The nurse lowered her head and saw Li Mo's innocent, harmless eyes. A strong sense of guilt immediately welled up in her heart. The child was just telling the truth. Maybe she really did look a little old? After all, what bad intentions could a three-year-old have...
The nurse, feeling wronged, quickly left Li Mo's side, leaving this sad place. Before she left, she didn't forget to give him a carton of milk.
Li Mo, of course, wouldn't refuse such nutritional supplements. After all, what he lacked most right now was nutrition. If he didn't take good care of this fragile body that could be blown over by a gust of wind, a major problem would arise sooner or later.
But from the current trend, it seemed hopeless. Nutritional supplements could at best prevent the hole from getting bigger, but they couldn't fill a bottomless pit. To cure it, he had to solve the problem at its root.
Li Mo had some ideas, but they were incomplete and full of holes. He could ask Otto to help make a Soulium body, or borrow the Abyss Flower and release its zeroth-rated power to heal himself. Li Mo didn't dare to choose either option rashly. The former was a direct pass.
For the latter, how to borrow the Key of Creation was a problem. Even if Cecilia was willing, Otto probably wouldn't allow it. He couldn't afford to gamble.
Li Mo seriously doubted if he could even live to be eighteen... Most importantly, where was Shigure Kira right now?
Li Mo lowered his head in silence, his eyes dim. All the answers could only be revealed when he returned to the haunted house. For now, he had to seize every opportunity to leave the war-torn area.
"Li Mo! Li Mo!"
Li Mo: "..."
Right now, Li Mo really wanted to make that very popular cucumber face and add a voiceover: "Family, who understands this! I'm speechless!"
The nurse had returned, pulling Li Mo toward the back of the camp.
"Captain Cocolia has invited all the children to a banquet. There's lots of delicious food and drinks. Come on, I'll take you."
Li Mo didn't refuse; he couldn't anyway. He followed behind the nurse to a simple, unadorned dining hall.
To be fair, Cocolia really did care about the children. She had prepared a lot of desserts. To be able to bring out these things during such a special time must have taken a lot of effort.
Cocolia's wallet must have taken a big hit, even with her rank as a captain. A captain wasn't that wealthy, not to mention Cocolia's own dream also required a large investment.
Li Mo, with self-awareness, sat in a remote corner, far from Cocolia. Because he couldn't compete with the others. The children had already formed groups and sat in positions closer to Cocolia.
Each small group had a leader-like figure, and the other members of the group would give the best position to the leader, sitting beside them to continue playing an indispensable and important role, so as not to be isolated and left alone.
Li Mo quietly ate all kinds of nutritious food, just to prevent the hole in his body from getting bigger. Desserts and drinks... although he really wanted to eat them, Li Mo knew that this banquet was a rare opportunity. If he missed this meal, there might not be another. It wasn't every day he could eat delicious meat.
In the dining hall, besides Cocolia sitting at the head of the table, the seats were only occupied by young children. With Li Mo taking the lead, the other children also began to enjoy the food. Children's taste buds are more sensitive than adults', and they loved the sweets.
Soon, the desserts on the table were swept clean. Because the desserts took up too much space in their stomachs, they couldn't eat more rice and meat.
After it was over, Cocolia stood up and walked to a child's side, asking in a very gentle tone, "Your name is Ashata, right? Do you have any plans for the future?"
Ashata, whose name was called, was excited. She raised her voice and said loudly and familiarly, "I want to be as amazing as Mama Cocolia! I can endure hardship, I can shoot a gun! I want to kill all those bad guys!"
Her words became filled with hostility toward the end. Ashata gritted her teeth, her eyes full of hatred.
Perhaps influenced by the first person, and with Cocolia's smile and approval of Ashata's speech, the following speeches were also similar.
A barely perceptible flicker of contempt flashed in Li Mo's eyes. Whether Cocolia asked about dreams or plans, in a child's world, they couldn't think of the difference. They were just imitating the people around them. Did they have this thought? Certainly, but was it what they wanted to do most? Probably not.
Finally, Cocolia walked up to Li Mo. She paused and asked, "Li Mo."
"Yes."
"Do you have any plans for the future?"
"To live."
"To live?" Cocolia looked puzzled, then immediately realized Li Mo's physical condition. According to the doctor, without help, Li Mo alone couldn't live to adulthood. So for him, living was the most important thing.
