Chapter 38 "But who can stop this..."
Deidara is still looking at you, staring at you, his eyes even carrying a hint of expectation that he himself is unaware of. Under his gaze, you sigh. You can only say that ninjas are all a bit abnormal, their personalities are like opening blind boxes. You say, "But I need to rest now, you'd better not disturb me."
"Is this the punishment you were talking about?" Deidara scoffed.
You rubbed your temples and asked, "So what are you looking forward to?"
As if his secret had been exposed, Deidara stammered, saying, "What? What expectations... I don't have any."
"I hope he really didn't have any expectations at all," you think, then turn off the bedside lamp and go back to sleep.
You went to sleep, leaving only Deidara and Haku still awake, looking at each other. Haku said, "Didn't Mingxi make things clear enough just now?"
“My ears are fine, I don’t need you to remind me,” Deidara said irritably, his attitude completely different from when he was talking to you.
Bai wasn't angry at his obvious change in attitude; he simply nodded and said, "It's good that you know."
On the contrary, it was his tone that annoyed Deidara.
What's going on... Don't think he's so great just because he's always by your side. He's, well... he's your business partner now, even though you've never acknowledged that relationship. But he's done so much for you, doesn't that make him a business partner?
Deidara stood up and strode aggressively toward the door, then quietly closed it without making a sound. That way, he shouldn't disturb you. Well, he's only doing this because of you.
When you wake up after a full eight hours of sleep, you feel refreshed and energized, even your morning grumpiness is gone. You stretch and get out of bed. Seeing the chair reminds you of Deidara's sudden visit last night. The sky outside is clearing up, and you think that Deidara might have left with the rain.
The next second, there was a knock on your door. It definitely wasn't Bai knocking, because everyone has different knocking habits.
Okay, so he didn't leave with the rain. You look towards the door and see Deidara holding a tray with your breakfast on it. He says, "You can really sleep. You slept until now."
"What about white?" you asked.
Deidara placed the tray on the table and said, "I'm the one who prepared breakfast for you, and I'm the one you're seeing. Why are you asking about him first?"
"Oh, thank you for making breakfast. Where's Bai?" You thank him perfunctorily, then ask where Bai is.
"I knew you'd still be as infuriating as ever." Deidara muttered to himself, looking down. "That guy was helping others chop wood. He likes to help others, huh, what a waste of his time."
Hearing him say that, you look out the window. The window of the room you booked faces the backyard, and you see Bai chopping wood in the yard.
“Deidara’s words sound like those of a villain from a story.” You sit down at the table, and Deidara, eyes wide, hands on his hips, wearing a red and white checkered apron, says angrily, “Would a truly wicked villain make you breakfast?”
He took it seriously, "That's just how you are...you always make people angry with what you say."
But the next second you wave to him, still as casual as ever, and even so he can't get angry at you, because that's just the kind of person you are. You say, "Want to have breakfast together?"
"I've already eaten."
"Are you angry? I appreciate everything you've done for me. It's such a blessing to have a hot breakfast in the morning." You took a bite of bread. Well, it was barely edible. The main thing was not to waste food, so you patiently ate the not-so-appetizing breakfast.
Deidara, who was almost angry just now, had calmed down. He asked if it was good. You'd say it was so-so, but his eyebrows furrowed, and he said, "Then it's not good. Why are you making it sound so fancy?"
"I think there's still a lot of room for improvement." You don't speak too absolutely; you always leave some room for maneuver.
Deidara's temper flared up and subsided quickly; in no time, he forgot he was still angry. He rested his chin on his hand, gazing at your profile. Your smooth black hair cascaded over your shoulders. You lowered your eyes, focusing intently on your meal. The morning sunlight was hazy and beautiful, which inexplicably stirred a few ripples in his heart that only surfaced during moments of intense emotion.
The happiness and excitement he once thought could only be obtained through pursuing art inexplicably resurfaced at this moment.
My first reaction was that I was scared.
Ha, how could that be... He instinctively wanted to deny it, absolutely impossible. He even pinched his cheek hard, trying to use the pain to bring himself back to his senses.
