Putao Guo City was located within the subtropical gyre of the Astral Sea. It boasted a famous undersea resort known as the "Golden Floating Rainforest."
This "rainforest" was composed of vast quantities of sargassum. The sargassum absorbed carbon dioxide and released massive amounts of oxygen, providing habitats and life-sustaining energy for the surrounding whales, turtles, migratory fish, and countless other marine organisms. Because Putao Guo City was situated in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight—only endless water—and because the sargassum was a brilliant gold, forming a continuous underwater jungle across a vast expanse of sea, it was named the "Golden Floating Rainforest."
The Golden Floating Rainforest was a masterpiece of nature’s craftsmanship. Property prices here were even higher than those in the West District or the Canyons of Shenyegana. However, in terms of scenery and living environment, this place was undoubtedly more enchanting—this stretch of sea was recognized as the clearest in the Light Sea, with transparency reaching up to seventy-two meters.
To this end, Fanli, who felt like a cosmic tycoon with her two million in savings, found her heart stirring with ambition once again.
On a morning three months later, the golden sunlight gradually painted the ocean, plating Putao Guo City in a layer of gold. Fanli was sprawled in the backyard of Sushiye’s villa, scribbling on a real estate gazette, when two hands suddenly squeezed her shoulders. Startled, she gulped down a large mouthful of seawater, her shoulders bunching up.
Those hands began to knead and massage her shoulders. She stopped writing, her entire body going limp like a cat having its spine rubbed. She slumped onto the lounge chair and sighed in comfort. "Not there... a little lower. Yes, yes, right there. Lighter pressure... mmm, that’s it..."
"You’re truly difficult to please." Despite his words, Sushiye, standing behind her, never stopped smiling.
"This is such a stress-reliever... so relaxing. You’re a professional. It feels so good, so good..." Fanli’s eyes narrowed into slits of bliss, her face wearing an expression of pure infatuation.
"If only you could be this natural and frank all the time."
"Hmph." Fanli shot him a sidelong glance. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"So, does Li’li have any plans for the rest of the holiday? Is there anywhere special you want to go? I’ll take you."
"Yes!!" Fanli immediately flipped over, grabbing his hand. "I want to go to your hometown. It’s less than a two-hour ship journey from here, right?"
Sushiye was slightly stunned. "Feili Town?"
"Yeah, yeah! I heard there are many underwater forests there during the high tide. It’s high tide right now, isn't it?"
"It is."
Sensing Sushiye’s hesitation, Fanli looked at him cautiously. "Is it... inconvenient?"
Sushiye shook his head. "No. It’s just been a long time since I’ve been back. If you want to go, I’ll take you. It’s a good time for me to visit as well."
The Golden Floating Rainforest was situated between four major ocean currents. The interaction of the air currents and the balance of forces caused the seawater here to flow in a clockwise direction, making it exceptionally tranquil. If no sea folk or vessels were passing through, it felt like a prairie landscape where one could hardly tell they were underwater. But now, as travelers passed by, the sargassum outside the window looked like a golden wheat field magnified tenfold, swaying rhythmically in the waves.
Fanli had long since fallen in love with the scenery here. Seeing this, she was once again entranced. "I must buy a house here! Save money, save money!"
"With your method of saving, even if you add in your current deposits, you won't be able to afford a house here in this lifetime. Why not try another way?"
"Hmm? What way?" As Fanli spoke, she swam into the forest of long, golden sargassum, observing the sargassum fish darting through it.
The sargassum fish shared a symbiotic relationship with the seaweed; its appearance mimicked the sargassum perfectly. They hardly ever swam, spending their entire lives within the seaweed rafts. Its mouth could expand several times its size, inflating its translucent body two or three times over. When a small fish swam past, it would swallow it in a single, lightning-fast gulp.
"That’s too fast! There’s absolutely no evidence of predation!"
Fanli was curiously observing the fish when she realized Sushiye had swum up beside her. She scanned him out of the corner of her eye. He wasn't looking at the fish; he was looking at her. She pretended not to notice, instead mimicking the sargassum fish’s hunting style. She suddenly reached out, hugged his waist tightly, and then pulled back. "See? I hugged you quickly like that, and you have no evidence."
