PSW - Chapter 171

Chapter 171

On the third day after Zheng Yi's departure, the high-temperature period officially began. The temperature started to climb wildly once more, and the air shimmered, distorted by the heatwave.

Yu Yinan took the opportunity of the high-temperature period to sleep in a separate room from the fake. She then specifically sought out Zhao Haiyue to tell her about her plan to go to Xuancheng alone.

"I'm a fire-ability user, so I'm not afraid of high temperatures. I'll probably drive to Xuancheng tomorrow. My return date is uncertain. Zheng Yi is staying here, so you can talk to her directly if you need anything."

"Xuancheng?" They had sent people there to cooperate and communicate before, and the people in Xuancheng had been quite cooperative. It shouldn't be a problem for Yu Yinan to go again. "If you go alone, how will you carry food and water? With temperatures this high, are you sure your car won't explode halfway there?"

Yu Yinan paused. She hadn't actually considered that. The last time she'd driven during a high-temperature period, Zheng Yi had been there to cool down the car. She pressed her lips together, then remembered that her physical fitness had improved significantly. Even if she ran to Xuancheng, she probably wouldn't be much slower. "It's fine. Zheng Yi gave me some things, so food and water aren't an issue. As for the car, I can walk, or ride a bicycle."

"…With the road surface baking in the high heat, are you sure the bicycle tires won't burst? Or melt?" Zhao Haiyue sounded a little helpless. "Why must you go on foot during the high-temperature period? Or rather, do you just not want to stay in Pujie that badly? What happened?"

"…" Yu Yinan fell silent for a moment. "Nothing happened. I just feel like I can do something for Zheng Yi during the high-temperature period."

"Is this related to the drastic change in Zheng Yi's personality?" Zhao Haiyue pondered for a moment before asking the question. She stared at Yu Yinan, not really wanting to be so blunt, but… "Is the one here now… still Zheng Yi?"

There was a simple reason for her question. The current "Zheng Yi" was simply too enthusiastic, too kind, too naive! She didn't even have a hint of an imposing aura and didn't exert any invisible pressure. When interacting with this "Zheng Yi," Zhao Haiyue even felt very relaxed… just as relaxed as when she had first failed to see through Zheng Yi's disguise and thought she was a genuine, sweet airhead.

One could say that the current "Zheng Yi" was like a young girl who knew nothing of the world. But she also had a water ability and could produce large amounts of food out of thin air. Besides… besides her personality… she seemed no different from Zheng Yi. Oh, perhaps there was a difference, like the upper limit of her true power? But even with her current strength, this "Zheng Yi" was powerful enough to dominate the base.

Was it that obvious? Yu Yinan couldn't help but wonder if her own pretense over the past few days had been necessary. It seemed Zheng Yi had never intended for her to be unable to spot this "Zheng Yi" persona. "Is it that obvious? …Have you, have you let on in front of her?"

"How could I? How would I dare?" Zhao Haiyue's eyes widened. "How would I know what little game that big shot of yours is playing? I thought this was some kind of kink between you two!" In her eyes, her reaction, and likely the reactions of many others, were all part of this game.

Zhao Haiyue habitually pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose and composed her expression. Yu Yinan's reaction… "Didn't Zheng Yi tell you beforehand?"

"…No, she didn't. I think… she left without saying goodbye." Yu Yinan pressed her lips together, trying to keep the dejection out of her voice. "When I'm with her, she has to look out for me. I've never… never been able to keep up with her. To her, I'm more like a burden. Maybe she didn't want to waste any more time, or maybe she has some plan. In any case… she left, and left this fake behind. She must have gone to collect the other meteor fragments. After all, besides the ones in Ling Country, other countries have them too."

Zhao Haiyue instinctively wanted to ask if Zheng Yi would come back, but seeing Yu Yinan's expression, she couldn't bring herself to ask. It was clear Yu Yinan didn't know either. Zhao Haiyue could actually empathize with Yu Yinan's current emotions and feelings. After all, when it came to romance… before she got together with Yun Lingjian, she had also been the type to worry about personal gains and losses, always hesitant. If Yun Lingjian were to leave without a word one day, she would probably be even more devastated. She might not even be as optimistic as Yu Yinan; she'd probably think Yun Lingjian would never return, that there was no longer any possibility between them- hiss.

Zhao Haiyue shook the thoughts away. What was she thinking! That would never happen! But just imagining it for a moment had made her heart ache. "Um, Yu Yinan." Zhao Haiyue hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, "I'm not trying to pry, and the answer won't make me think any differently of Zheng Yi, but… but… Zheng Yi's ability, she can control water, right? And healing, and it seems she has a personal storage space, and now teleportation… plus her ability to produce so much food anytime, anywhere… she can even conjure real fruits and vegetables out of thin air. And now this fake, who's indistinguishable from a real person. Um, is she… is she really human? Are all these just her abilities as an ability user?" Zhao Haiyue had her suspicions, and they weren't hard to form. It was just that no one would ask Zheng Yi or Yu Yinan directly. Humanity's Light had recently been in contact with other bases, all of which Zheng Yi had visited. Through their exchanges, they naturally discovered what Zheng Yi required from other bases.

Faith and recognition, specifically related to the term "Saint."

Seeing that Yu Yinan didn't answer immediately, Zhao Haiyue took a deep breath and forced a smile that seemed half-joking, half-sincere. "I'm just saying, Zheng Yi… she couldn't be some kind of deity walking the mortal realm, could she?"

