The following day, Fan Li, Xing Hai, and Ye Jia paid another visit to the Luqiudeng family. Luqiudeng had learned early that morning that Luweiya’s suicide note had been made public. He was initially unwilling to speak with them, but with Ye Jia accompanying them, he could only reluctantly invite them into his home.
They asked Luqiudeng once more why he refused to admit that Miss Bubble had suicidal tendencies. He merely said, looking very uncomfortable, "Do you even need to ask for a reason? If it were you, you wouldn't want the public to think you pressured your daughter so much that she wanted to die, would you?"
"That may be true, but you should have admitted it. Do you know how many government resources were wasted because of the incorrect information you provided?" Ye Jia was rarely this stern and displeased.
Luqiudeng remained noncommittal, simply heading into the kitchen with his wife to prepare dinner for them, even though he had no desire for the three of them to stay.
Just as Fan Li and the others were almost certain of their conclusion, Ye Jia received a call from a subordinate.
"Professor Buker, there has been a new development in the case."
Hearing this, Ye Jia cast an isolation spell, encircling himself, Fan Li, and Xing Hai. "Go on."
Through the communicator, the subordinate’s voice sounded surprisingly excited. "They performed a second autopsy this morning, and they actually found six strands of the suspect's hair in the deceased's hair! Furthermore, upon re-examination, they found signs of significant hair loss on the day of the incident—the kind clearly caused by someone pulling and dragging. However, because the fatal wound was to the throat, the forensic doctor overlooked the hair and roots. Combined with the fact that the suspect had no other signs of a struggle, it looked extremely like a suicide, but..."
"Wait, the suspect's hair?" Ye Jia interrupted. "How did you miss such obvious evidence?"
"That’s what the police find incredible as well—because the suspect’s hair color is the same as the deceased’s. Additionally, during the previous scans, the chemicals used by the forensic doctor to identify hair with high genetic overlap resulted in the same color reading, so it wasn't distinguished. It was only after switching to a different scanning instrument that they discovered these six strands did not belong to the deceased."
"High genetic overlap?"
Hearing this, the three of them looked at each other, then instinctively turned their gazes toward the kitchen. Sure enough, the subordinate on the other end of the line shuddered. "They are investigating now, but if the owner of the hair is indeed the killer, then the one who murdered Miss Bubble... was her own kin."
After hanging up, Fan Li looked at the little boy playing in the corner. She swam over and handed him a piece of candy. "Little brother, in a moment, I’m going to play a game with your mommy and daddy called 'The Killer's Lies.' I need you to help me. No matter what questions we ask your daddy, you just have to nod. If you can promise to cooperate the whole time, I’ll secretly give you a big box of candy, okay?"
"Okay!" Hearing about the candy, the little boy jumped up and down in excitement.
A while later, dinner was served, and the Luqiudengs invited them to the table. Fan Li set down her chopsticks, leaned closer to Xing Hai, and said, "Mr. Lu, your son just told us something quite terrifying. He said the person who killed his sister was someone from this very house."
Luqiudeng’s hand froze mid-motion as he reached for a dish. He laughed. "The child is just talking nonsense. How could that be possible?"
Madam Lu’s face, however, looked terrible. She looked at Fan Li, then at her son, and began eating before Fan Li and the others even picked up their utensils, disregarding all etiquette.
Fan Li looked at the little boy. "Tell me, is the killer in this house?"
The little boy nodded.
Fan Li looked back at Luqiudeng. Luqiudeng flew into a rage at his son. "Nonsense! Who taught you to talk such rubbish?!"
The little boy simply continued to nod. He only thought his father was very angry and acting very realistically. This game was fun.
"Little brother, next question." Fan Li turned her head and winked at him. "Tell me, did you overhear Mommy and Daddy talking about how to handle the sister's body?"
The little boy nodded.
By now, Madam Lu’s face had turned whiter than a corpse. Ye Jia cleared his throat. "Little brother, do you know what happens to those who harbor a criminal?"
The little boy nodded again.
"Harboring your motherfucking ghost!" Luqiudeng slammed the table, his entire face turning the color of pig liver, so hot it seemed he could boil water. "Try opening your mouth to talk nonsense again! Just try it!!"
"Mr. Lu, your son has already confessed. You grabbed Luweiya’s hair, pierced her throat with a weapon, cleaned up her fallen hair, and erased the marks on other parts of her body. We have recorded every word you’ve said. Madam Lu, if you do not choose to confess and continue to protect your husband, I’m afraid things won’t go well for the child. This is your last chance. Which side do you choose?"
