Huzhai Gong scratched his head awkwardly, glancing at Ying who was fast asleep, holding Zhen in his left arm and Shenzi in his right. He felt a bit at a loss.
"Did you guys sleep all day? No one can be that lazy, right?"
Lu Ze's eyes were vacant, with dark circles underneath, transformed into a second Bronya. He looked at Huzhai Gong with some exasperation.
"What's with that look? It's strange. Alright, alright, I'll go wake the three of them up. Wait a moment, it'll be quick."
With that, he abruptly closed the door and trotted to the bedside.
A swift slap landed on Raiden Ei's face. The intense pain jolted her awake. She clutched her face, looking around in surprise.
"What's going on? What's happening? Is there an enemy attack? What happened?"
She had even drawn her sword without realizing it. Huzhai Gong, standing nearby, instinctively swallowed. He absolutely couldn't admit he was the one who slapped her. If she knew, he might be cleaved in two.
"Hurry and wake up! It's already three or four in the afternoon. We've slept for a whole day. I have bad news and good news. Which do you want to hear first?"
Huh? Bad news? Good news? Didn't they just take a nap? How did so many things happen?
Never mind, it wasn't something she could ponder.
"Since there's bad news and good news, tell me the bad news first."
Raiden Ei's ears perked up, and she listened intently as Huzhai Gong recounted the bad news.
"The bad news is that Lu Ze is already at the door and needs to see you urgently. If you don't want him to see you in such a disheveled state, you'd better change your clothes quickly. You wouldn't want your sloppy 'Thunder God' image to be seen, would you?"
Hearing this, it was indeed bad news. If she were seen in such a state, the news the next day would likely be about her. She definitely didn't want to be in the papers.
"What about the good news? The good news?"
As she spoke, Raiden Ei quickly put on her clothes. Her speed was astonishing.
She swiftly pulled on black stockings, tugging them up with force, fitting perfectly to her thighs as if tailor-made. Looking at her own soft thighs, she thought, she truly was her own master, even her puppets were so lifelike.
"The good news is that he's coming to tell you that Hu Qian Dai has also returned."
Huh? Hearing this, Raiden Ei was slightly taken aback. So soon? She had originally thought Hu Qian Dai would be the most difficult to retrieve, as she didn't even know her place of death, let alone how to reclaim her soul.
It seemed an impossible task. Yet, it was accomplished in such a short time? Was she cheating?
"Yes, that is indeed good news. I'll get dressed quickly. I'm leaving my sister and Yae Miko in your care. Thank you. I'll treat you to kitsune ramen later, though I might not have the money."
After getting dressed, Raiden Ei rushed out of the room, eager to see if what was said was true.
After all, Hu Qian Dai was more like a sister without blood relation to her. During every gathering, Qian Dai loved to cling to her, always resting her head on her lap. Those days were truly pleasant.
"Lu Ze?!"
A few steps out the door, Raiden Ei was so startled she covered her mouth, holding back any sound, as if she were looking at some primordial beast.
"You guys are...?"
Raiden Ei's mind was a bit fuzzy. Hu Qian Dai's head was resting on Lu Ze's lap, her body seemingly melded with his. For some reason, she felt a pang of jealousy, but quickly dismissed the thought.
"Oh, you mean this? It's just that she was too tired and accidentally fell asleep on my lap. That's not important. What's important is how to handle her."
Handle her? Handle what? The words confused Raiden Ei. How could she be handled? Wouldn't she just continue living?
"Well, how should I put it? Something unexpected happened when I was saving her, which made her a bit attached to me. I think I can only keep her by my side. So, I probably can't return her to you."
Raiden Ei forced an awkward smile. Were her thoughts about to come true? It shouldn't be, people shouldn't be this unreasonable.
But she still said:
"Then you have to ask for her own wishes. Whether she wants to continue working at Tenshukaku or follow you, that must be her decision. None of us have the right to deprive others of their freedom."
Lu Ze nodded in agreement. Indeed, no one was born to dictate another's destiny. Destiny was in one's own hands; how could others easily offer advice?
"Then we'll wait for her to wake up. I believe the answer won't be surprising. But no matter what, I will take responsibility. Rest assured of that."
???
Why was this person saying things she couldn't understand? What was going on? Could it really be as she suspected? It couldn't be this coincidental.
Gently waking Hu Qian Dai, who was resting on his lap, Lu Ze softly said:
"Are you alright? How are you recovering? Can you speak? Have you recalled anything?"
Her eyes blinked open and closed, still groggy, almost drifting back to sleep.
"Wake up. It's not night now. If you want to sleep, go back tonight. Sleeping here is not good."
Perhaps realizing she had done something wrong, Hu Qian Dai shook her head blankly. If Lu Ze got angry and lost her, she wouldn't know how to live.
"I'll explain the situation. Hu Qian Dai, you need to choose carefully. If that's not possible, you can also rent a place near my house, and then we can see each other every day."
This seemed like a good reason. Hu Qian Dai thought for a moment and silently chose to go back with Lu Ze. She trusted Lu Ze and believed he wouldn't do anything bad to her.
"See? She wants to come with me. So... I might not be able to hand her over to you. If you want to see her, you can come to my shop. I just came to tell you that Hu Qian Dai is alive. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
Raiden Ei nodded, silently watching Lu Ze soar into the sky, leaving only afterimages. She looked at his receding back. For her, this was indeed a good thing.
Only one more left, just one more, and they could be reunited. But the biggest difficulty now was where to find Sasayuri's soul. After all, 500 years had passed. If it was meant to dissipate, it would have long since done so. How could any trace remain?