Empathy

Given Xie Hai Zhu’s public image of being ‘swamped with work daily,’ Lyte quickly took his leave after reviewing the scan results.Xie Hai Zhu, not believing Lyte would immediately contact his companions, did not follow him, but instead returned to her office.

‘Hai Zhu, do you require a guard knight?’Duanmu Yun suddenly posed this question just before their daily lessons were about to commence.

‘Am I needed for an outing?’Xie Hai Zhu instinctively considered the potential suspicions that might arise from her consistent appearances only at night.

‘Ah? Oh, yes, that’s right.’Duanmu Yun paused for a moment, then quickly nodded. ‘Judging by your performance these past few days, I assume you’ve grown accustomed to operating the puppet. It’s time for you to make an appearance outside.’

It was a transparent falsehood.However, knowing that Duanmu Yun’s deceptions were always either for mischief or for her own benefit, Xie Hai Zhu chose not to expose the lie.

‘When is this, and what will I be required to do?’Upon hearing this, Duanmu Yun flashed a mischievous grin.

****

‘Only four days left?’Opening his eyes, Xie Shenhong gazed at the ceiling, bathed in the brilliant sunlight streaming through the window, and for the first time, he found himself reluctant to rise.

This was not due to laziness or giving up, nor was it fear.While Xie Shenhong might occasionally lose confidence in himself, he never ceased his progress.

Yet, today’s circumstances were somewhat peculiar, causing him to feel conflicted.For soon, he was to go on a date with Lyte.

‘No, no, no, it’s not a date at all. What on earth am I thinking?’

Truth be told, Xie Shenhong’s wild thoughts were not entirely his fault.Last night, Duanmu Yun had suggested that he take Lyte to the old district today to clean up the environment and familiarize him with magic control.While still in his Xie Hai Zhu persona, he had instinctively associated it with a date and joyfully agreed.However, the moment he reverted from his transformation, Xie Shenhong instantly lost his composure.

‘Argh, why are my thoughts always so peculiar when I’m in the Hai Zhu puppet form?’

Possessing immense strength, acting without hesitation or fear, remaining calm, and being adept at strategic thinking—these were undeniably positive attributes.Yet, when it came to his attitude towards Lyte, Xie Shenhong simply could not comprehend why his transformed self would develop feelings of ‘liking.’Could it be his subconscious thoughts?No, absolutely not!It couldn’t be!He was a man; how could he harbor such inclinations?It had to be the Hai Zhu puppet’s influence!

Of course, Xie Shenhong had not forgotten that if he continued to use the Hai Zhu puppet, he would eventually fully transform into a true woman and then vanish.

But that was merely a physical transformation!His mental state, his very essence, would remain utterly unchanged!

‘That’s right, the person I am now is the real me. The thoughts of that other self, influenced by the puppet, are undoubtedly mistaken!’Xie Shenhong reiterated this to himself, again and again.

Since he would soon transform back into Xie Hai Zhu, he could only hope that his future self would remember his current resolve and make appropriate judgments.

However, he did have an inkling as to the origin of these feelings.Envy.He envied Lyte’s ability to achieve his ideals.The more cunning, treacherous, and despicable Lyte appeared, the more profound his envy became.Indeed, deep down, he held a certain admiration for Lyte, despite their adversarial relationship.His transformed self had likely misinterpreted this admiration as something entirely different…

‘Never mind, further deliberation is pointless.’Having wrestled with his thoughts sufficiently, Xie Shenhong rose to change, preparing a delicious breakfast for Xie Shen’ai.

Upon arriving at school, Lyte promptly approached him.

‘Shenhong, I have something to attend to after lunch break. You can train by yourself for a while, and I’ll come find you later.’Xie Shenhong was not surprised by this…Yet, he detected an undeniable excitement, thrill, and delight on Lyte’s face.He immediately felt uneasy.

