Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 204 I Want to Give You the Best
Yang Chen was somewhat bewildered by Bai Yuekui's abrupt and unrelated statement and fierce glare.

He rubbed his chest, which didn't hurt, and carefully recalled what had just happened.

It seems... I heard a sound coming from the door?

"Just now... did someone come in?" he asked tentatively, walking to Bai Yuekui's side and looking at the empty living room.

Bai Yuekui ignored him, walked to the entrance, and glanced at the floor and the door lock.

Her gaze eventually fell on the quiet ASH mobile device in the corner of the living room.

"Who just came in?"

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Then, ASH's voice rang out: "...It's you in your younger days. Because of the same physical characteristics, you came right in."

Bai Yuekui remained silent.

ASH's voice continued: "You told her yesterday that she could come to you if she got bored."

Bai Yuekui raised his eyes and looked at the silver-white mobile device: "ASH".

"You weren't here just now?"

The light at the top of the mobile device flickered faintly for a moment, then went out.

Yang Chen: "..."

Bai Yuekui: "..."

Bai Yuekui stared at the extinguished mobile device for a few seconds, but ultimately said nothing.

"Ahem..." Yang Chen coughed lightly, "Well..."

Bai Yuekui turned around, his face expressionless, and walked straight towards the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower."

Yang Chen touched his nose, feeling a little embarrassed.

Young Yue Kui ran all the way out of the apartment building until he felt he was far enough away from it, then stopped and leaned against a tree by the roadside, panting heavily.

The heat on my cheeks hadn't completely subsided, and my heart was pounding.

"This is so embarrassing..." She covered her face, feeling that she had never been so embarrassed in her life.

She just wanted to come over as soon as possible to talk to her other self and see her brother, but who would have thought she would run into... that kind of situation?
After calming himself down for a while, the young man Yue Kui straightened up and decided to go back first.

After what just happened, she was too ashamed to knock on Bai Yuekui and Yang Chen's doors again.

When the young Yue Kui returned to the Bai family villa, Teresa was preparing breakfast, while Bai Jingyu was already sitting at the dining table, watching the morning news.

"Moon Queen is back? I didn't see you in the room this morning, did you go out for a walk?" Theresa greeted her with a gentle smile.

"Hmm... I went for a walk." The young man Yue Kui replied vaguely, sitting down at the dining table and trying to appear as natural as possible.

Little Yuekui leaned closer and asked curiously, "Sister, did you go to see the other sister? Is she awake yet?"

Young Yue Kui: "...They probably haven't gotten up yet."

Xiao Yuekui nodded: "Oh, my sister sometimes sleeps in too late."

Young Yue Kui paused, nearly choking on his coffee.

Breakfast is over.

After the meal, Bai Jingyu went to the company, while Xiaoyuetian and Xiaoyuekui went to their respective schools.

Theresa noticed that the young Moon God seemed to have something on his mind, so she took her for a walk and chat in the garden.

“It’s normal to feel uncomfortable in a new environment, even though this is also Jiuchuan.” Teresa took her hand and said gently, “Just treat this place as your own home and don’t feel constrained. You can go wherever you want to do or go wherever you want to go.”

Feeling the warmth of Theresa's hand, the young Yue Kui nodded: "Yes, I know, Mom."

"I just... need a little more time to adjust."

"Take your time," Theresa patted her hand.

"By the way, if you're feeling bored, you can come and check out Nirvana. Although the research here is different from that in Dragonbone Village, you might find it interesting."

This suggestion stirred something within the young Yue Kui.

Nirvana...

"Okay, I'll go take a look."

……

Meanwhile, inside the apartment.

At this moment, the two were sitting at the dining table, eating the breakfast that ASH had instructed the property management to deliver.

The atmosphere was still somewhat delicate.

Yang Chen tried to start a conversation several times, but Bai Yuekui glared at him and stopped him.

He touched his nose and wisely buried his head in his food.

Just then, the ASH mobile device lit up, projecting information.

"Yang Chen, Yue Kui. The Heluo side has sent a message asking when you will go to pick up the rotation personnel from the disaster world. The next batch of support troops and research teams has completed their assembly and is preparing for the handover and rotation."

Yang Chen glanced at the message, then at Bai Yuekui, who remained expressionless on the other end, and replied, "Reply to Executive Officer Dongmu, I'll be there shortly."

"clear."

Yang Chen put down his cutlery and said to Bai Yuekui, "Ahem... there's really nothing embarrassing about what happened just now, right? We're all family, it was an accident, purely an accident."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "I'm going to Heluo later, do you want to come along?"

Bai Yuekui didn't even lift his eyelids, slowly fiddling with the food on his plate: "I'm not going."

Yang Chen wasn't surprised and shrugged: "Alright, I'll go by myself. You... get some rest."