Sushiye ignored her playfulness. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, nipped her ear, and whispered softly, "Then if I stab you quickly, you won't have any evidence either."
"!!!"
Even after being together for so long, Fanli still hadn't adapted to his level of intimacy. Moreover, she had initially thought their frequent romps in the sheets were just because they were in the "honeymoon phase" and that things would eventually settle into something pure and noble, like her feelings for Xinghai. But facts proved that Sushiye was toxic; loving him made it impossible for things to stay "pure."
Soulmates, radiant love—none of that existed.
To prove this, she had even spent a week taking samples of their time together and the things they did to compile statistics. Out of 35 hours, 19 were spent in bed. In other words, 54.29% of the time that could have been spent on great spiritual exchange was wasted on basic needs. It was a terrible waste.
She spoke to Sushiye using data, offering no conclusions to avoid damaging their relationship, but she repeatedly emphasized the figure of 54.29%, frantically hinting that this ratio was a bit excessive.
Sushiye looked solemn, appearing quite disappointed. "We wasted 45.71% of our time?"
"..." Was the difference between male and female thinking really that large? Or was it just Sushiye’s own problem?
Just like today, he made a casual joke and then led her back to the bedroom.
Another fine morning was wasted. Yet, as she snuggled in his arms afterward, Fanli felt that things were simpler than she had imagined. All the problems she had once worried about didn't exist.
For instance, if she became his girlfriend, would they have nothing to talk about? Would their lives, work, and hobbies require a long period of adjustment?
As it turned out, everything was "adjusted" through other activities. This seemingly complex man was actually surprisingly simple. As long as he was satisfied in *that* regard, his answer to everything else was "Okay" and "Whatever Li’li wants."
Sometimes, a terrifying thought would cross Fanli’s mind: compared to a boyfriend, Sushiye seemed more like a casual partner.
But she quickly made peace with it. She was very happy now, and a casual partner was fine too. Such an elegant, tasteful, and skilled exclusive partner was practically a gift from the heavens.
In truth, it wasn't that Sushiye didn't want to express his feelings; he simply didn't know how.
Previously, every time he extracted Xinghai’s memories, he wanted to remain detached, viewing them as the feelings of a child.
But Xinghai was truly a reflection of his past; his style of love was identical to the man Sushiye used to be. Once, he had been so in love with Suyie, so afraid of losing her if he confessed, that he had protected her in silence. This led to them missing their chance and her eventually hating him.
Seeing how reserved Xinghai was, he often couldn't help but curse Xinghai for being a coward.
There were so many opportunities to hold her hand at school—why didn't he? On the night Luoya invited Fanli out to sea, he clearly could have kissed her—why didn't he? When the two of them were most in sync during a conversation, why didn't he say, "Since you think so too, be my girlfriend"?
Gradually, those beautiful women of the Predator Race no longer attracted him. He was like someone reading a pure romance novel who had unconsciously projected himself onto the male lead and fallen in love with the heroine.
So, in the Sea of Resurrection, he did everything Xinghai had wanted to do to Fanli.
But he was not Xinghai, after all.
It was like a favorite candy from childhood. Eating it then felt like the best thing in the world. As an adult, one would infinitely reminisce about that ecstasy. But if one actually ate that candy again, the feeling was no longer the same.
His life was the same; he could never return to his purest youth.
When Fanli had been so charmed by him that she couldn't help herself, she had subtly indicated that she wanted a monogamous relationship.
He couldn't give it. This little girl was cute, but she wasn't enough. The woman he felt was "enough" had long since regarded him as a mortal enemy.
It wasn't until she began wanting to become a Predator, began seriously planning her life, and showed a dogged determination to fight for her future and give everything for those she cared about... that he was truly touched.
She was so much like Suyie.
He knew she wasn't Suyie. But the things at their core were simply too similar. The more he observed her, the more he was attracted by her gradual changes.
