"Where are you then?"
"I'm right here." Xiangxiang raised her hand and pointed to the surrounding white walls.
"Now, I am White Emperor City, and White Emperor City is me."
Zhang Ze opened his mouth, momentarily unsure of how to respond.
Seeing Zhang Ze's complex expression, Xiangxiang gently cradled Zhang Ze's face.
"Can you hug me first? Even if it's just pretend.
"After all, I've been holding on here for so long."
"Okay." Zhang Ze reached out and embraced the phantom before him.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment, until...
Until a sticky, slithering, wet blue fungus slithered out from Zhang Ze's sleeve.
The sticky fungus fell onto the silver-white metal floor, silently inching to the side, and after a moment, a small blue mushroom sprouted.
It was Fuji, the ever-present being silently spying on everyone from the shadows.
This time, however, Fuji wasn't acting on her own but had come prepared with orders from superiors.
