At this moment, Chen Tianwu's answer was already clear.
In the dazzling brilliance, he gazed at the girl who was so unfamiliar, yet a smile of relief appeared on his face.
Did he remember Ana?
Of course, he did... at least he used to remember, until a few days ago.
So when did he start to forget? Probably the day after Shu and the others returned to the base... He had actively forgotten all memories of Ana.
His own memories were mixed; they would inevitably contaminate the real "Ana." So, he had applied to Otto, who knew the plan, for the Book of Time to erase all his memories of Ana at any time.
Even all the associations that arose from the two words "Ana."
Only the four words "resurrect Ana" were deeply engraved in Chen Tianwu's heart.
So, for the past few days, Chen Tianwu had been very confused.
"Why am I doing this?" "Who is Ana?" "What did she do?"
He repeatedly thought about these questions, and then repeatedly deleted all his related associations and memories.
He extracted everything related to Ana from his soul over and over again, watching it dissipate, and then his brain would uncontrollably pop up that question again.
"Who is Ana?"
He didn't know, he knew nothing... The only thing he knew was that he couldn't know anything related to "Ana," not even his expectations, his fantasies.
But his actions were so purposeful, he had such strong expectations, such a strong desire—
Why couldn't he even have a little fantasy about the "result"?!
Chen Tianwu couldn't even understand the self who had made this decision! He didn't understand why he had done it in the first place. He didn't understand, he really didn't understand—
If he couldn't even glimpse what the future was like, then what was the driving force for his progress?
What was he working for?
Was it to make up for some mistake he had made? Was it because he or someone else needed such a person?
Even if someone said that this was because he liked her, liked her so much that it had to be her, liked her so much that being like her was not enough, learning from her was not enough, and even the her of the previous second and the her of the next second were not enough...
Then at least they should say... why he liked her...
[Delete the above associated memories]
With a hysterical madness, Chen Tianwu, mentally exhausted, used the Book of Time again, deleting all the memories of this period.
Delete - associate - pain - delete...
And after the active memory deletion, the emptiness of consciousness needed to be filled with thoughts.
At this time, people would often start thinking about what they were currently doing.
And coincidentally, Chen Tianwu had been simulating, calculating, and trying his best to memorize how to play the role of Ana.
He was learning everything about Ana, but he had to forget everything he had worked so hard to learn during this period.
He would get up at four or five in the morning, memorize, rehearse, and then go out at seven o'clock wearing the Mosquito's Breath, appearing in front of everyone as Ana.
Then, after a short hour, he would hurry back to his residence, use the Book of Time to delete the related memories he had worked so hard to memorize, and then start from scratch again...
Memorize.
Act.
Then forget.
Memorize...
Act...
Then forget...
...
So... who am I?
And who is Ana?
...
Forget again.
He was like a farmer in the primitive era who worked from sunrise to sunset, walking in a short and numb cycle without being able to escape...
No, Chen Tianwu was even worse than them.
At least... they could imagine how the sun would rise the next day, while Chen Tianwu couldn't even think about what he was doing.
And what could such meaningless actions, these "doings for the sake of doing," bring?
In this ceremony that was already nearing its end, at the last moment, Chen Tianwu finally had a momentary answer.
"How is she, her?"
This was a question that everyone should have asked him. He was the one who had to prove it.
And now?
It was his turn to question the entire world!
"Tell me—she—why is she, her!" Chen Tianwu roared at the world before him.
And the world gave this answer.
Because the body that Evolution gave her was the same as before, so she is her.
Because the memories that Memory gave her were the same as before, so she is her.
Because the position that Desire gave her was the same as before, so she is her.
Because the details that Theory gave her were the same as before, so she is her.
Because the existence that Dream gave her was the same as before, so she is her.
Because the completeness that Binding gave her was the same as before, so she is her.
And—
Because the one you want is her, so she is her.
The soul that had been generated out of thin air suddenly dissipated. The next moment, a phantom appeared from the Imaginary Space.
The phantom was still in a dynamic state, as if in the previous second, she had really existed in this world.
It was as if—she had crossed time, taking a step from the past to the present, and was preparing to walk from the present to the future.
This was Ana... undoubtedly Ana... not the Ana from a parallel universe, nor a clone with the same memories.
Chen Tianwu stared blankly as the phantom took his place in the body that already belonged to Ana, watching her regain everything that belonged to her.
And he was like someone who had saved a seat. When the rightful owner returned, he stood up, returned the seat, and was about to exit this world.
Conservation, this was the only unchanging truth in the present world.
"So this is what your face looks like..." Chen Tianwu whispered. His figure became more and more illusory. This was the effect of his soul being rejected by the present world.
He did not try to reach out and touch the face that he had imagined countless times and forgotten countless times.
This face didn't even produce a physiological familiarity in him, because those physiological memories were also a part of what needed to be erased.
At this moment, he was floating about a meter in front of Ana. His suppressed imagination could finally be released to its heart's content.
What would happen when Ana woke up? Would she be confused by the "suddenly appearing" experiences about herself that others told her?
Would she think that she had lost her memory for a period of time?
Would she be frightened by the suddenly changed world?
Would she accept this greatly changed world with composure? Could she accept it?
She...
Would she have me in her memory?
Does she really know me?
Do I...
Really know her?
Chen Tianwu's almost transparent soul made a sighing motion, then turned his head and bowed deeply to Shu.
Finally, he looked back and took a deep look at Ana.
"Nice to meet you, Ana."