Among all the Void Envoys, the easiest to recognize is Little Bowl. So I imdiately identified her; the petite figure appearing in my sight was indeed Little Bowl herself.
I walked up to her right away, quickly reaching her front. She seed to be slightly startled at first, but upon seeing it was , she soon relaxed and called out in a cute and polite voice, "Long ti no see, Mr. No.3."
"Long ti no see, No.2," I replied, "Though from my perspective, it’s only been about over three weeks."
"Over three weeks... it feels like I’ve experienced at least over three months," Little Bowl said.
What she ant was probably not that the ti since we last t felt like over three months. In the ti-inconsistent Doomsday Era, it’s easy to have experiences where ti was not consistent with each other.
Previously, when she was on the verge of Sin demonization, fortunately, she didn’t end up in a place where ti flowed too quickly. Otherwise, she might not have lasted until I found her the na Little Bowl again. Or could this luck also be brought forth by her Right Positioning Heavenly Phenona?
Little Bowl seed to be observing carefully. After a small mont, she tentatively said, "Mr. No.3, you seem a bit different from before... maybe even stronger than before. Could it be..."
"That’s right, I am now Impermanence," I blurted out straightforwardly, "I have already defeated Ming Zhuo and saved our friends. The issues I asked you to help strategize last ti have been mostly resolved."
Upon seeing I hadn’t avoided Xuanming and No.7’s ears, Little Bowl was initially stunned, then burst into genuine jubilant sound, "Really? That’s great, Mr. No.3!"
Originally, I had thoroughly digested all those matters, but seeing her so happy for , I couldn’t help feeling happy too. But I wasn’t here just to report this to her.
I reached out my hand to her.
Perhaps because it had been indeed too long for her, at first, she seed puzzled by my action, then she realized and lifted up her hands, sweetly placing them upon mine.
Then, through telepathy, her voice sounded in my mind.
"Mr. No.3, is there sothing you want to tell privately?"
As she inquired, she discreetly examined Xuanming and No.7 in the distance from the corner of her eye. Xuanming seed rather interested in our interaction, looking at us with an inscrutable gaze.
Even though I had already told Little Bowl my real na last ti, she seed to still prefer calling "Mr. No.3".
Actually, I quite liked this special form of address too, it carries a non-everyday feeling.
"Indeed. I think I’ve found your identity in the modern world," I said.
"Identity in the modern world... you an what you ntioned last ti, that I might not be a native of the Doomsday Era, but a soul-loss patient from Mr. No.3’s era who crossed over to the Doomsday Era?" Little Bowl seed a bit hard-pressed to digest, "...You found my body slumbering in that era?"
"No, it’s not like that," I replied, "Little Bowl, do you still rember the na ’Zhu Shi’?"
"I rember. It’s another ’love strategist’ you found, right Mr. No.3." Little Bowl imdiately reacted.
However, her mory focal point was odd, and she very seriously said, "Mr. No.3, you absolutely cannot be with any girl other than Sister Mazao!
"Those girls who claim they will help strategize your romantic issues while stealthily getting close to you are the most cunning. She will pretend to be harmless and co near you, accompanying you in a listener’s stance to gain your favor, quietly occupying a space in your heart. Initially, she claims to help you sche and strategize, then she will gradually suggest you practice confession with her, even later, she might casually allow you to practice kissing and other shaless affairs... By the ti you try to retreat, it will be too late!
"I feel Mr. No.3 might be really naive about this kind of thing, easily falling for it... By the way, how far have you and that Zhu Shi developed?
"Listener phase? Or confession rehearsal phase? Surely it cannot be at the kissing stage already..."
I answered honestly, "I have already arranged a marriage with Zhu Shi, she is now my fiancée."
Little Bowl seed to widen her eyes, even involuntarily exclaiming, "What——!!"
Her voice caught even No.7’s attention, reflexively turning to look in our direction.
Little Bowl hastily shut her mouth, hurriedly questioning in the telepathic chat, "What happened, what happened, why why why, isn’t Mr. No.3 supposed to love Sister Mazao! Why would you arrange a marriage with that Zhu Shi? Could it be Mr. No.3 has so leverage leaked to that demon fox Zhu Shi..."