"To live, by any means necessary." Li Mo looked at Cocolia with determination in his eyes.
As long as he was alive, anything was possible. As long as he didn't see a ghost Shigure, she might still be alive. If this world was indeed the origin of the haunted house world, then he would definitely run into Shigure Kira later. Or perhaps Shigure Kira, like him, had also descended into this world.
"Come with me."
Cocolia pulled Li Mo to a small room with only the two of them and took out the documents provided by Alexei.
"I can provide you with the necessities of life, but in exchange, you can't have the opportunity to go to school or go to the battlefield with me to learn like the others."
"You can only live in the house I provide for the rest of your life. More orphans will come one after another. My time is limited, and I have very few people I can trust. You have to watch over them for me..."
Cocolia sized up the young Li Mo and suddenly realized something was wrong. Am I too tired from work? To actually believe a three or four-year-old child... this is so wrong.
"Forget it, forget what I said. Go back."
But Li Mo didn't move. He wouldn't let go of such a good opportunity.
"Ashata goes to bed at eight o'clock at night. She has three best friends, and the youngest one kicks off the covers in her sleep between eleven and two in the morning."
"Among all the children, the strongest is Artyom. He already has five followers and has made them fall into a cult of personality by protecting them."
"..."
"..."
Over the past few days, while all the other children were playing, he would silently observe their every move. Although his original intention was to find Shigure Kira, he had obtained a lot of information about the children's daily routines and patterns.
Observing people was much simpler than observing ghosts. At least all their actions could be understood, inferred, and easily remembered.
Li Mo narrated the habits, personalities, and recent physical conditions of each child, bit by bit, unhurriedly. Because they had been together day and night, Li Mo knew them even better than the nurses and the attending physician.
Cocolia stood there, stunned, looking at Li Mo in astonishment. "You... why do you remember so clearly?"
"And where did you learn the term 'cult of personality'?"
Faced with Cocolia's question, Li Mo had anticipated it. He took out his pre-prepared words and replied, "I remembered it after seeing it once. I saw 'cult of personality' at the doctor's office. I went for a check-up, and he was holding a book with that word and its explanation."
Li Mo continued to pretend to be harmless, not caring at all about sharing his special talent. He didn't dare to reveal everything. Cocolia had a special affection for children, but not for an old soul.
Therefore, it was enough to show a slightly outstanding aspect of himself.
A strong learning ability was the special trait Li Mo deliberately exposed to Cocolia.
Cocolia was silent, staring at the documents in her hand for a long time. Finally, she brought them to Li Mo again and pointed at the contents.
"If you sign your name on it, I will do my best to provide you with food and daily necessities to ensure your safety. But in return, you cannot leave at will. Most of the time, you can only move around within the manor."
Li Mo nodded and was about to take the pen beside him to write his name. But he was grabbed by Cocolia, who interrogated him, "Do you know what this means?"
Li Mo replied, "Losing freedom."
"But I want to live. Making a deal with a big shot like you, I have no right to refuse. This might be my only chance to live."
"And my body doesn't support me leaving, so this price is nothing to me."
After hearing this, Cocolia finally let go of her hand, allowing Li Mo to write his name on the paper document.
It was clearly a perfect deal. The orphanage would not be exposed, and Li Mo had to rely on her. Nothing was more secure than holding leverage over your partner.
It should have been like this... Cocolia was slightly dazed, and said in a low, muffled voice:
"You seem a little dissatisfied?"
"No," Li Mo replied.
"In one day, I will send someone to take you to your destination in the Japan. Because I don't have many trustworthy people under me, and I rarely have time myself... Don't worry, I will definitely come to see you as soon as I have time. So in the orphanage, you are the decision-maker. You have to take on the responsibility of an older brother and protect the younger brothers and sisters who will join the orphanage in the future."
"Don't worry about money. As long as I'm alive, there will be no shortage of money, probably... at least I won't let you live too frugally... I mean, I'll be saving."
Cocolia spoke to Li Mo seriously, not caring if he understood or not. Since Li Mo had this talent, it probably wouldn't take him long to understand.
"...Just me?" Li Mo caught the key point of Cocolia's speech. She said she would only send him to the destination, without mentioning the others at the banquet. Why? Was she trying to confirm that the orphanage was safe before sending the other children?
So he was the unlucky one again.
