Wen Yu felt lost.
It was an emotion he rarely experienced, yet now he genuinely didn't know what he should do next.
He hesitated, wanting to change the current situation, yet fearing that any action he took would only make things worse.
This feeling of confusion…
The last time he experienced it had not been very long ago.
Back then, he had still been Winsor.
At the time, Wen Yu had consciously created for himself the form of a black-tailed mermaid. Calling himself "Winsor," he had stayed beside Lansi while Lansi was trapped within the coral bones, wondering every day whether Lansi would eventually grow coral bones as well.
In the end, the result had been obvious.
He had been moved by Lansi's final choice.
And from that moment on, he had placed that beautiful little fish at the very center of his heart.
If only this situation could be resolved as smoothly as last time.
Why was Lansi unwilling to give him another choice the way he had before?
Wen Yu felt frustrated just thinking about it.
It was almost laughable.
A being like him shouldn't experience this kind of anxiety over gain and loss.
As one of the Special Ones, every creature in the ocean submitted before him, and every creature on land feared him. Human civilization meant almost nothing in his eyes. If he wished for it, he could destroy everything at any moment.
But Lansi was still on land.
Lansi—the one who could recognize him at a glance no matter what form he took.
Wen Yu wanted to apologize now.
But his pride would not allow him to admit fault.
Why should he be wrong?
Hadn't Lansi ignored him because Lansi himself was dissatisfied first?
Wen Yu had fallen into a strange state of self-pity.
He wanted to offer some form of compensation, so when he was supposed to be working in Reims today, he very ceremoniously skipped work instead.
His plan was simple:
Get rid of Michael.
Eliminate every potential threat around Lansi completely.
And if Lansi was still unhappy afterward…
Then Wen Yu would simply abandon his human identity altogether and destroy the human base.
If he did that, would Lansi forgive him?
The turtle in Wen Yu's pocket slowly muttered,
[Apologize—apologize—is—it—really—that—difficult—]
As an ancient turtle who successfully managed to get female turtles to lay eggs for him every year, he once again felt utterly speechless at Wen Yu's bizarre thought process.
[You—you—like—this—how—will—you—ever—have—children—]
Wen Yu ignored the question completely.
Determined to resolve the issue between himself and Lansi, he carried the turtle and headed directly toward his destination.
Using his authority, he quickly tracked down Michael's location.
Soon afterward, Wen Yu found Michael inside a granary in District 25.
The other employees from the Life Sciences Company saw Wen Yu seeking out Michael, but none of them questioned it. They simply assumed it involved confidential military matters.
Very considerately, everyone left the granary, giving Wen Yu and Michael privacy.
Soon, only Michael remained inside the empty warehouse.
Michael watched Wen Yu approach him and instinctively felt nervous, though his face maintained its usual polished smile.
"What can I help you with?"
Wen Yu sneered coldly.
"You already know."
At first, Michael genuinely didn't understand.
But the moment Wen Yu said those words, he realized immediately.
This was about Lansi.
"You have no evidence connecting me to any of this."
Michael remained extremely confident.
He believed his plan had been flawless. As far as he knew, Wen Yu should have been unable to uncover anything concrete. If Wen Yu acted based on nothing but suspicion, then it would simply be irrational violence.
Unfortunately for him, Wen Yu did not think like a human.
What did evidence matter?
If he wanted someone dead, why would he bother following human logic?
Without another word, Wen Yu strode forward, grabbed Michael by the throat, and slammed him against the wall.
Michael never expected Wen Yu to attack so directly.
Before he could even react, Wen Yu's fingers were already locked around his neck.
The suffocating pressure instantly widened Michael's green eyes. He struggled desperately, but against Wen Yu's overwhelming strength, his resistance was meaningless.
In only a few seconds, Wen Yu completely suppressed him.
Just as Wen Yu was about to tighten his grip further, the turtle slowly poked its head out from Wen Yu's coat pocket.
The turtle blinked its old, cloudy eyes.
At first, it was startled to discover Wen Yu about to murder someone.
Then it became profoundly speechless.
[Before—you—do—things—can't—you—just—talk—to—Lansi—first—]
The turtle sounded exhausted.
[If—you—kill—this—person—now—Lansi—will—definitely—not—want—to—see—you—again—stupid—child—]
For the first time in countless years, the turtle truly felt the weight of age and hardship.