Madam Lu’s hand shook, and her chopsticks fell to the floor. She let out a sob and covered her face humbly. "Luweiya was... yes, she was killed by my husband."
Luqiudeng let out a heart-wrenching scream. "I did all of this for you, for our son, and now you betray me?!" By the end, his voice cracked.
"Since that’s the case, what does it matter if you sacrifice yourself for your son?" Madam Lu began to wail. "I told you long ago that this couldn't be hidden! You should have turned yourself in from the start and said it was a manslaughter in the heat of the moment; it might have been better! You wouldn't listen to me! What do we do now!"
"If I turned myself in, could our son's future be guaranteed?! Huh?! Huh?!" Luqiudeng screamed, flipping the table. Ingredients and sauces were scattered everywhere, with shards of dishes swirling in the water currents.
Ye Jia closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "Rest assured, I will properly arrange your son's future and ensure his talents are put to their best use. Go in peace." With that, he pointed toward the front door. The door opened automatically, and a group of police officers rushed in.
After speaking with Su Yi, Miss Bubble had indeed been dealt a massive blow. She had thoughts of ending her life but lacked the courage to do so; she only felt more disgusted the more she thought about it. She had caused many scenes at home, but her father had always managed to soothe her. Her father repeatedly emphasized that everyone loved her and told her not to think so poorly of the world. But she had backed herself into a corner and couldn't find a way out.
On the night of the wedding, she had another massive row with Bukeni. At the time, she thought that if Bukeni turned and left, she would still be willing to believe he loved her. But Bukeni only blindly tried to soothe and coax her, which only confirmed her suspicion that everyone had conspired to deceive her. She sought out Luqiudeng one last time, saying she had decided not to die; instead, she was going to drag her father and Bukeni down with her. Clutching her written suicide note, she turned to swim away. It was then that Luqiudeng grabbed her hair and pierced her throat with a dagger he carried.
It was Luqiudeng’s first time killing someone, and the victim was his own daughter. It was a completely impulsive act committed in a fit of rage; he hadn't intended to do it. Seeing his daughter's blood stain the seawater, he was nearly scared out of his wits. He quickly dragged her to the innermost part of the changing room and sprayed a liter of air freshener into the surrounding water, so much so that he forgot to take the suicide note she held in her hand.
Afterward, he fled far from the crime scene before remembering the note. However, he didn't dare go back for it. He figured that once the police arrived, he would have Bukeni use his family connections to demand that the contents of the note be kept secret and not made public, turning the mystery of her suicide into a cold case. Bukeni was in the same boat as him and wouldn't refuse. Since it was her own action, even if she committed suicide because of them, no one could be sentenced.
As it turned out, the letter was seen by Yinbeier. Yinbeier hid the letter, which actually increased the difficulty of the investigation. Luqiudeng could only play along. He asked himself: if he weren't the killer and saw his daughter without a suicide note, how would he act? He would certainly insist she had been murdered. Thus, he repeatedly emphasized to the outside world that Luweiya had been killed and pleaded with the police to find the murderer.
Before Luqiudeng was taken into the police vessel, he was still raging uncontrollably. "I don't think I was wrong! What’s so bad about marrying Bukeni? She would have become better, and even if her children were infertile, they would have become very well-off! Besides, Bukeni promised us he would let her have other children through egg-laying. We did it all for her own good! She repaid our kindness with enmity and threatened us with suicide—is that our fault?"
"Just shut up!" Ye Jia snapped, a rare display of anger.
"You shameless thing," Fan Li was also furious. "Doing selfish things in the name of loving your daughter and having the nerve to rationalize it! Rot in prison!"
"What do you, a piece of trash bait, know? Your vision is so narrow that you want to marry a mixed-blood. Do you think my daughter is like you? My daughter is the famous 'Miss Bubble' of the Red Moon Sea! She would never marry down!" Luqiudeng didn't realize that in insulting Fan Li, he was insulting himself as well.
"So you loved her so much that you killed her?" Fan Li said coldly.
"I gave her life and raised her; her life belongs to me!" Luqiudeng’s hands were cuffed. He lunged forcefully against the cabin door but was forcibly restrained by the police. Yet, he still shouted stubbornly, "I was able to give her this life back then, so I have the right to take it back! If she won't listen to me, then I will respect her wish to die and let her die!"
"You're sick, truly," Xing Hai also showed a rare expression of loathing.
