Fu Yi felt like she had just heard a joke.
But this joke was not funny at all.
She was caught and brought here just to save herself? Nothing could be more comical than such words.
"Have you ever thought about it, child?"
When the delicious meal was over, the cat chef wiped the corner of her mouth and spread her paws on the table. She asked solemnly, "Thinking makes one wise, but thinking also makes one painful … But if you don't think, you can only fall into ignorance forever, becoming a monster without knowing it."
Fu Yi frowned. "Won't you be if you think about it?"
"After thinking about it, you will know that you have become a monster, just like us."
The cat chef shook her head as if she was mocking herself. "The more you think, the more fearful you are. Fearful of our future, fearful of the coming of the end."
She said, "Fearful of death …"
"When the destined destruction comes, what choice will you make? Will you seek survival at all costs, or will you give up all struggle and beg for mercy from the heavens? Or will you resist without knowing your own strength? "
Around the cat chef, there seemed to be countless voices overlapping as they asked solemnly, "Have you ever thought about the future, child? Your future … In this dark world, is there any light in your future? Will you welcome death one day in the future? "
"We have thought about it."
The cat chef said, "Then, we came to a conclusion. Finally, we came here … Now, we are here to welcome you."
She said, "It is that simple."
Fu Yi shook her head. "To be honest, I don't see any connection between your conclusion and the illusion in front of me."
"This is the answer and result we have thought about."
The cat chef knocked on the table. Then, the snowstorm outside the window suddenly stopped. Then, the sun shone brightly, and countless exotic flowers and plants grew from the fertile land.
Colorful phantoms kept flashing outside the window and inside the house. From time to time, there were curious eyes peeking inside.
They seemed to be young men, young girls, old people, or none of them.
Thousands of cats squatted on the trees, on the ground, on the beams, on the tables, on the chairs, and even next to Fu Yi. They poked their heads out and looked carefully at the outsiders.
They called out to her in a friendly manner, and some of them even went up to her and rubbed against her, wanting to play with her.
Fu Yi floated up in a fluster and isolated the cats. She turned around and looked at the cat chef. "These … are all illusions, right?"
"That's right."
All the cats spoke in unison: 「 What you see are the actions and results of our species' efforts to deal with the Apocalypse, the shelter within the void.
Since death is unstoppable, we can postpone it indefinitely … until the future that is destined to usher in extinction, we can be redeemed and rested in an eternity of time.
And now, what we want to do is to share this peace with you.
Outsiders, don't be attached to the outside world that is destined to sink into destruction. Why don't you stay here? Stay in this fantasy land that can satisfy all your desires? "
"…"
Fu Yi fell silent.
She could instinctively feel the sincerity in their words, and she could also feel the fear of doomsday that was inherited in her body's bloodline.
This world was about to be destroyed.
There was no doubt about it.
If they didn't hide it from him, then it was indeed their good intentions to pull him and Lin Sanjiu into it … In this cruel world, what could be more precious than the happiness and peace before death?
After a long silence, she suddenly asked, "What if I refuse?"
A white cat said, "Then it means … you haven't understood …"
The black cat said, "Maybe you just haven't understood."
The tabby cat tilted its head. "What's wrong with being here?"
"You have to eat and sleep outside …" Wheeze said, "You have to endure hunger and pain, but there is no sorrow or despair here …"
The Persian cat looked up. "There is no difference between reality and illusion."
"The Apocalypse will never come."
The calf of the tabby cat passed by her and looked up at her. "Before the Apocalypse, we can all die in happiness and peace."
"You're just obsessed with the outside world."
The cat chef who was as kind as a grandmother picked up the calf and put it in her arms. "Want to make a bet?"
"What bet?"
"Let us prove to you that the outside world is no different from the inside of the Sanctuary."
The cat chef said, "There is everything here. No matter what kind of life you want to live or what kind of things you want to have, you can get them.
We will prove this to you. "
"How?" Fu Yi frowned.
"Make a wish, child."
All the cats said in unison, "We can fulfill your wish, any wish … You have three chances to ask us for what you want.
If there is anything you know and have that we can't achieve or obtain, then the Sanctuary's existence is unnecessary to you.
If you can't get the happiness and peace you want here, you can take your friends and leave. "
They paused for a moment. Then, the cat chef said seriously, "But if you can't find anything here that can satisfy you, please stay here.
Let's be friends. We will get along very well. "
"..."
Fu Yi didn't say anything.
She didn't know how to respond.
It was true that this was an illusion, but the illusion was too real. Even time seemed to be able to accelerate, and she could realize any dream and desire …
She did have a way to leave, but it was equivalent to leaving Huai Shi here alone.