It was only upon reaching Shenyegana that he completely fell. No matter how he tested or tempted her, she refused to give up on the weak Xinghai. She clearly knew Xinghai would hold her back and that he was her optimal choice, but she didn't care. Not only that, but as she grew stronger, she treated Xinghai better and better, asking nothing of him, only wishing for his happiness. She was willing to give everything to protect those important to her, while remaining broad-minded and making no demands of them.
One day, he finally realized that he was merely using "testing" as an excuse to pursue the girl he had fallen in love with.
On the way to Feili Town, she fell into a deep sleep in his arms.
"Mmm..." Fanli frowned, mumbling something in her sleep, then opened her eyes and looked at him dizzily.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here." He held her hand, his gaze growing increasingly tender. "I will always be by your side."
*Li’li, thank you. I can finally be free of Suyie.*
That evening, Fanli and Sushiye arrived in Feili Town.
Sushiye hadn't returned for over a hundred years. But holding Fanli’s hand, he found the courage to face his past again.
As they toured Feili Town on a private ship, Sushiye patiently explained the origins and history of the town, why it had once been a remote wealthy district, why there were so many Shark folk, the depression the town faced after the war, and how the subsequent residents had transformed it...
Finally, as night fell, they passed his childhood home and went to wander in the back mountains and the forest.
The seawater was a rhythmic breath, brushing against the undersea forest; the jellyfish were like fireworks in the sky, dancing with a brilliant phosphorescence that lit up the night.
New boys were playing the games they used to play as children. Fanli was immensely curious. Listening to them shout their battle cries, she whispered to Sushiye, "We have games like this in the human world too, just with different slogans."
"I suppose little boys are the same all over the world," Sushiye laughed.
They circled the forest a few more times until Fanli spotted a stone bench near a small cliff. She went over and sat down first, then patted the spot beside her. "Come sit!"
Sushiye stood dazed for a moment. He took something from the attendant behind him, dismissed them, and slowly swam up behind Fanli.
In Feili Town, the lights were beginning to glow. Starlight illuminated the undersea world, and the small white flowers on the rocks were like snowflakes, gradually glowing blue as squids passed by. The girl before him sat with her back to him, her tail swaying playfully, her long, rose-red curly hair shimmering as it draped over the stone bench.
She still had Fanli’s appearance, but without everything that happened later—without the Suyie who hated him to the bone. There was only a brand new, innocent soul, like a "little Fanli."
Sushiye thought that this was perhaps the most perfect union.
*Goodbye, Suyie.*
Holding the box in a formal posture, he moved in front of her, knelt on one knee, and took her hand. "Li’li, marry me."
Fanli’s eyes widened in shock. She immediately covered her mouth with both hands, her voice trembling. "Wh... why? I’ve wanted to ask for a long time... why..."
"You’re too good, but I’m really not that good." Fanli couldn't help but start crying. "To be honest, I feel like being your girlfriend is already a bit hard. Being your wife... I, I don't know..."
"Do you believe in love at first sight?"
She did. It didn't feel like she had only loved him for a day; it felt like she had loved him for hundreds, thousands, hundreds of millions of years—as if she had suddenly washed away all her memories and met "that person" all over again...
Seeing her remain silent, he lowered his head, thought for a long while, and then smiled. "Don't overthink it. Perhaps I just never had an impulse in my youth, and now that I'm over two hundred, I've finally become impulsive. So, you’d better nod and agree before I regret it. Otherwise, you’ll lose your chance to become the Dictator’s wife."
Sushiye’s words were a divine prophecy.
In the many years that followed, he never regretted taking this step, but he truly did believe he had been too impulsive—a man’s schemes should only be directed at other men, never at women, especially the kind that makes their heads spin.
They say women are creatures born for love, but in reality, they just cry easily. A man can be so internally wounded that he forgets himself, yet remains unhealed.
Thus, a woman can finish loving one person and move on to the next, loving each to the death, crying until she breaks, maintaining an eternal "maiden's heart." But a man, once he has fully consecrated his marriage and love to one woman, if he falls once to his death, he becomes an old man—the kind that can never be young again.
But at this moment, Sushiye was still very young.
