28. Fu Hua: Brother?
The night began with a Moth Ball.
Previous balls carried a hint of stiffness and self-abandonment. After countless bitter battles, soldiers would resort to indulgence and revelry to numb the pain of losing comrades, casting a somber atmosphere over the dance.
This time, however, was different. Thanks to the emergence of the MANTIS codenamed "Jörmungandr," the campaign against the 6th Herrscher was a tremendous success, with casualties almost negligible.
This was a night truly worth celebrating. Instead of drowning themselves in strong liquor and fleeting pleasures, everyone genuinely accompanied the elegant dances in the ballroom, inviting those they admired to share a dance.
"And so, you come here alone, squatting in a corner slurping noodles. Where's Dr. Mei? I wanted to ask you, the big hero, how to politely decline dance invitations from a crowd of fans. I'm not good at refusing people."
Looking at Kevin, who was hiding in a corner with a stern face, intently slurping from a bowl of noodles, Gao qi felt a bit frustrated.
"Mei has her work to do. I respect her career, and right now I'm really hungry—I suggest you get a bowl too. Holding a bowl of noodles is an effective way to avoid being bothered. Your mask doesn't cover your mouth anyway."
Watching Kevin slurp down ramen so heartily in this somewhat silly manner made Gao qi doubt the background setting of him being the "popular prince of Chiba Academy"—maybe the writers just slapped that on casually. But well, he and Mei are truly a match.
" Forget it. I thought you might listen to me and go home to focus on making a little one with Mei— The good days are about to end, Kevin. The Herrscher attacks will only get crueler. If you don't seize the time to enjoy life now, you might never get the chance again."
Kevin at this time was still an excellent soldier. It was the massive casualties caused by the Sixth Herrscher that gradually chilled his heart. Later, after Himeko became a Herrscher and he killed her without hesitation, he truly embarked on the path of the hero and savior.
"Love requires a bit of selfishness, Kevin. Letting Dr. Mei walk down the path of rationality to its extreme will only turn her into a machine. You need to let her experience the charm of emotion occasionally."
In Gao qi's view, Kevin was also a pitiable man. He followed his genius girlfriend onto this "ship of fools" somewhat blindly, inexplicably set on the path to save the world. He sacrificed everything for the world, preserved the ember of hope, but ultimately couldn't protect the one he loved.
Knowing the inevitable end awaiting the future, Gao qi could only subtly hint and advise Kevin, hoping he wouldn't be left with only regrets later, eventually becoming the obsessed man behind the Stigma Plan.
Watching Kevin fall into deep thought, Gao qi quickly walked towards the staircase leading to the rooftop. In a dedicated changing room, his Dr. Mobius was being helped into a specially prepared ball gown by the enthusiastic Nuwa.
If he barged in now, maybe he'd see something interesting?
However, just before Gao qi could trigger some "lucky pervert" event, his gaze suddenly fell on a figure in the corner.
Hua, the female soldier who had invited Gao qi, was now sitting silently in a corner of the ball, wearing a modest, high-necked qipao.
Whenever someone asked her to dance, she would politely decline with a smile. But when no one was looking, she would revert to an indifferent state, seemingly lost in thought.
To Gaoqi, the Hua in this simulation was probably still the same Hua who experienced the collapse in Canghai City, lost her friends and family, and became withdrawn.
That "childhood neighbor big brother" she mentioned? Gao qi thought it probably didn't exist.
As for his own little Hua back home, Gao qi felt that since Carol and her family were safe, even though his clumsy lie might be exposed in a few months, little Hua probably wouldn't be too devastated—hopefully?
"...Sigh."
Originally intending to go find Mobius immediately, Gao qi hesitated and finally stopped. He just couldn't stop worrying.
Even though the simulation system was illusory, Gaoqi decided to take each simulation seriously.
"Hello, Hua. You invited me to this ball, yet you're sitting here motionless yourself. Isn't that a bit unfair?"
Quickly walking up to Fu Hua, Gao qi made his tone a bit more serious and extended his hand to her. He and Fu Hua were strangers now, so his tone couldn't be as familiar as before.
"Miss Hua, may I have this dance?"
As expected, Fu Hua refused without hesitation.
"No, I don't know how to dance. I only know how to fight. Everyone needs entertainment, but I don't."
There was no rejection in Hua's tone, just a calm refusal.
[Sigh, what should I do with this kid...]
