HI3: Previous Civilization

"Emotions are like ripples in the water; a small pebble can stir them into storms." – Unknown 

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A faint groan rose in the quiet of the private lab. Mobius slowly opened her eyes, blinking at the unfamiliar ceiling before pressing a hand to her throbbing head. She tried recalling what happened but drew a blank. She remembered being so close to getting Fan's blood… then feeling a sudden jolt all over her body. After that—nothing.

Images from earlier flickered in her mind: him feeding her, that contented smile… Just thinking of that scene lit her cheeks in a fiery flush.

"You're awake, Dr. Mobius?" 

A cold, placid voice spoke near her ear. She jolted as if an ice cube had slipped down her back. Something about that voice made her skin crawl, as if it were a demon's whisper. Reflexively, she shot upright.

Not far away, Fan—who'd been doing push-ups—noticed the commotion and strolled over. Ruoyin, ever the attentive maid, handed him a towel. Fan accepted it to dab away the sweat on his face.

"Thanks, Ruoyin."

Ruoyin lifted the hem of her skirt and curtsied. "No need to thank me, Master. Serving you is my duty."

Seeing Mobius stirring, Fan paused. He surreptitiously pulled out his phone, angled it at Mobius, and tapped the video record button. 

"Thank goodness you're finally up, Dr. Mobius." With that, he pressed a hand over his mouth, stifling a laugh.

Mobius rubbed her woozy head. "Just what… happened… earlier…?" She trailed off, noticing the mischievous spark in Fan's gaze. Something was definitely off. 

Lowering her eyes, she realized she was dressed in a black, frilly getup with an array of lace trimmings. In short, a gothic lolita costume. Then she spotted Fan's phone, clearly pointed in her direction. 

"Delete it. Delete it all right now. Delete everything or I swear I won't rest until you're gone," she hissed, lunging toward him.

Ruoyin slipped smoothly between them, lifting her palm to ward off Mobius's flailing arms. 

"Calm down, Dr. Mobius. Please refrain from making a scene."

"Argh—delete them, do you hear me?!" Mobius roared. "Every last photo or you're dead!"

Fan grinned, raising his phone out of reach. 

"My, my… Who'd have guessed that Dr. Mobius could be so adorable in these clothes? And you want me to delete them? Impossible. I'll treasure them forever!"

He shot Ruoyin a discreet thumbs-up. She responded with a subtle smile. "Fulfilling Master's joy is my prime directive."

Mobius, realizing she was unable to break past Ruoyin's defense, crossed her arms and feigned apathy. "Hmph—so you've got a few photos. Whatever. Means nothing to me. If you're so obsessed, I'll even let you take more."

Fan flipped his phone in the air, catching it deftly. Then he gazed at her, solemn. 

"In that case, I appreciate the gift, Dr. Mobius. These shots are more than enough for me to treasure." 

He eyed her outfit, letting out a playful hum. "It seems this is your first time wearing something like that."

With a smirk, he lifted one hand, forming a half-pew-pew gesture. Closing one eye, he made a mock "bang" sound. 

"So, your 'first time' belongs to me."

Mobius froze at such an ambiguous statement, her cheeks turning scarlet—spreading all the way to her ears, which glowed like rubies. A visible plume of metaphorical steam curled above her head.

'Does he even realize what he's saying?!' she thought, her mind spinning in confusion.

Seeing her flustered, Fan couldn't hold back a chuckle. He sidled closer, hand half-covering his mouth in mock discretion. 

"Ah, Dr. Mobius… Did you think I meant something else? Tsk, tsk. Seems your thoughts are not so pure. All I said was your first time wearing a formal outfit is now mine. Did you assume… something else, hmm? Hahaha!"

Mobius's hair fell around her face as she bowed her head, chuckling in a low, eerie tone. "Heh… heh heh…"

She suddenly looked up, eyes bloodshot, tears of fury brimming at the corners. With a snarl, she vaulted over Ruoyin, lunging at Fan. 

"You… you scum—go die!"

Fan saw her flying through the air and was about to dodge… but then he noticed a piece of lab equipment behind him, all jagged edges under the bright overhead lights. If he leaped away, Mobius would likely crash into it face-first. So, instead, he stood his ground, arms out. A second later, she slammed into him—like a "snake slithering into his embrace."

There they stood, suddenly nose to nose, locked in a breathless stare. The space between them was nonexistent; they could feel each other's heat, each rumble of breath.

It was the first time Fan had ever hugged Mobius. He realized with mild surprise how delicate her figure felt—did she ever eat properly? Meanwhile, Mobius found the warmth of his chest strangely comforting, like a gentle current of some unknown energy.

In the background, Ruoyin pulled a small camera from under her skirt and began snapping shots from multiple angles.

('This is part of my Master's growth record,' Ruoyin thought. 'The veterans in the underground base said I must keep a complete record of the Master's growth. I don't fully understand, but… I'll follow their advice!')

The pair, locked in some odd, dreamy state, found themselves drifting closer…

"Papa, there's a call from those idiots again…"

Fan's phone chirped suddenly from his pocket, fracturing the atmosphere in an instant. Mobius jumped out of his arms like a startled cat. She flung open her suitcase, yanked out a bunch of bubble wrap, and plopped down in a corner, vigorously popping the bubbles in an effort to calm down.

Fan, expressionless, answered the phone with an occasional nod, though his mind was elsewhere. 

'Darn it. Another half second and I could've found out if Mobius was soft or firm.'

Ruoyin watched the two of them with keen interest. So, she thought, 'This is the "satisfying feeling" the older staff at the base once spoke of…' At last, she understood it personally.

Still holding her camera, she kept snapping pictures.

As for the phone call: someone from the underground base. They'd recruited a new batch of old comrades but uncovered two spies in the process. They asked what to do with them, and Fan merely replied, "Do what you think best."

A shared grin spread across the men in the Big Hollow. Their eyes gleamed like spotlights as they inched closer to the captives strapped to chairs. The two bound infiltrators, seeing the hostile crowd, struggled in vain, mouths gagged, as they slipped further into despair.

－－－－－－－－

(bù sǐ bù xiū) – literally "not dying, not resting," meaning an irreconcilable conflict where someone won't stop until the other is destroyed.