Two years ago, Fanli had made a phone call to a beautiful old friend.
"Xiaolan, how have you been lately?"
Hearing the name "Xiaolan," Randy Rose felt like erecting a perimeter of warning tape around herself. But as a singer, she was highly sensitive to voices. This voice was different from the delicate softness of many girls; it was ethereal and clean, reminiscent of incense. She recognized it instantly. "Sui?!"
"I have a favor to ask of you—and of course, it won't be for nothing."
"It’s fine. Just say the word; there’s no need for payment." Randy Rose dropped her usual arrogance, sounding humble even over the communicator. "I still remember you saying we’d meet at the next peak of our lives. I’ve been waiting for you to reach out."
"I need you to seduce someone, but there are many conditions."
"You’ve found the right person for that. Go on."
"First, you can't act like you like him too much. This man doesn't like his female companions to be too serious. You need to be a bit vain, making him feel like you’re after something from him."
"No problem. I’ll just be playing myself."
"Second, you can't appear too smart. You have to be a bit brainless."
"No problem. A natural performance."
"Third, you must spread rumors of your intimacy as much as possible. It’s best if the entire Light Sea knows. Ensure it scares off the high-ranking princesses so they won't enter a political marriage with him. If any woman capable of marrying him appears and shows interest, you must use every means possible to disgust them and drive them away."
"No problem. Disgusting people is my specialty. You’ve definitely found the right person for this task."
"Xiaolan, doing this might cost you your life, and it might affect your lifelong happiness. But the safety of the entire Light Sea and all the Sea God Races is at stake. I have no other choice."
"I never believed in men anyway, and I don't care about so-called 'lifelong happiness.' I am willing to dedicate my life to my people." Randy Rose chuckled. "Besides, I know how dangerous it is to lurk around Su Shiye. I’ll be careful, don't worry."
"So you knew it was Su Shiye."
"I’m not always that stupid, am I?"
"You're very clever. Xiaolan, I hope I can survive this. There will be plenty of rewards for you in the future."
"I told you, don't talk to me about rewards. I don't need that. Without you, I wouldn't have my freedom, let alone my achievements today. Leave it to me."
Afterward, Randy Rose successfully discovered that two of his dating prospects were from the entertainment industry. In terms of looks, neither could compare to her. Thus, she used every means to get close to Su Shiye and launched a series of seduction plans. Su Shiye was busy; she waited over two months before successfully securing her first date with him.
Once they started dating, Su Shiye became very proactive. Red algae, jewelry, expensive restaurants—he was perfect in every regard. He was elegant and passionate, his manners and sweet talk were flawless, and with the bonus of his looks, physique, and voice, he left her completely infatuated, often finding herself the one being charmed instead. Just as she was bracing herself for an invitation to mate, Su Shiye suddenly vanished and stopped contacting her. She waited a long time before calling him; he simply said he was busy and had forgotten, but never mentioned when he wanted to see her again.
That was October of 24729. Randy Rose, of course, didn't know that Su Shiye was playing the Mimicry Starry Sea game at the time; she assumed someone else had beaten her to the punch. She wanted to call Fanli for help, but Fanli had truly vanished into thin air as she had said. However, keeping Fanli’s mission in mind, she began to take the initiative, inviting Su Shiye to dinner. After several refusals, he agreed. He still paid the bill, but the hormones between them had evaporated. She felt like she had transformed from a bombshell beauty into his "bro."
Randy Rose was frantically looking for an opportunity until four months ago, when Fanli called her again.
"Sui, I’m sorry, I failed," she said dejectedly. "I didn't get Su Shiye into bed."
"Who said you failed? Don't you know? Over the past two years, how many clans wanting to marry into Su Shiye’s line were successfully deterred by you? Now, the target has changed. Your mission is to handle the Governor of the Starry Sea."
"That’s easy." Randy Rose smiled confidently. "That old guy already likes me."
"He’s lustful, yes, but he’s loyal to Su Shiye. Listen carefully, this is what you need to do next..."
