Into The Sea

“In the human realm, it was the fourteenth year of the Xuande era. In the history of the four seas, it was the year one thousand two hundred and twenty-three. A flower bud from Guanyin Mountain bloomed within the Sea Palace, giving birth to an inseparable pair of twin mermaids.”

It was only much, much later that Lan Yuan learned the truth from Jiang Xi.

And yet, she was strangely calm. She simply asked in a soft voice, “So everything I’ve been through all these years… was it all a lie?”

Jiang Xi frowned slightly, taking Lan Yuan’s hand. “Yuan’er, maybe it was all a lie. Maybe you’ve lived your whole life inside an illusion. But one thing will never change.”

From her fingertips, the shimmering threads of memory spread, flowing gently into Lan Yuan’s palm.

“It takes over a decade for a flower pearl to fully gestate a child. You and Lan Wu were born as twin blossoms, linked at the stem. She is the reflection of your soul, and the fate you cannot escape.”

The image of two figures curled together in the flower pearl gradually appeared before her eyes, and Jiang Xi’s gentle voice echoed in her mind. “From that moment on, your flesh, blood, and fate were already bound together. You were never meant to be apart.”

If it weren’t for the identical face staring back at her, Lan Yuan would’ve doubted that Lan Wu was truly her sister.

Take now, for example…

“Sister! Sister!” A small figure swam over from a distance, her tail flapping excitedly as she held out a box. “This is for you.”

Lan Yuan glanced at the pearls inside the box and scoffed. “I don’t want your tears.”

Lan Wu blinked in surprise. “How… how did you know?”

“I’m not deaf. You were secretly crying into your shell last night, and it kept me awake.”

As for why she was crying, of course, it was because she had been scolded by their mother again.

Lan Yuan crossed her arms, sighing with the air of an adult. “I told you, we’re thirty years old now. It’s time we slept in separate rooms. You…” Before she could finish, she saw tears welling up in Lan Wu’s big, blue eyes and immediately fell silent.

She should have known. When they were twenty, it had taken a lot of effort to convince Lan Wu to sleep in separate shells. She had finally managed to persuade her with the argument that “brave little fish should sleep alone,” but that very night, Lan Wu had pushed their shells back together and proudly wagged her tail, asking for praise.

Such a delicate, needy little mermaid. Hard to believe they were actually related.

Lan Yuan fell silent for a moment, then, before Lan Wu could start wiping her tears, she reluctantly took a pearl from the box. “Fine, I’ll take one. You’ve already gifted me enough pearls to build a mountain.”

Lan Wu sniffled, voice muffled, “But my side’s already full too…”

“Then give them to someone else.”

“Would they want them?”

“Of course,” Lan Yuan said casually. “Just sweet-talk them a bit. Say the prettiest pearl is meant for the prettiest sister, and they’ll take it.”

Lan Wu blinked, then grinned and held the box out again.

Lan Yuan was puzzled. “What now?”

“The prettiest pearl is for the prettiest sister,” Lan Wu said solemnly. “So it’s for you.”

***

As the daughter of the sea emperor and a princess of the merfolk, Lan Yuan’s daily life for nearly a century had been packed with studies. Not only did she have to pore over the history of the sea clans and understand the habits of various sea yaos, but she also had to practice magic with her elder brother, undergo rigorous training, and brutal combat drills along the Abyssal Sea…

As for Lan Wu, she didn’t have to go through any of that. It was already a miracle if she didn’t worry their mother every day.

But to say Lan Yuan didn’t feel any resentment would be a lie. Every time she returned to the Sea Palace bruised and battered only to see Lan Wu drifting lazily about the palace, she felt a surge of inexplicable anger.

And it didn’t help that their parents’ favoritism toward Lan Wu had become painfully obvious.

Although they had always doted on her, it seemed that at some point, this indulgence had suddenly intensified.

When exactly had it started?

She tried to recall, but her memories were always hazy, as if a curtain of smoke had been drawn over the crucial moments.

“Ouch!”

Suddenly, a sharp pain in her arm snapped her out of her tangled thoughts.