Fan Li felt that Luqiudeng was a terrifying person. From the beginning, he had been manipulating everything behind the scenes, deliberately concealing the fact that the family business's capital chain had snapped. He did this to build the family's brand image and sell his daughter's "Miss Bubble" persona as a commodity, all to secure Bukeni's assistance and pave the way for his son to inherit the chairmanship in the future.
Men understand men; Luqiudeng wanted Bukeni to believe his daughter truly loved him, so he always made her look at Bukeni with starry eyes. But he had miscalculated. Bukeni did crave being gazed at like that by a woman, but that woman wasn't Miss Bubble. Consequently, even Bukeni didn't feel much grief over Miss Bubble's death.
Ultimately, the leaders and elites of the Red Moon Sea and the Burke Clan were nationalists. Their political inclination had always been to pursue the maximization of the local economy and indigenous interests. They weren't like Su Shiye’s Populist Party, which supported racial integration and believed that even the Sea God Tribe had the right to intermarry with other races (though they were not allowed to have children). Nor were they like the Gasi Clan, who were conservatives supporting blood purity and clear class divisions. The entire Red Moon Sea, and even the Burke Clan, did not possess a strong racial spirit.
Miss Bubble's sacrifice was accidental, but it had brought about the current peace in the Red Moon Sea.
After eight months, during which Miss Bubble's body had been examined over and over, she could finally be buried and rest in peace. Since her father had been arrested and her mother had passed away, the people who arranged her funeral were her maternal uncle's family. Her uncle's family loathed the Lu family and forbade any of Luqiudeng’s relatives from attending the funeral, burying her in their own family cemetery instead.
In the Sea of Light, after a member of the sea race dies, their body is displayed in a crystal coffin and kept in a cemetery. The body remains perfectly preserved for three hundred years. After three hundred years, decomposition is permitted, and the crystal coffin automatically turns black. Thus, in the cemetery, some coffins are bright while others are dark, allowing one to distinguish ancient tombs from recent ones.
The students of Luya University were unexpectedly indifferent. Luweiya had not been popular during her life, and few pitied her after her death. Only a handful of students came to attend her funeral. Among them were Fan Li, Xing Hai, and Senior Haicao.
During the ceremony, Senior Haicao encountered Bukeni. The two men, separated by an age gap of over twenty thousand years, nodded in mutual understanding and passed each other by without saying a single word from beginning to end.
After the ceremony ended, Senior Haicao left a bouquet of golden algae before Miss Bubble's crystal coffin.
Inside the crystal coffin, colorful seaweed surrounded Miss Bubble’s body, and a beautiful flower bloomed at her neck—to hide her wound.
"Luweiya."
He called her name softly, letting the waves mess up his black hair and white toga. He was still so young, no different from when he first met Luweiya. Back then, amidst the swirling water patterns and the dimly lit corridors, he hadn't known that the girl had fallen in love with him at first sight.
Despite bearing her "family mission" and her father's heavy expectations, she had still failed to control her feelings.
But what he did know was that from beginning to end, he had never managed to forget her. Once, when he was convinced she was a vain woman, he had felt a bit better. But ever since he heard the contents of her suicide note...
"She was very pitiful. Besides being your girlfriend, she was her father's daughter and her brother's sister." Fan Li swam over and looked at the girl in the crystal coffin, unable to help but feel a profound sense of regret. This was perhaps the most tragic form of a "sacrificial sister."
"I know," Senior Haicao said, his eyes hollow. "I would rather have never heard the rest of the story."
If there were no "rest of the story," he would have had nothing left to miss about her.
But now he knew that aside from being foolish and overly kind, she had done nothing wrong.
Miss Bubble belonged to the Antennariidae family, a group of primitive fish whose genes produced an extremely beautiful tropical fish. In natural light, they could blend into nature, and even their feeding was very discreet; they were originally peaceful and happy lives. Swept into such an event, caught between the schemes of the Predator Tribe and the Sea God Tribe, and entangled in her father's extreme, mad ambition, Miss Bubble had ultimately sacrificed herself like a Little Mermaid.
Except, this Little Mermaid didn't die for love, but for the opposite of love.
Love is pure, but the opposites of love are many. There is money, power, pride, hatred, false familial affection, family glory... Therefore, there are truly not many people in this world who can possess love for a lifetime.
"There are many girls in this world who are morally kidnapped by their families and kinship, unable to gain freedom. Luweiya isn't the only one." Fan Li smiled helplessly. "I only hope these girls can find a bit more courage—a bit more lack of fear of losing things—and bravely be themselves."
