Chapter 2789: Portrait

"What are you looking at?" The young man seemed unsatisfied, and upon seeing Gong Ying looking at him, he immediately found something to fuss about, "This is Zone 022, not a place where you Outer Zone players can do whatever you want!"

Gong Ying shrugged indifferently, "I’m just looking around; my eyes are on my face, you can’t exactly dig them out."

The young man laughed angrily upon hearing this, "What are you supposed to be? What’s wrong with digging out your eyes?"

That statement was a declaration of war, and the carefree aura on Gong Ying vanished instantly, replaced by a strong killing intent. All the players present could feel in just that moment that they were already enveloped by a strange Special Power.

"Young master!" A player following behind the young man immediately stepped forward and said to him, "We’re here on business. The Master instructed not to cause trouble outside."

"Cause trouble?" The young man was displeased, "Am I causing trouble? Clearly, trouble comes to me!"

The player fell silent for a moment before saying, "The Master’s instructions are more important."

Only then did the young man reluctantly leave, glared at Xu Huo and Gong Ying as he departed, and emphasized to the remaining players, "Don’t let them enter Whale Garden. If they force their way in, report it to the Law Enforcement Team."

The several players nodded in agreement, but once the young man left, they didn’t really guard strictly. Instead, they chose a spot not too far away to watch the entrance of Whale Garden without interfering with Xu Huo and Gong Ying’s actions.

Gong Ying went over and pressed the Doorbell, and Miss Ruo let them in.

There was only one teacup on the table, and she wasn’t in a good mood, repeatedly stroking the head of the puppy cradled in her arms, shedding quite a bit of fur.

"Mr. Xu has prepared quite a few gifts for you this time." Gong Ying spoke out.

As if he couldn’t change his ways.

Gong Ying apologized to Xu Huo with a smile and then stepped back.

Xu Huo placed the selected gifts on the coffee table, "I see you have few books and ornaments here, so I picked these at the gift shop. It’s okay if you don’t like them."

Miss Ruo lowered her gaze, "I’ve received many gifts, unique gemstones, rare and hard-to-find editions, even someone wanting to give me a country."

"That’s different." Xu Huo said calmly, "With extravagant gifts comes expectation. I expect nothing."

Miss Ruo chuckled softly, "Liar."

Yet she still accepted the gifts and proactively handed over the sketchbook and pencils, "Didn’t you want to draw me a portrait? Try it."

The three moved to the garden; Miss Ruo didn’t need to pose in a fixed manner. She just needed to continue sipping tea and chatting with Gong Ying.

Xu Huo observed her demeanor and drew eight portraits in succession.

Watching the sheets of paper being released one by one, Gong Ying, who had waited for a long time, finally couldn’t hold back and leaned forward to say, "Even if your drawing skills aren’t good, you don’t need to waste so many sheets..."

Before she finished, she picked up a few sheets of paper, puzzled, "Aren’t these pretty good? But why did you draw so many identical poses?"

Miss Ruo raised her hand, and the sheets floated into her hand. She looked at each one, then clapped her hands and laughed, "You really drew them."

Miss Ruo finally took it seriously, "It’s not finished yet. Keep drawing."

Xu Huo’s hand didn’t stop moving with the pencil.

After Miss Ruo’s attitude changed, even Gong Ying noticed something was wrong with her; every now and then her demeanor would show evident changes. This was different from someone suddenly stopping smiling; it was a wholesale change in aura, from gentle and soft in one moment to somber and grim in the next, even her facial lines shifted.

Gong Ying sensibly didn’t speak again, just sat quietly in the back watching them.

Finally, after Xu Huo completed the fourteenth portrait, he stopped.

Miss Ruo looked through them and was quite satisfied, saying she would find a good place to store this gift. Then she added, "Can you draw my life’s savior based on my description?"

Xu Huo knew she had switched to a persona unfamiliar with the truth, and after a brief thought, he agreed.

Based on her description, he revised it many times, but never had a definitive face. Sometimes the face resembled Miss Ruo herself, other times a man with uncoordinated features, and occasionally a younger version of Miss Ruo. Her memory showed discrepancies, causing her to overturn her own descriptions multiple times. Finally, over time, the overlapping faces transformed into a determined-looking Miss Ruo.

She looked about seventeen to eighteen years old, but her appearance was far from how it is now, and her face bore two scars spanning most of it.

Miss Ruo gently touched the paper; after a long time, she sighed, "So that’s what she looked like; I’d forgotten her face."

"The brain doesn’t forget as easily as people imagine." Xu Huo said, "She’s always been in your memory."

Gong Ying’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two, finding the situation clearly beyond her understanding.

Immersed in her emotions, Miss Ruo said, "She said she wanted to settle here, so I came. It turns out she knew she couldn’t come, which is why she shared the wish with me."

"I wonder if she’s been happy over these years, if Lake City was the place she dreamed of."

She murmured, then cradled the drawing and walked indoors.

Xu Huo didn’t follow, instead he called Gong Ying to leave with him.

Once they exited Whale Garden, Gong Ying asked, "Is she really having a mental breakdown?"

"You can see for yourself, can’t you?" Xu Huo said, "There are more personas besides."

Gong Ying expressed sympathy, "Having so many personalities created, I wonder how much suffering she endured in the past. Fortunately, she can now enjoy some good days."

Good days don’t qualify. If Miss Ruo truly had inner peace, she wouldn’t frequently switch between so many personas. Only when she couldn’t bear the impact of reality and emotion would she need other personas to substitute. Originally, she might have been a strong, resolute person, but that doesn’t mean she was self-consistent.

Gong Ying sighed a couple of times, then felt a bit troubled, "With so many personas, what does she truly cherish?"

"Ask her tomorrow," Xu Huo suggested, "She might just give you one if she’s happy."

Gong Ying laughed, "You sure know how to joke."

Then she fell silent again, eventually speaking, "Why does Miss Ruo favor Lake City?"

"Honestly, the environment for Outer Zone players in Zone 022 isn’t good, high costs, many restrictions, and guarding against being sent to Punishment City for resources if things go wrong. What attracted her here? Is there some necessary reason?"

Her gaze fixed on Xu Huo, who paused, "You’re asking me?"

"You’re the expert; I’m an amateur. You can tell she has over ten personas, so you might have some insight, right?"

Xu Huo suddenly stopped walking; by now, darkness had fallen, the area around Whale Garden was filled with greenery, insects chirping continuously. A small insect wobbled and flew past them, its faint glow flickering and quickly disappearing into the bushes.

"Maybe it was just seeing a special scene at a special time."