“Alright, you can slowly look through these materials later. First, think about how to deal with Ye-jie. Has she contacted you yet?” Hong Yijia changed the subject.
“Not yet.”
“She wouldn't want to give you a surprise too, would she? It might turn into a scare though.” Hong Yijia sighed.
Lin Yilin didn't reply, and Hong Yijia continued, “Originally, it was hard to say, but after personally coming to confirm this time, I can be certain that Ye-jie will absolutely not let this Illusion stay by your side.”
“Nosy.” Lin Yilin muttered softly.
“It's not really nosy. You know her background; she also has her own pursuits regarding Illusions. She won't miss such a powerful Illusion. The reasons are simply too compelling. If I were her, there'd be no reason for me not to act,” Hong Yijia said, collapsing backward onto the sofa.
Everyone zoned out for a while. Seeing that Lin Yilin wasn't speaking, Hong Yijia asked, “Do you dislike Ye-jie?”
“Of course not,” Lin Yilin said without hesitation. “For a long time, I greatly admired her… one could even say worshipped her.”
This surprised Zheng Fan, who was nearby.
Someone Lin Yilin worshipped?
Then her level must truly be extraordinary.
“That's true. Back in the club, you and she were constant partners, always working together until she graduated. She really took good care of us too.” Hong Yijia recalled, then said to Lin Yilin, “So if Ye-jie directly asks you for this Illusion, would you agree?”
“That's not something I can decide on my own,” Lin Yilin immediately replied.
Zheng Fan looked at her, then withdrew his gaze, yawned, and got up from the sofa, walking into the room.
Toast, who was lying by the sofa, and Lu Lu Shoes in the corner, followed him.
Hong Yijia also noticed this: “It's gone?”
“Mm.” Lin Yilin looked at Zheng Fan's retreating back, absentmindedly responding.
“It's a handsome guy, isn't it?”
“Mm… Mm?!” Lin Yilin withdrew her gaze and looked at Hong Yijia: “What are you talking about?”
“Hehe, to make Xiao Lin show such a ~ mesmerized expression, it'd be impossible if it were some strange thing, right?” Hong Yijia teased, extending her finger to tap the air.
“Tsk.”
“So it really is a handsome guy. What does it look like exactly? Tell me,” Hong Yijia said with a gossipy expression.
“So annoying.”
...
After some playful banter, Hong Yijia mentioned that she had finished her recent busy period and no longer needed to be on duty everywhere, as some work could be handled online. In other words, she was on vacation. After discussing it with Lin Yilin, Lin Yilin decided to invite her to see her new home and stay for a while.
Having settled this, Lin Yilin told Hong Yijia to rest on the sofa while she went to find Zheng Fan in the deeper rooms of the office.
She went directly to the laboratory door and pushed it open.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Cheng Fei flying directly towards her.
With a sidestep to dodge, Cheng Fei crashed into the corridor wall. Fine red lines appeared on his body and pulled him back.
Zheng Fan sat on the experimental table, manipulating Cheng Fei's body with red lines to battle Toast and Lu Lu Shoes.
Seeing Lin Yilin, he asked, “Hmm? Has that woman left?”
“No, she's resting in the living room. I came to see… What is this?”
“Practicing Toast and Lu Lu Shoes' combined ultimate skill. It just had excellent results, delivering a critical hit to Cheng Fei.” Zheng Fan clenched a fist, looking quite satisfied.
It was clear that Cheng Fei's waist was bent backward, looking quite miserable. When this body had nothing to do, Zheng Fan would use it as a punching bag, and afterward, Zheng Fan could nonchalantly possess it and go to the studio as the big brother mascot.
One could only lament his lack of formality.
After watching Zheng Fan and Toast play for a while, Lin Yilin spoke, “Ye-jie's matter is a bit troublesome.”
“I can tell. No matter how many times she's mentioned, you show varying degrees of wavering. It seems she's a very important person to you.”
“After being adopted by my foster father, I learned all sorts of knowledge from him, but for a long time, to ensure my safety, my foster father wouldn't give me too much exposure to those things.”
“Very reasonable protection.” Zheng Fan nodded.
