Chapter 883: Only a Child’s World is Black and White
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 883: Only a Child’s World is Black and White
“The Baking House... it’s here, right?” Shi Ruizhi asked, sounding a bit uncertain.
The shop was currently closed, which made her hesitate.
“Oh, honestly—if you don’t know, just go in and ask. Can’t you see the door isn’t even locked? Just go in!” Fang Zhi said, unceremoniously pushing Shi Ruizhi through the entrance.
“Hello? This is the Baking House Club, right?”
A voice quickly responded from inside.
“It is. And you are?” The speaker was Ying Shiqian. Although the Baking House was temporarily closed for business, her passion for the place still brought her here every day.
In her words, sleeping at the checkout counter was more refreshing than sleeping in her own bed. Of course, everyone in the club knew that was just an excuse.
“Hello... my name is Shi Ruizhi. Millian told me to come here...” Shi Ruizhi explained.
After days of agonizing over it, she had finally decided to follow the same path as that girl, Xiao Han. She had hesitated many times before finally calling Millian, who had directed her to this location.
“Oh? Millian? I see. Did she say why she sent you? Are you looking to join the Baking House?” Ying Shiqian asked curiously, propping her head up with one hand as she looked them over with interest.
Ying Shiqian knew very well that the Baking House had changed. They were all on a ship named "Xiao Han" now. Over the past few days, Millian had coordinated many new members joining the club, and Ying Shiqian knew they were all here because of Xiao Han.
Is there something special about this one? Why did she come alone today?
As she pondered this, Ying Shiqian felt the name "Shi Ruizhi" sounded vaguely familiar, though she couldn't quite place it.
“When I contacted her, she said we should meet here to discuss some things in detail. As for joining the club... she didn't go into specifics,” Shi Ruizhi said.
“Oh, so you’re not one of Millian’s recruits yet,” Ying Shiqian noted. She figured the girl was likely a talent Millian had her eye on, but who hadn't yet committed to the Xiao Han Fan Club.
“If you don’t mind me asking... what business do you have with Millian?” As Ying Shiqian spoke, Tan Han walked out from the back.
Tan Han wanted to participate in the upcoming exploration of the Glacial Throne Secret Realm, but the place was fraught with unknown dangers. Furthermore, the Staff of Absolute Cold she held was closely linked to the Shopkeeper, so she naturally wanted to seek advice on whether the risk was worth it.
If the Shopkeeper advised against it, she could leave the Staff of Absolute Cold behind as a safeguard; she still had her Ice Sealed World, after all. Besides, she had her companion Xiao You, who possessed the Ancient Ice—another fragment of the whole.
“Hm? You?”
Tan Han froze for a moment upon seeing Shi Ruizhi before recognizing her. During the promotion experiment for Self-Generated Mana, Shi Ruizhi had been one of the 147 participants.
Although Tan Han had finished her own experiment early and left before the accident occurred, she had looked into this particular Senior Sister afterward.
“You... recognize me?” Shi Ruizhi asked curiously. Looking at Tan Han, she felt a sense of familiarity. Had she seen her on the Academy Network?
“I was also a participant in the Self-Generated Mana experiment—actually, I was in an earlier batch than yours. I recognize everyone who was part of that study.”
Tan Han wasn't exaggerating; the memory capacity granted by her Seed of Wisdom was no joke. “And of course, since you were the only one involved in an accident, I naturally paid attention to you.”
“I see... Are you Tan Han?” Hearing that, Shi Ruizhi immediately recalled the information from the Academy Network. Wasn't the girl in front of her the same Tan Han who dominated the Unrestricted Match at the Omni-Link Arena?
According to her profile, she was only a second-year student...
Come to think of it, she had searched for Teaching Assistant Xiao Han as well; she was the same age, belonging to the same year as the girl before her.
She remembered a joke she’d seen online:
A year ago, everyone sighed because Yang Yuehan and Tan Han were in the same year.
A year later, everyone sighs because Tan Han and Yang Yuehan are in the same year.
