"Crunch, crunch!"
"Tinkling, tinkling!"
"Mmm! Delicious! So good! This is tasty too! Uh... Old Gu... ahem! I mean, my other self, you always know what I need! Being stuck here all alone with nothing else!"
Senti Phoenix, while voraciously devouring the food Fu Hua manifested, mumbled through mouthfuls, her voice tinged with grievance.
"Although repairing your consciousness is important, it's just so boring!" Senti added tearfully.
The child-like display of distress, devoid of any pretense, softened Fu Hua's heart completely.
"It's okay now, don't worry, I'm here. Take your time eating; I'll make as much as you want. No tears, no tears now!"
Fu Hua could no longer concern herself with earlier reservations. Seeing Senti teary-eyed, her heart felt a mix of sadness and tenderness. She gently stroked Senti's head and wiped away the soup dribbling from the corner of her mouth.
"Sni... snif!"
Senti sniffled, her nose red, cheeks stuffed with food, and nodded obediently.
"Okay!"
Ba-dump! Fu Hua clutched her chest to control her racing heartbeat.
Even with her lost memories, she couldn't explain why—though this was clearly another version of herself, identical in appearance—Senti's tearful nod struck her as unbearably adorable.
Fu Hua's gaze softened even further.
"It's all right now. From now on, I'll visit you often; I won't leave you alone anymore."
"Mm-hmm!" Senti nodded again, chewing happily and grinning goofily.
'Oh my goodness, she's both pitiful and precious!'
Pausing briefly, Fu Hua shook her head vigorously, dismissing what she deemed peculiar thoughts. After all, with their identical faces, praising Senti felt like self-complimenting—how vain could one get?
But Senti didn't sense any strangeness. With Fu Hua finally here, able to meet and enjoy a feast practically prepared by her own hands, she was too content to overthink anything.
Time passed effortlessly as they spent it together. Before realizing, Fu Hua found herself gracefully seated on a bench beneath a tree.
Next to her, Senti lay with her head resting gently on Fu Hua's soft and delicate lap, bright red eyes fixed intently upon Fu Hua.
"What is it?" Fu Hua looked down, smiling warmly.
For a moment, Senti was captivated by this smile, feeling as if she were gazing at the usual Old Antique rather than the amnesiac Fu Hua being deceived by their collective efforts.
"I... I wanted to ask you something."
"Sure, but remember, I can't recall anything right now, so my answers might not be helpful."
"The lack of memories actually works in our favor. I want to know how you feel about that guy... Zeke." Senti spoke slowly, unconsciously biting her lip afterward, revealing a hint of hesitation.
Fu Hua paused momentarily.
"My husband? Why do you suddenly ask this?"
"Just tell me!"
"Alright."
Moved by Senti's insistence, Fu Hua softened her stance. With gentle strokes across Senti's forehead and hair, she pondered for a moment before responding:
"Being with my husband feels very comforting; it helps me face the situation of losing my memories calmly. To be honest, I haven't told anyone this, but when I first woke up, knowing nothing, I felt quite anxious. I feared that I might have forgotten important people and events, worried about potentially hurting someone... It wasn't until I met my husband that I truly felt at ease. So, I believe I must really like him. Otherwise..."
Otherwise, she wouldn't be competing with her own disciple for a man, right? Isn't that what everyone would say?
Fu Hua scratched her cheek, awkwardly looking up at the leaves overhead to avoid revealing any discomfort to Senti.
"I see..." Senti's gaze drifted, filled with mixed emotions—making it even harder for her to maintain her initial stance.
It's Fu Hua's right to choose whoever she wants, Senti thought, feeling helpless yet pained.
Unaware of Senti's conflicted expression, Fu Hua cleared her throat and continued more seriously:
"Cough! Of course, he has his flaws too. For instance, as a ruler, he can sometimes be rather stubborn. And despite appearing serious and proper, he...seems to enjoy teasing me, watching my embarrassed reactions."
"Uh-huh! Absolutely! That guy has such twisted interests and a seriously awful personality!" Senti sat up, earnestly critiquing Zeke - this was her firsthand experience after numerous instances of ending up bruised and battered by his antics.
Fu Hua paused momentarily before hastily waving her hands and saying, "Don't put it like that. Although he enjoys teasing people, I can tell it's also his way of expressing closeness. And...and..."
In truth, she didn't really mind these playful pranks. Fu Hua felt herself blushing.
Despite being repeatedly embarrassed by Zeke's tricks, those moments left her flushed and heart racing, making her feel more alive than ever... Hmm, hard to explain, but overall, she quite enjoyed their unique dynamic.
Even facing her "other self," Fu Hua couldn't bring herself to voice these boundary-pushing thoughts.
However, from Fu Hua's series of reactions, Senti gleaned much more than meets the eye.
Senti stood up, turning away from Fu Hua with a myriad of emotions twisting across her face. She clutched her head, pacing back and forth for a while. Finally, gritting her teeth, she said:
"If... let's just say if, I don't agree?"
"Hm?"
"I don't want to like him; bluntly put, I despise that bastard. What would you do then?" Senti cut straight to the chase, revealing her stance with unwavering determination.
Fu Hua paused for a moment before smiling gently and standing up.
"That is your freedom as well."
Senti remained silent.
"Even though you represent my past self, love, I believe, is deeply personal. Even between the same couple, under different circumstances or timings, they might not end up together again. So, I respect your feelings - it's your freedom." With a warm smile, Fu Hua reached out and affectionately patted the stubborn yet conflicted Senti on the head.
Biting her lip, tears welled up in Senti's eyes as she stomped her feet in frustration, exclaiming, "That's cheating!"
If disliking someone was Senti's freedom, then loving them was Fu Hua's freedom too. Consequently, Senti could no longer represent Fu Hua's resistance towards her own emotions.
"Do you truly love him? Is he irreplaceable? It doesn't matter what you say, I won't accept it! I will never like him, absolutely never!"
As Senti's emotions spiraled out of control, the mental world flickered between illusion and reality.
Fu Hua noticed her own hands blurring, realizing she had little time left before awakening from this dream state.
She looked up to see Senti with pouted lips and reddened eyes, unwilling to yield. Fu Hua opened her mouth but ultimately sighed wistfully:
"You... aren't actually a backup of my memories, are you?"
"...Ah! What are you talking about? Are you still drowsy? Of course I am you! Genuine, no imitations allowed!"
Senti's antenna-like hair instantly stood upright as she hastily corrected herself—Oh no, got too caught up with Zeke's mess and forgot the main purpose! Her gaze shifted, pursing her lips, she feigned composure by whistling nonchalantly:
"Whistle~ whistle~~"
"Pfft!" Fu Hua chuckled softly, covering her mouth. Taking a few steps forward, she gently embraced Senti:
"Your acting needs work. Although I can't remember who you truly are, I know you're trustworthy. I'll visit again, hoping that next time we meet, I might recall something and greet you properly..."
As their voices gradually faded away, Fu Hua gently stroked Senti's silver hair before ultimately withdrawing from the mental domain.
Left behind, Senti stood frozen for a moment before slowly sinking down onto the grass, cross-legged and disoriented, murmuring,
"Old Antique, what am I supposed to do with you now?"
"Oh, right, don't be so disrespectful towards your husband. How could you call someone 'bastard' so casually? Remember that!"
Fu Hua's figure suddenly flickered before Senti, her expression stern as she spoke seriously.
"Ahhhhh!!!" Startled, Senti recoiled backward, only realizing after regaining her composure that Fu Hua had made one last appearance before completely exiting the mental domain. With a twisted face, she looked up and yelled,
"Old Antique!!!"