Sure enough, Cocolia confirmed Li Mo's guess: "Yes, for now, it's just you living there. I will issue a request and hire a professional to take care of your daily needs."
Hire?
Li Mo was silent. It seemed that the Cocolia in this world was not much different from the Cocolia in the original story. She had basically no one she could trust. It wasn't hard to understand.
Cocolia's circle was destined to have few people with a compassionate heart. They couldn't empathize with her, and would not understand, or even oppose, her behavior of sparing no effort to adopt homeless orphans.
So she was destined to have no companions in her team. If it were Li Mo, he would definitely choose to stay away from someone who wasted money so recklessly. Compared to taking in orphans, ending a protracted war could save more unfortunate people.
"Do you agree?" Cocolia confirmed again.
"Yes." Li Mo nodded. He had no right to refuse.
"Good, get some sleep. When you wake up, you'll be at your destination..."
Cocolia planned to take Li Mo to the manor provided in Alexei's documents in the Japan while he was asleep, to first verify its authenticity. If it was wrong, she could immediately go back and settle the score with Alexei.
If everything matched the description in the documents, she would find a temporary butler or servant locally to help manage the manor and take care of Li Mo's daily life.
When the orphanage had more people, Cocolia believed Li Mo would arrange other things. The butler just needed to give him a little guidance.
As for these children... she didn't know if what they said was true or false. Cocolia could only temporarily arrange for them to be by her side. When they regretted it, she would send them to the orphanage.
Those who were willing to grow with her, she would also treat as her own, with strict discipline, high-intensity training, and learning.
Sweat more in peacetime, bleed less in wartime. Cocolia didn't want them to die meaninglessly like ordinary people. She provided the tools for revenge, but the motivation for revenge had to be maintained by these children.
After saying goodbye to Cocolia, Li Mo returned to his room and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
After Cocolia had made the arrangements, she took Li Mo's luggage and boarded a plane, flying toward the sky above Japan. After a series of complicated negotiations, she finally arrived at the manor address provided by Alexei.
Even Cocolia couldn't help but be amazed at the sight of the huge villa and the garden pool in the manor.
How much money had Alexei skimmed from the gray-area industries? To give away such a luxurious manor just like that. Cocolia was a little jealous. She was thinking about whether to go back and extort a large sum from him again.
But the most urgent thing right now was to find a suitable person to take care of Li Mo.
Cocolia first took Li Mo into the house and sent people to briefly clean the room. But the house was very large and dusty, and it was impossible to clean it thoroughly in a short time. She could only let Li Mo stay in the bedroom while she went outside to search, waiting for someone local to take this high-paying job.
Li Mo: "Haunted house... the ninth room on the fifth floor."
Li Mo, who was left in the bedroom, fell into deep thought. All his luggage had been brought to this room. Because the other rooms were too messy and needed a long time to clean, they chose the ninth room. The reason was also simple. There was nothing in the ninth room, so it was easy to clean.
Li Mo had never thought he would reach the fifth floor of the haunted house in this way. He had never expected the ninth room to be his own room. Maybe... he should change rooms after Cocolia left?
"This is not the haunted house after it has been corrupted by the Bizarre."
"There's not a trace of corruption."
"The ninth room is also very normal."
Li Mo squatted down... well, actually, it didn't make much difference whether he squatted or not. The feeling of the floor on his skin was just a physical coldness, not the bone-chilling cold that made every hair stand on end and his spine tremble.
"This means that the previous owner of this manor was not the source of the Bizarre. From now on, the people who enter the haunted house one after another will include that source of the Bizarre..."
"Before the source of the Bizarre comes in, the ninth room should be safe."
Li Mo analyzed. Cocolia had brought him an unexpected surprise.
"I just need to strictly monitor everyone who comes in. What will happen if I prevent the haunted house from being corrupted? Will the future change?"
"What am I thinking? The future is already set..."
Li Mo covered his mouth with his hand and coughed twice. His body felt weak, and he found a corner to lean against and sit.
Just as Cocolia was getting anxious, an unexpected person who met all her expectations and conditions appeared and decisively took the job. Or rather, because she was too perfect, Cocolia couldn't believe it.
"Her identity is fine, and her paperwork is also fine. Are you sure you can take good care of him? You're only in your teens... don't you go to school?"
Hearing this, the young girl smiled sweetly.
"I can! Hehe, my grades are not good. It's rare to find such a good job. Don't worry! I'm very hardworking!"
