Translator: AnubisTL
Two days later, the morning sun shone brightly.
As agreed, Jieming met Amy and Victor at the iconic Star-Orbit Plaza in the city center.
When he arrived, he spotted Amy, who had already been waiting for some time.
"Over here! Over here!" Amy waved excitedly. Today, she wore a vibrant, casual outfit.
Victor, still in his impeccably neat academy-style attire, nodded to Jieming.
The three of them quickly finalized their itinerary: they would first head to the Universal Mall, the city's largest commercial complex, to pick out a gift for Amy's aunt. Afterward, they would wander around and catch a movie.
As they walked along the wide, clean streets where floating cars glided silently, Jieming casually observed his surroundings.
His gaze repeatedly swept over the massive public screens adorning the facades of the towering buildings.
The screens displayed hyper-realistic holographic news reports on the "Frontline Galaxy Campaign." Colossal starships clashed in the deep void of space, energy beams crisscrossing the darkness as silent explosions bloomed like fiery flowers.
The news anchor's voice, grave and solemn, detailed the ferocity of the battle and the heroism of their own soldiers.
Yet, in stark contrast to the war-torn news, the surrounding social atmosphere was one of utter tranquility.
There were no recruitment centers, no notices of wartime rationing, and none of the tension that accompanies a state of emergency.
At the bus stop, young men and women were animatedly discussing the latest holographic immersive games and the scenery of a newly discovered tourist planet.
On park benches, elderly people basked leisurely in the sun, chatting about upcoming community social dances.
Every face bore a calm so ordinary it was almost unnatural. They seemed... completely indifferent to the war on the screens, a conflict that decided the very survival of their civilization.
There was no fear, no fervor, not even a basic level of attention. It was as if the war were merely an entertainment program from another dimension, utterly disconnected from their daily lives.
Is it distance that creates this beauty? Or have they simply grown numb? Jieming's doubts deepened.
But neither explanation felt right. No matter how he thought about it, a civilization embroiled in a fierce interstellar war could never maintain such a relaxed social atmosphere.
It could be fervor, despair, or even tension—anything but this absolute peace.
Upon arriving at the Universal Mall, they headed straight for "Star-Sea Cinema Fun," a chain store specializing in movie merchandise.
The shop was a treasure trove of movie posters, character figures, and prop models—all completely unfamiliar to Jieming. As he gazed at these items, he realized this was yet another vast expanse of "real" information missing from his knowledge base.
While Amy and Victor eagerly explored the merchandise, discussing the various items, Jieming feigned interest, browsing the displays while actually absorbing the cultural fragments of this world. Amy eventually chose a limited-edition villain's spaceship model, deciding it perfectly suited her aunt's "unique" taste.
After buying the gift, the three of them strolled through the shopping district.
Suddenly, Jieming froze, his gaze locked onto a massive holographic billboard in the center of the plaza.
A live stream of a high-tech product launch was playing on the screen. Standing on stage was a Chief Scientist in a white lab coat, speaking with confidence and ease.
And that man was none other than another wizard Jieming had glimpsed during the expeditionary force's assembly!
Another one... Jieming's heart hammered in his chest. He silently committed the company's name and the "scientist's" appearance to memory.
Afterward, at Amy's enthusiastic insistence, the three of them went to the cinema to watch a recent blockbuster interstellar epic.
Throughout the film, Jieming reaffirmed his observation: the movies here, from their narrative techniques and aesthetic styles to their underlying values, were completely different from the artistic forms of his past life on Earth or even the Wizard World. They were independent and mature cultural products.
By the time the movie ended, dusk had already fallen.
The three of them followed the crowd out of the mall. Just as they reached the exit, a cool yet languidly magnetic female voice called out from behind:
"Amy?"
Amy turned around, her face instantly lighting up with a smile. "Auntie!"
Jieming followed her gaze. When he saw the newcomer's face, his pupils constricted sharply, and his breath nearly stopped.
Standing there was a tall woman. Her flowing silver-gray hair swayed gently in the evening breeze. Her features were exquisite, her skin fair, and her aura—cool and detached—carried an indescribable sense of intellect and mystery.
More importantly, Jieming knew this face all too well.
It was Senior Viola!
Amy happily took Viola's hand and introduced them. "Auntie, these are the friends I told you about, Jieming and Victor."
Viola—or rather, the "Viola" of this world—turned her gaze to the two young men, a kind and approachable smile gracing her lips. It blended strangely with her naturally cool and aloof aura.
"Hello. Amy speaks of you often," she said. "I graduated from the same university you're attending now, so I'm technically your senior. You can just call me Senior Viola."
Jieming's eyelids twitched violently, and his heart began to race uncontrollably.
Senior again?
Fortunately, "Viola's" attention quickly returned to Amy. She asked with a smile, "What brings you all here today?"
Amy immediately presented a beautifully wrapped gift as if offering a precious treasure. "Auntie, happy early birthday! My friends and I picked this out for you!"
A perfectly measured look of surprise crossed Viola's face as she accepted the gift, her smile gentle and bright. "Thank you, Amy, Jieming, and Victor. That was very thoughtful of you."
Her performance was flawless—the picture of a gentle elder delighted by a gift from her juniors.
However, Amy tilted her head, her face a clear picture of wariness and confusion as she looked her aunt up and down.
Viola, met with this gaze, blinked in "bewilderment." "What is it, Amy? Is there something on my face?"
Amy wrinkled her nose and spoke bluntly. "Auntie, your reaction today is so weird!"
"Why's that?"
"Because if this were any other day, you'd definitely say something like... 'Hmph, even the best of friends will eventually part ways for various reasons. It's absolutely impossible to maintain this kind of relationship forever.' You'd say something super mood-killing like that!"
Victor, hearing this, also wore a look of astonishment. He clearly couldn't reconcile the "Auntie" Amy described with the Viola he knew.
Jieming, listening from the side, felt his forehead darken with a headache. That personality... is definitely Senior Viola.
The "bewilderment" on Viola's face vanished instantly, replaced by a bright, mischievous smile. She reached out and gently tapped Amy's forehead with her index finger, her voice soft and melodious.
"I won't say things like that today. Because you see—keeping it unsaid will only make you suffer more."
"I hope you'll cherish this sense of unease. I hope you'll keep agonizing over this question that has no answer. And even if you truly have to part with your friends in the end, all I'll do is gently whisper to you..."
She leaned in slightly, her smile growing even more brilliant as she enunciated every word.
"You... deserve it."
Amy: "..."
Victor: "!!!"
Amy held her breath for a long moment before finally stomping her foot, her face flushed. "Auntie! Your personality is still as wicked as ever!"
Victor was also stunned, clearly shaken by Viola's cruel streak.
Beside them, Jieming's face was covered in black lines. Yet, a strange sense of "just as I thought" relief washed over him.
He even felt a bit fortunate that his identity in this False World had no deeper connection to this "Senior Viola." Otherwise, his days leading up to this would have been far more "colorful" and utterly miserable.
(End of the Chapter)
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