The following day was Jasi Day. Before the sky had even brightened, Fanli and Dangdang began moving. Aside from some jars and heavy books, Fanli didn’t have many belongings. No one could have guessed how Dangdang’s tiny room had managed to hold so many feminine trinkets.
A rented private submersible Fanli had called was parked at the entrance. Early in the morning, the two of them pushed out eight crates, loaded them into the vessel, and secured them.
"This is my first time taking a rented submersible in Luoya," Dangdang said excitedly as she climbed inside. She sprawled out across the spacious back seat like a giant character for 'Ding'—even her tail was curled up.
Just as Fanli was about to follow her in, she noticed a tall, thin woman from the Black-lined Cod tribe lingering by the door. When their eyes met, the woman spoke softly. "Excuse me... does a member of the Black-lined Cod tribe live here?"
"Yes."
"Is he... a bit stout, with a red nose?"
"Mhm."
"Is his most defining feature being fat with a red nose?" Dangdang squawked, popping her head out of the submersible. The mere thought of the Black-lined Cod man gave her the same visceral discomfort as swallowing a kilogram of lard. "Shouldn't it be that he’s in heat twenty-four hours a day, regardless of the occasion?"
"In heat?" the woman asked, confused. "Do you mean his swim bladder is constantly vibrating?"
"Exactly!"
"In our tribe, males do indeed use swim bladder vibrations to court. However, he is like that because his swim bladder is damaged. His younger brother suffered an accident and his bladder function was compromised; he wouldn't have survived. He donated half of his own swim bladder to his brother."
"What..." Fanli gasped, stunned. "So that’s why..."
"But the surgery wasn't entirely successful. His brother has been semi-paralyzed at home ever since, and he has been the one devotedly supporting and personally caring for him."
"Is his divorce related to this as well?"
The woman faltered slightly, lowering her head in silence.
"His wife was very unhappy being with him; she cried every night. Because he didn't want to drag her down, he was the one who initiated the divorce twelve years ago."
The person who said this wasn't the woman, but the Black-lined Cod man himself. He had appeared at the doorway at some point, his heavy, obese body leaning entirely against the scarred doorframe.
The woman looked up, covering her mouth in shock as large tears instantly flooded her eyes. Though the man’s own eyes were brimming with tears, he continued to smile, looking at her tenderly. She slowly swam up the steps and touched his face. "You big idiot... why did you come to Luoya all by yourself? And how did you get so fat?"
"A divorced man is bound to let himself go a bit," he coughed awkwardly. "But you... after all these years, you’re still so beautiful. Was the wedding successful? Does he treat you well?"
"I didn't get married. I felt like I shouldn't. I..."
Before she could finish, she threw her arms around him. The man’s tears finally fell.
"Deep Blue Lord..." She buried her head in his broad shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. "Husband, you are the kindest man in the entire Sea of Light, but look at what I’ve done to you..."
"Kindness is useless; he could have given you a better life. And, well, I’m not as handsome as I was in school. Being with me would only hold you back. You should go back to him. I’ll take good care of our son."
"No, that’s not it, that’s not it!" She shook her head violently. "You are the man I love most. No matter what you become, you are my husband."
Though his eyes were red and wet, the man broke into a brilliant smile, making even his red nose look incredibly endearing. "Alright. I’ll start losing weight today and work hard to earn money. For you, and for our son."
This story left Fanli and Dangdang silent for the entire journey to their new home.
"You really can't judge a book by its cover..." Much later, Dangdang sighed toward the window. "That Uncle Dongdong is actually a great guy."
"Yeah. So often, we only see one side of a person and pass judgment so casually. We really shouldn't."
"I’m a little jealous of their love."
"Me too."
"You and Xinghai can be just as happy as them," Dangdang nudged her with her elbow. "Don't let yourself have any regrets."
"What about you and Byrne?"
"Forget it, don't mention him. He thinks his daughter is way more important than me. You know, our tribe is very, very accepting of children from a man's previous marriage. I was perfectly happy to get along with her. But ever since she threw a tantrum at the Resurrection Sea, he won't let me see her no matter what I say."
Fanli still hadn't laid everything out with Xinghai, even though they both clearly understood each other's feelings by now. She was holding back, determined to wait until she finished the "Heart of the Styx No. 3."