Wake up! How can someone think that being with a heartless guy like you is a blessing? He must be out of his mind.
He pinched his cheek quite hard, because when you looked up you saw that one of his cheeks was bright red, not like a normal blush, but more like it was from being pinched. You asked curiously, "What happened to your face?"
"It's nothing, it's none of your business," Deidara said dryly.
You didn't meddle, just said "oh" and pretended you didn't see it.
After breakfast, you need to change your clothes. Although pajamas are comfortable, you still need to change before going out. You take out casual clothes from your luggage, and seeing that Deidara doesn't seem to be leaving, you say, "Are you going to stay here and help me change?"
Deidara was startled, as if someone had stepped on his tail, and stammered, "W-what?! I have no obligation to change your clothes! What do you take me for? Someone you can just summon and dismiss at will? Ha, I knew you weren't a good person!"
You only said one sentence, why did he react so strongly? You said, "Then you can leave now."
"He'll leave even if you don't tell him," Deidara said irritably as he walked out of the room, carrying a tray in his hand.
Why do they change your clothes? Is it because Bai, who is always doing that for you, often does it for you, so you feel that he should serve you?
Deidara's mind was swirling with questions. He decided that he would ask you what your relationship with him was now, not just a casual inquiry, but an interrogation. That's right, he had to show his authority.
After you changed your clothes, Deidara came back and, upon seeing you, said, "So what is our relationship now?"
Upon hearing his question, you slowly typed a question mark. Why would he suddenly ask such a question out of the blue?
After chopping wood for the innkeeper, Haku returned to the room and straightened your collar. You slightly raised your head so he could smooth your collar, and then said to Deidara, "Does this matter?"
“Of course it’s important,” Deidara blurted out, but when asked what exactly made him feel it was so important, he couldn’t answer for a moment. He just felt that he needed to get an answer from you so that he could feel at ease.
You said, "Well, our relationship can end after you finish those tasks."
This answer clearly did not satisfy Deidara. He frowned unconsciously and said, "End? You want to end our relationship?"
"What else? We're just creditor and debtor, didn't I make that clear to you from the beginning?" If it weren't for helping him pay off his debts, you probably wouldn't have had any interaction with him at all.
Deidara said, "No, I've never even heard of it."
You widened your eyes slightly. You clearly told him that, so how come he said you never said it?
Even lying through your teeth isn't done like this.
"Fine, you're leaving soon anyway," she said. "If I keep pestering you, it'll only make you look bad."
Deidara's expression changed several times, finally becoming very awkward. He said, "Is this how you treat everyone? You use them and then discard them?"
"No, I mean, it's better to part ways amicably than to stick together."
You walk out of the room carrying your suitcase, and Deidara stands in the doorway, saying, "If that guy can do it, why can't I?"
You stopped, turned around and smiled at him, saying, "Because you're a childish brat."
After meeting you, Deidara was left with nothing but anger. He secretly resolved to take revenge next time, but for now, he had to carry out his mission and wouldn't hold it against you.
Deidara's anger resurfaced when he reunited with his partner on this mission. He launched into a long tirade against Sasori, concluding with, "She's a terrible woman! Yeah!"
Scorpion's reaction was indifferent. He said, "But she's also a beautiful bad woman. If you're really angry, then find a chance to kill her and turn her into a doll next time. I'd really like a beautiful collectible."
"What—but that's not what I meant either." Deidara hurriedly defended you, the same Deidara who was just listing your crimes but is now on your side speaking up for you.
"Oh? Didn't you just say she was a bad woman? Well, I'm doing this to get revenge for you, isn't that good?"
"Well, she's only slightly naughty, not that bad. Your methods have gone a bit too far." Deidara couldn't tell if Sasori was joking or serious.
"Is that so? But she is indeed very beautiful—"
“Even if it’s about revenge, I should be the one to do it. There’s no need to trouble you.” Deidara interrupted Sasori, as if worried that he might suggest some other extreme measures.
Scorpion chuckled, "It sounds like you're the one who feels sorry for her."
