Li Wu woke up. He had anticipated the mental overdraft caused by using the Fire Moth Feather, so after Elysia's warning, he had hurried to disconnect.
From the moment he entered, he had been estimating the time in his head. He had only stayed in the Fire Moth Remembrance Society for less than ten minutes. How could he have slept from noon on the first day until dawn on the second?
That was almost a whole day!
"Looks like I'll have to take it easy with the Fire Moth Feather in the future. This thing drains way too much mental energy. Using it for long periods is completely out of the question. No wonder I only saw the three Flame-Chasers from the 'Sword' faction and no one else. Everyone else probably hates using it unless there's a special notification, like... Kevin using his admin privileges."
Li Wu put away the Feather, walked to the window, and yanked the curtains open.
A dim sun was rising from the mountain range, illuminating the city.
Down on the small street, people were coming and going. Shops were opening, and food stalls were wheeling into place—a scene that truly belonged to the morning.
After confirming the time, Li Wu walked out of the bedroom and stopped in front of the room prepared specifically for Mei. He knocked, and receiving no response, gently pushed the door open just enough to peek through the crack.
As expected of the Young Miss.
Even when sleeping alone, she maintained a textbook-perfect sleeping posture—no curling up, no lying on her stomach.
Her sleeping face was tranquil, the cool air from the AC blowing gently over her, causing her long eyelashes to tremble slightly.
Wait...
Eyelashes?
Li Wu rubbed his eyes and focused his gaze into the room again.
It wasn't just the tiny eyelashes; he could even clearly read the small print on the covers of the books on the bookshelf.
Li Wu was certain his vision had undergone a qualitative leap. When he first woke up, he had only felt refreshed and was too preoccupied with other thoughts to notice. Now it hit him—how could his eyesight possibly be this sharp?
At the very least, reading small text on a book cover from across a room should be impossible.
The reason?
Because of the Fire Moth Feather? Unlikely.
The Feather overdrew mental energy to establish a consciousness space for interaction; it had absolutely nothing to do with enhancing physical constitution.
Come to think of it, ever since waking up from the incident with Seele, his body had felt much lighter. Did Raven inject him with some kind of enhancement serum?
That made no sense.
For a miser like Raven, giving him a few cold pills would be considered an act of supreme benevolence. Li Wu didn't dare dream of enhancement serums.
The only thing in his memory that could enhance physical constitution was the "Holy Blood" Anna had mentioned.
He'd have to file that under 'pending investigation.'
"Forget it. I don't know the cause, but at least it's a good thing. Mei probably thought I was too tired yesterday, so she didn't wake me. As for breakfast... let me make it. Then I'll head back to school to return a favor and let Anna complete the mission Schicksal gave her as soon as possible."
Li Wu gently closed the door, making a soft clicking sound.
according to the agreement, by this time Gray Serpent should have reached a tacit understanding with Schicksal not to move against the Herrscher of Thunder.
If the negotiations had failed, either Gray Serpent or Schicksal would have appeared at the house by now. It wouldn't be this calm, without a single crisis in sight.
Either way, it was good news. Li Wu decided to show off his cooking skills to reward himself.
He grabbed the ingredients and returned to the kitchen.
It was exactly 7:00 AM. As Li Wu diligently prepped the food, a pair of unrestrained, slender hands reached out from behind him and hugged him tightly.
"Little Li, let Mei handle these things. You must be exhausted; you need to rest properly..."
"I was indeed a bit tired yesterday, but after that sleep, I feel like my condition has never been better! It feels like the strength of a hundred men is surging through my body."
Li Wu said this while striking a chuunibyou pose, clenching his fist to show off his bicep.
Hearing this, Mei's eyes lit up. She leaned her head forward, resting it on Li Wu's shoulder, and lifted a hand to gently poke his waist.
Poke. Poke.
Li Wu kept a straight face but asked with some confusion, "Mei, what are you doing? It tickles."
"Nothing. Just like Little Li, I also feel my condition has never been better. I have inexhaustible 'energy' too! Hehehe~"
"Let's cook first. After eating, we'll get ready for school. I've already made World Serpent, Schicksal, and Anti-Entropy temporarily give up their designs on you. You can enjoy campus life openly now. If anyone dares to bully you again, just bully them back! We won't take that crap anymore! Of course, we can't go bullying people for no reason, either."
Li Wu's voice was resonant and powerful, his chopping knife fast, accurate, and decisive.