"Alright, let's sign a one-year contract first. After a year, if the master of this house is satisfied with you, you can continue to renew the contract. You know my identity." Cocolia pointed to the badge on her shoulder and didn't waste any more time on her.
She had to return to Siberia. Her mission was not over yet. She left in a hurry with her men.
She was, after all, a military officer. The other party wouldn't dare to act rashly after seeing the military badge. Cocolia handed the keys to her.
"Hmph hmph~♪"
At the same time, after watching Cocolia leave, Shigure Kira hummed a little tune and tucked a strand of blue hair behind her ear. Today's Kira Star was meticulously dressed.
Her cherry-pink lips had a faint luster under the sunlight. A simple, pure white T-shirt was clean and sunny, revealing her slender, graceful waist.
Her pearly white index finger hooked the key, easily opening the locked gate of the manor.
Looking at the haunted house in the distance, Shigure Kira was in a daze. Since she woke up, she had found herself back more than ten years ago, before the Second Great Honkai Eruption had begun.
After accepting reality, Shigure Kira used Cecilia's authority to frantically search for news of Li Mo in the information Schicksal had access to. However, the results disappointed her again and again.
Finally, she chose to resign. Although Otto put a lot of pressure on her and didn't allow her to leave easily, with Cecilia's help, Shigure Kira still successfully left Schicksal and regained her freedom. Sure enough, no matter which world's Lady Cecilia it was, she was always so gentle~~
"..."
"Phew..." Shigure Kira took a deep breath, looked up, her eyes twinkling, "As long as you're alive, you'll definitely find a way to come here, right?"
Searching the whole world was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but waiting for him to come was different. One of the reasons Shigure Kira resigned was that she had investigated the existence of this manor, which was exactly the same as the haunted house in her memory.
This was the place where the two of them had died for love.
Shigure Kira firmly believed that if Li Mo was still alive and had returned to more than ten years ago like her, he would definitely come here. All she needed to do was wait.
As for her livelihood, she didn't have to worry at all. Even without this job of taking care of a child, Shigure Kira could take on any commission from Schicksal, or do odd jobs in the city to support herself.
Shigure Kira shook her head, shaking off all the bad emotions and pressure. She looked up, raised her face, and walked into the manor with a smile, her voice light and lively: "Alright, I've thrown everything away. From now on, I'm just like you... we both have nothing~~"
Her radiant smile didn't seem to show any regret or loss for what she had lost. Trying a second life, without becoming a Schicksal Valkyrie, what kind of life would she have?
Shigure Kira stepped into the house with a sense of anticipation, this once-sinister and bizarre place for her.
"So much dust. A captain doesn't even send people to clean? In such a hurry to leave?"
Shigure Kira was not very familiar with the Russians, but she certainly couldn't accept this kind of living environment. Cocolia said that if she needed anything, she could ask the little master. Wasn't she afraid that she would cheat him out of all his money?
No... she probably thought she couldn't escape at all. That's why their conversation went so smoothly.
"Knock knock!" The crisp knocking sound made Li Mo jump to his feet. But when he came to his senses, he realized that the Knocking Ghost hadn't appeared at this time. There was no need to be so startled.
"Come in," Li Mo said perfunctorily, lowering his head to pat the dust off his clothes.
"Little Mas..." The moment she opened the door to greet him, Shigure Kira immediately froze on the spot and changed her words to ask tentatively, "Li Mo?"
The familiar voice and tone made Li Mo look up abruptly. After seeing Shigure Kira's face, his face relaxed involuntarily. But Li Mo controlled his emotions and said with a deep voice, "You're late."
The next second, his body was enveloped in softness, and he fell to the ground uncontrollably.
"..."
Had the two of them recognized each other? What a simple reunion, but... it was good to be back.
When Li Mo opened his eyes from his reflexively closed ones, he found that he had been pushed to the ground by Shigure Kira, but he hadn't directly hit the floor. Shigure Kira was holding his small back with both hands, her right hand covering the back of his head.
"Tsk, can you get off me? Don't just hug me like that." Li Mo's small hands pushed hard, but Shigure Kira didn't move an inch. His strength was too small.
"Okay, I got a little too excited. I'm sorry..." Shigure Kira slowly got up and released her hands, her expression a little disappointed. She forced a bitter smile as if to apologize for her transgression. She had always been like this. If Li Mo didn't want it, she wouldn't force it.
