Entering Su Shiye’s office, the first things that caught Fanli’s eye were several picture frames arranged in the bookshelf. One was a close-up of a bristly pufferfish amidst seagrass; another was a panoramic shot of the deep sea, looking like a galaxy of stars; the third was a portrait of the abyssal plains.
The third photograph featured hydrothermal vents, deep-sea mud volcanoes, and "chimneys" encrusted with chemosynthetic microorganisms. However, some of the volcanic craters had been leveled to make way for building foundations. In the bottom right corner, a date was inscribed: *Year 78 of the Red Moon Era.*
"What are you looking at?" Su Shiye asked.
"Where is this?" Fanli pointed to the third photo.
"Bamanboya."
Fanli looked at the photo, then out the window, calculating the time in her head. Her first reaction was disbelief that this city had only been under construction for a little over three hundred years. Then, she felt a profound sense of reality—it was through the efforts of Su Shiye and his many followers that this city had been built, stone by stone.
Most decision-makers start as idealists when they set out on the path toward their goals, but many abandon the journey halfway when their dreams shatter. It was impossible to imagine how many hardships and obstacles the Abyss Empire had encountered during its founding. Yet, Su Shiye had shouldered them all. This demonstrated not only his boldness but also his perseverance, wisdom, and practical capability.
"A magnificent undertaking," Fanli could only conclude.
Fanli sat on the sofa and began reading the *Bamanboya Fel Research Institute Potion Master Temporary Employment Agreement* in her hands.
For a long time, the only sounds in the room were the faint flow of water and the muffled noises from outside the soundproof windows. Her reading speed had always been fast, but for some reason today, she couldn't concentrate. Her mind began to wander, and her tail started to sway slowly and aimlessly. She rubbed her temples several times, forcing herself to keep reading.
Su Shiye was also at his desk, reviewing other documents. He rested his head on one hand, his eyelids lifting occasionally to glance at Fanli’s playfully swaying, bioluminescent blue tail fin. His gaze then drifted upward, lingering on her waist, her slender wrists adorned with gemstone bracelets, her undulating hair, the small earlobes hanging with long sapphire earrings, her fair and radiant face, her full lips, and her thick, fan-like eyelashes...
Her tail fin shifted from swaying side-to-side to up-and-down, and her mouth twitched slightly.
*What is this girl thinking about? She’s clearly distracted.*
Su Shiye’s eyes narrowed slightly. He frowned and turned his gaze back to his documents without moving. "Not finished yet?"
Like a student caught daydreaming by a teacher, Fanli snapped her head up, a flash of panic crossing her crystal-blue eyes. "N-not yet. Maybe... maybe I should take it back and read it later."
"That works."
"Do I need to confirm it with you once I’m done? Actually, Your Majesty shouldn't need to personally oversee this agreement, right? Can't I just sign it with the head of the Research Institute?"
"There are certain government restrictive clauses inside; you still need to coordinate with me."
"Oh, alright. Then I’ll keep reading." Fanli raised the agreement and waved it slightly, then stood up to swim toward the door.
But just as she reached the door, a slender hand pressed against it, blocking her path. Startled by Su Shiye’s speed, she turned back and asked, "Is there something else?"
"Where are you planning to go now? Wandering the city?"
"Wait, how did you know?!" Fanli hadn't told anyone her intentions. Had Su Shiye learned mind-reading? It was like a ghost story.
*Is it that hard to see through that little brain of yours, which holds nothing but academic knowledge?* Su Shiye gave a contemptuous smirk. "I’ll find a guide to accompany you. You can bring your friends along."
"Really? That’s wonderful!" Fanli clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes brightening significantly. "Thank you, His Majesty Su Shiye! That’s a huge help!"
"Don't mention it. Go."
With that, he reached out to open the door, but Fanli reached for it at the same time. Her fingertips brushed the back of his hand. She recoiled as if she had touched boiling water, then, as if actually burned, she covered that hand with the other and cradled it to her chest, looking down. "Thank you... I, I’m leaving now..."
