From the end of the world

Chapter 15: Broom Star 3
"Your question is really weird."

Ma Zao didn't answer my question right away, but it didn't seem like she didn't understand the meaning of the question correctly.

My question obviously exceeded her expectations, so she seemed to want to hide her surprise, but she was unable to react in time, allowing me to capture the change in her facial expression.

It looked like she was trying to play dumb... No, she wasn't trying to play dumb. Perhaps from her perspective, I wouldn't have asked such a question, after all, time-travel novels wouldn't have been popular in the apocalyptic era. So she was probably wondering if she had misunderstood what I said.

Seeing this, I explained in detail why I asked the question just now.

After listening to this, she slowly calmed down her expression and fell into thought.

After a long while, she responded: "I'm sorry, I can't answer your question. Because even I don't understand what's going on."

"How could this be?" I was completely confused. "Is it that I traveled with my body or only my soul? Isn't this something that can be figured out immediately? The former or the latter, this should be very clear, right?"

"You're right, but..." she murmured.

I quickly realized it. Yes, generally speaking, you don't even need to look in the mirror to know if your body has been replaced by another one. You can feel it with your eyes closed. Only in one case will the person "not be able to figure it out".

"Can I understand it this way... the body you are using now is very similar to your original body, as if it has never been changed from beginning to end, but there are some details that are different that make you suspicious?"

"…I can't say much for now." Her attitude was very alert.

I asked back, "Didn't you say you would answer my questions in exchange for food?"

Hearing this, she struggled a little. Unfortunately, after the struggle, she still remained alert.

But it seems that this is not about whether I will know unnecessary information, but about whether my own problems will involve me.

She had expressed the same emotion many times before. Perhaps in her opinion, the changes happening to her were so strange and unknown that she didn't want anyone other than herself to have in-depth contact with them before she was completely sure they were safe. This approach was understandable from her perspective. According to her own account, she had unconsciously involved others in the disasters she had brought upon herself more than once, so that now she had become suspicious and any slight disturbance would touch her sensitive nerves.

"Okay...then at least answer this question. Where did you get your pistol from?" I could only change the question. "You can't even say you don't know this question, right?"

"I can answer that." Her expression relaxed a little. "I stole it from the department responsible for maintaining local law and order."

"You stole it from the police station?" I was shocked. "Why would you risk stealing it?"

"My original intention was not to steal weapons," she explained calmly. "When I first arrived in this era yesterday, I knew nothing about my surroundings and urgently needed information to understand whether my current situation was safe, but I didn't know where to investigate. After thinking about it, I simply sneaked into the place that maintains local law and order."

"You are so bold to sneak into a place like that right away..." I looked at her with admiration.

"Since they are the place that maintains law and order, they must have the most knowledge about the possible dangers in the area. It is most efficient to investigate there." Her matter-of-fact attitude revealed a lawless temperament. "Also, my 'blessing' is unmatched in terms of escape. If anything goes wrong, I can also move in time."

I think the most efficient way would be to find an Internet cafe, but I'm not sure if she can use the Internet.

"So, when you were infiltrating, you found the room where the guns and ammunition were kept, and then you stole the things?" I was curious. "Now the official forces are chasing you. Were you discovered during the infiltration?"

"...Yes, I'm not very familiar with the security measures of this era, so..." She admitted reluctantly, as if she felt it was embarrassing to be discovered after sneaking in.

I continued to ask, "You said this morning that the reason you can't use your superpowers now is because you ignored your soul trauma after coming to this era and forced yourself to use them in order to escape the pursuit of official forces?"

"...No." She pursed her lips, "It's not convenient for me to tell you the specific reason."

Although she didn't intend to tell me, she didn't intend to make up a lie to deceive me. Maybe the real reason was related to her bloodied body lying in an abandoned construction site, and she probably judged that the real reason was in the category of "a disaster that would bring me danger."

Wouldn't that make me want to know even more?

