The Many Forms of Love

Lilith is gone, leaving behind a group of people who are either stunned or dumbfounded.

Disaster was speechless with shock. That was a kiss! Lilith just kissed her like that! From now on, she and Amo would also... cough cough...

That seems a bit too exciting.

Kosma Disaster regained her composure first. He glanced at Elysia's expression and decisively decided not to speak.

Pardo kept her head down and ate her rice. This had nothing to do with her. When she got back, Kevin would be the one to take the blame. At most, she would just make a phone call to Mobius.

Kevin stared at Zhu Yufeng with a half-closed gaze, his eyes conveying a very clear meaning: Can Elysia do it?

Zhu Yufeng had been ambushed by Lilith in various ways over the past few days, and he was already numb. He glanced blankly at Elysia, then looked at Kevin, signaling with his eyes that he should stop causing trouble. If Kevin provoked Elysia any further, Elysia might really end up like Lilith.

This time, Kevin wasn't stubborn anymore; he chose to keep his head down and eat in silence. But rather than saying he wasn't stubborn anymore, it would be more accurate to say he was already content.

After all, if Kevin didn't stick to his head, would he still be Kevin?

As for Hua, even someone as oblivious as her had noticed something was off about Lilith's behavior, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Anyway, with Feng here, what couldn't Feng handle? So Hua stopped thinking and continued eating.

Elysia snapped out of her daze and looked at Zhu Yufeng with a complicated expression. In this respect, she felt that she was really inferior to Lilith, at least... she didn't have the courage to kiss Feng in front of everyone.

She recalled Zhu Yufeng's speculations about Lilith and what he had told her about Lilith's true nature. She knew that the things that still made her somewhat uneasy—about Zhu Yufeng's identity and his hometown—would probably not be difficult for Lilith at all. If it were Lilith herself, she would definitely choose Zhu Yufeng without hesitation.

Because in Lilith's eyes, none of the entire world is as important as Zhu Yufeng, she doesn't care about other people's thoughts at all, and she can also abandon everything in this world.

Indeed, Feng also said that he only noticed her because he saw her story and felt sorry for the story of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, including himself. Their relationship was based on his prior knowledge of her from the beginning. Apart from that, she had no advantage in facing Lilith.

If that's the case...

From the moment she boarded the return plane, Elysia remained silent.

Zhu Yufeng glanced at Elysia, who was standing silently beside him. Elysia's behavior was truly concerning. Even when Lilith challenged her nerves, Elysia hadn't acted this way. Why was she like this now...?

Zhu Yufeng thought for a moment and felt that he probably understood. People don't change because of a sudden event, and this is especially true for Elysia. So, her current state is probably due to the cumulative effect of all the events that have happened in the past few days.

"Elysia, are you... still thinking about Lilith, and about me?" Zhu Yufeng asked in a low voice.

Elysia looked up at Zhu Yufeng and nodded gently. Yes, even if she felt that her feelings for him were not as strong as Lilith's, she still wanted to stay by his side and wanted to stay with him forever.

"You seem to have fallen into a misconception," Zhu Yufeng said again.

"A misconception..." Elysia murmured in return, "Or perhaps it's not a misconception?"

"Tell me about it?"

Elysia paused for a moment, then asked softly, "Maple, do you ever feel that my love for you isn't as strong as Lilith's? She would give up everything for you... But I feel like I can't do that..."

"Isn't that a misconception?" Zhu Yufeng leaned back and said softly, "Love comes in many forms. Sometimes, the depth of one person's love for another cannot be judged solely by its expression. Elysia, I believe you understand these things, but... it seems you've overlooked them because you care too much about me."

"Because this really concerns you," Elysia said, somewhat dissatisfied and aggrieved. "To me, your relationship with me now is like a lost treasure being regained. Whether it was when I looked at you outside the operating room after the Tenth Herrscher incident, or before I said goodbye to this world at the [Final Feast]... I never had the chance to be with you like this before..."

Lilith even admitted to her that the reduced opportunities for her and Zhu Yufeng to meet after the previous incident were deliberately arranged by Lilith. Although Lilith also said that Feng always cared about her, the estrangement between the two was still inevitable...

"That was indeed my problem. Sometimes I can be very willful." Zhu Yufeng lowered her eyes. "You've never been wrong. It's just that I'm sometimes too stubborn. Because my understanding of you is based on the stories I know about you, I admire your flawlessness and yearn for your True Self... That's why I have this fixed idea that a 'daughter of God' won't fall in love with any individual, and I use it to numb myself."

"If that story didn't exist, if you had never known the whole story, would you still like me?" Elysia asked.

"If I had never known this story..." Zhu Yufeng thought for a moment, and probably he wouldn't have appeared in this world, because the reason he transmigrated was perhaps because of this regret? No, that's not right either, sometimes transmigration is illogical.

Let's continue with the assumption that Elysia is the one who makes this assumption...

"I will still like you." Zhu Yufeng gave a very affirmative answer. "Even without this story, I would still like you. You are the first kindness and gentleness I encountered in this strange world. You need to understand, Elysia, you don't need to worry about this, because the story only provides me with an image of you. Whether it truly touches my heart or is your true heart, I will like you not because of what you did in the story, nor because you are the True Self Flame-Chasers, but because you are you, Elysia."

Elysia was somewhat dazed upon hearing this. She recalled that when she spoke to Mobius after the rebirth, she had said the same thing to Mobius.

"... I love him, Flame-Chasers that will not change because of what he has done or said. I love him not because he alone bore all the sins, but because he is who he is."

Elysia smiled gently and said, "But you can't let go of Lilith either, can you?"

"So I also feel that I've ultimately lived the life of a scumbag." Zhu Yufeng said quite honestly, there was no reason not to admit it, that was his current situation, and there was no use in being stubborn.