As the two months drew to a close, the day for the second dose arrived. Xinghai accompanied Fanli to the Black Crocodile Guild.
As they passed through Xiro Town, Xinghai noticed Fanli gazing at the boundless wilderness scenery and sighed softly. "Do you regret taking the Heart of the Styx?"
"I do, and I don't." Fanli didn't turn around. She spoke softly, her tone carrying the relief of someone who had let everything go. "I wouldn't have taken this risk if I weren't forced to. Besides, I’ve always felt that the meaning of life lies in its height, not its length. Living longer isn't necessarily better."
"True."
"The success rate this time isn't actually low, but I still worry... what if that nearly one-third chance happens..."
Xinghai didn't speak. When Fanli turned back and saw the look in his eyes, she realized she shouldn't have mentioned the probability at all. She quickly pointed at the surrounding seashell houses, took a deep breath of water, and playfully blew out a cloud of bubbles. "Xinghai, don't you think this would be a perfect place to retire?"
"Mhm. It’s very quiet, the scenery is beautiful, and there’s a sort of extreme, minimalist beauty to it. It feels like the people living here don't have any worries."
"If only I had been born here from the start."
Fanli used her long, delicate fingers to play with a small school of fish. He shared the nourishment of the waves with her, then simply watched her in silence. After a moment, she looked up at him and smiled mischievously. "Aren't you going to ask me if I have any wishes? I am, after all, a person with a one-third chance of dying."
Xinghai sighed softly. "Tell me."
"Come closer, I’ll tell you a secret."
She beckoned him with her finger. He complied, leaning down to listen. Looking at his profile, she remained silent for a long time. Then, he whispered, "Your heart is beating very fast."
She felt her face flush. "I know that, you don't have to tell me."
In that moment, everything in her field of vision was slightly hazy, as if the underwater town had been draped in mist. If the ocean currents were the wind, this wind had gently brushed through their hair, lifting the strands one by one until they danced in the shape of a sonnet. Fanli gripped the fabric of his shirt, using the buoyancy of the water to pull him closer. She swam up slightly and quietly kissed him.
She wanted to perform better, to make it more aesthetic, so that if she were lucky enough to survive, she could look back on a beautiful scene. But the more nervous one is, the easier it is to mess things up. First, her aim was off, and she missed. She kissed the corner of his mouth and bumped her teeth painfully. Then, she awkwardly adjusted her aim and finally found the right spot, touching his soft lips. However, though she wanted it to last, the longer it went, the more nervous she became, feeling as though every second were a year. Her hands were shaking, her lips were shaking—her whole body was shaking. So, very quickly, she let go.
It was terrible. Truly terrible.
The scene Fanli had originally envisioned was: kiss him beautifully, let go with style, give him a smile full of first-love sentiment, and then turn away to face death at the black market... But the actual ending was her having to add a line to this stupidly clumsy kiss: "I bumped you, didn't I? I'm sorry."
Perhaps her performance really was that bad; she hung her head, and for a long time, there was no response from him.
This made her even more nervous. She wanted to pretend she didn't care, but her face was the color of a bright carrot. "Don't overthink it. I... I just didn't want to be a corpse that had never kissed you..."
At this point, she wanted to slap herself—what did she mean, "a corpse that had never kissed you"! She should have said, "If I unfortunately pass away, thank you for walking the final stretch with me"!!! The first kiss scene she had imagined was now miles away from the word "romantic." She wanted to die. Why couldn't life have a save file like a game? She wanted to reload to the moment before she kissed him and try again...
Even worse, she stole a glance at Xinghai and saw his pupils were slightly dilated. He gave no response at all, clearly shocked by her reckless move.
And so, as if she had given up on herself, she lowered her head again and started babbling to fill the silence. "Xinghai, are you angry... do you think it's wrong of me to kiss you when my life is uncertain, making you feel tied down? I didn't think that much about it, I just felt that if I’m going to die, I might as well... I don't know how to say it. Sigh, I was too impulsive..."
As she spoke, she timidly swam backward. Yet she knew in her heart that no explanation would help. She was so stupid. No matter what, she should have asked before kissing him... In a situation where two people weren't a couple, this sort of thing should usually be initiated by the man... but then, that would have been like a confession.
