the boy my brother hit was a coward; he complained to the teacher but kept his mouth shut about how he had insulted my brother and tried to hit me.
When we returned home that evening, my parents gave my brother a stern lecture. No matter how much they pressed him for the reason he had resorted to violence, he offered no explanation. After he went to his room to rest, I secretly told my mother the truth. As soon as I finished, a silver tear the size of a bean rolled into the seawater. My mother covered her grieving face with her hands, the veins on her forehead bulging. It took three or four minutes for her to regain her composure.
"Xinghai is too sensible. He never told us about these things. Because he’s so considerate, I only feel more sorry for him."
Only after talking with my mother did I understand how difficult it had been for her and my father to be together. They had loved each other for many years, but because they knew their love would have no future, they had stayed apart. It wasn't until after the war ended, when my father’s name was mistakenly placed on a casualty list, that my mother—overcome with grief and regret—finally made the decision to be with him.
They had never married. Among the high-tier sea races of Linge in the Kingdom of Er, they were the subject of constant gossip, which was why they had resolutely moved to this secluded town where no one knew them. They hadn't intended to have children either. For over eight hundred years, they had been extremely cautious with protection every time they were intimate. Yet, for some reason, an accidental pregnancy occurred.
Whether or not to bring this child into the world was a conflict they wrestled with for a long time.
If they terminated the pregnancy, had they asked for the child's consent?
If they gave birth to him, he would be born knowing he was infertile. He might spend his entire life in the shadow of regret, perhaps even wishing he had never come into this world...
Finally, they asked each other one question: "If you were this child, even without the ability to reproduce, would you still want to come into this world?" Their answers were the same: even without that ability, they would be grateful for life.
If the child was like them, he would feel the same way.
My brother was a boy who grew up in the warmth of his parents' love; his childhood was very happy. But as he grew older and gradually learned his secret, his personality became increasingly quiet. However, he never blamed his parents, not even once. He studied diligently and maintained excellent relationships at school, hoping to one day become a man who contributed to the Light Sea, just like our father. Thus, even though everyone knew he was a Sea God Race hybrid, most children still admired him and were willing to follow him as if he were a spiritual leader.
After my conversation with my mother ended, I went upstairs and knocked on my brother’s door. He had already laid down, but he told me to come in.
He was lying on his side with his back to me. His thin silhouette made me want to cry.
"Can I sleep next to you?" I whispered.
"Mm."
I darted above him and then drifted down lightly, settling beside him. I feigned a cheerful tone. "I finished my homework! Did you go to sleep without doing yours?"
"I finished mine long ago."
"Brother." I tugged at the corner of his clothes. Getting no response, I simply bumped my small head against his back. "Thank you for protecting me today... You’re the best brother in the whole Light Sea..."
"Don't flatter me," he said coldly. "You were whispering with Mom outside for so long about all those embarrassing things from my childhood. You thought it was funny and came in here to tease me, didn't you?"
"I didn't want to laugh! I just wanted to say... if no one wants you in the future, I’ll stay with you forever."
"Stop messing around. Mom and Dad have told me many times that your future is important. They told me I must see you married off so you can have a whole bunch of 'little pears.'" At this point, even without seeing his face, I could guess he was making an exasperated expression at the ceiling. "In short, you can stop fantasizing about things that won't happen."
"No, I won't get married. I want to stay with you!" I gripped his clothes and said firmly, "Wherever you are, that is my home."
"Wherever I am... is your home?" My brother acted as if he didn't understand the Sea Race language, slowly turning around.
"Yes!"
Then, he turned fully toward me. His silver-gray short hair fell across the pillow, swaying slightly in the seawater. His large, water-blue eyes were clear and bright. Though he wasn't smiling, there was a distinct sense of mirth in them. He flicked my forehead again. "Silly Fanli. So young, yet so sweet-tongued."
"Hehe." I burrowed into his arms, mimicking the way Dad held Mom, and patted his back. "With Li-li here, Brother doesn't have to be afraid."
After that day, the bond between my brother and me became exceptionally strong. He stopped snatching my things, and I stopped constantly reporting him to our parents. Moreover, whether at school, on the streets, or during public transport journeys, if anyone bullied me, he would always be the first to stand in front of me, protecting me perfectly.
***Reminiscence Fragment Two Ends***
Although the little Fanli in her memories wasn't very old by Sea Race standards, it only took a few days for Fanli to recall over thirty years of her experiences. Because this brain possessed a Saiyan-level memory, she remembered every bit of the preschool education the young Fanli had received over those thirty years. When she spoke, she was surprised to find that Fili Town slang would occasionally slip out.