Thankfully, it had spent years helping Nate pursue romance instead of Wen Yu. At least Nate occasionally listened.
Hearing the turtle's words, Wen Yu froze.
The moment the turtle bluntly pointed out the possibility that Lansi might refuse to see him again, Wen Yu suddenly felt a flicker of panic.
His fingers loosened instinctively.
Michael, already on the verge of suffocation, immediately seized the chance to gasp for air.
At that exact moment, the communicator on Michael's wrist suddenly rang.
Someone was requesting a video call.
The caller was Li Si.
Wen Yu glanced at the communicator and suddenly remembered that Michael and Li Si were married.
His expression immediately became complicated.
Almost subconsciously, he withdrew his hand completely and stepped back.
Michael collapsed onto the ground like a discarded sack, coughing violently while desperately dragging air into his lungs.
His face was flushed red from the strangulation.
Without even thinking, he activated the communicator while staring up at Wen Yu with horror in his eyes.
The same species.
The same human body.
So why was Wen Yu overwhelmingly stronger than him?
Was Wen Yu even human at all?
Wen Yu ignored Michael's horrified stare.
He glanced once at Michael, who was still collapsed on the ground gasping for breath, before lowering his eyes toward the hand that had nearly strangled him moments earlier.
For the first time in a long while, Wen Yu felt genuinely confused.
Was he really becoming soft-hearted?
In the end, the person who saved Michael's life had actually been Li Si's incoming call.
At that moment, Michael no longer cared about Wen Yu at all. Once he finally caught his breath, he immediately accepted Li Si's call, intending to ask him for help.
Unexpectedly, the very first sentence Li Si spoke made Michael feel as though he had already died long ago and was merely hearing some final illusion before death.
"Let's get divorced."
Li Si's voice sounded quiet but firm.
Instantly, the entire granary fell into dead silence.
Michael's mind went blank.
He felt as though the world itself had started spinning.
Ignoring Wen Yu entirely, he sat up abruptly from the ground. All thoughts of asking Li Si for help vanished immediately as he clutched the communicator helplessly.
"Li Si… what are you talking about?"
Even Wen Yu became interested after hearing such an explosive opening.
Tilting his head slightly, he silently watched to see how Michael would react.
On the other side of the screen, Li Si's eyes looked panicked. He subconsciously glanced off to the side, as though someone nearby had given him courage, before forcing himself to calm down.
"Sorry. I was too emotional just now."
He took a breath.
"What I mean is… we should talk about divorce."
"Why?"
Michael's voice instantly became hoarse.
"Haven't we always had a good relationship?"
To Michael, there was no meaningful difference between "let's divorce" and "let's talk about divorce."
All he understood was that Li Si wanted to leave him.
At that moment, Michael looked exactly like a dog abandoned by its owner. His green eyes became wet almost instantly, as though he might start crying in the next second.
"We… didn't we agree we'd adopt a child next month?"
Michael might be terrifyingly intelligent, but emotional matters were not exam papers where he could always score perfectly.
"Because I don't even know who it is that I love."
Li Si looked at Michael, whose expression seemed on the verge of collapse, and sighed softly.
"Michael… how much longer are you planning to keep pretending?"
"Today, I met your brother."
He paused briefly.
"And Lansi."
Michael's gaze instantly sharpened.
"Why did you meet them?"
His tone suddenly turned anxious.
"Don't listen to that bastard. Everything he says is a lie. None of it is true."
By the end, Michael's voice had become almost pleading.
"Li Si… don't believe them…"
Hearing Lansi's name, Wen Yu unconsciously stepped closer toward the communicator.
Meanwhile, Li Si's eyes gradually reddened with tears.
"And what about you?"
His voice trembled slightly.
"How much of the 'Michael' I know is actually real?"
"I'm at the black clinic in District 25 right now."
Li Si lowered his eyes briefly before continuing.
"I admit I lied to you too. I've secretly been coming here to treat patients."
"But I never expected that you lied to me completely."
His voice grew quieter.
"I thought that at the very least, you were a good person. I could understand wanting to abandon your old identity, but why would you…"
Li Si's eyes trembled.
"Why would you hire assassins?"
As he spoke, the communicator shifted slightly, accidentally capturing Matt and Lansi sitting nearby.
"I said don't listen to that bitch!"
The moment Michael saw Matt appear on screen, he instantly exploded.
