Chapter 491: Chapter 299: Universe, Promise, and Urushibara Ryuri’s Question
The base of the Salvation Society, Paradise Layer.
Ji Minghuan sat alone in the hallway of the maze, daydreaming while the other children played on the other recreational facilities.
He looked up at Shang Xiaoqi, who was swinging alone with her head down, and walked over, silently sitting on the swing next to hers.
"Speaking of which, Xiaoqi," Ji Minghuan asked, "Have you ever heard the World Tree say anything to you?"
"Traitor, don’t talk to me..." Shang Xiaoqi replied without turning her head, slightly frowning. The small tear mole at the corner of her eye made her expression look even colder.
"Woof woof woof." An unexpected barking sound suddenly interrupted her speech.
Shang Xiaoqi was taken aback.
She turned her head, staring blankly at Ji Minghuan, "You... What are you doing?"
"I am a puppy. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have betrayed you, Lady Xiaoqi, woof woof woof woof woof."
Shang Xiaoqi blinked and looked away from his eyes, "Even if you’re a puppy, it doesn’t help; the scars of betrayal won’t heal, and without bonds, there won’t be any hurt..."
"Do you really like Uchiha Sasuke?" Ji Minghuan suddenly asked.
"How did you know?" Shang Xiaoqi was stunned.
"Because I also watch anime, I’m an anime expert," Ji Minghuan said earnestly. "As far as I know, Uchiha Sasuke likes to say things like, ’I want to sever all bonds,’ or ’Only by abandoning bonds can I become stronger,’ but actually, he’s a big tsundere, and later on, he ends up constantly asking the protagonist, ’What am I to you?’"
Shang Xiaoqi’s face turned red. She bowed her head and frowned. Being caught for quoting strong words from an anime made her feel uneasy, just like a literary youth quoting movie reviews from Douban to show off their taste, only to be found out.
"I don’t like Uchiha Sasuke," she said, pursing her lips.
"Alright then," Ji Minghuan said, "About the question I asked you earlier, could you answer it?"
"What question?"
"Has the World Tree ever spoken to you?"
"No." Shang Xiaoqi shook her head, saying softly, "I just occasionally hear the sound of thorns growing, waking up while sleeping, feeling like my body has become a plant."
"I see." Ji Minghuan nodded, "Then that’s good; I just met someone who is terribly tormented by the consciousness of a mythical figure, to the point of having schizophrenia."
"No one wants that," Shang Xiaoqi was silent for a moment.
"Yeah, no one wants that."
"Have you ever thought about what dying feels like?"
"Dying?" Ji Minghuan shook his head, "I don’t know, it’s a bit too advanced for an elementary school student."
"Didn’t I just tell you? Every time I sleep alone, I feel like my body is gradually turning into a plant, trapped in a dream I can’t wake up from. It feels like being locked in a coffin... No matter how I struggle, I can’t open it, my limbs are curled up, and the oxygen inside is slowly disappearing; the coffin floats in the universe, and no matter how loudly I scream, no one responds." Shang Xiaoqi said softly; at her age, her ability to organize words wasn’t very mature, so she spoke somewhat incoherently.
"Hmm..." Ji Minghuan pondered for a moment, "It sounds really uncomfortable, even claustrophobia would be triggered. Wait, do you actually have claustrophobia and are still holding on all by yourself?"
"I don’t know what that is," Shang Xiaoqi shook her head, "I’m just wondering if one day I won’t wake up and will really become a plant."
"Alright, it seems the consciousness of the World Tree does affect you; I take back what I said."
"Traitor... Can you stay with me?" Shang Xiaoqi looked up, glancing at him, "I don’t want to dream alone, nor do I want to wake up alone in a dream."
"Woof woof woof woof woof!"
"What are you doing?" Shang Xiaoqi was taken aback.
"Nothing, I didn’t know what to say, so I barked a few times."
Shang Xiaoqi frowned tightly, her small face dipped low, angrily staring at him, not knowing what to say.
"Alright, I just think, you’re quite straightforward at this moment, so even the most stubborn and tsundere child is afraid of loneliness, huh?"
Saying this, Ji Minghuan swung the swing.
He turned his head, looking at her seriously and quietly, "Although the Mentor won’t let us stay together, whenever you dream of being locked in a coffin and your body slowly turning into a plant, you can imagine a little puppy perched on the coffin lid, bouncing around, barking woof woof woof. It’s just as lonely and scared as you are, not knowing where in the universe the coffin will float, but it’s always waiting for you to come out."
Shang Xiaoqi was momentarily stunned.
"Actually, I often have strange dreams too, dreaming I’m being chased, or wrapped up by something making it hard to breathe, but each time there’s a penguin monster, holding a book and cheering for me outside, saying ’Keep going’ ’Keep going,’ so I don’t feel lonely... As long as there is someone in the world waiting for you, you’re not alone."
As Ji Minghuan spoke, he looked up. Filio was watching Mario playing ’Fire Emblem,’ both kids fully focused.