The little Xinghai in those memories was so similar to the Xinghai she knew, yet so different. If, as Su Shiye claimed, her Xinghai was merely a mimetic copy of this young Xinghai, did the love between her and Xinghai ever truly exist?
He wasn't even a real lifeform; how could he be said to have existed?
But if it hadn't existed, how could those real embraces and that deep emotional resonance be fake?
Now that she suddenly had thirty more years of memories, the Xinghai who loved her didn't fade at all; instead, he seemed to become even clearer.
She remembered Xinghai once saying that it took his parents decades to accept the fact that they were together. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it, but thinking back now, while a union between the Hunter Race and the Ocean Race was uncommon, it shouldn't have caused his mother to flee for so many years until she thought his father was dying. Combining this with the real Xinghai’s past, she understood. Because his mother was of the Sea God Race, her union with his father resulted in reproductive isolation. That was the true source of his parents' agony.
At school, every course had entered the final review phase.
"Li-li, I don't know what happened between you and Xinghai, but I'm more worried about your state of mind." Seeing her lost in a daze for a long time, Feisi worriedly patted the back of her hand. "If something is on your mind, don't keep it bottled up. Tell us, okay?"
"What could be on her mind? She's just putting on a final act before she dumps Xinghai without any baggage," Liuxiang sneered from the back row.
"Nonsense! Fanli and Xinghai have a great relationship. Stop trying to drive a wedge between them!"
"Haha, just wait and see."
Fanli listened to the lecture expressionlessly, but not a single word registered.
Yujin sat by her side. He didn't know what had happened, but he sensed that Sister Fanli wasn't quite right. His small hand gripped the corner of her clothes, not daring to pull too hard, only looking at her with watery eyes.
After school, Fanli used the key Xinghai had given her to go to his room with Yujin to tidy up. His clothes, his textbooks with seaweed bookmarks, his toiletries, his half-finished thesis... everything was still sitting exactly where it belonged, untouched. In the corner, Little Sunflower hadn't eaten for days and was curled up, barely clinging to life. Yujin quickly dropped feed into her spherical fish tank.
A few minutes later, Little Sunflower came back to life. Seeing it crawling around the tank, Fanli was reminded of everything in Luoya.
After taking Xinghai’s things back to her dormitory, Fanli held his favorite white shirt, staring blankly at Little Sunflower in the corner. She wasted three and a half hours—time in which she usually could have read three or four books.
Time was no longer precious. A lifespan of over two thousand years was so boring, so agonizingly long.
Suddenly, with a *thud*, a small seashell struck the dormitory’s glass window. She jumped from the bed as if by reflex and climbed to the windowsill to look out.
In the distance was not the deep blue, bioluminescent dream-city of Luoya, but the magnificent Saint Yejiana. In the gold-paved Saint Yejiana, the peak prosperity of the entire Light Sea was densely concentrated. Because the city was so brightly lit and bustling, starlight could no longer be seen here, nor could the songs of blue whales be heard. One could only see the polished windows of the White Eagle Palace shimmering in the water, and the flags of the Holy City Party fluttering on the street diagonally opposite. New-model vessels zipping by had replaced the vast schools of turtles and fish. There were no streetlights; there was only the arcane light emitted by the buildings themselves.
And the tall, white-haired man standing below was no longer the youth with short, ash-white hair standing under a streetlamp.
Fanli turned away without looking back and returned to her bed.
Not long after, Su Shiye knocked on the window from outside.
What a hauntingly similar scene, yet what a disappointing one.
Fanli didn't want to look at him until he knocked a few more times. Seeing him holding Xinghai’s Life Pearl, she hurried to open the window and took the pearl. Just as she was about to close the window, Su Shiye reached out to stop her. "Are you feeling any better?"
"I'm alright. Calm as if I were dead."
Fanli sat back on her bed without giving him a glance. She thought he would have the sense to leave, but to her surprise, he climbed through the window and walked over quite naturally, leaning down in front of her. "Li-li, you can't keep bottling this up. Tell me your thoughts and demands."
"I only have one demand, and you can't fulfill it."
"Except for that mimetic lifeform, I can give you almost anything in the ocean."
"Then I have nothing I want."
