Watch out! Something's wrong with this guard.

Chapter 163 Mission Completed

"If you agree, you'll have another person to discuss your thoughts with. Isn't that a good thing?" Lu Yunshi continued to ask.

Shuang thought about it carefully after hearing this. "Friendship is a relationship between people, and affection and bond are the fruits that grow after this relationship reaches a certain level. It is a long process."

"Most friendships are based on an equal relationship from the beginning; otherwise, it would be an unhealthy relationship. Maintaining a healthy relationship requires at least half the effort needed for cultivation. If you want an equal relationship, you must start by considering various aspects."

"Potential? Strength? Background? Resources? Even appearance and experience—only when these aspects overlap significantly can a healthy relationship be established on an equal footing and bear fruit. And she..."

Shuang turned to Long Lingling again, pondered for a moment, and then spoke without any mercy.

"I think that from any perspective, she and I were never able to reach that level of equality in the first place, let alone progress in a healthy relationship. If I agreed, it would only be a waste of time, and I would gain nothing. She did not have the basic conditions to discuss anything with me."

"Waaah~" Hearing Shuang's self-criticism, Long Lingling pouted and immediately burst into tears.

Lu Yunshi also gasped, wanting to offer some comfort, but couldn't bring himself to speak.

What should I do? What they said makes so much sense, how can I comfort them?

"Actually... you can't say it like that. I guess, Senior Sister, you Holy Clan people probably don't have any friends."

“No.” Frost shook her head slightly and then replied. “The strength and arrogance of the Holy Race have prevented such a relationship from arising. We are confident that the strength of the group can overwhelm other living beings, and we are equally confident that the strength of the individual can overwhelm other living beings. Friendships are unnecessary in their eyes, even among members of the same race.”

"Because it's not worth it, right? Just like you, Senior Sister." Lu Yunshi interlaced his fingers, a half-smile on his face.

"Me, the same as them...?" Shuangmei frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled by Lu Yunshi's words.

"Of course, I think it's a similar idea. Essentially, it's all about thinking about it and feeling that the existence of friendships is a hindrance to oneself, and looking down on the qualities that others possess, so one avoids forming such relationships with others," Lu Yunshi said, raising his teacup.

"Look, I went to great lengths to brew a pot of tea, but do you know what? Although I enjoy drinking tea, the benefits of brewing a pot of tea, upon careful consideration, cannot be equated with what I gain."

“I need to select the best tea leaves, and then go through many procedures. Even the water, cups, and teapots take a lot of time, effort, and money. But in the end, all that goes into my mouth is just a little bit, and that fleeting feeling.”

"In that case, wouldn't it be better to drink water? Would drinking water bring me greater benefits?"

Upon hearing this, Shuang lowered her head thoughtfully and swirled the teacup in her hand.

"Although... your tea leaves are probably of inferior quality, costing only ten gold coins per kilogram, and the water is just ordinary water. The cups and teapots are also from street stalls, and your technique is not very skilled; it's just a common brewing method. It shouldn't have taken that much effort, time, and money. If you did, then you've probably been scammed."

"Cough cough~" Lu Yunshi choked several times upon hearing this, his face immediately turning red. "Um... I was just talking about imagery, you know what imagery is, right? It's not really about that, it's just... imagery, the kind that needs to be understood."

“I understand what you mean, big brother.” Long Lingling suddenly raised her hand, then looked at the two of them and explained her understanding. “The imagery you’re talking about, big brother, is… abstract.”

"..."

"..."

Along with Shuang, the two remained silent for more than ten seconds after Long Lingling spoke, before Lu Yunshi slowly opened his mouth.

"Simply put, if you analyze whether you should build something by taking all the pros and cons into account, the final answer will inevitably be not to do it. The conclusion reached after rational thinking may not come from the heart."

"Ultimately, we don't actually need to always pursue value in doing something. Perhaps following our instincts and blurring some things will also bring good results."

"You say that you can't continue a healthy and equal relationship with this silly girl because she doesn't have the qualities you need. But how do you know that you won't get other things that make you happy after you become friends, just like me and her now?"

Lu Yunshi patted Long Lingling's head, and she lowered her head shyly as soon as she was touched. He seemed to like patting this silly girl's head more and more.

"I became friends with her because I invested in her future. But the future is such an uncertain thing. Maybe she will just be a silly girl in the future. But so what? This silly girl can already make me laugh happily. Well... that's worth it. If you ask me why I still think it's worth it even though I haven't reached my initial goal."

Lu Yunshi smiled slightly and gave his answer.

"Then the answer would be, because I feel it's worth it. In fact, it's not just about friends; there are many things in the world that don't require careful analysis of whether they can be done, whether they are worthwhile, or whether they are necessary. You just need to give yourself a heartfelt answer: 'I think it's possible.'"

