It hurts…
I'm out of strength.The cold has drained every last bit of warmth from my body—my limbs are stiff, numb.Saltwater floods into my nose and mouth as I continue sinking, deeper and deeper into the dark blue abyss.
The freezing sea wraps around me.
There's no escape.No air.
With the last of my strength, I force my eyes open just a slit.The distorted fragments of light on the surface grow farther and farther away…
Half an hour ago, I was still standing on the deck of the cruise yacht.
"Ranran, here. Have some juice."
Chen Zhiyao handed me a glass of bright orange liquid. His smile was as dazzling as ever—the kind of smile that had chased away the shadows in my heart countless times before.
I took the glass. The chilled surface was slick with condensation, and it nearly slipped from my fingers. He reacted quickly, catching my hand.
"Careful. It'd be a shame if you spilled it on your dress."
He had always been this attentive, this gentle with me.
After my parents died in a plane crash, he felt like compensation from the heavens—like the reason I could keep living, the strength that held me together.
Three days ago, we registered our marriage. Surrounded by family and friends, we completed the ceremony.
He officially became my family.
"Zhiyao, are we really staying at sea for seven days?"
I tilted my head up at him with a smile. Behind me, the waves murmured endlessly like lovers whispering.
This ocean trip was his honeymoon gift. Renting this private yacht must have cost him a significant portion of his savings.
"What? Getting scared?" He wrapped an arm around my waist and leaned back with me against the railing. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, this trip will be unforgettable."
I lowered my head and brought the orange juice to my lips.
A strange taste spread across my tongue. Then dizziness followed.
Sea sickness?That shouldn't be possible—I took motion sickness pills.
Just as I opened my mouth to tell him—
The hand resting on my waist withdrew.
His expression changed.
It was unfamiliar. Cold.
"Zhiyao? I feel a little dizzy…" Unease rose in my chest, but I still reached out to him, unwilling to believe what I was sensing.
Then a woman walked up to his side.
He had introduced her to me before. Said she was a distant relative.
Now they were kissing.
"Ranran, get some sleep. When you wake up, we'll both have brand-new lives." He smiled faintly. "And don't worry—I'll make good use of Uncle and Auntie's inheritance."
That was the last thing I heard him say.
When I woke up, I was already in the endless sea.
"When the sun rises, her body slowly turns transparent, dissolving into countless tiny bubbles, shimmering with rainbow light in the morning glow. The Little Mermaid's soul does not disappear. Her love becomes a force that lifts her gently upward, carrying her toward heaven…"
Mom…It's been so long since I heard you tell me stories.
Is this how I end?
Will I turn into foam?
Will love send me to heaven?
Chen Zhiyao.
You liar.
I'm not willing to accept this…
Just as my consciousness is about to fade—
[Ding— Compatible host detected.]