Watching her depart with an expressionless face, Su Shiye returned to his desk to read his documents.
But five minutes later, he suddenly pushed the files away and rubbed the space between his eyebrows with his knuckles.
Irritated, anxious, angry.
What on earth was Fanli doing? She was nearly seven hundred years old, yet her behavior was exactly the same as when she was a hundred. Where was the resolute woman he had seen on television? Was that all just an act? Or was *this* the act?
Her eyes were so bright; when she blinked, her lashes fluttered like butterfly wings. Her jawline was delicate and small, giving her a youthful, girlish air. When her curly hair was down and the current flowed from behind, pushing her hair forward to frame her face, she looked particularly pitiable and moving...
No wonder Moerheqiao had poured so much money into that useless slum relief project for her. It was as if he were under a spell.
If she crawled into a man's arms and acted a little spoiled, what man could resist?
Being a woman was truly convenient. No matter how ambitious or aggressive they were, they could just hide it, rub against a man's chest a couple of times, and everything would be resolved.
The more Su Shiye thought about it, the more annoyed he became, and the more his anger flared. Finally, he threw the book on his desk against the wall, the impact "breaking" its spine.
The one who arranged the guide for Fanli and the others was the Imperial Chief Secretary, Peisha.
"Your guides are the Pu couple, of the Anglerfish race." Peisha looked at Fanli, her gaze colder than the floating ice of the Midwinter Sea. "Tomorrow, go directly to the base of the Imperial Center Building and wait for them."
"Thank you, Peisha," Fanli said with a smile.
"Don't thank me. If His Majesty hadn't personally arranged this, I wouldn't do a single thing for you." Leaving those words behind, Peisha turned and swam away.
The next morning, in the bustling downtown area, the four Light Sea dwellers—all of them Sea Gods whose tails emitted gold and silver light—were particularly conspicuous. Fanli and her group were stared at thoroughly before they finally found the guide Peisha had mentioned at the entrance of the Imperial Center Building, which sat atop an underwater ridge.
A robust Anglerfish woman had a curved stalk growing from her dorsal fin, looping from her back to the front of her face. At the end of the stalk hung a bioluminescent lure filled with symbiotic bacteria, which dangled and swayed before her. The woman was holding a small flag, looking around. Fanli swam over. "Excuse me, are you Mrs. Pu?"
"Yes, yes! Hello, Great Oracle Sui."
Many deep-sea predators have exaggerated teeth, and the Anglerfish race was a classic example. Mrs. Pu’s smile was wide; her lower teeth were longer and sharper than her upper ones, protruding in a severe underbite that looked somewhat frightening. This was because, in the early years of resource scarcity, they had to remain motionless for long periods to save energy, like most deep-sea creatures. They used their glowing lures to attract prey, and once the prey was close enough, they would suddenly snap their mouths shut, piercing the victim with their razor-sharp teeth.
"I feel..." Hege stared at the lure dangling from Mrs. Pu’s head, cupping her face in a daze. "So happy..."
"Me too... so happy..." Shasha added dreamily, slowly drifting toward the light source.
"Me too..." Yujin had turned into a total airhead.
Fanli proceeded to smack each of them on the head in turn. "Wake up! That’s for showing us the way, not for you to get eaten."
"Hahaha, it’s alright. We won't eat them."
Hearing this voice, Hege finally noticed a small boy tethered to Mrs. Pu’s abdomen—likely her son. Compared to Mrs. Pu’s appearance, the boy was quite cute: no sharp fangs, large round eyes, a tiny face, and a high-pitched, thin voice. His little tail was short and stubby, as if underdeveloped. Most miraculously, the boy was only one-tenth the size of Mrs. Pu. This proportion was far beyond that of a normal mother and son, making him look incredibly miniature.
Hege was surprised to find that the Abyssals had such a "moe" side. However, thinking that such a cute little boy would grow up to look like his mother made her feel a bit melancholy. She patted the child’s head and said, "Little one, you’re so cute. What’s your name?"