What? Who are you feeling sorry for? What nonsense is he spouting? Deidara was still stubbornly insisting, "I didn't."
"Oh," Sasori said casually, but one thing was certain: Deidara's words had indeed piqued his curiosity about you. If he could meet you... he'd probably really make you a collectible.
Later in the journey, Deidara changes his previous negative evaluation of you and starts praising the good things you've done, such as helping to build factories.
Sasori even suspects that his partner has been switched. The only thing that hasn't changed is your fickleness. Deidara says you are heartless and easily fall in love with someone else.
Wait a minute, Scorpion asked, "Are you lovers?"
Deidara immediately replied, "No."
Why is he accusing you like a dumped lover? Scorpion was quite puzzled. He said, "Since you're not my lover, there's nothing to say."
Deidara was one of the younger members of the Akatsuki, and he couldn't keep things to himself. He said, "Then it's possible in the future."
Sasori fell silent, and then ignored Deidara, continuing on his way quietly.
*
On the other side, you are on your way to the Land of Tea. The thought of seeing trains soon is enough to make you feel anything but excited. You excitedly talk to Bai about how convenient it would be to have railways all over the world and a series of transportation networks.
"Of course, if the local area needs to build a railway, they can only use my team, and I have to charge a certain usage fee." You're not so kind as to ask for nothing in return; everything you do is based on making a profit. Although it sounds a bit utilitarian, sometimes profit is the most effective driving force.
No matter what you say, Bai will listen attentively. Before you even arrive in the Land of Tea, the first thing you see is not a train, but Uchiha Obito wearing a mask. Speaking of which, he must have left suddenly last time to carry out a mission, right?
You've gotten used to Obito Uchiha appearing so quietly; you can even greet him warmly and say, "What brings you here today?"
Obito said, "You seem quite relaxed. You're the one who caused such a commotion in the casino, aren't you?"
"No, that's not it." You shrug. Although you have indeed caused quite a bit of trouble, this matter cannot be attributed to you. "You're wronging me."
Obito then asked, "What about the other Uchiha? Did you abandon him?"
He looked at you with a mixture of malice and expectation. You pouted and said, "No, he went to do something for me."
"Hmph, you're quite something, managing to persuade so many people to work for you. I wonder what kind of reward you'll give them?"
That means they don't give you anything. Well, you can't say that. You want to give them money, but they all treat money like dirt. They get angry with you as soon as you give them money. You have no choice but to let them work for you for free. You have your own bitterness but can't express it.
"They didn't ask me for anything."
Obito, walking alongside you, said in a sinister tone, "A bunch of pretentious idiots."
Wait, isn't he insulting himself as well?
As expected of the Uchiha clan, when they get angry they even curse themselves.
You said, "A gentleman judges by actions, not by intentions."
Obito said that you know how to downplay the important points, and that he should read more books, as his academic performance in Konoha is clearly not up to par.
When Konoha is mentioned, Obito falls silent. Perhaps it has long been an unhealable scar in his heart, and he can never go back to the past or return to Konoha.
Silence spread like a virus. You glanced at him; you had just removed his mask, and from your angle, you could only see the side of his face with the scar. You said, "What's wrong? Too sad to speak?"
“No,” he retorted. “You’re overthinking it.”
You pat him on the shoulder and say, "Don't be sad, I'll take you to see something nice."
Obito was skeptical of the good stuff you were talking about. He asked doubtfully, "What is it?"
"I can't tell you now, it's a secret."
You kept him in suspense, which made Obito even more suspicious that the good stuff you mentioned might just be a lie. Despite his suspicions, he still left with you in the end. Yes, he was still as hypocritical as ever.
During the journey, it was inevitable to have to eat and sleep outdoors, but fortunately Bai had prepared a tent. Sleeping in a tent was a completely different experience from sleeping directly in the wild. As the saying goes, it is easy to go from frugality to luxury. Because of Bai's thoughtful care, you have become a bit picky about all aspects of life. Of course, you haven't reached the point of nitpicking.
