“How can we teach you when underwater people and humans are fundamentally different? But this beautiful lady named Lu Yun, you’ve never mentioned her before, and she seems even more powerful than us. Why don’t you learn from her?”
“Oh, about that, hehe,” I laughed it off and then fell silent.
It wasn’t long after Xuanyuan (1) left that I thought we should have arrived, but then I heard Lu Yun call out, “Nado, look!” I hurried forward a few steps and found that the alley was brightly lit, and it was barricaded. At the entrance of the alley, I saw many people gathered around a well, working on it, with Ruan Xiuwen conspicuously directing operations. I silently cursed, “It’s the people from Organization X.” I told Lu Yun, “And the one in command has seen me before; he’s already suspicious of me. We can’t let him see us.” With that, I quickly led the others away from there.
Organization X is not just any organization; their operational capabilities are as formidable as a military unit. The pedestrians outside the alley could very well be their people, and once they spot anything suspicious, they would swiftly and efficiently identify your identity, taking decisive action if necessary. Not to mention, Ruan Xiuwen was already wary of me; if he spotted us, we’d have no chance. It seems Organization X has discovered the location of the device. It’s actually quite simple; if I could figure it out, Ruan Xiuwen, who should have been well-informed from the start, certainly could as well. I began to feel anxious; once Organization X got hold of that device, it would be impossible for Shui Sheng to transform into a human peacefully.
“I’ll go check out the situation. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” Lu Yun said to me before gracefully walking into the alley alone. I was secretly sweating for her. After a while, she came out:
“Worrying now won’t help. Let’s go to the café across the street and wait for a bit,” she said confidently, and I had no choice but to follow.
“They’re working on unblocking the well because it’s very old and has been clogged for a long time,” Lu Yun explained after we sat down. “There’s no point in us going in now; we might as well wait and conserve our energy until they clear the well.”
I agreed, pondering that Ruan Zhenshan might be the true ancestral patriarch of the Ruan family, a clan famous for dealing with mysterious events. He was the first to initiate contact between Chinese and the supernatural, so it’s only natural his descendants would continue this work. Ruan Xiuwen did know about this matter from the beginning, and he was here for the “treasure” left by his mysterious ancestor. However, that mysterious device was not at the archaeological site in Zhidan Garden.
We chatted in the café for a while, and I learned more about the life of underwater people. About two and a half hours passed, and it was already dark outside. Shui Sheng grew restless and stood up, saying, “I’ll go check again.”
“Don’t do anything rash,” Lu Yun cautioned.
“Don’t worry,” Shui Sheng replied.
“I’ll go too,” Su Ying said hurriedly, following him closely.
“Will everything be okay?” I asked Lu Yun worriedly.
“It’ll be fine. Shui Sheng’s powers are formidable, and he knows how to stay calm,” another underwater person reassured me. I exhaled in relief but still felt a bit worried about Su Ying. Ever since we left Su Ying’s place, Shui Sheng seemed to be deliberately avoiding her, and I didn’t know why, which must have been upsetting for Su Ying, who had waited for him for so many years. Honestly, I felt a bit sour about it.
“I need to use the restroom,” I said, leaving my seat.
“Be careful,” Lu Yun said with a mischievous smile.
“Got it,” I replied, a bit embarrassed as Lu Yun saw through my intention, but I quickly stepped out and secretly followed Shui Sheng and Su Ying from a distance. They sat down by a flower bed, and fortunately, a row of holly bushes separated us, allowing me to sit down comfortably under the tree and clearly hear their conversation.
“I really didn’t expect this,” Su Ying said softly.
“I’m sorry,” Shui Sheng apologized. “I had to keep my promise, but I couldn’t find anyone to replace me.”
“I wasn’t talking about that,” Su Ying said. “Actually, I’ve always felt like someone was watching me, following me. After regaining my memory, I thought it was just my imagination, but now I wonder, was it you?”
Shui Sheng remained silent.
“Actually, you didn’t have to force yourself to stay with me just for a promise,” Su Ying continued, her tone making me suspicious.
“It’s not like that. I wanted to,” Shui Sheng quickly said. He sighed and continued, “You must think we underwater people are foolish, helping humans fight wars for something so trivial. But I understand their feelings.”
“Oh?”
“You’re right, I have been watching you in secret. I could change my appearance so you wouldn’t recognize me. But over time, I realized you didn’t need my protection; my existence wasn’t that significant to you.”
“That’s not true, it’s…”
“Let me finish,” Shui Sheng’s tone became firm. “I should have gone back, but I found myself unwilling. What was I unwilling to let go of? Not being able to protect you, or being insignificant to you, someone you could forget? I think it was the latter. So, I settled down, chose a fixed appearance, and came before you.”
“I really didn’t expect it was you,” Su Ying laughed lightly.
“I’ve found being with you very joyful, and the days feel fulfilling. Despite the physical pain I endure, I don’t mind at all. And this way, my lifespan can be similar to yours, which makes me even happier. Maybe this is what they talk about.”
Xuanyuan (2) Su Ying let out a soft sigh, “From… thousands of years… to just decades?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Is that so…” Su Ying’s voice faded, and I felt nervous, leaning forward slightly.
“I still don’t quite understand,” Shui Sheng said. “I think, only when I become human will everything truly become clear. This time, I’m determined to succeed.”
Hearing this, I also made up my mind to help him fulfill his wish.
“The crowd across the street seems to have thinned out; it must be dinner time. We should seize the opportunity and head back,” I quickly returned to the café before they did.
“What a long bathroom break,” Lu Yun was still teasing me.