Su Shiye sighed, pulled a chair over, and sat down. "Xinghai never had a life to begin with. If you don't mind, I can become him. I can continue to take care of you and fulfill your wishes. For example, buying a new home for Little Sunflower, working at 'Sea Race Vessel,' and following Leader Fanli’s orders."
Hearing Su Shiye mention Little Sunflower’s name and use the exact same tone Xinghai used to call her "Leader," Fanli felt an indescribable sense of eeriness. She frowned. "I only want Xinghai. You aren't him, and you don't understand him."
"Of course I understand. I remember exactly how he liked to kiss you."
"Shut up. You aren't him."
"Li-li." Su Shiye leaned closer, brushed aside her hair, and kissed her gently behind the ear. Seeing her habitual slight shudder, he smiled. "If I didn't understand, how would I know where your sensitive spots are?"
"You are Su Shiye, not Xinghai!!"
"If you insist on believing that Xinghai is an independent individual, then you have to admit you were slept with by two men at the same time."
She desperately wanted to slap him, but she glanced at the pearl in her hand and restrained herself. She couldn't provoke him. He was the only one who might be able to bring Xinghai back.
"Lord Su Shiye, as long as you bring Xinghai back and let him live, I’ll agree to whatever you want." Fanli was on the verge of breaking down, clutching the glowing pearl to her chest. "I know you must have a way. He is my spiritual pillar in this world."
Seeing her reaction, Su Shiye was first taken aback, then his gaze turned icy cold. "Xinghai is just a mimetic lifeform. He doesn't even have reproductive functions. He’s weak and incompetent, completely unable to protect you. Stop drowning in your own self-indulgence."
"I love the person he is, not his reproductive functions!" Fanli’s eyes were red and her voice trembled, but she still didn't dare to grip the pearl too hard. "Even now, knowing he’s just a pearl, that even if he’s released he only has less than two hundred hours of life left, I still love him!"
Su Shiye watched her quietly for a moment, then let out a short laugh. "Then you can spend the rest of your life with this pearl."
Cradling Xinghai’s Life Pearl was like cradling his final heartbeat. Fanli was so focused on Xinghai that she didn't even notice when Su Shiye left.
When Su Shiye returned to the White Eagle Palace, his press secretary had been waiting for him for a long time. The secretary intended to report on work, but seeing his dark expression, he said cautiously, "Actually, Lord Dictator, you clearly didn't have to do something that would make Miss Fanli hate you. Why did you make Xinghai disappear right in front of her? You could have just told her the truth..."
"Shut up."
The secretary immediately fell silent. He truly couldn't understand the Lord Dictator. This behavior was so immature, as if he were trying to prove to Fanli that "I am better than Xinghai." In reality, he could have told her all of Xinghai’s secrets. Why did he insist on severing himself from Xinghai? Wasn't he just making her reject him more and increasing the difficulty of the task...
***Reminiscence Fragment Three***
The true major shift in my brother’s attitude toward me began with a small incident.
I was so clever in how I handled this; I really have to praise myself.
Our home was built on a continental shelf. The forest above was exposed to the air during low tide and submerged in seawater during high tide. So, every evening after our family of four happily finished dinner, my brother, I, and the other kids in the neighborhood would swim into the forest to play.
There were squids darting everywhere in the forest, along with many beetles that had drowned in the water—the boys loved playing with those. The girls, on the other hand, loved pinning colorful algae and starfish in their hair, draping strange seaweeds over themselves to play the roles of goddesses from various TV dramas. They would pinch their throats to speak in high voices and act delicately weak, occasionally hoping the most handsome boy (when my brother was there, it was always him) would notice their "beauty"—of course, the boys never did. They were busy fighting and killing, shouting slogans like "Protect the Light Sea, Exterminate the Abyssals!" Occasionally, the girls wanted to hold a small ball and have the boys play the princes, but they had no interest. They were still fighting and killing, shouting "Protect the Light Sea, Exterminate the Abyssals!"
But those boys were actually quite obedient to me. As long as I asked them to help pass something, they would always arrive instantly, swimming faster than flying fish. They were always so enthusiastic toward me; it must have been thanks to my brother.
This night, because I had read many books about beetles, I asked them to take me into the forest to find insects for specimens. But I could tell my brother didn't like their sycophantic behavior; he chased them all away and took me to find the insects himself. I always had an endless curiosity and love for nature and biology, becoming so immersed in observation that I lost track of time. By the time I snapped out of it, the other children had long since gone home.
"It's fine, take your time. I already told Mom and Dad," my brother said, sensing my worry.