A ferocious sea beast lunged at her. Lan Yuan’s eyelashes fluttered—then, with a flick of her sword, a wave surged forth, conjuring a water dragon that sent the sea demon crashing away.

She was stunned, she stared at the fading water dragon’s head, then broke into a bright, stunned smile. “I… I did it! Father!”

She turned eagerly to the man watching from the sidelines. He gave a slight nod.

“Not bad.”

Then, he frowned at Lan Ji, who was on the other side, and scolded, “Hesitant and indecisive. Even your sister can use the Water Dragon Spell, and you’re still fumbling around?”

Lan Yuan smile faltered. “Father…”

But the man had already walked over to her elder brother. “As the eldest son, you can’t even match your sister. How can I entrust the throne to you in the future? Fine, watch how I do it, and learn.”

With that, he raised his sword and, with ease, conjured another dragon to demonstrate the technique.

Lan Yuan stood frozen for a long moment, then turned away, gripping her sword tight, walking off alone.

She wandered aimlessly, unknowingly leaving the Abyssal Sea, passing the High Priestess’ Temple, and returning to the opulent Sea Palace.

Not far away, Jiang Xi stood outside the Red Coral Palace, her eyes curved in a smile as she chatted with someone. Lan Yuan’s eyes lit up, and she instinctively flicked her tail, calling out, “Mother!”

Jiang Xi turned to look at her. “Yuan’er.”

Lan Yuan grinned, wanting to rush into Jiang Xi’s arms, but then remembered the strict etiquette the elders had repeatedly emphasized a few days ago. She hesitated, then obediently stopped in front of her. “Mother.”

Jiang Xi raised an eyebrow, bending down. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you practicing magic with your father and brother?”

Lan Yuan nodded, proudly saying, “I was, but I succeeded in casting the Water Dragon spell!”

“Really?” Jiang Xi beamed, ruffling her hair. “Even your brother can’t manage that yet. You’re much better than him!”

Lan Yuan smiled with pride but quickly composed herself, “It’s not that amazing. I’ve been practicing for a long time. My brother probably…”

As she spoke, she noticed Jiang Xi looking over her shoulder into the distance. Before she could react, the woman suddenly frowned and swam past her with a fierce expression. “Lan—Wu—!”

Soon, the little mermaid’s pointed ears were being tugged. Lan Wu, tears in her eyes, clung to Jiang Xi’s waist, pitifully saying, “I didn’t mean to sneak out! I was just racing the sharks…”

“You raced with sharks? Their tails are twice as thick as yours, and they’re so much stronger. How could you possibly outswim them?”

Lan Wu: “But none of the merfolk at home will swim with me. Only the sharks, the sharks are at least willing…”

“That’s because everyone is busy. They’re not like you, playing all day!”

“But… my teacher quit…”

“Wasn’t that because you fell asleep in front of her?”

As the two argued and swam forward, Lan Wu, with her teary eyes, finally noticed Lan Yuan standing quietly nearby. She was startled, then immediately excited. “Sister, sister, aren’t you going to study today?”

Lan Yuan pursed her lips, softly saying, “Mother.”

Jiang Xi: “Hmm?”

“I’m tired from training. I won’t be joining you for dinner. I’ll rest first.”

Jiang Xi was taken aback. “…Alright.”

As Lan Yuan swam further away, the little mermaid in her grip began to squirm and whine.

As soon as Jiang Xi let go, Lan Wu shot off like an arrow. “Sister! Wait for me! Sister!”

Lan Yuan, annoyed, swam faster, but Lan Wu, oblivious, stuck to her like glue, chattering away. “Sister, aren’t you busy today? Sister, are you really going to rest? Sister, your…”

Lan Yuan suddenly stopped. “Can you stop bothering me!”

She turned around, glaring at the little mermaid who had frozen in place. “Not everyone gets to laze around all day doing whatever they want! You think life is just pearls and play?”

Lan Wu shrank back, her eyelashes trembling as tears quickly filled her eyes.

