Chapter 111: Distant Memories

While looking at the interface, her face suddenly flushed a deep red.

It was only then that she noticed a miniature avatar of herself on the panel. As a newly awakened individual, she naturally possessed no equipment, meaning the thumbnail depicted her completely naked.

She hadn't been aware of this feature, which was why she had shown the panel to Kong Zhe without a second thought just moments ago. Now that she realized it, she wondered: had Kong Zhe seen everything?

At the thought, Xiao Lei instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, dying of embarrassment.

*Oh no, what do I do? I’ll never be able to get married now…*

"What's wrong, Xiao Lei?"

"No, nothing, it’s nothing..."

Hearing Kong Zhe's voice, Xiao Lei hastily covered her burning cheeks and replied in a flustered tone.

"Oh..."

Though he found the girl's reaction a bit strange, Kong Zhe didn't think too much of it, assuming she was just excited about becoming an Awakened.

Xiao Lei clearly had no experience as an Awakened, so Kong Zhe took advantage of the downtime to quickly explain some basic knowledge to her. The young girl remained flushed and distracted, listening only half-heartedly to what he said.

Seeing Kong Zhe’s completely neutral expression, Xiao Lei felt a spark of irritation in her heart.

*Why didn't he react at all after looking for so long? Am I really that unappealing?*

"Right, Xiao Lei, you have a skill point now, don't you? Use it on 'Moon Goddess's Bath'!"

"...Oh, okay!"

After a period of silence, Xiao Lei finally managed to calm herself, though she still couldn't bring herself to meet Kong Zhe’s eyes. With a slightly red face, she opened the panel and, following his instructions, clicked on the icon for the skill.

*Moon Goddess's Bath (Level 1): Cast on a target to restore 50 HP. Cooldown: 1 second. Mana cost: 10.*

This was a B-rank skill. Although there were higher-rated skills available for Xiao Lei to learn, this was the only one with healing capabilities.

For Kong Zhe, a healer was undoubtedly what their team needed most right now. With this skill, they would save countless health potions.

Xiao Lei added the skill point without the slightest hesitation. She trusted that Kong Zhe would never harm her. Moreover, she couldn't tell the difference between the quality of the skills anyway. Her little head couldn't hold that much information; if she had to choose for herself, it would only give her a headache. Having Kong Zhe’s guidance was, naturally, for the best.

Once her awakening was settled, Kong Zhe sat beside her. Looking at her flushed cheeks, he gave a light cough and naturally asked about what had happened earlier.

But at the mention of it, Xiao Lei looked visibly hesitant.

She opened her mouth, not knowing how to explain. She snuck a glance at Kong Zhe and said cautiously, "Brother Kong Zhe, well, I... I promised someone I wouldn't tell you who she is, so, so..."

She spoke in a whisper, stealing glances at Kong Zhe, afraid he might be angry.

"It's alright. If that's the case, then don't say it."

Kong Zhe smiled at her and reached out to pat her head. From her words, he gathered that someone had indeed visited, and that person had made him lose all memory of the encounter.

If she could do that, she must be incredibly powerful. If such a person didn't want him to know, there would be no benefit in finding out; it would only risk offending them. More importantly, this powerful person hadn't harmed him or Xiao Lei, but had instead given them both significant benefits. Kong Zhe decided to let it go.

"Xiao Lei, let's go."

Rising from the ground, they had one more place to visit. Kong Zhe led Xiao Lei away from the area.

Behind the shadows of the trees, a red silhouette suddenly appeared.

Watching the two figures walk away in the distance, Mirai sighed with a touch of melancholy. "My dear friend, this is all I can do for you. But... alas, it's a pity. At least in this timeline, your love is destined to never bear fruit..."

***

The clouds on the horizon were dyed the color of fresh blood by the setting sun. It was dusk, and the sky was gradually darkening.

After leaving the He Family Gold Shop, Kong Zhe walked for about half an hour with Xiao Lei before finally stopping in front of a residential complex.

Entering the five-story building, Kong Zhe led Xiao Lei up to the second floor. He fished a key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

Looking at the room before him, Kong Zhe couldn't help but sigh, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. This had been his home before the apocalypse.

The apartment was small, less than eighty square meters. It was a bit messy; empty beer cans and scattered playing cards lay on the living room table. Because no one had cleaned for days, a fine layer of dust covered the floor and the furniture.

While the place looked untidy, for a single man, it was quite decent.

"Is this...?"

