Although the question had little meaning, Lady Xixi's cheerful expression dimmed slightly.
"Just like all the times you've seen through things before, you've once again uncovered the truth. How does it feel?"
Turning the Bronze Headband over in his hand, Fu Qian was quite certain it was the core of the illusion.
With this in hand, he could end the scene before them with a single thought, if he wished, and send Lady Xixi back to bed.
"You'll never admit it, will you?"
After a brief silence, Lady Xixi's voice turned somewhat low.
"Even if I did, would it really mean anything?"
Fu Qian chuckled.
"How can you be sure this isn't another layer of the design? Maybe one day you'll discover that I'm a villain who enjoys playing pranks, and that I deliberately pretended there was someone behind the scenes to push you further into the abyss of your imagination?"
"You've held on to your obsession with the 'truth' by doubting everything, but that also means there's nothing in this world that can tell you you're right."
"Like a net that can't be torn apart, no matter how hard you try."
"...Are you trying to tell me that my actions are meaningless, and that I might as well give up speculating and enjoy life?"
Fu Qian's metaphor seemed to strike a nerve. Lady Xixi pressed her lips together, her smile disappearing completely. Yet when she spoke again, her voice still held a stubborn refusal to give up.
"I have to admit, you're an excellent persuader. Unfortunately, I—"
"Why insist on defining what I am? Are you not confident in your own understanding of yourself?"
Fu Qian cut her off.
"What matters is what information I've brought as a medium."
"Collecting, sorting, judging, and reaching a conclusion—that's what you should