Ever since that earth-shattering conversation with Trunks that night, Whitley had been doing his best to avoid the kid!
He would dodge him whenever possible, and if he couldn't, he would pretend to admire the scenery or suddenly get a stomach ache.
It wasn't that Whitley disliked Trunks, but he had to avoid him!
The matter that kid had brought up was just too absurd. Even thinking back on it now made his scalp tingle!
Originally, that night, he had been so scared by Trunks's world-shaking request that he had fled in terror straight into Vados's room. Then, his brain had been temporarily numbed by a "deep healing" session of an advanced kind from Vados, and he had managed to push the matter Trunks had raised to the back of his mind.
And the result?
The next morning, as he was rubbing his still-sore waist and stumbling out of Vados's room, preparing to go to the dining room to replenish his depleted body with some delicious food...
That kid Trunks had appeared like a ghost, holding a plate of breakfast!
He just sat down next to Whitley with a firm and burning gaze!
"Whitley-san!"
The moment Trunks spoke, his tone was as solemn as if he were entrusting some great treasure!
"Please seriously consider my request from last night! My mother... she's all alone in that broken world, and she's really... had such a hard life!"
Whitley was in the middle of stuffing a large mouthful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. Hearing this, his movements froze.
His mouth remained in an "O" shape, his eyes staring blankly at Trunks, as if to say, "Bro, I'm eating! Why are you still on about this?!"
Trunks completely ignored Whitley's almost-cracking expression and continued in his sincere, almost pious tone, "Whitley-san, you are a very remarkable person! Powerful, gentle, and... you have already accommodated many different women by your side!"
As he spoke, he turned his head and cautiously glanced at Vados, who was dining elegantly at the other end of the dining room.
"I believe! If it's you, you can definitely... definitely bring my mother a happy and peaceful life!"
"Pfft—"
Whitley, who had just taken a sip of milk to clear his throat, almost spat it out!
He quickly covered his mouth and coughed violently, unable to stop himself from screaming in his mind:
No! What kind of logic is this?! Just because I'm a remarkable person, I have to accept your mother?!
Does Future Bulma even know her own son is out here being so "filial," actively trying to find her a man?! If the Vegeta of that world found out, he would probably... oh wait, the Vegeta of that world is long gone...
But this is still very strange!
Whitley finally caught his breath. Looking at Trunks's sincere eyes, he couldn't help but ask his own internal complaints and doubts in a way that was as gentle as possible. "Are you serious, kid? How on earth did you come to the conclusion... that your mother would be willing to be with me?"
Hearing Whitley's question, Trunks fell silent.
He lowered his head and pursed his lips, his fingers unconsciously tightening on the edge of his plate.
After a long while, he finally looked up, his eyes filled with a complex and indescribable emotion, and he said something that left Whitley completely speechless. "My mother... she often just stares at your photo, lost in a daze."
His voice dropped. "When I'm at home, sometimes... sometimes I can hear some... some strange... noises coming from my mother's bedroom late at night."
He paused and said in a low, uncomfortable voice, "This never used to happen. It only started... after I brought back the photos and some videos of you from this world and gave them to my mother... that she... that she started being like this."
After saying this, Trunks seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He said no more, just looked at Whitley with a mixture of helplessness and expectation.
Whitley also fell silent upon hearing this.
He imagined the scenes that the Bulma of the future timeline had experienced:
In a dilapidated future world, Future Bulma, who had lost her husband, friends, and parents, and had been supporting everything on her own, would look at the happiness of her other self in another timeline, at the powerful and doting lover she had, in the dead of night. What kind of envy would she feel! And... loneliness?
A soft spot in his heart seemed to have been touched.
And then... after that, whenever Whitley saw Trunks or sensed his ki, he would basically dodge him if he could.
But the reason he was avoiding Trunks was not that he disliked or was unwilling to accept Future Bulma.
On the contrary, it was because... he was actually, shamefully, tempted!
Are you kidding me! That was Bulma too!
Although she was from another timeline and a little older.
But that face! That body! Was basically a mature, upgraded version of Bulma!
Her personality had been tempered by hardship, becoming more gentle and steady. Her features carried a unique resilience and charm of an independent woman, like a fine wine aged over time, exuding a unique allure.
A woman who looked almost identical to his own wife, but had a completely different temperament and story, what normal man wouldn't like her?
Whitley considered himself a common man. He... was shamefully moved!
But being moved was one thing; reality was harsh!
This wasn't a simple question of like or dislike; this was a life-threatening question!
