Jiang Jian Yue had lost count of how many times she had heard that question.
There were all kinds of languages— Japanese, English, French, German, Arabic…
It was the first time she had heard her native dialect.
“I am…” Jiang Jian Yue turned around, looking down at Li Qiushi. “I am a good person.”
Swoosh—
Beside Li Qiushi and the communications soldier, multiple lumps of plasticine seemed to appear out of nowhere, rapidly aggregating in the air to form “creatures” that resembled medical mannequins.
The generation did not stop; they grew skin and hair, and even clothes—a black suit.
A batch of mass-produced bodyguards appeared, but their faces were devoid of expression, as if they were mere lifeless objects.
“They will protect you as you leave the peninsula. Don’t come back.” Jiang Jian Yue turned sideways, preparing to leave.
“Hey! She’s your subordinate, isn’t she? Why?!”
Li Qiushi shook off the communications soldier who was trying to stop him from courting death.
“You can resurrect strangers, but you’re so cruel to your own companions?!”
fwoosh—
The girl turned into a pale gray afterimage and vanished before Li Qiushi’s eyes.
‘Heh…’ Li Qiushi decided that once he got out, he would report everything that had happened here.
That girl…
That…
What was it?
Li Qiushi scratched his head in confusion, feeling like… there was a blank in his memory.
What just happened?
Li Qiushi looked at the black-suited bodyguards around him and said, “Thank you for the rescue… who are you?”
……
In a relatively well-preserved standalone villa.
Jiang Jian Yue looked at the newly delivered diesel, manipulating the dolls to refuel the diesel generator, and the villa regained power.
Taking a pineapple bun from the supply crate, she tore open the wrapper and stuffed it into her mouth, then noticed a letter.
“Seeing this letter is like seeing me in person. Missy, it’s been a long time since I last wrote to you. Everything is fine at the Madagascar base, do not worry.”
“We are still following your instructions, gathering information about the GPRI’s Crimson Plan, but in the end we were too late; the Pacific Treaty discovered the site first.”
“The site in Kandahar, Afghanistan—with our current strength, we cannot go deeper. Could you come in person?”
Jiang Jian Yue looked up at the giant object floating in the sky outside the window, pondered for a long time, then lowered her head to continue reading the letter.
“If that’s not possible, according to your original plan, we have also found clues about finding ‘Shadow Girl’. She is currently overseeing the project near the site.”
“Also, our observer in Japan has sent word that Yuki-kun has started his vacation.”
Whoosh—
Crimson flames engulfed the letter, leaving not a single trace of ash.
Jiang Jian Yue sat cross-legged on the living room floor in a daze for a while, then got up and headed to the bathroom.
After the maid doll had prepared the hot water, it left the bathroom. Jiang Jian Yue stepped inside and then removed her combat suit.
The red veins that had originally only covered her entire back now covered her whole body—the backs of her hands, her feet, spreading to the ends of her limbs.
Splash—
Her body sank into the bathtub. Jiang Jian Yue closed her eyes. The mist swirling around her seemed to dampen her eyes a little.
After washing up, Jiang Jian Yue returned to the bedroom and looked at the two computers on the desk—one was a laptop, and the other… had no power cord plugged in.
As usual, she first opened the laptop and clicked on a folder on the desktop. It contained fifty-two episodes of an anime, over a dozen OVAs, and several movies.
She had already watched it countless times, but Jiang Jian Yue still randomly clicked on an episode.
It was an episode from the “Superpower Panic Arc”. Jiang Jian Yue watched as Yuki Asahi was reviled by the public on the screen, and reached out to pat his head through the screen.
As the anime neared its end, Jiang Jian Yue turned to look at the darkened screen.
That computer had rarely been updated since the main Chantui anime had ended.
The main anime had ended just before the start of the Asia War. That was… three years ago, wasn’t it? It felt like ten thousand years.
After that, two movies set after the Asia War were released, but they were all about the stories of some popular junior new characters. Yuki Asahi appeared in very few scenes.
As for Jiang Jian Yue, she was nowhere to be found.
It had been… so long since the last update. The computer was also stuck in a laggy state, unusable.
Click.
Jiang Jian Yue casually tapped the keyboard, and then noticed the computer screen lit up.
Somewhat clumsily, she placed her hand on the mouse, opened the pink-colored software, and clicked on the anime section.
On the homepage, a familiar art style appeared—”Chantui Z”.
Netflix’s heartfelt masterpiece.
Jiang Jian Yue took a deep breath. Instead of rushing to open the anime, she first opened the small group chat and sent a message: “Long time no see.”
The friends in the group were guessing, due to the surprise update of Chantui Z, whether J Chu was about to come online.
After this message, a barrage of @ mentions and private messages instantly started bombarding the penguin.
The flow of time in the real world and the anime world is different.
The fifty-two episodes of Chantui’s first season were updated over exactly one year, with some movies interspersed.
The two movies about the post-Asia War story were also released in the middle and end of the following year.
But for the character “Jiang Jian Yue”, it really was “long time no see”.
Ignoring the nearly exploding penguin account for now, she simply logged out and clicked on the first episode of “Chantui Z”.