"Wait, that's not what I meant." Li Mo wanted to take it back.
"Hee hee, I was pretending. Of course I know. You still want me, right? You duplicitous little Li Mo, I've got you!" Shigure Kira's true nature was instantly exposed.
"Get off me! No, are you a damn pervert? Why are you taking off my clothes! I'm going to complain to Cocolia! I'm going to complain!!"
"Hehe... I don't care if you complain or not. A living Li Mo! Hehe... a noisy Li Mo! Hehe... a poor, weak, and helpless Li Mo~! So small and cute! Don't be shy~~"
"Shigure Kira!"
"Call me big sister!"
"Old lady, let go of me!"
"Wh-what? Old lady? You called me old lady? I'm only a dozen years older than you. I'm only sixteen, how did I become an old lady? Hmph hmph, I didn't have a chance before, but now, just take it!"
After being played with by Shigure Kira for a full five minutes, Li Mo finally... fainted.
When he woke up, Li Mo found himself sleeping on a new bed. It was a double bed, and all the necessary furniture in the room had been bought. It was even dark outside.
Shigure Kira must have bought it while he was unconscious, but he hadn't given her his account. Did she pay for it herself? He hadn't expected her to be a rich girl.
"Ngh... I'm so hungry."
Li Mo clutched his stomach. Shigure Kira had been too affectionate with him during the day. He was very prone to lack of oxygen and would easily faint if his breathing became a little rapid. What a weak constitution.
"Hmm?"
Li Mo noticed that there was only one mobile phone on the bedside table. Looking at the brand, it was an old antique, but it must be one of the most popular models right now.
"A usable mobile phone, with a full battery and a SIM card inserted..."
Li Mo picked up the phone and opened the contacts. As expected, there was only one contact, Shigure Kira, which was reasonable. After all, they were on the same side. Shigure Kira wouldn't treat him like a child all the time. An adult's contact method was still necessary.
But...
Looking at this black phone, Li Mo was suddenly reminded of the phone MEI had prepared for him. It was no longer on him.
What was that Knocking Ghost that looked exactly like him... The Knocking Ghost had blocked Bizarre Kiana, giving him a chance to go up to the fourth floor. But after stripping away the ghosts inside it, its true form was Li Mo himself. Bizarre Mei's left hand had been transferred from him to the Knocking Ghost's left hand.
Was it a disguise? Or had he triggered some rule and created the Knocking Ghost? Li Mo didn't know. According to the example of the humanoid spider, the Knocking Ghost most likely also had intelligence.
Li Mo couldn't imagine what the Knocking Ghost would be like with the notebook and the Bizarre handgun.
Plus, ghosts could use Bizarre power without being corrupted. Corruption would only make them more twisted. Didn't that mean the Knocking Ghost could use "Usurp" with a purpose, and infinitely? Infinite and purposeful, having only one of them was not a cause for concern, but having both together was not as simple as one plus one. Of course, it was definitely not one times one.
"Let's eat first, let's eat first."
Li Mo decisively dialed the only number in the phone's contacts. The contact name was still: The Universe's Brightest, Most Dazzling Kira Star. What a strange contact name. Change it to Old Lady!!
Shigure Kira: "Wow! Li, Li Mo? Wait, I'm cooking in the kitchen right now. Ouch! It hurts, it hurts! Hot, hot, hot!!!"
Li Mo: "..."
On the other end of the phone, Li Mo heard three sounds.
First: The sound of oil splattering everywhere, popping and exploding.
Second: A teaching video from a social media short video. The blogger confidently guaranteed, "Buy my course, and you'll master the kitchen in no time. Learn eighteen home-style dishes in one hour, and your man will be giving you thumbs up..."
Third: Shigure Kira's flustered and pained cries.
Just by listening to the sounds, Li Mo could imagine the scene of chaos in the kitchen. Good, good, this family would fall apart without me for a day.
Li Mo put on his jacket. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a cloud of oily smoke spreading into the corridor.
"This girl... didn't she turn on the range hood..."
The haunted house was very large. It was hard to imagine what kind of heavenly law the kitchen had violated to have a fool whose cooking skills were on par with MEI's enter it.
MEI's cooking was the kind that didn't make much noise, and after eating it, well... people wouldn't make much noise either. Shigure Kira was probably the opposite of MEI. Not to mention how the food would turn out, the commotion was huge.
