Fu Zhu and Sunday stared in silence at Changye Yue, who stood before them. Her style of dress was completely different from March 7th's, and her expression was a far cry from March's usual goofiness. Was this really a mirror image?
"March, no!"
Fu Zhu almost immediately reached out and pulled March 7th behind him, looking at Changye Yue warily. However, this time he didn't draw his weapon and point it at her.
If Changye Yue's actions to protect March 7th earlier were truly because she was March 7th's past, then pointing a weapon at her would be hurtful.
"Willing to have a proper talk this time? Changye Yue."
It was only then that March 7th reacted, unable to help but exclaim, "You are the other me?"
Hearing March 7th say this, Changye Yue couldn't help but roll her eyes, then glared at Fu Zhu with a hint of resentment.
"I've been telling you the truth all along, but alas, no one believes me."
Fu Zhu remained calm and countered, "If another 'me' suddenly popped up, with a completely different personality and style of dress, do you think March would believe that person is me?"
Standing beside Fu Zhu, March 7th shook her head cooperatively.
"No way!"
Fu Zhu glanced at Changye Yue as if to say, See?
Changye Yue looked at March 7th with some resignation. She hadn't expected to be backstabbed by herself. She sighed softly.
"Fine, ask whatever you want. As long as I can answer, I'll tell you the truth."
Hearing this, Sunday whispered to Fu Zhu and March 7th, "I'll wait for you outside the alley."
"No, stay." Fu Zhu stopped Sunday. "I need you to use the power of Harmony to confirm she isn't lying."
"Alright."
Sunday stayed. He raised his hand to apply the power of [Harmony] onto Changye Yue, then nodded to Fu Zhu.
Only then did Fu Zhu begin his questioning of Changye Yue.
"Are you sincerely protecting March 7th?"
"Yes."
"Are you willing to protect March 7th at any cost?"
"Yes."
"If given the chance, would you invade March 7th's body and take control for yourself?"
"No."
"Then regarding March 7th's past..."
Before Fu Zhu could finish his sentence, Changye Yue frowned and rejected the question at lightning speed.
"Sorry, I can't talk about that."
Fu Zhu paused for a moment, then changed the question.
"Why?"
"Just like I said earlier, I want to protect her, so I can't tell you. Unless she finds those past memories herself."
Fu Zhu couldn't help but frown. Changye Yue's answer implied that there was definitely a problem with March 7th's past, and it carried a certain degree of danger.
"Alright, then I won't ask."
Fu Zhu nodded to Sunday, and Sunday removed the power of [Harmony] from Changye Yue.
Feeling the mental restraint vanish, Changye Yue rubbed her temples. If not to completely clear Fu Zhu's suspicions, she wouldn't have allowed such power to be used on her!
With the misunderstanding resolved, Fu Zhu confirmed the fact that Changye Yue was not an enemy, but an ally. This allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief. However, there was still one thing that puzzled him.
"By the way, I still want to ask you: Why did you show hostility toward me when we first met?"
When Fu Zhu brought this up, Changye Yue immediately stared at him with furrowed brows.
"Let me ask you. If you were me, and you just slept for a while, only to wake up and find your innocence gone and your whole body sore and aching, wouldn't you be angry?"
Hearing Changye Yue's words, Fu Zhu looked up at the sky in embarrassment. Sunday, standing to the side, realized he had heard a personal matter he shouldn't have. He immediately lowered his head and stared at the floor, which looked very much like a floor.
This floor is really made of floor!
March 7th didn't react in time and subconsciously muttered a retort.
"Is the back of his head really that good-looking?"
The corners of Fu Zhu's and Changye Yue's mouths twitched, and they both looked at March 7th in unison.
Sunday looked up at the wall. This wall is also very wall-like.
Changye Yue ruthlessly poked March 7th's forehead with her finger. "You heartless girl! I was 'wiped clean' by someone, yet you're talking about me behind my back!"
March 7th, whose forehead was poked until a small red mark appeared, argued unconvincingly, "But... aren't you me? I like Fu Zhu, you saying that I have all my memories... wouldn't you like him too?"
"I...!"
Changye Yue was instantly choked up. She really couldn't give an answer that went against her heart.
Seeing that she had successfully persuaded her other self, March 7th smiled triumphantly. Then, as if remembering something, she took a camera from her waist and shoved it into Sunday's hands.
"Sunday, can you take a picture of us?"
" certainly."
