Chapter 315

"Damn it, damn it, damn it... Never mind, it's alright, let's stop here for today. What a pity, what a pity. With such excellent qualities, why won't you join us? But, the thread is already wrapped around you, Shen Gonglin. See you next time. Next time, I'll let you taste the power of us all united, Domination Theater. I look forward to your next visit."

The doll was clearly enraged by Shen Gonglin's appearance, but then it calmed down for some reason. A wicked smile appeared on its swirling head. In any case, its goal had been achieved. Once the theater was completed, even if it was Shen Gonglin, it wouldn't be invincible if it was dragged into the theater. What they needed to do now was to accumulate power... The power of the Herrscher of Reason seemed inevitable.

The puppet vanished, its form disappearing from sight. Shen Gonglin frowned as she looked at the empty theater. It felt different from when she last visited. It seemed to have recovered somewhat from its dilapidated state, but this was probably not a good sign. Shen Gonglin didn't intend to pursue the puppet after it left. What she needed to focus on now was the girl's situation.

"Seele, how did it go? Did that doll say anything suggestive to you? I'm telling you, you should just chop it up with a scythe the next time you see it."

Putting away the Spear of the Void, Shen Gonglin looked at the girl who had been standing silently behind them. As the puppet left, the two of them also broke away from the Domination Theater. However, they didn't end up in Seele's room. The black and white checkered floor stretched as far as the eye could see, and in their line of sight, there was a red chair. This feeling... Shen Gonglin, who possessed the power of the Herrscher of Consciousness, could sense that this was the consciousness space created by Black Seele.

"... You don't need to tell me, I'll do it this way next time."

The girl in the red dress sat down in the chair, resting her head on her elbows, which made Seele's voice sound somewhat muffled. There should have been a white chair next to her, but now it seemed that she was all alone.

Oh, and there's also Shen Gonglin.

Although the appearance of Shen Gonglin brought Seele a tiny bit of relief, the girl was still in a terrible mood overall. Her seemingly fair and delicate little hands crushed the armrest of the chair to pieces with great force, but the shattered parts quickly returned to normal by turning into black mist. This was the world she had created, and the act of destruction was not a proper way to vent her emotions. She was really angry!

Chapter 89 The Sullen Black Knight

"Speaking of which, what did that doll say to you? She seems quite interested in you. This isn't the first time she's pulled you aside to talk to you alone. Does she have a crush on you?"

Seele was clearly in a bad mood and didn't want to talk. Normally, Shen Gonglin should have given her some peace and quiet and kept her company. But Shen Gonglin was just not good at reading the room. He looked around. In the empty and dark environment, there was only the chair where Black Seele was sitting. The girl was in a bad mood and didn't want to talk, but he did.

So stop pretending to be silent and start talking to me properly.

"How would I know? Besides, weren't you also dragged into that weird theater? Why don't you say they might have taken a liking to you too?"

Seele raised her head and glared at Shen Gonglin with a hostile expression. What did she mean by "taken a fancy to her"? If she couldn't speak properly, she shouldn't have said such things. It was disgusting. How was she supposed to know why those dolls were staring at her like that, saying that she was the same as them and that she could donate her eyes if she didn't need them anymore? How could she possibly be the same as them?

"It's normal for people to like me. I'm naturally likable. Look, Bronya, Kiana, Ain, Rita, and Seele ... a lot of people like me. But your case doesn't quite make sense."

To everyone's surprise, Black Seele Shen Gonglin uttered such words. Hei Xier was dumbfounded. How could there be such a shameless person in this world? How could he say such shameless things so seriously? And the most crucial thing was that Seele couldn't refute him, because what this guy said was actually true, and he didn't even finish mentioning the number of people. Seele knew of several more.

"Why is it that I can't understand it! Shen Gonglin, what do you mean by this... Hey, what are you doing?"

Black Seele glared angrily at Shen Gonglin. Why was it normal for someone to like him, but not for her? However, her fierce gaze had no effect on Shen Gonglin. Instead of being afraid, he walked straight towards her. Not only that, Shen Gonglin even reached out and picked Seele up. What did this guy mean? Did he think she was some stupid Seele who could be slaughtered at will?

"You have the nerve to sit while I'm standing? Let me sit too... And don't you know what I just said? The other Seele is indeed quite likable, after all, she's cute and easy to bully, but some people... tsk tsk."

