About two system hours later.
Under the cold, white light of the laboratory, the crimson at the tips of Tingyun's ears was like cinnabar dropped into clear water, the blush spreading so faintly that even her neck was tinged with a delicate red.
Her knuckles unconsciously twisted the edge of her simple gauze sleeve. Tingyun's lips parted and closed several times, but she ultimately said nothing, instead biting her lower lip until it glistened.
The Foxian girl, wearing an awkward and stiff smile, watched the polite-looking gray-haired young man with a brooding gaze.
"Benefactor, I am endlessly grateful for your kindness. This humble girl hopes you will not take offense at my previous impertinence."
Tingyun took a step forward, lifted the hem of her skirt, and curtsied slightly. Her fox tail swayed, exuding a charm that could topple nations.
"It's fine. You can just pay me back double when you come to repay my kindness."
Caelus waved his hand casually, affecting the magnanimous air of someone for whom this was a trivial matter not worth mentioning.
"Benefactor~!"
Her coquettish tone was tinged with a hint of exasperation.
She was being sarcastic!
When she said 'my previous impertinence,' she was actually alluding to how Caelus had teased her, implying his actions were somewhat improper.
But Caelus took it completely at face value.
Over the course of two system hours, following the procedure where Caelus used Fenghuang Down to suppress the will of Destruction, Tingyun had been retrieving her memory fragments.
She had easily completed the memory jigsaw puzzle and naturally remembered everything.
Including the fact that she and Caelus had been complete strangers with no prior connection, not a devoted married couple at all...
And then she recalled all the affectionate behavior she had displayed toward Caelus while recovering her memories.
The 'childish' need to cling to her lover every second of every day, like a Foxian girl in the throes of new love, and the words she blurted out when Lady Ruan Mei asked her about fusing with Ancient Beast genes...
Even with Tingyun's refined and astute nature, she couldn't help but feel waves of shame and embarrassment wash over her face after regaining her memories.
Of course, Tingyun had no intention of blaming Caelus.
After all, her escape from the soul-scorching flames of Destruction, her awakening from a muddled state, and her understanding of everything that had happened to her—it was all thanks to Caelus.
Lady Ruan Mei had also helped her because of Caelus. This was no ordinary life-saving debt!
The intervention of a genius, the Ancient Beast genes—Tingyun naturally knew the value of such things—plus the painstaking effort he took to reassemble her consciousness...
Compared to such immense kindness, a few improper actions were completely insignificant.
"Congratulations on achieving your first victory. This is a good start."
The sudden voice made the blush fade from Tingyun's face.
"From now on, survival and destruction will no longer be a choice for you. They will grow on the same path."
Ruan Mei slowly walked out.
She naturally had no interest in trivial matters like helping Tingyun gather memory fragments. After their previous conversation, Ruan Mei had left Tingyun's memory space to research compatible Ancient Beast data.
After that, Caelus had accompanied Tingyun through her memory spaces, one by one, from childhood to young adulthood.
The place they were in now was the last and most recent memory space: inside Ruan Mei's research vessel.
"Thank you, Lady Ruan Mei."
Bowing slightly again, Tingyun let out a soft breath and turned to look at the medical pod to the side, where a naked Foxian girl lay in a cyan-green healing fluid.
That was the state of her physical body in reality.
"I told you, if you want to thank someone, just thank my dear."
Ruan Mei's tone was gentle and graceful.
She sounded modest, but to Tingyun, who had traveled the galaxy, dealt frequently with merchants of all kinds, and was an excellent judge of character, she could sense the cold indifference beneath Lady Ruan Mei's serene exterior.
Especially here in her own mental space, she felt an instinctive fear.
"This humble girl is aware of our benefactor's..."
Although Ruan Mei had said that, Tingyun, who understood social etiquette, still wanted to offer a few pleasantries. However, she stopped mid-sentence after glancing at Caelus.
She saw the gray-haired young man standing before the medical pod, seriously studying the naked 'her' inside with a look of appreciation.
"Too bad you can't use a camera in a memory space. Otherwise, I'd take a couple of pictures as a souvenir."
The crimson that had just faded from Tingyun's pretty face returned slightly. Her lips twitched, but in the end, she didn't stop Caelus from admiring the view.
What's the difference between one look and two, anyway...
As if!
"Benefactor~ you must be tired after working so hard to help this humble girl retrieve her memories. Let me help you relax."
Tingyun raised her fair, delicate arms, pulled Caelus away from her body, and let his head rest against her chest, gently massaging the acupressure points on his head.
A massage in a mental space didn't seem to have much effect, but Caelus still enjoyed resting against the slimes. They were a bit smaller than Li Sushang's, roughly the same proportions as a Stellaron spirit's, within the standard for a normal size.
The soft flesh he felt behind her ear and its rising temperature told Caelus that this little fox wasn't as composed or bold as she appeared.
Just as Caelus was about to tease her, he felt Tingyun's mood suddenly drop.
"Benefactor, the others from the Whistling Flames Caravan... how are they?"
"Only a small number made it back to the Xianzhou," Caelus answered truthfully.
"I see."
The massaging hands slowed. Tingyun pressed her lips together, her gaze lowered, her expression downcast and sorrowful.