"Is that so? Perhaps you're right. I shouldn't confine myself to my own way of thinking. Instead, I should break things down and look outward."

Shuang looked at the two of them thoughtfully, as if she were talking to them, or as if she were talking to herself.

"Just as I should now follow my own will, blur the original analysis, to get a vague answer, and arrive at...the answer in my heart."

"That's right. So now I'm asking you, have you ever had even the slightest thought that you feel it's not good to be alone every day, and wish there was someone else around? Seeing other people in pairs, laughing and chatting, must have made you wonder, but also made you curious and envious, right?" Lu Yunshi leaned forward, his tone carrying a seductive undertone.

"I've had that thought before," Shuang answered honestly.

"That's right. Blur out your requirements. What you need is a friend who meets the criteria, or the friend herself. She doesn't necessarily need to understand what you're saying. She might be slow-witted and not very capable, completely failing to meet your criteria. But there's one thing in common: she's someone who can be genuinely kind to you. After all, you two have something in common: neither of you has friends."

Lu Yunshi didn't notice that with each sentence he spoke, Long Lingling's appearance became more and more listless.

She felt wronged. Although she was indeed quite slow-witted, there was no need to keep emphasizing it.

Besides, how are they the same? Lingling already has a friend like you, her older brother, right? You're still... a bit better than this older sister.

I have to pat his head before I can forgive my older brother.

Lu Yunshi didn't pat his head; he was still typing. "Want to try?"

Shuang nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps... you could be my friend?"

"Huh?" Lu Yunshi was taken aback when he heard this. How did the conversation turn to him?

Then, Shuang turned to look at Long Lingling. "Or rather, could you two become my friends?"

"Of course! As your good friend, I wouldn't dare say I'll be there whenever you call, but as long as I'm here and you need anything, you can come to me anytime, and we can discuss more." Lu Yunshi agreed without hesitation, thus completing his task for the day.

"Although it's still a bit strange, it's... not unpleasant." Upon hearing Lu Yunshi's words, Shuang frankly expressed her feelings at that moment.

"Haha! Doesn't this prove that the decision you're making right now isn't really as worthless as you thought?" Lu Yunshi laughed loudly.

Long Lingling was still a little confused. She had succeeded. Big brother was so amazing!

The next second, Long Lingling jumped up from the spot, hugged Lu Yunshi's neck and gave him a big kiss.

"Big brother, you're so awesome!"

"Ouch! You smeared your saliva on my face."

"Hehe! I'm sorry, big brother."

At this moment, Lu Yunshi suddenly noticed that Shuang had come closer, looking as if she wanted to hang around his neck. He was immediately startled and quickly backed away.

What are you doing?

“She was happy doing it, and I want to try it too, so is this something friends would do?” Frost replied earnestly.

"Of course not. Just now, it was mainly because the girl is still young and she was too happy to control herself. Plus, I was careless and didn't dodge, so that's why it happened. Please don't take this as normal between friends." Lu Yunshi immediately denied the other party's idea.

"Yes, I understand." Shuang nodded lightly, then added, "So, even if we're not friends, you'd still be happy doing this. Can I try it?"

"No way." Lu Yunshi refused without even thinking.

"Why?" Shuang asked, puzzled.

"Of course... the relationship isn't there yet. If we're just friends, how can we be so intimate? That requires going further," Lu Yunshi said, with a headache.

"So what kind of relationship is possible, one that goes beyond friendship and bond?" Shuang asked again.

"Of course, it's a relationship between me and my big brother." Long Lingling said proudly, puffing out her chest. However, the next second, Lu Yunshi flicked her forehead hard. Surprisingly, Shuang actually thought about it seriously for a moment, and then took advantage of the moment Lu Yunshi flicked her forehead to step forward and gently stroke Lu Yunshi's head.

Is that the kind of relationship?

"..."

After a while, Lu Yunshi was freed from Shuang's head patting, and the three of them returned to their seats. This time, Long Lingling was much more active and took out a game of Go.

Shuang also thought carefully about how to get along with her two new friends, and did not refuse.

A human, a dragon, and a holy race were now living together in a strange harmony.

"Speaking of which, as my friend, shouldn't I give you a gift?" Shuang, who was seriously playing chess with Long Lingling, suddenly looked up and said.

"Huh?" Lu Yunshi was taken aback, then asked, "Why?"

“...I think that’s how it should be,” Frost replied simply.

Upon hearing this answer, Lu Yunshi couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, since that's the case, it seems I also need to prepare something. But what's your gift?"

“I’ll help you defeat your next opponent,” Frost said.

"Well...don't you know I don't want to continue fighting?" Lu Yunshi said helplessly.

“Based on the current situation, you may not want to, but you might still continue to fight. If I don’t help you, you will lose badly if you meet him. As a friend, I think I should help you avoid this.”

"..." Lu Yunshi paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you know who my opponent is in the next match?"

"It's not hard to guess."