The person who did wrong must reflect in seclusion; this was only natural, though Lin Luo didn't believe he had done anything wrong.

Lin Luo reflected deeply for ten minutes, arriving at one crucial conclusion: the room, already a mess from their "battle" the previous night (impressive they managed a whole night in there), was now utterly devastated after Miss Rin’s barrage of incoming attacks. It would be absolutely unlivable without a thorough overhaul—even the bed had collapsed due to that shoulder throw.

It seemed he needed to consult with the Captain about changing rooms.

Ten minutes later, Miss Rin emerged from the bathroom with a thunderous expression. Since she hadn't grabbed clothes when she went in, she was, naturally, completely unclothed now.

Normally, she would have put on an tsundere act, but not now. Ignoring the other person in the room entirely, she walked unhurriedly to the bedside, gathered her scattered clothes, and dressed herself.

Soon, she noticed a missing sock. Glancing around, she tugged her thigh-high black stockings out from under Lin Luo’s backside and put them on with a blank expression.

Finally, she checked her appearance in the mirror. Seemingly satisfied that everything was in order, she adjusted her attire, opened the door, and left without a word.

"..." Lin Luo was utterly speechless. This silent treatment was certainly thorough. It seemed that while the 'Takedown Operation' had been a success, the final outcome was a failure; his favorability rating must have dropped?

"No, she must still be tsundere."

Lin Luo shook his head. Miss Rin was still furious, and he guessed saying anything to her now would be useless. Better not to disturb her for the moment.

Returning to the bathroom to shower, Lin Luo left the room a few minutes later and stepped out onto the deck to catch the morning breeze.

It was around 7:30 AM. Although the sky was fully bright, being out on the sea meant a thick layer of mist still enveloped everything; visibility was less than fifty meters... Of course, that was for an ordinary person; with Lin Luo's eyesight, he could still see over a hundred meters away.

The gentle breeze blowing in from the sea quickly cooled his passionate heart. The feeling of exhilaration and ease was indescribable. Looking out at the vast ocean, it felt as if he could embrace the entire world with an outstretched hand, and an impulse to sing out loud arose within him.

"Ahem... ahem..." Lin Luo cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

"You have a habit of getting fresh air in the morning too?"

...Right. The impulse to sing would have to wait.

Lin Luo turned around to face the person who had brutally extinguished the refined mood he had nurtured for over ten minutes. He spoke, "I don't usually have this habit, but occasionally it's quite nice. Speaking of which, is this your habit?"

The person who approached had flowing hair that reached her waist, and her insightful amber eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything in the world. Her exquisitely beautiful features were ethereal yet grounded. Every movement carried the nobility of a queen... This was a goddess abandoned by heaven, a demoness cast out by hell, an angel who could only exist in the mortal realm.

There was only one girl on this ship with such an aura—C.C.

"I didn't use to have this habit, but I have every day for the past half-month at sea," C.C said with a faint smile, walking up to Lin Luo and leaning slightly against the railing.

Although a smile graced the girl's face, Lin Luo could see no trace of joy in her eyes.

"What do you see?" C.C turned her head, as if sensing what Lin Luo was thinking, and asked with a smile, "In my eyes."

"Loneliness and sorrow," Lin Luo answered without hesitation. This wasn't based on his memory of the girl, but what he genuinely perceived. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and at this moment, the girl's window was wide open.

C.C paused slightly, then smiled again, offering no confirmation or denial. "Why do you think so?"

"Isn't it true?" Lin Luo countered. "If there were no sorrow, no loneliness, why would you be smiling?"

"That's a strange thing to say. Shouldn't you cry when you are sad and lonely? Do you smile when you are sad and lonely?" C.C chuckled softly.

Lin Luo could not manage a smile. He grew serious. "You are cruel, to yourself."

"I think there's something wrong with your mind. Were you dumped by a woman?" C.C was still smiling. "I saw the girl who was with you yesterday looked quite angry. I hear heartbroken men tend to talk nonsense."

"You think I'm talking nonsense?" Lin Luo sighed internally and asked, "Then why is your smile so cold? Why is there absolutely no happiness in your smile? Dare you swear that your smile is not a disguise?"

"A disguised smile, hehe." C.C gave a faint, easy smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Even if my smile is a disguise, why do you think it’s cruel to yourself, or perhaps a form of self-redemption?"

"A century ago, you hurt others with your tears; a century later, you hurt yourself with your smile."

"You..." C.C finally lost her smile. Her gentle expression instantly turned incredibly cold; the difference in demeanor made her seem like a completely different person compared to moments before.

But Lin Luo remained unmoved and continued, "You hurt others with tears because of your weakness and helplessness. You hurt yourself with a smile because of your kindness and gentleness. To harm yourself rather than others—isn't that cruelty to yourself?"

"You saw my past?" C.C said sternly, although she believed it impossible. Even though her attempt to invade his mind yesterday had failed, she couldn't fathom him seeing her past. Yet, what this man said...

"I did not see your past," Lin Luo shook his head, then cut to the chase. "Rather, I knew your past from the very beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"C.C, why did you come to this world? This isn't the world you originally lived in, is it?"

"..." The girl's delicate body trembled instantly, her cold face filled with disbelief. "What do you know?"

Lin Luo nodded. "Like you, I also came from another world. That includes the girl you mentioned earlier; we all crossed over from other worlds. Our purpose here is to fulfill the wish of another girl. Oh, right, before that, I also fulfilled the wishes of two other girls."

"Wishes?"

"Yes, wishes." Lin Luo nodded again. "That blue-haired girl, she was originally from this world, but due to special circumstances, she entered other worlds. We met, and then we came to this world to fulfill her wish."

"What is her wish?" C.C didn't know why she asked this question. She usually didn't care much for other people's affairs, but... she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"To go to Edil Garden," Lin Luo replied, then explained, "You probably don't know, but Edil Garden is located somewhere in this world, a place she always longed for, a wish she has been fixated on for over five hundred years."

Rei had been sealed and asleep for five centuries, so in her personal experience, the wish spanned only a few years, but in terms of time elapsed, five hundred years was correct.

"Five hundred years"—even C.C was moved upon hearing this. If that time were calculated for herself, she probably wouldn't even know where she was.

"Five hundred years is long, but also short; it depends on who it is, and the circumstances," Lin Luo paused here, his gaze fixed directly into the girl's eyes, as if seeing right through her. "C.C, after a century of persistent pursuit and waiting, do you still have the courage to wait another five hundred years? Can you endure five hundred years?"

"I..." The girl was suddenly speechless. *Don't joke. I've already lived through over a hundred years;