Into The Sea

It was two years ago when Lan Yuan realized Meng Changge harbored feelings for her.

That day, the great general of the Sea Demon Clan, Yue Yin, who had been imprisoned in the Sea Prison, escaped and killed the mermaid guards stationed outside. Lan Yuan had no choice but to personally lead her troops out of the Kunlun Sea to hunt him down. They finally killed him in the Abyssal Sea.

Perhaps the battle was too intense, for she didn’t even notice that the paper crane she always carried with her had been destroyed. A few days later, when she returned to the Sea Palace, still stained with blood, the first person to rush up to her was a pale-faced Meng Changge.

“Are you okay?!”

Lan Yuan was puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Meng Changge anxiously examined her, her voice hoarse. “The paper crane was destroyed. I thought…”

“Paper crane?” Lan Yuan paused, instinctively reaching for her waist. It was gone. “I see,” she said, waving it off. “But your paper crane isn’t very useful anyway. It wouldn’t have helped much. If something had really happened to me, by the time you arrived, I’d probably already be drinking Meng Po’s soup.”

Meng Changge stiffened. After a long moment, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Lan Yuan was confused. “What are you apologizing for?”

“I guess I was too naive,” Meng Changge said, lowering her head in frustration. “I promised I’d get to you in time, but when it really mattered, I couldn’t do it.”

Lan Yuan frowned slightly. “You…”

“I’m sorry,” Meng Changge looked up, her gaze serious. “If it’s a promise I can’t keep, I shouldn’t have made it so lightly.”

“I’m not blaming you,” Lan Yuan said, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze. “It’s not a big deal. Why are you being so serious?”

Meng Changge shook her head, her face stubborn. “But to me, it is a big deal.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

The mermaid turned and continued towards the grand palace, while Meng Changge stopped behind her and called out her name, “Lan Yuan.”

Lan Yuan turned back.

“You are very important to me,” the woman said calmly, gazing at her with sincerity. “So, I will never break my promise to you again. This promise will never change.”

“…”

For some reason, Meng Changge’s words left Lan Yuan unsettled for a long time. Later, unable to contain herself, she casually mentioned it to Lan Wu, who was diligently stringing pearls into a necklace. After hearing the story, Lan Wu casually said, “Isn’t that just a confession? I think the friend you’re talking about definitely likes the other friend you mentioned.”

“Cough! Cough, cough…” Lan Yuan nearly choked on her tea. “What did you say? Likes?!”

Lan Wu glanced at her. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Lan Yuan’s face flushed red, then white, then red again. “That… that can’t be right. Friends can say things like that too, right?”

Lan Wu hummed and nodded half-heartedly. “Maybe.”

“What do you mean, ‘maybe’?” Lan Yuan couldn’t help but grab her pointed ear. “Give me a straight answer! Does she like me or not?!”

Silence fell around them.

Lan Wu slammed down the necklace, turning her head in shock. “Likes you?!”

Lan Yuan froze, realizing her slip-up, and hurriedly corrected herself. “No, no! I meant, does she like my friend…”

“Usually, when someone talks about their friend, they’re actually talking about themselves.” A voice came from the doorway. Ji Lingyue entered, carrying a thick stack of books, a knowing smile on her face. “Lan Wu, how can you be so dense? She’s obviously talking about herself.”

Lan Wu’s eyes widened. “Senior Sister Meng confessed to you?!”

Before Lan Yuan could react, Ji Lingyue added, “After all these years, finally.”

“What do you mean?” Lan Yuan felt dumber than Lan Wu for the first time, she was completely lost. “How do you know it’s Meng Changge? And what do you mean, ‘after all these years’?”

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a look. Lan Wu awkwardly pulled Ji Lingyue closer, saying sheepishly, “Oh, so you hadn’t figured it out yet? Then… just pretend we didn’t say anything.”

In short, Lan Yuan had stumbled upon the realization that Meng Changge liked her, and she didn’t find the idea unpleasant.

Although she had never considered what kind of partner she would have, she had always assumed it would be another of her kind, a demon. Humans… humans lived in a completely different world from hers, and there was a natural divide between them. Besides, she had no interest in getting close to humans like Lan Wu did.

So why, when she learned that Meng Changge liked her, did she feel a slight lightness and joy in her heart?

“She should like me,” Lan Yuan said to her sister after accepting the fact. “It shows she has good taste.”

Lan Wu blinked. “Since you both feel the same way, then…”

Lan Yuan interrupted her. “No, as long as she doesn’t confess to me, it’s not mutual.”

Lan Wu was confused. “But didn’t she already say those things before?”

“No,” Lan Yuan retorted, rolling her eyes. “Unless she says she likes me, it doesn’t count.”

“Then why don’t you just say it first?”

“Why should I?” Lan Yuan huffed. “I’m the esteemed Sea Empress! It’s not my place to confess first. She should be the one to say it.”

Lan Wu stared at her incredulously for a moment, frowning. “I really don’t understand you two. You have mouths for a reason. Back then, Ah Yue and I…”

Ji Lingyue quickly coughed, not wanting anyone to know how pathetic she looked during her confession. “Let’s go. Let them drag it out as long as they want. Just ignore them.”

Lan Wu obediently let herself be pulled away. “Alright.”

And so, Lan Yuan, clinging to her pride, stubbornly refused to be the first to confess. Little did she know, this waiting game would drag on for two years. During those two years, the other sea clans seemed to be having a baby boom, and requests for naming ceremonies flooded the Sea Palace. The elders, seeing this, became even more persistent, taking turns to persuade her with logic and emotion, determined to make her agree to leave a Pearl.

Lan Yuan was restless in the Sea Palace, half annoyed and half angry.

How could someone be so patient?

She couldn’t take it anymore and decided to administer a strong dose of medicine.

At some point, the fiery sunset had completely disappeared below the horizon, and the moonlight spilled over the land, illuminating their path from Saile Lake to Luoxing Valley.

Since saying those words, the person behind her had been silent, simply leading her horse and following her without a word.

Lan Yuan pushed aside the branches in front of her, and a field of pure white flowers came into view. The petals, not yet fully unfurled, shimmered like jade, like stars scattered across the sky.

No wonder it was called Luoxing Valley.

She stopped and said softly, “Perfect timing. The flowers should bloom soon.”

Meng Changge hummed in response.

Her lack of enthusiasm was palpable. Lan Yuan turned to see her listless expression and raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you say the Dream Lotus flowers were beautiful and you wanted to see them with me? Why are you so spiritless now that we’re here?”

Meng Changge bit her lip, glancing up at Lan Yuan before quickly looking away. “After this, are you going back to the South Sea?”

“Yes.”

“…” Meng Changge tightened her grip on the reins, her eyelashes trembling. “Lan Yuan.”

“Hmm?”

“Who… who is the person you like?”

“Why do you ask?” Lan Yuan casually tucked a strand of wind-blown hair behind her ear. “Is it important to you?”

Meng Changge was silent for a moment, then nodded. “It’s important.”

“Why?” She narrowed her eyes, watching her calmly. “Who I like has nothing to do with you.”

“Because…” Meng Changge opened her mouth, but her throat seemed blocked, and her eyes slowly reddened. “Because… I…”

“You what?”

“I…” Meng Changge took a deep breath, finally looking up as if she had nothing left to lose. “If I knew who she was, I’d know… what I’m lacking compared to her.”