Mei smiled gracefully, took another old-fashioned bright red apron from the wall, and skillfully draped it over herself.
"'Little Li' has worked hard. I'll help Little Li too. We'll feed 'Little Li' full, and feed 'Little Mei' full too."
Although he found Mei's phrasing a bit strange, Li Wu took it as a joke and didn't take it to heart.
After finishing breakfast, Li Wu boarded that same bus again. He had wanted to take a taxi—it was more covert and convenient—but he couldn't resist Mei dragging him along, insisting on taking the bus.
She said something about:
Nostalgia for our first meeting—
Nostalgia...
If one disregarded the experience of being beaten into meat paste, it was indeed worth remembering. After all, it was the first time he realized he had transmigrated, so it held commemorative value.
The passengers were the passengers of the past.
The driver was the same driver who had once abandoned the vehicle in terror.
The bus route and time hadn't changed. The only thing that had changed was—
The TV hanging from the bus ceiling was playing news of Raiden Ryoma's exoneration on loop...
Over and over again, somewhat like a royal decree being announced to the world in ancient times.
"Breaking news: Following a joint review by the Nagazora City Supervisory Committee and the Schicksal Judicial Department, the case of Raiden Ryoma's alleged financial fraud has seen a major reversal."
"Key financial evidence has been verified as forged and planted by ME Corp's internal management and outsourced personnel. Fund flow records also prove that his personal accounts were not involved in any irregular operations."
"Relevant departments provided complete communication records and meeting footage, forcefully proving that Mr. Ryoma was unaware of the related decisions. Currently, all charges have been formally dropped. Judicial authorities have issued an official clarification and will launch further accountability proceedings based on the evidence..."
On the TV news, the anchor explained the sequence of events with a warm smile.
A small picture-in-picture frame showed Raiden Ryoma walking out of prison. He walked with a tiger's stride, showing not a hint of decadence. His gaze was piercing, as if two fires were burning within, staring straight into the camera.
Clearly, he was ready to settle the score with those who had targeted his daughter.
What was supposed to be a "business attack" had turned into bottomless humiliation and bullying, intended to drive Mei to a miserable death.
For a father, this was absolutely intolerable.
The crisis of the first act has finally come to an end. I can relax for a while...
Li Wu thought to himself.
Beside him, Mei's face could not hide her joy. It wasn't because she had returned to her status as the noble Young Miss of ME Corp, but because at her side was a boy who sought neither fame nor fortune, who treated her with sincerity.
All the suffering had finally crystallized into the most abundant fruit, ready for her to harvest.
Therefore, even though she kept trying to suppress it, her fluttering heart couldn't help but want to sing aloud like a lark.
"Little Li~"
"Yeah, I saw it. How about that? I'm amazing, right? I said I'd do it, and I did."
"Little Li~"
"What is it? Why do you keep calling my name?"
"Little Li~"
"Uh... everyone is watching. Can we wait until we get to school? I'm a little unaccustomed to this..."
Li Wu went from pride, to confusion, and finally to social embarrassment.
Mei kept acting coquettish. No matter what he said, she maintained a brilliant smile, calling his name in a sugary sweet voice.
"I knew it! Raiden Ryoma is a big boss; how could he do such things? Everyone misunderstood him!"
"Exactly, exactly. A girl as beautiful as Raiden Mei couldn't possibly be that manipulative schemer from the internet rumors. Those who spread rumors should all be thrown in jail!"
"Cheaters in video games should go to jail too!"
"As expected of Schicksal. The moment official Schicksal channels stepped in, everything was cleared up. Much more effective than those low-level officials in Nagazora City. Those guys just pass the buck when there's a problem—you push it to me, I push it to you—and never solve anything!"
A wave of heated discussion surged through the bus.
Mixed in were a few strange voices, but overall, they followed the reporter's narrative, lamenting that Raiden Ryoma couldn't possibly do such things and that Raiden Mei was a lady among ladies, the best of good girls.
Public opinion flipped too fast, like a tornado—coming and going in a flash.
Gray Serpent had persuaded Schicksal. With Schicksal's help, the radical faction of Anti-Entropy couldn't hold the moral high ground at all. Cocolia could only watch helplessly as Raiden Ryoma made his comeback.
Sigh, they really should film an episode of "In the Name of Schicksal." Asking the palace in the sky, who knows what year this is tonight~
"Little Li."
"I'm here..."
Li Wu replied softly, his head lowered.
