“Lao Xi can only appear in memories now (sad)”
“I’ve watched the First Season several times. Indeed, Xiao Xi before episode six is the cutest.”
“Mango cake and Babatou cake, cake…”
Shi Linglin nodded thoughtfully, looked at the female boss, and requested:
“Then I’ll trouble you, boss, to make one of these for me as well.”
‘Between these two cakes, rationally I think Ye Lan would prefer the luxurious Babatou cake. After all, although she’s been through a lot, both her looks and talent are top-tier. Luxurious people match luxurious cakes. Mm, a good fit.’
“Take care!”
Business was slow in the afternoon, but the boss was in an exceptionally good mood because Shi Linglin and Aili had placed two large orders.
Not only did she have the two delivery robots in the shop help deliver, but she also personally saw the three out.
“I’m off first!”
“Mm, hope we meet again by fate!”
Shi Linglin watched Aili and Anvil head in the opposite direction—toward the residential area inside the Starport—and gave a slight smile.
‘After spending so long in the Saints’ hand society, coming back to the Positive universe, I’m still not used to all these good people everywhere!’
She turned and walked away with a smile, eager to bring these cakes back to Ye Lan.
Aili’s thoughts were much the same.
“Everyone can finally gather again. Counting the time, Ajin brother and Miss Jiu should be arriving soon. These cakes, bought according to their tastes from two years ago… they should like them, right?”
“And sister… please bear with it a little longer. I will definitely save you!”
The three walking in opposite directions cast long, slender, and more slanted shadows under the artificial sun.
In the camera shot, they were like two parallel black lines.
“That’s not a hint anymore, it’s clearly stated.”
“These two characters are kind of mirror images of each other. Both have a beloved sister, but one is good, the other a villain. Their hair happens to be gold and white.”
“I can already predict the later plot: the mysterious gray-haired girl beats up Lao Ai, and for some reason, Lao Xi always shows up just in time to save the day and crush the villain.”
“Then the gray-haired girl reforms, and everyone gathers for a happy dumpling feast, right?”
The camera followed Shi Linglin back to the Caged Bird Battleship.
She first returned to her room to change into a maid outfit, then picked up the large bag of packaged cakes and stepped into a hidden space called the “Birdcage.”
Just like countless times before.
Even though she had been outside for three or four hours, the gray-haired girl still sat motionless on the throne like a puppet, not even her posture changed from when Shi Linglin left.
Shi Linglin habitually walked behind the throne and glanced at the palm-sized screen.
The cute Q-version girl who had been eating cake earlier had now changed into a sports bra, tied a fluffy high ponytail, and was practicing horse stance and punching in the training ground.
Sweat beads on the little figure’s forehead kept refreshing and disappearing, and above her head, “Ha” sound effects appeared in rhythm with her punches.
“This little character is pretty cute.”
“What is this, simulated training?”
“Is it training time already?”
Shi Linglin thought. She placed the cakes in front of the girl and stood aside silently, waiting for her to finish today’s training.
Even the Saints’ hand society probably had no way to make star energy users grow stronger through training in illusions.
Otherwise, knowing Dr. Forefinger as she did, if such technology existed, he would have already applied it to Ye Lan.
Moreover, at Ye Lan’s level, actual combat often brought more improvement than hard training.
Ye Lan’s current “training” was not real training at all, but a virtual ideological class designed to reinforce the brainwashing effect of the Pavlov’s Dog Project.
The training course seemed to have started after Shi Linglin left.
Before long, two crimson glows lit up from the mask, then gradually faded.
“Big Sister.”
With a soft call, Shi Linglin stepped out from the side.
Yun Ruoxi calmly looked up at her, and from the corner of her eye noticed the cakes by her feet.
Then, her gaze uncontrollably shifted over.
She still showed no expression and said nothing, but Shi Linglin inexplicably sensed her desire for the cakes.
“Big Sister, please wait a moment,” Shi Linglin said softly.
Time was of the essence. To avoid being discovered by Jinsique A, she quickly opened the boxes of mango cake and Babatou cake recommended by Aili and the boss, and brought them before the girl.
If she didn’t like them, switch to another.
Unexpectedly, the moment Yun Ruoxi’s gaze landed on the mango cake, she froze completely.
She slowly raised her hand and pointed at the mango cake.
For this “Dark Dust,” who had no emotions stirring in her mind, this was an extremely rare situation.
Shi Linglin opened her mouth slightly in surprise.
‘No wonder Jinsique A strictly limits everything about Ye Lan. Even a soul whose emotions have been “stolen” and withered still instinctively drives the body to obey its final desire. If the triggers for desire are not completely isolated, the “armament” might go out of control.’
Her heart ached at the thought.
She reached out and lifted Yun Ruoxi’s mask slightly upward, revealing her pink, moist lips. Then she scooped a large spoonful of mango cake and brought it to the girl’s mouth.
Because the camera was angled obliquely at her and Yun Ruoxi, the audience could only see Yun Ruoxi’s mouth.
Furthermore, since the Production Team did not provide Shi Linglin’s internal monologue, the audience simply assumed the mysterious gray-haired girl was too spoiled to even eat without her maid’s help.
Yun Ruoxi opened her mouth and sucked the cake off the spoon. Two streams of clear tears immediately rolled down from the corners of her eyes.
“C-crying?”
Shi Linglin was startled and instantly panicked. She quickly looked at the display screen behind the throne.
Only when she saw no red warning for [Unauthorized Emotion] on the screen did she breathe a sigh of relief.
‘If feeding cake in secret is discovered, at worst I’ll get a small punishment. But if “Dark Dust,” who is an armament, produces an emotion she shouldn’t have without being injected with emotional cold element, Dr. Forefinger might not kill me, but he’ll definitely transfer me away from Ye Lan’s side.’
“Is this also a residual desire? Can mango cake really be so delicious that it makes you cry, Ye Lan?”
Shi Linglin muttered in confusion.
Though it was fortunate that it wasn’t an emotional outburst, she still couldn’t understand why her Big Sister had suddenly started crying. She simply assumed the cake was too delicious and that Ye Lan really wanted it.
But when the audience saw that the mysterious gray-haired girl was called “Ye Lan,” only one character different from “Xinglan,” and that eating mango cake could bring her to tears, an incredible thought arose in each of their minds.
Could this suddenly appearing mysterious gray-haired girl “Ye Lan” be the brainwashed and corrupted version of the former Xinglan—Yun Ruoxi?