Rita bent slightly forward, respectful yet carrying a gentle explanation, a trace of barely noticeable amusement hidden in her eyes, "Lady Durandal, Fu Shi and Kiana☆ are competing for Mr. Fu Lin's attention. Both of them want to monopolize Mr. Fu Lin and are unwilling to let the other gain even a bit. In the end, it's simply because they care about Mr. Fu Lin very much."
Durandal nodded thoughtfully, but her words remained as straightforward as ever, "So that's how it is. By competing like this, one can gain more of Fu Lin's attention? Then I'll try it too."
The smile on Rita's face froze instantly. Her pupils shrank slightly, alarm bells blaring in her mind, filled with nothing but "this is bad."
She hurried forward a step, stopping the eager Durandal and trying to dissuade her, "No, Lady Durandal, you can't. You're different from them."
On the other side, Siegfried casually strolled over to the fruit plate, grabbed several strawberries, and stuffed them into his mouth, eating with great relish.
Then he watched with interest as his daughter and another woman fought over a man, looking exactly like a bystander who loved nothing more than watching the drama unfold.
After watching for a while, he started thinking about the strawberries on the table again. He simply pulled the entire fruit plate into his arms and guarded it with one arm, afraid someone else might snatch it away.
This action made Kiana☆ turn her head back. She glared at him helplessly, her tone carrying a hint of coquettish dissatisfaction, "Dad, eat less! Those strawberries are something I specially prepared for Fu Lin. Don't eat them all!"
Siegfried, "...!!!"
The motion of protecting the plate paused for a moment. The smug look on his face wilted instantly, as if all the color had drained from him, leaving him alone to sulk in the corner.
Kiana☆ didn't have the time to care about her dad's little grievance. Just as she was about to turn back and pull Fu Lin away from Fu Shi, she saw her sister, Durandal, walking over.
There was a stubborn seriousness on her face.
"Fu Lin, Rita said this way I can get your attention too, so I want to join."
Rita followed behind, her expression almost unable to hold together, yet she still forced herself to remain calm as she added, "Lady Durandal, attention can be gained in other ways. It doesn't have to be like this."
Before she could finish speaking, Fu Shi tightened her grip on Fu Lin's arm, her cheeks puffed up even more as she glared at Durandal, "Hey, why are you joining in too?!"
Seeing her sister's utterly serious expression, Kiana☆ felt both annoyed and amused. There was a trace of jealousy she couldn't quite hide, mixed with helplessness, "Sis, this isn't the same! Fu Shi and I are just... just messing around. Why are you joining the fun～"
Though she said that, her body honestly moved closer to Fu Lin, afraid that Durandal might really cut in.
Her fingers even pinched Fu Lin's waist, and when she looked up and glared at him, her eyes were full of questioning, clearly saying, 'What's going on between you and my sister?'
Fu Lin felt a numb jolt at his waist from Kiana☆'s pinch, and with both arms being pulled from left and right, he felt uncomfortable all over.
Meeting Kiana☆'s questioning gaze, he hurriedly forced out a fawning smile, "It's a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding! Your sister is a cat lover, you know that. I just happened to have turned into a cat before, and she picked me up and raised me for a while. That's really all there is!"
The strength in Kiana☆'s fingers eased a bit, but the suspicion in her eyes didn't fully fade. She glanced at her sister and said in a low voice, "From now on, you're not allowed to show cat ears in front of my sister. Even if she begs you, you're not allowed, got it?!"
Hearing this, Durandal's brows knit almost imperceptibly. Her eyes were filled with straightforward confusion as she looked at Kiana☆ and seriously asked, "Why not? Fu Lin's cat ears are very soft. They feel even better than Stan's. I like them a lot."
She spoke openly and plainly, completely unaware of the intimacy in her words, instead carrying a bit of stubbornness.
The moment she said that, jealousy surged in Kiana☆'s eyes. But considering her sister's personality, she couldn't flare up and instead patiently explained, "No means no! Fu Lin is your brother-in-law. What kind of sister keeps thinking about touching her brother-in-law's cat ears?!"
Durandal listened to Kiana☆, thought seriously for a moment, and finally nodded thoughtfully, "Hmmm, that does seem inappropriate."
As she spoke, she glanced at Fu Lin, a small trace of regret flashing through her eyes.
In the corner, Siegfried, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, quietly crept back to the fruit plate, grabbed a few strawberries, and stuffed them into his mouth, eating with great enjoyment while muttering softly,
"Didn't expect something like this. These relationships are really messy."
As soon as he finished speaking, he met the sharp glare Kiana☆ shot back at him. Siegfried immediately shut up, quickly swallowed the strawberries in his mouth, and laughed awkwardly.
....
A few more days passed. Elysia quietly appeared by Fu Lin's side. Her once bright and lively features now carried a hint of unmistakable weariness, yet the corners of her lips still held a gentle smile that seemed almost fragile.
At this moment, her palms cradled a crystal-clear flower. Its petals flowed with faint, shimmering light, faintly exuding a mysterious aura.
Fu Lin's gaze fell upon the crystal flower. His fingers subconsciously tightened, his heart inexplicably skipping a beat as a familiar yet unfamiliar stirring surged up from deep within.
His consciousness felt as if it were being drawn by something, restless, clamoring to move closer to the crystal flower.
"What is this crystal flower?" His eyes locked onto it, filled with inquiry and an unconscious desire to draw near.
Elysia leaned forward slightly and gently offered the crystal flower to him. The warmth of her fingertips spread along the petals, the soft glow lighting up the tenderness in her eyes.
"It's the memories you lost~?"
Her voice softened even more, carrying a delicate anticipation, yet not daring to add even the slightest push, "Hold it, and you'll be able to retrieve the memories that belong to you, Fu Lin~ The past you forgot, the time you lost, it will all return to you."
"My memories?" Fu Lin's hand hovered above the crystal flower, not falling for a long time.
Hesitation and unease churned in his eyes, like a child afraid of making the wrong choice.
He slowly lifted his gaze, locking onto Elysia, his voice so light it seemed it might be carried away by the wind, every word wrapped in heavy apprehension, "If I take back my memories, will I become another person?"
The moment the words fell, the air around them seemed to still. The crystal flower's glow swayed gently, reflecting the lingering confusion in his eyes, as well as the fragile yet genuine attachment hidden deep in his heart, his unwillingness to lose the warmth he had now.
Elysia gently shook her head, the soft light settling in her eyes, tender yet firm, "No, Fu Lin. You've never changed."
"It's a part of you, the road you've walked, the responsibilities you've carried. Taking it back will only make you a more complete version of yourself, not someone else."
She paused slightly, then raised her hand to cup Fu Lin's face, like a solemn promise and also like a soothing breeze, carefully weaving away his unease,
"All the moments you remember right now, the people you cherish and hold dear, every bit of warmth you keep in your heart, none of it will fade even a little because of these memories.
Those vivid daily moments, those genuine heart-flutters, those gentle bonds, are all marks carved into your very bones. They will always remain.
And the memories of the past will only let you know who you are and where you came from. They won't take away anything you have now.
After all, the warmth you have now is also the most precious part of your memories~
Two spans of time, one original intention, only when they come together do they make the complete Fu Lin~"