"Do you think we count as having reached 'consummation' now? I've read Shenzhou's Journey to the West. The four master and disciples ascended after surviving eighty-one tribulations."
"It's not ascending; it's achieving the Right Fruit, becoming a Buddha on the spot."
"Becoming a Buddha? Evil spirits become Buddhas after being exorcised, too. So why not just become an evil spirit first, and then get exorcised?"
"Uh, the Buddha of the Pure Land and the Buddha of Shenzhou are different. You can understand it as... after achieving consummation, you become a highly rigorous immortal deity. Untouched by mortal smoke, worshipped by people, detached from the mundane world."
"I see..."
Mei gently tapped her fingers together, her gaze unfocused as she seriously contemplated Li Wu's explanation.
There were still many voices on the bus. Everyone recognized Mei, including the driver.
Since the two boarded, the driver had been wearing a friendly smile. Occasionally, he would even check on their progress via the interior surveillance mirror.
The surrounding passengers turned sideways, pricking up their ears, wanting to know what this girl would do and say now that she was a noble Young Miss again.
A moment later, Mei slowly raised her head and placed her hand on Li Wu's arm. Her pupils trembled slightly, as if she had made a decision, and she pulled off the ribbon binding her hair.
Her hair cascaded down, accompanied by a sudden explosion of rich lavender scent that spread throughout the entire carriage.
It was so intense that Li Wu couldn't tell if they were inside a bus or out in the countryside.
"I want to go to the same university as you, attend classes together, go home together..."
"Go for walks together, listen to songs sharing the same pair of earphones..."
"Wrap ourselves in the same blanket during winter..."
"Call your name a hundred times a day. As for you... calling me Mei fifty times is the minimum requirement..."
"We'll get married after graduation. Don't worry about money; I'll prepare the rings. What do you like? Diamonds? Sapphires?"
"There will definitely be many people at our wedding. I want to invite all our classmates—elementary, middle school, high school, college... If you have career ambitions, I'll give you my shares in ME Corp and accompany you as you strive for success."
"It doesn't matter if we fail. Even if Father isn't willing to support us, I'll go with you to a small city. As long as we can afford takoyaki, it's fine. If we can't afford it, that's okay too—I'll learn to make it for you!"
When the crisis was resolved, the discussions around her made Mei realize she had returned to her former high status.
Countless suppressed, buried thoughts surged out like a bursting dam.
Beautiful scenarios that had once stayed only in fantasies and dreams could now become reality.
No need to hide anymore, no need to cover up.
If others knew, let them know. It didn't matter. She would let everyone know sooner or later.
It should have been just that. But for some reason, Mei suddenly felt it wasn't enough.
Yes, far from enough.
Her current status could obtain even more...
"Okay? Anything you want, I can give it to you. I want everyone to know that I am willing, and able, to give you the 'happiness' you dream of."
"I beg you... this time, don't refuse me. For you, I can do anything..."
"I'm scared... don't reject me. I really can't lose you... Only you. I don't need anything else..."
Wrong...
Very wrong...
Li Wu looked at the increasingly candid Mei, feeling a sense of oddity in his heart.
Being honest was good, and it wasn't that Mei couldn't say these things. But saying them at this time and in this place was ten times, twelve times wrong.
Just yesterday, in the outskirts of Nagazora, Mei had been very sensible, handling the relationship between them perfectly, suppressing her emotions so as not to put him in a difficult spot.
Why the sudden...
Li Wu took a deep breath, raised his head, and gathered the courage to look Mei in the eye.
Sure enough, he saw the crimson glow in her pupils that only appeared when the Herrscher personality was encroaching on the body.
However, Mei had already completed half of her metamorphosis. The Herrscher personality couldn't completely seize the body; it could only amplify her emotions.
But that was where the problem lay.
The emotions were amplified, but the thoughts were genuine, and the feelings were real...
Just as Li Wu was agonizing over how to answer, the bus arrived at the Chiba Academy stop. In a flurry, Li Wu dragged Mei off the bus.
But the problem remained.
Inescapable.
"Mei, you're acting a little strange right now. How about you calm down first, and I'll give you a proper answer."
"I am very calm right now. Little Li, do you not want me anymore? Mei has offered you so much, why won't you accept it? You should agree, right? If you don't agree, that means rejection. You definitely don't want to be a heartless person... isn't that right isn't that right isn't that right isn't that right isn't that right isn't that right isn't that right isn't that right?"