"Hmm? A book, what book? I don't understand, could you let me see it?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Liliya took out twelve volumes and placed them heavily on the table. She had read this story no less than five times.
"The Thirteen Heretic Flames? Lu Ze, this isn't by any chance a book you wrote, is it? You've written our stories into a book like this? That's probably not very appropriate, I wanted to remain an unknown person."
Lu Ze scratched his head awkwardly. It wasn't his idea either; if the system hadn't given it to him, he wouldn't have wanted to do it.
"Oh, that's not important. What's important is that I can't wait to see friends I haven't seen in a long time. Speaking of which, is that guy Qian Jie still as irritable? He startled me the first time I met him."
Mentioning Qian Jie made Lu Ze feel a bit fearful. After all, he didn't have much strength back then and couldn't possibly defeat Qian Jie. If it weren't for Alysia back then, he might have turned into a pile of ashes.
"He's calmed down a lot lately, but if you still want to provoke him, you might end up fighting again."
Wendy also brought breakfast out from the kitchen, a large pot of noodles, and then took out over a dozen bowls, letting them serve themselves.
"Alright! Everyone eat breakfast first, then do what you need to do."
No one objected to eating breakfast. Wendy's cooking had improved a lot recently, and her noodles were getting more and more delicious. Everyone frantically added noodles to their bowls, and soon... the large pot of noodles was gone.
"Sister Wendy... your cooking is getting better and better, so fragrant."
Rosaria held a bowl, her right hand holding chopsticks, slurping noodles enthusiastically. Not only the noodles but also the soup was good. Eating a bowl of hot soup in the morning to warm the stomach felt really nice.
"Oh, it's nothing. Since there's not much to do at the shop, I can only improve my cooking skills, and also manage the machines and things in the shop. Mostly, I want to share some of Lu Ze's burden, as he's so tired, and every animation takes so long to make..."
Looking at the considerate Wendy, Lu Ze almost shed tears of emotion. Where could he find such a virtuous wife? She was right here, within reach!
After breakfast, Lu Ze and Alysia went to the empty room. Looking at the huge portal, they prepared to bring out the other twelve people.
But Alysia said that Kevin and Hua were still in the form of memory fragments, and she wasn't sure if they could come out. As for the others, they were all physical bodies, so there was no need to worry too much.
"It's been so long, I wonder if everyone misses me. Alysia, let's hurry. I can't wait to see everyone."
Alysia, following behind, nodded with a smile. The two of them walked through the tunnel and arrived at a place that resembled a base. On the upper right was a sofa. The twelve people sat there silently, looking in the direction of the exit.
Upon seeing the people entering, Pardo Philis immediately pounced, saying with some concern:
"Sister Alysia, I thought something had happened to you, it scared me to death. You haven't been back for so long, did something happen?"
Looking at Pardo Philis, who was worried about her, Alysia felt a little embarrassed to say. She couldn't possibly say that she met Lu Ze when she went out and slept with him, could she?
"Ahem, well, that's not important. I'd like to introduce someone to you. I think everyone knows him. This person is..."
Before she could finish, Pardo Philis shouted first.
"Lu Ze! Ah, my boss, I miss you so much! My income has been cut in half since you've been gone. Without you... I can't even get stock easily."
Back then, the two of them had turned the entire Previous Era's Imaginary Tree upside down, searching every nook and cranny for more treasures.
It had to be said that they found quite a lot, enough to form a pile, which allowed Pardo Philis to earn a considerable amount.
Although most of it was bought back by the original owner, that was their rule.
"Lu Ze, welcome back. If you have time, I'd still like to have another drink with you and sing some songs."
Eden held a wine glass, her face slightly flushed as she looked at Lu Ze. She had drunk quite a bit during this waiting period.
"Forget it? Sister Eden, please let me off the hook. You know my alcohol tolerance isn't very high. I get drunk easily... it's no fun. Every time I can only watch you drink, it's so uncomfortable."
She remembered how every time they drank, she could only sit aside and watch, unable to touch a drop. It was torture!
After all, Eden's collection consisted of high-proof wines. Although delicious, they would make her lose consciousness, causing her a lot of trouble.
"Little white mouse, long time no see. Your body, I'm still interested in... it's provided me with a lot of convenience. Will you do some research for me again when you have time?"
Mobius rested her right hand on her cheek, her expression a little yandere, even sticking out her tongue as if observing a prey to be captured.
Speaking of which, due to the system's protection mechanism back then, she was basically immune to any negative effects, which gave Mobius plenty of research direction and space.
"Spare me, I really don't want to go to your laboratory again. Every time... it wastes my clothes. I don't want to be seen naked again."
Because Mobius was too rough back then, she'd basically lose an outfit every visit. She originally had quite a few clothes, but in the end, she was left with less than two sets.
"Brother Lu Ze! Can you draw with me again when you have time? I really miss the time we spent together."
Griseo skipped over in small steps, abandoning Kosma entirely, making Kosma a little heartbroken. How could anyone understand the feeling of the child they liked no longer liking them?
"Draw together? If I have time, certainly. There are many beautiful sceneries outside for you to draw. If you lack paints, I can buy some for you."
He reached out his right hand and petted Griseo, who was in front of him. The familiar feeling made her enjoy it. This was Lu Ze's head pat.
"Ahem, Lu Ze... long time no see. Back then... I'm truly sorry."
Apophonia looked at Lu Ze with a hint of apology. Back then, it had caused many misunderstandings, creating an insurmountable gap between them that prevented communication. However, so much time had passed.
The misunderstanding had long been cleared, and their relationship had returned to how it was before.
"It's been so long, I've already forgotten. Apophonia... long time no see."