‘You seem so pleased. What exactly are you off to do?’Xie Shenhong asked, fully aware of the answer.No sooner had he asked than regret washed over him.

Today marked his fourth day back at school.The students had already grown accustomed to the presence of ‘Princess Shenhong.’Moreover, as Xie Shenhong had reverted to his formerly gentle demeanor, people had begun approaching him for conversation, and the area around him and Lyte was no longer a silent void.Consequently—

‘Lyte, are you really going out alone, without the Princess? That’s quite unfaithful of you!’A meddlesome classmate was quick to fan the flames nearby.

As if that weren’t enough, Lyte actually looked a little embarrassed…’No, wait, why would you be shy about going out on official business with the Saintess?’Worst of all, Lyte, seemingly believing that failing to clarify the situation would harm his reputation, quickly stated with a serious expression:

‘It’s not like that at all. Shenhong and I are just normal friends, and my outing this time is simply official business with Lady Hai Zhu.’

‘Lyte, you know what they say: to explain is to conceal…”No, wait, what did you just say? Lady Hai Zhu?’Xie Shenhong couldn’t help but rub his forehead.

No sooner had these words left his lips than they detonated like a thunderclap within the classroom, drawing all the students to gather around.

‘Lyte, is it true? Have you become her personal knight?’

‘That’s incredibly enviable! I wish I could speak with Lady Hai Zhu up close too!’

‘Damn it, Lyte! You already have Princess Shenhong, and now you’re trying to lay claim to Lady Hai Zhu? That’s just too much!’

The more Xie Shenhong listened, the more irritated he became.Both of them were *him*, weren’t they?!No, what ‘laying claim’? If anyone dared to touch even a single hair on him, he would make that scoundrel regret ever being born!Furthermore, he wasn’t a personal knight; he was merely a temporary guard knight, the kind who would become just another passerby once this mission concluded!

Regrettably, Xie Shenhong’s rebuttals remained confined to his thoughts.Outwardly, he maintained an air of serene composure and elegant indifference, even leisurely sipping his expensive red tea.

Alas, this very composure, at this particular moment, proved counterproductive.

‘Princess Shenhong, aren’t you curious?’

‘Idiot, what are you saying? Princess Shenhong is from the Duanmu family; they must have seen Lady Hai Zhu countless times!’

‘How enviable! Princess Shenhong, what is Lady Hai Zhu like normally?’

Xie Shenhong’s motion of raising his teacup froze.

Fortunately, Duanmu Yun had pre-emptively instructed him on how to handle such situations.He immediately set down his teacup and adopted a thoughtful, wistful expression:

‘Lady Hai Zhu projects an aura of aloofness and cold pride, yet occasionally, she reveals a compassionate side, deeply concerned for the welfare of the people and the kingdom…’

The former Saintess Hai Zhu, Xie Shenhong had only ever seen on television, and he had no idea who was controlling the puppet at the time.Thus, his description was based on the collective public perception of Saintess Hai Zhu, gathered from online data, making it impeccable and beyond reproach.

However, that was only true when there was no conflicting testimony.Having heard Xie Shenhong’s perfectly crafted response, someone immediately turned to question the blond youth:

‘Lyte, what is Lady Hai Zhu like, from your perspective?’

Xie Shenhong instantly knew this was not good.His observations over the past few days had made it clear that Lyte projected an image of sincerity and integrity to the outside world.Considering the worst-case scenario, one of Lyte’s current objectives was to investigate Saintess Hai Zhu’s situation, to ascertain whether she was, as rumors suggested, an impostor.Therefore, by any estimation, Lyte would never pass up an opportunity that could sow doubt—

‘Lady Hai Zhu, as I’ve seen her, might be a little different from what everyone perceives.’As expected, Lyte feigned an expression of admiration, yet his words were poised to bring Hai Zhu down from her pedestal.

‘I believe Lady Hai Zhu is actually a gentle and kind person, cool yet not without warmth, and furthermore… she’s quite mischievous.’