He picked up Black Seele from the chair, and then Shen Gonglin unceremoniously took the seat that the girl had previously occupied. The throne that originally belonged to the girl was now occupied by another person, Seele could only be held and nestled in his arms. The girl wanted to struggle a little, but after hearing what Shen Gonglin said, her body immediately stiffened, and the girl stared at Shen Gonglin with a very unfriendly look in her eyes.

This guy said something he shouldn't have!

"Hmph, whatever. It's not like I have to be likable. Or rather, I can't stand Seele's weak and easily bullied nature. I definitely don't want to become like that. That would be too miserable."

After struggling for a moment and realizing that Shen Gonglin was holding her very tightly, Black Seele stopped moving. Of course, it wasn't that she was immobile, but rather that Shen Gonglin was holding her so tightly that she couldn't move, so she chose to stay still. Although it seemed like there was no difference, there was a big difference in Seele's mind. The girl relaxed her body and curled her lips in disdain. She didn't want to become like that just to please others.

"Hmm, so that's why nobody likes you... Oh, those dolls seem to like you quite a bit, they all seem to want to invite you to join them."

Shen Gonglin lay comfortably in the chair, the girl in his arms soft and fragrant. Although it was only a fusion of consciousness, it was no different from being with a physical body. Shen Gonglin casually said these words to Seele, completely unaware of the darkening expression on the girl's face. Her attention was now entirely focused on the scales on the table next to her... Was this something she and Seele usually played with? Why was there a caterpillar on it?

Moreover, this caterpillar is now covered in many silk threads, almost turning into a cocoon.

"You think you're funny? Is it a good thing to be liked by that kind of thing?"

Suppressing the urge to smack this guy's handsome face with her claws, Black Seele bumped into Shen Gonglin's chest, thinking that he would say something heartwarming, but it turned out he was just an idiot.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became Seele reached out and instinctively pinched the soft flesh on Shen Gonglin's waist. The girl's slight movement of her fingers brought a different kind of stimulation to Shen Gonglin. If these hands were used for other things, they would definitely be very powerful. Black Seele is much braver than White Seele. Maybe she could try to find a solution with her.

There was no other way. The Class President had gone to help the headmaster, Mei was on missions at World Serpent all day, so I couldn't just go see her. If I went to Schicksal and Rita's place Shen Gonglin was afraid I wouldn't be able to come back safely... So I could only think about whether there was anyone else willing to play with me.

Kiana? Bronya? Those seem like good options too.

"Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue. It's not 'them,' it's me, it's me, and it's also 'I like you.' I've liked you ever since I first met you in the Sea of Quantum."

Feeling the increasing pressure on her waist, Shen Gonglin quickly backed down. No one could withstand that kind of punishment, so it was better to back down sooner rather than later. Besides, she wasn't losing out in this situation. She had so many people she liked, so having one more Black Seele wouldn't make a difference.

"Hmph, who needs your liking for me? You just need to like Seele, it's all the same anyway."

The girl gave a haughty snort, but her joy and happiness were evident in her eyes. She also removed the small hand that was on Shen Gonglin's waist. It was the girl's instinct to say one thing and mean another. Although she was very happy, she would never admit that she was happy.

"In some ways, you are the same, after all, you two are the same age... But in reality, you are definitely different. Seele looks very well-behaved, the kind who will hold back her screams, while you are different. I can tell that you will definitely scream loudly in the future."

Shen Gonglin said these words very seriously, while Black Seele was full of question marks. What was Shen Gonglin saying?

"Don't you understand?"

"Hmm, I don't understand."

"It's okay, I'll find you a book to brush up on your knowledge later, everyone's reading it."

Chapter 90

He imparted some new knowledge to the girl in his arms. Originally a pure and good young man, Shen Gonglin had unknowingly learned a lot. He was no longer the same as before, as could be seen from the wide-eyed look in Black Seele's eyes. The girl was greatly shocked. So this can be done like this? Is it fake? So this is how you do things? Black Seele instinctively began to feel scared.

Although she seemed much braver than Seele, she was still a naive girl at heart. She couldn't handle this kind of thing. Did girls really have to do such hard things in the future? Just thinking about it made her feel pain. No, no, when it really comes to that kind of thing, we'll find someone else and let Seele take over.

"What? You're scared already? You're not very good at this either. I really don't know what those dolls saw in you. Aren't you just like Seele?"