Dual motives? Absolutely not. He killed the African Rebel Army without hesitation, and he didn't deny it; he did it, he did it.

"So it seems my standards for choosing a partner have lowered?" Elysia chuckled softly. "No, Feng, what you've done, many others haven't. I've witnessed the feelings you've shown me... And, just like you, what does it matter who you are? You are you, so..."

Elysia reached out and cupped Zhu Yufeng's face, then kissed him.

Zhu Yufeng: "..."

He'd kissed her so many times, but he'd never initiated it. The idea that Elysia and Lilith were sisters suddenly seemed plausible to him.

Should he take the initiative next time?

No... that's too dangerous. I'd better just keep slacking off. After all, if I really resist, Elysia and Lilith probably won't be able to keep ambushing me.

To some extent, this can be considered a kind of initiative on his part.

As their lips parted, Elysia's face flushed slightly, but she still looked at Zhu Yufeng and smiled, saying, "Suddenly, I feel like I'm not entirely without confidence to be Lilith's opponent after all~"

When Lilith was mentioned, Zhu Yufeng felt it necessary to continue discussing the previous issue, "Regarding what you said, that you feel your love is inferior to Lilith's, I still think your judgment is inaccurate. Because you love this world, you are Flawless Person embraces it, and in this vast world, you fell in love with me, so why would you feel you are inferior to Lilith? In Lilith's heart, there has never been a world; she simply met me and then fell in love with me, it's that simple. Your two loves are completely different, so there is no basis for comparison."

"Because compared to Lilith, in my eyes, the world is my life, while in Lilith's eyes, the world is nothing more than something that can be discarded at any time, is that right?" Elysia asked.

"Yes, although saying this sounds like badmouthing her, that's just how Lilith is." Zhu Yufeng squinted and turned her head to look behind her. "Everyone expresses 'love' in a different way. Take Kevin and Mei, for example. Can anyone deny that Kevin wasn't deep enough? Or that Kosma, who was eavesdropping, didn't love Disaster seriously enough?"

Kosma, sitting in the back taking notes. "!"

(When did Maple discover it? Could it be... that Elysia discovered it too?)

"It's impolite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations," Elysia said, squinting. She had only discovered that someone was eavesdropping halfway there, so she kept her voice very low.

Moreover, this way I can get closer to Feng, so why not?

Sitting next to Kosma, Kevin looked at Kosma with half-closed eyes. Kosma had been paying attention to Feng and Elysia from the beginning when they started whispering to each other, but the two were speaking too softly and using words like "love" in their vocabulary, which made Kosma lean closer to listen.

Of course, a certain Kevin had been eavesdropping from the very beginning, but Kosma wouldn't have been curious enough to come and eavesdrop as well.

However, Kevin didn't become so obsessed with Kosma that it attracted the attention of the two men.

So the situation is that Kevin listened to the whole thing, but the general information was a bit vague, while Kosma listened carefully to the entire second half...

After Kosma was discovered, he obediently put away his notebook and sat up straight like a good child.

(They found out... Does that mean they were actually talking to me? Everyone expresses "love" in a different way... I also wanted to find the most suitable way for Disaster and me to get along in this completely new relationship... Guoxin, is it because I care too much that I'm confused?)

Kevin frowned and pondered, "'Knowing the whole story'... 'A strange world'... Feng, could it be that you really have a secret that we don't know? And it seems that Elysia also knows something... Given Feng's personality, Elysia shouldn't know things that I don't. Should I just ask him directly?"

Kevin recalled that the night before returning to the palace, Hen told him something with a serious expression, "Vill-V from Spiral Workshop raised doubts about Feng's identity report that need to be reviewed again, and she has received the support of Mobius. The council's deliberation has been completed, and next, Vill-V will lead a detailed investigation into Feng's identity."

What problems could there be with Feng's identity? There's no way that Vill-V would investigate Feng's identity as a lawyer again, right? Feng wasn't a lawyer in his previous life either.

As if to reassure Kevin, Hen immediately added, "Don't worry, it's just a routine reinvestigation. Even if they find out something else, Feng's contributions to the Fire Moth are there, so under normal circumstances, it won't have any impact on him."

What are Mobius and Vill-V thinking?

Upon arriving at the Fire Moth Division, Zhu Yufeng's first sight upon disembarking from the private jet was Klein. Although it didn't seem that strange, Zhu Yufeng still felt that something was amiss.

Klein, as always, stepped forward expressionlessly and said, "Feng, Dr. Mobius needs to see you. Please come over now."

Zhu Yufeng looked at Elysia, and his sense of crisis told him that something was wrong and he needed Elysia to ensure his safety.

Just as Elysia was about to say something, Klein continued, "Elysia, Vill-V also has something to discuss with you. Oh, by the way, here's a document."

Elysia took the document, glanced at Zhu Yufeng, and then smiled at Klein, saying, "Yes, I'll be there soon~"

"What's wrong?" Zhu Yufeng asked, looking puzzled.

Elysia shrugged. "Vill-V has requested a reinvestigation into your identity and background. Perhaps she also wants to clarify some things."

Zhu Yufeng: "..."

Why did it have to be at this time...? Sakura is injured, so all we can do is rely on Kevin...

Kevin received a call from Mei and went to do an experiment...

Alright, now Zhu Yufeng has reason to suspect that Mobius is up to something.

With no reliable combatants available, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and head to Mobius's laboratory with Klein. When they arrived at the door, Klein refused to go in, saying, "The Doctor is inside. I have other things to do, so I'll be going now."

Zhu Yufeng: "..."

This is definitely going to be a disaster.

With a heart full of trepidation, Zhu Yufeng entered Mobius's laboratory.