The food was served, its aroma filling the air.
Watching Lu Heng eat with such focus, Shenhe felt a slight stir in her heart.
She asked softly, "Can I remove the red ropes now?"
Lu Heng paused, slightly taken aback.
He set down his chopsticks, thought for a moment, and said seriously, "Theoretically, yes. It just depends on whether you're mentally prepared."
Shenhe had always worn the red ropes.
Their suppressing power wasn't as strong as before, which was why Shenhe now harbored faint traces of emotions.
Hearing this, Shenhe said, "I am mentally prepared, but I want your advice. I need you to decide for me."
"Me decide?"
Lu Heng looked at Shenhe for a while.
Then, he spoke, "The time is ripe. It depends on whether you are willing or not."
"The time is ripe?"
Shenhe murmured, then said solemnly, "I am willing!"
"I can hardly imagine what I'd be like with strong emotions, especially towards you... I want them to be more intense."
Shenhe's almost blunt words struck deep.
Lu Heng pondered.
He decided to use some cyber fortune-telling.
In the cyber fortune-telling simulation, Shenhe was fully qualified to remove the red ropes.
The reason he hadn't let her remove them before was his fear that the intense emotions would be too overwhelming for her.
But now, having gradually developed emotions, Shenhe was no longer afraid of that.
She had adapted to the process; the remaining issues were no longer issues.
"Let's do it after we go back," Lu Heng said. "For now, let's eat. You should think it over carefully."
"Okay."
There was no need to think further.
Shenhe thought to herself.
Since Lu Heng believed the time was right, she had no reason to hesitate.
She wanted to live like everyone else.
Everyone else had such obvious emotional fluctuations.
Like Xiangling earlier.
Her joy and troubles were so clear.
It made Shenhe feel a faint sense of envy.
Once the red ropes were removed, she wouldn't need to envy anyone anymore.
Soon.
The two finished their meal.
"Xiangling, we're heading off now," Lu Heng called out toward the kitchen.
"Alright! Brother Lu, take care!"
Xiangling was still too busy.
Even though she could now make 'pre-made dishes,' she was still swamped.
But she didn't mind the busyness, and Lu Heng didn't say more.
Bringing Shenhe back to the shop, Lu Heng's expression turned serious. "Have you thought it through?"
"Don't worry." Shenhe nodded.
"Then you can begin." Lu Heng watched her closely.
Although the cyber fortune-telling had shown no issues after tens of millions of simulations, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Because he cared, Lu Heng was nervous.
Shenhe took a deep breath.
Under Lu Heng's gaze, she first untied the red rope binding her hair.
The Vision attached to it was also removed.
As the red rope restraining her hair came loose, Shenhe's silver-white hair cascaded down.
She shook her head slightly, her silky strands flowing like a waterfall.
Next, she untied the red ropes on her body.
With each red rope removed, the emotions in Shenhe's heart grew stronger.
The red ropes existed to suppress her fate, which in turn suppressed her emotions.
Now, under Lu Heng's watchful eyes, Shenhe's long-suppressed emotions were fiercely reviving.
The most direct change was the newfound 'vitality' in her eyes!
No longer was her gaze indifferent to everything.
"How do you feel?" Lu Heng asked with concern.
"Very... very good!"
Shenhe paused, her eyes fixed on Lu Heng as if studying his face.
After staring for a long while, she said, "Saying 'thank you' feels too cheap."
Lu Heng was taken aback. "Saying 'thank you' too often does make it lose its value."
"I know what to do."
Shenhe nodded, then said, "Let's go upstairs. I'll show you my legs."
"?"
Lu Heng laughed. "Is this your way of thanking me?"
"I don't know."
Shenhe shook her head, then added, "But I really want to show you right now."
"Why?" Lu Heng was puzzled.
Why was she so eager to show him her legs?
The cyber fortune-telling hadn't mentioned that Shenhe would act like this after her emotions returned!
Lu Heng fell into thought.
"Hmm... because you like it," Shenhe said seriously. "I like doing things you enjoy, no matter what it is."
Gasp.
Her words were so blunt.
So blunt that Lu Heng was momentarily at a loss for words.
But one thing was clear to him.
"Show me, you must show me!"
Looking at legs every day brought smooth sailing and good fortune—Lu Heng loved it.
As they walked upstairs, Shenhe said, "I didn't care much about clothes before, but now I do."
"Why?" Lu Heng asked.
"Because I want to look pretty for you," Shenhe said bluntly. "For myself, it doesn't matter how I dress. But if you're here, I want to show you my best side."
She concluded, "In short, I want to give you the best of everything I have."
"I understand what you mean." Lu Heng nodded, sighing. "The way you say it actually makes me feel a little pressured."
