My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

Cat Cat Cake was crying, radiating intense sadness.

"Meow. (Ms. Ruan Mei doesn't like me.)"

Hua Yi bent down and picked up the adorable little creature. Knowing that verbal comfort would do little to ease its confusion, he merely stroked Cat Cat Cake gently and continued watching the video file, which recorded Ruan Mei's line of research.

"There is another form of life whose inscrutability I must acknowledge: Emissaries. What exactly are Emissaries? I do not fully understand. Scholars regard them as agents of an Aeon's power—so when, and at what point, did they become closer to Aeons than other forms of life?"

Tap, tap, tap.

The video file was nearing its end when footsteps approached the office, growing clearer and clearer.

Ruan Mei had come to meet Hua Yi.

She glanced at the retrieved experimental records, then spoke calmly in precisely the same tone and at the same pace as the recording. The two voices overlapped perfectly.

"Tayzzyronth. In the Simulated Universe, I attempted to cultivate His prototype and obtain data from the Bug Empress, replicating and nurturing it in hopes of creating something that would bloom into unprecedented life."

"In other words, the offspring of Propagation Aeon Tayzzyronth?"

"Yes."

Ruan Mei frankly shared the latest progress of her experiment with Hua Yi. Her gaze lingered only briefly on Cat Cat Cake before shifting elsewhere.

"If one wishes to recreate an Emissary as completely as possible, it is best to let it break from its cocoon on its own. But if the goal is to reduce the risk and weaken it, it should be ripened externally. Just as a newborn life needs time to understand the world, the artificial Swarm Emperor's kin needs time to familiarize itself with the Path of The Hunt."

"Now, it is not my choice to make. It is yours."

Hua Yi set down Cat Cat Cake and let the little pitiful creature run to Ruan Mei's feet. It wanted to get closer, yet did not dare take another step forward.

"Will you retrieve your creations first, or conduct the Hunt Swarm Leader experiment first?"

"That sounds like a major difference."

"If you choose the former, you can establish activity zones for Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog and settle them down. But if you choose the latter, a battle with the insects is inevitable. I cannot guarantee that, when the thing born there recklessly unleashes its power and destroys the Seclusion Zone, it will avoid your lost creations."

"..."

Behind that simple question lay a deeper inquiry.

Would she pause her research and take responsibility for harmless creations like Cat Cat Cake, or would she continue pursuing the Essence of Life?

Cats and dogs were naturally suited to be pets, not to mention that Ruan Mei had added pastry elements she liked into them.

Her gaze returned to the pitiful Cat Cat Cake at her feet, which wanted to approach but had received no response from its creator.

Only after a long while did she raise her eyes and meet Hua Yi's gaze.

He had posed the question to probe the heart of a Genius.

In truth, Ruan Mei herself could not give a clean, decisive answer.

Her childhood memories had not completely disappeared, but those feelings had been buried beneath the complicated research she had conducted while pursuing truth, making them difficult to untangle.

But I don't need to untangle them right now.

Ruan Mei suddenly smiled. Unlike the polite smile she had worn on the platform, this one held faint traces of something more.

On closer inspection, it bore some resemblance to Herta's smile.

"I plan to retrieve my creations first. After all, you just held it, and you even gave them nicknames like Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog. At the very least, that means you do not dislike these little ones."

She did not need to dwell on the deeper meaning behind the question. She could simply simplify it.

Hua Yi had offered two choices, yet he had not specified what considerations she was allowed to use in making that choice. It was his oversight, and the highly intelligent Genius immediately seized upon the loophole.

"If I ignore them, it will inevitably affect your mood. In turn, your research into the Hunt Swarm will also be disrupted, won't it?"

"An interesting angle."

"For now, I am taking your opinions into consideration as much as possible. Later, you should also cooperate with my research expectations. Just like when I borrowed Herta's Phase Flame and then lost it—I immediately owed her a favor. That is the customary calculation in human relationships."

"Ms. Ruan Mei."