He took the marriage ring out of the box, gently cradled her tail fin, and looked up at her for a moment. Seeing her remain still without a hint of resistance, he lowered his head and slipped the marriage ring onto the base of her tail fin. Every movement was slow, as if giving her ample time to reconsider, but she never said a word.
Finally, a soft *click* sounded as the marriage ring locked. A circle of golden light flowed across its surface, securing it firmly.
He snapped the brilliant large diamond onto it; inside, pale blue root-like filaments of light spread upward, locking the diamond to the ring. As if completing a monumental task, Sushiye exhaled and smiled slightly. "There. Li’li, from now on, my entire self, my entire life, belongs to you."
Only then did Fanli let out a delayed scream. she lunged forward, throwing her arms around his neck, her whole body shivering with happiness.
Just a short while ago, she had thought they were only casual partners. She hadn't expected... Fanli felt like crying again. "Thank you, thank you for being so serious about me! I don't know what to say..."
The seawater flowed silently, soaking into their breath.
"That’s because you’re worth it." Sushiye kissed her temple. "When we return to Shenyegana, let’s announce the engagement. We can hold the wedding in the second half of the year, alright?"
"Yes! Very much yes!!" Fanli jumped onto him, peppering his face with kisses. "Quick, quick, quick! Princess carry! Spin me around! There should be romance here!"
Sushiye was amused by her. "Alright."
As he held her and spun, she became a wild girl again, clutching his neck and screaming, "Ahhh, I’m so happy! It’s like a dream! I’m going to be your wife!"
That night, they stayed in a two-story villa-style hotel in Feili Town. Sushiye kissed her with a particular madness. When they ran out of condoms, he didn't go out to buy more.
"Um, can the Sea God Race use physiological contraception?" Fanli asked somewhat awkwardly. "I don't think I know how..."
"No contraception allowed." Sushiye pinned her hands to the bed, interlacing his fingers with hers, and commanded through ragged breaths, "I gave up polygamy for you and lost the chance to produce a vast number of offspring. Now that we’re getting married, you dare mention contraception?"
"But..."
"No 'buts'," he said firmly. "Give me a bunch of beautiful babies, understand?"
The Creator had crushed the Milky Way, holding half as man and moon, and scattering the other half as youth and starlight, shining into the most beautiful dream of her girlhood to form her complete beloved.
This should have been the most carefree night of Fanli’s life, the night she loved this man most recklessly.
Unlike the ten thousand miles of night over the past two hundred and forty-eight years, where she could only be a star emitting a faint glow, secretly gazing at the sea of stars in her life in silence.
They stayed in Feili Town for seven days and eight nights.
Because they had decided to have a baby, Sushiye worked even harder than before. Moreover, he didn't like to get straight to the point; he had all sorts of ways to play, and he was greedy in every single thing. By now, almost every corner of her body had been tasted by him, even her interior was not spared...
How could there be such a lustful man in the world? She couldn't take it...
Even in broad daylight, on the street, the mere thought of any detail from their time in bed made Fanli’s face burn like a furnace.
In the early hours of the eighth night, Fanli woke up from a nightmare.
In the dream, she had killed Sushiye again. But unlike last time, she had succeeded. The dagger pierced his heart, and the seawater was dyed a pure, bloody red. He held her hand, looking at her with sad, weary eyes as his heartbeat faded and the strength in his hand vanished.
But when she woke, she was sleeping in the crook of his arm.
She vaguely remembered Sushiye saying "I love you" in his sleep. With reddened eyes, she brushed aside the bangs hanging over his brow and coldly watched his sleeping face.
The Great Dictator of the Light Sea had never slept soundly beside anyone, except for the former Fanli.
Therefore, she was the only one who knew that when he slept alone, his sharp brows were mostly furrowed. But when he slept beside her, they would relax without any defense, just like a child’s.
It was a pity that this beautiful man, this innocent child, was a demon.
Now was the best time to act. Almost all Arcane and Fel attacks were useless against him, but if she pierced his neck at close range, he would surely die.
She pushed away the hand he had wrapped around her waist, didn't give him another look, got out of bed, and swam downstairs. She took out her communicator, cast a soundproofing spell, and contacted her true fiancé.
