A Radiant Smile

Li Yue snapped her fingers, and a table full of hot dishes appeared on the small table. Just as she had imagined, the food manifested, consuming only a negligible amount of the mana within her. She picked up a spoon and fork from the cabinet and took a cursory taste.

It was better than she expected—or rather, not as bad as she thought. At least, she believed it was tastier than anything she could make in her current state.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven...” Li Yue counted down softly. She looked out the window, her countdown slowing slightly, followed by a sudden “thud.”

It was the sound of Clo pushing open the front door. Panting, Clo stared at the lit room and at Li Yue sitting by the table. Her lips trembled, and she seemed to choke up for a moment, at a loss for words.

“Though I felt your presence from afar, you returned faster than I calculated...” Li Yue gave a faint smile. “What should I say? Let me think... perhaps... welcome home?”

“You’re... awake? Since when? I thought you would sleep for a very, very long time, like before...” Clo stood stunned for a moment before walking to the table, feeling suddenly out of place, as if none of this belonged to her.

“The impact was minor this time. It wasn't like the last time when I forcibly ascended to godhood within a fragment of the world.” Li Yue smiled, standing up to pull out a chair for Clo, guiding her to sit.

“I thought you’d be by my side when I woke up.” Li Yue smiled faintly. Her words held no hint of spoiled whining or resentment; she simply smiled gently, though her expression carried a trace of complex emotion.

“This time was... the last time... I’ll find a way to push away all my responsibilities. I’ll never leave you again... mmm.” Clo was flustered, clumsily trying to organize her words as if trying to make amends for something she feared.

“Here.”

She was explaining herself in a panic, but just as she was about to make a promise, Li Yue stuffed a piece of steak from her fork into Clo's mouth.

“Eat before it gets cold.” Li Yue sat down as well and took a few small bites of her own “work.” She currently had no real appetite and was eating mechanically only for the sake of the “meaning” behind the act.

“By the way... this time...” Clo didn't seem ready to say what was on her mind. She hesitated for a long while, the words stuck in her throat. She looked like a shy youth trying to confess, her inner feelings displayed only through her awkward expression.

“What is it?” Li Yue raised an eyebrow in confusion. She had no real sense of chewing; her sharp teeth made the texture of most foods identical—everything was crushed in a single bite.

“I met those two professors who are quite familiar with you. they were very proactive and came to visit today.” Li Yue took a sip of water, rinsing away all the flavors in her mouth. Whether delicious or bitter, it was all the same; everything washed away instantly.

“They were lucky. They happened to come during a period when I was conscious.” Li Yue smiled faintly. “Countless coincidences construct the past, future, and present. Perhaps this is what they call fate?”

“You’ve met them?”

“Mhm...” Li Yue picked up a piece of pig blood and put it in her mouth. “This food was manifested using a spell taught to me by that elderly gentleman with the artistic air.”

“The artistic one must be Professor Stephenson. As for his air... I thought you would distinguish everyone by the scent of their magic.” Clo seemed to have little appetite. She barely moved her utensils, eating only a tiny bit at a time. It was as if she ate not for satiety or flavor, but merely to pass the time—or rather, to express a state of being, the state of “I am eating.”

“He’s a bit like someone I used to know. He has a special feeling about him. I think... they are the same kind of person.” Li Yue stuffed a piece of meat into her mouth and swallowed it effortlessly.

“What did they want from you?”

“I originally thought they were looking for Him, but I didn’t expect them to be coming for me.” Li Yue put down her chopsticks and looked into Clo’s eyes. “Actually, it’s nothing much. It’s just a matter of using my name as a formality so they can openly teach that kind of magic without having to deal with rumors from the Church.”

“So... you won't leave? You won't leave me, right?” A spark of light appeared in Clo’s eyes. She set down her fork and leaned closer toward Li Yue.

“I have no plans to leave. I won't go until fate sweeps me away.” Li Yue stroked Clo’s head.

“Then can you... stay by my side for a lifetime?” The light in Clo’s eyes intensified. Li Yue smiled and didn't look at her, instead gazing out the window as she let out a soft “mhm.”

“Oh!” Clo stood up with a start, looking flustered before quickly sitting back down. She finished the food on her plate rapidly, swallowing it with effort.

“It’s fine if you can’t eat it all. It won't go to waste.” Li Yue snapped her fingers, and the unfinished food on the plates slowly turned into flickering shadows of mana, flowing back into her body.

“I’m a bit sleepy. I want to go sleep for a while.” Li Yue rose slowly.

“Do you need me to help you?” Clo leaned in beside Li Yue.

“I’m just a bit tired. I’m not as weak as you think.” Li Yue’s form turned into a blur. Before Clo could react, she was already being held easily in Li Yue’s arms.

“See?” Li Yue smiled. “I’ve remembered many things. For instance... that you’re a girl who gets embarrassed easily, even though you always seem so composed when you’re kissing me.”

“But if I take the initiative, you’ll be so shy you won't be able to speak, right?” Li Yue pulled Clo a bit tighter. Her blood-red eyes stared at Clo, a hint of a smile within them.

“Let me see if you’ve changed at all from before.” Li Yue leaned in and kissed her gently, leaving no room for the slightest resistance.

After a short while, Li Yue truly seemed a bit fatigued. She tried to put Clo down, only to find that the other girl’s legs were so weak she could barely stand.

“Even your earlobes are red... you’re still the same as ever.” Li Yue’s face brightened as she naturally broke into a gentle smile, one that carried a trace of charm like the shifting moonlight.

This was an expression that only Clo could ever appreciate.