Chapter 299: Chapter 296 [The Interactor]
Chapter 296 The Interactor
"As the saying goes, all long separations must lead to a reunion, and all long unions must end in separation..."
On the stage, a storyteller was shaking his folding fan, flinging his sleeves, and holding his head high, already getting into character.
The audience at the seven or eight tables were clutching sunflower seeds and teacups. Some listened with rapt attention, others were on the verge of dozing off.
Most of them were elderly.
However, at the table right in front of the stage, there sat three girls.
The most conspicuous among them was naturally the blonde-haired, blue-eyed young foreign girl sitting in the middle. In the October weather, she wore a tight, thin sweater that outlined her curvaceous figure in clear and enticing detail.
To her left sat a tall girl with long legs and black, straight hair. Just sitting there, she appeared upright with slender limbs, and her figure was exceptionally well-proportioned.
On her right was a petite girl who was listening most intently. Her medium-length hair was tied back in a ponytail, revealing a pair of slightly mischievous, prominent ears that didn’t detract from her appearance but instead lent her a playful and cute look. Her features were also delicately refined.
Especially in the October weather, when Jinling City was already cooling down, this girl was wearing a pleated miniskirt, elephant-trunk socks, and black leather shoes.
In this era, there was no concept of JK uniforms, but one could roughly make out a sort of Japanese style.
This was a small teahouse, not doing big business, with about a hundred square meters of space and a small stage. The storyteller’s skill was not very high, but one could tell he was an experienced performer.
A segment of the Three Kingdoms was being narrated, and it had quite some appeal.
Nivelle and Li Yingwan were the least interested listeners. Li Yingwan was fine—she had spent the last few months memorizing tongue twisters, and her command of the Huaxia language was the deepest of the three girls. After all, stories of the Three Kingdoms were popular in East Asian countries with Han cultural influence, and she could understand them at the moment.
Nivelle was having a rougher time, listening as if to a heavenly script, merely resting her chin on her hand and occasionally yawning.
Xicheng Xun, on the other hand, was listening most attentively.
The swordswoman not only listened but also took out a notebook to jot down notes, carefully thinking as she listened, seemingly studying earnestly.
"Is it really that interesting? Why do you look so engrossed?"
Nivelle couldn’t help but glance at Xicheng Xun’s notes and asked curiously.
Xicheng Xun took a sip of tea, glanced at Nivelle, and said with a polite but aloof tone, "Since we’re learning the Huaxia language, how can we not learn about Huaxia’s culture? If we don’t engage with the culture and just learn the language, it will be very difficult. Hmm, there’s a saying in the Huaxia language, ’effort without understanding is half wasted.’ Learning the culture before the language will make it twice as effective."
"What’s ’twice’? What’s ’half’?" Nivelle asked, squinting her eyes.
Xicheng Xun looked at Nivelle and shook her head. "Forget it, this is too profound for you; you should start with memorizing an idiom dictionary."
"Don’t listen to her," Li Yingwan interrupted coldly from the side. "This is called storytelling, a performance of ancient Huaxia legends about heroes from an era called the Three Kingdoms. If you ask me, the right way to learn the Huaxia language is by practicing tongue twisters."
After a moment, Li Yingwan looked at Xicheng Xun with some disdain. "Nivelle, don’t be fooled by her! This Xicheng Xun may seem obedient, but she is the most scheming and manipulative of all! She learns the Huaxia language quickly, not because she works hard, but because she’s an Ability User!"
Nivelle sighed helplessly at the hostility Li Yingwan showed toward Xicheng Xun.
For some reason, ever since the two met, they never got along; their auras clashed. Xicheng Xun was outwardly cold and inwardly aloof, while Li Yingwan was outwardly cold but tenderhearted. The two inherently had incompatible personalities. But it didn’t mean they had to squabble at every meeting. We’re all desperately trying to win his affection, so why make things difficult for each other? Could this be a grudge from a past life?
Facing Li Yingwan’s provocations, Xicheng Xun simply smiled faintly, took a sip of her tea, and said lazily, "Believe what you want."
Then, deliberately using impeccably pronounced Huaxia language, she softly said, "Summer insects cannot speak of ice."
Nivelle didn’t understand, but Li Yingwan did, her eyes flaring up as she retorted, "What are you saying! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re talking about! ’Summer insects cannot speak of ice,’ you think you’re the only one who knows that? I also know ’the sparrow may not understand the ambition of the swan.’ I also know ’observing the sky from the bottom of a well.’ I also know..."