Seeing the girl's shocked expression, Shen Gonglin glanced at her disdainfully, while Black Seele glared back at Shen Gonglin defiantly.

"Who said I was scared? I'm just a little surprised by the new knowledge I've come across... And if you don't like me, can't you keep your hands to yourself? Do you really think I didn't feel anything? Hurry up and pull your hands away, or I'll make you chop me with a sickle."

Black Seele was all bark and no bite, and at that moment she also noticed Shen Gonglin's restless hands. When he was explaining things to Seele earlier, the girl, who was so shocked, didn't even notice what his hands were doing. This shows that she is different from the other Seele. If it were the other Seele, she would definitely blush and swallow her anger, but she is different.

This Seele can glare at people.

"Uh... it was a slip of the hand, just a slip of the hand."

Shen Gonglin sheepishly pulled his restless paws out of Black Seele's clothes. He never had the chance to do this with other girls, but only with Seele, this "naive girl," could he put on the airs of a sex teacher. As he spoke, Shen Gonglin couldn't help but demonstrate it himself, hoping that Bronya wouldn't find out about it.

Otherwise, Shen Gonglin might worry that she'd be bombarded by Heavy-duty Rabbit.

"Hmph... Next time it's just my slip of the hand, you hear me? And couldn't you have come earlier in situations like that in the theater? Why did you have to make me wait so long? That's only because of me. If it were that idiot Seele... Remember, if it were her, I would have to be by her side immediately!"

Reaching out, Black Seele pinched Shen Gonglin's face. She didn't seem to care about Shen Gonglin's cat paw earlier. Although she wasn't good at this kind of thing, the girl wasn't the kind of soft, cute girl who would let anyone bully her. Shen Gonglin had been a bit arrogant just now.

"Oh."

"Don't just say 'oh,' remember that! And... is there anything else? If not, go back, I want to sleep."

"Then I'm leaving."

"Give it a try!"

Staring at Shen Gonglin, Black Seele gritted her teeth. This idiot, can't he understand what I mean? How dare he say such a thing? Who said this idiot was smart? He must be blind!

I still can't sleep.

It was still late at night outside, and after tossing and turning in bed for a long time, the girl finally opened her eyes and sighed softly. At times like this, quiet is a good thing, but it's a little too quiet now, and she's not used to it.

Normally, my other self would chat with me at times like this, but now, my other self hasn't spoken to me all day.

Did I do something wrong? I should apologize first. Everything that the other me did was for my own good.

"My other self, please don't be angry anymore, okay? I know you're doing this for my own good. You're always by my side, protecting me. Everything you say is for my sake. I understand. You always want to fight for me because you're worried I'll get hurt, but I'm also worried you'll get hurt."

The girl sat up, the white blanket covering her legs. Her slender figure appeared exceptionally delicate in the moonlight streaming through the window. Seele tried to speak softly to her other self. She was a girl with high emotional intelligence, and she roughly knew why her other self had been acting strangely lately. However, she couldn't just go along with her without saying anything, as that would be detrimental to their relationship. Therefore, Seele decided to tell her other self everything that was on her mind.

I hope she can hear me.

"You are irreplaceable and important to me. I want to become as strong as you, strong enough to protect you. You don't want me to have too much contact with others, because you don't want me to get hurt, to be deceived, or betrayed. You're afraid I'll turn back into a coward who only knows how to hide in a box and cry. It's okay, I'm not afraid, because I still have you."

Under the moonlight, the girl confided her true feelings to her other self. They were twins, like two lotus flowers blooming side by side. She was also Seele, another version of herself, yet not entirely the same person. Therefore, she hoped that Seele could fully understand what was on her mind.

"You always tell me to take better care of myself. But the self I care about includes you too. Didn't you ask me before what kind of existence you are? I thought about it seriously for a long time, and sure enough, there's only one answer: you are me, and I am you. We are equal beings. You want me to be happy, and I want you to be happy too. You care a lot about names, don't you? We are equals, and I also want to call you by name. If you have a name you like, please tell me. I want to know... how you feel."

In the silent night, Seele quietly confided her feelings to her other self, but the other self still didn't reply. Perhaps it had fallen asleep. The other self really loved to sleep. Seele sighed softly. In that case, she would go to sleep too.

I felt so much more relaxed after talking about what was on my mind. I'll talk to another part of myself tomorrow. I'm a little... sleepy now.

