Chapter Nine: The Doll

After leaving the instruction "Do not give up on yourself," the young lady walked away like a butterfly fluttering off from a flower. Gongsun Ce sat on the sofa for a long while, the sensation of warmth and softness still lingering on his hands.

An inexplicable sense of vexation welled up inside him. Qin Qianbai believed he was giving up on himself, but was it truly wrong to live life with a passive attitude? He had not spoken with subjective malice or unpleasantness; everything he said was his heartfelt perspective. It was precisely because he knew his thoughts would appear strange to others that he rarely spoke of them.

Unlike physical actions, thoughts in one’s mind do not interfere with others; therefore, every human being has the right to view themselves freely. He had always believed this, yet today, Qin Qianbai seemed to have felt saddened by his remarks... and that was why she had embraced him, comforting a person who had never been hurt.

Giving up on himself... self-contempt, self-loathing... Was this the person Gongsun Ce was in her eyes? Then...

He did not want to delve deeper.

Such convoluted thinking was as meaningless as discarded intelligence. He was merely experiencing occasional negative concepts; Gongsun Ce had always been a positive and aspiring person. He was a superhuman fighting for ideals, dreams, and the lives of others.

It was nearly five o'clock. Gongsun Ce decided to fulfill his promise, buy a gift for Qiluo, grab a bite to eat, and then continue his training in the Law of Impermanence.

·

To: Qiluo
[Between a rabbit, a kitten, and a rocket punch, which one do you prefer?]

To: Gongsun Ce
[I like all of them except the last one~]

What a pity. Gongsun Ce set down the rocket punch plush toy and sighed silently. He had thought Qiluo would understand the romance of robots, but it seemed she too was a woman bound by conventional notions.

The gray-haired youth stood before a shelf in a toy store, selecting a gift for his friend among the sea of plush toys. Plenty of men bought stuffed animals as gifts; he was certain the clerks would not have any strange misunderstandings about him.

He considered his choice appropriate and wise; after all, plush toys were a gift no girl would dislike... Even Caldesia would not reject a cute little toy. No, never mind the top-hat-wearing tormentor; even the Knight of Dawn would not speak ill of a rabbit plush.

Perhaps only vicious women like Shiyu Ling or Dust Blast would disdain such small toys.

Thinking this, he reached for the pink teddy bear on the edge of the shelf...

"Eh?" "Oh."

As luck would have it, another hand reached for the bear at the same time. Judging by the slender shape and slightly long nails, it was clearly a woman’s hand.

Competing with a girl for a toy was not how a man should behave. Gongsun Ce courteously withdrew his hand and instinctively said, "After you, Miss..."

Halfway through his sentence, the gray-haired youth looked up and caught sight of the hand's owner. The woman competing with him for the toy was a slim, blue-haired lady who looked exactly like someone he had fought a bloody battle with last month. However, the black hunting suit she wore when they first met was gone, replaced by a long-sleeved tracksuit designed for ease of movement.

"..."

"..."

Their gazes met, and a thousand emotions surged in their hearts. Both were pondering what kind of opening line to use to bolster their own presence, belittle the other's actions, and simultaneously shed their own identities as "plush toy enthusiasts."

Gongsun Ce, ever sharp-tongued, spoke first, his tone exceptionally grave: "Don't be like this, Miss Alice. I don't even know where to begin mocking you."

"Mocking?!" Shiyu Ling said, annoyed. "Am I doing something ridiculous?!"

Gongsun Ce said candidly, "Actually, no. I initially wanted to make an age-related joke, but then I realized you’re in the age range where liking plush toys is perfectly normal, so there’s nothing strange about it. It was just my habitual desire to take a jab at you, sorry. The things I truly wanted to mock were related to other matters..."

"Ahaha, you really like teasing your big sister, don't you?"

Miss Alice chuckled dryly while drawing a short arrow.

"—If you dare say anything about this tracksuit, we start fighting right now."

