Chapter 63 [Extra] Lantern Festival 4
In the sea of consciousness of Reina Asai Zoe.
It was a vast, dark, deep swamp, with countless narrow paths crisscrossing it. It was impossible to tell the direction, and there was no exit or end.
Su Xi opened his eyes. This was the place where all the top spiritual counselors sent by the empire had failed.
A maze deliberately created by other people's consciousness, a malicious entrance to the spiritual world.
"Leila Asay——"
Facing this endless malice, she called out loudly, and over and over again, the name of the master of this spiritual world echoed in the sky above this evil swamp.
'Who?' The noisy whispers echoed from deep in the earth, with a sleepy feeling that seemed to be about to fall into eternal sleep, 'Who is calling my past name.'
Su Xi felt troubled and did not respond to the consciousness's question immediately. She was thinking about why the ignorant but innocent boy had become like this.
"It's me." She responded hesitantly, and as if recognizing her, the gloomy sky suddenly cracked open, leaking a few rays of orange light.
'Tell me your name!' the voice said anxiously, 'if it is right, I will open the door for you. Otherwise, you will die here!'
Su Xi sighed softly. This was truly his style.
'Su Xi.' With just two simple words, the mysterious door of personal consciousness suddenly descended from the sky and opened completely before her without any warning.
Su Xi once again entered Reina Assayi's spiritual world.
*
In the long descending passage.
She endured the most violent storms on the 'surface consciousness sea' and experienced the extreme coldness of the 'peak of the manifest consciousness',
Until she followed the undercurrent and came to the deepest part of the darkest swamp of human nature.
Originally, this place should have been filled with evil intentions, but unexpectedly, because of her arrival, the dangerous swamp was paved with fragrant and fluttering white flowers, and she had to walk through it barefoot.
Finally, Su Xi came to the 'real' vision that represents psychological reflection, the mirror lake that reflects everything.
She looked down, and Cheng Liang's liquid mirror reflected her in his mind...
In the vast and boundless "psychological mirror lake" in Leila Assay's heart, she returned to the time when she first landed in this interstellar era, the first time the two met, and the ferocious look of their first confrontation.
She was wearing a simple white dress and her honey brown curly hair just reached her shoulders.
The only difference was that there was no blood or stains on her body from the confrontation; everything was as new as before.
"You're finally here." When she was unaware, a pair of strong arms appeared behind her and held her waist tightly. The hot temperature passed through the thin clothes, and it felt like the real thing.
The tall blond alpha hugged her from behind.
He sighed in her ear.
The voice was somewhere between that of a teenager and an adult, and he murmured with a hint of grievance, "Why didn't you come to see me for so long?"
Su Xi couldn't turn around or move. In the other person's sea of consciousness, the other person was the supreme ruler. Other invaders, if they didn't fight, could only be puppets to be manipulated.
But she was stronger than him, even much stronger.
Strong enough to ignore the rules.
Su Xi moved, but she just gently patted the hands around her waist and said, "Let me go, Asay, let me see what happened to you."
The iron arms loosened, but did not let go. The big leopard behind her threw his messy golden hair on her shoulders like a scoundrel.
"No!" came the muffled but clear voice of a very aggrieved young man.
Su Xi lowered her head, and the pair of adult male arms gradually turned into a pair of young beastman arms as the other party acted coquettishly, with leopard fur faintly extending at the wrists...
She sighed and continued to nag like an old mother: "You! Leveling up is a good thing, but you can't rush it, it will be unstable. Besides, you have S-level orc genes, and your mental development is not stable..."
"Stop! You nagging Su Xi!" The arm let go of her, and her messy blond hair brushed against her cheek. A loud and dissatisfied complaint came from behind: "Here you go again!"
She was about to turn around and look back.
However, in just a blink of an eye, she was standing on the playground of a middle school.
"Hey!" The leopard-eared boy in junior high school uniform turned his back to him and threw two schoolbags on his back. "What are you still dawdling about? Hurry up and follow me!"
Su Xi was stunned for a moment, recalling the illusory past that happened before this scene. She could only helplessly follow the young man's back, who was as thin as a bamboo pole, and walk slowly.
Classrooms, students playing, sports games going on in the playground...
On the boundless "psychological mirror lake", they pass through paper-like fragments of memory one by one.
Then more memories passed by, scattered across the sky like a paper shredder, and these fragments floated past one by one without wind.
Some of the pictures include her, and some do not.
Finally.
Many years later, Su Xi stood on the charred land again.
Hunger. Poverty. The scramble for scarce resources.
Although this was just a memory that Asai had long forgotten, for some unknown reason, the fragments of his childhood suffering were resurrected one by one.