“What! You’re that Shi Ruizhi!” It was only then that Ying Shiqian’s somewhat long reaction time finally caught up to the core of the matter.
“Uh... well... I don’t think it’s anything to be that surprised about...” Shi Ruizhi said weakly.
“Ah... it’s nothing. I was just reflecting. Since you were the one in the accident during Xiao Han’s experiment, I naturally took a second look. It’s fine, it’s fine... don’t mind me, I’m just the cashier.”
“Come in and sit. The Baking House is temporarily closed for a club restructuring. May I ask what brings you here today?” Tan Han took the opportunity to invite the two inside.
“Actually... I’m looking for Teaching Assistant Xiao Han. She told me that once I’d made up my mind, I could contact Millian. Millian was the one who told me to come here.”
“You’re looking for Xiao Han? She’s busy right now, so you might not see her in person, but her clone might be available.”
“A clone is fine.” At the mention of a clone, Shi Ruizhi thought of Moon, who had accompanied her for days. No matter how much she racked her brain, she never would have guessed that Moon was actually a clone of the Teaching Assistant!
As Shi Ruizhi and Tan Han engaged in small talk, Millian pushed open the doors of the Baking House. Walking beside her was another figure—the clone, "Moon."
“Are you here already? It seems we’re the ones who are late this time.” Millian was a bit surprised to see Shi Ruizhi already chatting with Tan Han and the others.
It wasn't her fault she was late; she was incredibly busy these days. Even though the Shopkeeper had told her she would share the burden of the club's issues, Millian was still working on other things.
For instance, she was coordinating with the actual members of the Fan Club—those who "generated power" out of pure faith—and she was also getting involved in various industries within the academy. She currently held a massive amount of resources; if she didn't use them, they would just sit there and rot.
In the academy, sentimentality didn't count for much. As long as there were resources, people were willing to work. Regardless, since she had taken over the Baking House, Millian refused to let the club simply wither away.
Besides, the Baking House business itself could make money. It was just that the original Baking House hadn't been interested in expansion.
However, if Millian were to truly develop the Baking House... she couldn't do much with just bread. The name "Baking House" was better suited as a non-profit label for the club once it grew large, rather than its main business.
After all, from a Transcendent perspective, ordinary money wasn't real money. Only Transcendent materials like Red Copper, Mithril, and Orichalcum were considered true currency. No matter how good the bread was, could a single loaf ever earn them one piece of Red Copper?
Unlikely.
As my clone arrived, Shi Ruizhi stood up abruptly. Even now, she didn't know what mindset she should use to face the person before her.
Guilt? Casual indifference? Something else?
Ultimately, Shi Ruizhi was still trapped in that event—the one with no answers and no evidence. She had received kindness and tolerance... and it was precisely because of those things that her final choice had been influenced. She had chosen to follow me, Teaching Assistant Xiao Han.
“What? Still haven't let it go?” I acted as if the Baking House were my own home, pulling out a chair and sitting down before looking at Shi Ruizhi.
As soon as I spoke, the others immediately caught the scent of gossip. The experiment accident that had caused such a stir in the academy was still a topic of great interest.
The official story was that a girl named Ji An had plotted against her roommate, causing her to be caught in an experiment accident, and then blamed the accident itself for the outcome. That was the surface-level report—the version the general public read for entertainment.
Those who followed the case more closely would link it to the subsequent purge of students and teaching assistants, realizing it was a targeted attack against the Self-Generated Mana experiment.
“Um...” Shi Ruizhi didn't know what to say.
Let it go? How could she?
But saying she hadn't let it go felt impossible to voice.
“Actually, Ruizhi has been obsessing over this for days...” Fang Zhi, acting as the best friend and roommate, spoke up to bail her out.
“Is that so? My apologies. It seems our last conversation didn't ease your worries; it only added to your psychological pressure.”
“Wait, what exactly happened? Are there hidden details to this story?” Ying Shiqian asked, sounding confused. This "encrypted" conversation was going right over her head.