The violent side he had always hidden from Li Si surfaced without restraint.
"That bastard has been blackmailing me for years! How can you actually believe him?!"
Li Si was so startled that he leaned backward instinctively, causing the screen to shake violently.
"What are you yelling for? You were the one lying first!"
Suddenly, Lansi's face appeared directly in front of the camera, stabilizing the shaking communicator.
It looked like he had physically grabbed the device from Li Si's hands.
Frowning unhappily, Lansi lectured Michael seriously,
"You're at fault too. You married Doctor Li Si without even telling him your real identity first. That's marriage fraud!"
Lansi spoke with complete righteousness.
"The consequences of fraudulent marriage are very serious. People who commit marriage fraud should go—"
Halfway through his sentence, Lansi suddenly froze.
"Huh?"
His eyes narrowed suspiciously toward the lower-left corner of the screen.
"Who's standing next to you?"
A military boot had briefly entered the frame.
And for some reason, that boot looked extremely familiar.
The moment he heard Lansi's voice through the communicator, Wen Yu silently shifted backward.
For reasons even he himself could not fully explain, he suddenly felt extremely guilty.
He even unconsciously held his breath while inching away little by little, trying to quietly move out of camera range without attracting Lansi's attention.
He absolutely did not want to expose himself right now.
"What the hell do you even know?"
Michael suddenly snapped hysterically.
"You people from the wealthy districts are all the same—self-righteous and arrogant! You can never understand my pain!"
Michael had truly lost control.
He was furious to the point of shaking. His voice cracked as he shouted, tears and rage mixing together. All the elegance and composure he normally maintained had completely collapsed, as though he had been dragged back into that tiny house in District 25.
Back then, he had nothing.
Every night, he could only rely on faint moonlight while trying to repair the junk he scavenged during the day, exchanging the repaired scraps for barely enough money to survive.
He had lived that kind of life for over twenty years.
By the time he was fifteen, both hands were already covered in scars from stripping wires apart.
Eventually, he truly couldn't endure it anymore.
So he clawed desperately for a way out.
But his birth itself was like an original sin. Even if he was a computer genius, even if he successfully created a brand-new identity for himself—
Everything from District 25, including his brother, clung to him like maggots feeding on bone.
He could never escape them completely.
"For you, I learned how rich people are supposed to behave!"
Michael roared desperately inside the granary like a wounded lone wolf.
"I got rid of all my 'vulgar' habits. I learned how to wear suits. I learned how to act gentle!"
His voice was almost breaking apart.
"Aren't those all things you liked?! I changed so much for you, and now you're just casually talking about divorce?!"
At the very end, Michael's expression twisted violently.
"Li Si… you make me sick!"
On the other side of the communicator, Li Si froze in shock.
For a long time, he could not say a single word.
Seeing Li Si unable to respond, Lansi sighed and leaned into the camera, helping Li Si finish what he had wanted to say earlier.
"Hey, you're going a little too far here."
Lansi frowned unhappily.
"Can't you at least let Doctor Li Si finish speaking first?"
What Li Si had meant earlier was true.
He really did want to discuss divorce.
But after listening to both Lansi and Matt, Li Si had ultimately decided that no matter what happened, he still wanted to meet Michael face-to-face and speak honestly first.
If, after that conversation, Li Si discovered that the "Michael" he loved was entirely fabricated—and that the real Michael never truly loved him in the first place—
Then their marriage would exist in name only.
At that point, divorce would simply be the better option.
But if possible, Li Si was still willing to spend time getting to know the real Michael.
And perhaps… learning to love the real Michael too.
If it worked out, then they could continue together.
If not, then at least they could separate peacefully.
But the prerequisite for all of this was simple:
Michael had to be honest.
After hearing Lansi's explanation, Michael froze completely.
He had always been both inferior and arrogant at the same time.
Even after escaping District 25, those flaws buried deep within his personality had never truly disappeared.
He had already convinced himself that Li Si despised him.
Yet now, Li Si was still willing to try understanding him.
Michael suddenly felt completely dazed by the contrast between his own assumptions and reality.
This was the gentle Li Si he loved so deeply.
The person he loved had never changed.
Michael wanted to agree immediately.
But the moment he remembered his earlier emotional outburst, his pride instantly rebelled again.
What he wanted to say was:
"Okay. Let's meet and talk properly."
