The street under the night sky was tranquil and cool.
At night, the streetlights cast down cone-shaped halos of light, illuminating the two figures on the bench. The scene was like a stage play.
Ye Feng had the nun-clad Elysia inverted, her shoulders pressed against the bench's surface, her pink hair flowing down like water.
Her head was tilted back, facing the sky, covered by Ye Feng's shadow.
Under the night sky, Ye Feng was lost in thought.
"NPCs really don't have good chemistry, do they, Ely?"
Ye Feng turned his head, a bright smile on his face as he asked the "Eden" beside him.
The real Elysia, standing nearby, clenched her small fists.
She was in Eden's body, watching her own NPC be manipulated by Ye Feng, and on top of that, being asked such a question. For a moment, she didn't know what expression to make.
"Mr. Ye Feng, are you the type who likes to be watched?"
"Hm?"
Ye Feng paused. "Being watched by others? You really get it, Ely. But you're only half right. I only like being watched by beautiful girls. Especially a girl as beautiful as a flower, like you."
"..."
Elysia stood rooted to the spot, unable to even look away.
Because—"You must watch closely." That command had been given to the Eden NPC.
Even though Elysia's consciousness was now in control of the body, Ye Feng's commands held the highest priority for the NPC.
"Speaking of which, you're truly my lucky star, Ely.
"You had just arrived, and another person came right after. That's never happened before.
"And it's the one I've been waiting for, my favorite Grand Diviner. But because I had to accompany you, I only gave her a little hypnotic suggestion to keep her in a state between sleep and wakefulness."
"?? "
Elysia couldn't connect "accompanying me" with "placing a hypnotic suggestion on that person." It was too strange.
This was only natural.
After all, she was the pure Ely. How could she possibly understand the way Ye Feng's mind worked?
She didn't want to understand it, either.
Otherwise, she felt like her very soul would be tainted.
Elysia said, "Please don't stand on ceremony, Mr. Ye Feng. Go ahead and entertain your guest."
"Oh my?"
Ye Feng looked at Elysia with a serious expression, his pupils wide with such disbelief that it made her feel a little guilty, as if she had done something to offend both heaven and earth.
"...What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
If this were the old Elysia, she would have followed up with a line like, "Are you mesmerized by my beauty?"
But she didn't dare now. She wouldn't dare to tease Ye Feng.
This man took things literally and acted on them.
Besides, she was currently in Eden's body. Though, Elysia did think Eden was a very beautiful girl herself.
Ye Feng said, "I just never thought that you, of all people, would say something like that, Ely."
"?? "
Elysia was confused.
Ye Feng said, "To think you'd tell me to go screw someone else."
"Wh-What?"
"You told me to leave here and go entertain the Grand Diviner."
"Ha?"
Elysia was dumbfounded, her eyes wide.
Entertain means... screwing?
"You... you... is doing this kind of lewd thing all you ever do?"
Ye Feng thought for a moment and answered seriously, "Well, not 'all' of it."
"..."
Elysia's head was starting to hurt.
No one knew the destructive power of "bluntness" better than she did.
Suddenly, Elysia felt that this straightforward expression of desire was... somewhat similar to her own sincere and open nature.
No~~ Not something like this~~
Elysia was about to cry. She didn't want to have a single thing in common with Ye Feng.
This was even more depressing than watching Ye Feng play with her NPC.
"What if I were a pretty girl?"
"Eh?"
Elysia stared blankly at Ye Feng.
Ye Feng righted Elysia's body and pressed her knees onto his shoulders.
"There's nothing to be surprised about. If I can transfer your consciousness, naturally I can transfer my own.
"In all this long time, I was bound to try it eventually.
"Let me think, how long ago was it... forget it, it was a long time ago. I used the big ducky's body back then. You probably don't know who the big ducky is, right? She's a lot like you, a regular on I-Station, the Jerusalem of Honkai."
Speaking words Elysia couldn't understand, Ye Feng began to move at a steady rhythm.
Elysia subconsciously wanted to turn her head away, but her "gaze" was locked in place.
She could only watch helplessly, unable to do a thing.
Ye Feng continued, "By the way, there are a lot of beautiful girls here. For you, Ely, this should be paradise, right?"
Elysia's hands hung limply at her sides. "...I feel like I'm experiencing hell right now."
"Don't say that. I'll take you to see the Herrschers of this current civilization later."
"...!!"
Hearing this, Elysia's pupils contracted sharply.
Ye Feng chuckled. "How about it? Aren't you interested? Don't you want to know if the Herrschers of this era are any different from the ones in yours?"
"Yes, I am very interested. But... what's the price?"
Elysia asked in a low voice.
She didn't think for a second that Ye Feng was being this kind out of the goodness of his heart.
"There's no price. I just want to take you to see them. After all, didn't I say it just now? I'm sorry you had to meet me this way. Just think of it as my apology."
"..."
Elysia stared, seeming to not quite believe him.
After a moment of silence, Elysia said, "Did you think that after doing such an outrageous thing to me, you could just take me to see the current Herrschers, and I would smile and say, 'Alright, I forgive you, just don't do it again'?"
"I don't really mind either way."
Ye Feng's smile was as bright as ever. "Forgiveness has its own way of being played with, and non-forgiveness has its own way. I find both quite interesting.
"Besides, I have plenty of time and energy. And you, Ely, you have plenty of time and energy as well.
"Oh my, what a coincidence. We might actually be a really good match. See, you've already completely molded to my shape. Even the little bug wasn't this fast."
A muscle in Elysia's brow twitched. "And to think I had a sliver of hope for you just a moment ago."
Ye Feng said, "I'm sorry for disappointing you. But I've already lost my human 'pretense.' Any desire I have will be expressed in the most direct way possible. And not only can I do it, but there's no one here to supervise, restrain, or punish me."
"Ehh~~"
Elysia stared at Ye Feng, as if re-evaluating him.
Then she saw Ye Feng grab her NPC's legs with one hand and give her a thumbs-up with the other.
"How about that? Pretty amazing, right?"
"..."
Elysia didn't respond to that. Instead, she asked, "So, can we go see the Herrschers now?"
"Go like this? We're still heart to heart."
Ye Feng feigned shyness. "My, Ely, you're so bold."