Yawning, the girl quietly lay down. Tomorrow she had training, time to play with Shen Gonglin, and time to discuss other things with Sister Bronya and Kiana. Her days had suddenly become very fulfilling, with things to do every day. She was completely different from her former self.

I go to sleep, hoping that when I wake up, my other self will feel better too.

Chapter Ninety-One: The Ceiling of Emotional Intelligence

In the consciousness space, Shen Gonglin sat quietly with Black Seele in her arms. They had both heard everything Seele said. She truly deserved to be the most emotionally intelligent person in the entire Salt Lake Base. After hearing Seele's words, Shen Gonglin even wanted to take out her notebook and write them down. She really wanted to tell these words to the Herrscher of the Void and Little Herrscher of Consciousness, to see how Kiana and that idiot A Fu got along, and then look at Seele.

Sure enough, comparisons are odious. Has Seele gotten herself into the male lead's script? Shouldn't he, the understanding male lead, be saying these kinds of things?

"Hey, Seele's talking to you. Shouldn't you go out and do something about it at a time like this?"

Shen Gonglin tightened her grip on Black Seele's waist and nuzzled her head in a gesture of respect. Seeing how sincere Seele's words were, Shen Gonglin felt almost moved herself.

"Huh? Does she really think she can sway me with words like that? Let her say whatever she wants, I've decided to leave her alone."

I don't want to just pay attention to her so easily. Doesn't she have new friends? She calls me Kiana all the time. Why should she pay attention to me? It's like I'm trying to control her. And she's still going on? It's rare to see her talk so much.

"No, look, Seele has already said that, so you should soften up a little. Soft girls are cuter. Just give me face and don't hold it against Seele."

His emotional intelligence seemed to be softening again, and Shen Gonglin started acting as a mediator. Seele was the girl who handled this situation the best, completely different from Kiana and Fu Hua, who were just lousy characters. He wanted to learn from her how to handle this kind of relationship.

"... Fine, since you've said that, I'll let it go since she's so sincere... Remember, I'm only doing this for your sake. I'll leave after she says a few more words... Depending on her attitude, it's not impossible to reconcile with her... Hmm? Why did you stop talking?"

Her typical tsundere reaction kicked in. With Shen Gonglin as a way out, the girl seemed much more relaxed. The girl with red eyes pouted. She only chose to forgive Seele because of Shen Gonglin. This girl was so sincere. She might cry even if she didn't forgive her. In that case, she would have to coax her. If she talked any more, she would leave.

The girl's mood improved, and she seemed eager to try. Shen Gonglin other hand, looked at the proud girl in her arms with a maternal smile. All the girls around her were such nice people. However, the voice that had resounded throughout the consciousness space suddenly disappeared. What happened? Had she finished speaking?

That's it? That's it?

"Huh? Just like that, you fell asleep? Hey! Who said you could sleep? You still have something to say to me, right... Shen Gonglin, I need to go out and give her a piece of my mind. We'll hug again tomorrow. See you later!"

I wanted to hear those heartwarming words that would make me smile, but this silly Seele fell asleep halfway through her sentence. Sensing the situation of her other self, Seele seemed a little angry. It would have been such a wonderful thing to be nestled in Shen Gonglin's arms and listen to her other self apologize, but this is how it ended?

Suddenly disappearing from the consciousness space, because of Black Seele's departure, Shen Gonglin was also suddenly pushed out of that consciousness space. Heh, as expected, she's a tsundere. I thought she could last long. Is that all?

The consciousness appeared beside Seele, looking at the girl who had fallen into a deep sleep with her eyes slightly closed. Black Seele puffed out her cheeks and looked at her angrily. She really was asleep.

"You! Say more! Say you need me, say you treat me as an equal, say I'm important to you! Even though I don't care about any of that, I've only been listening because you said it, haven't I? Idiot! Idiot! Idiot Seele!"

Lying by the bedside watching the sleeping girl, now that there was no one else around, Black Seele could be a little bolder. She admitted that what Seele had just said made her very happy, so happy that she wanted to keep listening.

"Actually, you really don't need me anymore, do you? You're growing up day by day, becoming more mature and independent. One day you'll be able to master all the power of this body. I was born to protect you, but you... no longer need my protection, do you?"

He lay down next to Seele and played with her hair. This girl was very peaceful once she fell asleep, without any guard up at all. So while she slept, Black Seele was always on guard around. You could say that she had watched her grow up, and now, she really had grown up.

