In Xu Shiyue's eyes, the light was like the opening scene of an old movie, refreshing the blur in her vision frame by frame.
The white mist that had been blocking her view for half a year suddenly and silently dissipated, giving her no time to prepare, and brought Lu Shizhen's face into her sight.
The flush on her cheeks from the alcohol was reflected in Xu Shiyue's eyes, and the fingertips under her eyes felt even warmer.
Xu Shiyue then realized just how close she and Lu Shizhen were at that moment; the swooping shadow of Lu Shizhen almost enveloped her entire body beneath her.
Their long legs were crossed, and their eyes met.
Those curved eyes, with a familiar yet unfamiliar arc, were always smiling at Xu Shiyue, the distance between their noses almost imperceptible.
The scene reflected in the eyes was direct and exceptionally moving, and the ambiguity surrounding them reached its peak in that instant.
The pressure of her fingers gently touched Xu Shiyue's eyes. Lu Shizhen was completely unaware of the change in her gaze and earnestly told her, "I remember they all call this mole a 'tear mole.' They say that people with tear moles will be troubled and tormented by love throughout their lives, and will be melancholic and tearful."
As she spoke, Lu Shizhen removed her fingers.
As if to confirm it, she moved her face even closer to Xu Shiyue's, her misty eyes fixed intently on the patch of skin she had pressed until it was slightly red. Suddenly, she laughed: "You're not! That's great!"
This was the first time Xu Shiyue had seen such a smile on this face.
More intensely than she had imagined, what she had seen in the past was filled with a profound sense of satisfaction and gratitude.
This was simply because she didn't have that beauty mark that she didn't consider particularly auspicious.
"very nice……"
As Xu Shiyue listened to Lu Shizhen's mumbled murmurs, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
Before she could say anything, her gaze, which had been filled by that person, suddenly went blank, and then she felt something hit her shoulder, almost causing her to tilt to the side.
Like a battery that had been barely charged with alcohol being quickly depleted, Lu Shizhen leaned on Xu Shiyue's shoulder and fell asleep again.
The room became suddenly quiet, as if a mute button had been pressed.
Xu Shiyue looked at the things that had become clear again in her vision. She suddenly wanted to look at everything again, but in the end, she turned her head slightly and silently watched the person sleeping on her shoulder with a calm gaze.
This face, which she once loathed, stirred up the gears of memory, bringing back emotions that hadn't surfaced in a long time.
The person in front of her looked exactly like Lu Shizhen in her memory.
She still remembered how that face had ambushed her at school and harassed her on her way home from school...
But this face is not the same as the face in my memory.
Those eyes, curved in a smile for her sake, held none of their former absurdity and arrogance; they were dull, clumsy, yet gentle.
Xu Shiyue raised her head and gently stroked Lu Shizhen's long hair on the side of her face, her warm breath, tinged with the scent of alcohol, falling on her fingertips.
As if she had thought of a particularly fitting image, Xu Shiyue suddenly smiled.
She suddenly remembered a sentence she had read in the book Lu Shizhen had given her: "There may be five thousand flowers in the world that look exactly like you, but you are my one and only rose."
She thought that this was the meaning of Lu Shizhen inside her body.
Even if she later reclaimed what was rightfully hers, surrounded by thousands and possessing countless choices, it would all be meaningless if those people weren't Lu Shizhen.
Xu Shiyue suddenly became a little impatient, as if there was something she couldn't wait to accomplish.
But she also knew that she had to be patient and wait until she could get all the things she left in the Xu family back, until people like Xu Shouxian could no longer threaten her Lu Shizhen.
Even though she still has many questions about this person, she will definitely tell her what Lu Shizhen thinks at that time, no matter what.
She likes her.
I like her.
"Gurgle~"
The sudden rumbling of her stomach broke the silence of the room. Lu Shizhen, still half asleep, seemed to sense the noise and groggily opened her eyes.
The unfamiliar, intricate European-style decorations crowded her eyes, and the gilded, carved windows, like picture frames, incongruously framed the azure sky.
The sun was still high in the sky, only slightly lower than its noon peak, a fact that Lu Shizhen was particularly keen to notice.
"Gurgle~"
Just as Lu Shizhen was making this judgment, her stomach rumbled again.
That makes sense. It's already afternoon. She had the accident this morning and didn't eat lunch, so of course she's hungry.
After lying on her pillow for a while to clear her head, Lu Shizhen decided to get up and find something to eat.
She had just sat up when she heard a familiar voice beside her: "Hungry?"
Lu Shizhen paused, looked in the direction of the sound, and saw Xu Shiyue sitting on the sofa by the bed.
The silver knife deftly sliced a piece of apple, and the calm and composed manner gave her a familiar feeling of time flowing backward.