Lan Yuan, even more frustrated, snapped, “Don’t pull that act again!” Her chest felt like it was clogged with pent-up anger, and she could only vent it on the little mermaid in front of her. “What else can you do but cry? Oh, I forgot, it doesn’t matter if you can’t do anything, because Father and Mother will always spoil you. Even if you make a mistake, they won’t blame you. Why? Why do I have to have a sister like you?”

Lan Wu whispered, “Sister…”

If being the youngest meant receiving such favoritism, then why, why did she have to be the older sister? They were twins, after all…

“Don’t call me sister,” Lan Yuan said through gritted teeth. “I never wanted to be your sister.”

She left Lan Wu behind and swam away. This time, the little mermaid didn’t follow.

***

Had she been too harsh?

It wasn’t until late at night, when the entire Sea Palace had fallen asleep, that Lan Yuan, tossing and turning in her shell, began to feel a twinge of guilt.

Moreover, Lan Wu still hadn’t returned.

She was the youngest, always doted on by their mother. If she had stayed with their mother, it wouldn’t be unusual.

As Lan Yuan sighed deeply, she heard a soft rustle and the creak of the door opening.

Lan Yuan was startled but quickly held her breath, her ears perking up to listen carefully.

The little mermaid silently closed the door and swam back to her shell. They were so close that Lan Yuan could even hear the soft “click” as the shell closed.

Then, there was silence.

She blinked, finally feeling at ease, and quietly turned over, ready to rest her head on her arm and sleep.

Click.

Suddenly, the shell beside her opened again. Lan Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly closed her eyes. Sure enough, the next moment, Lan Wu squeezed in from the edge of her shell.

Lan Yuan’s eyelashes fluttered, but she kept her breathing steady, pretending to be asleep.

Lan Wu seemed to observe her carefully for a while before rummaging through her little box and pulling out some bottles.

Lan Yuan, with her eyes closed, felt a hand gently lift her sleeve and clumsily apply a cool ointment to the wound on her forearm.

Ah… this injury. Even their mother hadn’t noticed it today, and she had almost forgotten about it herself.

Lan Yuan remained still, but after applying the ointment, Lan Wu didn’t leave. Instead, she put the bottles away and wriggled into Lan Yuan’s arms.

After a while, she reached out and hugged one of her arms.

Just as Lan Yuan thought she was done, a small, pitiful voice whispered, “I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at me anymore.”

Lan Yuan stayed silent, so Lan Wu continued, “If you think I’m useless, I’ll study harder from now on. I know you don’t want to be my sister, but I’ll always want to be your little sister. I was born that way.”

After a pause, she asked softly, “Sister, will you talk to me tomorrow?”

Lan Yuan remained silent. After what felt like an eternity, the little mermaid in her arms gradually fell silent, her breathing becoming even. Only then did Lan Yuan slowly open her eyes.

Lan Wu had fallen asleep with her head resting on Lan Yuan’s arm.

She watched quietly for a while, then reached out with her other arm to hug Lan Wu, muttering discontentedly, “Don’t you ever get angry?”

With a deep sigh, she glanced down and noticed bruises on Lan Wu’s shoulders and arms. She frowned.

How did she get these?

With this question in mind, early the next morning, Lan Yuan quietly left the Sea Palace and swam to the edge of the Kunlun Sea, where she saw a group of sharks about her age.

She concealed herself and silently swam up behind them.

“Do you think the Third Princess of the merfolk will come today?”

“Of course. Her people don’t like to play with her, so she has no choice but to come to us.”

“But yesterday, we tricked her into the sea cave, and she got pretty banged up. What if she tells the Sea Emperor?”

“The Sea Emperor won’t care about something like this. Don’t worry, I’ve heard that the merfolk value Lan Ji and Lan Yuan more. In their eyes, Lan Wu is just a spoiled little princess who doesn’t study or work. As long as we don’t go too far, the merfolk won’t bother with us.”

Lan Yuan: “…”

She frowned, slowly revealing herself. “Not too far?”

The sharks nearly jumped out of their skins. “La-La-La-Lan Wu?!”