"That’s enough!" Nivelle frowned, patting Li Yingwan’s hand—audience members were already looking over unhappily, probably annoyed by the noise.
As the segment concluded and the storyteller bowed and exited the stage, the theater entered an intermission.
Nivelle, looking at her two little allies to her left and right, felt a bit weary.
The Great Devil was still undefeated, and yet they were constantly squabbling among themselves.
"Let’s go."
Xicheng Xun stood up first, glanced at the two and remarked, "I’ve looked at the next item on the program. It’s going to be a regional opera, which none of us will understand. Staying here any longer would just be a waste of time."
"Let’s go!" Nivelle nodded, pulling Li Yingwan along.
As the three girls got up and left the small theater, they found themselves on a small street outside, close to the old southern district of the city, with few shops and scattered old buildings.
The street wasn’t wide, with businesses encroaching on the walkways, making it impossible for cars to enter. The three girls had to walk along the street towards the main road.
"Li Yingwan, stop fighting with Xicheng Xun," Nivelle warned the long-legged girl with a serious tone. "We’re supposed to be on the same side right now..."
"But I just don’t like her," Li Yingwan frowned. "Especially when I see her pretending, it really annoys me. So full of sinister thoughts, yet always wearing that pitiful and tender facade to deceive others. And she always acts as if she knows everything; it’s infuriating."
Xicheng Xun said coldly, "If I don’t know, do you? Do you really think you can win Ah Xiu by relying on sneaking to his window in the middle of the night and climbing into his bed?"
Li Yingwan’s pretty face turned red with embarrassment and annoyance, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "You... What’s this Ah Xiu, Ah Xiu? Oppa is clearly called Chen Nuo!"
"Ah Xiu is the name he told me himself, and we agreed that I’m the only one who calls him that," Xicheng Xun said coldly.
Nivelle sighed, turning her head to look at Xicheng Xun. "Xicheng Xun, there’s no point in this. You’re deliberately provoking Li Yingwan. Saying such things, stirring up such conflicts, it has no value."
She paused, her tone slightly firmer as she continued slowly, "Don’t forget, it was I who helped you with the transfer procedures to get into this school, so you could have the chance to stay by his side."
Xicheng Xun glanced at Nivelle and sighed. "Even without your help, couldn’t I have stayed in Huaxia myself? I’m not short of money. Besides, didn’t you bring me to the school for your own selfish reasons?"
"..."
"...You’re using me as a tool to make a breakthrough with Ah Xiu," Xicheng Xun shook her head. "You Western aristocrats love playing these kinds of schemes of alliances and divisions. It was like this hundreds of years ago, and it’s still the same now."
As she spoke, Xicheng Xun began counting on her fingers. "Five girls! Lu Xixi, Sun Keke, plus the three of us. Lu Xixi and Sun Keke are the ones who truly occupy Ah Xiu’s heart. If we’re talking about the three of us... I’ve known Ah Xiu for the shortest time. So in your minds, I am the least threatening, which is why you brought me to the school, to Ah Xiu’s side. I am both a test and a tool to create a breakthrough. If Ah Xiu’s attitude towards me were to change, that would prove that Ah Xiu’s defenses have weakened... At that time, once you get the signal, you’ll each use your own methods and rush in like crazy. Don’t think that I don’t understand!"
When Nivelle heard this, she wasn’t angry but simply smiled. "Since you understand all this, why then did you agree to our alliance?"
Xicheng Xun fell silent.
Nivelle continued to smile. "Isn’t it because you know very well that, among everyone, you are the weakest? You’ve known Ah Xiu for the shortest time, have the least contact with him, and Chen Nuo’s feelings for you are the faintest! On your own, trying to shake Lu Xixi and Sun Keke’s positions is completely impossible. That’s why you agreed to work with us."
Watching Xicheng Xun remain silent, Nivelle knew her words had struck home. She thought for a moment and then said seriously, "I know this is strange, but... since we’re working together, we should at least act like it, right? No matter who gets Chen Nuo in the end, at least before we defeat the Great Devil, if we fight among ourselves, we’ll have even less of a chance. Xicheng Xun, you’re smart; you should understand what I mean."
Xicheng Xun sighed, stopped walking, looked at Nivelle, then glanced at Li Yingwan.
The swordswoman took a deep breath, bowed slowly to them both, and after standing up, her gaze fell on Li Yingwan. "Alright, from now on I won’t squabble or oppose you. Let’s all live in peace."
