Psychological Shadows

On the other side, Ren Daozhen sat curled in a corner, his knees drawn up to his chest.
He looked utterly desolate, as if all dreams had drained from him, leaving only a monochrome husk and an expression of utter despair.

“Sir, you have a visitor.”

“Zhen? Are you alright?”

The jailer’s voice drifted in from beyond the door.
Moments later, a silver-haired woman, a basket clutched in her hand, stepped into the room.

“Sister Cecilia!”

Upon recognizing the familiar face, Ren Daozhen let out a mournful wail.
He lunged into Cecilia’s embrace, weeping uncontrollably like a child who had suffered a great injustice, his tears and snot staining her apron.

“Sister Cecilia… those jailers, they’re not even human… I feel defiled… Wuwuwu…”

Though he hadn’t been ‘eaten like a hotdog’ or ‘poked in the chrysanthemum,’ the mere act of being surrounded and stared at by four naked men with lecherous eyes had left a profound psychological scar on Ren Daozhen.
It felt akin to being stripped bare by a horde of female orcs, narrowly escaping a brutal assault.

Ren Daozhen couldn’t help but recall a certain senior transmigrator who had similarly faced the threat of losing their purity, and he felt a deep sense of empathy.

“There, there, don’t cry. Did they mistreat you in prison?”

“Wuwuwuwu… These people are all bastards! It was clearly my property, yet they refused to believe me. Even after I confessed, they still subjected me to torture. Is this truly the conduct of the Knights? It’s utterly despicable! When I get out, I’ll make sure they regret this!”

Cecilia didn’t utter a word.
She simply held Ren Daozhen gently, stroking his hair and patting his back, offering tender comfort for his distraught emotions.

Grrrrowl—!

A loud rumble from his stomach interrupted Ren Daozhen’s complaints.
The young man, a hint of embarrassment coloring his cheeks, slowly lifted his head.

“By the way, Sister Cecilia, how did you know I was here?”

“The city has been a bit restless lately. Knights stormed the Pine Scent Rat Merchant Guild and arrested quite a few people. I heard there was a young man with an Eastern face among them, so I suspected it might be you.

“You didn’t actually get involved in some illegal trade, did you, and that’s why you were thrown in here?”

“Of course not! I’m a legitimate fashion designer. I was framed, Sister Cecilia, you have to believe me!”

Ren Daozhen declared, a hint of indignation in his voice.

“Alright, alright, I believe you. You must be hungry, have something to eat.”

With that, Cecilia picked up the basket beside her.
As she opened it, an alluring aroma of sesame seeds wafted through the air.

“Is this…? Shaobing!”

“I heard that you Easterners typically eat rice, flatbreads, and steamed buns. So, I consulted a nearby Chinese restaurant owner and learned how to knead dough and bake these cakes.

“Oh, I’ve stuffed some freshly roasted venison inside the flatbreads, and paired them with a bowl of vegetable soup. I came in a hurry, so I didn’t have time to prepare anything more elaborate.”

“No, no, no, this is already incredibly generous! Thank you, Sister Cecilia!”

Ren Daozhen eagerly grabbed a venison roujiamo and, without hesitation, stuffed it into his mouth.
With the first bite, a symphony of crispy texture and succulent, savory meat exploded on his palate, as tiny sesame seeds pattered onto the floor.

He picked up the bowl and took a sip of the steaming vegetable soup.
Its refreshing taste cut through the richness of the meat, instantly whetting his appetite.

“Delicious, truly delicious…”

He devoured them ravenously, and soon all three roujiamo had disappeared into Ren Daozhen’s stomach.
To taste roujiamo in this other world, even a magically enhanced version, filled Ren Daozhen with an overwhelming sense of emotion.

“Sister Cecilia, thank you so, so much. I truly owe you a great debt.”

“When one is away from home, difficulties are bound to arise, especially for a wanderer like you, adrift in a foreign land.”

Cecilia picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped the oil from the corner of Ren Daozhen’s mouth, speaking with the tender warmth of a mother instructing her child.

“If you truly wish to repay this kindness, then work diligently. Start from the ground up, and don’t be overly ambitious, taking reckless chances or engaging in illicit activities.”

“I… I understand… I truly work in a legitimate industry. If you don’t believe me, Sister Cecilia, I’ll send you a piece of clothing later.”

“No need. If you truly wish to give a gift, give it to Lutina instead. I’m already quite old; I’ve long passed that age.”

“Not at all! Sister Cecilia, you’re still so young and beautiful. One would never guess you’ve already had a child.”

Ren Daozhen complimented her with genuine sincerity.

Cecilia paused for a moment, a faint smile gracing her lips, before she gently ruffled his hair.

“It’s getting late. I should head back now.”

“Alright, travel safe, Sister Cecilia!”

Waving goodbye to Cecilia, Ren Daozhen watched her retreating figure until she was out of sight.
He then flopped onto the bed, feeling as though his emotional wounds had been entirely healed.
He was completely rejuvenated, his entire being radiating vitality.

The following morning.

Ciel and Ren Daozhen emerged from their cell, once again finding themselves before the six-winged angel, Belinda.

“Both of you, please board the carriage. We will escort you to the Magic Device Institute to further verify the ownership of that magic device.”

“That’s not a magic device, it’s a mobile phone!” Ren Daozhen, now fully revitalized, interjected. He raised both hands, his expression solemn.

“Before we officially depart, let’s establish something: if that mobile phone truly belongs to me, and you’ve wrongfully accused me, what then?”

“If we have indeed wronged you, I am prepared to offer an apology!”

“An apology? Is a mere apology truly enough?” Ren Daozhen suddenly cried out, a surge of excitement in his voice. Even facing a six-winged angel, he showed no trace of fear, as if invigorated by a potent stimulant.

“Your Knights not only wrongfully accused innocent people, but you also imprisoned us without explanation and subjected me to torture! You expect to brush all that aside with a single apology? Impossible!”

“Nonsense! Our Knights absolutely did not resort to torture. It was merely a standard interrogation.”

Belinda seemed genuinely taken aback by Ren Daozhen’s outburst.
How dare a mere mortal shout at her?
Had her six wings somehow grown less formidable, or had the halo above her head dimmed?

“No? What kind of ‘normal interrogation’ involves four naked gay men surrounding someone? Do you have any idea how much psychological damage that inflicts on an innocent young man who has never even been in a relationship?

“This is an insult to my very being, and you must compensate me for my emotional distress! I’m genuinely curious which sadistic bastard conceived of such an interrogation method. Did they read too many BL novels, leaving their brain a mere puddle of white goo? I truly hope they watch their step when they walk, so they don’t leak it all over the floor!”

Ren Daozhen’s words spewed forth like a machine gun, even leaving Ciel, who stood beside him, utterly stunned.
As for the burly man who had interrogated Ren Daozhen, cold sweat streamed down his face, and he repeatedly glanced nervously at Belinda.

“Given your rather… intense reaction, doesn’t that simply prove this interrogation method is quite effective? If we hadn’t used it, you might not have admitted your identity as a transmigrator.”

A mischievous, almost impish grin spread across Belinda’s face, clearly pleased with Ren Daozhen’s reaction.

“So it was you? You designed it, didn’t you? You demon!”

“You’re the demon! Look closely, I am a six-winged angel, blessed by the gods themselves!”

“Do you think you’re Gabriel?”