"It’s not like that. Calm down and listen to ; the main point is not about Zhu Shi and my engagent," I said, "Rember what we were talking about at the beginning? The main point is, Zhu Shi is you."
Upon hearing this, Little Bowl stared blankly.
A few seconds passed before this approximately ten-year-old girl spoke in the telepathic chat again, "...The demon fox is ?"
In the people I’ve t, perhaps Yinyue and Changan fit best with the term "demon fox"; they do have real demon fox blood.
"Listen to my explanation first; Zhu Shi is not who you think," I said.
"...Okay, I’ll listen to Mr. No.3’s explanation first," Little Bowl nodded dumbly, "...What exactly is going on?"
I told Little Bowl the basis for my deduction that "Zhu Shi is Little Bowl," and the entire progression of how Zhu Shi beca my fiancée.
Simultaneously, I disclosed the fact that Zhu Shi doesn’t harbor romantic feelings.
Gradually, Little Bowl seed to have digested that shocking information, regaining her usual composure and rationality.
"Mr. No.3... isn’t this what they call ’opening a harem’?" She seed to show an exasperated expression, "Although Sister Mazao, due to her lack of common sense and seeing as a third party, is happy to accept this; and that fox... girl nad Zhu Shi, given her special circumstances, can also accept this absurd unfoldnt... but Mr. No.3, you don’t have those special circumstances, right?"
"I feel as long as Mazao is happy, it’s fine. Besides, Zhu Shi resolved her marriage issue, my destiny anchor is also fortified, and none of us three felt unhappy about it, why is that a problem?" I asked.
"Almost forgot, Mr. No.3, you were initially the pervert planning to confine Sister Mazao, who’s just a little girl..." Little Bowl covered her small head with one hand, "I cannot believe I mistakenly thought Mr. No.3 is actually soone with common sense and an ethical mindset..."
Her current reaction makes her quite similar to Zhu Shi, evoking a sense of familiarity.
"But that’s not the point at the mont. How do you feel now?" I asked, "After regaining the na Zhu Shi, do you recall any mories as Zhu Shi?"
According to my statent, Little Bowl refocused on the matter at hand. She seed to be checking her consciousness.
After a brief mont, she shook her head: "No... the na Zhu Shi indeed feels familiar, just like I’ve known it for a long ti... but I don’t feel like I’m Zhu Shi, nor do any past mories surface."
This reply wasn’t outside of my expectations.
Previously, when I returned the na Little Bowl to her, her reaction was like being entranced by a mysterious spell, entering a state of selflessness. If her true na were given, she might have an even more intense reaction. Yet her reaction to the na Zhu Shi was very calm.
It’s probably because "Zhu Shi" isn’t truly a na she identifies with. Therefore, I must bring out my trump card.
"What about... ’Zhu Jiuxing’?" I gazed into her eyes, "Your true na is not ’Zhu Shi.’ That was rely a designation given to you as the tenth successor of the Zhu family.
"Zhu Jiuxing—that is your original and genuine na."
Upon hearing this, Little Bowl appeared struck by lightning, rooted to her spot.
"I am... Zhu Jiuxing?" she said dazedly.
Then, she fell into a prolonged silence.
It seems finally I have inputted the correct "password," her reaction now is akin to how she was after recovering the na Little Bowl. I felt sowhat relieved, feeling another long-standing problem had been resolved.
Nonetheless, subsequently, I must confront new mysteries. Why did Zhu Shi beco Little Bowl in the Doomsday Era, and is Little Bowl indeed Zhu Shi’s principal self, or Zhu Shi’s Dream Avatar; if it’s the latter, should she return to Zhu Shi’s original form... One problem after another erged in my mind, without readily available solutions.
Right at this mont, Little Bowl suddenly broke the silence.
Her spoken words, like a massive stone thrown into a pool, stirred up silt and clay, turning the previously clear-bottod pool into a complex turbulence.
"I... am not Zhu Jiuxing," Little Bowl said.
"...What?" I took a mont longer to process.
"The na Zhu Jiuxing feels incredibly familiar, even more so than Zhu Shi..." Little Bowl said with a complex tone, "But... I am not Zhu Jiuxing."
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