Li Yingwan’s expression was complex. Being inherently a bit obstinate, she managed to suppress her emotions and muttered, "As long as she stops putting on that annoying act, I wouldn’t squabble with her."
"You don’t understand," Xcheng Xun said indifferently. "You’ve been a rich kid since childhood, loved and cared for by your family and older brother. I have nothing of what you possess. I’m all alone. My father died early, and my mother is a terrible person. If I didn’t have a bit of what you call ’putting on an act,’ I’d have been bullied to death long ago."
Li Yingwan hesitated for a moment and then didn’t refute her.
"But you guys do make some sense. It’s fine to put on an act for others... there’s indeed no need to do so with one’s own allies," Xicheng Xun suddenly smiled faintly. "It’s just... frankly, showing you my true self might not make you any happier."
"Oh?" Li Yingwan frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"Then let’s be honest for a change, today," Xicheng Xun tilted her head in thought, then pointed at Li Yingwan and then at Nivelle. "I think the strategies you two have been employing lately have been incredibly stupid."
"Hey!!!" Li Yingwan glared, about to say something, but Nivelle quickly grabbed the long-legged girl and frowned at Xicheng Xun. "What do you mean?"
"Although I’ve known Ah Xiu for the shortest time, it’s quite clear that neither of you has seriously studied Ah Xiu’s personality!"
Xicheng Xun pointed at her own nose. "But I have!"
Nivelle’s heart stirred, and she exchanged a look with Li Yingwan.
At that moment, the three girls were standing by the roadside when a minivan slowly approached and stopped at the curb—a shuttle belonging to the education group.
"Get in and we’ll talk."
Nivelle sighed.
After the three girls got into the minivan, the vehicle began to move slowly.
Inside the car, once the three girls settled down, Nivelle asked Xicheng Xun, "Go ahead. What’s your take on Chen Nuo’s personality?"
"Ah Xiu’s personality is actually somewhat contradictory. Deep down, he’s someone naturally indifferent and extremely ruthless."
No sooner had these words been spoken than Li Yingwan couldn’t hold back, and she angrily exclaimed, "Hey! Xicheng Xun, how can you say that about Oppa!"
"Am I wrong?" Xicheng Xun shook her head. "Ah Xiu is actually quite cold-blooded, decisive in his actions, and never lacks ruthlessness. Although he always has a smile on his face, that’s just a disguise he presents to others."
With that, the swordswoman slowly continued, "For instance... if you were to see a beggar on the street, how would you react?"
She pointed at Li Yingwan. "You, for example, would probably feel sorry for them and then give some money to the beggar. Right... no need to look at me that way, Li Yingwan. Even though I dislike you, I’m well aware that you’re the kind who’s stubborn to the end but actually has a soft heart, and you’re the most innocent among us... That’s why you’ve been fighting with Sun Keke for so long—because you’re just as naive as her."
Then she pointed at Nivelle. "If it were you, you’d probably not give money directly to the beggar. Instead, you’d have your driver or attendant go to a store and buy some food for the beggar. You British aristocrats always do things in such a roundabout way. Despite wanting to display a bit of a charitable heart, you dislike being deceived, and you’re even less inclined to do such things directly, feeling that it would undermine your noble stature. Hence, you would send someone else. Thus, you would not give money but choose to provide practical goods instead."
Having said that, Xicheng Xun looked at the two girls. "Am I right?"
The two girls looked at each other and both nodded.
"Then... what about Chen Nuo?" Nivelle asked.
"Ah Xiu? If he were to encounter a beggar on the street, he wouldn’t even give him a second glance!"
Xicheng Xun answered with absolute certainty!
Then, under the curious gaze of the two girls, Xicheng Xun indifferently said, "Ah Xiu would think that a person, having hands and feet, could do anything to earn a living—even working in a factory would do. If someone chooses to be a beggar, then that’s their own business. Why should others pity or sympathize with him? Such people treat begging as a profession. Once it’s a profession, there’s no room for pity."
Li Yingwan frowned. "But there are some..."
"I know, you’re talking about the kind you might see on the street, the disabled kind? Those with amputated arms and legs..."
Xicheng Xun said coldly, "Especially those involved with criminal organizations, who kidnap children to beg, or even maim and mute them... Ah Xiu would never give them money either. He believes that if you encounter this and give money, you’re only aiding and abetting the crime! Given Ah Xiu’s character, he’s more likely to call the police or simply take matters into his own hands and bury those who commit such heinous acts."