It seems that the last time I fell into the water, Xu Shiyue was sitting by my bedside watching over me.
In fact, Lu Shizhen rarely saw anyone by her bedside when she woke up. Her parents were exhausted from trying to keep her alive, and she had no right to be willful or pretentious.
If she was unlucky and was moved to a double room after surgery, she would quietly pull her bed curtains shut when she encountered family members in the wards asking about their children's well-being.
In this world, twice in a row, Lu Shizhen woke up to find someone by her bedside, and that person was Xu Shiyue both times.
Lu Shizhen wondered if she would still feel this way if the person who was by her bedside today was not Xu Shiyue, or if it was someone else twice in a row.
But she knows she is happy now.
Seeing Xu Shiyue there, Lu Shizhen felt a sense of peace and reassurance for some reason.
Yet, this person is clearly aloof and arrogant, and is generally considered by readers to be the least likely to take care of others.
Thinking this, Lu Shizhen concealed the fact that she had been woken up by hunger and said, "It's alright."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shiyue curled her lips slightly and said unhurriedly, "Your stomach has already rumbled eight times."
"..."
Lu Shizhen pursed her lips, feeling an overwhelming sense of embarrassment wash over her.
She should have realized that the rumbling in her stomach was enough to wake her from her sleep. Xu Shiyue is blind, so her hearing must be more acute than that of an ordinary person. How could she not hear it?
"Have something to eat first, Li Gang went to get his food a little while ago."
Before Lu Shizhen could be overwhelmed by the embarrassment of her broken composure, Xu Shiyue's voice pulled her out of it.
The familiar red rabbits were still there, huddled together, small and cute, lying on the edge of the plate.
Lu Shizhen thought that Xu Shiyue's carved rabbit and apple this time was even cuter and prettier than the last one. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled and said, "Thank you."
"No need," Xu Shiyue shook her head.
The aroma of apples slowly wafted out, and she kept her eyes downcast as usual.
This time, however, she could clearly see the smile in the corners of the man's eyes and brows.
Those dark pupils were bright and radiant, like two stars that would never fall from her world.
Xu Shiyue suddenly felt that her vocabulary was insufficient, and she could only use the meager word "beautiful" to describe it.
A gentle breeze caressed the evergreen plants outside the window, and the sound of apples being bitten was crisp and pleasant.
Xu Shiyue sat on the chair by the bed, watching Lu Shizhen eat the apple rabbit she had carved, and suddenly felt as if the world had shrunk to just the two of them.
The entire room was enveloped in a tranquil peace, as if it could stretch out smoothly and unhindered into the very distant future.
"Ding ding"
Just then, a knock on the door shattered the rare tranquility in Xu Shiyue's eyes.
Lu Shizhen thought it was Li returning, and greeted him with a fork in her hand: "Come in, I'm starving, why are you taking so long?"
Unexpectedly, the door was pushed open from the outside, and Lu Shi'en, who was always unruly, appeared.
She had changed out of her riding clothes and was wearing the green umbrella skirt she had arrived in. The lunchbox that should have been held by Li was now in her hands.
Lu Shizhen watched her walk over, her originally arrogant and unrestrained voice becoming much quieter, as if she was still explaining her earlier question, "Why are you so slow?": "Sister, the cafeteria was out of food, so I made this especially for you. It took a little longer, but I had them make all your favorite dishes."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Shi'en placed the lunchbox on the small table on Lu Shizhen's bed and carefully took out each dish for her: "This is braised pork with small pigeon eggs inside, and there is also a serving of shredded potatoes and rice underneath. None of it is spicy."
Although Lu Shien usually doesn't act arrogantly towards Lu Shizhen like he does with others, Lu Shizhen has never seen him so docile, almost like a completely different person.
At first, she thought the child had also been transported into the book, but then she remembered what had happened before she fainted.
The child was so guilty that he was scared.
Given the original owner's personality, even if her own sister hurt her, she would probably go crazy for a while, and might even do something perverted.
Lu Shizhen sighed softly, turned to look at Lu Shien standing to the side, and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you so listless? Are you afraid that your sister will be angry with you?"
Upon hearing Lu Shizhen's words, Lu Shien immediately lowered his head and admitted his mistake. His voice was filled with guilt, nervousness, and fear, and his eyes were red: "I'm sorry, sister, I was wrong. Can you please not be angry with me? Can you please not leave me..."
As Lu Shi'en spoke, he began to sob, tears streaming down his face.
Lu Shizhen frowned as she looked at the damp corner of the bed sheet.
She felt she was right, but she wasn't the original owner of this body, that perverted freak, so how could she do such a thing? She immediately said, "Who told you I don't want you anymore? You're my sister, how could I not want you?"