Just think, if Bulma found out that not only did he already have Vados and No. 18, but now he even dared to touch another version of her...
The consequences, just thinking about it made Whitley's kidneys ache. He would probably have to spend the rest of his days sleeping on the floor of the lab!
...
"Sigh..."
Whitley sat on a bench in the backyard, letting out a series of long sighs at the sky.
Just as he was so conflicted that he was about to pull his hair out, a rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes behind him.
"Wh-Whitley!"
A somewhat timid and panicked female voice suddenly sounded behind him!
"Who!"
Whitley was startled by the sudden voice!
He whipped his head around and saw No. 21 peeking out from the dense bushes, looking at him.
There were still a few leaves in her hair, and her disheveled appearance was somewhat comical.
"No. 21? What are you doing?"
Whitley looked at this woman, who had been avoiding him ever since she regained her sanity, and who now looked as messy as a kitten that had rolled in the grass. He asked with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Are you... playing some kind of game?"
Seeing Whitley staring at her, No. 21's face flushed, and she fumbled to pat away the grass clippings and leaves, trying to tidy her messy hair and clothes.
But the more anxious she was, the more chaotic her movements became, as if her two hands were fighting each other.
"I... I wasn't... I was just... passing by..." she stammered, her eyes darting around.
But at this moment, she was so focused on tidying her disheveled appearance that she didn't pay attention to her feet. She carelessly tripped her left foot with her right...
"Whoa—!"
No. 21 closed her eyes and let out a panicked scream, her arms flailing wildly like a windmill!
Her whole body lost its balance, and she fell straight towards the ground!
Whitley's eyes were quick. He reached out and caught her falling body, steadily helping her up.
"Be careful!" Whitley said helplessly.
Unexpectedly, after he had helped her up, No. 21, far from immediately standing firm, actually pushed her luck and wrapped her arms around Whitley's waist as if it had been planned all along!
She buried her face in Whitley's chest, her voice still trembling noticeably. "Th-that! My... my hands moved on their own! I didn't want to hug you! And... and I didn't want to be this close to you at all!"
Whitley's movements froze. He looked down in surprise at this woman in his arms, who was saying one thing and doing another.
Feeling the small hands that were still forcefully and tightly gripping his waist, he couldn't help but feel that this woman was playing some kind of... hard-to-get game!
But looking at her, who was red from the tips of her ears to the base of her neck, still trembling all over, as if she were about to faint from shyness, it seemed... it didn't seem like an act?
"Then why don't you let go?"
Whitley suppressed a laugh and deliberately said in a teasing tone, "Your actions... are not very convincing, Miss No. 21."
Being told this, No. 21 was even more mortified. She buried her head deeper in his chest and let out a whimper like a small animal.
She twisted her body from side to side, as if she wanted to let go but was reluctant, or as if her body simply wouldn't obey. After struggling for a long time, as if giving up, she squeezed her eyes shut and completely buried her face in Whitley's chest, not moving.
She didn't speak, as if this could allow her to escape the cruel reality.
Whitley felt the slight trembling of this soft body in his arms, and her pitiful appearance of "I have no face to see anyone," and the little bit of amusement in his heart was gradually replaced by another kind of affection.
He let out a light sigh, and his hand began to gently stroke her somewhat messy flaxen hair, his voice unconsciously becoming gentle. "Alright, alright, no need to be so nervous. I'm not going to eat you."
He paused and then asked tentatively, "By the way... are you still... affected by your previous form? That... insane appetite?"
The No. 21 in his arms instantly stiffened.
She timidly looked up, her eyes instantly filling with a layer of mist, and she explained in a small voice full of fear and worry, "I... the effect on me now... is only a little bit. I won't lose control like before! The insane desire in my heart to devour everything is completely under my control now! Really!"
She looked at Whitley, her eyes incredibly serious, even with a solemnity as if she were making a vow. "Apart from you... I absolutely will not have that... that feeling of wanting to eat you towards anyone else!"
Hearing this, a dark line instantly appeared on Whitley's forehead.
"What do you mean, apart from me?"
His mouth twitched. "So... you're telling me that even now, the one you want to eat the most is still me?!"
No. 21 was shocked, realizing she had misspoken. She quickly shook her head like a rattle-drum and retorted eagerly, "No, no! That's not what I mean! I mean... I mean... apart from you, I don't have... that special feeling for anyone else? You know... the feeling of your heart beating fast, wanting to get close, and feeling empty when you can't see them..."