Lan Yuan sneered. “Too bad. I’m not Lan Wu, and I’m not as…” She cracked her knuckles, enunciating each word, “nearly as nice as she is.”

Half an hour later, she returned to the Sea Palace, her arms sore, just in time to see Lan Wu rubbing her eyes as she swam out of the palace.

When Lan Wu saw her, her face lit up, but she quickly looked down, her hands fidgeting nervously as she whispered, “Sister.”

Lan Yuan hesitated, then approached. “Are you free today?”

Lan Wu was startled, then nodded eagerly. “Yes, I am!”

“Don’t you have plans to swim with the sharks?”

“We can always do that another day!” Lan Wu couldn’t help but swim closer, her eyes shining. “Do you want to go out with me today??”

Lan Yuan snorted, crossing her arms. “Didn’t your jellyfish die recently? I’ll go with you to catch another one. Just this once.”

Lan Wu immediately beamed, throwing her arms around Lan Yuan’s arm. “Then let’s go! Oh, wait, we need to tell Mother first…”

“I already did. As long as we’re back before sunset.”

“Okay!”

“And,” Lan Yuan pursed her lips, turning her head away awkwardly, “what I said yesterday… I was just angry. I do, I do…”

Lan Wu obediently asked, “Do what?”

Lan Yuan struggled for a moment, then quickly mumbled, “Want to always be your sister.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Don’t push your luck!”

“But I really didn’t hear you. You said it too fast.”

***

Why was it that, as twins, only Lan Wu received such indulgence?

Later, she would still often wonder about this, but as the years passed and her father entrusted her with more and more responsibilities, she and Lan Wu no longer saw each other every day.

Unconsciously, the carefree little mermaid had grown into a graceful young woman, still as innocent and lively as ever, but Lan Yuan would occasionally catch her sitting alone on the coral reefs, lost in thought.

At such times, a hint of worry would appear on her face.

When Lan Yuan asked her about it, Lan Wu would laugh it off.

When she asked Fuyou, she replied, “Didn’t you know? His Majesty seems to be planning a marriage alliance with the Shark Clan.”

Lan Yuan was shocked and went to ask her father, but he simply said, “This is not your concern.”

“How is it not my concern? Lan Wu is my sister. If she doesn’t want to, are you going to force her?”

The Sea Emperor gave her a cold look. “This matter was arranged by your mother. You should ask her.”

Her mother? Her mother, who doted on Lan Wu so much, she would never do such a thing.

She left the palace and hurried to ask Jiang Xi, but Jiang Xi only sighed. “Yuan’er, don’t interfere in this. I’m doing this for Lan Wu’s sake.”

“If it’s for Lan Wu’s sake, why make her do something she doesn’t want to do?”

“You don’t understand. This is to protect Lan Wu.”

Lan Yuan couldn’t help but raise her voice. “What is there to protect? Lan Wu is the Third Princess of the merfolk. Who in the Kunlun Sea would dare harm her? And even if she needs protection, it doesn’t have to be from an outsider. I can protect her!”

Jiang Xi scolded, “Can you protect her forever?”

“Why not?” Lan Yuan clenched her fists, her voice sharp. ” We’ve been together since birth! Even if I have to stay by her side forever, I will! As long as I’m there, no one will ever hurt her!”

Jiang Xi frowned. “Yuan’er, it’s not as simple as you think!”

“Then tell me the truth!”

But until the very end, Jiang Xi remained silent, and what came before the marriage decree was Lan Wu’s disappearance.

Perhaps it was the bond between twins, but as soon as she heard the news, she knew where to look. She left the Kunlun Sea alone, swimming up, up, until she broke through the surface and bathed in the dazzling sunlight.

In the distance, a young girl, panting, climbed ashore. Lan Yuan quietly floated in the water, hesitating, but in the end, she made no sound, watching as the girl walked further and further away, disappearing into the human realm.

Lan Wu… Lan Wu…

If this is what you need…

If this is how you can finally breathe…

Then go…

Go…

And when you’ve had enough, I’ll bring you home...

She blinked, pulling her gaze back from the distant horizon, and turned to plunge into the endless depths of the sea.