Meanwhile, in another corner of Paradise, Sun Changkong and Kong Youling were playing on the slide, sliding up and down repeatedly.
Each time they slid from the top of the slide to the bottom, the Somersault Cloud embedded on the ground would automatically lift them like an intelligent elevator, saving them the trouble of climbing stairs, so they either slid up and down the slide or flew back and forth on the Somersault Cloud, the hems of their hospital gowns rising and falling.
"Traitor, have you ever seen the ocean?" Shang Xiaoqi was silent for a long time before suddenly asking.
"I’ve never seen it," Ji Minghuan shook his head, "I’ve been in an orphanage since I was little, never stepped out, and probably have seen fewer things than you have."
"Is that so."
"But once everyone leaves here, we can go see the ocean together," Ji Minghuan whispered.
"You betrayed me once before, don’t betray me a second time," Shang Xiaoqi said, "Take me to see the sea."
"Alright," Ji Minghuan nodded.
The two quietly swung for a while, eyes fixed on the sand below, then the Somersault Cloud suddenly flew over, knocking them off the swing, then catching them amidst shouts of surprise, taking them to the top of the slide.
"What are you two whispering about?" Sun Changkong asked.
"Yeah, yeah," Kong Youling mouthed silently, then held up the small notebook in her arms.
Shang Xiaoqi looked up to see the notebook showed a little fox and a little black cat on a swing, with a tear mole at the corner of the black cat’s eye.
"Why am I the cat?" Shang Xiaoqi asked.
"Because... you’re hot and cold," Kong Youling covered her face with the notebook, not daring to see Shang Xiaoqi’s expression.
Ji Minghuan leaned over to glimpse at the contents of the notebook, "This is the penguin monster from our home, always turning others into strange animals, I am clearly a dog, not a fox."
"If little sister Ling says you are a fox, then you are a fox, don’t be ungrateful," Sun Changkong gave him a fierce glare, and glanced at Shang Xiaoqi, both obediently lowered their heads.
At this moment, the Mentor’s voice suddenly came through the broadcast equipment, "Kids, pack up, it’s time to go back and rest."
Immediately after, the elevator at the entrance opened with a "ding", and the experimenters, wearing white coats and sterilization masks, walked out.
"Let’s go." With that, Ji Minghuan slid down from the slide.
He stood up, walked a few steps forward, then turned back, only to realize Shang Xiaoqi was staring at him all along.
"Traitor, don’t forget..." Shang Xiaoqi whispered as she passed by him, hands behind her back, "to take me to see the sea in the future."
Ji Minghuan watched her walk away, and after a moment, exchanged a few words with Kong Youling, then moved away from Paradise, following the experimenters back to the detention room.
The lights dimmed with a series of clicks, he lay down on the infirmary bed, gradually closing his eyelids.
Consciousness synchronized to the body of Unit One.
....
....
United States, August 9th, 12:00 noon, New York, a hotel in the Manhattan District.
Gu Wenyu woke up from the bed, picked up the phone on the bedside, and sent a message to Gu Qiye.
[Black Cocoon: By the way, has there been any progress on the Light-Eating Bee matter? A collaborator of mine is very curious about it, he’s pressing me.]
[Gu Qiye: Meeting soon, let’s discuss then.]
[Black Cocoon: Okay.]
At the same time, another corner of New York, the parking lot at the base of the Empire State Building.
In a black Maybach, Gu Qiye sat in the passenger seat, looking down at the phone.
He closed the messaging interface, put the phone into his pocket, then opened the car door and got out. Today he wore a black jacket and black trousers, his once shoulder-length hair cut short, dressed neatly.
You Ruirui also opened the car door, stepping down from the driver’s seat of the Maybach, today she wore a black suit, her white long hair tied into a ponytail falling down her back.
The two walked side by side towards the elevator, You Ruirui raised her hand to press "B10" on the panel, the elevator door slowly closing, but just then, a hand reached in, reopening the closing elevator doors.
Gu Qiye looked up to see Urushibara Ryuri appear as if by magic from the darkness. She too was wearing a black vest jacket with jeans today.
At this moment, she was leaning askew on the elevator door frame, a teasing smile on her lips, turning her head to look towards a corner of the parking lot.
You Ruirui and Gu Qiye followed her gaze and saw at the corner of the parking lot, a young girl in a Gothic Lolita dress walking slowly, none other than the "Gothic Puppet" Esther.
The blonde-haired, red-eyed Gothic skirt girl raised her hand to cover a yawn, then slowly stepped into the elevator cab.
"By the way, young sir, a question for you." Urushibara Ryuri entered the cab last, looking up at Gu Qiye.
"What question?"
As Gu Qiye asked this, the elevator cab doors slowly closed upwards.
"What’s your relationship with Black Cocoon?" Urushibara Ryuri smirked and asked softly.
Gu Qiye was visibly taken aback for a moment, then looked up, meeting Urushibara Ryuri’s gaze.
In the dim cab, she stared straight at Gu Qiye, her eyes clear as if they could see through one’s heart.