March 7th immediately ran over, hooked her arm around Changye Yue's, and made a peace sign ( ^ - ^ )V with her fingers. Changye Yue didn't refuse and made the same pose, though no matter how she tried, she couldn't replicate March 7th's goofy expression.
Sunday waited for the two to strike their pose and was about to press the shutter.
"Wait, one more person!"
March 7th pulled Fu Zhu over. She and Changye Yue stood on either side of him. She directly hugged Fu Zhu's waist and made a peace sign again.
Fu Zhu cooperated fully and struck a pose. Just as he was waiting for Sunday to press the shutter, he felt someone lean on his other shoulder. He looked sideways and saw Changye Yue pressing close to him, her thin lips slightly parted, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"I'm sorry. I didn't react in time back then, that's why I got angry."
The corners of Fu Zhu's mouth curved up, and he spoke apologetically as well.
"I should also say sorry. Pointing a finger at you... you must have been angry, right?"
"Not at all."
Changye Yue's eyes curved into crescents, the corners of her mouth rising naturally.
"Because I know the meaning behind you drawing your blade. It was to protect 'me.' So I wasn't angry. In fact, I was very happy."
Click.
Sunday pressed the shutter, capturing the moment all three of them smiled. After glancing at the photo to ensure there were no flaws, he handed the camera back to March 7th.
"The shot turned out quite well!"
March 7th took a look at the photo and was very satisfied.
"Hehe, thanks for the compliment."
With the arrival of the photo, the curtain fell on the Changye Yue incident for the time being. The heavy stone in Fu Zhu's heart finally landed. He then looked at March 7th.
"Are you still going to play there?"
March 7th looked at Changye Yue. She wanted to hang out with her other self; it would definitely be a very novel experience!
Changye Yue understood March 7th's thoughts but shook her head.
"I can't appear for long. My appearance this time is only due to the candy and the Potion of Weakness. Next time, maybe."
Seeing her say this, March 7th nodded with some regret.
"Alright then. Fu Zhu, let's go back! I still want to participate in the Wardance Ceremony!"
Fu Zhu calculated the time. The flow of time between the two stars was different, but they should still make it.
"Okay. But before that... Sunday, what do you plan to do next?"
Seeing Fu Zhu suddenly throw the question back at him, Sunday hesitated. He was somewhat lost now. He didn't know where to go. He hadn't given up on his ideals, but he didn't know how to realize them.
"I think... what I need next is to learn. But I don't know how to start..."
"If you don't know where to go, want to board the Astral Express?"
The invitation issued by Fu Zhu stunned Sunday. He looked at Fu Zhu with surprise. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about boarding the Astral Express, but he didn't know how to ask. After all, he had previously harmed the people of the Express.
Fu Zhu sensed his hesitation and explained, " The Astral Express never rejects those willing to move forward together. How about it?"
After a brief moment of being dazed, a smile couldn't help but appear on Sunday's aloof face.
"Thank you. Although I do not possess the will of [Trailblaze] and cannot become a true Nameless, please allow me to accompany you all as a student for the coming time."
"Sure. But before that, I have to let the others know. After all, we are the owners of the Astral Express, not just any random person."
"Naturally."
Seeing Sunday agree, Fu Zhu raised his hand and took out the Yamato, slicing open a spatial tunnel leading to the Astral Express in front of him.
"Let's go then."
---o---
Outside Paperfold University, Boothill stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a woman at the school gate, watching the Hound Family members escort the Slumbernana Monkeys away in handcuffs.
Watching this scene, Boothill couldn't help but tip his hat.
"What the fudge, baby. I heard you needed help to come over, but looking at this, someone else has already taken care of his baby!"
"Mhm... Indeed."
---o---
On the Astral Express, a spatial tunnel suddenly opened, and Fu Zhu, March 7th, and Sunday walked out from it.
Sunday looked around, unable to stop himself from sighing in admiration at the decor inside the carriage.
"Is this the Astral Express? It truly lifts the spirit."
"The interesting stuff is elsewhere. You sit down and wait for a moment; I'll go find Himeko and the others."
Fu Zhu asked March 7th to host Sunday for a bit—after all, they were technically the hosts now—while he went to another carriage to fetch Himeko and Welt.
When Himeko and Welt came to the parlor car specifically and saw Sunday drinking tea, they couldn't help but show surprised expressions. They hadn't expected Sunday to really come on board, but they showed no other expression, simply walking over with smiles.