She tilted her head and thought hard, trying to express the complex and unfamiliar emotion in her heart more accurately.
"In short!"
She looked up at Whitley with her large, watery eyes, her tone filled with a hint of grievance and dependence. "Right now... I really... can't seem to leave you... I... every time I can't see you, my heart feels... very sad. Please don't send me away, okay!"
She clutched the corner of Whitley's clothes and said in a well-behaved tone, "I'll be very obedient, I'll do whatever you want me to do! As long as... as long as you don't ignore me!"
Looking at this pitiful No. 21 in his arms, who seemed to have been abandoned by the whole world, Whitley didn't know what to say for a moment.
He could only hold No. 21 and continue to gently stroke her hair, comforting her in a gentle voice. "Don't worry, I won't send you away."
He gave his promise, but then his tone became a little more serious. "But you have to be honest with me about what happened to you before! Especially where the time machine came from. You have to know, traveling through time at will is a serious crime! Not getting caught is just good luck. But you're different, you've shown your face at the Tournament of Power, which means you're on the radar of Zeno and the Grand Priest! There has to be an explanation for this."
No. 21 felt the warmth of Whitley's embrace and his reassuring presence, and she quickly and obediently nodded. "Okay, I can tell you whatever you want to know!"
The moment her voice fell, as if she had suddenly seen something, she sheepishly got up from Whitley's arms and pointed behind him with a flickering gaze, whispering, "But... should we talk about it here?"
Whitley's heart instantly skipped a beat, a sense of... foreboding.
He stiffly, little by little, turned his head.
Bulma and Future Bulma were standing not far behind them at some unknown time!
Bulma had her arms crossed, her eyes like daggers as she scanned back and forth between him and No. 21!
Her lips were pursed tightly, clearly fuming!
And Future Bulma was standing at the side, a half-smiling expression on her face, her gaze on Whitley filled with amusement and teasing, as if to say, "Yo, keeping busy?"
Whitley instantly felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead!
"Uh... that... it's all a misunderstanding!"
He jumped as if electrocuted and quickly let go of No. 21. He nimbly grabbed No. 21's wrist and hurried towards the living room.
As he passed by Bulma, under her furious glare, Whitley suddenly leaned over!
Before she could react, he planted a firm "smack" of a kiss on her cheek!
Bulma was completely stunned by this sudden attack. She even forgot that she was angry and just stood there in a daze.
Taking advantage of this opening, Whitley pulled the still-clueless No. 21 and quickly fled!
No. 21 even hesitated and looked back at Bulma, then turned her head and quickened her pace, following Whitley to quickly escape the "crime scene."
By the time Bulma came to her senses and looked at the disappearing backs of the two, she almost laughed in anger!
Under Future Bulma's smiling gaze, she stomped her foot several times, her battle power of several hundred actually creating a few small craters in the grass.
"You stupid man! You untrustworthy guy!"
Bulma gritted her teeth and muttered, "We had a deal! I could consider anyone else, but this No. 21 was a no-go! He even agreed to it so readily at the time! And what's the result? That No. 21 has only been sane for a few days, and she's... she's almost been conquered by him! He moves so fast! That dog of a man! That stinking Whitley..."
"Now, now~ don't be angry."
Future Bulma smiled and walked up, patting Bulma's shoulder, her tone filled with the wisdom of experience. "From what you told me about that No. 21 before, when you brought her home, you must have been somewhat prepared for this in your heart, right?"
Bulma's movements paused. She looked in the direction Whitley had left, her expression a little complicated, but then she puffed out her cheeks and said angrily, "I was a little prepared! But... but I'm still angry! I already specifically warned him! And he still... what a stupid man..."
Future Bulma smiled as she looked at Bulma's seemingly angry but actually somewhat petulant actions and words.
She knew her too well, or rather, she knew herself too well.
If Bulma were truly angry, she would absolutely not be just complaining and stomping her foot like this.
She would have long since put on a cold face and started the silent treatment with Whitley, not talking to him for days.
These seemingly angry words and actions now were just a girl's... little temper flaring up, needing a little coaxing.
In her heart, who knows how much she doted on and indulged that guy Whitley!
It seemed that it wasn't just Whitley who doted on Bulma, who could almost infinitely tolerate her willfulness and temper.
Bulma's love and tolerance for Whitley were also just as deep, to the point where she could even tolerate his... somewhat philandering little flaw?
These two were truly so loving that it made one envious.
