Ye Ying narrowed her eyes, glancing warily at the giant snake and then at Gu Ya, her gaze revealing a lack of trust, as if she were looking at a stranger.
Next, she cupped her right hand over her head, frowning as she surveyed her surroundings, seemingly trying to retrace the steps that led her here.
Gu Ya instantly understood. Ye Ying was experiencing dissociative identity disorder; in essence, the person before him was not Ye Ying.
"Are you... Anai or Susan Lei?" Gu Ya ventured.
She turned her head sharply towards Gu Ya, her eyes guarded, and whispered, "I am Anai. Who are you?"
Gu Ya leaned closer. "There are too many people here. Let's go somewhere less crowded."
Under everyone's gaze, Gu Ya commanded the giant snake to retract to an unseen spot on the cliff and disappear.
He then led Anai down the mountain.
Gu Ya kept a close watch on Anai. He had initially hoped for a pleasant weekend with Ye Ying, but this was also good. Her second personality had emerged, and he had the opportunity to speak with her.
Along the way, Anai kept glancing at the mountain scenery, but no happiness was reflected on her face.
Gu Ya found a secluded, deserted spot. Behind a colossal tree, there was an extremely hidden pavilion.
They sat on a long bench inside the pavilion, a considerable distance between them. Anai remained very wary of Gu Ya.
Gu Ya said, "My name is Gu Ya. I'm very familiar with Ye Ying. I won't harm Ye Ying; on the contrary, I'll do my best to help her."
Subsequently, Gu Ya recounted to Anai how Ye Ying had come here and how the situation had evolved to this point.
Gu Ya did not exaggerate his relationship with Ye Ying, nor did he hide his feelings; he spoke the truth.
After listening, Anai's wariness towards Gu Ya eased slightly. She nodded thoughtfully and said, "Whenever Ye Ying encounters a danger she cannot resolve, I awaken to help her."
Gu Ya watched Anai with interest. Her face and voice were still Ye Ying's, but her soul had changed.
Anai was correct; the emergence of certain personalities was to help the dominant personality handle situations it couldn't cope with. This is known as "acting out" in psychology.
However, this situation typically didn't last long.
Furthermore, Ye Ying's dominant personality was quite stable. In all the time Gu Ya had known Ye Ying, this was the first time she had exhibited a second personality.
Even when fighting the Black Star Walker, though Ye Ying's tone was cold, Gu Ya knew it was still her.
It seemed Ye Ying was extremely guarded against strangers, especially men, which was largely related to her life, upbringing, and experiences.
Anai seemed troubled, occasionally shaking her head slightly.
Gu Ya, curious, asked, "What's wrong?"
Anai looked up, puzzled. "Under normal circumstances, after helping Ye Ying resolve a sudden situation, I would fall asleep."
Gu Ya's interest was piqued. "But it's been over an hour, and you're not sleepy."
Anai nodded.
Gu Ya smiled. "Someone's keeping you awake."
Anai frowned. "Who?"
Gu Ya let out a wry smile. "Who else but Ye Ying?"
Anai glanced around. "I know nothing about this place."
Gu Ya sighed helplessly. "You can come home with me. I was planning to take Ye Ying to the Alliance's new community anyway."
Anai stared into Gu Ya's eyes for a long time, still not fully trusting this young man.
Though he appeared sincere, years of experience had taught her that men were not to be trusted.
Gu Ya sensed Anai's thoughts. "Ye Ying told me about you, about what happened when she was ten on that beach, and afterward."
"She trusts me deeply, which is why she shared her past with me."
"You can try to trust me as well."
Gu Ya stood up, looking at Anai calmly and sincerely.
Anai hesitated for a long time, then finally nodded and followed Gu Ya down the mountain.
Along the way, Gu Ya kept a close eye on Anai. This personality seemed perpetually vigilant and composed towards external matters, her brow perpetually furrowed.
"Don't worry, most people here are good and mean no harm," Gu Ya said softly, attempting to reassure her.
The mountain path was paved with smooth stones. Every short incline was followed by a level stretch.
Towering railings lined the path, beyond which lay a sheer drop.
Suddenly, a rubber ball rolled onto the ground, and a cute little child chased after it.
Anai cried out in alarm, "Danger! A bomb!"
In an instant, she lunged forward, snatched the ball, and threw it down the mountain. Then, she grabbed the child and took cover in the grass by the roadside.
Gu Ya broke out in an awkward sweat. He pulled Anai out of the bushes, returned the child to its parents, and quickly pulled Anai away.
