He looked coldly at the little tail trailing no more than two or three steps behind him and Siegfried.
"Kiana, deceiving oneself."
"Is no good!"
Chapter 59: The Need to Treat Each Other with Sincerity
There are many things in this world where plans can never keep up with changes.
No matter how well you plan, you never know what kind of strange impact tomorrow's events will have on your plans—especially if you don't even have a plan.
Then many things will simply sprint away down a strange road that you never could have expected.
It was just like how it started as a temporary plan to slightly use Kiana to test "equipment," and afterward the matter galloped off in an out-of-control direction toward weird places.
Yet this gallop had to stop eventually.
As Li Pu gradually realized that if he remained indecisive, things would become completely unmanageable.
There was no need to care, nor did there seem to be any need to care at all.
Decided means doing it.
Just like the original intention to use Kiana, right in front of Siegfried and knowing that Kiana was eavesdropping, he tossed out this reality that these two figures absolutely refused to face.
There was no runaway reaction as anticipated.
Li Pu had predicted that after saying these words, it might stage a "Chiung Yao"-style melodramatic soap opera, where thoughts like "I cannot accept this" or "All you lost was your manhood, but he lost love" might appear in the corner of that mall corridor.
Yet in reality, there was none.
Kiana did not say "I cannot accept this," nor did she cry and shout that "You're lying," and even less did she run all the way crying while saying "You don't love me anymore."
Siegfried did not show disappointment, and speeches along the lines of "I cannot lose you" were not staged either.
Everything appeared rather calm.
Calm as if all this were the most ordinary thing. There was nothing worthy of astonishment. The shopping continued, good food was eaten as usual, and pretty clothes were bought just the same, as if Li Pu's words were nothing more than a joke that could not stir up the slightest wave.
Yet had this truly not stirred up the slightest wave?
"Kiana?"
It was another new day, another time turning back into himself, another time holding a mop and bucket to start new work, and another time encountering Kiana and Siegfried in the teaching building's corridor.
But this time there was no greeting, as if they didn't know Li Pu at all.
Kiana and Siegfried brushed past Li Pu, chatting and laughing.
They treated Li Pu completely and utterly as a stranger.
"How should I describe this feeling?" Li Pu shouldered the mop, stood there for a brief moment, and said, "This feeling is simply awesome!"
The feeling of being untangled from a huge trouble was just freakishly great, you know.
"Of course, there is still a tiny bit of lingering melancholy, that's all," Li Pu thought to himself.
This sense of melancholy was almost inevitable.
After all, having transitioned so suddenly from the original warmth to such coldness, there would be a sense of disparity in one's heart, more or less.
"Is this okay?"
Suddenly, a figure stood beside him, asking—or rather, questioning—with the words, "Can this really be accepted?"
"Theresa..." Li Pu looked at the short figure before him.
She didn't show up sooner or later, and had to show up precisely now.
It seemed she also bore some responsibility for things becoming completely unmanageable.
"Why not?" Li Pu countered. "I think this is totally fine, what's wrong with it?"
"Principal." Li Pu looked at Theresa's rather sad face and said, "You won't also stubbornly believe that I am Cecilia, just like Siegfried and Kiana do, will you?"
"Not at all." Theresa shook her head and said, "I've heard Otto mention your situation."
"Even if you aren't now, you were in the past."
"Could it be that you're really willing to just leave it like this?"
"They are all your family."
Ah... Otto... Li Pu sighed inwardly. Even though he had guessed that Otto was definitely pushing things behind the scenes, he still didn't feel bad about it.
If this Otto didn't use this opportunity to stir up trouble, then he wouldn't be Otto.
"It's nothing much," Li Pu said with a shrug of his hands. "A person always has to learn to let go."
"Even according to what you say, in the past I was Cecilia."
"But the present me is not, nor will I ever become her."
"As human beings, one always has to learn to face reality," Li Pu said earnestly. "And compared to me, people always have to be honest about certain things in order to live a relaxed life."
"Similarly, if we look at it purely from the perspective of gains, honesty can also bring greater returns than lies."
"Lies and pretenses cannot reap the most sincere emotions!"
Although a bit impulsive, Li Pu had also thought seriously about this issue afterward. Just to complete this "motherly love" task, he had to consider it carefully.
He had clearly already played the role of Cecilia, and had also established a certain level of emotional bond.
Yet where was the fundamental reason why this task stubbornly refused to complete?
The reason Li Pu estimated himself was roughly "sincerity."
Motherly love is called the greatest, most selfless, and most sincere love in the world, Li Pu thought as he turned his head to watch the direction where Kiana and Siegfried had disappeared. So if you want to complete this task, you should achieve sincerity at the very least.
If you can't even manage the most basic honesty, then this task can never be completed.
"You can fool them for a while," Li Pu said, "but you can't fool them for a lifetime. One must learn to face reality and face sacrifice."
