Chen Xi stood and walked over to Lin Yue. While Lin Yue watched her warily, Chen Xi suddenly leaned down and reached out her right hand to gently pat her head.
"I was only joking. Don't we always act like this around each other?" Chen Xi said solemnly. "If you didn't find it funny, I'm sorry."
Caught off guard by the gesture, Lin Yue didn't know what to do and hurried to explain, "I, I didn't mean it like that..."
Realizing she couldn't talk her way out of it, she simply gave up defending herself. "Anyway, I was joking too."
Chen Xi didn't think much of it and teased her, "Oh? Who would've guessed? Miss Lin was almost in tears."
At that, Lin Yue's flustered feelings vanished, replaced by suspicion. "How are you so good at even that?"
Chen Xi remained calm despite the questioning. "Because the memories from my dream are really vivid. It's like I've actually spent time with you."
It wasn't that Mask's ability was still in effect. This was simply the truth.
Aside from a few insignificant details, the dream had felt no different from living through everything all over again.
"Is that so?" Lin Yue could only attribute it to her increased Rank, which had strengthened the effect of her ability, Phantom of the Past.
Or perhaps her relationship with Chen Xi made Chen Xi's memories far clearer than Zhu Li's.
She was deep in thought when Chen Xi leaned curiously toward her cheek. "Oh, right. I forgot to tell you—I awakened a pretty great ability."
"What is it?" Lin Yue asked curiously.
Chen Xi put on a mysterious air. "It's a secret. I'll tell you once everyone's here."
The three of them, reunited after a long time apart, sat together in a corner