“Then, I met Ye-jie in college—her name is Luo Ye. After Ye-jie learned of my ‘interest,’ before I even actively brought it up, she directly led me down the path of hands-on experience and contact with various wondrous worlds.” Lin Yilin's gaze shifted to Toast and its companions.
“She's your second guide,” Zheng Fan realized.
Lin Yilin nodded in affirmation: “Similar to Jia Jia, and Ye-jie's background is even more unique. She started dealing with Illusions and similar matters from a very young age, a true prodigy. As a freelancer, she had already made a name for herself in Dadu's relevant circles even before entering university. My foster father also praised her greatly.”
“Wow, a Phoenix Overlord.” Zheng Fan caught on. “So her personality sounds similar to an ‘Overlord’ too.”
“Although I don't know what you mean by ‘Overlord,’ the meaning is probably similar,” Lin Yilin affirmed. “Many times, she doesn't feel like a peer; she's more like…”
“A mother?”
“Uh…” Lin Yilin was still deliberating her words when Zheng Fan's interjection stunned her.
“Isn't that a bit…”
“No, considering the sense of déjà vu when Hong Yijia is with you, then this Ye-jie should be ranked as a grandmother.” Zheng Fan calculated.
“There's no need to be so logical about this. And if we're counting, shouldn't I be Jia Jia's mother?” Lin Yilin frowned. Jia Jia, with that appearance, suitable to be her “mother”?
“That's really hard to say,” Zheng Fan casually dismissed, then suddenly said, “It feels good to be cared for, doesn't it?”
“Mm…”
“That's good then.”
Lin Yilin didn't know what Zheng Fan meant, but she still said, “I came to tell you that if Ye-jie comes to find me, it will definitely be as Jia Jia said. At that time, we cannot rule out the possibility of conflict with her; in fact, it's almost certain.”
Zheng Fan said, “Then let's try it. Do you want to give me to her?”
“…No, besides, the Illusion's will is not something I can interfere with.”
“Exactly,” Zheng Fan spread his hands. “Although I don't care who I'm with, as long as it's interesting, and I don't do single choices. What's more, I haven't found a perfectly compatible partner yet, so frankly, I'm quite looking forward to this Phoenix Overlord's level.”
Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a poke at his waist.
“Hm?”
Lin Yilin poked down, then seemed to not even realize what she had done: “Ah… no…”
“Why did you poke me?” Zheng Fan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her from above.
“No, I don't even know myself…” Lin Yilin turned her head away.
Zheng Fan playfully rubbed his chin.
“And… Ye-jie isn't quite what you think. She won't let you occupy a body. There's no benefit in following her. Her personality is truly awful, just as awful as the Illusion's, anyway, you absolutely won't get along with her…” Lin Yilin muttered softly.
“Alright, alright, I understand.” Zheng Fan laughed. As for being told his personality was awful, Zheng Fan took it as a compliment.
“Are you really listening to me?” Lin Yilin looked up, frowning, displeased.
It was very unexpected, a very clear displeasure.
It had happened before when Jiang Si became Unit Two, but it was much stronger now.
Perhaps the pressure brought by that Phoenix Overlord was indeed very great.
“Do you know about imprinting?” Zheng Fan asked again.
“I know.”
“When you discussed Illusions, you mentioned that most Illusions are quite fixated on the first real individual they encounter. Even if that individual might not be satisfactory in all aspects, they can still be remembered for a lifetime in the Illusion's memory. Because the Illusion's first impression of the entire reality comes from that individual.”
“…Although this isn't good news for the person targeted by the Illusion,” Lin Yilin added.
“I think this might also be a kind of imprinting.”
“The Illusion wants to say…”
“Although strictly speaking, you're not my first, my understanding of this world, in a sense, all comes from you. So even if I kick you out one day, I'll still always remember you, Binary Little Sister.” Zheng Fan made a casual scumbag remark, his smile bright.
Lin Yilin stared blankly at Zheng Fan for a long time, her eyes shimmering, then she spoke:
“…So I'm your ‘mother’?”
Slap!
Zheng Fan hit Lin Yilin for the first time, slapping the back of her head.
“What kind of thought process is that?”