And so, Randy Rose executed her next honey trap. She whispered in the Starry Sea Governor’s ear every day, urging him to defect with her. The Governor gave ambiguous answers, carousing with her every night, while secretly remaining wary of her.
Before the final confrontation, Randy Rose urged the Starry Sea Governor to defect once more, telling him that the main forces of the Storm Party were lying in ambush to the north and west above the Meteor Trench, and told him to send troops to the sparsely populated south to intercept Su Shiye. The Governor relayed her words to Su Shiye without hesitation.
But Su Shiye was deeply suspicious. Even in his worst state, he retained a final shred of rationality. He went neither north nor west, nor did he go south. He fled to the dead-end east—where there were only natural rock ledges leading to islands and the pitch-black waters leading to the deep sea.
And so, Fanli had waited for him there.
Upon returning to the Storm Sea military base, Fanli reported Su Shiye’s descent into the deep sea to Xitian.
"You didn't kill Su Shiye?" Xitian froze, his voice terrifyingly calm. "...Are you mad?"
"It’s my fault. He fled too fast; I couldn't catch him."
"How is that possible? He was already so heavily injured. Any common bait-fish could have killed him. How could you not catch him?"
Hearing the term "bait-fish," Fanli frowned. "I don't know. He was truly fast."
"Yes, that makes sense. Losing the Eye of Flame means the Ether Body only loses its arcane power, but even when heavily injured, his speed shouldn't be affected."
"What does it matter? He’s already lost the Eye of Flame and his power. Even if he returns to the Light Sea in the future, there’s nothing left for him to do."
"Not necessarily." Xitian swam back and forth anxiously, pressing his hand to his forehead. After a long silence, he whispered, "I’m worried. Have you forgotten? There is a devil who has been sleeping in the deep sea for a very long time."
Fanli looked up sharply.
Damn it. In her moment of soft-heartedness, she had forgotten about that figure.
"If Su Shiye wakes him and joins forces with him, the Light Sea is finished." Xitian clicked his tongue.
However, he didn't have much time to worry about the future. A soldier soon arrived to report: "Reporting to Prince Gath, Colonel Roja of the Starry Sea was just defeated. He steered their warships over the Meteor Trench, cut the engines, and plummeted into the abyss. It seems... it seems he has gone to follow the Dictator."
"What?!" Xitian spun around.
"Reporting to Prince Gath, three of Colonel Roja’s units have followed him!"
"Are they going to find Su Shiye?" Xitian paced, his anxiety mounting. "Is there no way to track them?"
"We can't. Our vessels can only dive to a maximum depth of—"
"Forget it! Don't say it, I know!"
Seeing Xitian so panicked, Fanli said, "The Starry Sea warships can't dive too deep either. They basically won't be able to withstand the water pressure below seven hundred meters. If they really followed Su Shiye, they’re either heading for a dead end or they’ll have to come back sooner or later. There’s no need to rush."
"Mhm." Xitian said deeply, "I understand."
The news of the Holy City army's defeat had not yet officially appeared in the media, but it had already reached the upper circles of the Sea Races in the Holy City. Kunti received a call from her parents and learned the news. But she felt nothing about it, only staring fiercely at the woman before her, who was weeping like a rain-drenched pear blossom.
"You shameless creature!"
With that, Kunti used all her strength to slap Saifei Qing across the face!
The slap was so fast and heavy that Saifei Qing couldn't dodge; she fell hard to the ground. Protecting the tiny life in her arms, Saifei Qing’s eyes were filled with tears as she stared hollowly at Alan’s empty hospital bed, as if she had lost every purpose in her life.
"Our family trusted you and your parents so much, and this is how you repay me?!" She looked at the child in Saifei Qing’s arms, her rage boiling over. "You actually had this... thing with Alan! You shameless slave!!"
"I am sorry, Miss Kunti... I am also sorry to Alan. If it weren't to protect me and our son, he wouldn't have died..." Her eyes remained a void, but tears began to flow uncontrollably once more.
