, she simply said, "You guys should be able to solve this yourselves."
Then, she realized Xing Hai was watching her, so she cautiously met his gaze.
"Fan Li, you really are brilliant," Xing Hai said, resting his chin on his hand with a smile. "Cherish this talent. More people will need you in the future."
Fan Li understood the meaning behind his words, and it made her feel a pang of sadness.
Before, she had been certain she could leave this place. So, whenever she saw Xing Hai, she felt a lingering reluctance to part. Now, the situation was different. If she had to stay, she had to face a new reality: from now until an indefinite future, she might always be "Fan Li." She might even follow Su Yi’s path, dedicating her intellect to the academic advancement of the Light Sea.
When she was Fan Li (the original), she had countless times looked down on the boys who pursued her, feeling she had too much—so much that she could afford to have a little less. But this Fan Li was different. This girl’s only value was being a "Double S Academic God." Without that identity, she had nothing.
She wasn't stupid; she knew Xing Hai had feelings for her. But what did he like about her? It certainly couldn't be her status as a commoner or her poverty, where she could barely afford to eat.
A poor girl who achieved Double S status through her own efforts was charming. But if Xing Hai knew that her intelligence didn't actually belong to her—that she was an entirely different person—would he still be this good to her?
Thinking of this, Fan Li felt exceptionally low.
"Xing Hai, I have a question for you..." She used a soundproofing spell she’d taught herself over the last two days to encircle the two of them. "Answer me honestly. Don't worry about my feelings."
"Okay."
"Why are you so good to me?"
Xing Hai was stunned for a moment, then he laughed. "What kind of silly question is that?"
"I mean... you’ve been good to me from the start, always looking out for me. You also said I’m different from others. So, how am I different?"
"Because you’re very smart, yet very humble. There are many girls with good grades, but few are as low-profile as you. Even among the commoner girls, those with top grades tend to be somewhat overbearing. I’m not saying that’s bad, but I prefer your way of doing things."
*That’s because I don't have the capital to be anything but humble,* she thought. Back when she had the capital, she was anything but humble.
"Is... is that so? Is it still because I’m a Double S student?"
"Well, that is indeed the first impression most people have of you. It was also the reason I was interested in you at the beginning."
Hearing this, Fan Li felt her heart go hollow, losing even more of her fighting spirit.
If she were still the original Fan Li, she probably wouldn't feel this bad. Because that Fan Li was so beautiful and came from such a good family that she would never have to ask a silly question like "Why does this boy like me?"
She didn't want to be assimilated by this Fan Li, and she certainly didn't want to be assimilated by Su Yi. She just wanted to be herself.
But now, she had no idea who she was.
"However," Xing Hai continued, resting his chin on his hand and speaking seriously, "after getting to know you, I haven't paid much attention to your grades. To be honest, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would never have guessed you scored an SS."
"Huh?"
"I don't know. Maybe you’re just 'wise beyond your appearance'? You often make me feel like you don't know how to do anything at all."
Fan Li broke into a cold sweat. Here it was again—she had fooled everyone, except Xing Hai. She coughed. "If I really didn't know anything, would you still bother with me?"
"Of course. If you didn't know anything, wouldn't you need my care even more?" Xing Hai thought for a moment and suddenly laughed. "You sound just like a girl I used to like. She was always coming up with hypothetical questions—what would I do if the world ended, what would I do if she were disfigured, what would I do if she were paralyzed..."
"Wait, you’ve liked a girl before?" Fan Li blinked. "Don't Hunters only reproduce without falling in love?"
"I told you, I’m not like other Hunters. And I’m not a pureblood."
"So, the girl you liked was a commoner?"
"I don't remember." Xing Hai frowned, thinking for a while. "Remember? I have Negative Memory Consumption Syndrome."
"Oh..."
"What’s wrong?" Xing Hai lowered his head slightly, observing her expression. "You seem unhappy?"
"No." Fan Li rubbed her temples. "I’m just a bit tired and want to rest. I’ve finished my reading, so I’m heading out. Let’s talk later."
Fan Li went home and fell straight asleep. When she woke up, her mood hadn't improved. She curled her tail into a semi-circle, huddling in the corner between her bed and the wall, listlessly flicking her tail fin.
It turned out that her previous hormone-like, hyper-focused study state was just a temporary surge before a crash.
Only now did she realize that she wasn't *not* afraid of becoming Fan Li forever—she was terrified to the extreme.
Who was she now? What value did she have? Did it make a difference to the world whether a person named Fan Li existed? If she died right now, would anyone shed a tear for her?
Suddenly, a *thud* sounded against the glass window.
She stopped flicking her tail and looked toward the window. Five seconds later, she relaxed her guard again, leaning back listlessly. But soon, there was another *thud*. She looked at the window again. Before long, she saw it—a small shell hit the glass and was promptly washed away by the seawater.