After nightfall, Bai set up two tents in a flat clearing in the forest. You didn't always need Bai to stay by your side. That night, not long after you turned off the lights, someone stood outside the tent and asked you, "May I come in?"
You said, "Sure, but if you disturb my sleep, you're dead."
Obito pulled back the curtain and stepped into the tent. The scent of his lingering shower gel wafted in with the night breeze.
Okay, at least he knew to take care of himself before climbing over, which is why you reluctantly didn't kick him out.
There was a rustling sound, the subtle rustling of clothes, the sound reaching your ears. He leaned closer, his hand resting beside your head. You didn't open your eyes, but you could tell what was going on, so you said, "Is there anything you want to say to me?"
"You won't even look at me?" he said resentfully. "Are you like this with other men too? Ha... especially with that young Uchiha."
Wait a minute, you've never used words like "young Uchiha" in front of him. I don't know what triggered him to fall into this age discrimination trap. You said, "First of all, I was already going to sleep before you came, and you have to close your eyes to sleep. Secondly, where does your sense of age crisis come from?"
The calmer you are, the more Obito seems to be making a fuss, even though it is true. However, he doesn't admit it, saying, "But you are indeed very prone to falling in love with others."
"I call this universal love."
"You're using a fallacy to mislead us."
What a hassle. You open your eyes, grab his collar and pull him down a bit, then give him a perfunctory kiss. He can feel it. The kiss is very perfunctory, even a bit impatient, as if silently asking: Have you had enough?
How can you be so dismissive?
Obito said, "I knew you were fickle."
You sighed, pinched his cheek, and said, "I like considerate and sensible people. Do you think your current behavior is related to those two words?"
Enraged, he wants to get revenge on you, but the only revenge he can think of is burying his head in the crook of your neck, then kissing you instead of biting you, and finally pulling you into his arms. You're already a little sleepy, and you don't care whether his emotions have returned to normal; your sleep is the most important thing.
You woke up in Obito's arms the next day. When you opened your eyes, you found that he was still pretending to be asleep.
What are you pretending for?
You chuckled and leaned closer to examine his eyelashes. After being stared at like that for a while, Obito finally broke down and said, "You were talking in your sleep yesterday."
"Is that so?" You sit up, and Obito says, "Yes, you're still calling someone else's name, Sasuke. You're calling that name. Didn't you already toy with his brother before? Ah... it seems you're not planning to let those two brothers off the hook?"
"Don't be too controlling of other people's dreams," you said. Besides, you just met Sasuke recently, so it's normal for him to appear in your dream. Obito acted like he caught you having an affair. But even if you did find someone else, it wouldn't be a problem.
Obito said, "What's so good about those brats? They're incredibly childish."
You stand up and leave the tent. Before you leave, you say to him, "Maybe it's because he's young and beautiful. Youth is an asset in any industry."
These words infuriated him. Even after arriving in the Land of Tea, he was still giving you the cold shoulder. However, his cold shoulder had zero impact on you. You could still discuss the arrangements for inspecting the train in the Land of Tea with Haku. You asked Haku to go and hand over the work to the local person in charge first. After Haku left, only you and Obito were left. He said, "Why did you send him away?"
“I need to trouble him with something. Even though he’s gone, I know that if anything dangerous happens, Obito, you’ll definitely protect me, right?” you said, half-jokingly.
Obito didn't say anything, but you were certain he wouldn't hurt you. He said, "Since you already know the answer, why ask?"
As you spoke, you led him to the railway. In the distance, a train slowly made its way through the forest. This was the initial version of the train, and you didn't expect it to be fast; as long as it could move, that was enough.
Obito's attention was drawn to the approaching train, which eventually stopped in front of you. A plume of smoke rose from the coal-fired locomotive, creating a retro scene. You walked onto the carriage, turned around, bent down, and extended your hand to Obito, saying, "Come on, Obito, let's embark on a journey together."
Obito paused, his gaze lingering on your palm before slowly moving upwards until it met your eyes. He said, "Is this the good stuff you were talking about?"
"Yes, are you coming with me or not?" This train can't stay here forever; it'll be leaving soon.
