"Are you Nie Yun?" A crisp, youthful voice interrupted the boy's thoughts.
Nie Yun looked up towards the source of the voice and saw a young woman in a white dress standing on his boat. Her fair skin and delicate features were strikingly out of place in this setting, making her appear almost too radiant, causing his heart to skip a beat.
The surrounding fishermen, curious, turned their attention to the scene, realizing that the beautiful young woman had come to find Nie Yun. Liu Xiaoniu, who had just passed by the girl as he left, now stood nearby, watching in surprise.
"I am. And you are?" Nie Yun asked, puzzled.
"I am the daughter of that man. Before he died, he wrote a letter to my mother, asking us to bring you back to live with us. Following his last wish, my mother sent me to bring you home," the girl's tone was calm, even cold.
"That man?" Nie Yun's heart skipped a beat. "You mean my father?"
At the mention of the word "father," the girl's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Yes."
"You're his daughter? I never heard him mention that he had a daughter," Nie Yun said, confused.
"Hmph, he abandoned my mother and me. How could he have the face to mention us?" The girl finally showed some emotion as anger flushed her cheeks.
"Abandoned... you and your mother?!" Nie Yun's eyes widened, struggling to reconcile the image of his scruffy, unkempt father with this revelation. Even more baffling was the idea that the man with the boozy nose and shabby appearance could have such a beautiful daughter.
The girl didn't respond but instead glanced around the Sea Wolf, a clear expression of disdain in her eyes, which made Nie Yun uncomfortable.
"This is the Sea Wolf, my father's pride and joy, my brother. I've lived here with him since I was a child. Would you like me to show you around?" Nie Yun thought it might be appropriate for his father's daughter to understand where they had lived for so many years.
"No need. I'm not interested in his affairs. If it weren't for my mother insisting that I come to fetch you, I would never have agreed to have any further involvement with him," the girl replied coldly.
Nie Yun was taken aback, then nodded understandingly. "In that case, I refuse to go back with you."
If you don't want anything to do with my father, then I don't want anything to do with you either! Nie Yun's thoughts were as simple and straightforward as that.
The girl was startled, clearly not expecting such a response.
She furrowed her brows slightly. "Are you sure you've thought this through? This boat is likely beyond repair. How will you survive in the future? If you don't want to live with us, we can provide you with a stipend for your living expenses and education..."
Before she could finish, Nie Yun interrupted, "No need! I'm fine with my life as it is. I don't need your charity. I can take care of myself just fine!"
The girl stared at Nie Yun, seeing the stubbornness and resolve in his eyes.
"This is my contact information. If you change your mind, you can find me," she said, placing a card beside him before turning to leave, her long hair swaying and leaving a faint fragrance in the air.
"Wait!" Nie Yun called out.
She turned back, waiting for him to speak.
"My father... though he could be harsh, drank too much, and had a terrible temper, I know deep down he was a kind man. I don't know why he left you, but I believe it wasn't his choice. I hope you can forgive him. At least, go to his grave and light some incense. I think it would make him happy," Nie Yun said earnestly.
The girl remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked away.
A short distance away, a black sedan awaited. A bodyguard in black opened the door for her, and the car sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.
Nie Yun watched her go, then slowly sat down, resting his chin in his hands as he gazed at the setting sun over the sea, sitting there in a daze until the last rays of sunlight disappeared beneath the horizon.
"Grumble~" The rumbling in his stomach reminded the boy that he had yet to eat dinner. After a long afternoon of physical labor, he was famished.
He returned to the boat, took out a few packs of instant noodles, and added some fish and shrimp to the boiling water, hastily finishing his meal. For some reason, though, he ate three packs and still didn't feel full, so he ate three more before finally quelling his hunger.
"Sigh, when it rains, it pours! The Sea Wolf is in this state, and now I suddenly have this ravenous appetite. A penniless boy paired with a big appetite—what a cruel twist of fate!" Nie Yun lamented as he sat beside the Sea Wolf's damaged hull, bailing out the newly seeped-in water.
Even though he knew the Sea Wolf was beyond saving, he still hoped to spend a little more time with it.
"A lifetime of brotherhood, over ten years of companionship. Let me send you off on your final journey! Tomorrow, I'll burn you down and scatter your ashes into the sea. Father is probably still waiting for you down there. You're his beloved son—he'll recognize you. Just remember to take him with you before crossing the Bridge of Forgetfulness!
Who knows if they'll even let you cross? Will you walk on the bridge or under it? But it doesn't matter. As long as they let you cross, don't be picky..."
Nie Yun muttered nonsense to himself as he gently bailed out the water, as if caring for his own brother, scoop by scoop until only a small puddle remained at the bottom.
"Hmm? What's this?" Nie Yun paused, noticing something strange on the boat's hull near the hole. There, at the bottom of the puddle, was a palm-sized patch of silver-white, gleaming conspicuously.
"The moon's reflection?" Nie Yun looked up at the sky, but it was shrouded in clouds—no moon in sight.
He picked up a dry cloth nearby and wiped the puddle away, revealing a patch of silver-white on the hull that didn't seem like debris, more like something fused to the wood.
Curious, he reached out to touch it. It was smooth to the touch, almost soothing—no, more than soothing, it felt... familiar, as if he were touching—himself?!
Uh, Nie Yun was stunned. How could he have such a bizarre feeling, as if he were touching himself? But this strange object indeed gave him a sense of deep familiarity. What on earth was going on?
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and a torrent of information surged into his consciousness.
"Iris... mechanical insect... mutation symbiosis... mother insect..."
In an instant, Nie Yun finally understood the bizarre events that had unfolded earlier in the day.
This strange object was a creation of the Iris civilization—a mechanical insect. Somehow, a meteorite carrying this alien technology had collided with him, confirming the existence of extraterrestrial life!
Nie Yun's eyes widened in disbelief.
Though the mechanical insect's information was sparse after its long journey through the stars, apart from the "Made in Iris" label, it provided some details about itself.
The mechanical insect, an ultra-micro robot, was originally used by the Iris civilization for spaceship repairs. For some reason, it had parasitized Nie Yun, apparently mutating in the process. Some of it had also fused with the Sea Wolf, mingling with Nie Yun's blood, leading to a mysterious bond between them.
As Nie Yun stared at the silver-white patch, it felt like looking at a part of his own body—this profound connection was both eerie and wondrous.