"…Perhaps." Yu Yinan couldn't give a definite answer, but… she believed so. Yes.

So, would Zheng Yi come back? Why did she suddenly… do this, when she had always been with Yu Yinan, taking her everywhere she went? Zhao Haiyue couldn't help but sink into deep thought. "Was there anything unusual about her before she left?"

"…Perhaps, but I don't know what caused it," Yu Yinan said in a low voice. "But she will come back, right? After she collects all the meteor fragments, she'll come back, won't she? Once all the fragments are gathered, the energy that brought about the apocalypse might diminish, the apocalypse will end, and we can all… all return to our normal lives."

"Do you know where Zheng Yi is from?" Zhao Haiyue hesitated slightly. Would she come back? After solving everything… In storybooks, after a deity descends to the mortal realm to resolve a calamity, don't they always return to the heavens in the end? In tales of love between immortals and mortals, some do choose to become mortal for love and stay behind. But Zheng Yi… didn't seem to belong to that category. Zhao Haiyue looked at Yu Yinan, not knowing how to comfort her. Yu Yinan and Zheng Yi had always given her, and all of Humanity's Light, so much help, but at this moment, Zhao Haiyue found there was nothing she could do to help.

Who could possibly know Zheng Yi's true thoughts?

"…I don't know." Yu Yinan knew about Zheng Yi's past, her past before the apocalypse, but that clearly, it seemed, perhaps didn't represent the past of the being that was Zheng Yi. How she became Her, and why she came here and became her, Yu Yinan knew nothing at all.

And at that moment, a chilling realization of her own shallowness and ignorance washed over Yu Yinan.

"No, Zheng Yi… she wouldn't abandon me," Yu Yinan murmured in a low voice. "Why would she leave this fake body behind? For convenience in contacting you all? But this fake hasn't had much contact with you." When Zheng Yi was here, she would often visit the research institute, check on the progress of the antidote and the Xia siblings' condition, and see how their enhancement serums were coming along. But while the current "Zheng Yi" also went to check, it was out of her kindness, her hope for a good outcome… The place "Zheng Yi" spent the most time was by her side.

"I'm just guessing, this is only a guess." Zhao Haiyue thought about the abnormal "Zheng Yi's" personality and behavior, recalling what it was like when she first met Yu Yinan and Zheng Yi. Back then, it seemed Yu Yinan and Zheng Yi weren't together yet. Of course, something must have happened to change that, but before then… "Is it possible—and I'm just speculating—that Zheng Yi left this stand-in specifically for you? That its purpose is to accompany you and help you. Look, she looks exactly like Zheng Yi, and even has all those abilities. It's like a perfect copy! The only differences are her personality and the fact that her power isn't as great as the real Zheng Yi's."

Yu Yinan suddenly stared at her, her gaze intense. Zhao Haiyue's words caught in her throat. As she met Yu Yinan's eyes, she seemed to feel her pain. She wanted Chu Yi to continue, yet she didn't want to accept that possibility… Zhao Haiyue pressed her lips together but decided to go on. She didn't think Yu Yinan hadn't considered this. Yu Yinan had come to her and hadn't explicitly told her to shut up, so perhaps she wanted to hear it from her mouth: "She remembers every detail about you, and she doesn't seem any different. Her combat ability is more than enough to protect you, not much different from when you first met… So, back then, the one who made your heart flutter, the one you developed feelings for—was it the gentle, innocent, and kind Zheng Yi who seemed to truly see you as an older sister, or was it the later Zheng Yi, the one who was mysterious, chaotic, powerful… the one I can't quite find the words to describe?"

But that was just part of Zheng Yi's disguise! It was fake! Yu Yinan felt her breathing grow difficult. Her vision blurred, but she forced herself to tilt her head up slightly, using her ability to hide her tears. In the car that night, she hadn't known which of Zheng Yi's words were true and which were false. She couldn't tell, and she had been tormented by the deception. She had already, she had long ago made up her mind that she would stay with Zheng Yi, always stay with Zheng Yi… She would always believe her, always be on her side.

But, why? Why did it have to be so clearly divided…

When exactly had she fallen for Zheng Yi? Was it the constant companionship, the sweet calls of "Jiejie," the reliance, the warmth, the smiles… or was it after that night, after Zheng Yi said she would dig out her heart? Was her affection, her love, built on a lie? Was her love for Zheng Yi, were her feelings for Zheng Yi… actually… all fake?

"I don't know… I don't know…" Yu Yinan's body swayed for a moment, as if she was about to lose her footing. Zhao Haiyue instinctively reached out to support her, but Yu Yinan stumbled, broke free from her grasp, and managed to stand firm.

"…I think I really need to be alone for a while, to think things through alone. I want to leave Pujie now, I… I…"

"I'll get you another room, in my name. No one will know where you are." Zhao Haiyue frowned slightly. Yu Yinan's current state was truly worrying. She grabbed Yu Yinan's arm firmly. "Calm down! You need to rest. You can't leave Pujie like this; it's too dangerous. Come on, I won't tell that Zheng Yi where you are. You can be alone in the room and think. No one will disturb you. I'll… I'll provide you with plenty of food and water. I'll knock and leave it at your door, and you can open it and take the supplies in whenever you want. You won't have to interact with me. Is that okay?" She quickly came up with a solution and proposed it.

"Okay." Yu Yinan's expression was desolate. "As for that Zheng Yi, I'll have to trouble you to explain for me. Just say I took on a solo exploration mission and tell her not to worry."

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