Obito placed his hand in yours, you grasped his palm, exerted a little force, and then pulled him into the carriage, just as the train began to move slowly.
Standing on the moving train, Obito was still a little uncomfortable. He looked around like a feline encountering human transportation for the first time, looking left and right. You didn't let go of his hand and pulled him forward. Although this was still a test train, the carriages near the front were obviously much more luxurious than the ones behind.
That's right, this will be the first class cabin in the future. Once the train has run enough times, you will promote this mode of transportation to countries all over the world. At that time, the ticket handling fees alone will be enough to double your existing assets. That's the charm of a monopoly.
Obito went from being somewhat uncomfortable at first to silently following you forward in just half a minute, which shows that he has a strong ability to adapt. Without turning your head, you said to him, "This is the train. It is very suitable for transporting goods. When the technology is more advanced in the future, it can also carry people, which will make it much more convenient for people to travel together."
As you speak, you open the sliding door to the first-class cabin. The interior of this carriage is decorated in a simple yet luxurious style, without being overwhelming at first glance. The main colors in the carriage are beige, white, and light brown. The crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling is small and exquisite. After all, although it is first class, it is still just a basic carriage.
Therefore, installing overly extravagant crystal chandeliers would actually look out of place. You specifically mentioned this point in their submitted carriage modification proposal, so it seems they have carefully read your suggestions.
The interior walls of the carriage are covered with beige wallpaper, but if you look closely, you will find that there are raised patterns on it. Under the light, the light and shadow of the dark patterns are like plants that have come to life and are growing and spreading on the interior walls.
Sitting on the soft leather sofa, you can see that this carriage is not directly connected to the locomotive, as there is a separate dining room in the middle. Drinks and food are available, but since this train is still in the trial operation phase, there are no dedicated attendants in the dining room.
You sit on the sofa, look at Obito across from you, and say, "How is it? Pretty good, right?"
Obito said, "Do you plan to control other countries through a vast railway network?"
What's with all this talk about control? These ninjas are always trying to find something valuable in people; you're sick of hearing it. You say, "I don't have any such thoughts, and railways connecting to other countries can boost local economies. Can't you just think of it in a positive direction?"
"A good direction..."
It wasn't that Obito thought too badly; it was just that he understood human nature too well. He knew how hopeless this world was, so how good could it possibly be?
"I really can't imagine it." Obito looked out the window, a rare look of bewilderment in his eyes. He had clearly made up his mind to follow that path, so why was he still wavering? Why did he hesitate when he looked directly into your eyes?
"Then don't think about it anymore. You'll see it eventually anyway." You rested your chin on your hand.
Saying such things is somewhat arrogant, but Obito doesn't think you're daydreaming. You've already proven through many actions that you do have the ability to change the world, but you don't want to, and are unwilling to, become a savior.
"You keep talking about becoming the savior, but you haven't even asked what others think. You Uchiha are really arrogant as a family. In the end, isn't it just about putting your own ideas above others?" You pointed out the flaws in Obito's thinking.
Since then, Obito has rarely said anything like that in front of you, because every time he did, you would refute him and leave him speechless. After being refuted by you so many times, he couldn't help but start to waver. No, this absolutely cannot continue.
Obito then asked, "Where is this train going?"
"Go to a nice place."
“Your answer is like no answer at all.” Obito pursed his lips, his gaze shifting from the fleeting scenery outside the window to your face. You were wearing a light-colored cardigan, your long, black hair cascading over your shoulders. A gentle breeze ruffled the stray hairs on either side of your cheeks. Sometimes Obito would think that you might be an Uchiha, but you didn’t have the typical Uchiha traits of being sentimental.
He handles everything with ease, seemingly indifferent to everything. His nonchalant attitude is truly unpleasant. Only when he serves you will you see a beautiful and moving expression on your usually calm face. And even then, he has to serve you well, otherwise you'll pinch your cheeks and angrily question why you haven't made any progress.