"Don't be nervous! This isn't a battlefield!" Gu Ya shouted in a low voice.
They arrived at the mecha motorcycle. It was Anai's first time on a flying motorcycle, and she was so nervous she didn't even know how to get on. Gu Ya had to pull her by the hand.
Once seated on the back, Anai clutched Gu Ya's waist tightly, as if clinging to a lifeline.
"Do you need to hold on that tightly...?" Gu Ya asked with a smile.
"Sorry!" Anai blushed and relaxed her grip.
However, as the mecha motorcycle transformed, Anai yelped in fright, jumped off the two-meter-high seat, and quickly rolled into cover, staring at the motorcycle as if facing a formidable enemy.
Her movements were agile, and she was quite skilled; she didn't get hurt.
Gu Ya shouted to reassure her, "It's okay! The thing just transforms!"
Anai slowly stood up, taking several deep breaths. "You people are really troublesome."
They both got on the motorcycle. Gu Ya started the engine, and they quickly ascended into the air.
"You haven't seen Wuhe City yet!" Gu Ya asked with a smile.
Anai's hands involuntarily tightened around Gu Ya's waist, her palms sweating profusely. But this time, Gu Ya didn't resist. He let her be; it was her first time, and nervousness was normal.
Gu Ya said, "I'll show you Wuhe City!"
The motorcycle then accelerated, merging into the aerial traffic. Gu Ya introduced her to aspects of the city, circled through the most prosperous district, and then headed towards the Alliance's new community.
Anai remained quiet for most of the journey, her hands gradually loosening their grip, though she still appeared wary.
Only when the mecha motorcycle landed steadily did Anai let out a long sigh of relief.
Gu Ya got off the vehicle and asked, "You've never piloted a mecha before?"
Anai nodded and easily hopped off the motorcycle.
Gu Ya stood on the street of the new community, looking around repeatedly. Everything here was new.
Brand-new reinforced concrete houses were strung together like pearls, and the asphalt streets were incredibly wide, so clean that not a single piece of litter was visible.
Wu Xuan and his team were truly capable; the community was impeccably organized.
Gu Ya checked his wristband information again, confirming that the house before him was Sister Ge's new home. He rang the doorbell. After a short while, Sister Ge opened the door.
"Gu Ya!" Sister Ge exclaimed joyfully.
Gu Ya walked into the house naturally, smiling. "Hello, Sister Ge. Where's Youyou?"
Sister Ge smiled. "Her class organized an outing. They've gone away for two days."
Gu Ya looked puzzled. "Oh? Why didn't Youyou tell me?"
Sister Ge smiled mysteriously. "She was afraid you wouldn't bring Ye Ying back."
Gu Ya: ???
"You must be Ye Ying!" Sister Ge greeted Anai warmly. "Come in quickly."
Anai glanced inside and slowly walked in.
"It's your first time here, so don't be shy. Make yourself at home. Gu Ya, Youyou, and I are all your family," Sister Ge said happily, taking Anai's hand and leading her inside.
"Your home?" Anai asked, confused.
As soon as they sat down, Sister Ge began to praise Gu Ya and Youyou profusely, and she was eager to tell Anai everything about the new community.
Gu Ya greeted them and then went out to find Wu Xuan. He needed to inquire about registering a company and new products.
He arrived at Wu Xuan's house, but only his elderly father greeted him. Wu Xuan's father said he had gone out on business and wouldn't be home for a few days.
Gu Ya tried calling Wu Xuan on his communicator, but it was busy. It seemed he was indeed occupied.
With no other option, Gu Ya decided to return and wait.
Gu Ya retraced his steps back to Sister Ge's house. The moment he entered, he saw Anai half-crouching behind the sofa, holding a fruit knife she had somehow acquired, peeking out and warily watching the kitchen.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Sister Ge was humming a tune as she prepared dinner. Her movements were skillful, the cleaver chopping meat with a rhythmic sound, and dishes were simmering in a pot. The range hood was quite loud.
Gu Ya let out a wry smile, walked over, pulled Anai up, and said, "Sister Ge is cooking for us, silly."
After more persuasion, Gu Ya finally managed to take the fruit knife from Anai and hide it away.
He settled Anai onto the sofa and then sat beside her, letting out a long sigh of exhaustion.
Hunger and general body aches plagued Gu Ya's nerves.
The day had been truly eventful, with unexpected situations arising frequently and endless trouble, leaving Gu Ya mentally drained.
Just then, his communicator rang again.
It seemed heaven wasn't quite finished with Gu Ya yet.