Just as Danzhu was puzzling over this, a figure drifted down from the sky.
"Sister?"
Danzhu bounced over, happily grabbing Cangxuan's slender, fair hand and chattering excitedly:
"Sister, Sister, I had such a long dream! I dreamt that we died fighting to seal Chiyou, and then we came back to life on a weird school campus under a blood moon, and we were being chased by a bunch of monsters! It was so scary, and then..."
Cangxuan's ice-blue eyes looked at Danzhu, a complex emotion hidden within them. She opened her mouth and said, "That... was not a dream."
"Oh, so it was real after all..."
Danzhu didn't seem particularly surprised.
She just couldn't comprehend what was happening, so "a dream" had been the most logical explanation.
But since her sister had said so, there was no reason to doubt it.
"Then what was that? And... why are we here?"
Danzhu tilted her head, staring at her sister with curiosity.
Unlike her sister's composed, ice-blue eyes, hers were crimson, as clear and translucent as rubies. They were full of youthful vivacity, giving her the air of a girl next door.
"I'm not entirely sure either. After you fell unconscious..."
Cangxuan paused for a moment.
"Not long after, we were suddenly transported here. This seems to be the same Taixuan Mountain, but I explored a bit earlier. We can't go beyond its borders. It's exactly the same as it was at that school."
"Eh..."
The smile on Danzhu's face slowly froze.
In other words, that bizarre situation could happen all over again.
"Then what exactly is going on with us now?"
"I don't know."
Cangxuan shook her head.
"Well, whatever. Let's just put aside the questions we can't figure out for now. Maybe inspiration will strike, and we'll understand it all someday. Dr. Mebius used to do that too."
"Dr. Mebius..."
Hearing this name, for some reason, the image of Ye Mei flashed through Cangxuan's mind.
"What's wrong, Sister? Did you think of something?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
The memory of the Forced Submission in the Attic caused Cangxuan's expression to grow even more solemn.
She grasped her sister's hand. "Danzhu."
"Hm?"
"No matter what happens, I will protect you."
"Huh?"
Danzhu was taken aback for a second before breaking into a wide smile. "Mm, of course! In my eyes, Sister is the strongest person in the world."
This sudden display of affection from her sister actually made Danzhu a little shy.
She changed the subject. "Um, are Hua and Ji Lin here?"
"No. I looked around as soon as I woke up, but I didn't see them."
"Aww, is that so. I was really hoping I'd get to see them."
A smile bloomed on Danzhu's face. "Hua would definitely be so happy to see us. But let's not talk about that for now. Sister, I'm so hungry. Is there anything to eat here?"
Now that she was with her sister, Danzhu finally relaxed, and with that came a wave of hunger.
"Well, there is..."
"What is it?"
Cangxuan led Danzhu to the kitchen. On the dining table, an array of tempting food was laid out: cream puffs, white rice porridge, thick and chewy black noodles, and a sandwich. Tucked inside the sandwich was a thick sausage, along with two eggs.
"Wow!"
Danzhu's eyes lit up.
"They have cream puffs! Sister, you're the best to me!"
Sweets were Danzhu's absolute favorite. Back in the Previous Era, every time she finished browsing the subculture merchandise street, she would sit in a floating dessert shop, enjoying a treat while watching the sunset.
One could only ask, are all otaku girls foodies?
"Wait."
Cangxuan grabbed her sister's hand, stopping her from moving forward.
"I didn't prepare this food."
"Huh?"
"It was already here when I arrived. And... after all this time, it's still warm."
Danzhu stared intently at the cream puffs.
She hadn't eaten any dessert since coming out of the cryo-pod.
"So~ can I eat it? It feels like a waste to just leave it here."
"Aigh~"
Looking at her carefree sister, Cangxuan sighed helplessly. "I brought you here not to let you eat, but to tell you that we are likely still under the Evil God's surveillance."
"Hmm..."
Danzhu tilted her head. "Well, that's certainly not good news."
"Aren't you scared?"
Danzhu scratched her head and gave an awkward laugh. "Ahaha, if it were like last night's environment, of course I'd be scared! You know I hate horror movies. But here on Taixuan Mountain, it's no problem!"
Danzhu gave her sister a thumbs-up, her gaze drifting back to the cream puffs.
"So, it should be fine to eat, right? Since we're being watched by the Evil God anyway, and he hasn't done anything to us, why would he bother poisoning the food? That would be totally redundant."
"..."
Cangxuan opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come.
Do you have any idea what price was paid for us sisters to be safe?
Alright, Danzhu definitely did not know.
She and Kiana had been poisoned and simply passed out in the attic.
Thinking about the "antidote"... Cangxuan found she couldn't bring herself to look at her sister's lips.
Speaking of which, she wondered how Kiana was doing.
"Eh? Danzhu, wait, don't eat that!"
While Cangxuan was lost in her thoughts, Danzhu, who was so hungry her stomach was touching her back, had already walked over.
Chew, chew.
"This cream puff is delicious, Sister. Do you want some?"
"..."
Cangxuan stared speechlessly at her sister.
---o---
Ye Feng looked at the "Achievements" section in the void, saw another one light up, and felt immensely satisfied.
These were "small goals" he had set for himself out of boredom.
In the room, Ye Feng sat at a computer, playing a game.
Mebius was splayed across the desktop.
The proud Snake, the foremost scientist of the Previous Era, was now nothing more than a lab rat for someone else's amusement.
Nearby was Aponia. She was leaning against the windowsill, and birds flying by in the blue sky came to land beside her.
The holy nun, the gentle and loving Madonna of the church, was now a sinner bound in figurative thorns.
Both were stunningly beautiful—one plump and luscious, the other delicate and charming.
At this moment, both were sleeping peacefully.
Like flowers wilted and silenced after a storm.
No one knew of the small party Ye Feng had with Mebius and Aponia.
Kiana was currently still searching for something, Mei was kneeling on the veranda of the kendo hall, and Ji Lin was having a rare conversation with Yae Sakura under a white birch tree. Both were from ancient times, but they weren't exactly hitting it off.
Ye Feng put down his mouse.
Two beautiful, captivating women with different charms, willingly... alright, the Snake couldn't exactly be called cooperative.
But Ye Feng knew she was just being stubborn.
A couple of slaps with his forearm, and she quieted down right away.
As for Cangxuan and Danzhu, Ye Feng was in no hurry. They were here, and they couldn't run away.
He would devour them sooner or later.
What Ye Feng really wanted to see was the two sisters fighting fiercely to win his favor.
Ye Feng stood up, brewed a cup of fine tea, and sat down in his chair with his legs spread wide and bold. He savored the fragrant tea while admiring the beautiful scenery in his room.