Not bad. Things were progressing ideally.
Faced with the Red Moon's reaction, Fu Qian felt thoroughly gratified in that moment.
That hadn't been mere small talk; the crux of it lay in that final line about his "mind not working right."
Fu Qian hadn't forgotten for a second that he was trying to coax the Red Moon into going back.
And communication required the right approach.
Given the Red Moon's current state, her mind was clearly stuck on a single track.
She had already descended in person; telling her to hurry up and leave because everything was fine would likely achieve nothing.
The first step was prescribing the right medicine—such as figuring out exactly why she had shown up in the first place.
To Fu Qian, the immediate catalyst might have been Blazing Rainbow, but his own actions had likely played a part as well.
But ever since his Mechanical Ascension, not only had he become a stranger to her, but going "home" had stopped happening altogether.
Add the fact that he kept stirring up trouble in the outside world, and the Red Moon getting anxious enough to show up in person was just human nature.
So, what Fu Qian had just done was explain his current predicament as naturally as possible.
His mind was just temporarily clouded—it wasn't that he didn't want to go back. The Half-Step Moon would always be his home.
And as everyone knew, once the attitude issue was resolved, the rest would be easy.
The Red Moon's posture visibly softened. Normally, after a few parting reminders, he could seamlessly send her on her way home—
However, this beautiful vision lasted for only a single breath. Fu Qian had walked over to the window as he spoke, and his gaze landed on a figure at the street corner outside.
A slender figure, a delicate face, fashionable clothes... if it wasn't that professional truant Yuan Shan, who else could it be?
...
Living in this world, there really was an element of fate to things.
Given your work ethic, how in the world did you end up here at this exact time?
He certainly didn't think Yuan Shan was just passing by. Faced with this prime example of man proposing and God disposing, Fu Qian could only sigh from the bottom of his heart.
Logically speaking, the chances of this happening were incredibly slim.
Even though she had left a message for him earlier, he had already deduced that she probably just had something interesting she thought he should know. The matter itself wasn't urgent.
In fact, since she had already left a message, it should have been even less likely for her to visit than usual. Yet here she was, crashing right into this specific moment.
Had something major happened? Or were the Night Watchers making some sensitive moves?
Naturally pondering the reasons, Fu Qian didn't try to stop Yuan Shan from entering The Bookstore to soak in its atmosphere.
It was already too late. Even though the Red Moon's mental state was poor, her perception remained razor-sharp.
Almost immediately, the gratified look on her face vanished, and her posture became hard to read once more.
Clearly, his earlier worries hadn't been an overreaction. As the original model being copied, Yuan Shan could indeed influence the Red Moon's mental state to some degree.
The logic was easy enough to understand. To a normal higher entity, this might just be a randomly chosen face model. But given the Red Moon's currently single-minded train of thought, her reaction might very well be: Who are you, and why do you look exactly like me?
Since things had come to this, any drastic moves were obviously out of the question. He needed to handle this carefully.
He could only say that Shangjing truly lived up to its reputation as a bustling metropolis. His slow life after the exams had barely begun, yet the heat was already off the charts.
Amidst this quiet yet intense atmosphere, the Red Moon stood up and walked over to the window, staring outside alongside Fu Qian.
...
On that day, the young demigod still had no idea what kind of fate she was walking into.
Though both had their respective flaws, the two of them were undeniably genuine powerhouses.
Staring down from their vantage point, Fu Qian believed that even Blazing Rainbow would have felt a little pressure under such scrutiny—yet Chief Yuan didn't.
She even looked to be in a pretty good mood. Although she wasn't carrying any shopping bags, she definitely didn't look like she had just stepped out of the office.
She wore no makeup, utterly lacking any trace of the corporate grind.
Her light footsteps were undeniably heading straight for this place, but she looked more like she was dropping by an old friend's place to mooch some tea.
Hmm...
But a demigod was still a demigod. Even an urban beauty like Chief Yuan, who was used to drawing stares, remained keenly sensitive to being watched.
Just as her steps neared the bench Su Gao had once sat on, she seemed to vaguely sense something and looked up toward them.
Naturally, the Red Moon had no intention of dodging her gaze. For a moment, the two of them simply locked eyes.
...
It was said that when life was too perfect, people were prone to momentary trances where they doubted the reality of the world.
Although that saying was a far cry from their current situation, Fu Qian believed that in that split second, Chief Yuan likely experienced a similar sensation.
The concrete proof was that her footsteps halted instantly, her eyes rapidly losing focus.
But having held a high position for years, this lasted for merely a single breath before she strode forward once more, her destination unchanged.
Yes. It was as if the Red Moon, who had just met her gaze through the window, had never even appeared in her line of sight.
And by extension, Fu Qian beside her was completely ignored as well.
Such a blatant disregard for a higher entity perfectly encapsulated the pride of the Night Watchers.
When she subsequently arrived at the door, she didn't rush to knock and disturb them, fully showcasing her manners and refinement.
"Welcome."
As an ordinary citizen under her jurisdiction, how could he not appreciate such a display from a high-ranking official?
Fu Qian quickly headed straight downstairs, leaving the Red Moon alone up there, and opened the door to greet her.
As for why the latter had no objections—
"Why is it like this..."
Faced with Fu Qian's proactive welcome, the visitor didn't rush inside. Instead, she stared intently at him and spoke first.
It was Yuan Shan's face and Yuan Shan's voice, but the tone belonged entirely to the Red Moon.
...
Kisaragi Disease seemed to be spreading.
The scene instantly turned abstract, but comprehension had never been an issue for Fu Qian.
Having already sensed something was off, he merely let out a long, internal sigh.
What it meant to bear the majesty of a God was seamlessly displayed in this very instant.
He had previously wondered what kind of spectacle would unfold if the Red Moon targeted Yuan Shan.
Now, it seemed a mere thought was enough to leave the latter completely unable to parry.
Upon realizing that the other woman shared her exact face, the Red Moon had clearly grown a bit confused.
As a result, the victim suffered once again. It looked like even her free will had been suppressed to some extent, her mouth directly voicing the Red Moon's feelings.
It was worth noting that in his memory, the Red Moon had never been the type to excel at this sort of thing.
Of course, Fu Qian didn't think Chief Yuan would just be completely possessed without the ability to fight back. She would probably still have a chance to struggle later; right now, she was likely just stuck in a delicate hybridized state.
The problem was that the Red Moon's mental state couldn't exactly be called healthy right now. One wrong move, and she might have an extreme reaction.
If even the slightest mishap occurred during this, Old Man Henry's beloved disciple might just end up broken.
"Come inside and we'll talk. The shop is open for business as usual."
Imagining that terrible outcome, Fu Qian beamed and made a welcoming gesture.
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