"Just call me Little Pu!" The boy excitedly clenched his tiny fists, but he never left Mrs. Pu’s side.
Fanli nudged Hege with her elbow, signaling her not to be so impolite. Hege took the hint and pulled her hand back.
Following that, Mrs. Pu took them on a three-day tour of Bamanboya. Because they didn't move much, the black tail fins of the Anglerfish race had undergone certain mutations: they used their fins to "walk" on the ground, so at first glance, the fins looked like legs. Under Mrs. Pu’s plump and slow lead, the group of four experienced a deep-sea charm that was entirely different from the Light Sea.
First, Fanli received a bank card and some cash from Mrs. Pu.
Originally, the Abyss did not have a standardized currency because every country or tribe used something different. Abyssal residents conducting international trade relied on primitive bartering. Now, however, the Dark Sea had a universal currency: the Abyss Empire’s Dark Sea Red Coin.
Red Coin cash was divided into "skin notes" and coins. The watermark on the notes was the lateral line found on the backs of deep-sea fish. The first edition of the coins was stamped with red lacquer, hence the name "Red Coin."
The Dark Sea Red Coin was originally a nickel-based currency. However, because the Empire’s development was so rapid, its nickel reserves were insufficient, and the speed of printing money couldn't keep up with economic growth. Consequently, fifty-seven years ago, the *Abyss Empire Red Coin Management Regulations* officially announced the abandonment of the nickel-standard clause.
Abolishing the metal standard meant that all nations in the deep sea trading with the Abyss Empire had to rely solely on their trust in the Empire to complete their cooperation. However, this shift did not negatively impact the Empire. On the contrary, their hegemony and the status of their currency as a reserve became the Empire’s core strength. And their military power, which dominated the Dark Sea, was the core weapon maintaining that hegemony.
The Red Coin was the sole unit of currency for the Abyss Empire. The smallest denomination was 1 Red Coin, which existed only as a coin, not a note. Currently, the Imperial Bank had issued its fifth series of banknotes, with denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 1000. This latest set of notes featured the design that won second place in the Abyss Banknote Design Competition held in January of the year 400 of the Red Moon Era. The designer was a female Shadow Race artist.
The reason the winning design wasn't used was reportedly because it featured the portraits of Su Shiye, Auda Aize, Sephiron, Qiusa, and other founding elders of the Empire. Su Shiye was dissatisfied with it.
The current banknote designs were quite interesting: the backs were all uniform images of the Endless Palace, while the fronts featured masters of Fel-mechanical aesthetic architecture, deep-sea composers, dancers, undersea mountain sculptors, famous poets, and artists.
The backs of the coins all bore the emblem of the Red Moon Empire, while the fronts featured mathematicians-cum-engineers, undersea geologists, naturalists, great architects, natural historians, and great Fel scholars-cum-mycologists.
For an ambitiously militaristic superpower to use such things as its public face displayed the temperament of a civilized nation that valued commerce over the military. Fanli found Su Shiye both amusing and contradictory, but she couldn't help but marvel at how clever the man was—he was still the same "Best Actor" from back then.
With money in hand, the three girls completely ignored Yujin’s feelings and began "girl activities" in the downtown area.
First, they had to get the best face mask in all the seas—mud boiled by hydrothermal volcanic heat. This mud was rich in minerals and had been collected by Abyssal women for skin care for tens of millions of years. Now, beauty companies wouldn't miss such a business opportunity, using it to mass-produce masks and skincare products. Consequently, the beauty industry was one of the national industries of the Abyss Empire. Their packaging was excellent; they used high-temperature air bladders to protect the mud. Once the mask was opened, the bladder could fit tightly against the face, ensuring not a single nutrient escaped, achieving perfect skin care.