"Humans have limits. A string constantly held taut is more likely to snap. Balancing work and rest is best. Since you don't know how to dance, how about a spar? I heard your martial arts are quite good."
Fu Hua's seemingly obedient but actually stubborn and unyielding nature instantly brought back Gao qi's mindset from when he was her "brother."
What Gao qi least wanted to see was for his little sister to become the bloodless, tearless Celestial Phoenix of the future. Fifty thousand years of solitude, fifty thousand years of sin—that was a fate worse than death.
No, to be precise, Fu Hua died at least two or three times.
"No, Mr. Jörmungandr. I'm fine as I am. If you need a dance partner, you could ask Miss Elysia. She's very welcoming to newcomers and never refuses anyone, no matter who asks."
Fu Hua still shook her head. For her now, aside from fighting the Honkai and avenging her brother, nothing else held meaning.
"Of course, your power is admirable. If possible, could you please put me in touch with Miss Mobius? I wish to become a test subject for the MANTIS surgery."
A heart filled with vengeance made Fu Hua desperately crave the power of a MANTIS. She wanted revenge on the Honkai, even at the cost of her life—
"Ha, you kid—"
Finally, Gao qi was exasperated. For a moment, he forgot his current identity as "Zero" and slipped back into the role of Fu Hua's big brother. Without thinking, he reached out and ruffled Fu Hua's head firmly, just like he used to.
Fu Hua instinctively raised her hand to block, but she was nowhere near as fast as Gao qi, so she could only sit there and let him pat her head a few times.
Of course, before he could finish his scolding, Gao qi realized he had messed up. He apologized quickly and made a hasty retreat—this wasn't his little Hua. His actions were indeed inappropriate.
"Ah, sorry, sorry, pretend I didn't do anything—I'll take my leave!"
Fu Hua, however, stayed rooted to the spot, her gaze somewhat dazed.
The familiar way and pressure of that head pat reminded her of someone.
"Hey, Fu Hua, check out the new clothes the Captain bought me! Cute, right?"
Soon, two other women, also wearing qipaos, hurried over to Fu Hua. One, an elegant woman with red hair and golden eyes, was holding a glass of wine. The other, a white-haired girl, immediately latched onto Fu Hua—Carol had also joined MOTH with Fu Hua.
And then, they heard Fu Hua, still in a daze, utter a single word.
"Brother?"
Soon, Gao qi arrived at the rooftop. Before he could even step onto it, Nuwa and Fuxi swarmed him.
"Go for it, Mr. Zero! I believe in you!"
"Yeah, if things work out today, Dr. Mobius will only pester you from now on, Mr. Zero!"
Before they could finish, Gaoqi reached out and patted each of their heads.
"Don't make it sound like I'm going to confess or propose. Dr. Mobius isn't that idle. She doesn't even like humans—Go have fun. There'll be plenty of work to do after tomorrow."
Even though he had taken care of Mobius for a long time and liked this "snake lady" quite a bit, Gao qi clearly knew that Mobius, the embodiment of pure curiosity, probably had little interest in romantic affairs.
Gao qi turned to look at Klein, who was standing to the side.
"Not coming along? The Doctor likes you too, you know?"
Klein, however, shook her head decisively, like a rattle-drum.
"Alright then. I'll take photos for you all. Enjoy the ball."
Shrugging, Gao qi walked up to the rooftop.
Watching his retreating back, Klein couldn't help but murmur to herself.
"Sigh, in some ways, it's Mr. Zero who's the dense one. Dr. Mobius doesn't like humans... but you aren't human. You are her creation, her ideal, her... dream."
It was already late at night. Thanks to Mobius's notorious reputation, the rooftop was deserted. Gao qi straightened his uniform and stepped onto the rooftop.
Under the starry sky, a woman with long green hair stood waiting silently by the railing. Hearing Gao qi's footsteps, she immediately turned around excitedly.
She wore a long dress of dark green and deep black, designed by a tailor Gao qi had sought out specifically to recreate the attire of the "loli snake."
However, looking at the fabric straining over her chest and her nearly perfect figure, Gao qi still thought to himself—bigger is indeed better.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, my lady."
The next moment, Mobius, with a smile, threw herself into his arms.
"Come on, Mr. Zero, let's count the stars together!"
Removing Gao qi's mask, Mobius looked up at him—her smile radiant as a flower.
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?