"Fine." Theresa didn't argue, nor did she pressure Li Pu to continue the deception. Respecting Li Pu's intentions, she said, "Since that's how it is, I hope this matter turns out for the best for everyone."
"Sigh, it's just a pity for Kiana."
Meanwhile, on the other side, just as Kiana and Siegfried had walked far enough away to be free from line of sight and contact.
"Wuaaaaaah!!!" Kiana suddenly breathed heavily, gasping, and said, "That was... really close... I almost broke character!"
"I performed pretty well, didn't I? Dad!"
Siegfried pinched his chin, nodded, and without giving a particularly glowing approval, said, "Not bad, but you'll have to keep up the act for a long time to come."
"You need to be prepared; this is just the beginning, and there is still a long way to go before victory."
"Playing hard to get—this trick won't yield results overnight, it requires a gradual approach."
"I know!" Kiana nodded fiercely and said, "I will definitely work hard to make Mother completely recover her past memories!"
"Mm." Siegfried offered what passed for praise, yet felt an inexplicable sense of worried foreboding in his heart.
For some reason, Siegfried always felt that the current Cecilia was too young. Youth was a good thing; who doesn't like young girls?
Yet being too young wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Cecilia currently looked around the same age as Kiana, and her actual age in this lifetime might even be younger than Kiana's.
And right now, Kiana—who had lost her mother for a long time—was trying to build an emotional bond from the returned mother.
Why did he always feel like it was starting to transcend the familial affection between mother and daughter?
He must be overthinking things!
Chapter 60: The Wise Cleaner
This was probably an illusion...
Siegfried couldn't help shaking his head; the idea of a daughter turning into a romantic rival was simply absurd.
Although rare special cases did indeed occur in reality—where abnormal handling of various emotions and unusually abnormal, explosive growth caused affections to go astray.
Surely this wouldn't happen to Kiana, right?
How on earth could same-sex individuals date each other!
No...
What Siegfried wanted to say was.
That's your mother, for crying out loud! You actually have the hots for her body?!
Only I am allowed to have the hots for her body!
No...
Siegfried shook his head, quickly banishing this thought, which he himself found absurd, completely out of his mind.
"Speaking of which," Kiana suddenly thought of a question, tilting her head to look at her old man as she asked, "Dad, you're not still going to wear women's clothing for work today, are you?"
"Hahahaha~" Siegfried laughed loudly and said, "You're worrying too much!"
"How could such a thing..."
"...possibly stop once you start?!"
There is only ever a first time for cross-dressing and an infinite number of times!
"Ahem..."
Li Pu coughed slightly. Straightening his clothes, he said, "Let's review the current situation first. You're my partner?"
"Valkyrie Siegfried, White Comet battlesuit?"
Li Pu had thought that from now on, this Valkyrie training would have nothing to do with him anymore, because his words had already offended Siegfried, and had offended Kiana as well.
Therefore, until those two figured things out, it was unlikely he would continue to meddle in Valkyrie training.
Yet this was very unlikely!
Li Pu was back again.
He had been called over to continue participating in Valkyrie training.
Furthermore, they skipped basic instruction and went straight into simulated combat.
Even though it was simulated combat, after getting one-shotted once, Li Pu discovered that this combat was basically no different from actual combat, except that calling it "simulation" meant it probably wouldn't result in "fatalities."
This time was no exception.
Himeko needed to explain what tactical coordination meant to the future Valkyries.
So he was summoned over this time as well.
Also summoned was Siegfried.
White Comet Siegfried aside, what on earth was his own outfit supposed to be? Cleaner Li Pu? Oh right, sharing the same team was Himeko. What was Himeko's outfit called again?
Female Teacher Himeko.
What kind of bizarre Valkyrie squad is this! Only Himeko can tank...
I'm speaking seriously, Li Pu thought to himself. Only Himeko can take the hits!
"Who's the opponent?" Siegfried seemed to have already adapted to Kiana's White Comet suit; he was extremely calm and composed, entirely devoid of the awkwardness and discomfort of wearing White Comet for the first time.
He acted as though this outfit had been custom-designed for him, wearing it with an exceptionally snug fit as he asked, "Is it Saniga again?"
"Can we not fight the model worker pig?" Li Pu proposed. "How about changing opponents?"
The feeling of being one-shotted by the model worker pig after a few seconds was truly extremely unpleasant.
If possible, Li Pu didn't want to fight the model worker pig at all right now.
Even though there were two teammates this time.
Regarding Himeko, he, Li Pu, acknowledged that Himeko might be very strong. But regarding Siegfried... especially White Comet Siegfried! Li Pu always felt that no matter how he looked at it, this was totally unreliable!
Wasn't this guy going to be a liability?
"Model worker pig? What a strange name." Himeko pushed up her glasses. In order to make herself look more like a teacher, she had specifically acquired a pair of black-rimmed glasses to wear, looking quite literary as she said, "Our opponents this class are some basic enemies."
"The main purpose of this lesson is to make the students understand Honkai attribute counters."
Before you continue