This regret, grief, and despair were perhaps things Kunti could not understand, but Xiami, standing nearby, could. At this moment, Xiami even felt a hint of envy toward Qing. Though her status was low, she at least had a child with Alan. Looking at the small infant in the swaddling clothes, Xiami wanted so badly to go over and hold him—until the moment Alan died, she never even had the chance to touch his hand. To be able to hold his son would be something...
"What’s the use of saying sorry now? He’s dead! You’re right, he died to save your worthless life!" Kunti was nearly exploding with rage, cursing and crying at the same time.
The two women were locked in a confrontation for a long time, but Saifei Qing’s gaze met Xiami’s. Xiami wore round-rimmed glasses and usually kept her head down, her eyes darting away out of extreme shyness. Sometimes when she went out with Saifei Qing, people would even mistake their identities. Saifei Qing noticed that when Xiami looked at her son, she appeared much gentler and more confident. Thus, Saifei Qing slowly stood up with the child and swam over to Xiami.
"Xiami, this is Alan’s child." Saifei Qing pushed the little boy into Xiami’s arms, looking at her son with eyes full of maternal love. "Take good care of him for Alan. Thank you."
Then, their eyes met again. In those few seconds, it was as if they both understood the emotions in each other's hearts, and no further communication was needed.
"Xiami, don't hold that mutt! I’m afraid it’ll dirty your hands!" Kunti snapped.
But Xiami didn't listen to her and took the child.
Saifei Qing knew she hadn't misjudged her.
She would entrust the child's future to someone else. For her own life, having Alan was enough.
She gave Kunti a bitter smile. "Actually, Miss Kunti, Alan was a man with very strong self-esteem. He was pampered and arrogant from a young age and couldn't stand anyone challenging his masculine authority. If a girl did that, even if he liked her, he would constantly play mind games and give her a hard time."
Kunti completely missed the subtext, only shouting, "Are you bragging now? Since you know him so well, do you know he’s very afraid of loneliness? Then why don't you go and accompany him in death!"
Before Kunti could finish venting her emotions, Saifei Qing took one last look at the child, then looked at the wall in despair. She charged forward with all her might, and her head burst against the wall like a flower! Blood splattered into the seawater, spraying across the faces of Kunti, Xiami, and the little boy.
The Saifei sisters both wore expressions of horror. Only the little boy wiped his cheek, moved his small mouth, and continued to stare at Xiami with wide eyes and a faint smile.
"I... did I do something terrible?" Kunti pulled at her sister’s sleeve, trembling as she shrank toward the door. "Was it because of me?"
"Of course not, Sister. If she were that obedient to you, she wouldn't have had an affair with Alan, would she?"
"Yes, yes... you’re the one who sees things clearly..."
Xiami certainly saw things clearly. In the eyes of both her sister and Alan, she had been a transparent person from beginning to end. She had never received the respect and admiration Alan had for Kunti, nor the pity and tenderness he had for Saifei Qing. To Alan, she was merely the sister of the Kunti he resented, always there to witness his failures.
Now that both Alan and Qing were dead, she suddenly felt a sense of total disillusionment.
Just then, they received a call from their father. This single phone call would completely change their lives thereafter.
Meanwhile, in the Storm Sea, the post-war situation was becoming increasingly grim.
"Prince Gath, the General of the Glazed Legion and Odaize have followed the Dictator into the abyss."
"Heh, Odaize has always been Su Shiye’s dog, long since domesticated. It’s no surprise he followed. A fool, heading for a dead end," Xitian sneered.
"Prince Gath, the Dictator’s entire secretarial team has also followed him!"
"Another bunch of fools. Let them go. The next Dictator wouldn't use them anyway. Trash remaining in the Light Sea serves no purpose."
"Prince Gath, the 6th, 7th, and 12th Battalions of the Holy City Party have all steered their vessels into the abyss!"
"I know. There are many people who want to die."
"Prince Gath, Saifei Yong has jumped too!"
"What?!" Xitian stood up abruptly. "From the Saifei Clan? How is that possible? The Resurrection Sea and Su Shiye have always been at odds!"
"Should... should we try to stop them?"
