It began, as most catastrophes in Shi Mo's life did, with a suspicious silence.
Zhou Zhi hadn't texted all morning—which, by itself, was a red flag. He usually sent ten memes before noon, five of which referenced ghosts, snacks, or Fu Yunshen's mysterious aura.
Shi Mo assumed he'd simply overslept… until she got a call from him.
Panicked.
Wheezing.
On the verge of tears.
"Shi Mo!" Zhou Zhi's voice blasted through the phone. "HELP! HE'S GONE!"
"Who?"
"FU YUNSHEN! HE'S GONE INSANE!"
Shi Mo blinked. "Define 'insane.'"
"He's... he's sweeping the floor while singing a love ballad! In a floral apron! And—AND—he complimented my posture!"
Shi Mo went silent.
"…Is this Yun Yun again?" she asked slowly.
"Yes!" Zhou Zhi cried. "He said my aura was 'imbalanced' and tried to fix it with essential oils!"
Shi Mo sighed. "Okay. I'm coming."
By the time she arrived at Room 412, chaos had already bloomed.
Fu Yunshen—no, Yun Yun—was in full form: wearing a pastel cardigan over his uniform, humming while dusting shelves with exaggerated grace.
"Oh!" he chirped when he saw her. "My moonbeam has arrived!"
Shi Mo froze. "Moonbeam?"
He skipped toward her, arms open wide.
She stepped aside swiftly. "Personal space."
Yun Yun pouted. "You're as cold as ever. Must I charm you again from the beginning?"
Zhou Zhi cowered behind a chair, whispering, "He tried to braid my eyebrows."
Shi Mo sighed, rubbing her temples. "Yun Yun, what triggered your return this time?"
"I sensed the emotional neglect in this room," he declared dramatically. "So I came to fix it!"
Shi Mo narrowed her eyes. "Fu Yunshen has been under stress. Is this his way of coping?"
Yun Yun spun. "I am his coping!"
Zhou Zhi whispered, "Should we exorcise him or let him finish the cleaning?"
Shi Mo decided to test a theory.
"Yun Yun, if you're part of Fu Yunshen's psyche, that means you know everything he does."
"Of course."
"Then tell me what he really thinks of me."
Yun Yun paused.
Then smiled coyly. "That would ruin the mystery."
Shi Mo crossed her arms. "So you're avoiding the question."
Yun Yun tilted his head. "Perhaps I'm protecting your fragile heart."
She stared.
Then slowly reached into her sleeve and pulled out a talisman.
Yun Yun's eyes widened. "Violence already?"
"I'm not in the mood today."
With a flick of her fingers, the talisman landed gently against his chest.
A brief glow.
And then…
Fu Yunshen blinked.
His posture straightened.
His voice dropped.
"…Did I just call Zhou Zhi 'sunflower baby'?"
Shi Mo nodded solemnly.
Zhou Zhi wept into a pillow.
They sat in silence for a while after.
Fu Yunshen rubbed his temples. "I don't remember all of it. Just flashes."
"You were very... expressive," Shi Mo said.
He groaned.
Shi Mo hesitated, then added, "Yun Yun told me you're stressed. That this—split—is a way of protecting yourself."
Fu Yunshen didn't respond right away.
Then, softly: "Maybe he's right."
She looked at him.
"Do you want help?" she asked.
He met her eyes. "You already are."
[System Notification]
Split Persona Management: Stabilized
Brotherhood Value +85 (Emotional Trust – Vulnerable Self Acknowledged)
Current Total: 1,445 / 1,000,000
As she stood to leave, Fu Yunshen called out, "Shi Mo."
She turned.
"…Thanks."
She smiled. "Anytime, sunflower baby."
His groan followed her all the way down the hall.