Honkai Impact 3rd, but I have too many mods.

Page 159

"The master wants you to come down for dinner."

"Eh? Mr. Liu, Mr. Liu Bai?"

"Hmm... what's wrong?" Huang Quan felt that Liu Ying seemed a little strange.

"No, it's nothing! It's just a normal meal! I'll go downstairs now!"

Chapter 132 The Correct Use of Time Stop

A very pleasant dinner.

Even though Xueyi doesn't seem like someone who likes to fit in, she just doesn't take the initiative to talk to others. On the contrary, she is quite responsive when others ask her questions.

It's clear that she's trying very hard to integrate into this group environment.

Cocolia, needless to say, was actively trying to integrate herself.

After the meal, Liu Bai went to feed Raiden Shin, while Gui Naifen helped arrange rooms for the group—again, at Inazuma's place.

Well, these few are enough for us—Xiao Guizi, you're being despicable right now!

In short, no one objected.

night.

As Liu Ying lay in bed, she took out the hypnosis pocket watch that she had hidden under her pillow.

Although reason told her she should return it, instinct...

This is an opportunity.

Trying it out... seems like it might not be a bad idea?

The problem is how to get Liu Bai to stare at the pocket watch for five seconds.

Hmm... the only option is to catch them off guard, right?

Liu Ying frowned, pondering tactics.

After all, Liu Bai had used the hypnotic pocket watch, so it was impossible to lure Liu Bai into staring at it out of curiosity.

She couldn't possibly force herself on Liu Bai.

The only option then is to "ambush," for example, during the current bedtime.

Wake up Liu Bai from his sleep, and while his mind is still foggy, have him stare at the pocket watch for five seconds, and then...

Well, we can't do whatever we want. When Liu Bai used it on Huang Quan before, he was unhypnotized just by asking if he was directionally challenged.

But that should be enough for me to have a proper conversation with Mr. Liu Bai, right?

...My heart fluttered.

Heart is worse than action.

Her guiding principle is to cut through the mess quickly and decisively.

It's... 1 a.m. now.

It feels just right.

Firefly sneakily pushed open her bedroom door.

"Liu Ying?"

"...Miss Huang Quan?" As soon as she opened the door, Liu Ying found Huang Quan leaning against the railing eating a peach at the end of the dimly lit corridor.

Liu Ying quickly stuffed the pocket watch into her pajamas pocket.

"What are you doing here...?"

"Can't sleep."

"..."

Everyone knows that people who come out at this time can't sleep!

Ah, of course, I'm an exception.

"Why exactly can't you sleep?" Liu Ying didn't want to just close the door and go back—wouldn't that make her seem guilty?

Liu Ying let out a breath, gave a polite smile, and walked to Huang Quan's side.

"Er... because of the past?" Huang Quan looked down at the living room below, and thought that just a few hours ago, the room was still filled with the warmth of home—well, that's an overstatement, as if his own home had been hit by a disaster. "Liu Ying, what about you? Why can't you sleep?"

"Me? Well..."

"Is it also because of the past?"

Huang Quan's tone was calm, but his words first startled the girl, and then the expression on her face dimmed slightly.

"Huh? This... um... maybe?"

After saying that, a silence fell between the two of them.

But it was Firefly who couldn't bear the silence any longer: "However, the past is the past, and I'm ready to move on."

"awesome."

Huang Quan commented.

"Isn't that amazing...? Actually, I used to be confused too." Liu Ying never expected that she would one day find common ground with Huang Quan, "like questioning the meaning of existence."

"Have you found meaning now?"

"Found it...probably." Although I felt like I was acting a little strange.

Ah... I'm actually going to have to prepare for a night raid on Mr. Liu Bai...

Thinking of this, Liu Ying suddenly felt her cheeks burning.

Fortunately, the corridor was dark, and Huang Quan's gaze did not linger on Liu Ying.

"That's amazing." Huang Quan praised again in a calm tone, but Liu Ying inexplicably felt that there seemed to be some envy in Huang Quan's tone.

"Miss Huang Quan, haven't you come out yet?"

"I don't know." Huang Quan's answer seemed to be an attempt to end the conversation, but Liu Ying could still detect the hesitation in his voice.

This is not a perfunctory response; Huang Quan is truly... in a state of confusion that contradicts his appearance.

"According to what I said to Xiao Guizi before, Miss Huang Quan, you were searching for traces of nothingness before this? Isn't that the goal?"