Then they stopped in front of the most damaged fragment, and the leopard-eared boy walked straight in without looking back.
Alas! Asay!
Su Xi quickly followed him. Of course she knew! The memory fragment was——
*
After a slight dizziness from the scene change.
Su Xi caught up with the young boy's frail back and stood side by side with him in silence.
Accompany him to review those unbearable past.
In the simple kennel, a five or six-year-old dirty cat-eared long-tailed loli with a broken tail was hugging a boy with a high fever and crying loudly!
"Asay, don't leave me! Leila is scared!"
"Don't leave me! Leila promises to be good! I don't want anything else!"
Little Loli choked with sobs. With her trembling skinny little hands, she struggled to take out a wrinkled candy wrapper from her pocket, opened it, and passed it to the unconscious boy, crying softly, "Asay, the candy beans are gone, but I secretly picked up the candy wrapper. Lick it, it's very sweet!"
"I promise I won't cheat! Please wake up! Leila is so scared!"
The young orc Loli was weak and malnourished. She cried so much that she fell asleep while holding the unconscious boy in her arms.
Next to the two of them, there was a shadow standing in a torn white dress. It was Su Xi at that time.
The ferocious brown-haired girl, half covered in blood, was entering another person's spiritual world for the first time, and it was by accident.
However, seeing this unexpected scene, she was obviously at a loss. She had never thought that she, who had been wandering in this spiritual world for so long, would see such a situation.
The brown-haired girl's empathy allowed her to resonate emotionally with the crying little cat-eared girl, but as an alien invader, she could only watch as a phantom eye, and more cruel things happened one after another.
The leopard-eared boy, whose body was almost like a tattered rag doll, opened his eyes slightly, and obviously noticed the shadow of the outsider. The brown-haired girl knew that the little girl Leila could not hear words or see people, but she was still busy in vain.
"How stupid." He closed his eyes tiredly and lifeless.
Give up hope and wait for death quietly.
The boy and girl continued to be bullied on the straw mat in the shed. Finally, one day, they could no longer keep their shed and were driven out. They could only find a dry stone under the dark and damp bridge tunnel and rest temporarily.
But what's the point of settling down here? Just waiting to die.
However, the orc's genes caused the dying boy to regretfully miss the sweet eternal sleep at the 'critical point of death' time and time again.
Reina Asai, who stood side by side with Su Xi, recalled what he felt at that time. There was nothing to regret about dying, but there was nothing to be happy about living.
At that time, he was filled with only violence and world-weariness, like a rotten swamp that filled him completely.
"Look," Reina Asai, who was standing next to Su Xi, suddenly said, "He wouldn't have died without you."
"And what you did is really annoying!" The boy's clear voice gradually turned into the deep voice of an adult alpha. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Isn't it? It's hypocritical and unnecessary..."
As he was speaking, the rainy and humid scene in the memory fragments changed. The originally gloomy sky was still gloomy, but in this dim dusk, lights were lit up.
At the end of the light, the original virtual shadow gradually solidified. The former Su Xi was holding a simple rabbit lantern and standing at the end of the light.
She said, "Leila, bring Asay here."
The brown-haired girl leaned slightly to the side, revealing a verdant path where the hem of her white skirt lifted. The winding path was dotted with tiny white and fragrant flowers, swaying softly in the wind.
For Su Xi, the girl who had just traveled to this era, she could not get close to them in her memory, nor could she change the collapsed past. But in this chaotic and empty space, she could rebuild her ideal country.
However, this ideal country is to serve others.
Although, she was ignorant at that time and did not know how dangerous her decision was.