Xiao Lei stepped inside, looking around with curiosity.

"It's... my home."

Kong Zhe hesitated slightly as he spoke. Perhaps for the Kong Zhe of this timeline, he had only been away from home for a few days. But for the Kong Zhe standing there, he hadn't returned in three whole years. Such a long time was enough to dull many things, and as he looked at the various ornaments in the room, he couldn't help but feel a sense of estrangement.

"Wow, really? That's amazing!"

Xiao Lei looked at the room in surprise. *Brother Kong Zhe actually lived in such a small place?* Her curiosity piqued, she began to wander around, touching this and poking that, excited like a child visiting a museum for the first time.

"What's so amazing about it..."

Watching Xiao Lei’s curious expression, Kong Zhe found it amusing. He shook his head and began to walk around the room as well. Like Xiao Lei, he touched the various items in the room, but unlike her, his face remained filled with a mix of nostalgia and sorrow.

In truth, he had no real reason to be here. There were no valuable items in the apartment worth taking. He had only stopped by because he happened to be near the He Family Gold Shop. In his previous life, by the time he had rushed back from the far-off South Pacific, this place had long since been reduced to ruins. Since he had the chance in this life, he couldn't resist coming back to take a look.

A moment later, Kong Zhe walked into the master bedroom. He stopped by the bedside table and reached out to pick up a photo frame.

In the picture, a young boy and a little girl were playing at a playground. The little girl was holding the boy’s arm with one hand and making a peace sign with the other, smiling sweetly.

Kong Zhe stared at the photo, speechless for a long time. His expression flickered between joy and sorrow.

Lost in distant thoughts, time slowly slipped away.

"—Brother Kong Zhe?"

After some time, Xiao Lei’s voice finally brought him back.

Looking up at the worried girl, Kong Zhe waved his hand and offered a smile.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Oh!"

Xiao Lei nodded doubtfully. Noticing the frame in his hand, she leaned in, curious.

"Hey, is this Brother Kong Zhe when you were little?"

Xiao Lei recognized the boy in the photo immediately. Although he was very young, his features still bore a resemblance to the current Kong Zhe.

Seeing Kong Zhe nod, Xiao Lei grew even more excited and couldn't help but exclaim, "So cute!"

Kong Zhe’s face darkened, and he could only manage a helpless, bitter smile. *I'm a man, and I'm being described as cute?*

"Then who is this girl? Why is she so close to Brother Kong Zhe?"

Xiao Lei looked at the girl clinging to Kong Zhe in the photo, a sudden, inexplicable sense of nervousness rising in her heart. She pouted as she asked, "Is this Brother Kong Zhe's girlfriend? You had a girlfriend even back then?"

"How could that be?"

Kong Zhe chuckled and tapped her on the head. He sighed, "This is my younger sister."

"Oh, I see..."

Xiao Lei touched her head, her heart feeling an involuntary sense of relief. She patted her well-developed chest and whispered, "That's great!"

"That's great?"

"No, nothing!"

Xiao Lei quickly let out two dry laughs and changed the subject. "So, where is she now?"

"Now..."

At the mention of this, Kong Zhe couldn't help but sigh. Although he had guessed that Xiao Lei might ask, when it came time to speak, he couldn't help but recall those painful scenes.

"Brother Kong Zhe, what's wrong? If it's hard to talk about, you don't have to."

Xiao Lei watched as Kong Zhe’s expression turned somber. She felt a pang of anxiety, as if she had just done something terrible.

"Actually, there's nothing I can't talk about..."

Kong Zhe shook his head, gave her a smile, and patted her head. "I'm an orphan. My sister and I grew up depending on each other..."

Perhaps because he had already told the story to Tuan Tuan once before, he found it easier to speak this time. His tone remained calm, as if he were talking about a bystander.

Time heals, and even the most painful and unbearable memories can eventually be spoken of naturally.

After hearing the story, Xiao Lei covered her mouth tightly, her eyes shimmering with tears.

*Oh heaven, what kind of question did I ask? Wasn't I just reopening a wound?*

She truly hadn't expected that Kong Zhe was also an orphan, and that his only kin had passed away ten years ago...

*Does that mean he’s been on his own for all these years?*

Xiao Lei had always thought of herself as a girl with a bitter fate. But compared to Kong Zhe, at least she had a sister who adored her, who prepared delicious meals for her every day; she had a best friend who grew up alongside her. Her life could already be called a paradise, yet she had been ungrateful?