Besides, Xinghai had never kissed anyone before. If she were about to die, maybe he wanted to save his first kiss for someone else. How could she just take his first kiss away like that...
What an idiot. Why couldn't she control herself!
Fanli’s head was throbbing; she felt miserable and wanted to cry.
But what happened next quickly showed her that she had been overthinking.
He grabbed her wrist, forcibly pulled her in front of him, and wrapped his arm around her waist. Then, he tilted his head, and his lips covered hers with unerring precision. Without giving her a moment to mentally prepare, he kissed her deeply and assertively. The kiss came with such urgency, yet it felt as though he were pouring all his emotions into it—it was exceptionally lingering and poignant.
Her heart felt like it was going to explode. This wasn't the cold Xinghai she knew at all; it was as if a passion suppressed for ten million years had been released, giving her the illusion that she was about to evaporate even in the water. Instinctively, she tried to retreat, but he held her firmly. Her hands, pinned against his chest, went from slight resistance to clenched fists, then relaxed again, trembling slightly.
When she turned her head to catch her breath, she looked away and said in a tiny voice, "That’s enough... I just wanted a little ritual, I didn't mean for it to be th—this much..."
"You have to come out." He smoothed her hair in the direction of the current and gave her one more light peck, his voice trembling slightly. "Li-li, in a moment, I’ll be waiting for you right outside the door of the administration room at the Black Crocodile Guild. You have to come out, do you hear me?"
Fanli froze for a moment, then said through tears, "I will work hard to survive. I’m not afraid of pain."
He cupped her face and kissed her once more. His fear and his love were both manifest in this kiss, and it moved her so much that she desperately wanted to respond.
This was their first kiss, after all, and she was somewhat timid. But whenever she pulled back, he would firmly pull her back into his arms; every time she tried to struggle, he would tighten his grip and kiss her even deeper. He kissed her until her tears came out, yet he didn't hesitate for a second. Though they were in the water, he was like fire, scorching her in his embrace...
The aftereffects of this kiss were heavy—so heavy that even when he walked her to the door of the administration room, tears were still rolling in his eyes.
After she entered the room, the doctor closed the door. Fanli turned back and saw Xinghai through the glass.
It reminded her of the first time she had imagined saying goodbye to him. Back then, she had been outside the bus submersible, and he had been inside.
She wiped away her tears, gave him a small smile, and mouthed the words, "Wait for me." His eyes were red as he smiled and nodded.
Then, she followed the doctor inside without looking back.
It was the same place, the same method. Only this time, as the liquid passed through the needle—which was as thick as a straw—and touched her blood, the pain was so intense she wanted to chop her arm off immediately. Then, the agony crawled up inch by inch like ants on a tree, making her wonder if the nurse had used sulfuric acid instead of medicine.
But that wasn't the worst of it. As the drug slowly began to take effect, her muscles began to grow rapidly like bacteria in hot air, twitching uncontrollably as they expanded.
They were monsters eroding her flesh, flowing through her arm and across her entire body until they hit her cranial nerves.
Fanli let out a blood-curdling scream, flailing her arms, wanting to rip out the tubes, wanting to bite through the doctor’s throat. But her hands were shackled in iron rings; she pulled with such force that her wrists were instantly rubbed raw and bloody, with no buffer at all. She continued to howl like a beast, her eyes bloodshot, her pupils suddenly constricting, narrowing until they were nothing but thin black slits.
However, her remaining consciousness told her that this wasn't right—she had to control it.
"What’s happening..." the doctor said, trying to sound calm but clearly panicking. "Why is her feralization so severe? Where is the predator-trait inhibitor from earlier? Why isn't it working?"
"I gave it to her; the whole vial is empty," the nurse said, holding an empty tube. "This... this shouldn't be happening."
"Give her another dose, quickly!"
The blood in her body felt like it was boiling, scalding her muscles into a pulp. Fanli was in so much pain that this second injection, which should have been agonizing, felt like nothing more than a mosquito bite. Her strength faded, and her consciousness blurred, but as she looked at the doctor, she still snarled, her slit pupils still full of murderous intent.
Her consciousness told her again: *Don't be swallowed by the beast. Stay awake.*
Seeing her pupils widening and narrowing fitfully, the doctor’s lips turned pale. "It’s not enough. She still has slit pupils. Another dose."