"That Lord Ravager has now taken my place and infiltrated the Xianzhou. I must trouble you, Benefactor, to bring this news to the General and warn him to be vigilant against the chaos and disaster that Phantylia could bring to the Luofu."
"Although this humble girl is just a lowly envoy of humble station, I can still offer my guarantee that the Luofu will reward you generously afterward."
Having recovered all her memories, Tingyun now knew that the memory Caelus had shared with her about their 'first meeting' was actually Phantylia's experience after stealing her identity and returning to the Xianzhou.
Tingyun had great faith in the Xianzhou and the General, but she had also heard the tales of how Phantylia plunged over a hundred worlds into chaos before finally being defeated by the Antimatter Legion.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't anxious or worried; her friends and family were all on the Xianzhou.
"No problem."
Regarding Kafka's capture, putting the facts aside, Jing Yuan owed the Astral Express a small favor. By giving him the intel on Phantylia, the Xianzhou would owe them a massive one.
"As for Phantylia... don't worry. I'll take good care of 'my dear Miss Tingyun'."
Caelus had already asked Ruan Mei to prepare some experimental waste materials—scraps of aggregated energy. If you compare a Suiyang to a human, these energy scraps were basically balls of feces.
I'll pack it all up for Phantylia to take home~!
Caelus rubbed his hands together, preparing to personally cook up an authentic "Nine-Turn Large Intestine" for Phantylia.
The gray-haired youth's wicked chuckle made Tingyun's expression turn peculiar.
"Ruan Mei, what should Tingyun do now?"
Caelus looked eagerly at the expert doctor. His concern for Tingyun was meticulous—after all, she was worth 222 crystals!
"Although her consciousness has recovered, we can't let her wake up and regain her senses just yet. Otherwise, the pain would be unbearable."
Ruan Mei explained softly.
The power of Destruction has seeped into her very bones. Tingyun's cells are in a constant state of being destroyed and reconstructed. It's equivalent to experiencing death by a thousand cuts every single moment, her body being minced and then pieced back together.
The cumulative agony is far beyond what the mind of an ordinary sentient being can endure. She would pass out instantly.
"In that case, you'd better just sleep peacefully in this mental space and wait for the modification to be completed."
Hearing Ruan Mei's explanation, Caelus clicked his tongue.
Sounds incredibly painful!
"Okay," Tingyun obediently agreed.
Caelus nodded.
In that case, things with Tingyun should be fine for now. It was time for him to head back to the Luofu.
"Well, we're off. Bye-bye~"
Caelus waved goodbye to Tingyun, preparing to leave the mental space with Ruan Mei.
"Wait, Benefactor."
The second before Caelus turned to leave, Tingyun called out to him, making him turn back with a slightly puzzled look.
"This humble girl has a few more things she'd like to say to you."
The Foxian woman, her long tail swaying, took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them until they were within arm's reach.
"Through your memories, Benefactor, this humble girl has come to understand the whole story. I can't help but marvel at the exquisiteness of Phantylia's disguise. Her every action was identical to my own. It was less a disguise and more like she was living in my stead for a few days."
"Just like another me in this world. She deceived everyone, and only you, Benefactor, had the discerning eye to see through it all."
Tingyun chuckled softly, looking up at Caelus with eyes as clear as a lake.
A considerable amount of time had passed since 'Tingyun' returned to the Xianzhou. Her performance at the Sky-Faring Commission, her behavior in front of acquaintances—even Tingyun herself couldn't find any fault with it. She never imagined Caelus would actually notice that something was wrong with 'Tingyun'.
This filled Tingyun with a strange sense of joy. Finally, someone had realized it wasn't her!
"I regretfully missed our 'first meeting,' Benefactor. Yet, everything that unfolded afterward was no different than if I had been there myself. Tingyun has therefore seen a possibility..."
"That Phantylia stole my life."
Tingyun's tone was tinged with gritted teeth. It was the second time she hadn't referred to herself as 'this humble girl'.
She finished speaking, paused for a moment, and then her voice rose again:
"But, thankfully, you were here, Benefactor, to return this piece of my life to me through other means."
Although Phantylia was still impersonating her on the Xianzhou, being completely unaware of her loss versus knowing everything and striving to fight against fate were two entirely different situations.
Tingyun gazed at Caelus, her gratitude so overwhelming it stirred waves in her eyes, scattering the reflected light.
"Benefactor, thank you."
Murmuring this, Tingyun wrapped her fair, lotus-root-like arms around Caelus's neck, pulling gently as she leaned forward and pressed her moist, cherry-like lips to his.
After a long kiss, Tingyun took a step back, a seemingly eternal smile gracing her face.
"This is... a small token of gratitude from this humble girl, given in advance."
Tingyun's action was a bit sudden. Caelus blinked, then grinned. "Just a small token, huh? Well then, I'll be looking forward to the main prize later!"
Tingyun's pretty face blushed slightly, and she averted her gaze.
"Benefactor, you should be going. Don't let this humble girl delay you from important matters."
The Foxian girl lifted her skirt, curtsied slightly, and smiled.
"I wish you a safe and successful journey."
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