"No need!" Xitian said through gritted teeth. "Let these impulsive fools regret it. Once disloyal, never trusted. Keeping them is meaningless!"
"Prince Gath—"
"Shut up! I’m busy right now and don't want to hear any more!" Xitian roared. "Dismissed!"
"Yes... yes..."
When the room finally fell into a dead silence, Xitian swam back and forth, feeling a sense of suffocation. Finally, he looked at Fanli, who had remained silent. "Look at what you’ve done!"
But as soon as he said it, he regretted it. Because he knew that without Fanli, the one sinking into the deep sea right now might have been him and his father. If he acted on impulse now and Fanli was provoked into jumping as well, the Light Sea would be finished. But Fanli neither spoke nor acted impulsively; she only cast an emotionless gaze at him and asked another question: "Do you think I could have killed Su Shiye?"
A groundless sense of gratitude mixed into Xitian’s explosive emotions. He frowned deeply, swam a few more laps, and redirected his anger. "Are these people crazy? Going down there is death!"
"We underestimated Su Shiye’s influence. A man who appeared so cold and heartless actually had so many die-hard followers."
Xitian paced for a long while more before finally sitting in a chair in the corner, holding his head in his hands. "Go see how many people we have left."
"No need to look. Those who left were mainly from the Oda and Saifei clans. They weren't part of our power base to begin with; there’s nothing to regret in their departure."
"But they followed Su Shiye!"
"Now we are overestimating Su Shiye too much. He’s been beaten down to his last breath. Even if he survives, he won't be able to make a comeback. The living conditions in the deep sea are likely harsher than we can imagine."
In truth, Xitian knew Fanli was saving his face. The "we" Fanli spoke of was never "we"; it was only him. Fanli had never underestimated Su Shiye, nor had she overestimated him. It was he who had looked down on Su Shiye too much at first, and later feared him excessively. In terms of emotional control, neither he nor Su Shiye was a match for Fanli.
On the day Su Shiye launched the attack on the Storm Sea, Xitian hadn't spoken for four and a half hours, lost in deep thought. Even Clan Master Jante could hear his tension over the phone. Then, Clan Master Jante kept comforting him, saying, "Don't worry. You must realize that Academician Sui is helping you. With an ultimate weapon like Sui, what do you have to fear?"
Hearing that comfort, he felt his pressure ease significantly.
Yes, Sui was the one who decided the victory between him and Su Shiye. Whichever side she stood on was the winner. She had stood on his side long ago. Su Shiye was destined to lose.
Thinking of this now, he looked up at Fanli again, his eyes red. "You won't go with him, will you?"
Fanli slowly swam in front of him and sat down, coiling her tail. This process seemed to take an hour. She placed her hand on the back of his and looked up at him with a faint smile. "Xitian, you should know that I helped you because, in my heart, you are right and Su Shiye is wrong. It’s not because you are strong or Su Shiye is strong. You shouldn't ask me; you should believe in yourself."
"But Su Shiye is your brother..."
"Regardless of who he is, I only follow the Righteous Path I believe in. As long as you uphold this path, I will follow you forever, loyal to you alone."
His emotions had been taut for too long, and they finally collapsed in a single second as he began to sob. Fanli gripped his hand with her right and gave him a left-handed salute. "I look forward to you becoming an even greater leader, Prince Gath."
"I will." Xitian held her hand with both of his, tears flowing like a spring. "As long as you are here, I will."
Fanli quietly watched this man who was crying like a child, but in her mind, another pair of golden eyes appeared. She could understand Xitian’s pain and insecurity, and she knew how to comfort him to make him feel better; she also understood why Su Shiye had given up the struggle, and how he had willingly walked into her trap step by step.
After enduring countless difficulties, she finally held the reins of the situation, making everything develop exactly as she had planned.
But she also knew that the decisive factor in her success was that she had found Su Shiye’s weakness.
