“You… Miss Youxi, your… your hand….”
Sophia was on the verge of tears, wanting to refuse and resist, but didn't know how to speak.
Just then, she caught sight of a shadow on the wall and was startled.
With a rustle, she pulled Youxi and they both tumbled to the floor.
The cool and refreshing sight inside was revealed in the candlelight.
They had some bad habits that they brought into the Mindscape.
“…”
Three pairs of eyes met in silence.
Sophia stared blankly at him, her mind frozen; Youxi, on the other hand, winked playfully, as if hinting.
Li Andy was a bit awkward, just as he was about to explain something.
Sophia suddenly lowered her head, like a humble child fearing punishment after making a mistake, her body trembling slightly, and apologized with a crying voice:
“S-sorry!”
Li Andy and Youxi were both stunned.
To be honest, the brother and sister's impression of Sophia's personality still remained from before her amnesia. They subconsciously regarded Sophia as that slightly tsundere, but in reality, incredibly naive girl.
However, at this stage, Sophia had not yet emerged from the gloom. The self-confidence she had built at the orphanage had not yet been established.
Now, she was just a timid and humble little maid.
Seeing the two silent for a long time, Sophia's body trembled even more, tears streaming down her cheeks, as if she was about to be dominated by fear.
At the same moment, on the wall behind her, which she hadn't noticed, a long shadow swayed, growing two scarlet eyes, becoming wolf-like and ghostly, sneering ferceously at its master.
Just then, Youxi and Li Andy moved simultaneously.
The former hugged her from the side, while the latter half-knelt and cradled her head in his arms.
The chaotic shadow on the wall was immediately swallowed and covered by two other figures.
“Sophia…”
Li Andy stroked the girl's hair and said softly:
“No need to apologize, you have never done anything wrong.”
Sophia's body stiffened for a moment, then tears gushed out like a burst dam.
She didn't know why her emotions were so out of control; she shouldn't be crying, but she just couldn't help it.
This feeling was like a long-lost wanderer finally finding their true family.
Li Andy and Youxi exchanged glances, then together, gently helped the sobbing Sophia back onto the bed.
Perhaps she was tired from crying, Sophia fell into a deep sleep between the two of them.
Youxi, with a pained heart, wiped Sophia's tears and couldn't help but ask softly:
“Brother, do different memories count as different people?”
Li Andy paused, subconsciously looked at his ring, and after two seconds of silence, replied:
“No, it’s just different memories.”
Youxi paused, curved her lips, slowly lay down, and gently embraced Sophia:
“I think so too.”
Memories are important, but they do not represent a person's entirety.
Li Andy looked at the two sleeping peacefully with closed eyes, and his heart couldn't help but soften.
‘If… forgetting is a kind of protection…’
‘Then what I need to protect is nothing more than these things, right?’
After a moment of thought, Li Andy slowly closed his eyes as well.
The candle on the table appropriately flickered out its light.
……
The next day.
Sophia looked at the two calmly changing clothes by the bed, her head buzzing.
Where was this?
What did she do last night?
What was done to her?
A feeling of shame rose from the bottom of her heart, making her small face flush to her ears.
“Don’t just stand there, it’s time to change and go.”
Li Andy was thick-skinned; even without his past memories, he wouldn't be too embarrassed.
“Sophia~ Did you sleep well last night?”
After Youxi put on her dress, she sat over, smiling, holding her inner wear.
“I’ll help you put it on, that’ll be faster~”
Her intimate manner showed she didn't treat her as an outsider at all.
Sophia was at a loss, letting herself be handled, her shy eyes occasionally glancing at Li Andy.
Although Li Andy had his back to them, the window glass in front of him was truly clean.
A few minutes later, the neatly dressed pretty maid was thus pushed, fresh and radiant, in front of Li Andy.
“Sophia, aren’t you going to say hello?” Youxi whispered, smiling, with her hands on Sophia’s shoulders.
“M-master, good morning…”
Sophia's face was red, her head dizzy, and she dared not look directly into his eyes.
“Hiss—”
Li Andy's heart skipped a beat; he instinctively felt that something he hadn't been able to achieve before had now actually happened!
“Cough…”
Li Andy cleared his throat, covering up the pounding in his heart:
“Just call me Andy.”
“O-okay, Mr. Andy.”
Sophia's cheeks were rosy, and she nodded obediently.
Youxi immediately covered her mouth and nose, barely holding back a snicker.
Sophia after her amnesia was truly… so interesting!
She wondered what an amusing scene it would be when she regained her memories and faced this “new experience”?
Looking at his infatuated sister, Li Andy twitched his mouth and urged:
“Let’s go quickly.”
Sophia nodded repeatedly, hurriedly picking up the suitcase:
“I, I’m very strong… I’ll carry the luggage!”
Li Andy nodded, holding his cane, and walked ahead.
…..
The three took the manor’s carriage and arrived at the eastern suburban dock.
This dock was small and dilapidated, with only a small coal ship and a surveillance military ship moored.
There were many stationed marines with guns patrolling the beach and the shore, serving as both isolation and soft detention.
“Such a grand display…”
“Besides the madness, are there other effects?”
Li Andy held the visitation document and walked towards the camp at the dock.
The stationed marines, seeing it was Molly Family, quickly let them pass and respectfully assigned a young man to lead the way.
So, led by the young man, the three boarded the research-type coal mining ship named 【Obsidian Excavation】.
But as soon as Li Andy stepped firmly onto the deck, he saw a person with sunken eyes screaming and rushing towards the edge.
Fortunately, the patrolling troops reacted in time and stopped him from jumping into the sea.
However, the man’s subsequent behavior was even more deranged.
He kept gnawing at his scarred arm, his mouth stained with red blood, crying and laughing:
“Fake!”
“This world is fake! You are fake! I am also fake!”
“Everything is fake!!”
“Hahaha!”
Li Andy and Youxi couldn't help but frown simultaneously.
Because the brother and sister knew clearly that this world was indeed a false Mindscape.
What was going on?
Li Andy’s surprise was like seeing an NPC who actually knew the truth of the world.
The young marine leading the way scratched his head in distress, sighed, and introduced to Li Andy:
“Most of the crew on this ship are like this, like they’ve been brainwashed by a cult.
“Besides thinking the world is fake, they also absurdly believe that the world is a dream of some existence.
“When those existences wake up, everything will cease to exist.
“The entire world will be destroyed.
“I think they’ve been on the ship for too long and developed problems…”
After listening, Li Andy’s brows furrowed even deeper.
Just then, Youxi saw a familiar man and woman coming out of the ship’s cabin and whispered:
“Brother, it’s Irene and Eric…”
Li Andy followed her gaze, patted the still-chattering young guide, and asked:
“Who are those two?”
The young man scratched his head, seeming a bit reluctant to speak.
Li Andy quietly slipped a gold coin into his waistband.
The stationed marine young man was stunned, then glanced around, and replied slyly:
“Noble sir, those are a pair of father-daughter experts sent by the research institute to which the coal ship belongs, they say they are investigating the problem of metamorphic coal.
“I'm not afraid to tell you secretly, those coals on this ship bleed at night!”