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"Right now, you look a little like a cat that stole some dried fish. Even if the curve of your smile is still faint, it has more vitality than before."

Hua Yi Could Solve Problems Simply Too

Ruan Mei could no longer tell whether Hua Yi had genuinely overlooked something when he asked the question, or whether he had deliberately exposed a flaw.

Only the smile that was utterly unrefined by social skills told the Genius that her expression at this moment came from the heart.

Talking with him felt easy, perhaps even wonderful.

Her identity as a Genius had not become a thick barrier between them. Neither was it arrogant or rude; instead, it carried the comfort of friends getting along.

"Then how should we search for my creations? Draw up a route map covering the entire Seclusion Zone and conduct separate carpet searches?"

"Star thinks that the protagonist group in horror movies only runs into danger after splitting up. And you are once again prioritizing efficiency by suggesting that we act separately. It seems I am facing a multiple-choice question now."

"How do you plan to choose?"

"Of course, I want them all—no, I choose the third option."

Hua Yi activated every speaker in the laboratory through the office microphone, his voice echoing throughout the entire Seclusion Zone.

"Testing, testing, can you hear me? Cat Cat Cake, Shaomai Dog, Ruan Mei is waiting in the office for her creations to return. Mature and sensible lifeforms should not cause trouble for their creator. As for the Phase Flame—the flame that suddenly disappeared earlier—I have already found it and entrusted enthusiastic individuals to retrieve it."

After repeating the announcement several times, Hua Yi set down the microphone and looked at Ruan Mei's unreadable expression.

"A Genius like you could not possibly have failed to consider this solution, yet you had no intention of trying it."

"Mm."

"You are deliberately avoiding placing trust in others, not even your own creations. I have no grand principles to lecture you about. I am merely stating the facts. Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog may have different personalities, but they still share something in common. They are both your creations, and..."

"Woof!"

Before Hua Yi could finish, a Shaomai Dog with canine ears ran into the office from outside. It was the very creature that had accidentally bumped the console and released the Phase Flame earlier.

Unlike soft and adorable Cat Cat Cake, Shaomai Dog's facial lines and expression should have looked far more brash. Yet upon seeing Ruan Mei, it looked like it had committed some terrible mistake and was whimpering miserably.

With its head lowered and its eyes brimming with tears, it curled up before its creator, filled with guilt.

It knew it had caused trouble and desperately wanted to make up for it.

Ruan Mei had failed to create a lifeform born as a Genius and thus failed to achieve her research goal. Yet considering how long these creations had existed and the intelligence they now displayed, they were already quite extraordinary.

Shaomai Dog, Cat Cat Cake—one creation after another heard the announcement and ran to the office. The instant they saw their creator, obvious joy appeared on their faces, before they timidly and nervously sat in a row.

"Woof. (I'm sorry.)"

"Meow? (The Phase Flame has already been found?)"

"Meow, meow. (We'll behave, Ruan Mei.)"

There was no need to use a Synesthesia Beacon. The creations displayed rich emotions, and their attachment was enough to cross the barrier of language.

Hua Yi had not finished speaking earlier, but Ruan Mei already knew what came after "and."

And they all have deep feelings for you.

She knew how to exchange pleasantries and how to control the atmosphere when speaking with others. Yet faced with the wholly unfeigned sincere feelings of Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog, she gradually became lost.

Her gentleness was merely an outward appearance. Ruan Mei could control her words and actions, but she could not manipulate her own heart.

Stunning research achievements did not prevent the Genius from living like a recluse. Social skills were knowledge and would not be forgotten, but emotions were another matter.

Fortunately, she did not need to solve the problem alone.

"What should we do next?"

As she asked, Ruan Mei felt that her tone was no different from usual, but Hua Yi caught a faint spark hidden in her eyes.

"Naturally, settle them down. What do you think of the Department of Astral Boundary and Flora?"