How did you guess my next punchline? You have quite a lot of self-awareness, Miss Alice.

Gongsun Ce stared at the hunter’s tracksuit jacket and solid-colored trousers, feeling that this attire emphasized her uniquely pathetic aura to the extreme. He did not intend to start a war with a Manifestation practitioner in a toy store, so he regretfully let it go.

"As you wish." Gongsun Ce spread his hands. "Nice fashion sense. Very much your style."

Shiyu Ling sneered, "Are you that obsessed with how I dress, boy?"

It's hard not to be, considering what turned you from a woman who looked quite heroic on the outside into this current state of undisguised nature.

Under normal circumstances, he could have debated Shiyu Ling for half an hour, with full confidence that he could make her steam with rage. But now, the conversation with the young lady was still echoing in his mind, leaving him with little appetite for mischief.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not concerned." Gongsun Ce shook his head wearily. "Past grievances are settled; we don't have to be at each other's throats every time we meet. I'll just buy a different gift; you enjoy your day off and your plush toy."

He turned and walked away decisively. Shiyu Ling opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"Hey... that's rare, that attitude. Did that Imperial girl dump you?"

"Mr. Gongsun hasn't even been in a relationship, so what's this about being dumped?"

He abandoned the pink teddy bear he had initially chosen and picked out a gray kitten plush instead. He figured Qiluo had two kitten hair clips, so she must like cats; giving this would not be a mistake.

Shiyu Ling did indeed take the pink teddy bear. The two stood in line at the checkout, not speaking another word, like strangers who had bumped into each other in a store, having never had any connection. They walked out of the store and headed in different directions. As Shiyu Ling stepped away, she heard the youth ask, quite unexpectedly.

"Miss Alice... do you think I am a negative person?"

Shiyu Ling rolled her eyes and replied with a drawn-out tone.

"Interesting, Gongsun Ce. Have you finally alienated everyone because of that foul mouth of yours, to the point where you need to treat me as your soul-sister?"

"Hardly, Mr. Gongsun has plenty of friends. It's just a whim; I wanted to hear your take..."

The gray-haired youth adjusted his glasses.

"I think the two of us are somewhat compatible."

Shiyu Ling put away the toy and walked over slowly.

"What a coincidence, I think so too. Do you know why?"

She walked behind the gray-haired youth, draped one arm over his shoulder, and turned her face from the side to look at him.

"We are both people living behind masks," Shiyu Ling said, her eyes curving into a sweet, beautiful smile. "Hiding our true selves beneath a facade, using feigned conversation to handle the probings of others, appearing lively and harmonious on the surface while secretly mocking and hating each other inside. We are both too familiar with this way of survival, aren't we?"

Her cold, thin voice seeped into his ears like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

"After wearing a mask for a long time, the disguise becomes another version of yourself. In the end, you don't even know which side is the real you... But that is merely the illusion of being caught in the situation; bystanders see it clearly. Just like you, Gongsun Ce. Are you a negative person? No, no, how could you think that..."

Her tone was as sweet as honey, yet the content was as vile as poison.

"The word 'negative' is too modest; you are a person who practices a negative way of life to the extreme! Gongsun Ce, you are even confiding in me right now—in the woman who took your life a month ago. I can't stand it; what kind of view of your own life must you have to be so nonchalant to such a degree?"

Gongsun Ce’s body stiffened involuntarily, and the sharp hunter did not let it pass. She laughed even more happily, her piercing words stabbing into the youth’s heart like needles.

"Only just realizing it now? That’s why I like your personality; it’s so interesting—you are just as vile as I am... Hahaha, hahahahaha!"

Gongsun Ce calmly brushed her hand away.

"Saying you 'like' me repeatedly—can I interpret this as a confession from your twisted personality? Unfortunately, Mr. Gongsun does not like this narcissistic, wicked woman; I still prefer the pathetic Miss Alice."

"Likewise." Shiyu Ling whispered into his ear, "Compared to a suicide volunteer, I also prefer the naive, righteous boy."