"Mr. Sunday, we've already heard about your situation from Fu Zhu. Welt and I both agree to let you board the train. However, there's still a little guy outside. We can only ask you to stay here temporarily. After they return, we can make a final decision."
"Of course, no problem, Ms. Himeko."
Sunday's matter was settled for the time being. Pom-Pom appeared at just the right time, walked up to Sunday, and looked up at him. "Passenger Sunday, follow me. I'll take you to your room, Pom!"
"Then I thank the Conductor."
Sunday followed Pom-Pom. Once the two left, Himeko finally looked at Fu Zhu with furrowed brows.
"Fu Zhu, Dan Heng sent a message earlier saying that he was keeping an eye on March 7th for us, so she didn't say it directly here."
Fu Zhu also guessed that Himeko wanted to discuss this, so he said with a smile, "Ms. Himeko, it's fine now. Changye Yue won't cause any harm to March."
March 7th was nodding and grinning on the side.
Seeing them say this, Himeko and Welt relaxed, and their smiles returned.
"That's wonderful. Oh, right. Dan Heng sent news that the Wardance Ceremony has already begun. Do you guys want to go back? If we can't send you, we still have to send Sunday to Herta Space Station, then send Dan Heng home. If you don't want to participate, that's fine too."
Fu Zhu wasn't very interested in the Wardance Ceremony, so he turned to ask March 7th for her opinion.
"I want to go! I've been practicing my sword art for a long time! Himeko, Uncle, I'll definitely bring back a good result to make you proud!"
"Okay."
Himeko rubbed her hair with a smile. "I look forward to you coming back with an award."
Fu Zhu saw March 7th's determination, so he took out the Yamato again.
"Then Himeko, we'll head out first."
"Mhm, stay safe on the road."
Fu Zhu used the Yamato to slice open a spatial tunnel, taking March 7th back to the Xianzhou Luofu.
........
At the grand arena of the Wardance Ceremony, the scene was incredibly lively. However, at this moment, the special host, Owlbert, was holding a contestant's photo with a face full of black lines, constantly comparing it to the person standing in front of him.
"Is the person in this photo you?"
Owlbert turned March 7th's entry photo around and showed it to Xing, who was clutching a baseball bat in front of him.
Xing only glanced at it roughly, then nodded seriously.
"It's me."
"It's you?"
"Yes. I was very fat back then."
Owlbert had a head full of black lines. The contestant photos were taken only a week ago. How could only a week have passed, yet a person underwent such a massive change?
And... the photo and the real person aren't that fat, are they?
Owlbert was in a difficult spot. He recognized the person in front of him as the famous Nameless, Xing. Leaving aside her powerful brother, just looking at the Nameless's connections, he really couldn't directly expose Xing's act of impersonating a contestant. But inviting him to be the host was the IPC's alliance. He couldn't slack off on his job, right?
"But you... the hair in the photo is pink..."
"Oh, I originally planned to dye that tuft of hair green, but the hairdresser gave me low-quality dye, and it faded to gray."
"But... the contestant information says your weapon is dual swords..."
Xing swung the baseball bat in her hand and rested it on Owlbert's head.
"Swords are such inconvenient things, don't you think?"
The corners of Owlbert's mouth twitched. He nodded in acceptance.
"What you say is... Contestant Xing..."
Xing interrupted him, reminding him.
"My name is March 7th."
"Alright, Contestant March 7th, then prepare to start your match!"
After Owlbert finished speaking, he hurriedly ran off the stage.
Meanwhile, in the audience stands, Dan Heng covered his face with a hand, looking utterly done. Beside him, a spatial tunnel opened, and Fu Zhu and March 7th walked out together.
"Hmm? Did the teleport drift?"
Fu Zhu hadn't expected to be teleported to the audience stands, but it wasn't a big problem. He just happened to see Dan Heng right next to him, so he led March 7th over.
"Dan Heng."
Hearing the voice, Dan Heng looked up. Seeing it was Fu Zhu and the others, he nodded.
The two sat down beside him. Fu Zhu asked, "How is the competition going now?"
The corner of Dan Heng's mouth twitched. He pointed to the center of the arena.
"'March 7th' is warming up."
March 7th?
Fu Zhu and March 7th looked at each other. They had only been separated for a short while; how was there another March 7th?
When the two looked up at the center of the arena and saw the person on the field clearly, they couldn't help but freeze.
"Xing?" x2