He knew Bai Yuekui was still feeling awkward, so he quickly finished the rest of his breakfast and stood up.

"I'm leaving."

Bai Yuekui did not respond, but simply nodded slightly.

Yang Chen's figure flashed and disappeared from the apartment, heading directly to Heluo.

Only Bai Yuekui remained in the living room, along with the ASH mobile device sitting quietly in the corner.

She quietly finished her last bite of breakfast and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

After a moment of silence, he turned his gaze back to the ASH mobile app and asked, "ASH, where...where am I now, the younger version of myself?"

The mobile device lit up again, and ASH's voice rang out: "At Bai Jingyu's house. Theresa spoke with her and mentioned Nirvana. She should be preparing to go to the Nirvana Research Institute now."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuekui pondered for a moment.

Going to Nirvana... is it to see what research is being done in this world? Or is it just to find a place to kill time?

She instructed Ash, “Tell her to wait at home for a while. I’ll come over later and go to Nirvana with her.”

“Yes, Moon King,” ASH replied, then executed the command and sent the message to the young Moon King.

Bai Yuekui stood up and went to the bedroom to change into his outdoor clothes.

Inside the Bai family villa, all was quiet.

Theresa went out to the hospital, Bai Jingyu was at the company, and Xiaoyuetian and Xiaoyuekui were at school.

In the large living room, only the young man Yue Kui remained.

She lay listlessly on the soft sofa, her legs casually draped over the armrests, one hand behind her head, the other holding her new phone, aimlessly scrolling through news and information about the world.

His posture was utterly devoid of any semblance of decorum.

As I was lost in thought while looking at a news report, I heard the sound of an door opening in the entryway.

Young Yue Kui jolted awake, almost sprang to his feet, and hurriedly tidied his somewhat disheveled hair and clothes, glancing nervously toward the door.

The door was pushed open, and Bai Yuekui, dressed in simple outdoor attire, walked in.

Her short, silver-white hair was meticulously combed. Their eyes met.

A hint of embarrassment appeared on the young Yue Kui's face, and he forced a somewhat stiff smile: "Uh... you've come."

"Ah."

Bai Yuekui gave a simple reply, his gaze sweeping over her, taking in her earlier panic and current embarrassment, but he didn't point it out.

She walked over to the sofa and sat down, speaking first: "I thought you would think of taking Mom to the hospital first."

In her original world, Teresa had already passed away.

In this world, Tereza is alive and well. Logically, after a long separation, even if it's a reunion in a different sense, spending more time with her mother seems like the more natural choice.

Upon hearing this, the young Yue Kui's embarrassment deepened.

She lowered her head, her voice also softening: "I... I should have told you beforehand."

Looking at her like this, Bai Yuekui thought she looked just like a child caught doing something wrong.

“It’s nothing,” she replied briefly, then stood up. “Let’s go, didn’t we want to go see Nirvana?”

Young Yue Kui looked up at her with some surprise, then realized that ASH had just informed her.

She nodded quickly: "Okay."

She quickly stood up and followed Bai Yuekui, and the two left the villa together.

Sunlight streamed in through the car windows, and the atmosphere inside the car was no longer as tense as before, but a subtle awkwardness still lingered.

Young Yue Kui secretly glanced at his silver-haired self beside him, who was focused on driving, and breathed a sigh of relief.

In another city, Hisakawa, she learned that her other self had a partner and had rationally accepted this fact.

But when she actually saw... no, heard those sounds with her own ears, the awkwardness was still so strong that she felt completely lost.

She watched as Bai Yuekui skillfully maneuvered the vehicle, clearly demonstrating his extensive driving expertise.

This reminded her of the first time she encountered this type of transportation.

To break the silence, and out of curiosity, the young man Yue Kui asked softly, "When...when did we learn to drive?"

Bai Yuekui kept his gaze fixed ahead and replied calmly, "I can't remember the exact time."

"When the old world collapsed, traffic rules disappeared, and you could drive however you wanted."

She paused, as if she had remembered something: "However, just like you, the first time I drove was in that Hisakawa Defense Aircraft vehicle."

Young Yue Kui's eyes widened slightly: "Oh! You mean that time? Yes, yes, yes!"

"My brother was almost scared to death by me."

"Hmm." Bai Yuekui's lips curled slightly as he replied, "He was the one who handed the car to me. But ever since then, whenever he's around, he's never let me touch the steering wheel."

Upon hearing this, the young man Yue Kui pursed his lips: "Huh? My brother's so stingy? What's so hard about driving a car? You'll learn after a few more practices."

"We ride motorcycles pretty well, don't we?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Ash's calm and composed voice suddenly rang out from inside the car:
"Yue Kui, you just ran a red light at the intersection."

Bai Yuekui remained expressionless, his gaze still fixed ahead, and simply uttered a faint "Oh," adding, "I didn't notice."