I knew this matter couldn't be rushed, so I could only say something else first: "Well... So, when I was talking to the police this morning, the reason why you immediately understood that the serial killer the police were looking for was you, was not because you really were that serial killer..."

"I've already learned about the basic public security situation of this era. 'A little girl wandering around with a real gun', no matter how you think about it, it must be about me, right? Later I confirmed this through you." As she spoke, she showed a puzzled expression and touched her belly again, "I just don't know why I was regarded as a serial killer."

It turned out that I was actually being tricked by her at that time, but I knew nothing about it.

I underestimated her.

But maybe it's time to stop asking questions, she's still hungry.

I walked to the sofa, picked up the remote control, turned on the TV, and said to her, "Let's stop here for now. You can watch TV in the living room for a while. I will prepare dinner for you soon." "I know."

Her eyes were immediately attracted by the colorful program screens, but she did not show any novelty or surprise towards the TV itself.

I secretly observed her reaction, took it to heart, then turned and walked into the kitchen.

It was just a simple process of mixing various ingredients together to make fried rice, which did not take me too much time. I was just a little worried that it might be a bit too oily and salty, which would burden her stomach. Should I add more rice and reduce the proportion of oil, salt and side dishes? But she said that she was fine...

Forget it, just believe her first.

And if she has stomach problems later, I can find a reason to let her stay in my house for a few more days.

When I thought of this, I increased the proportion of side dishes in the fried rice without hesitation, and even took out the rice sauce from the refrigerator and added more to the fried rice.

Soon, I walked out of the kitchen with two plates of luxurious fried rice.

Perhaps Ma Zao smelled the aroma of fried rice coming from the kitchen, and her eyes had shifted away from the TV program and were looking in my direction expectantly.

As the saying goes, hunger is the best seasoning. Moreover, if she was really born in a doomsday world with severe food shortage, her defense against delicious food might be much lower than that of people living in a peaceful era.

I heard that in the last century when material conditions were not so abundant, even instant noodles were considered a rare luxury delicacy, but now instant noodles have long become something quite makeshift in the eyes of the general public.

I asked Ma Zao to sit at the dining table, then placed one of the plates of luxurious fried rice in front of her and put the spoon in her hand.

She held the spoon, staring at the luxurious fried rice with her eyes wide open, her whole body motionless.

"You can eat now." I warned, "Be careful of the heat."

"Ah? Oh..." She was awakened, but still stared at the fried rice.

After a long while, she swallowed her saliva, then moved the spoon, scooped up the rice mixed with the side dishes, put it into her mouth, and then chewed slowly.

I stood beside the table, watching her every move silently.

Halfway through chewing, she seemed to notice my gaze, frowned and raised her head, and asked suspiciously: "Why are you looking at me? Aren't you eating?"

Hearing this, I picked up the plate myself, took a bite of fried rice, and then said, "I just want to hear your evaluation."

"It's delicious." She responded modestly and continued eating.

I was expecting her to scream out in surprise like the alien residents in fantasy novels who ate modern barbecue, but it seems I was being too sentimental.

However, slowly, I noticed that the corners of her mouth curved upwards slightly, and her whole body, which had been tense like a vigilant wild animal, gradually relaxed, and her knees hidden under the table began to shake slightly.

Her attention was focused on the fried rice, and the spoon moved faster and faster.

"Don't eat too fast, chew more and be careful of stomach indigestion." I finally couldn't help but remind him.

"Yeah, yeah..." She nodded intently, slowing down her eating a little.

As she ate, she unconsciously revealed a happy smile and her face turned rosy.

Really, what am I reminding her of?

But at this time, she really looked like a little girl in her youth, rather than a time traveler who was alert and indifferent, afraid that others would hurt her, but also afraid that she would hurt others.

I had never thought about how to make her smile, nor had I ever imagined that she would have such an expression.

This was the first time I saw her smile.

I sat down opposite her and watched her eat for a long time. To me, this might be an unnecessary emotion that would hinder me from being cruel to her when I needed to. But such a lovely smile, I wouldn't be punished for looking at it a few more times.

(End of this chapter)