"I’ve been waiting for this call for a while." Xitian answered quickly; it seemed he was still busy with work at this hour. "Everything is ready on our end. Come back to the Storm Sea."
"Alright. I’ll head out after I wrap up my work here."
"Suyie." The man’s voice lacked warmth, but it had clearly softened. "You’ve worked hard."
"For the Light Sea, it’s no hardship." She smiled.
"Mm. I won't let you down."
Fanli asked the hotel front desk for a small knife and quietly swam back to the bedroom. But as soon as she opened the door, she saw Sushiye already putting on his clothes.
"Why are you up?" Fanli quickly hid the knife behind her back.
"I should be asking you that. Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? Why did you go outside?"
"I... I have a bit of insomnia."
"If you have insomnia, tell me. Don't wander around aimlessly. It’s not necessarily safe outside." Sushiye looked at her with a hint of reproach and beckoned her over. "Come here."
"Oh, okay. I’ll use the restroom first."
Fanli pulled open the bathroom door, locked it, and put the knife into the drawer under the mirror. Then she pretended to flush the toilet and swam back out.
Sushiye held her as they lay down again, but she could no longer fall asleep.
Outside the window, the shadows of stars were soaked in the waters of Feili Town. Fanli moved her tail fin and saw the marriage ring glittering in the silver light.
Admittedly, from the moment she decided to forge her memories to everything that happened after her transformation, she had calculated almost everything related to logic without a single leak. But she had failed to account for the emotional side.
She remembered how much she wanted to grind Sushiye’s bones to ash, yet she also remembered how much she indulged in his embrace. She remembered the coldness and killing intent in his eyes, yet she also remembered the gaze of extreme tenderness he cast upon her. She remembered his rage when he choked her, yet she also remembered the madness of his rough kisses born of longing...
She hadn't made a wrong move in this game of chess, yet she had also made a massive mistake.
The step that Suyie had always wanted to take but never could, Fanli had taken. And now, there was no taking it back.
If the war hadn't broken out, if Fanli hadn't become Suyie, and Xinghai hadn't become Sushiye—if they had been lucky enough to reunite in university, what would have happened would likely have been just like in Luoya. Xinghai would protect her, they would gradually develop feelings, fall in love, graduate, marry, and spend a sweet, ordinary life together. But such a utopian world did not exist.
In this world, Fanli was destined to become Suyie, and Xinghai was destined to become Sushiye.
She curled up in Sushiye’s warm, broad embrace, shedding physiological tears, not allowing herself to make a sound.
On the way back to Shenyegana, Secretary Peisha noticed that Fanli had changed. Previously, she could never sit still; her eyes were always full of curiosity, and she was always jumping around to observe things that interested her. If one wanted her to be completely quiet, there was only one way—give her a book. But even then, her tail would wag and fan about like a propeller.
Over the past two days, however, Fanli often sat alone, doing nothing.
Just like now, while the Dictator was sleeping, Fanli sat on the lounge chair in the entertainment cabin—not leaning comfortably against the backrest, but sitting bolt upright, her tail fin motionless against the floor. She had maintained this posture for twenty-five minutes, and she hadn't touched the food placed before her twenty-five minutes ago. She just stared quietly at the schools of fish outside the window, her eyes as blue as the deep sea, seemingly lost in thought.
This version of Fanli gave her the illusion, several times, that Academician Suyie had returned.
"Miss Fanli." Peisha swam over, her attitude becoming involuntarily respectful. "Do you need any other food? Or a drink? I’ll have them bring it up for you."
Fanli looked up, and those deep-sea blue eyes suddenly brightened, becoming as radiant as the sky. Her tail began to pat and swirl again, and her smile was as cute as ever. "Hmm? I don't want to eat right now. I’ve been with Lord Sushiye too much lately and eaten so much I’ve gotten fat..." She looked down and pinched her waist, which had no excess fat at all. "If I get any fatter, I’m afraid he won't love me anymore."
Well, her previous thought had indeed been an illusion.
"Very well. Please call for me whenever you need anything." Peisha slowly withdrew.
Fanli had no appetite. But she still ate the food on the tray, bit by bit.
***
Glossary
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