“Do you mind if I tell them?” I asked, looking at Shi Ruizhi.
“...Go ahead,” Shi Ruizhi hesitated before finally speaking.
She had already made her choice. If she kept this hidden, she would never find peace. If the others couldn't accept it... then this matter would remain a ticking time bomb.
“The whole thing is quite simple. Shi Ruizhi was injured in the accident and lost most of her memories—a loss so deep it affected her life essence, making it irreparable,” I said, getting straight to the point.
“Amnesia? I think I saw something about that in the News Agency reports, but I didn't realize it was that severe,” Ying Shiqian remarked.
“Damage to the life essence? That serious?” Tan Han, on the other hand, focused on the "life essence" aspect. Having fought against senior sisters, she understood the immortality that came with higher life levels. She had wondered what kind of injury could put a senior sister in the hospital; now, the pieces were fitting together.
“Yes. In short, she has amnesia. Shi Ruizhi remembers nothing. But that’s where the problem lies: before her roommate—the one who framed her—was caught, she claimed Shi Ruizhi was an accomplice in the accident. However, Shi Ruizhi doesn't remember, and any evidence that could prove or disprove it has been erased. She’s trapped in this dilemma. Even though I’ve forgiven her, she can’t convince herself of her own innocence.”
“There was a hidden story like that?” After I finished, several people looked surprised.
“Is it really impossible to find any evidence?” Tan Han was skeptical. She knew the information-retrieval capabilities of a Seed of Wisdom; Xiao Han’s Tree of Great Knowledge should be even more terrifying. How could it be impossible to find a single scrap of information?
“Yes, impossible,” I said, looking at Tan Han.
The person behind the act was likely a Transcendent Witch, which made it inconvenient to disclose.
Tan Han, however, had a different interpretation. She suspected Xiao Han might know the truth but wanted to earn the Senior Sister’s gratitude. After all, a girl who could be so bound by her own morality was rare—at the very least, her values were very upright. Shifting blame is the most basic human instinct, and usually the first course of action.
“Regardless, I don’t care. Even if it wasn't Shi Ruizhi, it would have been someone else. Those people have been trying to get to me for a long time, so I don't mind. I thought saying that would ease your mind, but I didn't expect you to overthink it so much.” I looked at Shi Ruizhi as I spoke, and she instinctively looked away when our eyes met.
“I’m sure you all understand, right? Whether from a rational standpoint of 'innocent until proven guilty,' or a sentimental standpoint of showing tolerance toward uncertainty, there’s no reason for me to hold her responsible.” I looked at everyone and stated my view.
In truth, many decisions are made before the reasons are found. Reasons are often just justifications to make a choice more acceptable to oneself or others.
“True. If even Xiao Han forgives her, there’s no reason for us to criticize. Besides, what if that roommate just wanted to ruin her life one last time?”
“Exactly! Don’t worry about it. Xiao Han said it’s fine.”
“But... what if I really did it? If I did... can my sin really be wiped away just like that?” As Shi Ruizhi spoke, the room fell silent. They were witnessing someone who truly refused to let herself off the hook.
“Sin... isn't that word a bit too heavy?” I broke the silence with a light chuckle. I was the only one qualified to judge this matter. “In your eyes, are there only two outcomes? You’re either a good person or a bad person? But is that really how the world works? As long as you’re human, you’ve done bad things and good things. Regardless of whether you did this specific thing, it’s in the past. There’s no need to blacken your own name. My lack of concern for your guilt or innocence isn't about 'whitewashing' the past.”
“Only a child’s world is black and white. We are adults now; don’t let a child’s dilemma trouble your adult self. Unless... you want to admit that you haven't grown up yet.”
I gave a long speech, and I was quite satisfied with the effect.
The nature of Shi Ruizhi’s soul meant she had truly lost a great deal. In a sense, she really was reborn. That was why she was acting so earnest and naive. But... she had the right to say goodbye to her past.
And if you want to know who gave her that right... it was me.
If anyone tries to stop her from leaving her past behind, I’ll make sure they have no future!