Only then did I realize my tail was so sore I had almost lost feeling in it. I plopped down on a stone bench at the edge of the forest. "I can't go on, I can't. Let's rest. You come sit too." I patted the surface of the stone bench beside me.
My brother swam over and sat down. Then, the two of us sat side-by-side, looking down the small cliff at the half of Fili Town that was brightly lit.
Because the land surrounding this sea area was encircled by a valley, the waters were calm—one of the quietest paradises in the Light Sea. Where we sat was so close to the surface that we could look up and see the vast forest extending out of the water, with starlight shimmering brilliantly on the transparent surface. The reefs submerged in the seawater were covered in moss, and small white flowers swayed with the current. Blue-glowing squids, like a sea of stars, were scattered through the forest, drifting like willow catkins.
My brother lowered his head to help me organize the specimens I had collected. His nose was small, but the bridge was much straighter than others his age. His lips were pink, which for some reason made me think of a newborn sponge.
As if sensing me staring at him, he looked up.
In his eyes, there were also two small seas of stars.
I laughed, leaned in, and kissed him on the mouth. He was stunned for two seconds, his eyelashes trembling for a while. Just then, a squid swam past his face, its blue bioluminescence illuminating him and casting deep shadows of his lashes. But he remained perfectly still, like a stone carving. I was even more amused by his reaction and leaned in to kiss him again.
"Brother, I love you." That’s how it was in the TV dramas, and that’s what Mom and Dad did. A kiss on the mouth, and then saying "I love you."
But my brother clearly didn't have the awareness of a drama lead or our father. He didn't say "I love you too." He just leaned in and kissed me back. Then, the two of us sat there, going back and forth for several rounds of kissing, until finally, we both burst out laughing.
After we went back, as if by a silent pact, neither of us told our parents about the kissing game we had played in secret.
From that day on, my brother changed completely. He no longer treated me with a cold face; he became exceptionally gentle and considerate. Sometimes when I threw a tantrum and ignored him, he would even hand-feed me just to make me happy. My parents had always spoiled me, but seeing him spoil me even more, they couldn't help but say, "If you keep this up, this girl will be ruined; she’ll never get married."
There’s a saying: "A brother with a younger sister is as gentle as water; a sister with a younger brother becomes a shrew in a second." I had truly come to understand that.
Three and a half years later, my parents began going on long-term business trips.
Supposedly, it was because the Abyssal Race had launched a massive attack on the Light Sea. The Starry Sea was a disaster zone; many areas suffered severe coral bleaching, and fish were dying in large numbers. Famine had begun to appear. My parents went to other cities in the Starry Sea to assist with disaster relief, often not returning for over half a year.
Thus, only the two of us and the two slaves my father had brought were left at home. During this period, our bond became even closer. At home, we often hid in the cupboards to play the kissing game. Sometimes when the food the slaves made wasn't good enough, my brother would personally cook for me and then feed me.
When our thirty years of primary school ended, we began middle school. The war situation remained dire. The Abyssal Race was unpredictable; except for Fili Town, almost the entire Starry Sea had fallen.
In the twelfth year of middle school—the year I was seventy-one and my brother was seventy-eight—a major event occurred.
My father’s comrade-in-arms called to inform us that my parents were trapped in a severe famine zone and had lost contact with the outside world.
Coincidentally, my brother and I were having a falling out that day. The reason was that he hadn't been willing to hug or kiss me for a long time. When I asked him why, he always made up various excuses to brush me off. He tried to contact me before he left, but I was at school, my heart set on being angry with him, so I simply wouldn't answer his calls.
After learning what had happened from the teacher, I rushed out of school in a panic, swimming all the way toward home. To save time, I took a shortcut through a small alley, but on the way, I was struck heavily on the back of the head and blacked out.
Later, I was woken by noisy voices and rough fingers pinching my face. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw I was in a cage. Outside was a chaotic slave market. I jumped up, trying to escape, but metal chains shackled my hands and tail. I soon smelled the bloody scent of skin and scales being scraped open. In the blood-stained seawater, I faintly saw the slave number on my wrist: "83."
After that, it would be twenty-three years before I saw my brother again.
***Reminiscence Fragment Three Ends***
Final exams arrived. Relying on her past accumulation, Fanli could take the exams with her eyes closed; her written scores were perfect. But her thesis was merely mediocre; she had lost all interest in the pursuit of knowledge.