Youthful Moon King: "."

She checked her seatbelt and secretly glanced at the rearview mirror, and sure enough, she saw the surveillance camera above the intersection pointing in their direction.

"Um... the traffic rules here should still be in place, right?" the young man Yue Kui whispered, "Will we get a fine?"

"It doesn't matter." Bai Yuekui skillfully turned the steering wheel and turned into another street.

"Just let ASH process the records."

ASH's voice rang out at the opportune moment: "It's been dealt with. However, Yue Kui, I suggest you still pay attention to traffic signals. According to statistics, this is your sixth time this year."

“Understood,” Bai Yuekui interrupted.

Looking at his other self, who brazenly ran a red light and made ASH clean up the mess, the young Yue Kui suddenly understood why Bai Yuetian wouldn't let her drive.

She silently tightened her seatbelt and muttered to herself, "No wonder my brother doesn't let you touch the steering wheel."

Bai Yuekui glanced at her, said nothing, but eased off the accelerator a little.

The vehicle smoothly drove into the underground parking lot of the Nirvana Institute.

Bai Yuekui parked the car and unbuckled his seatbelt.

"arrive."

Young Yue Kui got out of the car and curiously looked at this completely different Nirvana.

The two walked towards the private elevator, and Bai Yuekui used his authority to directly open the passage to the core research layer.

"The Nirvana here mainly focuses on civilian technology research and development," Bai Yuekui explained to the young Yuekui as they walked. "Life sciences, energy technology, artificial intelligence... Father hopes it can truly contribute to improving people's lives."

Young Yue Kui nodded silently, his gaze sweeping over the transparent laboratories on both sides of the corridor, where researchers were working intently.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked the question that had been lingering in her mind: "Does this world... no longer intend to continue researching immortality?"

Bai Yuekui continued walking: "In this world, Nirvana, under my father's guidance, has openly curbed the direct pursuit of immortality technology. The core research hasn't stopped, but has been transferred to my world, where it's being led by my teacher."

The young Yue Kui immediately understood: "Is it to...potentially slow down the eruption of the Mantle Vine?"

"Hmm." Bai Yuekui nodded slightly.

"In our current understanding, excessive prying into and interference with immortality is one of the key factors accelerating the ecological response of mana. Restraint is essential in this world that has not yet been eroded."

The young Yue Kui nodded thoughtfully, then another question occurred to her. Looking at Bai Yue Kui's silver hair and age, she lowered her voice, "So...did you successfully inject the 'Angel' and 'Miracle K' drugs? Since you've succeeded, why not continue the research...?"

She couldn't finish her sentence because Bai Yuekui stopped and turned to look at her.

Those eyes held no emotion, yet they made the young Yue Kui instinctively hold his breath.

“My ‘success’ is merely an unrepeatable coincidence,” Bai Yuekui said softly. “It’s an exceptional case born from multiple extreme conditions, specific genes, and… a huge cost. It’s more like a survivor bias than a viable technological path.”

She raised her hand, her fingertips gently brushing against a strand of her silver hair: "Change is painful, and although you may succeed, I want to give you the best."

The young Yue Kui was silent for a moment, then said softly, "The best?"

"I understand."

Just then, a familiar figure came from around the corner—it was Bai Jingyu.

He had clearly just come from a laboratory, still holding a data panel in his hand.

"Yue Kui? What brings you here?" Bai Jingyu looked at his two daughters with some surprise.

“Bring her to see.” Bai Yuekui answered succinctly.

Young Yue Kui lowered his head somewhat awkwardly: "Dad."

Bai Jingyu's gaze shifted between the two, keenly sensing the somewhat subtle atmosphere, but considerately refrained from asking further questions.

He smiled gently and raised the data tablet in his hand.

"We were supposed to have a meeting with the Coastal Alliance this morning to discuss the next phase. However, Yang Chen went to Heluo, and he's handling things there, so the meeting was cancelled at the last minute. Since I had some free time, I came to Nirvana to check on the progress of a few new projects."

He looked at the young man, Yue Kui, and asked with concern, "How are you? Are you adjusting well? This place is probably quite different from the Nirvana you remember."

Young Yue Kui nodded: "Yes, it's very different."

"That's good." Bai Jingyu nodded with satisfaction. "Since we're here, would you like to go and take a look at the new generation of ecological simulation system? Have a tour?"

Bai Yuekui looked at the young Yuekui, asking for her opinion with her eyes.

The young Yue Kui immediately nodded: "Okay."

The three of them walked together into the deeper research and development area.

As Bai Jingyu walked, he explained the design of the simulation system. In order to combat the Mana ecosystem, the location information of all the mantle vines in another post-apocalyptic world was synchronized.

Young Yue Kui listened to Bai Jingyu's explanation.

(End of this chapter)