Even when faced with someone who looked exactly like him, Lu Xi didn’t experience such an intense emotional reaction. Even if he had forgotten everything, Li Shu was still his untouchable reverse scale—anyone who dared to touch it would be retaliated.
His actions caused the man opposite him to be momentarily stunned, as this was an unexpected reaction. By this point, under normal circumstances, no matter what was said or what happened outside, Lu Xi should not have been affected.
The man carefully observed the human and the merman in an embrace, or more accurately, the human being held in the merman’s arms. Initially, he hadn’t even bothered to look at this person directly or take him seriously. This was normal—after all, the only one who could be his opponent was Lu Xi. Even if the entire Siren clan were here, he wouldn’t pay them any mind, let alone a defenseless human.
Moreover, he had clearly seen that at first, Lu Xi had regarded this person as food. There were still bite marks on that person’s neck—so why had things suddenly changed?
The usual cold expression on his face could no longer be maintained. He couldn’t understand it, after all, it was just a human being. If Lu Xi really liked this species, there were plenty of them on land. not to mention, there were quite a few on this ship. But none of those people had caught Lu Xi’s eye—only this one.
The man examined this human whom he had never considered important. He couldn’t deny that this person had an outstanding appearance, not at all inferior to the Sirens blessed by the heavens. But if it was just because of that face, it wasn’t necessary. There were many beauties within the Siren clan, not to mention that human society also had its share of striking individuals.
If he remembered correctly, when Lu Xi was first brought to land, all the torment and humiliation he endured were because of this person. After gaining his freedom, shouldn’t he have killed this person immediately to vent his anger? He had waited so long, yet Lu Xi hadn’t dealt with this person.
When they set out to sea this time, he thought it was something Lu Xi had planned long ago. The vast, desolate sea was perfect for creating a sense of despair, where any struggle would be futile. It was an ideal place for tormenting someone.
But then, thinking back on everything he had seen, the man’s expression became more and more ugly. None of what he had imagined had occurred. Instead, Lu Xi had treated this human like a treasure, always staying close to him. Even if he wanted to deceive himself, he couldn’t.
That was not the behavior of someone seeking revenge.
Afterwards, he wondered—could it be that Lu Xi had actually fallen for this human? That wouldn’t do. Such a weak creature wasn’t worthy of being liked, especially not by Lu Xi.
So, he had followed them all the way, tampering with things along the journey and had even induced Lu Xi into a manic state. The plan had changed, though this manic version of Lu Xi was extremely difficult to deal with. But it didn’t matter—after so many years of laying the groundwork, being his shadow wouldn’t have been in vain. The ultimate victor would only be him!
However, he hadn’t anticipated that this human would have such a deep impact on Lu Xi. Even in this state, Lu Xi was unwilling to harm him and had even suppressed his own instincts for his sake. What was supposed to be a fierce beast had become a docile pet.
A tamed, docile pet.
The man was furious. After all his painstaking planning, he never expected a Li Shu to appear halfway through. What was supposed to be an enemy to be struck down when he was at his lowest now seemed like a lover sharing hardships with his beloved.
His expression shifted repeatedly, and Li Shu’s frown slowly relaxed. If he hadn’t realized something by now, he would be a fool. His presence clearly hindered some of the man’s actions.
This could count as one of the rare pieces of good news since they had fallen into this predicament. It pleased Li Shu to know that he could irritate this nameless man who looked identical to Lu Xi.
If that man had continued to show no emotion, Li Shu wouldn’t have known what to do. But now, he had somewhat figured things out. Once there was a flaw, everything became easier.
And that flaw was because of himself. Li Shu slowly blinked—things couldn’t be better.
When it came to protecting his own, Li Shu was indeed fiercely protective. Anyone he considered within his own circle would be sheltered under his wing; outsiders shouldn’t even think about bullying those under his protection right under his nose.
Judging by the man’s behavior, Li Shu could roughly guess that everything they were going through now was connected to him. If that was the case, the key to resolving this situation likely lay with the man. Unfortunately, Lu Xi’s mind was not clear, and he knew far too little about this man. The saying “know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated” wasn’t applicable here—he knew nothing about the man.
He had to think of a way to learn more.
“So what we’re going through now has something to do with you, right?” Li Shu broke the silence. “What did you do to the people on my ship?”
“It’s just a few humans, they’re not even worth my effort,” the man’s voice remained elegant, but it felt like he was speaking through gritted teeth.
“I’m not interested in you wastes. If it weren’t for…” He paused, then let out a sneer, “Why am I even telling you this? Soon enough, there won’t be anyone left to protect you. Look, it’s hard for an ordinary person like you to survive out here on the open sea. Maybe if you beg me, I’ll be merciful and send you back.”
The man had a mocking expression as he spoke, and he deliberately glanced at Lu Xi. He needed to confirm just how conscious Lu Xi was because if Lu Xi truly regained clarity, it would be disastrous for his plans. He couldn’t allow that to happen easily.