If she still wanted to continue exploring in the night of the witch, then she had to win this bet. Otherwise, she could only stay here and dream for the rest of the time.
To be honest, she didn't think there was anything wrong with dreaming.
Being friends with a group of cats also seemed interesting.
But as expected … she still felt that it was more interesting to go on an adventure with Huai Shi.
Therefore, she had to win.
Then, what did she have in the outside world that she couldn't get here?
Even if she didn't know the details of the Ascended and Hell, she knew that at this time, she couldn't ask for anything material.
Material was the most demanding thing, but in the illusion, material became the simplest thing.
Maybe, she could try to lie?
But was there really no way for them to know what she was thinking?
She thought for a long time and suddenly made her first wish.
"I want to be free."
All the cats stared at her silently, unmoved.
Only the grandmother cat chef looked at her with pity, as if she already knew what she was thinking, and asked softly, "That kind of thing, when you were outside, did you have it?"
Fu Yi was silent.
Did she have it?
She didn't know.
Whether it was her father's steel cradle, or her mother's control and planning of her life … in between, how much of it belonged to Fu Yi?
She didn't answer.
She didn't have such a luxury outside the dream of the night of the witch.
After a long time, she lowered her head dejectedly and sighed deeply.
Then, she made her second wish.
"Friends."
She looked up and said, "I don't have any friends here."
"Actually, your friend is here too." The cat chef said gently, "Do you want to see him?"
"Hmm?"
Fu Yi smiled as if she understood something, "I thought you would say that you are my friends too."
"Friendship is mutual, isn't it?" The cat chef said warmly, "We do want to be friends with you, but I'm afraid that you can't trust us at this moment, right?"
Fu Yi let out a long sigh.
A big stone was lifted from her heart.
Huai Shi was still here. At least he didn't run away or get kidnapped by something.
In fact, Fu Yi suspected that as long as these cats pretended to be her, and with a little guidance, Huai Shi would jump into the trap with the bone in his mouth.
"I'll say in advance, this is not my last wish —" Fu Yi raised her hand and asked, "Can I see him?"
"Of course."
The cat chef nodded, and then showed a somewhat awkward expression, "But, he seems to be busy. I'm afraid he can't take care of you for a while … I'm not lying. You'll know when you see him."
She waved her hand and pushed open the window.
There was no snowstorm outside the window. The cats on the trees and in the grass disappeared silently, replaced by a familiar scene of ice and snow.
In the deep pit, three huge wolf beasts were fighting fiercely and had reached the most dangerous moment.
Roars came one after another.
"Pair 7!"
"Pair 9!"
"Can't afford it!"
"Bomb!"
"My king bomb!"
As he threw the iron card on the ground, Huai Shi jumped up from the ground and laughed proudly, "I won again!"
"F * ck, what luck!"
"Are you f * cking cheating?"
The other two wolf beasts, whose faces were covered with tinfoil strips, looked at Huai Shi suspiciously, but couldn't find any evidence against him.
"If you don't catch me, then it's not cheating."
Huai Shi whistled and rubbed a long piece of tinfoil out again. He spat on it and threw it on the faces of the two wolf beasts, sighing, "You guys are still too young!"
Huai Shi's card skills could only be said to be average.
However, he used to play poker with Crow in the basement when he was free after training. After such a long time, his card skills hadn't improved at all, but his experience and ability to cheat were getting better and better day by day.
Even if the two wolf beasts copied Huai Shi's personality, physical fitness, and even short-term memory, how could they copy the experience and instincts that he gained from cheating Crow?
"Continue, continue, there's still one more round!"
Huai Shi took the lead to shuffle the cards, "You can't go back on your words. If I win this round, you have to let me and my brother go."
"Hurry up, hurry up …"
"Let's play a few more rounds. Anyway, aren't you quite free?"
The two brothers happily shuffled the cards, and someone suggested, "Hey, do you want some supper? You must be hungry. We have some crispy meat and edamame here, they can go with wine … "
…
In the dead silence, Fu Yi stared at the scene outside the window in disbelief.
You're really something, Huai Shi! I tried my best to save you, how did you reach an agreement with the criminals so quickly?
Cat Chef smiled and looked at the scene outside the window, then turned back to look at Fu Yi, "Maybe you can wait for a while and watch them play Fight the Landlord …"
"Forget it." Fu Yi sighed sadly, "Won't it be too embarrassing to win by playing Fight the Landlord?"
Cat Chef smiled, closed the window, and asked solemnly.
"Then, have you thought of your last wish?"
Fu Yi nodded.
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