"That department focuses on researching unusual lifeforms, not protecting them. If they learned that Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog were my creations, with a Genius's work placed before them, how many people could restrain the impulse to study them?"

"I see. Then how about keeping them directly in the office? The Seclusion Zone has been abandoned anyway. Other than you, no one uses the equipment here. With a few modifications, it can become a living area."

"Fine. We only need to shut down the machines."

Researchers often used questions instead of a simple yes or no, searching for the correct answer through elimination. It was a common way of thinking.

However, perhaps even Ruan Mei herself had not realized that her words already revealed concern for her creations. She was even prepared to stop using this office.

Hua Yi would not point it out. Otherwise, if the Genius returned to her elegant yet indifferent state, Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog would think she was angry again.

"Let me make this clear beforehand: Star and I have already put in a great deal of effort to recover the little ones you made. At most, we can assist you with building the living area now."

Huh? Did I put in a great deal of effort? Wasn't I just standing nearby while you used the loudspeaker to tell the creations to come back?

Star blinked her large eyes in confusion twice, then decisively gave up thinking.

Everything he said was right.

Ruan Mei did not argue with Hua Yi's words either.

"Thank you. I have counted them. They are all here, so they can stay in the office for now. If you wish to learn about the [Propagation] research immediately, we can head to the deeper section now."

"What, can't a Genius finish the living area in a short time?"

"It will take half a System Time. Are you willing to wait?"

Hua Yi understood what half a System Time meant. The Bug Empress's offspring currently being cultivated would become even stronger.

Yet even if it were allowed to break from its cocoon on its own, it could not breach the joint defenses of Star, Ruan Mei, and Herta. An Emissary was not so easy to create. The creature gestating in the deep zone could never become a true Emissary.

And precisely because of that, compared with fulfilling Ruan Mei's original goal of exploring the essence of Emissary life, that insect would instead bring Hua Yi greater gains.

"Please build the living area without worry, Ms. Ruan Mei."

"Then sit down and rest."

Thus, the scene became rather strange.

The Genius Club Member no longer used her nimble hands to operate cutting-edge equipment and cultivate results that could shake the universe. Instead, she picked up utterly ordinary materials such as cotton and cloth, sewing them into soft cushions and pillows, then using wood to build small houses.

Hua Yi and Star truly did not need to help, because once Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog saw their creator building them a home, they voluntarily joined in.

A group of little creatures huffed and puffed as they carried materials or finished products around. The office, once filled with rationality and philosophical thought, had become a construction site.

It was bustling and full of life.

Star Shattering Kingworm

With a Genius's abilities, building shelter for little animals was naturally effortless.

There was no need to say anything. She only needed to focus on construction and move her hands.

She had thought this would make the atmosphere cool down, since she could not employ any conversational skills with her creations.

They displayed such intense emotions that any response might worsen the situation. Ruan Mei could not handle that attachment with ease.

Yet Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog appeared exceptionally happy and full of energy, forming a stark contrast with their previous sorrow and dejection.

Have I... already responded to them?

After a brief lapse of attention, the Genius immediately sorted out the sequence of events.

Hua Yi's mention of the Department of Astral Boundary and Flora, and even his later suggestion that she personally build a living area for her creations, had all been deliberate!

He had quietly questioned her heart. When she refused to let the Department of Boundary Seeds care for Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog, and then chose to remodel the office, she had already given her answer.

I was outmaneuvered.

Looking at the little ones moving back and forth around her, as well as the miniature castle gradually taking shape, Ruan Mei felt as though she had returned to childhood, playing house without a care in the world.

Her elegant, mature air faded away. The chill that came from within did not spill forth, and she could no longer smile with composure.

At this moment, the Genius was exceptionally calm as she slowly completed the construction of a home.

Half a System Time was just right.

Only she had been meant to work on the construction, but Cat Cat Cake and Shaomai Dog had all come to help, so the finished product naturally became even more complete.

She rose to her feet and walked straight out of the office—no, it should now be called the home of Ruan Mei's creations.