"Don't feel pressured."
Shenhe shook her head. "I don't want to cause you any pressure. I just want you to be happy, free from any worries."
Shenhe's affection for Lu Heng was simple and pure.
She expressed her feelings in the most direct way possible.
Lu Heng was caught off guard.
Cyber fortune-telling couldn't easily predict human hearts, as they were complex and ever-changing.
At least, it hadn't foreseen this moment.
Shenhe opened the door and asked Lu Heng, "Will you come in?"
"No."
Lu Heng shook his head.
It wasn't that he was pretending to be a gentleman—he had his moral boundaries.
"Why?" Shenhe looked puzzled.
"Let's wait a few more days," Lu Heng said solemnly. "Wait until you truly understand everything before we discuss this."
Lu Heng wasn't in a hurry.
He wanted to give Shenhe some time.
After her emotions fully returned, he wanted her to think things through calmly.
"Don't make any decisions based on momentary impulses." If it were anyone else, Lu Heng would have stepped inside without hesitation.
But Shenhe was different.
It was only a matter of two or three days—Lu Heng could wait, and he was willing to wait for her reconsideration.
"You're so good." Shenhe smiled, then said, "I won't change my mind. I'll leave the door open."
Lu Heng didn't let his eyes wander.
After a while, Shenhe changed her clothes.
She first looked at herself in the full-length mirror, then walked over to Lu Heng and asked, "Do you like this outfit?"
Lu Heng turned to look at Shenhe.
Her hair was not tied up but flowed naturally down her shoulders.
She wore a dress.
The top of the dress was white, gradually shifting to blue further down.
The hem stopped at her calves, and below her ankles, what seemed like gemstone chains adorned her feet. Her impeccable feet were nestled in high heels.
The outfit itself didn't strike Lu Heng as particularly stunning.
But the style, paired with Shenhe's appearance, gave him an incredibly strong sense of contrast.
If the former Shenhe was an ice-cold beauty, the Shenhe wearing this dress and smiling was utterly captivating!
"It looks great!"
Lu Heng didn't hide his admiration and asked, "Can I take a photo? I'll send it to Adeptus Cloud Retainer."
"Okay."
Seeing Lu Heng happy, Shenhe felt pleased too. "Later, I'll also personally report my growth to Master."
"I'm sure she'll be very happy." Lu Heng nodded and took a photo of Shenhe.
"Such a completely different style from before." As he marveled, Lu Heng sent the photo to Cloud Retainer.
[That Woman]: ???
[That Woman]: Is this Shenhe?!
Lu Heng showed his phone to Shenhe and said with a smile, "Look, Master's reaction is huge."
Shenhe nodded. "If Master knew about my changes now, she would—"
Before she could finish, a video call from Cloud Retainer popped up on Lu Heng's phone.
Lu Heng answered.
"Shenhe is there too!"
Cloud Retainer, in her human form (Xianyun), lit up at the sight of Shenhe and nodded with relief. "Good, good, good! Shenhe, how do you feel about yourself now?"
"I feel very good." Shenhe nodded. "I've troubled you, Master. Please don't worry too much. I'm doing very well here, and I've changed a lot. I've gained a lot of—"
As Shenhe reported her experiences over the past few days, Xianyun's expression grew increasingly pleased.
"Good, very good. Seeing you like this now, I am relieved." Xianyun was overjoyed.
The proud adeptus might usually be a bit tsundere, but she genuinely cared for her disciples and juniors.
After the master and disciple chatted for a while, Lu Heng asked, "Where are you now, Master?"
"In Yilong Port."
Xianyun panned the phone to show her surroundings, then said, "I plan to go to Qiaoying Village in a few days and bring back some good tea!"
"Oh? Could you bring some for me too?" Lu Heng's eyes lit up.
"Of course!"
Xianyun nodded. "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to look after Shenhe for a while longer."
"Don't worry, Master. I'll take good care of her." Lu Heng nodded.
In his heart, he silently added, It might not be just for a while—it might be for a lifetime.
"Alright, I have matters to attend to. I'll hang up now!" Xianyun's tone was filled with joy.
After hanging up, Lu Heng noticed a red notification on his朋友圈 (Moments).
He clicked on it.
[That Woman]: Seeing Shenhe like this now fills me with joy! [Photo of Shenhe] (Posted one second ago)
Lu Heng gave it a like, then turned to Shenhe. "It's like fulfilling a wish for Master."
"Yes."
Shenhe was also emotional.
Now that she had normal emotions, she could better understand Cloud Retainer's concerns for her.
After a moment of thought, she said, "I should visit Master more often during holidays."
Only planning to visit during holidays?
Lu Heng smiled inwardly.