"True love sounds complicated, but it's actually very simple." Xing Hai didn't share their helplessness and sadness; his emotions were calm. "You want the other person to be happy, you give them freedom, and you let them choose the life they want. Anything labeled as being 'for their own good' is usually for one's own selfish desires. Unfortunately, many people don't understand this."
Hearing him say this, Fan Li instinctively looked at Xing Hai. He was also looking at her, his gaze as clear as ever.
"Haha, the one lying here was a fool; of course she wouldn't understand." Senior Haicao began to laugh.
In truth, he knew that if she hadn't understood, she would have continued to walk the path her father arranged like a puppet. She wouldn't have been in such pain; she would have only asked herself in the middle of countless nights, fearfully and half-doubtingly: "Am I so unhappy because I chose wrong?"
But in the end, she did understand. She understood completely that from the moment she decided to rely on her father's connections and methods to embark on the path of "Miss Bubble," she was no longer Luweiya.
At the end of her life, she had only two choices: to live foolishly, luxuriously, and stupidly, or to die soberly, in isolation and despair.
Fortunately, all of them would eventually grow old, and he would eventually grow old, but she would forever remain this young and beautiful.
Before departing, Senior Haicao looked at the words carved on the tombstone:
*Luweiya*
*Burning Era 24638 – 24729, Luya*
"Goodbye. Rest in peace," he said with a tearful smile.
***
The next morning, Ye Jia received a call from Su Shiye. "Ye Jia, I’ve returned to Saint Yejiana."
Ye Jia’s sleep was interrupted. Hearing Su Shiye’s voice, he thought he was still dreaming and frowned. "You have to call me just because you returned to Saint Yejiana? I’ve seen you tearing into the Storm Party pretty hard lately; you shouldn't be this free."
"Next time you come to the Holy Capital, remember to tell me."
"Eh? You actually didn't snap back at me?"
There was a silence of five or six seconds on the other end. Su Shiye ignored his question for the second time. "I have a question I want to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"What do you think of my appearance?"
"Huh?"
"Do you think I’m good-looking?"
"...Did you take the wrong medicine?" Ye Jia had a look of utter bewilderment. "Wait, is the person calling me really Su Shiye?"
"It’s me."
"Then what kind of question is that? Haven't you always felt that whether a man is good-looking or not doesn't matter?"
After waiting for a long time, Su Shiye didn't speak. It was unclear if he was dissatisfied with the answer or if he was thinking. Ye Jia said helplessly, "You don't even need to ask about looks. Just look at how the people around you treat you, and you'll know instantly."
"So, what is the answer?"
Ye Jia suspected Su Shiye had been kidnapped and the person calling was a blockheaded body double. Or perhaps he had suffered a severe blow to the head, resulting in a serious drop in IQ. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "While I don't know what kind of provocation you’ve suffered, I still have to say, two grown men talking about this topic is too gay. I’m only giving you an answer once, so please don't ask again—you look decent. Although there’s still a gap between you and me, you’re alright."
"A gap between me and you—is that good-looking or not?"
"I am the most handsome in the Sea of Light. I’ll grudgingly give you second place."
"Understood. Thanks."
The call was disconnected. Ye Jia looked at the communicator as the light vanished, his face full of confusion. But he didn't think much of it and went back to sleep.
***
On July 8th at 8:30 AM, Fan Li held Xing Hai’s hand as she stood with her classmates at the entrance of Luya University, quietly waiting for a vessel to arrive. It was 165 meters long, 12 meters wide, with a diving depth of up to 550 meters. It possessed the top engine and steering gear technology in the Sea of Light, along with the most precise gyroscopes. Inside this ultra-long vessel, arcane periscopes replaced traditional optical ones. The passenger cabins featured large projection screens, all-arcane rest areas, high-precision display panels, and even outdoor activity spaces—though these were limited to the Predator Tribe and some physically stronger marine races.
Its entire body was silver-white inlaid with gold, and the school crest—a crowned lion and a blue whale with spreading wings—was prominently printed on the hull. Beside the crest was a row of ancient red characters: *Saint Yejiana University*.
"By my Burke Clan gods, this school ship is two or three times larger than my family's courtyard!" a student exclaimed in awe.
The hatch opened, and the first-year Arcane Department students pushed and carried their large bags of luggage, saying goodbye to the families who had come to see them off.
Dangdang grabbed Fan Li in a hug and began to wail loudly. "Waaaaah! Lili, I just broke up with Berne, and now you’re going to Saint Yejiana! I can't go on living!!"