She cautiously approached the window and looked out.
In the distance, waves and rocks were quarreling, seaweed and sea turtles were dancing, and the lonely song of a blue whale drifted in from fifteen miles away. Billions of lights filled Luoya, turning it into a fluorescent metropolis painted on a deep blue canvas. The Conch Building and the Whale Bone Gate stood in the city center like stationary satellites. The Red Moon Sect’s Divine Palace truly looked like a castle, becoming a bright moon surrounded by stars, casting its light over the nocturnal seabed.
The bustling fluorescence stretched from the distance to the foreground, gradually thinning out near the slums until it was swallowed by darkness. Only two sparse streetlights were lit below her building. Standing under one of them was a youth with ash-white short hair.
The moment she saw him, he happened to look up, and their eyes met.
"Xing Hai...!" Fan Li pushed open the window and looked around. "What are you doing here?"
"I kept thinking about you and couldn't sleep. You don't have a communicator, so I had to come find you."
"Your house is an hour’s ship ride from here, isn't it? Couldn't we talk tomorrow? Aren't you tired, coming all this way..."
Xing Hai shook his head and smiled. "You couldn't sleep either?"
"Yeah, a bit of insomnia."
"Can I come up?"
Fan Li froze for a moment, then nodded blankly. She had intended to go downstairs to open the door for him, but Xing Hai simply swam up. He rested his hands on the windowsill, though he remained slightly lower than her, like someone leaning on the edge of a swimming pool looking at someone on the deck. He had tried to be careful, but the sight of that beautiful, enlarged face appearing before her still gave her a start. Her instinct was to back away, but then she felt a bit guilty, so she leaned forward instead. "What is it..."
"Your heart is beating so fast." His clear, water-blue eyes were so close to hers, rippling with light.
"Don't just eavesdrop on people's heartbeats!" Fan Li bristled. "You launched a surprise attack in the middle of the night, of course I’m startled!"
And the starlight swirling above them was reflected in her eyes—deep blue, bright, a bit shy, and filled with an unmistakable youthful vitality.
Xing Hai gazed into her eyes, completely unaware that even his voice had become somewhat intoxicated. "If you can't sleep, want to go for a walk?"
"I don't want to." Fan Li turned her head away decisively.
He detected her suppressed anger in a second. Instead of getting annoyed, he became even gentler. "Why not?"
"Too lazy to move. You disturbed my sleep. If you want to go, go by yourself. If there’s nothing else, I’m closing the window."
"Wait." He held the window sash. "I’m sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I don't know. I must have done something wrong for you to be this angry."
"I’m not angry at you. I just have things on my mind."
"No. Your mood is because of me."
"It’s not because of you." Fan Li knew she was being stubborn, hurting both him and herself, but she didn't want to think about why she was angry. In short, she was just going to be mad at herself.
"Then it won't hurt to come out with me for fifteen minutes, right?"
"Fine."
Fan Li pushed the window all the way open and swam out. Xing Hai pointed upward and reached out his hand to her. But she dodged him, swimming toward the direction he pointed on her own. After that, every time he caught up a little, she would petulantly dash forward and then swim in the wrong direction; when he caught up again, she’d get huffy and swim the wrong way again...
The two of them swam awkwardly, one behind the other, until they finally saw the coral reefs near the surface. Above the reefs, in the moonlight-drenched water, a school of horse mackerel was attacking a massive swarm of sardines. The sardines swirled into a silver storm, spiraling upward and scattering in all directions, their silver scales drifting down one by one—a mesmerizing, spectacular sight.
Then, they broke through the surface. Fan Li was stunned by the scene before her.
The Milky Way was above, and a sea of stars was below. In the water, there was only deep blue as far as the eye could see; in her ears, there was only the sound of the waves. Breathing the fresh air, even if she wasn't in her original body or her original time, she found a small piece of her former self.
"So beautiful," Fan Li marveled, leaning against a rock and taking deep breaths. "The stars above the sea are so bright."
Xing Hai just stayed beside her, quietly watching her.
She didn't know that when she spoke of the stars being bright, it was only because she couldn't see her own eyes at that moment.
Her eyes held the flowers of spring, the dew of summer, the leaves of autumn, and the snow of winter—surpassing every beautiful sight he had ever seen in the Light Sea.
After a moment of solitary joy, Fan Li suddenly remembered something and glanced at him. Seeing him in the air, he had brushed his hair back, making the contours of his face appear even sharper and more handsome. Seeing how good-looking he was, her irritation returned, and she sullenly turned her head away, looking anywhere but at him.
"It was my fault," Xing Hai said softly, moving to face her. "I... I shouldn't have mentioned a girl I liked in front of you."
Fan Li felt a sharp sting as he hit the mark.