After exhaling, Xicheng Xun said in a low voice, "After I learned the Huaxia language, I learned a term that I feel fits Ah Xiu’s character perfectly, and it’s something he values highly in his actions. That word is... humanity!"
Saying this, Xicheng Xun shook her head. "Don’t you think so? Although Ah Xiu is about the same age as us, the style in which he conducts himself and the principles he adheres to are very traditional, very much like the traditional concepts of Chinese people. He is decisive and ruthless in his actions. But he values humanity and conscience a great deal. On this point, he is not at all like an eighteen-year-old. He’s not naive and never acts rashly, always thinking things through. He’s more like an experienced, mature man. The thing that young people tend to lack the most when it comes to taking action is reverence. Because they lack reverence—lack respect for life, the world, and the human heart—young people often do many things that go too far. But think about it, has Ah Xiu ever done anything excessive? He always sets a line for himself, following the principles he reveres in his heart."
Nivelle and Li Yingwan listened thoughtfully.
"The second important thing in Ah Xiu’s character is... his strong sense of nostalgia," Xicheng Xun said, and couldn’t help but let out a sigh. "It’s a merit in his character, but for us, it’s probably a fatal flaw."
"How so?" Li Yingwan asked, frowning.
"What I mean is, with Ah Xiu’s character, now that he has Lu Xixi and Sun Keke in his heart... Such a man who is extremely nostalgic and values emotions will absolutely not give up on Lu Xixi and Sun Keke easily, and he will definitely not change his heart and abandon the two of them. Thus, I’ve always thought that your so-called ’defeat of the Great Devil’ is nothing but a joke to me."
Saying this, Xicheng Xun slowly continued, "Get one thing clear: Ah Xiu has not fallen for you, Li Yingwan, not for you, Nivelle, and definitely not for me, Xicheng Xun! And believe it or not, if anything were to happen to Lu Xixi or Sun Keke... With Ah Xiu’s character, he might never get close to another woman for the rest of his life!"
"..."
"..."
"That’s why I say, your attempts to topple Lu Xixi and Sun Keke are futile. Unless those two are dead, Ah Xiu will never change his heart and leave them. Especially now! Since Ah Xiu woke up, those two girls turned against him, and you all think an opportunity has arrived, don’t you? I’m telling you, it’s actually the opposite! If Lu Xixi and Sun Keke were with Ah Xiu in a stable relationship, then slowly, very quietly, bit by bit, you might be able to make your way into his heart over time. But under the current circumstances, with the people he loves most leaving him... His whole mind is focused on how to win back the women he loves the most. These days, Sun Keke seems to have come back to him. At such a time, you expect anything else? That’s utterly impossible! So you’d better hope that Ah Xiu can smoothly win back Sun Keke and Lu Xixi. Otherwise, Ah Xiu’s heart will be closed! He won’t leave any room for us because he’ll be entirely focused on those two! Once he accepts us, it would mean the complete end to any chance of reuniting with them. Given how nostalgic Ah Xiu is, it’s absolutely impossible; he simply has no intention of accepting you—absolutely none!"
Nivelle frowned. "So you mean to say... we should hope that Sun Keke and Lu Xixi reconcile with him? Wouldn’t that leave us with even less of a chance?"
"No. If they reconcile, and Ah Xiu no longer feels a sense of crisis, perhaps you could gradually soften him with time. Even though the chance is slim and remote, there is still a little bit of possibility. Unlike now! I can tell you with certainty, as long as Sun Keke and Lu Xixi have not returned to Ah Xiu’s side, you have no hope whatsoever. Especially you, Li Yingwan, stop doing things like climbing into his bed in the middle of the night. No matter what you do now, he won’t accept you! Because Lu Xixi left because of us. Sun Keke broke up because of us. If he dares to touch any of us, he would be cutting himself off from Lu Xixi and Sun Keke. So, it’s pointless! Stop doing such foolish things."
"Are we supposed to help him get back together with Sun Fatso?!" Li Yingwan exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"Then what should we do?" Nivelle seemed a bit calmer.
"Stay by his side, wait for the right opportunity. Wait for him to find Lu Xixi and Sun Keke with his own methods, wait until he’s done with all that... Of course, if I can help in the process, I will not be stingy with my efforts. As for you, do as you please!"
Xicheng Xun smiled. "I’ve already told you Ah Xiu is nostalgic. The longer you stay by his side, the more you may influence and soften him, the more chances you’ll find. Nostalgia requires having enough time, enough opportunities, building enough of an emotional foundation before you can enter the realm of his ’nostalgia’!"