It was a miracle there was no explosion.
"I'm having trouble breathing..." Li Mo went to the bathroom first, wet a clean washcloth with water, and covered his mouth and nose. If he didn't do this, he was afraid he wouldn't make it to the kitchen.
After a while, Li Mo finally reached the kitchen on the first floor. He was drenched in sweat, literally.
"Li, Li Mo? What should I do now?" Seeing the kitchen door open, Shigure Kira asked in a panic.
Li Mo took a deep breath, took a deep breath, and took a deep breath again.
"Do as I say... first... turn that on." After going down four floors, Li Mo felt like he wouldn't be able to get out of bed tomorrow.
"And then?"
"Turn off the fire, clean up the mess, go out... and buy something ready-made."
"Next time you cook... call me beforehand. I'll tell you what to do... you do it."
Li Mo controlled his breathing rhythm. Even so, after saying these words, his face changed color, losing a lot of its blood. Seeing this, Shigure Kira had no choice but to stop her dangerous operation. She quickly cleaned up the mess.
Then she carried Li Mo back to the ninth room on the fifth floor.
"Sorry, I didn't expect cooking to be so difficult. I followed the steps in the video exactly, there were no mistakes..."
"It's okay. It's great that you didn't cause an explosion or produce poisonous gas. I understand, really."
"That's a bit too..."
"That's not important. Cocolia should have told you that my physical condition is very poor, and it's unlikely to get better in the future. It's only a matter of time before you learn to cook. I'll teach you tomorrow after I've rested well. I'll tell you what to do, you just follow my instructions and remember."
"Yes! I understand. I'll go out and buy you something to eat now. What do you want?"
Shigure Kira walked to the door and asked, turning back to wait for Li Mo's answer.
Li Mo paused, stared at Shigure Kira for a long time, and then finally spoke: "You... aren't you going back to Schicksal? At this time, you should still be a Valkyrie."
Shigure Kira smiled foolishly, "Hehe, I resigned. How else could I take care of you?"
Li Mo: "Schicksal allowed it?"
Shigure Kira: "Not really, but I have Lady Cecilia. After a few conversations, Cecilia was very willing to help me leave Schicksal. It's great, no matter which world's Cecilia it is, she's always so understanding and considerate of the people around her..."
Li Mo: "Yes... there's something else I need to tell you in advance. I can't reimburse you for these expenses for the time being. I need to use the money Cocolia left me for other things, to prepare for things that might happen in the future."
Shigure Kira: "Is that all? Don't worry~~ Kira Star is very strong. I can easily support us by taking on commissions and doing odd jobs!"
Li Mo: "Help me buy a carton of milk, preferably hot. For food, just meat is fine."
Shigure Kira: "Roger! Little Master~ Anything else to add? I'm leaving now."
Li Mo: "..."
Seeing Shigure Kira's youthful and vibrant appearance, Li Mo was suddenly in a daze, his heart stunned. He remembered the pale, sorrowful spirit of Kira in the Soul-Ferrying Passage.
"Also, thank you."
Like a lamp emitting a faint, warm light, Li Mo smiled naturally, his expression gentle, his voice clean.
Shigure Kira was stunned for two seconds, then responded with an equally radiant smile.
"I should be the one saying that. I saw it... Li Mo... I saw it, your efforts... the words you said..."
"Thank you... for choosing me!"
After saying this, Shigure Kira's neck and ears instantly turned crimson. Steam-like white mist rose from her ice-blue hair. She turned and ran without looking back.
Leaving Li Mo alone, staring wide-eyed, trying to remember what he had done in the Soul-Ferrying Passage.
Saw it? Saw all his actions, all the words he said? What did I say...
"Kira... Kira..."
"Over here... turn around... look at me..."
"I am smiling... Leave with me... Come home with me, okay..."
"Stay... I'm begging you... stay by my side."
Li Mo recalled slightly, and instantly, his ears became very hot. Li Mo buried his head in the quilt, curling up like a small animal in the cold.
What the hell did I say ahhhhh!!
He didn't pay attention when he said it, but when he thought back, he felt extremely flustered and shy.
"It's okay, it's okay... calm down, it's all in the past. It's just a confession, what's the big deal, it's not like you've never been in a relationship..."
After a brief attempt, Li Mo gave up. Laughing to death, he couldn't calm down at all. His mind was a mess. There was no rationality at all.