Her own little feelings, which she hadn't even wanted to acknowledge, were exposed by him. Instead of feeling comforted, she felt even more stifled. "What 'girl you liked'? I don't remember."
"I shouldn't have mentioned her, and I certainly shouldn't have said you were like her."
"Oh, so you know you shouldn't compare a female friend to a girlfriend?" Fan Li hopped onto a rock, soaking her tail fin in the water and crossing her arms. "Your friend is in a bad mood, and instead of comforting her, you make her sound so unreasonable. That’s mean."
"It was my fault. I’m sorry."
"Wait, do you even see me as a friend?"
"You are the most important person to me."
The answer didn't directly address her question, making Fan Li’s heart skip a few beats, but she didn't dare ask more.
"Fine then, I accept your apology." Her anger came and went quickly; she was smiling again within a minute, looking up to admire the starry sky. "Besides, bringing me here counts as making amends. It really is beautiful. I’m very happy."
"Then why were you unhappy during the day?"
Fan Li’s smile faded slightly, turning bittersweet. "It’s nothing. I just felt... like no one needs me."
"How is that possible? I need you."
"But I can't do anything for you." Fan Li swallowed and took a deep breath, forcing the words out. "I... I realized that after starting university, I might not be the Double S student I used to be. When that time comes, you won't need me anymore."
"What kind of nonsensical logic is that?" Xing Hai frowned. "My being friends with you has nothing to do with your grades."
Fan Li looked down at him in the water, confused. "Eh? It doesn't?"
"Of course not! Do I need you to tutor me? If I did, why wouldn't I just ask a professor or study on my own? My entrance score was an S, after all."
"Wait, wait, wait! You’re that amazing!" Seeing his slightly huffy expression, Fan Li tilted her head. "Then what do you need me for... I don't have money, I’m not exactly beautiful, and my social status is pathetic. Sigh, never mind, the more I talk, the more depressed I get..."
"I need your company."
"Huh...?"
"Being with you makes me happy and relaxed. It makes me forget I’m a half-blood; it even makes me feel like I’m capable of anything."
"Is... is that so?" Fan Li looked at him, and suddenly, like a child who had been wronged for a long time, her nose felt stingy. "I feel the same way."
*Xing Hai, being with you is also the only time I feel useful...*
*Because the world is so big, yet there is no place for me. Only when I’m with you do I know that when I am neither the original Fan Li nor the untouchable Academician Su Yi, someone still recognizes my existence.*
But she couldn't say those words out loud.
"Is that so?" Xing Hai moved closer to the rock, and thus closer to her. "Then isn't that perfect? Our future is long. Let’s work toward our ideals together."
"Mhm!" Fan Li nodded vigorously.
The two of them admired the night scenery for a while longer before preparing to head back. Fan Li jumped from the rock into the sea, but she accidentally ended up sandwiched between Xing Hai and the rock, their distance barely a fist’s width.
Startled, she pressed her back against the rock, but she used too much force and hissed as her back hit the hard surface. Xing Hai steadied her shoulders and whispered, "Careful."
To make matters worse, in her confusion, she looked up.
Xing Hai’s water-blue eyes were filled with the waves of the night sea, the light of the galaxy, and a powerful restraint that he hadn't even noticed himself.
"Li-li, don't worry." Xing Hai looked at her tenderly. "You aren't alone. I will always be by your side."
Hearing him use a nickname and those words, Fan Li felt her heart warm, even on the cold winter surface. She didn't know what to say, so she just smiled and nodded slowly.
Xing Hai smiled back. "We’ll pass the Arcane advancement exams together, go to Holy Yejana together, graduate together, find jobs together... maybe we’ll even work at the same company."
"Where do you want to work?"
"Holy Yejana, Luoya, or back to the Starry Sea—anywhere is fine. It depends on you."
"Depends on me?"
"I’ll stay in whatever city you stay in." He thought for a moment and added with a smile, "After all, our Li-li is an Arcane boss. If I follow you, I won't have to worry about finding a job."
He was already working part-time at "Sea Race Vessels," so he had no worries about his future after graduation. He was clearly saying this to ease her pressure. But Fan Li didn't call him out on it.
"Alright!" She clapped her hands, splashing some water, and said with mock bravado, "I’ll cover you! Now, let’s fight to get to Holy Yejana!"
"Okay." Xing Hai used his knuckle to wipe a stray water droplet from her cheek. His finger was cool, yet it made Fan Li’s cheek burn.
The gloom of the entire evening had vanished.
Never mind doing it for herself. Now, even if it was just for Xing Hai, she would study her hardest.
She wouldn't be the second Su Yi; she would be the first Fan Li.
Years later, whenever Fan Li recalled this night by the Red Moon Sea, and the youth who shared the same name as that sea of stars, she would remember a phrase: *The galaxy runs scalding; you are my earthly ideal.*
***
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