This familiar figure.
This pleasing voice.
These brief yet powerfully edgy lines.
Guinaifen practically leaped from her chair.
"My hearing isn't great—could whoever just said Mu Yang has no money repeat what he said?"
"Did he just say he'd pay three million Mora?"
[Holy ****????]
[How MUCH?!]
[That's three million Mora! Not three hundred! How can you say it so casually?]
[The most touching love confession I've ever heard is Big Brother Mu Yang saying: 'Let me pay.']
[Where are the haters now? Speak up!]
[I already said it—whoever's rich, I'm their dog. Who the rich guy is doesn't matter.]
[I wish someone in my life would say this to me.]
——————
Mu Yang's sudden appearance did stir a hint of confusion in Zhongli.
"Hmm?"
Because he hadn't sensed anyone approaching.
Much less someone as familiar as Mu Yang.
Could he have been careless?
Lumine seemed to pick up on something.
Quickly, she spoke up to divert the topic, feigning surprise as she greeted him.
"Huh? Mu Yang?! What are you doing here?"
"I saw a familiar figure earlier, so I followed to say hello. Then I happened to hear your conversation."
After speaking, Mu Yang turned to Zhongli and nodded at him.
"I didn't expect to see Mr. Zhongli here as well."
Zhongli returned the courtesy. "Brother Mu, it's been a while."
Paimon: "Huh? Mu Yang actually remembers Zhongli?"
"I remember. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor consultant who likes to buy all kinds of sesame oil."
[LMAO, what kind of impression is that?]
[I'm wheezing.]
[Dying of laughter.]
Paimon: "No, no! The focus right now should be paying for the Everlasting Incense!"
Zhongli stroked his chin.
"Hmm... three million... at first glance, it doesn't sound like much, but rationally speaking, it is rather troublesome. Brother Mu, you mean to say..."
It wasn't just Zhongli.
Mu Yang could sense the worry in Lumine's gaze as well, as if she was about to step in to stop him.
What's this?
Did they think I was joking?
Would I even bat an eye at a mere three million Mora?
Mu Yang turned directly to Baizhu, doing his best to avoid meeting Changsheng's eyes for now.
He was afraid some memory might surface and ruin his acting.
He pulled out a promissory note and handed it to Baizhu.
It had been prepared long ago.
"Three million Mora. Northland Bank promissory note."
Before Baizhu could take the note, Changsheng, coiled around his neck, struck first.
She slithered straight onto Mu Yang's outstretched arm, wrapping around it.
The scene shocked everyone present.
Even though Mu Yang had mentally prepared himself, her sudden move still caught him off guard, nearly breaking his composure.
From Baizhu's expression, it was clear he was surprised too.
Paimon had the most exaggerated reaction. "Huh?! The—the snake moved!"
Changsheng paid no mind to the commotion.
She trailed along Mu Yang's arm,
slithering all the way to his waist.
"Boy Mu Yang, why does your scent feel so familiar? Have we met before?"
Hearing this, Mu Yang felt as if his heart had been struck by a thousand-pound hammer.
Oof.
——————
In the livestream, Guinaifen was the first to react.
When Mu Yang appeared, she first clapped back at the anti-Mu-Yang trolls in the chat.
Then, she suddenly remembered something important.
She instantly opened HoYoLAB.
"Ugh, this splash ad—hurry up! I can't even wait three seconds!"
[What's Little Gui doing?]
[Is the streamer having a breakdown? Hey!]
[What's the streamer talking about? Can't even last three seconds?]
Guinaifen pulled up the official Mu Yang character art
and shoved it in front of the camera.
"Folks, I knew the name Changsheng sounded familiar!"
"Isn't this the 'person' who gave Mu Yang his character review?"
"Even though what she said was censored by miHoYo."
[Oh damn, now I remember!]
[Who could've guessed it was a snake?]
[Streamer's attention to detail is insane—I almost forgot.]
[Do these two know each other or something?]
[Look, look! Changsheng's coiling around Mu Yang now!]
Guinaifen watched the scene unfold,
goosebumps rising all over her body.
"Kinda gives me the creeps."
[I also want to wrap myself tightly around Mu Yang's forearm like that.]
[Then I'll coil around his waist.]
[Then I'll coil around his...]
[Bro, you really aren't afraid of getting banned, huh?]
[Changsheng's speaking—what's she saying? Seems like she doesn't remember Mu Yang.]
[Mu Yang's frozen—did he remember something?]
[I've got a bad feeling about this.]
"Stop it, I've got a bad feeling too."
——————
Hearing Changsheng's words,
Mu Yang's heart truly skipped a beat.
This familiar voice, this familiar presence—
yet now, she no longer recognized him.
Sad as it was, the show had to go on.
"I can't recall."
[miHoYo: Ahahahaha, here comes the chicken soup! Why aren't you eating it?]
[How are we supposed to eat it when it's all knives?]
[miHoYo's a repeat offender.]
[This is definitely foreshadowing!]
Mu Yang remembered.
But those were memories from a thousand years ago, not recent years.
They hadn't interacted at all in recent times.
Just wait. Now wasn't the time for reunions.
Let the players' discussions ferment first.
Just wait a little longer... Yaojun...
"You can't recall?"
That wasn't the answer Changsheng wanted to hear.
The young man before her felt far too familiar.
But she had lost most of her power.
All she could remember was awakening from the depths of the mountains,
forming a contract with a pharmacist to barely cling to her last breath.
This contract was her only lifeline.
If it were severed, she would die.
So, if she could recall even a fragment of the past, or someone from it,
perhaps there'd be another way.
Changsheng noticed the jade pendant at Mu Yang's waist.
She used her tail to nudge aside the Cryo Vision hanging beside it,
as its presence had nearly masked the energy of the pendant.
To be precise, it wasn't the pendant itself,
but the power of the red string tying it.
Nothing could be more familiar—this power belonged to her.
With lightning speed, she slithered up from his waist,
coiling around Mu Yang's neck in an instant.
"Boy, this red string was forged from my power. Speak the truth!"
Seeing Mu Yang's predicament,
Lumine rushed over to pull Changsheng away,
thinking she was genuinely trying to strangle him.
"Calm down first."
She glanced at Baizhu. "Baizhu, say something too!"
Under Baizhu's persuasion, Changsheng finally released Mu Yang
and returned to him.
Lumine checked Mu Yang's neck. "Are you okay?"
Mu Yang shook his head, indicating he was fine.
Changsheng hadn't actually been trying to choke him.
Paimon stomped her feet midair. "You... no, this snake! How could you?!"
Baizhu stepped in to mediate. "My apologies, everyone. Changsheng has lost her memories of the past."
"So upon meeting Mr. Mu Yang, who may be an old acquaintance, she became rather emotional. Please don't take it to heart."
He glanced at the jade pendant and red string at Mu Yang's waist. "As for Mr. Mu Yang's situation... perhaps you could explain?"
"Let me do it."
Lumine stepped forward and explained Mu Yang's current condition to Baizhu and Changsheng.