He had plotted for a long time, he didn’t want a failed result.
In fact, the current situation was already different from what he had originally envisioned, but that was fine. When carrying out a plan, encountering various unexpected changes was normal. He wouldn’t lose his composure over these minor disruptions.
Upon hearing the man’s words, Lu Xi tightened his arm slightly. He had been holding Li Shu with one arm all this time, while his other hand was gently rubbing Li Shu’s hand. At this moment, his movements paused.
His eyelids had been drooped, and his long lashes shielded the light in his eyes. His lips were pressed together, forming a straight line. The expression on his face has been indifferent, showing little concern for the outside world.
As long as the topic didn’t touch on anything related to Li Shu, he acted as if the man opposite him didn’t exist, not even giving him an extra expression. But now, he raised his head, his lashes lifting. His eyes were a pure red, more dazzling than the most precious gem amidst the surrounding gray.
It was as if all the light had been drawn into those eyes. His eyes were empty, just like his memory. He instinctively felt that things shouldn’t be this way, but he couldn’t recall why. In his memory, there was a raging storm and everything was behind it, a barrier he couldn’t cross.
He only had a name, a name he had no impression of but was strangely familiar with, as if someone had always been calling it in his ear: “Lu Xi, Lu Xi, Lu Xi…”
Who was Lu Xi? Was it… him?
Was his name Lu Xi?
He clutched the man in his arms tightly, as if holding onto his last straw.
Something inside him was desperately trying to break free, but it was buried under too much weight. Despite exerting all its strength, it couldn’t even stir a ripple. It became anxious and focused all its efforts on one point, pushing harder and harder.
If once wasn’t enough, then ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times…
Never give up.
Li Shu squeezed that hand back, as if injecting new strength into the person. He didn’t know that Lu Xi was struggling to break free from the present situation, but he finally asked the question that had been on his mind.
“Who are you?”
“Me? You can call me Daniel. That’s the name I gave myself. Does it sound nice?”
‘Daniel!”
‘It was Daniel!’
‘How could it be Daniel?’
Though his expression didn’t change, Li Shu almost wanted to shout out in confusion. What on earth was going on? If the person in front of him was Daniel, the protagonist, then who was Lu Xi? And what was the original plot?
No one could answer his questions, and his mind raced. No, something wasn’t right. He remembered asking Yasu once. What had Yasu said back then? If this person was Daniel, Yasu wouldn’t have reacted that way.
There had to be something he was overlooking, something just out of reach. He only needed one thread to tie everything together. What was that thread, and where was it?
“You’re not Daniel.” Li Shu gripped Lu Xi’s hand tightly, raising his eyes to meet the man’s gaze, repeating, “You’re not Daniel.”
“How heartbreaking. Why can’t I be Daniel? I’m really starting to find you quite interesting now. No wonder Lu Xi treats you so differently. But you’re wrong this time; I am Daniel.”
There was a slight ripple in his eyes. Li Shu noticed it and heaved a sigh of relief. This Daniel likely wasn’t the world’s protagonist.
If he were truly the protagonist, completing the world’s mission would have been impossible to complete.
Fortunately, he wasn’t.
Most of the time, Li Shu was a very rational person, but he wasn’t without exceptions, like the man holding him now. He could be very steady or very crazy, depending on who he was dealing with.
The sea was raging with strong winds, and this ship seemed like an isolated island. But no one cared about that now, nor could they. From the moment they stepped into the storm, they had entered another world, one shrouded in gloom and mystery, surrounded by dark clouds and fierce winds. No one knew where the boundaries were, and no one could find an exit.
Li Shu understood now. From the moment they boarded the ship, they had fallen into someone else’s trap. The captain and the others were dragged into this danger entirely because of them. From the very beginning, this sea voyage was meant for Lu Xi alone.
“Actually, these things have nothing to do with you. I never intended to involve you,” the man turned his head to look at the captain, smiling faintly, then turned back to Li Shu. “This is just between me and him. What right do you have to interfere in our grudges?”
His words were merciless, and the captain’s face changed instantly. Li Shu’s expression remained unchanged and he asked, “So, Lu Xi’s current state is your doing?”
“Well, you can’t really say that.” It wasn’t entirely his doing, but he wasn’t unrelated either. Of course, there was no need to explain this to these humans.
“So, it does have something to do with you,” feeling the strength in the hand he was holding, Li Shu didn’t even blink and continued calmly, “That’s actually good. It saves me the trouble of looking for someone…”
“Looking for someone? Do you mean to…” His voice faltered, and his leisurely attitude disappeared. A wave of fear from years ago swept over him, taking him back to many, many years ago. The same weather and the same situation…he returned to the nightmare that had haunted him all his life.
He saw Lu Xi’s eyes—those eyes were no longer empty but filled with naked killing intent.
