Chapter 1296: Guess Who He Is
It wasn't until Lin Sanjiu was about to climb into the water cabin that Ji Shanqing's question flashed through her mind again.
Ever since Mr. Ito entered the villa, she and the grand prize had been busy persuading, negotiating, and arranging defenses. She had completely forgotten about the inexplicable question. Somehow, when the attending therapist opened the water cabin, and she looked at the pool of deep blue water gently rippling inside, she suddenly remembered it.
Was there something she was supposed to think about this morning?
Countless thoughts had crossed her mind, and if she were to list them all, it would stretch for several meters. However, none of those thoughts seemed important enough to warrant Ji Shanqing asking about it.
"Miss Lin." The therapist standing nearby misinterpreted her expression and comforted her softly, "Don't worry. The water cabin we provide is absolutely safe, and I'll be outside monitoring the situation inside."
Lin Sanjiu was brought back to her senses and subconsciously nodded, glancing at the grand prize beside her.
This was the first service he picked out from the villa's high-end offerings. It was called 'Immersive Comprehensive Deep Therapy,' which seemed to have significant benefits for the body functions of posthumans. Although it lasted only two hours, it cost a whopping 30,000, and if she didn't limit herself to one session per day, she could spend over 110,000 on her account by the afternoon. However, this service also had significant drawbacks.
"After I enter, I'll be completely cut off from the outside world, right?" She felt a bit uneasy and asked the grand prize again, "You and Mr. Ito are the only ones outside, can you handle it?"
"The traps are set, and two people are keeping watch. Unless an army comes... then we're in trouble." The grand prize placed a hand on the sleek streamlined water cabin, looking at the water, and then at Lin Sanjiu, as if he wanted to go in with her. "I considered this carefully. No matter what project you undertake, your reactions to the outside world will become dulled, and your movements will be limited... If someone really breaks through our defenses, even with you in that state, your help won't be significant. So, after weighing the pros and cons, it's better to find a project that can ensure your absolute safety. This way, even if the villa is taken away from us in the worst-case scenario, at least you'll be safe."
Lin Sanjiu already had one foot in the water, but she turned back and asked, "What about you?"
Ji Shanqing smiled and pursed his lips. "Who can do anything to me?"
Indeed, he was so clever and not confined to a human body.
Lin Sanjiu hesitated for two seconds, then finally climbed into the dim, egg-shaped water cabin. As the therapist was about to close the lid, she suddenly called out, "Wait!" In the faint light that filtered through the gap in the lid, the grand prize bent over. Due to the backlighting, his face and expression were blurry.
"Why did you ask me that question earlier?"
Sitting in the water, she felt the waves almost alive, ready to gently cradle her away to another place. According to the therapist, once she completely submerged in the water, she would enter a state of dream-like self-disintegration, something she couldn't quite comprehend. Worried that she might forget if she didn't ask now, she spoke again, "What did you mean back then?"
Even though she couldn't see his face clearly, Lin Sanjiu could tell that Ji Shanqing hesitated for a moment.
"Sis..." He said in a slightly hoarse voice, "How should I put it? I'm not quite sure myself."
Lin Sanjiu pushed aside the water waves, wet hands gripping the edge of the cabin as she looked up, asking, "Tell me."
She knew Ji Shanqing couldn't refuse her request.
As expected, he sighed lightly, saying, "When encountering something new, people will search for similar experiences or answers from their past experiences... The human brain is accustomed to lowering cognitive costs this way. I had a speculation, but since you didn't think of anything, it means I was wrong... You don't need to worry." As he spoke, he subconsciously extended his hand, wiping off the water from her index finger and put it into his mouth, sucking it.
Even after getting an answer, Lin Sanjiu was still full of confusion and doubt.
"Alright," the therapist interrupted her thoughts, reminding her. "If you're ready, let's get started."
After the water cabin closed, all the lights were shut out. Lin Sanjiu was left floating in the tiny, pitch-black space, gradually losing her sense of the water and her bodily awareness. It was as if only a trace of her soul remained, endlessly floating in the boundless, timeless, and lightless dark universe.
Mrs. Manas's image appeared in her mind but quickly dissolved and melted away. Not only her consciousness but also all her evolved abilities, memories, emotions, and even her awareness of her own existence all seemed to soften and dilute like a hot marshmallow, silently blending into the water. There was only warm darkness, a universe filled with amniotic fluid, interweaving with her body's textures that were constantly dissolving, merging into one.
If Lin Sanjiu could see herself now, she would notice that her skin was becoming translucent as it swayed with the waves. Each day she struggled to survive in the doomsday had left deep marks on her body: mottled scars on her skin, occasional hard muscle knots under her skin, abnormal growth after muscle tears, nerve clusters that could no longer be properly reconnected, and even residual deformities from radiation inside her cells. All of these were washed away by the flow of water, gently spreading throughout her entire body, as if a loved one was softly comforting her during times of sorrow.
Above the physiological level, even her evolved abilities and bodily enhancements met with similar treatment.
However, Lin Sanjiu couldn't even feel her own existence—no, there wasn't even a subject that could perceive any changes. She was naturally unaware of everything. When the water cabin suddenly shook heavily due to an external impact, she didn't react at all.
"Protect her!" Ji Shanqing urgently instructed the therapist from outside the cabin, quickly walking through the living room and looking into the courtyard. According to their agreement, Ito should be patrolling the courtyard in circles. Perhaps he had gone to the back for a moment, as there was no one in the front yard, only the waves splashing from the pool that completely soaked the nearby bench and ground.
"Mr.Ito?" he called out, his gaze scanning the courtyard. "Has someone come?"
The branches and leaves of the trees were still shaking, and the pool looked like a bucket of water that had been vigorously shaken, even the ground was scattered with pieces of stones and mud. The courtyard door was open, creaking in the silent air without the slightest breeze.
The moment he noticed signs of an intrusion into the villa, Ji Shanqing didn't hesitate for even a second. He turned back to return to the villa—after all, the truly important things were inside the villa. He reacted swiftly, but he never expected that someone could be faster than him. Just as he turned around, the villa door slammed shut right in front of his nose.
"I'm sorry," someone suddenly spoke behind him, as if they were right next to him. Even though he had seen no one in front of him a moment ago. "It's unfortunate, but I need to use this villa."
The man's voice was hoarse yet alluring, every word he spoke was intertwined with a strong charm that emanated from his lips and breath. If it were someone else listening, their ears would likely turn red from the heat. Unfortunately, Ji Shanqing had no gender, and his entire body lacked any resonation with hormones, so he naturally felt nothing. He turned his head calmly.
"Oh, you're a girl?" The man was slightly surprised and lowered his head. A strand of golden hair like sunshine fell down his face, making it hard to tell which one was more dazzling. "No... You're not."
"I advise you," Ji Shanqing said calmly, "to leave this villa now."
"I'm afraid I can't do that." The man suddenly smiled, as if golden rays were breaking through the clouds. "Since you're not a girl, I have no reservations."