在主人的回憶之中建立幻象之國，曾經有過例子。要麽是被困在他人的腦域中，直到入侵的精神力能量消耗殆盡，而導致本體的腦死亡。要麽就是徹底迷失在對方的記憶迷宮之中，僥幸活下來也會失去自己的獨立的意志。
但懵懂莽撞的少女，恰好碰見的是另一個懵懂無知的少年。
“我給你們搭了一個家。”
蜜棕色的長發少女，站在通道的盡頭，對着他們笑眯了眼。
“來吧，我是蘇熙，”她伸出表示邀請的一只手，“讓我照顧你們直到成年，好嗎？”
*
站在畫面邊緣的兩人，漸漸的看着三人的背影消失。這個畫面便如烈日下的融雪一般消弭無痕跡了。
“你這個騙子。”雷納阿薩伊轉頭看向蘇熙。比她高大半個頭的他金眸低垂，語氣中帶着點恨意。
蘇熙無奈，任他掐着脖子，被動的承受着對方逼迫而近的壓力。
所幸作為比他強大太多的精神體，她并不會真實的受傷，她只是顧忌着阿薩伊這種不穩定的狀态，她不敢用力掙脫。
“你替我制造了從未發生過的幻象……”
“你知道，當我突破4S時，終于可以掌握自己的精神世界時，卻發現，”他突然冷笑了一下，“死亡的是真實的死亡，破碎的卻從來不曾完整……”
“這個世界還是那麽的讓人憎惡得想毀滅……”
他逼近了她，額頭相抵，嘴裏說着憎惡的話，金眸裏卻閃動着另外一種情感。
“你卻……”
他壓抑着自己，重重的喘着氣，周圍的世界因為主人情緒的翻騰起來，一派飛沙暴走，黑雲壓頂的暴戾景象。
“阿薩伊！”蘇熙嘆息，精細的控制着力道，溫和而堅定的推開了他：“這是你的‘絕對領域’，我不會在這裏動手，有什麽事情出去了再說，好嗎？”
這樣的舉動太暧昧了，這已經不是當年那個懵懂的豹耳少年。
或許這次事件解決之後，她應該離得更遠一點。也省得家裏那個總因為這個緣故鬧她脾氣。
想着一會兒還要想辦法徹底安撫那個看起來理智冷靜，既講道理又好說話，卻是最難搞定的那種類型的戀人，蘇熙就頭疼了起來。
*
而對雷納阿薩伊來說，是的！這裏是他的絕對主宰的個人精神領域。
所以他清晰的感受到了蘇熙的情緒和表達出的意圖。已經成年的雷納阿薩伊暗淡了眼眸，慢慢松開了手，站得離她遠了一些。
他并不是想真正傷害她。
他只是慣性的采用了以往的相處模式，盡管，那樣的相處，只是幻象之國裏子虛烏有的互動。
那樣毫無緣由的寵溺，全心全意的關切。
都不曾存在，襯得他在現實中對她的情感，一下子毫無意義起來。
平靜無波的鏡湖在他們腳下，漸漸泛起陰郁的煙塵。
她沒有說話，望着他。
作為客人，她的出現就很明确的表達了意圖。而什麽時候出去，怎麽出去，當然一切要看主人的意思。
“來吧，”雷納阿薩伊很快調試好了心情，他對她伸出手，說：“去把上次沒有做完的事情做完，我們就出去。”
嗯？
蘇熙楞了一下，然後極快的反應過來，是上次他在3S晉級時也獲得了她的幫助，只不過3S級別強獸人的晉升，并沒有解開他精神領域裏，她留下的那把虛拟的記憶之鎖。
而他現在沖擊到4S，作為自己精神領域的主宰，只是在自己的家裏，找到別人藏起來的鑰匙而已。
但是，當時她做了什麽呢？
仿佛就是一步一跨的事情，他們來到山腰間的那個溫馨的三層小木屋。
蘇熙微一晃神，就進了屋內大概廚房的位置。
“快點去煮元宵！”
那個樣貌清麗的豹耳少年，大刺刺的坐在沙發上，很不耐煩的催促她。
“我餓了！”
蘇熙低頭，看到自己一身圍裙的打扮，手上還沾着湯圓粉，而一旁料理臺上的圓碗裏是剛剛調好的湯圓餡兒。
而沙發上看電視的貓耳少女轉過頭來，高興的驚呼：“蕾拉也餓了！蘇熙阿姨快煮甜甜的元宵。蕾拉都等了好久啦！”
“叫姐姐！”蘇熙笑了一下，突然懷念起這裏似真似假的那些經歷。
她很快進入曾經給自己設立的了角色，笑罵道：“不行！蕾拉，你要快點吃到嘴，得讓阿薩伊先動起來，你倆的家務都還沒做！”
然後粘人的蘿莉開始去纏那個一身殺馬特裝扮的豹耳少年。
回到蕾拉阿薩伊角色的少年，高興的一把抱起小蘿莉，逗弄般的抛了一下，“肥貓！再吃長大就沒人要！”
蘇熙認命的一邊加着清水看着他們打鬧，一邊包着元宵。
半舊溫馨的小木屋裏一派其樂融融的氣氛。
*
前哨空間站。三層管理區。醫療室。
菲茨傑拉德面無表情的坐在離精神接駁艙不遠不近的地方，看着自己的omega那只素白的手，挽着熒藍色的U質鏈接，通過結霜的精神接駁器與另一個alpha做着意識最深處的神經接駁。
在蘇熙進入U質對接後，也不過過去了十分鐘的時間，但對他而言——
太過于漫長了。
他一語不發，精神力和信息素都完美收斂着，可就算這樣，整個醫療室的氣氛都已經冰冷沉凝得如同極北之巅。醫療室的工作人員早就退出去了，狐尾佐佐木作為負責人不能擅離職守，只能咬牙尴挺着。