"That's not the target." Bai appeared out of the room at some point. "Huang Quan, you're sneaking food."

"...Shall I share half with you?"

"No, no need. I'll go downstairs and find something to eat, then I'll go to sleep."

"...You're still awake?" Liu Ying looked at Liu Bai, who was yawning, her back covered in cold sweat.

Thankfully, I didn't go straight in...

"I'm hungry... I feel like I exercised too much today," Bai sighed.

"Oh." Firefly nodded to indicate that she understood.

Does that mean Liu Bai will go to sleep after eating?

Opportunity.

but……

Why do you say this goal isn't a goal?

The firefly was very curious about this statement.

"Ah... well, there's an old saying on this planet."

Liu Bai scratched his head.

"Well... 'Life is finite, but knowledge is infinite. To pursue the infinite with the finite is perilous!' Some things seem meaningful, but in reality, they are most likely meaningless—of course, miracles happen occasionally, but miracles... heh!"

Huang Quan neither confirmed nor denied this.

Is her journey a journey of self-destruction? Will she first find the traces of the "mechanism," or will she perish on this journey from which there is no end in sight?

Who could possibly know?

"Sisyphus pushed the boulder his whole life, but it was all in vain. How can nothingness give true 'meaning'? In fact, the Chaos Healers and their group were really amazing. Even if they couldn't save themselves, they did their best to prove the existence of 'meaning' to others and to the Star Gods."

Liu Bai mentioned a story that neither of them had heard before, but Huang Quan and Liu Ying understood the second half of it.

"Does it seem meaningful, but actually meaningless?" Liu Ying muttered.

This statement sounds far more cruel than the simple words "meaningless".

Although she felt lost about the meaning of life, she kept searching for this "meaning"—and this act itself was meaningful.

This is self-rescue.

However, according to Liu Bai, Huang Quan... has become completely obsessed with "meaningless" things.

"I'm trying to let go of my obsession," Huang Quan finally spoke.

The influence of nothingness is fading, and with the return of various emotions and feelings, as well as increasingly clear memories, Huang Quan is also gaining clarity about himself.

“Even in nothingness I never linger… You don’t need to worry about me—I’ll share half with you.”

Huang Quan's tone remained calm, but without saying a word, he broke off the intact half of the peach in his hand and gave it to Liu Bai.

"If you have something to say, then say it to everyone... Hmm! These peaches aren't sweet. What kind of nonsense was the boss spouting about guaranteeing they'd be sweet?"

"Not sweet...?" Huang Quan was taken aback. "No wonder the taste was a bit strange, but it was very juicy... In my memory, this kind of peach has always been very sweet."

Looking at Huang Quan's expression as he finally realized what was happening, Liu Bai sighed inwardly... Is this person really alright?

"Next time, bring your big knife and let's go buy better peaches. I'm going to get some food. Anyone want to come along?"

As Liu Bai spoke, he turned on the corridor lights.

[Huang Quan's Favorability: 4448]

"Aren't you going?"

Huang Quan looked at Liu Ying, who was watching Liu Bai's back.

Liu Ying shook her head: "I'm not hungry, and eating too much in the middle of the night will make me fat, right?"

Huang Quan glanced at the peach in his hand.

...It's just a peach.

Huang Quan ate the fruit pulp clean, put the pit in his pocket, and then casually licked his fingers, which were covered in juice.

"I thought you meant something to me now, sir."

"Eh!? Miss Huang Quan, why...why do you say that?"

"Just a guess." Huang Quan stepped away from the railing. "So, now that you've found meaning, what are you worrying about?"

"It's not Mr. Liu Bai! Miss Huang Quan, don't think such things!"

"Hmm." Huang Quan nodded calmly.

"Well... if I had to say something, it would be about things from the past. There's no point in talking about these things, right? I just think about them occasionally. After all, not dwelling on them doesn't mean I've forgotten them."

Realizing she had made a fool of herself, Liu Ying hurriedly tried to find an excuse.

"In that case, I'll head back." Huang Quan seemed unfazed by Liu Ying's reply, glanced at Liu Bai cooking noodles downstairs, and then turned and went back to his room.

"..."

So weird...

However, since that's the case, Liuying decided to go back and wait a while longer.

Let's wait until Liu Bai finishes his meal and comes back before we take any action.

…………

three o'clock.

The lights outside have been off for over an hour.

Liu Ying got out of bed again and went outside.