Future Bulma smiled and sat on the grass, her mind involuntarily thinking of the confession Trunks had made to her in private a few days ago.
To think... he would ask his own mother to date another man, and he himself didn't mind at all, and even strongly encouraged it...
This son of hers really respected and trusted this Whitley from the bottom of his heart.
In his heart, perhaps... the status of this Whitley-san was already more important than his own father, Vegeta, who had been absent during his growth?
...
In the living room on the other side.
Whitley, who had barely escaped with his life, collapsed onto the soft sofa, letting out a long sigh of relief.
No. 21 hesitated for a moment and did not immediately sit down.
She saw that there seemed to be a little sweat on Whitley's forehead, so she stood up, walked to the nearby coffee table, took a tissue from the box, and carefully and gently wiped his forehead.
Whitley was stunned by this sudden and thoughtful gesture, and then he awkwardly took the tissue from her and wiped it himself. "Uh... no need for that, No. 21. I said I wouldn't send you away, and I definitely won't go back on my word. You don't have to be so humble in front of me. Just be natural."
Hearing him say this, No. 21 habitually lowered her head again.
Her two hands were nervously clasped together. Only after Whitley had crumpled the tissue and thrown it into the nearby trash can did she look up at Whitley with a pitiful expression, her voice a little helpless. "But... I don't know what else I can do for you... I feel like... apart from this power, I'm useless. Am I... am I very useless? Very annoying?"
Seeing her self-deprecating appearance, Whitley quickly comforted her. "Who said you're useless? Don't think like that! You're so strong, so pretty, and your figure is..."
He subconsciously glanced over.
"Anyway! Who knows how many people envy you! How can you say you're useless? You're very useful!"
Hearing this, No. 21 instantly looked up, and her blue eyes, which were still a little watery, immediately lit up!
She took Whitley's hand a little excitedly, her voice a little unconfident. "In... in your heart... am I really... really that useful? You really... don't hate me?"
As if she had made some kind of decision, she looked straight into Whitley's eyes and said in a very clear voice, "Then... then can I be your woman... okay?"
She paused, and her voice grew smaller and smaller, almost inaudible.
But it carried a desperate resolve. "I... I know... you like women with good figures... my... my body... should be... considered... good... looking..."
After saying the last few words, as if she had used all her strength, she quickly lowered her head and didn't dare to look at Whitley again.
Whitley was completely stunned by this direct confession!
He stood there with his mouth agape, unable to react for a long time.
Good grief... this sane No. 21, is her personality contrast this huge? From a crazy foodie to a... pure and innocent young girl?!
He cleared his throat, forcibly suppressed the悸动 in his heart and a certain蠢蠢欲动 thought, and decided to temporarily pretend he hadn't heard clearly.
His expression became stern, and he tried to make his voice sound very serious, and he stiffly changed the subject. "That... ahem! No. 21, let's talk about... business first! Let's talk about the time machine!"
He looked at her seriously, his tone also becoming grave. "You're from the future world, so where did your time machine come from? Before you were modified into an android, what was your real identity? And, why did you agree to be modified into an android? These questions... I hope you won't hide anything from me. This is very important for you!"
Seeing Whitley suddenly become serious, No. 21 also reined in her shyness a little.
She was silent for a moment, as if carefully organizing her memories.
Then she took a few deep breaths, got up and sat down next to Whitley, and very naturally rested her head on his shoulder, as if this was the only way to get some sense of security.
After doing all this, she finally began to slowly recount her past. "My previous identity... before I became an android, I was a scientist of the Red Ribbon Army, Dr. Gero's student."
Her voice carried a hint of reminiscence. "After Dr. Gero was killed by his own creations, Androids 17 and 18, I suddenly lost my support and had nowhere to go. I was very lost at that time..."
"Later, a person named Magenta took me in. It is said that... he was a high-ranking leader of the former Red Ribbon Army. After the Red Ribbon Army was destroyed by Son Goku, this Mr. Magenta secretly gathered many of the exiled former scientists of the army, wanting to continue some of the army's... research."
"I... was actually one of those he recruited."
No. 21's tone became a little complicated. "But my identity might be a little special. Because I was Dr. Gero's personal disciple and had mastered many of the core technologies, it was Magenta himself who came to invite me to join his team."
Whitley listened, stroking his chin and thinking about this information, and nodded for her to continue.