It seemed Shenhe was fully mentally prepared.
After some thought, Lu Heng asked with a smile, "You've been in Liyue Harbor for a while now, but you haven't really explored it, have you?"
"No." Shenhe shook her head.
She spent all her time in Lu Heng's shop.
How could she have had time to explore Liyue Harbor?
"Want to go out for a stroll with me?" Lu Heng asked with a smile.
Shenhe hesitated slightly, then asked, "Is this... that?"
"What?"
Lu Heng raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening.
"You know... a date." Shenhe lowered her head slightly, a blush appearing on her cheeks.
Now that she had normal emotions, she realized how hard it was to say those words.
Seeing the shy Shenhe, Lu Heng said with a smile, "Suddenly, I don't want to give you more time to think. I want to go on a date with you right now."
"I never needed to think anyway."
Shenhe clenched her hands tightly, her face red as she said, "Then... then let's go?"
"Okay, let's go!" Lu Heng nodded.
Since she was so determined, there was no need to wait any longer.
The weather was nice today, and they had free time. Lu Heng decided to take Shenhe around Liyue Harbor.
Sumeru, Desert
Rahman was a well-known leader among the Eremite mercenaries active in the desert.
He was currently watching a live stream on his phone.
When the people working under Dori sold him the device, they told him to follow this stream.
Rahman didn't understand at first, but as he watched, he gradually began to.
Because the young girl in the stream was playing something that showed the 'original future'!
At this moment.
In the storyline.
"Here lies our loyal priest, Kasala."
"His wisdom was a miracle among men, worthy of praise and admiration."
[Alhaitham] interpreted the text in the tomb ruins.
Coincidentally, there were devices left by the King Deshret's civilization in the tomb. [Alhaitham] projected the information onto those devices.
The messages left by the skeleton's owner revealed some ancient events—
"Knowledge gave birth to civilization, and likewise, knowledge can destroy civilization."
"Disaster struck without warning—knowledge that did not belong to this world."
"If not for the Dendro Archon, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, extending her help, everything would have been beyond saving."
"To assist the Scarlet King in eradicating the Forbidden Knowledge, she exhausted her power, causing her form to shrink to that of a child."
"How strange... Thinking of her, I no longer fear death... because I feel... the breath of life will accompany me in my eternal sleep."
"People of the desert, you may forget many things."
"But this debt of gratitude, you must never forget."
Rahman was an extreme follower of the Scarlet King.
In Sumeru, the rainforest and the desert were both part of Sumeru, so why was there such discord between the two regions?
The reason was simple: the people of the desert followed the Scarlet King!
The desert people firmly believed that the Scarlet King's fall was caused by the Dendro Archon!
The Scarlet King and the Dendro Archon were enemies. It was because the Dendro Archon killed the Scarlet King that the desert was incorporated into the Dendro Archon's rule!
Rahman and other extreme followers of the Scarlet King all believed this.
But now, reality had slapped Rahman hard across the face, telling him that the truth was not so!
"Th-this... how is this possible?!"
Rahman was utterly incredulous.
His long-held beliefs were suddenly shattered and overturned!
The Dendro Archon and the Scarlet King were never enemies!
If not for the Dendro Archon's intervention, the disaster of the Forbidden Knowledge would have been far more catastrophic!
The desert would have become a wasteland!
And the Dendro Archon had exhausted her power to help the Scarlet King eradicate the Forbidden Knowledge!
Rahman trembled uncontrollably, his breathing ragged, his voice choked. "Bro-brothers, all these years... what have we done?"
The mercenaries around him looked equally dazed.
They were all extreme followers of the Scarlet King, filled with hatred for the rainforest.
But now...
The ancient truth told them they had been wrong all along!
The harm they had inflicted on the people of the rainforest now felt like the sharpest knives stabbing into their own hearts.
Anyone with a conscience felt overwhelming regret at this moment.
Their long-held beliefs shattered, leaving them disoriented and bewildered.
"Hah!"
Rahman's eyes reddened, and he took a deep, fierce breath.
Shing—
He instantly drew the curved blade at his waist.
The blade gleamed with a cold light under the desert sun.
With a fierce expression, Rahman declared loudly, "The Akademiya and the Fatui are collaborating to create a god, attempting to overthrow the Dendro Archon's successor! Now that the truth is clear, brothers, to atone for our sins and repay the Dendro Archon's kindness! Tell me, what should we do?!"
The mercenaries, who had been lost in complex emotions and regret, immediately found a direction for their pent-up fury.
"We'll follow you!"
Seeing this, Rahman raised his curved blade high.
"Target: the Akademiya! Kill those who betrayed the Dendro Archon!"
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T/N:
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