"I’ve already researched this; the mud mask from the Broken Flower Sand Sea is the best." Hege pointed to two Ghoul Race women nearby, speaking in a low, excited whisper. "They say this specific one from the Broken Flower Sand Sea is nicknamed the 'Wedding Mask'."
"What does that mean? You use it when you get married?" Fanli asked.
"No, it means that after you use this mask and attend the wedding of your ex-boyfriend and his mistress, he’ll regret it until he explodes, and she’ll cry from jealousy."
"Then Sister Fanli should buy it." Yujin looked solemnly at the mask bag in Hege’s hand. "When Brother Xitian gets married for the second time, you should use it, use it, use it!"
Fanli: "..."
The counter sales assistant recognized Fanli and was extremely friendly, even helping Fanli apply the mask to half of her face on the spot to feel the effects.
Ten minutes later, after washing off the mask, that half of her face was indeed like a peeled hard-boiled egg—white, tender, soft, and smooth.
"Wow..." Fanli cupped her cheeks and patted them gently. "The effect is too good; it’s instantaneous."
"It works even better if used while soaking in a hot spring," the assistant smiled.
"Buy, buy, buy. I have to buy it."
Fanli was about to pull out her money, but Yujin stopped her hand. "Sister Fanli, let me buy it for you."
"Eh? Why?"
"I’m a guy; I don't have much I want to buy. Usually, the Imperial government covers our food, clothing, and housing, so I have no way to spend my money. Besides, consider it a thank-you for giving me the chance to travel to the Abyss."
"In that case, why don't you cover ours too!" Hege crowded in, speaking enthusiastically. "We’re all old classmates, you’re just playing favorites with your Sister Fanli!"
"Exactly, exactly..." Shasha pouted.
"I can buy for you two as well, but Sister Fanli comes first. If there’s enough money left after hers, then I’ll get yours."
"Deal! You’ve got a heart for the opposite sex and a bit of humanity left!"
"What kind of slang are you using?" Fanli shot her a look.
After buying the masks, Yujin proactively took the shopping bags from the three girls, acting as a selfless bag-carrier. Fanli reached out to him. "Xiao Yu, give me my share."
"Sister Fanli’s arms are too thin; you can't carry them," Yujin said. Just as she was feeling touched, his next "stabbing" sentence followed: "Once a person reaches a certain age, they really ought to have some self-awareness regarding their physical limitations."
"Jante Yujin!! I’m only one hundred and eighty-six years older than you!!"
"The fact that you calculated it so precisely shows you really care."
Fanli used her tail to frantically splash waves at him. Yujin just swam away, smiling.
Meanwhile, in an air-bladder cafe next to the mall, Aize glanced at Su Shiye, who was looking out the window, and said cautiously, "Your Majesty Su Shiye, you’re in quite a leisurely mood today. You suddenly have the whim to stroll through Bamanboya and drink coffee? The last time you came out to relax like this must have been fifty years ago..."
Furthermore, Su Shiye had used Illusion Fel to hide his appearance, seemingly not wanting to be disturbed. Such aimless behavior really didn't seem like something the Emperor would do.
"Just out for a walk," Su Shiye said flatly.
"I see. That’s a good thing. Relaxing more will put our minds at ease too!"
"Mm."
Su Shiye’s eyes were fixed in Fanli’s direction; the conversation between her and her friends reached his ears perfectly. He lowered his head and stirred his coffee twice, but he sensed the body heat and aura of that group approaching.
Fanli and the others passed by a coffee shop. Even without entering, the seawater carried the bitter-sweet scent of coffee. Shasha took a deep breath of the seawater, her empty eyes turning toward the shop. "Let’s go in for a cup."
Moving from the seawater into the air, the four of them and their guide transformed into their land-dwelling forms. The aroma of coffee wafted through the air. While the other four were immersed in the delicious scent, Fanli’s old habit kicked in, and she began scanning the long descriptions of coffee on the wall. After reading, she said in surprise, "There’s a type of coffee here that comes out of an animal’s droppings. It’s incredibly expensive—hundreds of times the price of regular coffee."