"One Berne leaves, ten thousand Bernes will rise. Take care of yourself and get along with your new roommates. I’ll wait for you in Saint Yejiana." Fan Li patted her shoulder and smiled. "I’ll be waiting for the famous singer Dangdang to come on her world tour."
After a long, reluctant farewell, Dangdang finally let go and watched Fan Li enter the school ship.
Fan Li and Xing Hai found empty seats and sat down, only to run right into Liuxiang.
Liuxiang gave them a dirty look, stood up, and swam to another seat. Fan Li shrugged and began stowing her luggage with ease, but her head accidentally bumped into the luggage rack. She let out a hiss of pain.
"How could you be so careless?" Xing Hai quickly rubbed her forehead. "Sit down, I’ll do it."
"Mm, thank you..."
Just as Fan Li sat down, a boy nearby began vigorously rubbing another boy's head, feigning deep affection. "Oh my, how could you be so careless, my little darling? You sit down, I’ll do it."
The other boy pinched his throat and said in a high voice, "Oh my, thank you, Xing Hai-hai."
Lan Si rushed over and gave each of them a few thumps on the head. "Is there something wrong with you two? Stop being so sarcastic!"
"So what if you caught the goddess! Hmph!"
The boys scurried away in embarrassment.
Fan Li laughed until her eyes were nearly closed. She pulled Xing Hai’s hand and had him sit beside her. "We’re going to a new city!"
Xing Hai took out a spherical, transparent fishbowl with air holes and placed it on the table in front of them. "She’s moving too."
"Little Sunflower!" Fan Li leaned in to look. The mint-patterned lobster inside was full of life, clipping away at a pile of seaweed. "She’s actually grown this big... You’ve been raising her all this time!"
"I had no choice. Since her heartless mother didn't care for her, her father had to do his best."
"What father and mother..." Fan Li felt her face heat up, but her heart felt as if it were filled with sweet honey. She hugged Xing Hai’s arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "The days ahead are long. I’ll raise her with you from now on."
"Mm." Xing Hai kissed her forehead.
Because she had been overexcited the day before, Fan Li hadn't slept all night. By morning, she had simply decided not to sleep and pushed through until the school ship arrived. Now that she could finally relax, her eyelids were fighting to stay open.
Xing Hai opened a travel book titled *Saint Yejiana*. On the title page was a poem written by the famous poet Lanning of the Winter Sea:
*Memories of four hundred and thirty million years,*
*Where core demons and lava armies cast aside their gears.*
*Crossing four eras of the Sea of Light,*
*Still remembering the Crevice Shark, the ocean's ancient might.*
*The Sea Goddess's spirit transformed into the stars,*
*Primitive civilizations birthed the first sacred city of ours.*
*She recites the grand epic of the Sea of Light,*
*With the Glass Legion's consciousness guarding the gate's height.*
*This is the holy capital of the sea race,*
*Where fine wine is filled with arcane nectar's grace.*
*The sea people pluck the strings of history's lyre,*
*As the truth of geniuses sets the heavy mists on fire.*
*Once, the birth of the Seven Clan Gods came with a crimson glow,*
*Returning to normalcy when the next day's light did show.*
*In the paradise where the birth of the Clan Gods did cease,*
*Now stands the Great Envoy's prayer and the Dictator's wild peace.*
*The Holy Capital, the supreme ideal in every heart,*
*Longing for her like a moth for the starlight's part.*
*Like yearning for coral reefs that never fade away,*
*Or like the night's deep craving for the break of day.*
*She blooms with the most brilliant flower of civilization,*
*An oil painting of four hundred million years' creation.*
*The wind she calls forth caresses history's long hair,*
*Her name is Saint Yejiana.*
"The wind she calls forth caresses history's long hair, her name is Saint Yejiana..." Fan Li recited softly. "Xing Hai, do you think we’ll settle down in Saint Yejiana in the future?"
"It’s up to you. Wherever you are is my home."
"But won't the cost of living in Saint Yejiana be very high? Isn't Saint Yejiana a paradise for the Sea God Tribe? Working there will probably be very hard and tiring..."
"No matter how hard or tiring it is, I’ll earn money to support you."
"I’ll work hard too, I won't let you get worn out..." Fan Li let out a yawn, and before long, she fell asleep leaning against him.
Before being with Xing Hai, Fan Li often felt that life was very long, and she wasn't even afraid of risking her life.
After being with him, she often felt that this endless life seemed like it would reach its end very quickly. She began to fear the end of life, only wishing that this lifetime would pass a little slower, just a little slower, to give her enough time to hold his hand and fall asleep in his arms.
***
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