It's so annoying. He hates being manipulated by you, but he seems unable to live without you. If he leaves you, who can he confide in about his troubles? Even though your responses to him are perfunctory, he can still sense that you understand him and see through his inner dilemma.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them confidants, which is why he endured it all the time.
The train passed through lush mountains, and ahead lay a tunnel. The moment you entered the tunnel, everything went dark, and the light dimmed instantly. You suddenly stood up, stepped over the table between you and him, grabbed his collar with your fingers, pulled him towards you, and then kissed his lips.
It was a kiss that happened on a whim. If you were to ask what its meaning was, the answer would probably be something like, "Ah... I just did it because I wanted to." It's a somewhat perfunctory answer, but it's full of your personal style.
The train tunnel is not completely dark; in fact, small lights are installed on both sides of the tunnel, flashing like the lighthouse glimpsed by sailors navigating a dark sea.
He passively accepted the kiss, perhaps feeling too cowardly, and resolved to regain the initiative. He kissed you back, but this action didn't bring him back the initiative; it only earned him your soft laughter.
boom--
As the train emerged from the tunnel, everything around him returned to light. The first light he saw was not the sunlight outside the window, but your bright and sparkling eyes.
He said, "Are you satisfied now?"
"Aren't you quite happy too?" you said.
Obito instinctively wanted to deny it; he shouldn't have happiness. He tried his best to detach this emotion from himself, even if it would leave him bloodied and mangled. But it was better than being deceived by the illusion before him. He said, "I hate you."
"I thought you'd save those words for the evening."
Obito was genuinely angry, but ignoring his annoyance was like ignoring a small advertisement plastered on a corner of a wall.
Not only did they ignore him, but they also casually asked him if he wanted to drink, which made him so angry that he said, "I don't drink."
"Oh." After a while, you asked again, "What about the juice?"
Is this the crux of the problem? Obito laughed angrily, "Why are you avoiding the main point again?"
Finally, you serve him a cup of cocoa with a few fluffy white marshmallows floating on top, saying as you hand it to him, "Here—it suits your taste perfectly, doesn't it?"
Don't act like you know him so well. Obito gave you a disgruntled look, then quietly drank his hot cocoa. But the fact that he drank the hot cocoa didn't mean he was over it. A cold war between you two was inevitable.
The Cold War affected you differently. You remained calm, while Obito, who initiated the Cold War, would steal glances at you from time to time, his fingers lightly tapping the outside of his cup. It wasn't hard to see his inner anxiety from those subtle movements.
He passed through two more tunnels, but he didn't receive your kiss in the next two.
That proves that the previous kiss was just a casual gesture on your part.
He took a bite of the half-melted marshmallow, and the sweet taste filled his mouth. He pursed his lips, and some marshmallow got on them too.
After eating the last marshmallow, the train gradually slowed down. You stood up, took out a handkerchief to wipe his lips, and then held his wrist.
What are you doing now? Wasn't his silence just now enough to show his attitude and determination to give you the cold shoulder?
He said, "What are you doing?"
"We're getting off now. You probably don't want to miss your stop, right?"
Oh, it seems he was just being presumptuous. You were only concerned about whether he would miss his stop. He gave a dry reply and got off the train. Obito and you stood on the platform. He saw the crowd surrounding the platform, everyone with a smile on their face, saying "Welcome!"
Obito glanced at the red banner with white lettering again.
—A warm welcome to Ms. Mingxi for visiting the railway construction achievements in Chiyuan Town.
“They’re welcoming you,” Obito said. You gently shook his hand and said, “They’re welcoming you too.”
"But my name isn't on any of them."
You nodded. "Then you can be the man behind me." You couldn't help but laugh after saying that. "Hahaha—if you'd like."
Obito turned his head to the other side and said sullenly, "You have plenty of men behind you, how could I possibly be considered one of them?"
He's quite self-aware, so stop joking with him. Instead, say, "Do you remember that batch of medicine and vaccines I asked you to deliver before?"
"I don't remember," Obito said stubbornly, but in reality he remembered everything perfectly, not only the goods, but also what you said when you asked him to transport them.