"Besides, what happened today wasn't just your fault, it was also my fault. I failed to stop the horse in time," Lu Shizhen said lightly, comforting the guilty Lu Shien. "You didn't expect that I wouldn't be able to control it as quickly as I used to. If I were in better health, I definitely would have stopped it, right?"
Bright, warm sunlight streamed into the room, which was crammed with all sorts of objects. Lu Shizhen lay on the bed, reflecting on her actions.
Without any indiscriminate venting or demanding any "price" from herself as the instigator, Lu Shi'en found it hard to believe her sister would say such a thing.
This seems different from the vengeful nature she taught herself in the past, as if doing this is the only truly correct approach.
The tangled mess in Lu Shi'en's heart was finally untangled. He slowly raised his head, nodded slightly, and then began to reflect on himself: "Although my sister said that I failed to hold the horse, I think I should not forget what my sister told me. I was careless and overconfident. I know I was wrong and I won't do it again."
"That's more like it." Lu Shizhen felt a sense of relief seeing Lu Shien's attitude of admitting his mistake.
Seeing that the little girl was still a bit reserved, she reached out and ruffled her hair: "Alright, don't think of your sister as so scary. Do you think your sister is that kind of person?"
Lu Shi'en immediately shook her head in denial: "Of course not, sister! You're the best sister in the world!"
Lu Shizhen couldn't help but laugh when she saw Lu Shien's seemingly reflexive answer. She then handed her a tissue and said, "That's right, don't cry."
Lu Shi'en nodded and took the paper from Lu Shizhen.
Lu Shizhen looked at her and couldn't help but remind her, "Also, Xiao En, you have to promise your sister that you won't be so reckless in the future, okay?"
Lu Shi'en nodded repeatedly: "I promise your sister."
"Also, try to control your temper and don't be so willful. Consider other people's feelings more," Lu Shizhen added.
Lu Shi'en nodded again, his voice firm: "Yes, I remember, and I will never do it again."
The little girl's fear of being abandoned finally subsided after several conversations with Lu Shizhen. Clutching the paper in her hand, she slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and cautiously yet somewhat brazenly hugged Lu Shizhen: "Sister, you really scared me to death."
Lu Shizhen froze instantly.
She had never had such contact with anyone before, and her body straightened up unnaturally once again. She patted Lu Shi'en's arm with her somewhat withered expression and said, "Okay, okay, I'm all right now, no, don't be afraid."
“Sister…” Lu Shi’en felt the rare tenderness Lu Shi’en gave him, sniffed, and tightened his arms around her as if he had just recovered from his shock.
But amidst this heartwarming scene of sisters loving each other, two rather unpleasant taps on the table broke the mood.
Xu Shiyue pushed the lunchbox in front of Lu Shizhen with a cold face and reminded Lu Shien, "Let your sister eat first, she's already hungry."
Whether it was because of Lu Shizhen's teachings or the oppressive feeling that Xu Shiyue had just conveyed to her, Lu Shien became more obedient and did not refute or argue back. She simply said "Oh" and released her arms from Lu Shizhen.
The room returned to its original quiet, and the leisurely feeling that had been interrupted in Xu Shiyue's eyes slowly returned.
It's as if the aroma of the food adds another layer of flavor to life.
If it's just her and Lu Shizhen.
Thinking of this, Xu Shiyue narrowed her eyes slightly.
His lowered eyes were filled with obvious displeasure.
Lu Shi'en seemed to have something to discuss with her at school, but because she was worried that Lu Shizhen would abandon her, she delayed going back.
Only after she saw Lu Shizhen finish the food she had prepared did she finally feel completely relieved. At the nth urging from her teachers at school, she took a bus back home.
The sky always darkens earlier in winter than in other seasons; the sun rises above the horizon just after five o'clock.
As dusk fell, the sky, devoid of sunset, shimmered with a pale, indistinct gray-blue, much like someone's eyes hidden behind eyelashes.
The car came to a smooth stop in front of the building. Yuanzi walked lightly beside the girl, her swaying tail brushing against the hem of her skirt.
As usual, Xu Shiyue grasped Lu Shizhen's outstretched wrist, leaned over, and sat in the back seat of the car. The skin of her wrist, slightly raised by the wrist bone, was warm and white, silently changing in her gaze.
Li watched as Lu Shizhen helped Xu Shiyue into the car, then walked over and said, "Miss, your phone was just trampled by a horse. We've replaced it with a new one, the same model as the one that was trampled."
Lu Shizhen then belatedly realized that she hadn't touched her phone in a long time. She couldn't help but marvel at the efficiency of having money, but on the surface, she remained as calm as ever: "Oh, thank you."
Li felt a little embarrassed by Lu Shizhen's gratitude, lowered his head, and then continued, "Also, Miss, during the data transfer, we found an unknown program on your previous phone. This program was highly encrypted, and we couldn't analyze it. Miss, do you think you should tell Mr..."