During the basic practical exam for Combat Theory, Fanli was beaten by Kunti to the point where the Kunti faction cheered in unison. She lay on the ground, lacking even the motivation to get up.
Then, silently, the first half of the semester ended. During the break, Fanli quit her job at "Sea Race Vessel." She bought a pile of instant food to keep at home and spent every day curled up in bed, quietly waiting for vast waves of memories to flood her mind. Aside from the occasional phone call from classmates asking about Xinghai’s whereabouts, or Yujin knocking on the door and asking through the wood, "Sister Fanli, are you hungry?", she almost forgot she even existed.
Despite this, she often thought of the face little Xinghai had after he entered middle school. He was a replica of the transfer student she had known on land, though not as mischievous; his brow held a hint of coldness, nobility, and detachment, faintly showing the future form of her boyfriend, Xinghai.
Now she couldn't see the future. She could only rely on the increasing memories of Xinghai to support her mental world, even if the real Xinghai didn't know her at all.
During the periods when she wasn't gaining new memories, she often wandered the streets of Saint Yejiana alone. Passing by "Sea Race Vessel," she glanced at the Potion Supervision Bureau building opposite. She thought of how she had once told Xinghai: *We’ve finally made it to Saint Yejiana. In the future, we’ll work here. After we’re married, you’ll come to pick me up after work, I’ll make breakfast for you, and on weekends we’ll hold our baby’s hand and go to the nearby algae garden together. We’ll just be an ordinary little couple, generation after generation...*
But now, standing in the middle of the crowded street, listening to the underwater fountains rhythmically spitting out large amounts of bubbles, she couldn't feel the prosperity or the excitement. She only felt that she was the only person left in the world.
"Even if you are gone, I will take your memories and live a good life." Xinghai had once said that to her.
The funny thing was, when Xinghai was there, every time she thought of that sentence, Fanli’s nose would sting. If she was feeling sentimental, she would cry uncontrollably like a child who had fallen for the first time. She felt he was too strong, wishing he would occasionally reveal a sliver of vulnerability so he wouldn't be so worry-free.
Now that it was her turn to say those words, she realized that love truly could make a person strong.
Just then, several young Hunter Race men passed by Fanli. One of them glanced at her casually, and his eyes widened so much they nearly popped out of his head. He nudged his friend with his elbow and pointed quickly at her. Then, the rest of the men all wore the same expression.
They pushed and shoved each other for a long while until the boldest one took the lead and swam over. He straightened his back like a fresh recruit. "Th-this lady..."
Fanli looked up at him, her eyes devoid of emotion. However, the man took a deep breath of seawater, his gills flaring wide as a red flush rushed from his earlobes to the tips of his ears. "Would we have the honor of taking a photo with you?"
Fanli frowned and shook her head. "No, sorry."
"Oh, oh, that’s such a shame. Are you in the en-entertainment industry? Is th-that why it’s inconvenient?"
"No."
Fanli turned and swam away wearily. But her rudeness didn't offend the men; instead, they remained immersed in the sight of her departing figure, grinning foolishly for a long time. Even after she had completely vanished from their sight, they found it hard to pull themselves away.
When that man mentioned the "entertainment industry," a vast number of names and faces of Light Sea celebrities appeared in Fanli’s mind, along with their birth years, life stories, works, and scandalous gossip. These memories were so clear, just like the actresses wandering through the posters in the Holy City Opera House. It took her a long time to remember that when she was Fan Li, the celebrity she cared about most was a top-tier girl group from a survival show she had voted for with her best friend.
Clearly, these were not her memories.
After she stopped taking the potion, even her appearance was slowly changing.
Passing by the rhythmically erupting underwater fountain, Fanli let out a small laugh.
*Xinghai, the world of the ocean is so vast, and the river of history is so deep. It makes our existence seem so small. You were just a mimetic lifeform, and I am just nineteen years of memory in the brief life of a human girl from two thousand years in the future.*
*Before long, I will probably be completely replaced by another person and vanish from this world. The two of us will be like these bubbles, as if we never existed.*
Fanli looked up at the distant ruins of the Glazed Legion Temple. That towering structure was in the style of four hundred and thirty million years ago, one of the most magnificent sights in Saint Yejiana. She only hoped she could hold on long enough to find a way back, to bring her and Xinghai’s memories back to the original Fan Li.
But if she couldn't hold on until then, it didn't matter.
At least they had boarded the school vessel of the Light Sea’s top academy together and come to Saint Yejiana with their dreams. They had lived. They had loved.
***