“Alright, those people survived because of the medicine and vaccines you transferred, Obito. They were given a new lease on life because of you.” Your voice faded into the air, and Obito slowly turned his head, the movement as slow as a slow-motion scene in a movie. He looked at you, then glanced at the villagers without changing his expression, his eyelashes trembling slightly. “Even if you say that…”
What you said means nothing to him; he won't change his decision for anyone.
Before Obito could finish speaking, a village representative came over to present flowers. At your prompting, the little boy carrying the flowers handed the bouquet to Obito and smiled at him. He was probably still losing his baby teeth, as his smile revealed a missing front tooth, but he still looked adorable.
Obito held the flowers stiffly. What should he say at this moment? Fortunately, he had put on a mask before getting out of the car, so others could not clearly see his expression changes, let alone know how helpless he was. He instinctively looked at you because you were always at ease, even in this situation.
As if sensing his unease, you lowered your voice and said, "It's enough to express your gratitude now. Saying thank you shouldn't be that hard, right?"
"Thank you," he said somewhat awkwardly.
The child delivering the flowers smiled broadly, though he spoke with a lisp, "You're welcome!"
Did Obito smile? You glanced at his profile; he probably did. You patted his stiff arm and said, "You can relax a little here; no one's watching you anyway."
Obito remained noncommittal about this. He still couldn't relax, especially when surrounded by so many people. His movements and expressions were not very natural. "You came to the village surrounded by villagers. It can't be considered a small village. Since a train station has been built here, it means that the economy here will soon develop. It will gradually transform from a village into a town, and then into a city. This is the evolution of a region."
During this event, a local representative led you on a tour of the train station's facilities. You also met Bai inside the station, and he asked, "Mingxi, I hope nothing happened to you on your way here?"
As he spoke, he cast a suspicious glance at Obito without any attempt to hide it. Yes, he had a legitimate reason to suspect that Obito would make things difficult for you along the way. In his opinion, this Uchiha was not considerate or sensible at all, and was always making trouble for you unreasonably. Didn't he know that your time and energy were very precious? How dare he waste your time like this?
Obito looked back defiantly and said, "It's nothing, she just kissed me."
Bai thought to herself, not knowing what he was showing off. If they really wanted to compare, he had been kissed by her many times, but what was the point of such a comparison? It would only make the person who said it seem childish.
Bai didn't elaborate on the topic. He responded casually, "Really? Well, should I congratulate you then?"
It felt like punching cotton; a sense of powerlessness washed over me. I guess it's because I've spent so much time with you that my way of speaking is so similar to yours, including the same methods of making people angry.
You stand to the side listening to the person in charge's explanation, while the others follow you and gradually leave, leaving only Haku and Obito behind. Haku says, "The occasion just now was not suitable for saying these things; obviously, you didn't consider that."
No wonder you told him that the Uchiha clan has a low level of socialization; isn't this a prime example?
Obito said, "You're only saying that out of resentment."
"What's going on in this guy's head?" Bai resisted the urge to roll his eyes at him and tried his best to maintain a polite attitude. He said, "Maybe, but you do tend to cause trouble for Mingxi."
After you've finished your tour, you find Haku and Obito together. It's quite unusual; do they have so much to talk about? You wave to the person in charge, signaling them to go down first. You walk over to them and say, "You two seem to get along very well."
"Yes." "How did you come to that conclusion?" Haku and Obito's voices overlapped, and you heard Haku's voice first.
You say to Bai, "By the way, the local official said he'd give me the documents later. You can take a look at them for me first, and if there are any formatting issues, please help me fix them. I'll look at them again tonight." Now, you plan to take a stroll around this small village. You ask Obito if he wants to come along. He says sarcastically in front of Bai, "Aren't you afraid I'll cause you trouble?"
Bai twitched the corner of his mouth, and you immediately understood, saying, "Then don't follow us."
After walking a short distance, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Hadn't he followed him after all?
"Can't you show me even a little bit of favoritism?" he asked. "You just enjoy watching other people's embarrassing moments, don't you?"