"But that’s too much sedative, she might die... should we observe..."
"I know she might die!" the doctor roared. "But if we don't give it to her, she’s dead for sure! Can't you see her eyes?! What is there to observe! Do it now!"
Another injection went in.
Fanli was so dizzy she was seeing double. She shook her head from side to side, bitter-tasting saliva laced with medicine leaking from the corners of her mouth. Her roars turned into whimpers. Because she had screamed so hard, her vocal cords were damaged, and her throat felt like it was filled with sand.
What was wrong with this girl’s body? Three doses in, and her pupils were still fluctuating. The doctor had never faced this situation before and didn't know what to do. One more dose and she would be dead.
*Live...*
*Fight the beast to the end...*
Fanli’s mind was empty of everything except those two thoughts.
Slowly, her pupils dilated fully, but her face became as white as a corpse’s. Finally, everything went dark, her head lolled to the side, and she moved no more.
The only sounds left in the room were the heartbeats of the doctor and the nurse.
The nurse, drenched in cold sweat, looked at Fanli and asked in a trembling voice, "Did... did it fail?"
The doctor lifted her hand and checked her fingertips. "No ossification. Just temporary shock."
The nurse closed her eyes and let out a long, ragged breath, then slumped onto the floor. In truth, she had seen countless deaths from failed advancements among the sea tribes and shouldn't have reacted so strongly. But she had never seen someone undergo such a severe predatory mutation and yet use sheer willpower to suppress the beast within.
That conviction of "I must live" could be felt intensely just through her gaze.
*Drip, drip.* Two drops of water hit the floor. She looked down and touched her cheek, only then realizing they were her own tears.
...
The slight stinging of someone tapping her cheek made Fanli gasp and wake up. She moved her tail and found she was already lying in a seawater hospital bed.
However, after less than a minute of recovery, she sat up, feeling as refreshed as if she had slept for nine hours. As expected, the adaptation period this time was shorter than the last. Moreover, since the primary changes were in physical stamina, speed, and strength, there was nothing new to learn. The doctor told her she could get out of bed and go home immediately.
Fanli rushed out of the ward in high spirits but didn't see Xinghai right away. After asking the medical staff, she learned that Xinghai had been pacing back and forth in front of the administration room, looking completely lost. He had been staring at the clock on the wall as if every minute were an entire day. Seeing him in such agony, the doctor had suggested he go to Xiro Town to clear his head and come back in half an hour. But an hour had passed, and he still wasn't back.
Fanli ran out of the Black Crocodile Guild. Not seeing him nearby, she thought about calling him, but then decided to give him a surprise. She took the teleportation array back to Xiro Town.
She swam with her usual effort and found herself shooting forward a great distance instantly, without consuming much energy. So, she increased her speed—she could go faster, and faster still... and even at this speed, her surroundings remained perfectly clear, like a slow-motion movie.
"Whoa!!" Fanli laughed in delight.
It felt as if her old body had been shackled, and today, her true nature had finally been released.
Was this how Popeye felt after eating spinach?
In her vision, seagrass and giant kelp swayed gently in the waves, and the vast clusters of orange-brown seashell farmhouses formed a pastoral landscape. She pulled out her communicator, intending to contact Xinghai, but then she saw him sitting in front of a small cottage. His upper body was slightly hunched, his face buried in his palms, his silver-gray hair dancing like a cloud of mist against his long fingers. A farmer was talking to him nearby, occasionally patting his shoulder as if to comfort him.
"Xinghai?" Fanli swam forward a bit.
Xinghai’s entire body stiffened. The sound of the water was crisp; he thought he had misheard. It wasn't until Fanli called him again that he slowly lifted his face from his palms and stared at her, motionless.
"See, didn't I tell you? She’d be fine," the farmer said with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine! I survived!"
In that moment, Xinghai saw no scenery and heard no sounds. Even the massive, swirling schools of fish dancing like a beautiful, dynamic rainbow couldn't steal a fraction of his attention. He only saw the girl with the deep blue eyes standing before him, still breathing, still blinking, looking at him with eyes curved in a smile.
"Are you okay..." Fanli moved a bit closer. "I made you worry... didn't I..."