There were many times she had felt despair, thinking she couldn't defeat Su Shiye. He wasn't like Yejia, who had intelligence and emotional maturity but no ambition; he wasn't like Xitian, who had ambition and brains but lacked emotional intelligence; and he wasn't like most of the Oda Clan, who had ambition and emotional intelligence but weren't smart enough... Su Shiye was a man of extreme ambition and high intelligence and emotional quotients. There was no scheme he couldn't see through, he never let emotions alter his plans, and he could sacrifice anyone to achieve his goals—how could such a person be defeated?
Later, she finally discovered the weakness Su Shiye hid in the depths of his heart, terrified that anyone would find it, and she dealt him a fatal blow.
No one would have guessed that a man like Su Shiye would be as pure as a green youth when it came to love. It was useless for him to hide it; she had found it.
His love and hate for Sui, his love and pity for Fanli. No matter which "her" it was, she caused him to expose a body full of vulnerabilities.
Xitian could cry, Su Shiye could cry, but she alone could not. If she cried, it would be too hypocritical. Because in terms of emotions, she had been a thorough villain. Villains have no right to shed tears.
She had to hold on, support Xitian, pursue their shared ideals, and strive to create a better new Light Sea.
If asked if her heart ached, the answer was certainly yes.
If asked if she still loved Su Shiye, the answer was also yes. One could even say that if the feeling she had for Su Shiye was "love," then she could only love once in this lifetime.
But she could bear it.
After accompanying Xitian until he fell asleep, Fanli gently closed the door and began arranging the itinerary to return to Saint Yejiana.
After the Dictator's government centered around Su Shiye was overthrown, every news outlet in the Light Sea reported the event immediately.
The host of Luo'ya News, while describing the live defeat of the Holy City Party’s last army, stuttered thirteen times in five minutes and twenty-one seconds. It wasn't until he finally said, "The economy of the entire Light Sea will shrink by 6.5%, with a hope of recovering 5% within ten years," that he became slightly more normal.
Clan Master Gath happened to see this news and said disdainfully that the Red Moon Sea should fire such an unprofessional host. He didn't know that the hosts in the Storm Sea were in the same state; it was just that Storm Sea news didn't allow live broadcasts, and the segments had been sent back to be re-recorded.
A new round of Dictator elections was about to begin.
After many years, the Gath Clan had returned to Saint Yejiana once more, pushing two confidants to the forefront of the political stage.
The first was the new Dictator they had long since arranged, Jiali. Clan Master Gath did not intend to have someone with the Gath surname serve as Dictator, even going so far as to publicly distance the family from the government, acting only as the power behind the scenes. This was because Su Shiye’s political achievements were so staggering that no matter how excellent the next Dictator was, it would be difficult to surpass him—especially after such a costly war, with the economy in terrible shape and requiring a long time to repair. The Gath Clan were, after all, descendants of the Ancestral Gods; they could not tolerate someone else's past overshadowing their nobility.
After returning, Fanli had almost no time to rest, participating in various meetings of the major clans regarding the future development of the Light Sea.
Busy until July 29th, Jiali soon took office. The speed was as if he were rushing to be reincarnated.
Fanli attended Jiali’s inauguration ceremony and quickly recalled what Su Shiye had looked like during his own.
Unlike Jiali’s solemnity, Su Shiye had worn a smile when he took office.
Others felt that this man was born for power. He did not fear power, he did not fear slaughter; he possessed the confidence to trample the entire world under his feet.
His smile was a rebirth from the flames, a sign that the Light Sea was entering a brand-new era.
But only Fanli knew that Su Shiye was a man very skilled at processing emotions. When he was in a pleasant mood, only the corners of his eyes and brows would show a hint of joy—when they won their first battle and all the soldiers were reveling and shouting at the top of their lungs, Su Shiye’s joy had at most caused a slight twitch of his brow. When his emotions were stable, he looked like a wolf lurking in the jungle. And the more spirited and radiant his smile, the more pain he actually felt inside.
When she had first called him out on this habit, he was initially a bit embarrassed, then said, "Isn't Lili the same?"
Fanli had been stunned, feeling that he was exactly right. However, she used smiles to hide her pain because she didn't want to cause trouble for others; he used smiles to hide his pain because he didn't want to expose his weaknesses to his enemies.