Upon hearing Li's words, Lu Shizhen immediately tensed up.
If we're talking about an unknown program appearing on her phone, who else could it be but Qiuqiu, who hasn't even finished processing the data stream yet?
Lu Shizhen was worried that if Li were handed over to Lu Shize, Lu Shize would discover Qiuqiu's existence. In that case, it would be strange if Lu Shize didn't tear her apart and break her limbs.
Having just managed to keep Lu Shi'en in check, Lu Shi'ze was about to appear. Lu Shi'zhen's survival instinct was stronger than ever before, and her brain raced: "That...that was...it was something Xiao En did when she connected my phone to her computer and wrote random things in there."
"I don't know how it happened, but I can't delete it. But it doesn't bother me on my phone, so I haven't bothered with it. Don't worry, it's not being monitored, so don't bother my brother."
As soon as she said that, Lu Shizhen patted Li on the shoulder and then showered him with praise: "Your vigilance is very good and deserves praise."
Li looked at Lu Shizhen's hand on his shoulder and was flattered. He nodded and said, "This is all part of our duties, Miss."
The lights from the lobby and the carriages intertwined, illuminating Li Hongqi's ears so clearly that they had nowhere to hide. Lu Shizhen immediately sensed the unexpected charm in this 1.89-meter-tall man, smiled, and prepared to get on the train.
She paused before she was fully seated in the car, and said to Li, who was about to close the door for her, "Oh right, where's my phone?"
“Here it is.” Li said, taking out a sealed bag, inside which was Lu Shizhen’s phone.
The screen, shattered into various shapes but still barely held together, had long since separated from the body, with the green chip exposed in a blatant manner. It was more than just a piece of junk; it was a truly pitiful sight.
Lu Shizhen couldn't help but worry about Qiuqiu who was still inside, and reached out her hand, saying, "Okay, give it to me."
"Yes." Li had no questions and handed it to Lu Shizhen without hesitation.
Li Bi respectfully closed the car door, and Lu Shizhen breathed a sigh of relief as the door slammed shut.
The scenery outside the window began to recede, and Lu Shizhen casually took out the earphones that Li Gang had just handed her, pretending to be playing on her phone next to Xu Shiyue.
Yuanzi lay bored on her seat, and Xu Shiyue's gentle stroking of her neck hair forced her to turn towards Lu Shizhen, who was typing on the keyboard.
However, it couldn't understand human writing. It only noticed the monotonous character "湫" on the white background of the phone, with an exclamation mark added every two characters, as if it were some kind of mysterious ritual performed by humans.
After an unknown number of knocks, the mysterious ritual in Yuanzi's eyes finally stopped. Then, its long-lost old friend appeared on the screen, his voice trembling with tears: "Host! I almost didn't get to see you again."
【Qiuqiu!】 Lu Shizhen heard the familiar voice in her ear, and her face couldn't hide her excitement.
[Host, this journey has been so difficult for me, I almost didn't make it. Luckily you got that phone back, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to use the data transfer function to get here QAQ]
The text kept appearing from the text bubble above Qiuqiu's head, almost taking up half of Lu Shizhen's phone screen.
She stared at the glowing ball on the screen, feeling incredibly fortunate as she gripped the tattered phone on her lap.
This relief didn't last long. Lu Shizhen remembered Li's words and asked Qiuqiu, "They discovered this part of your program. Will something happen?"
"No, don't worry, host." Qiuqiu immediately waved her hand in denial. "Given the level of technological development of humanity in this world, it's impossible for them to crack our code."
Hearing Qiuqiu's certainty, Lu Shizhen finally breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, you scared me to death."
The lush greenery of the suburbs stretched past the window, filling Lu Shizhen's view with its verdant beauty.
She tried her best to memorize this rare winter greenery, when she heard Qiuqiu's puzzled voice through her earpiece: "Host, I detected alcohol in your system. You just drank alcohol?"
Lu Shizhen paused, her face full of confusion: "I didn't... I was sleeping the whole time."
"That's strange, why would this be detected?" Qiuqiu looked at the system records with great confusion, scratching its face in frustration at losing video surveillance.
【Yeah, why?】Lu Shizhen was also puzzled. Just as she was about to type a line to agree with Qiuqiu, her phone suddenly froze.
The setting sun cast a dim glow over the carriage, overlapping the shadows of Lu Shizhen and Xu Shiyue onto the windowpane on one side.
A bright blue light suddenly shone in the girl's eyes, and the main system notification forcefully occupied the entire phone screen.
[Due to the host's actions, the protagonist's bond has deviated again. It has been determined that this situation originated from the host and was not due to the host's intentions. Therefore, the main system will not impose severe punishment on the host. A warning will be issued before 24:00 on December 31st. Please prepare accordingly.]
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