The daily life of the Windchime Family unfolded in a subtle equilibrium.
Aoki understood well that to change the future, he had to start with the details, and the heart of those details was his interactions with the sisters, Yueqi and Yuelan.
Training ground.
Before the morning mist had fully dispersed, the sharp sound of something slicing through the air could already be heard in the training ground behind the family house.
Yueqi, holding an unsharpened training longsword, moved with agile grace. Her sword flashed like a stream of light as she practiced the Windchime Family’s signature Gale Sword Technique. Her movements were precise and powerful, carrying an undeniable sharpness.
Aoki stood quietly at the edge of the field, watching.
He remembered that this particular set of sword moves Yueqi practiced had a subtle flaw in the way she exerted force. It caused her breath to pause for a split second when switching moves at high speed. It wouldn’t matter during daily practice, but in a life-and-death struggle with a true master in the future, that momentary opening could be fatal.
After Yueqi finished her set, she paused, catching her breath, and only then did Aoki slowly approach.
“Your Gale Sword’s third form—when transitioning to the Spinning Slash, you can pull your waist and abdomen in half an inch more, and lower your center of gravity just a bit,” Aoki’s voice was calm, without any sense of self-importance, more like he was stating a fact. “That way, the transition will be smoother, and your breath won’t break.”
Yueqi paused as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Those sharp green eyes looked at Aoki with a hint of surprise, but more with indifference. She had practiced the sword since childhood and was exceptionally talented— even the family’s sword instructors rarely managed to point out her flaws. What could this seemingly frail, “live-in” fallen noble possibly know about swordsmanship?
“My swordsmanship doesn’t need your concern.” Yueqi’s tone was cold, full of the pride only a genius could have. “We may have a marriage contract, but you don’t need to use it as an excuse to get close to me. Just do what you’re supposed to.”
Her words were direct and distant, clearly drawing a line. In her eyes, Aoki was probably just an “attachment” she had to accept for the sake of family duty, with no right to meddle in her domain.
Aoki wasn’t surprised, nor did he argue. He simply nodded lightly. “Just a casual suggestion. Listen or not, it’s up to you.” With that, he turned and left the training ground, as if he’d truly only made an offhand remark.
Yueqi watched his departing figure, her brow slightly furrowed. She found him somewhat inexplicable. But as she subconsciously practiced the Gale Sword’s third form again, trying to adjust her force as Aoki had said, she found the sword’s arc through the air became noticeably smoother, and the flow of battle aura within her body grew more seamless!
She abruptly halted, shock and disbelief flickering in her eyes. He… was right? He really understands swordsmanship? And his insight is that sharp?
At that moment, the image of Aoki as a “good-for-nothing fallen noble” in her mind quietly cracked open.
Family Library.
Compared to Yueqi’s sharpness, dealing with little Yuelan required a subtler strategy.
Aoki discovered that this introverted, sensitive girl seemed to have an interest in theological tomes far beyond her years, often hiding away alone in the family’s dust-laden library, flipping through thick volumes about gods and salvation.
That afternoon, Aoki “coincidentally” came to the library and saw little Yuelan standing on tiptoe, struggling to reach a copy of the “Sacred Light Codex” from a high shelf.
He walked over and easily took down the heavy tome, handing it to her.
Yuelan jumped in fright, shrinking back like a startled fawn. When she saw it was Aoki, her face instantly flushed, and she lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze, her small hands nervously twisting at her skirt.
“Th-thank you….” Her voice was barely audible.
Aoki didn’t hand the book to her right away, but casually flipped through a few pages, then said offhandedly, “This book is a little advanced for beginners. To understand Sacred Light, you first need to grasp the meaning of ‘Order’ and ‘Devotion’—especially devotion and loyalty to family.” He pointed to a passage about the connection between family and faith.
Yuelan peeked up at him curiously.
Aoki went on in the same flat tone: “These were things your sister Yueqi brought up with me before. Even though she’s busy with swordsmanship, she always cares about your studies and hopes you’ll become someone useful to the family.” He skillfully shifted the credit for guidance to Yueqi.
“Sister… she…” Yuelan’s eyes flickered with light, but then quickly dimmed again, as if a little disappointed.
Aoki caught that hint of disappointment. He knew that just relying on “sister’s expectations” wouldn’t be enough. He needed to completely dispel any special feelings she might have developed toward him. He set the book down on a nearby table, his tone adopting a deliberately lazy and helpless air that didn’t match his age.