"............Tch."

"Thank you for your ill-intentioned comments, Miss Alice. I guarantee I will cast them all to the back of my mind within five seconds."

"You're welcome, Gongsun Ce. I am very happy that my words could bring you unease and pain. Big sister here welcomes you to come and confide in me again anytime..." Shiyu Ling stepped back, looking delighted. "...so I can hurt you once more."

Gongsun Ce adjusted his glasses and mimicked a child's tone.

"Thank you, you over-the-hill, unmarried, pathetic tracksuit woman!"

The expression on Shiyu Ling’s face changed, and she replied through gritted teeth.

"You're welcome, you childish..."

"Thank you so much, over-the-hill, unmarried, pathetic tracksuit woman." He turned around and said with extreme enthusiasm, "You have really helped me a lot. Why don't I treat you to dinner, over-the-hill, unmarried, pathetic tracksuit woman? By the way, I also want to consult you on the latest fashion trends; I think this outfit of yours is incredibly stylish and perfectly highlights your unique temperament. I can't think of a second person more suited to wearing a tracksuit than you..."

"—I'll kill you!"

Gongsun Ce used his ability to accelerate, dodging the short arrow aimed directly at his forehead. He let out three peals of laughter, leaped into the air, and flew away from the furious blue-haired woman on the ground.

·

Nighttime.

Cangshou District, Yan Qi’s residence.

Gongsun Ce pushed the door open and entered the villa, seeing Yan Qi eating noodles at the dining table, just as he expected.

"You live in such a big mansion and you eat this?"

Yan Qi slurped down two mouthfuls and replied with his mouth full.

"A person has to eat to live, and machines consume money to operate. Who cares about delicacies every day? Why don't you try eating shark fin, abalone, and bird's nest for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day?"

"Don't say that, I actually quite want to try." Gongsun Ce sat down at the dining table. "Do you have any here? Fix me some, maybe a shark fin stir-fry with sea cucumber."

"Get lost."

He clicked his tongue and tapped the table, asking, "Yan Qi. Do you think I'm negative?"

The man in black replied without a second thought, "None of your business."

Sometimes he really wondered if this person could say anything other than his usual catchphrases.

"Is your logical chain still intact? How is this none of my business?"

Yan Qi sneered, "If I call you a donkey, will you really become a donkey? If I say you’re negative, will you go commit suicide? If I say you’re a good role model with aspirations and thoughts, will you go work for Fatty Liu? There are many kinds of meaningless things in this world, and the opinions of others are at the top of the list!"

He had forgotten this.

Yan Qi, this stubborn and eccentric man, would never care about the opinions of others. He would only do what he believed was right, ignoring those around him, and loudly mocking the stupidity and ignorance of others.

Gongsun Ce looked at the ceiling and said, "Fine, anyway, you all have your own meanings."

"Meaning my ass."

"?"

Yan Qi set down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"What is 'meaning' anyway? Does the Earth have meaning? Does the universe have meaning? Meaning is something man-made; if you say it exists, it does; if you say it doesn't, it doesn't! It’s just a spray of foam rising from the waves of a fickle heart. Those who treat it as so-called life value are just ignorant pigs and dogs."

He unexpectedly felt no desire to argue back, only saying in a low voice.

"…The world has constant principles, but the heart has no constant nature."

"Still remember the general outline? I guess you didn't study in vain. Get ready to continue practicing; I have limited time, and by the end of the month, you must enter the dream."

The painter walked to the living room to prepare. Gongsun Ce looked at his back and asked, "What happens after entering the dream?"

"You can escape into the soul, transcend mortal reason. Touch the truth, and understand your own nature."

Yan Qi let out a burp, picked his teeth, and muttered:

"Dive into the sea of the impermanent heart, and light the true spiritual brilliance. From then on, the heart will shine, and you shall see the 'Me' within the 'Me'!"

(End of Volume 2 Interlude)