【Alive, alive! Chantui is alive! We need to tell others!】
【Wow, an unannounced surprise release!】
【First episode over forty minutes?】
The three newly introduced “protagonists” did not provoke any dislike in the barrage.
After all, the story had just begun, and these three protagonists hadn’t done anything annoying.
【This Hanyu something Luo, is he a relative of Hanyu Yukiki?】
【Hanyu Suoluo (luo)】
When the camera showed the list of past club leaders of the Supernatural Club, most of the barrage was spamming the latest and greatest, 【Saido CP】 for Shimada Ayaka and Watanabe Hitomi, who had two independent movies.
Only a few noticed Jiang Jian Yue at the very top, starting to “recall the glorious past”.
The faction wars had finally died down.
After the few episodes following Emi-chan’s departure from Japan, anyone could see that the relationship between Yuki Asahi and Kaori Onishi had developed into “close friends”.
【When will Emi-chan come back?】
【The first season didn’t give any info on whether the Europe-Africa War ended】
【Boo hoo, my ship finally died, huh】
【Don’t panic, there’s a surprise in the ending OP】
【Imai Kaka!】
【The trio peeking from the corner is so cute】
【Saia didn’t even come, is Saido fake?】
【Why isn’t there Asia War content】
【↑Those two CP-selling movies mentioned it briefly, but better not have such sensitive stuff in the main series】
【Congratulations on graduating!】
【Landing a job】
Jiang Jian Yue watched the screen flooded with 【Landing a job】, a bit puzzled about where this trend of praying to anime characters had started.
After that, it was the three young ones volunteering and heading to the Amuro residence.
When Yuki Asahi appeared on the screen, Jiang Jian Yue reached out and touched his cheek through the screen.
‘So hot.’
The monitor was hot.
【What happened to Yuki?】
【Greek Milk, he was fine in those two movies】
【Could it be】
The news of the “Pale Gray Witch’s” death was also revealed to the audience through Funae Amuro’s memories.
【Is this about Emi?】
【Another ship sunk】
【For those coming later, Emi isn’t dead】
【Spoiler dogs, can you just die? Fk your mother】
The first episode came to an end with Miss Meko possessing Kazama Yin, and the OP started playing.
One second.
Although Jiang Jian Yue did not appear among the “new enemies”, the city did appear.
But unexpectedly, there was still more main story after the first episode.
【Main story after the OP, now this is really the main story】
【Is this Seoul?】
【???】
【Holy shit!】
【Emi-chan!】
【Mizuki got oneshotted?】
Jiang Jian Yue didn’t expect herself to appear in the first episode either.
‘Heh… Maybe she was just a villain after all.’
A door appeared in the bedroom. Jiang Jian Yue put on her combat suit and pushed the door open.
This was the “Vision World”, or rather… Jiang Jian Yue’s special version of the Vision World.
With one step, what came into view was a magnificent capital city full of Eastern charm.
Vermilion flying eaves stacked layer upon layer, spreading like dragon scales to the end of the line of sight.
Countless red lanterns painted with strange patterns floated in the air, emitting a warm yellow glow that was not dazzling, illuminating this eternal night city as bright as day.
The streets were not empty.
On the contrary, it was bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.
Peddlers in long robes and mandarin jackets carried poles with baskets, but the baskets did not contain ordinary goods—they held pulsating balls of light.
Women dressed in a mix of qipao and Hanfu held round fans, covering their faces with light laughs as they gracefully wove between taverns and tea houses.
There were also children with hair in buns, holding sugar-coated hawthorn sticks, playing and frolicking in the gaps between the crowd.
If one looked closely, although the faces of these “people” were vivid, they exuded a strange serenity and pattern.
Jiang Jian Yue, dressed in her black combat skirt, walked slowly through the lively street like a ghost from another dimension.
Beside her, a vendor selling wontons was hawking enthusiastically. Hot steam rose from the pot, passing through Jiang Jian Yue’s body without causing a single ripple.
No one looked at her.
Wherever she walked, the crowd around her naturally ignored her existence, as if she were in a crack between dimensions.
She lifted her head, her gaze passing over the layers of archways and pavilions, looking toward the very center of the city.
There, there was no imperial palace, but a cluster of inverted pavilions floating in the void.
Jiang Jian Yue lightly pushed off with her toes, and her figure instantly vanished from the spot, turning into a pale gray streak of light that shot straight into the sky.
Inside the mirage pavilion, space seemed to be infinitely stretched.
There was no gravity here. Countless huge rosewood corridors crisscrossed, extending like a maze in the dark void.
There were no walls; beyond the corridors was a bottomless abyss, where faint starlight could be seen.
At the very center was a wide platform, with black gauze curtains embroidered with gold thread hanging around it.
On the platform, a rosewood armchair covered with a white tiger skin stood quietly.
Jiang Jian Yue landed on the platform, the hem of her combat skirt spreading out like water ripples.
She turned around and sat lazily in the armchair, propping her chin on one hand, her blood-red eyes narrowing slightly.
“Come.”
Her voice was not loud, but it echoed in layers through the empty building.
Hum—
In the city below, several people seemed to be summoned, floating upward uncontrollably.
They had wandered in this Vision World for a long time, either indulging in the fake street life or lost in fragments of memories.
Until this moment.
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