“Honestly, what’s the point of reading all these books?” He sighed, leaning back against the shelf, his gaze drifting out the window. “Look at me—my family’s gone, and I still have to rely on a marriage contract to get by. All that talk of reviving the family is just empty words. Living a peaceful life is good enough. Your sister is the future head of the family—a brave hero. She has a heavy burden to bear. As for us…” He paused, looking at little Yuelan, with a kind of almost “giving up” detachment. “If we just do what we’re supposed to and don’t cause trouble for the family, we’re already doing our duty.”
His words sounded dispirited, but every sentence emphasized the boundary of identity and family responsibility.
Yuelan listened, her small hands gripping tighter, head bowed so her expression couldn’t be seen. After a long moment, she finally let out the faintest “mm,” then hugged the “Sacred Light Codex” and ran out of the library.
Aoki watched her fleeing silhouette, feeling uncertain inside. Changing someone’s heart, especially correcting a feeling that might already be rooted in the subconscious, was never an easy task. But he had to try.
*****
Real World, Alliance Camp.
Aoki’s consciousness withdrew from the deep simulation and he shot upright from his cot, cold sweat beading at his brow.
The details of the simulation remained vivid in his mind. He was eager to confirm whether his interventions had produced any effect in reality.
He immediately got up and left his tent to find Yuelan, to observe her current state.
He hadn’t gone far when, right in the center of the camp’s open space, he encountered Yuelan organizing the faithful for morning prayers. She still wore that pristine white saintess’ robe, her face pure, her demeanor gentle.
But when her eyes met Aoki’s, he froze instantly in place.
That wasn’t the gaze filled with obsessive possessiveness from his memory, nor was it the timid, curious look from the early days of the simulation, nor the false gentleness that came later… That was… a look full of kindness, tolerance, and even… maternal concern?
Yuelan saw Aoki, and her face broke into an impossibly soft, warm smile. She walked up to him of her own accord, her voice as gentle as if it could drip water:
“Aoki, you’re awake? Did you sleep well last night? You still look a bit tired—you must take care of your health.” As she spoke, she very naturally reached out, as if to help straighten his slightly crooked collar, her movements so practiced it seemed she’d done it countless times.
Aoki reflexively stepped back half a pace, dodging her hand, his face full of shock and disbelief.
“Yuelan… you…” He could barely get out a complete sentence.
Yuelan’s hand hovered in the air, but showed no trace of embarrassment. Instead, the kindness in her eyes grew even stronger, tinged with helpless indulgence: “You child, still so rash and careless. Were you staying up late studying tactics again? Your health is the foundation of everything—you can’t just take it for granted because you’re young.”
Child?! “Foundation of the revolution”?!
Aoki felt as if his brain had crashed. What was going on? The way Yuelan looked at him was exactly like someone looking at a junior in need of care—or even… a son?!
He tried to detect any sign of pretense in her eyes, but that overflowing, nearly tangible concern and affection was so real it made his scalp tingle.
His simulated intervention… seemed to have worked? He’d successfully twisted Yuelan’s warped affection for him into… maternal love?! Or rather, into an intensely strong urge to protect and care for a younger member of the family?
This result was far stranger than anything he’d anticipated!
Was it because, during the simulation, he kept emphasizing the identity of “brother-in-law” and family duty, while also playing the role of someone fallen and in need of care, that— in Yuelan’s mind—his image was locked in as someone “to be cared for and guided as a family junior,” rather than as a possible romantic interest?
Aoki stood rooted to the spot, facing Yuelan’s gaze brimming with “motherly” affection. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, a jumble of emotions welling up inside.
Could this be called a success? Yuelan indeed no longer harbored romantic feelings for him, and the tragedy of future imprisonment had been avoided. But… this strange sensation of suddenly gaining a “mom” was just too much for him to process.
History’s corrections truly were filled with unpredictable variables.
He sighed helplessly, knowing that this time, his “correction” had probably gone too far— but at least the direction was right. It seemed he’d have to make finer adjustments in the next simulation.
Meanwhile, the real-world Yuelan just smiled gently at his “complicated” expression, softly urging, “Go eat something. We still have to discuss the attack plan later.” That tone, that manner—she was every bit a concerned elder looking after a younger generation.
Aoki: “……”
So close, but not quite… not yet…
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