But what came out instead was cold and stubborn.
"Fine. Then let's just get divorced."
The moment those words left his mouth, Michael immediately terminated the video call.
After hanging up, he remained sitting motionlessly on the floor.
He looked utterly blank, so detached that he no longer even seemed aware Wen Yu was still standing beside him.
A long while later, Michael suddenly slammed his fist against the ground several times.
Dust burst upward, staining his carefully maintained appearance with dirt and ash. Even the meticulously styled hair on his head fell apart completely from his violent movements.
At that moment, Michael looked exactly like a trapped dog pacing inside a cage.
Embarrassed.
Anxious.
Desperate.
Wen Yu stood nearby, silently watching this entire absurdly melodramatic scene unfold like some outrageous television drama.
What he hadn't expected was that Lansi, over there, had somehow managed to handle everything by himself—and even pushed the mastermind behind everything into emotional collapse.
And what Wen Yu especially hadn't expected was this:
Michael had hung up the communicator so decisively moments ago, yet afterward immediately fell into such obvious regret and misery.
Humans really were strange creatures.
Wen Yu thought quietly to himself.
The turtle sitting in Wen Yu's pocket had watched the entire spectacle from its "VIP seat."
Afterward, it clicked its tongue and spoke earnestly,
[See—now—you—understand—what—you—should—do—right—]
Then the turtle lifted one tiny paw and patted Wen Yu through the fabric of his coat.
Wen Yu: "..."
This time, he really did understand.
Perhaps because his own situation resembled Michael's so closely, Wen Yu could almost see his own future reflected in Michael's choices.
Because of that, he found himself unable to hate Michael completely.
Even the killing intent in his heart gradually faded.
After a long silence, Wen Yu finally asked,
"Why go that far?"
Michael slowly lifted his head. His green pupils were unfocused and slightly dilated.
"I didn't want him to look down on me."
Wen Yu fell silent instantly.
Once again, he saw his own shadow in Michael.
The turtle burst into laughter.
[Ha—ha—finally—finally—you—understand—how—I—feel—about—you—]
Wen Yu awkwardly tugged down the brim of his hat but didn't argue.
Because this time, he really did understand.
He needed to find Lansi.
No matter what, he had to explain everything clearly to him.
And this time, he would not run away anymore.
Wen Yu turned to leave.
But after taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
Without turning around, he spoke toward the devastated Michael behind him.
"The black clinic is on Benin Street, Number 10."
His voice remained indifferent.
"Hurry up and go."
After saying that, Wen Yu left directly.
Inside the enormous granary, only Michael remained.
…
Michael moved almost mechanically afterward.
Several hours after Wen Yu left, he finally walked out of the granary as well.
Along the way, employees stared at Michael's miserable appearance in shock before quickly avoiding him one after another.
After walking for some time, Michael slowly regained awareness and finally realized why everyone was looking at him so strangely.
It was because he was practically walking against the flow of people.
Almost everyone else was heading toward the air-raid shelters.
Something had happened.
Michael snapped back to reality and grabbed the nearest employee.
"What's going on?"
His voice was hoarse.
"Why is everyone hiding in shelters?"
The employee who got caught by him nearly jumped in fright and answered weakly,
"Manager… didn't you see the emergency alert?"
"There was an alarm earlier saying the high wall in District 25 has been breached. Everyone's being ordered to evacuate immediately."
Michael froze.
After Li Si's call, his thoughts had been in complete chaos, and he had ignored every notification afterward.
As a result, he never even noticed the emergency alerts on his communicator.
Slowly letting go of the employee, Michael immediately activated his device.
A bright red warning filled the screen:
The coastal defense wall in District 25 has been breached. All civilians must evacuate immediately.
Evacuate?
The high wall had actually fallen?
Michael stared at the communicator before suddenly letting out a sharp, mocking laugh.
This world was already such a disaster.
Maybe it would be better if everything were simply destroyed.
But…
As the laughter continued, it slowly weakened.
The smile on Michael's face gradually disappeared.
His green eyes became damp.
No matter how terrible the world was, Li Si still existed within it.
And as long as Li Si existed, then perhaps this world still held meaning.
He needed to find Li Si.
Li Si was still in District 25.
And Michael was afraid.
Compared to the destruction of the world itself—
He feared far more that Li Si might disappear from his world forever.