"What if the wait is too long? We can’t keep waiting forever."
"If Lu Xixi or Sun Keke died, or if one of them died... I tell you, I’d give up immediately! Because if one of them died, Ah Xiu would spend his life with the remaining one, and he wouldn’t glance at another woman again! If both of them died... then Ah Xiu wouldn’t approach any woman for the rest of his life! If they’re both alive and Ah Xiu manages to win them back... that’s when I think the right time will have come. In that case, I’m willing to wait by his side for a while."
"How long?" asked Li Yingwan.
Xicheng Xun sighed, stretching out a palm. "Five years... This is the time I’ve given myself. I’m only seventeen; after five years I’ll only be twenty-two. A person only has a few decades in a lifetime. For the first man I’ve fallen in love with in my life, I’m willing to spend five years waiting for an opportunity. If after five years, I still can’t capture his feelings, then I will leave him on my own and return to Japan to live my own life—I’ll probably never get married in my lifetime. So, five years is the time I’ve given myself. As for how much time you’re willing to give yourselves... that’s up to you to decide."
There was silence in the car.
Li Yingwan and Nivelle both fell into contemplation, and it took a while for both of them to sigh almost simultaneously.
Suddenly, the car shuddered!
SCREECH!
A fierce slam on the brakes!
Of the three girls in the car, Li Yingwan was the most disheveled, tumbling onto the back of the front seats. Nivelle, thanks to her nimble reflexes, quickly made a protective movement.
Xicheng Xun reacted the fastest, bracing herself on the seatback with one hand. With a strong push of her legs, she instantly dissipated the forward inertia, then slapped her other hand on the seatback and quickly straightened up, her eyes warily watching the road ahead.
The frustrated driver in front slammed on the brakes and, without caring for much else, cursed loudly, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
As the car window rolled down, the driver glanced outside and then leaped out of the vehicle.
In the car, Xicheng Xun’s eyebrows fiercely shot up!
There weren’t many people on this road, and right in the middle of the road ahead, a small figure was standing.
Black curly hair, a fragile and short stature.
And, a pair of pitch-black, large eyes.
Clutching an MC cola cup in his hand, he was still gently biting on the straw.
The driver ran towards the boy, but before he could get close, the boy waved his hand casually, and without a sound, the driver collapsed on the ground.
Xicheng Xun’s face changed!
"Something’s not right! Don’t get out of the car yet!"
After speaking, Xicheng Xun opened the car door and scurried out in a crouch.
The boy stood in the middle of the road, squinting his eyes at the petite girl who had jumped out of the car.
"Hmm... Another Interactor, huh..."
「A few minutes later.」
The boy looked at the unconscious Xicheng Xun lying on the ground, and at Li Yingwan and Nivelle in the car, who had lost consciousness and were leaning against each other.
"Interesting people... One has the talent of an Ability User. One possesses the potential for dual consciousness. And one is a talent with mimicking ability..."
The boy pinched the cola cup in his hand, then, smiling, extended a strand of Spiritual Force Tentacles, which entered the bodies of the three girls...
Subsequently, the boy slowly walked away, disappearing by the roadside.
「MEOW~~」
The Gray Cat was lying on the rooftop terrace; the heat-insulating cement board still held the warmth of the sun after a day of basking.
It was dusk now, with the sun not yet set.
In October, this was the last chance of the day to bask in the sun.
The Gray Cat lay languidly on the warm cement board, letting the warm sunlight bathe its back, and then slowly stretched on the ground.
Slowly rolling over on the ground, the Gray Cat got up and gently licked its paw.
Suddenly, a shadow enveloped it!
The Gray Cat turned its head, and abruptly, the fur on its back stood on end!
A figure was already standing behind it; it was uncertain when he had arrived or how long he had been there!
A short stature, curly black hair, pitch-black eyes.
The shadow was cast right over the Gray Cat!
The Gray Cat’s body instinctively arched!
Despite detecting not a hint of spiritual power from the figure, at that moment, the Gray Cat felt as if every cell in its body was about to explode!
"I’ve been watching you all this time, for a full ten minutes," said the boy with a smile, in a childlike yet deep voice, "...It’s not that I’m forgetful... it’s just that you’ve changed so much. I watched you for a full ten minutes before I finally recognized who you were. It really is a shame. Last time I didn’t recognize you... If it weren’t for the energy fluctuation of an Interactor bringing me here today, I would probably have missed you again..."