"You're strong enough. So many people like you, and you can handle everything. I knew this day would come. I knew I was destined to disappear. My unreasonable temper tantrums were just to cover up my anxiety, disappointment, and... loneliness. In the end, you're the one apologizing and comforting me. You're such a fool, an overly gentle fool."

Her tone suddenly softened, Black Seele gently stroked Seele's cheek. Both of them were Shen Gonglin about her.

"Don't worry, I won't believe those dolls' nonsense. I understand your feelings. After all, we are the same person, we are both Seele. Until that day comes, I will do everything in my power to protect you and prevent anyone from hurting you. And then, when the day comes when you can truly break free from your cocoon and transform into a butterfly..."

He gazed tenderly at Seele, but before he could finish speaking, Black Seele suddenly heard a strange noise coming from under the bed. Curious, the girl looked to the side and met a pair of bright, purple eyes.

"Hey, Seele, what a coincidence!"

Their eyes met, Shen Gonglin smiled and greeted Seele. It was as normal as if they had bumped into each other at a restaurant, but Seele didn't see it that way.

"Shen Gonglin? What are you doing here...? Tell me, when did you arrive? Did you hear any strange noises just now?!"

Reaching out, she grabbed Shen Gonglin's neck. Black Seele's eyes were incredibly confused. Had Shen Gonglin heard all those embarrassing things she said earlier? Why did she suddenly want to join the puppets' side? Was this what social death was like? Had there really been no place for her in this society?

Chapter 92: Speaking out of integrity

"I don't know either, I just got here. As for what strange things... Just now, a haughty little girl was saying some weird things to a sleeping person. I had no idea about that."

Shen Gonglin scratched his cheek and turned his head to the side. After coming out of the consciousness space, he was under Seele's bed. After all, he had entered the Domination Theater from here, so it was only natural to return to the original place. He had wanted to come out directly, but then he heard Black Seele saying these things to Seele. Wouldn't it be awkward for him to come out?

As we all know, Shen Gonglin is a kind-hearted boy. Of course, he couldn't come out and embarrass Black Seele at this time, so he obediently lay under the bed and quietly eavesdropped... no, listened to Black Seele's heartfelt confession. In the end, he couldn't help but laugh out loud, which is why Black Seele found him. In short, Shen Gonglin really meant well.

I don't know who would believe that.

"You heard everything, didn't you! Shen Gonglin, why aren't you dead yet... Ugh! What did I even say? What happened to me? Did I eat something bad? But I wasn't the one who ate it, so it's all this idiot's fault! Hey, why are you sleeping so soundly? Are you laughing at me? This is infuriating!"

Shen Gonglin remains as clueless as ever. It seems I was just imagining things before. He should have pretended not to know anything in this situation, instead of just blurting it out. If he had pretended not to know, he would have had a way out. Black Seele glared at Shen Gonglin with her bright red eyes, grinding her teeth as if she was about to bite him. But in the end, it was all Seele's fault!

Black Seele turned her head fiercely to look at Seele, who was still fast asleep. It was all her fault. She couldn't bring herself to hurt Shen Gonglin. Then she would take revenge under the body of this culprit. Why should she have to worry about this for so long while she was sleeping so comfortably?

"You just wait, I'll deal with you later. For now, I'll take revenge on the culprit!"

Picking up the pen on the table, Black Seele mischievously drew lines on the sleeping Seele's face, writing "Seele is an idiot" all over her face, so that everyone would laugh at her tomorrow. It was a good idea, but Black Seele drew lines for a long time and still didn't do it. The Shen Gonglin who had been spared by her climbed onto Seele's bed at this time. What's wrong? Can't she bear it?

"If you can't bear to do it, then leave it to me. Actually, I'm quite talented at painting. I can paint a Qingming Scroll for her. But Seele's face is too small. How about this, can you help me by taking off her clothes? I'll paint a cow for her."

Because he's a warm-hearted guy, Shen Gonglin is quite understanding. Seeing that Black Seele couldn't bear to hurt him, Shen Gonglin volunteered to help. He's good at doing such heartless things, so there's no need to worry about whether his conscience hurts or not, since Shen Gonglin has no conscience at all.

"Get away from me. Think about it, isn't this my body too? I'll be at a disadvantage if you do this... I already said you're not allowed to draw this... This is fine."