這時，閉眼陷入精神鏈接中的蘇熙，微皺的眉頭突然放松，少女如昔的臉龐卻突然慢慢的，展開了一個愉悅的微笑。
一旁靜靜守候着的紅發alpha，卻臉色肉眼可見的陰沉了下來。原本就冰冷強大的氣勢，這下更加如北極的冰蓋，寒冷的刺入骨髓。
作為體感靈敏的那一類alpha強者，菲茨傑拉德當然沒有錯過，自己omega的信息素中那點愉悅的情緒正在一點一點的散發。
她遇見高興的事情了，在他無法觸及的地方。
心裏的暗流開始暴戾的翻騰。
*
狐尾佐佐木在第一時間就承受不了菲茨傑拉德突然爆發的信息素壓力，就算只是無意洩露出來的那麽一絲絲波動，對他而言也絕對算得上是一種碾壓式的絕對壓制。
他汗如漿出，趕緊的退出了醫療室，站在監視屏幕前觀察着動靜。
蘇熙來了他就不擔心阿薩伊的狀态不穩定了，但是他擔心他恢複醒來後，唉！想想呆會兒會出現的洶湧場面，狐尾就開始偏頭疼。
而作為4S級別的alpha精英，護衛長加裏，內心也是一陣叫苦不疊。他艱難承受着龐大的信息素等級壓力。冷汗一滴一滴的順着額頭滴下。
因為其職責所在，他不能像狐尾那樣狡猾的第一時間就溜了出去。
加裏心裏忍不住碎碎念來轉移自己的注意力，以求能抗得久一點。
當年還以為克裏斯給他調了一個養老的好差事，現在看來，這恐怕是克裏斯不得以而為之的調動。加裏內心默默流淚。
幸而，這樣的情況并沒有太久，蘇熙睜開眼，手裏放開了熒藍色的U質鏈接接口。
她起身站到一邊，等待醫療艙的打開。
菲茨傑拉德在她睜眼的第一時間，克制的收拾好之前的情緒波動，幾息之間，已經恢複到那個表情冷淡，禮儀完美的現任帝國掌權者了。
他走過去，站在她身邊，先是垂目梭巡着她的神情變化，關切的詢問：“還好嗎？”
蘇熙顯然還延續着一種愉悅的情緒，她笑着搖頭，“我沒怎麽費事，一切都很順利。”
菲茨捧着她的臉，用拇指蹭了蹭她笑出來的梨渦，如此毫無顧忌的親昵，根本毫不在意加裏就在一旁，以及狐尾佐佐木等在監測器後的工作人員。
這樣的舉動對于貴族階層的公衆人物來說，卻是極為些失儀了，但他卻毫不在意。
蘇熙了然的回應，她微微一笑，順着他的力道，讓細嫩的臉蛋在粗糙的大掌裏蹭了一蹭。
在她專注微笑的眼眸裏，菲茨傑拉德心底翻湧的暗流，就這樣慢慢的馴服平息下來。
“要我陪你這裏等嗎？”
他非常體貼、非常民主的詢問她的意見。
“不用，”蘇熙搖搖頭，她感受到了他失态的信息素波動，才匆忙退出了與雷納阿薩伊的精神溝通。
相戀多年的她，當然懂他的心思，于是蘇熙抓着他的手，在他人看不見的地方輕輕掐了一下他的掌心，然後笑眯眯的望着這個臉色毫無波動的男人，一本正經的假裝高冷。
她說：“我們出去等吧，等阿薩伊醒來，打聲招呼我們就走。”
菲茨傑拉德從善如流的答應了，不複來之前慢悠悠、不緊不慢的态度。
返回吞日號的路上，他與她十指緊扣，步伐雖然說不上急匆匆的，卻比來的時候花費了更短的時間。
Yet, when the two were alone again, Fitzgerald did not dwell on the specific details of what had happened during the counseling session.
He trusted her, but was too proud to ask for details; that was not his style.
He held her in his arms, resting his chin on her hair and rubbing it gently, without saying a word. Su Xi was tickled and laughed out loud, then patted his firm chest and asked him to be honest with her, "Just ask! I know you must have something to ask! Hurry, don't waste time."
The man, who always had a cold and hard face, was silent for a while, and asked: "May I know what 'Lantern Festival' is?"
Huh?!
Su Xi's eyes widened. How did he know?