Too Many Words to Say

The morning breeze brushed gently across her face, carrying a hint of heat, lightly waking Chen Xi from her slumber.

"Hot..."

The girl sat up, wiping the fine sweat from her forehead.

Last night the weather had felt cool, so she hadn't bothered turning on the air conditioner—who would've guessed it'd heat up so much the next day?

"Morning." Lin Yue poked her head in from the doorframe. "I made you breakfast today."

Chen Xi eyed her suspiciously, her voice drowsy. "Did the sun rise from the west?"

"Hey, I just saw you sleeping so soundly, that's all." Lin Yue refrained from bickering for once.

After washing up, Chen Xi stared at the massive spread of food laid out before her.

"Two eggs... two sausages... four slices of bread, and even noodles—all for me?"

"Yep." Lin Yue replied.

"I'm not a pig. I can't eat all this. Next time, I'll cook for you."

Still, since Lin Yue had made it, and Chen Xi wasn't one to waste food, she forced herself to finish everything.

"I'm off. See you tonight." Waving goodbye to Lin Yue, who was still wearing an apron, Chen Xi slowly walked down the stairs.

She had to go farm CG.

Yes, as mercenary as it sounded, one reason she'd agreed to Zhu Li's request was that Zhu Li could trigger CG.

The moment she stepped into the stairwell, Chen Xi was startled by the scene before her.

A convertible sat in the residential complex, its engine rumbling loudly.

The crimson-haired girl wore Bluetooth earbuds, leather shorts, and sunglasses, leaning against the car's front with her hands casually resting on the window frame—exuding pure presence.

"...Zhu Li?"

Chen Xi fell silent. This sight was far beyond anything she'd imagined.

Zhu Li noticed her and slid her sunglasses up onto her forehead.

[I figured I'm about to die anyway, so I'd try things I've never done before]

Afraid of drawing a crowd, the flames formed faint, tiny words.

Only Chen Xi, another Transcendent, could read and see the message.

[What's wrong? Doesn't it suit me?]

Chen Xi replied softly, "No, it suits you perfectly."

[Then let's go]

Zhu Li opened the door, and Chen Xi climbed in beside her.

"So, where are we going?"

[No idea. Just drive around. Oh, right—the Rain Lord and Flame Ghost you're wielding are naturally incompatible, and the Flame Ghost's fire has been burning even hotter these past few days]

[So for now, it's best we don't have any physical contact]

She took off her earbuds and turned on the stereo.

A soothing song played—a female singer's voice sweet yet not cloying.

She tapped the gas lightly. The convertible roared and pulled out of the complex.

On the outskirts, atop an abandoned bridge.

Two figures—one red, one black—stood on the old bridge, leisurely enjoying the sea breeze.

"What was that song just now?" Chen Xi relaxed, leaning her whole body against the railing.

Zhu Li paused, clearly not expecting that question.

[It's a song I sang. Did it sound good?]

"Huh?" This time it was Chen Xi's turn to be bewildered.

No wonder Zhu Li's typed words had a different tone from a typical deaf-mute person—it was acquired.

"What happened?" She didn't finish the sentence, but both understood the meaning.

[The price of wielding the Flame Ghost—my throat feels a burning pain all day long]

"...How painful?"

Chen Xi silently gazed at the distant schools of fish.

Zhu Li shook her head: [I'm used to it]

Just as a chronic sinusitis sufferer gets used to a constant runny nose, she had grown accustomed to this pain that most couldn't bear.

[We...]

The flame characters formed halfway, then suddenly burst apart.

Chen Xi dodged and asked hurriedly, "Are you okay?!"

Zhu Li waved her hand and pulled out her phone to type.

[The fire of resentment in my heart is burning too fiercely, I can no longer control it with precision. Sorry, you'll have to read my words again.]

[Does this bother you?]

Zhu Li stared at her, trying to see clearly the girl who had turned her life upside down.

Chen Xi stood before her, pondering, "Hmm... at first it really is troublesome and uncomfortable."

"But if it's you, that's a small problem."

"Besides." Chen Xi smiled lightly, pulling out her phone, "Why don't you just send me messages directly? It's just the two of us anyway."

With that, she sent Zhu Li a sticker of a rabbit poking its head out.

[Didn't you say you wanted to try something different every day? Then today I'll only chat with you using my phone, how about that?]

The sea breeze tousled Zhu Li's wavy hair as she stood there, dazedly watching the black-haired girl before her. The vibration of her phone and the pounding of her heart rang out together, and she could no longer tell if that was the sound of her heart stirring.

Why... of all times, did I have to meet you now...

She wanted to cry, but the flames had long since burned away her tears.

A thousand words, yet none could be expressed, finally converging into a single character.

[Okay]

[cg generation failed, converted to Wish Power charge: 48%]

An electronic voice rang in her mind, but Chen Xi had no time to pay it any attention. She quickly typed in the chat box.

[Why do I feel like you're about to cry?]

Zhu Li forced a faint smile and replied with only one sentence.

[You're imagining things.]

What does a person do before they die?

Others might not know, but Zhu Li felt nothing in particular.

The two of them wandered aimlessly through the supermarket, strolled without direction in the park, ate fried chicken when they got hungry at noon, and watched the latest movie when they were bored in the afternoon...

Chen Xi hadn't expected that Zhu Li's "just walk around" would be so literal.

By the time night fell, they had traversed nearly half of Tianhai City.

When Chen Xi came back to her senses, she had already been dropped off by Zhu Li's sports car at the entrance of her apartment complex.

The black-haired girl stood at the stairwell, reading the message Zhu Li had just sent—[I want to hear you talk more]

Chen Xi looked up and found the red-haired girl staring at her without blinking.

"You... really don't have anywhere you want to go?"

Zhu Li shook her head slightly.

Rather, it was that there were too many places she wanted to go.

She was about to turn and leave, but couldn't help sending the message that had been sitting in the chat box all along.

[What's your relationship with Xiao Yue?]

Chen Xi thought for a moment and gave her answer: "...Best friends?"

I see...

Thinking she was about to die anyway, Zhu Li, driven by a sudden impulse, continued typing silently.

[Do you like girls?]

Caught off guard by the direct question, Chen Xi looked embarrassed: "How did you figure it out?"

[Just a wild guess]

Zhu Li felt her breathing quicken, her ears filled with nothing but the thunderous pounding of her own heart.

[Then do you like me?]

Trembling as she typed these words, the red-haired girl no longer dared to meet the eyes of the person before her.

Why she asked this, even she herself didn't know.

Seeing this message, Chen Xi's heart stirred.

She knew very well that if she agreed to Zhu Li, a new cg would almost certainly be generated.

And after the Regression of time, the girl would forget the fact that she had been deceived. Yet that stubborn little point in her heart still made Chen Xi change her answer.

She had a feeling that refusal seemed to be the right choice.

Besides... she liked Lin Yue, and if she had the chance, she still wanted to fight for it.

"...We've spent too little time together."

"Sorry, I can't lie to you."

Zhu Li smiled knowingly upon hearing this.

[It's fine, that's just who you are]

[I'm leaving now, farewell]

Leaving behind a carefree silhouette, Zhu Li waved her hand and walked out of the neighborhood.