You walk to the back exit of the train station, which connects to a large rice paddy. When the wind blows, the lush green rice sways. You squint your eyes slightly, enjoying the feeling of the breeze on your cheek. After he finishes his rambling, you ask, "Are you feeling calmer now?"
No, he was still angry. He said, "No."
You take his hand and walk towards the rice paddy. Stepping on the ridges, your pace quickens until you're almost running, startling a few butterflies and causing frogs to hop past your feet, croaking.
After running from one end of the field to the other, you finally stopped, turned around, and took off his mask. "I think I've given you enough favoritism, Obito. You can't be too greedy."
What's wrong with greed? He thought that if greed could get him what he wanted, then greed could be glorified as a tool.
"Have you forgotten? Our relationship isn't that of lovers, at most it's that of mistresses, so you'd better not cross the line." Amidst such beautiful and leisurely scenery, your words were sharp and blunt.
What exactly constitutes your lover? How can you achieve happiness? He asked, "So you think I'm no longer of any use to you?"
No, not at all. At most, it's just that the Uchiha's affection feels a bit sticky, like a piece of chewing gum that you can't shake off once it's on your hand...
"Isn't being lovers good? It's free for both of you." You think there's nothing wrong with it, but all of them, the Uchiha, want to be your soulmate. Are they all high-needs people?
Or is it because ninjas are taught from a young age to suppress their emotions that their emotional needs become so intense?
Yes, this issue could warrant its own dedicated research group.
"That only applies to you," Obito said irritably. "You definitely have another man."
What's with that resentful tone?
He stared at you with a scrutinizing gaze for a long time, then sighed. "Fine," he said, "it's better to deal with all those women who are trying to get close to you behind your back than to argue with you. That's the simplest and most direct way. But it's not your fault."
It's all the other men's fault, especially the Uchiha. He knows very well how good those guys are at pleasing you. It's true that you have a playful personality, but he won't blame you for that.
What if—and he meant what if—you get tired of him because of this, wouldn't that just be playing into the hands of other men?
No, this absolutely cannot happen.
Therefore, after pondering for a moment, he was not so angry anymore.
That's amazing, he actually calmed down. You asked, "How did you calm down?"
Obito said, "I won't give other men a chance to take advantage of me." He's thought quite a lot, he's even considered this aspect. You said, "Hmm, you're certainly thoughtful."
He can't tell if you're being sarcastic or genuinely praising him, so just take it as a compliment.
*
As evening fell, the local villagers held a bonfire party. You drank two cups of homemade rice wine, which tasted sweet but had a high alcohol content. After two cups, your cheeks turned bright red. You didn't dance but stood aside watching the villagers sing and dance. Obito seemed to see a trace of loneliness in your profile.
Do you ever feel lonely? What makes you feel lost?
He asked, "What are you sad about?"
"People often feel inexplicably lonely in very lively settings. Don't you ever feel that way?"
No, even before the accident, Obito loved these lively scenes. Even after everything he had been through, when he looked at this scene, all he thought about was the future of the world.
"Maybe a little." He seemed to understand you.
Without his usual swagger, he seemed to have vaguely touched the real you. But could he see your true heart? He observed you closely as you held your wine glass and said, "There was once an infectious disease here. The authorities thought everyone here was beyond saving and wanted to burn all the villagers to prevent the disease from spreading to other places. It was you who transported the medicine here, on this very train—"
You pointed to the train parked in the station, its dark carriages bringing hope.
"So, Obito, you've saved a lot of people too."
"But I won't turn back, I'm already...unable to turn back."
"You didn't go to the underworld, so why can't you turn back?"
"I……"
You were initially too lazy to get involved in his so-called Eye of the Moon project, thinking it was ridiculous—like a Matrix plot in the ninja world. But Obito was so serious and earnest, you had a feeling the plan would fail, just like the financial products you dealt with in your past life that went bust. The faster the initial growth, the more desirable it is, the more likely it is to fail later.
He might collapse because of the sunk costs, so you, as someone with experience, tell him: "There are no such things as easy money; be careful with your investments."
Obito's expression remained one of deep sorrow and resentment. "But who can stop all of this? You?"
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