No. 21 leaned on Whitley's shoulder, one hand also quietly wrapped around Whitley's arm, and she adjusted her posture to be more comfortable before continuing. "As for the time machine... it was after Magenta had, through some unknown channel, found out that the Miss Bulma of my era had successfully built a time machine, that he ordered me, who had just been modified and was in an unstable mental state, to go to Miss Bulma's house... and steal it."
At this point, she lowered her head with some guilt. "At that time, with the advantage of an android not having a ki and being undetectable, I hid in Miss Bulma's house for several days. After I had figured out the situation and the storage location, I found an opportunity and stole the time machine blueprints and a portion of the fuel."
She cautiously looked up at Whitley, afraid that he would be unhappy because she had stolen Bulma's things.
Only after seeing that Whitley was just frowning slightly but was still listening patiently and showed no signs of anger did she breathe a sigh of relief and continue. "After that... starting the time machine and coming to this era was my own secret decision."
Her tone carried a hint of lingering fear and determination. "Because in our future, Androids 17 and 18 had already been eliminated by Trunks. There was originally a monster named Cell lurking outside, but unexpectedly, Trunks later managed to successfully eliminate Cell as well."
"And my situation at that time was already very bad," her voice dropped. "The Majin Buu cells fused in my body were defective, which made me unable to completely control the mad will and devouring desire of my Majin form. I had to devour Androids 17 and 18, who had a complete gene chain, and also Cell, who had a fusion of multiple genes, to complete my own genetic structure. Otherwise... my sanity would be completely overwhelmed by the desire to devour, and I would eventually become a monster that only knew how to kill and devour!"
Her body trembled slightly, as if she were recalling the pain of being on the verge of losing control. "So... I secretly started that assembled time machine and risked coming back to this era where everything had not yet happened. As for why I landed at the Tournament of Power... that was because during my time travel, I seemed to have sensed the ki of Cell and many other powerful life forms, and I subconsciously changed the coordinates, which is why I accidentally landed there."
So that's how it is...
This way, the appearance of No. 21, her purpose, and the reason for her landing at the Tournament of Power all made sense.
"So... that guy named Magenta didn't know beforehand that you would start the time machine and come to this era alone?" Whitley confirmed.
No. 21 nodded affirmatively. "He didn't know. He wanted the time machine mainly to collect the cell genes of the powerful warriors of this era, such as Son Goku and Vegeta, to be used for a research project he called the 'ultimate android'! I don't know much about that project, only that the research and development codename of that ultimate android is..."
She paused and said the name. "Cell MAX! It is said that it will be a terrifying guy who is more perfect and more powerful than the original Cell!"
"Cell MAX..." Whitley murmured to himself. This was not the first time he had heard this name.
He knew from the vague memories of his past life that such a thing existed, and Trunks had also mentioned it to him before.
A battle-hungry smile unconsciously appeared on his lips! His hand subconsciously and gently stroked No. 21's hair.
No. 21 closed her eyes comfortably, a look like that of a cat on her face.
Whitley looked out the window and murmured in a low voice, "It seems... it's time to go to the future world for a look. Cell MAX... I hope you, this so-called ultimate android, can bring me a little... surprise."
His tone carried a hint of expectation, and also a hint of the loneliness of being at the top. "Otherwise... if I want to find an opponent in the future, I'm afraid I'll really have to go and bother Beerus, or have a spar with Whis... and those two are by no means easy to deal with."
As for Vados? His own wife was, of course, to be doted on.
...
While Whitley was questioning No. 21 about the future timeline, Future Bulma, who had just separated from Bulma and was about to go back to her room to rest, was stopped on the way by a smiling Vados.
"Bulma-san~"
Vados's smile was still flawless, but her tone carried an unquestionable presence. "I wonder if you would do me the honor of having a little chat in my room? About some... things that you might be interested in~"
Future Bulma looked at this extraordinary angel who was blocking her path, and her heart was filled with some doubt, and also a strange premonition.
She hesitated for a moment and finally nodded. "Of course, Vados-san."
The two of them walked one after the other into Vados's warmly decorated bedroom.
The door closed gently, and no one knew what they had talked about.
Only through the not-fully-drawn curtains could one vaguely see the expression on Future Bulma's face, sometimes hesitant, sometimes deep in thought.
And the corner of Vados's mouth was always curved in a smile that seemed elegant, but if one looked closely, it seemed to have a hint of something seductive, and... a strange smile of a successful scheme.
After a long time, Vados's voice, which was as pleasant as a devil's whisper and filled with a smile, could be faintly heard from the room. "Well then, it's settled~ Bulma-san... of the future world~"
...
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