The faces of the three Sea God descendants twisted in disgust, but Fanli cheerfully ordered a cup of Kopi Luwak and even treated Mrs. Pu to one.
Flame Demons enjoyed inhaling methane and hydrogen sulfide and liked radiation; even their mixed-race descendants retained these traits. Thus, in the cafe, customers with Flame Demon genes frequently requested VIP radiation rooms and drank coffee infused with methane and hydrogen sulfide bubbles.
To Fanli, these sights, combined with the Imperial culture and the topless Abyssal female customers, were incredibly novel. It seemed that no matter the era, as long as women were willing to show skin, men were willing to look. As those women swayed their pale, fleshy curves, the eyes of the men in the shop followed them. Only Yujin sat upright, eyes forward, possessing the dignified air of a soldier.
"Xiao Yu, you’re actually not looking!" Hege used a soundproofing spell and waved her hand in front of him. "Could it be... you’re already tired of looking at women’s bodies?"
"Don't talk nonsense." Yujin blushed. "I haven't. I just think a real man should have self-control."
"Oh ho, so you *do* like it then!"
"I’m a man; of course I’m attracted to women’s bodies. Is that strange?"
Though he spoke firmly, Yujin’s ears were red down to his neck. Since this boy had grown up, Fanli had frequently been the one teased by him; seeing him flustered now piqued her interest. She rested her chin on her hand, looking at him teasingly. "What kind of girl does Xiao Yu like? Is there really no one here who makes your heart flutter? You really don't even want to look?"
In a corner of the cafe, accompanied by blue whale music, a resident singer picked up a microphone, eyes closed, singing a movie soundtrack titled *Midnight City*.
"If my heart really fluttered, I would look."
Saying this, Yujin turned his head. Though the tips of his ears were still red, he gazed at Fanli with unwavering focus.
Fanli froze.
*Xiao Yu... he couldn't possibly mean...*
She felt a bit awkward and wanted to ask the other two girls for help, but they were both excitedly studying the masks they had just bought, paying no attention to what was being said. Only Mrs. Pu took a sip of her coffee, a trace of an inscrutable smile on her lips.
The singer swayed gently, her voice raspy, possessing a lazy and sophisticated romance:
*"An endless city built in endless darkness,*
*May my flourishing youth record your endless grace.*
*Purple waves, golden hail,*
*The sun that has been submerged for four hundred years,*
*In sleeplessness, the night has quietly deepened..."*
Yujin rarely showed a stubborn expression, but once he did, he possessed a certain tenacity that had been evident since he was a child.
The huffy little boy, fists clenched, slowly flapping his tiny tail as he rose from beneath his desk to answer a question in front of three hundred classmates.
Then Fanli realized once again that the little boy of the past had now grown into a handsome man. Could he really...
"Of course," Yujin added smoothly, "that doesn't include an older sister who is addicted to divorce."
"You brat!! I’ll kill you!!" Fanli grabbed his neck and shook him back and forth until his tongue poked out.
Though she acted fierce, Fanli was actually in a very good mood. Spending time with friends was the best way to relieve stress; it made her almost forget how depressed she had felt seeing Su Shiye yesterday. However, halfway through shaking Yujin, she suddenly spotted a corner of the cafe.
Aize was sitting with a man. That man looked ordinary; she was certain she had never seen him before. He didn't pay much attention to her, but when his gaze met hers, it lingered for two seconds longer before he went back to ignoring Aize and drinking his coffee while looking out the window.
Yet, Fanli’s eyes turned red.
It was because she was in his territory. That was why seeing anyone made her think of him.
She had always been a person with great self-awareness, so she knew in her heart that Su Shiye might still have a sliver of concern for her, but he had moved on many years ago.
He didn't love her anymore. She knew that.
But she also knew that he *had* loved her once.
She could distinguish clearly between reality and memory. As long as she stayed clear-headed, knowing that she and the person in her memories still loved each other, she wouldn't be hurt.
***