In an instant, Xinghai swam to her and silently, tightly pulled her into his arms. Her heart rate had changed, and her stamina and strength were markedly different from before. But she was alive.
Thank goodness.
He wanted to say the words, but he had been so tense before and was so overwhelmed now that he couldn't utter a single syllable. He lowered his head and kissed her directly.
Fanli pushed him slightly and turned her head away, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Don't, my mouth tastes like medicine..." Sigh, she had been in such a hurry to come out that she should have brushed her teeth first.
"I don't care." Xinghai quickly kissed her lips twice. "I love you."
A great wave rolled in, shaking the giant kelp and the burning heart hidden deep within her chest. Fanli knew he liked her, but when he actually spoke those three words, it felt as if her breath had been stolen away.
Actually, she had already planned that if the second dose were successful, she would tell him her feelings immediately. But as he explored her mouth with his tongue again, she became confused, her head spinning from the overflowing love.
"I love you too."
She gripped the collar of his shirt, her eyes filling with tears, completely lost in the deep affection of his water-blue eyes.
He spoke no more. A thousand words could only be expressed in the simplest, most primal way.
His kiss was filled with a tide-like longing, and his rising and falling chest was full of a lingering tenderness. From his lips and tongue, she tasted the breath of the early summer sea. Warm, inclusive, profound, and boundless...
The farmer shook his head with a smile, thinking that young people these days were truly interesting—one moment they were at death’s door, and the next they were reborn from the ashes. He picked up his kelp-tending tools and quietly swam away, leaving the two of them alone.
Neither of them was very good at kissing, but they spent a long, long time trying to figure out how to be closer to one another.
And so, this day was like youth itself—something that could be squandered freely and willfully, yet was so brief it vanished in the blink of an eye.
When they left Xiro Town hand-in-hand, everything in the town—not just the seashell cottages, but the giant kelp, the seagrass, the seafloor plains, the sand, the schools of fish, the coral reefs, and the lover before them—was gilded in a layer of golden orange. Noticing that Fanli’s wrists were bandaged, Xinghai carefully avoided her injuries. Seeing how much he pained for her, Fanli felt a pang of heartache for him instead.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," Fanli said, leaning her face against his arm. "I originally wanted to wait until I was sure I’d survive the third dose before responding to you."
"Why?" Xinghai asked, puzzled.
"I didn't want you to have to spend too much time trying to forget me if I died..."
"Why would I forget you?"
"Wouldn't it be painful if you didn't?"
"No." Xinghai shook his head. "Everything related to you is happiness."
"How can it be happiness if I’m not by your side?"
"Having memories of you is happiness."
Fanli had to admit she was moved. But she still tried to remain rational, offering what she felt was the best advice. "But if you don't forget the previous person and immerse yourself in memories, won't it be hard to start a new relationship? When you start the next one, you’ll still have to try to forget. So, sigh, maybe we shouldn't be together right now..."
"That won't happen. Regardless of whether you survive or not, I don't plan on being with anyone else."
If she was moved before, now she was simply shaken.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Fanli blinked rapidly, trying to distract herself so the tears wouldn't fall. "You’re still so young, and you don't have children. Are you going to spend the rest of your life alone just because a first girlfriend died? Don't say such silly things..."
"You aren't my first love."
"Oh, right, you liked other girls before..."
"No, I mean, you aren't just a 'first love.' You are the only love of my life."
He spoke with total earnestness, his tone no different from when he usually said, "Let me buy you some breakfast." But Fanli’s tears, which had been churning in her chest for so long, could no longer be suppressed and came pouring out. She threw her arms around Xinghai and sobbed, " I want to survive the third time so badly. I don't want to leave you alone..."
"Don't worry about me, Li-li." He placed his hands on her waist and lowered his head to rest against her neck, breathing steadily. "I said I would protect you, and no matter how long you live, I will stay until the very end. Even if you are gone, I will take your memories and live a good life."
Later, the sun sank completely, and starlight filtered into the ocean, dyeing the underwater world in shades of deep blue and silver.
The sea was vast, but in all the waters where light could reach, there were no other girl's eyes that could match the ocean like Fanli's; and there was no other boy who could match the starlight like Xinghai.
***
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Her 4.3 Billion Years | Chapter 47 | A Vow of Eternal Love | Novela.app | Novela.app