"Damn it, sure enough, Kaguya-sama was right. In a romantic relationship, the one who confesses first is at a disadvantage. Damn it."
Li Mo lay on the bed with a look of despair. "Forget it, I'll just use my phone to search for some news."
"It's only the year 2000? Shouldn't it still be winter? Why is Kira dressed so... okay, she's a Valkyrie, I can't compare."
As everyone knows, Valkyries never have to dress according to the ambient temperature. Whether they dress lightly or thickly depends entirely on their personal preference. For an idol like Shigure Kira who was destined to be on stage, it was normal to show off her figure...
Li Mo: "..."
After a brief hesitation, Li Mo called Shigure Kira again.
Shigure Kira: "Moshi moshi~ You miss me already after I've been gone for such a short time? Hee hee, just kidding. Did you think of something you want to eat?"
Li Mo: "No, just buy me two thick sets of clothes when you're out. It's cold, and I'm afraid of the cold. And... buy two sets for yourself too."
Shigure Kira: "Don't worry about me. I've been professionally trained. This weather is no different from April or May for me."
Li Mo: "Just buy them when I tell you to. You didn't have so many problems before."
Shigure Kira: "Alright, the master's command is absolute~ right, little master Li Mo~~"
Li Mo: "Hanging up."
His goal was achieved. Then he could justifiably use "being low-key" as an excuse to make her wear a military coat... oh no, other thick clothes, to save her from showing off her thighs and waist like now, giving all the benefits to outsiders.
"..."
"Am I being a little over the top?"
"Is it my imagination, or is it true?"
Li Mo couldn't help but ask himself. He had always been very strict with himself, constantly examining, testing, and reflecting.
Now that he had lost the power of the Bizarre, although he wouldn't be disturbed by corruption, many of his actions today seemed a bit out of line. It was in line with his character, but it was also over the top.
Li Mo was not very clear about this change, because he was rarely in a state of complete non-corruption.
His feeling of being a normal person was only on a memory level, not based on experience and intuition. He could feel joy and worry, and even jealousy, more deeply. He was also more willing to pay attention to the people he liked and consider their feelings.
This change didn't seem so bad? At least from his current feeling, there was no problem. Including when he was making a deal with Cocolia, his emotions were also a little out of control, and he actually showed dissatisfaction and anger. But he clearly shouldn't have done that.
"Is it because this body's emotional regulation and control are not good?"
Li Mo attributed all the blame to his irreversible permanent damage. It should get better when he got older. With Shigure Kira's close care, it would be much easier to live past eighteen.
"Phew... actually, I don't need to think so much. I should just... enjoy life and treat this as a new beginning, starting from scratch."
"No matter how anxious I am, I can't go back. It's better to live peacefully and wait for the source of the Bizarre to appear."
"As long as I kill the person who becomes the source of the Bizarre in advance, I should be able to end this endless cycle, right?"
Li Mo thought so wishfully and buried his head in the quilt again.
He didn't know how long had passed. In a hazy state of consciousness, someone called his name. A flickering red light appeared before his eyes. It was candlelight.
There were no modern lights in the house. He would have to buy some another day. The wiring was also a problem. Such a large house would cost a lot to renovate. He could only see if Shigure Kira could do it for him.
Shigure Kira: "Come, Master!, time to eat~"
Li Mo: "..."
After opening his eyes, Li Mo found that Shigure Kira was holding a spoon and feeding him.
"I have my own hands, and where did you learn these strange words?"
"Is there a problem? Did I not learn it well?"
"You learned it well. Don't learn it anymore."
Li Mo took the spoon from Shigure Kira and sat on the edge of the bed as if he were in confinement, eating the food in front of him without getting out of bed. There was no choice. It was cold outside and warm in the quilt. Shigure Kira was not afraid of the cold, but Li Mo was even more afraid of the cold than ordinary people.
If he caught a cold on the first day, he would have a cold on the second day. But gradually, Li Mo found something was wrong. He couldn't hold the spoon firmly. Whenever a cold wind blew, his hand would tremble like he had Parkinson's.
"Let me do it."
Shigure Kira thoughtfully took the spoon and took on the job of feeding him.
"Don't be shy, let the beautiful and lovely sister Shigure Kira feed you~"
"Ngh..."
"Don't be so resistant, my little master~~"
"..."
After some pushing and shoving, Li Mo still chose to be fed.