"...That question of yours is really strange."

Ma Zao didn’t immediately answer my question. However, it wasn’t as if she didn’t understand the meaning behind it.

My question had clearly caught her off guard, to the point that she seemed to want to conceal her surprise but failed to react in time, allowing me to catch the change in her expression.

It seemed like she was planning to feign ignorance... No, that probably wasn’t it. From her perspective, it would be inconceivable for me to ask such a question, especially since an apocalyptic era wouldn’t be conducive to a culture of time-travel novels. So, she was likely questioning whether she had misunderstood what I said.

Seeing this, I elaborated on why I had asked that question earlier.

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

After a long while, she finally responded, "I'm sorry, but I can't answer your question. Because even I haven’t figured out exactly what’s going on."

"How can that be?" I was utterly confused. "Was it a physical body crossing over, or just the soul? Isn’t that something you’d be able to figure out immediately? It should be very clear—one or the other, right?"

"You’re not wrong, but..." she hesitated.

I quickly realized the implication. Yes, under normal circumstances, whether one’s body has been replaced or not is something that doesn’t even require a mirror to confirm—you could feel it with your eyes closed. However, there is one scenario in which the person involved would truly find it "impossible to figure out."

"Can I understand it this way... The body you're currently using is so similar to your original body that it feels like nothing has changed, yet certain subtle differences have made you suspicious?"

"...I can’t say much for now," she replied cautiously.

I countered, "Didn’t you say you’d answer my questions in exchange for food?"

At my words, her expression wavered slightly, as though torn. Unfortunately, after some internal struggle, she maintained her guarded stance.

However, it didn’t feel like she was being cautious about revealing too much to me. Instead, it seemed like she was more worried that her situation might drag me into something troublesome.

She had shown similar emotions multiple times before. Perhaps, in her view, the changes happening to her were so bizarre and incomprehensible that she didn’t want anyone else to get too close until she was absolutely certain it was safe. Her caution was understandable from her perspective. According to her, she had unwittingly dragged others into calamities brought about by her on more than one occasion. This had made her suspicious and paranoid, with even the slightest disturbance setting off her already fragile nerves.

"Alright… then at least answer this: where did your handgun come from?" I had no choice but to change the question. "You can’t possibly say you don’t know the answer to that, right?"

"This, I can answer." Her expression relaxed slightly. "I stole it from the local law enforcement department."

"You stole it from the station?" I exclaimed in shock. "Why would you take such a risk to steal something like that?"

"My original intention wasn’t to steal a weapon," she calmly explained. "When I first arrived in this era yesterday, I knew nothing about my surroundings and was desperate for information to determine if my current situation was safe. However, I didn’t know where to start my investigation. After some thought, I decided to infiltrate the local law enforcement office."

"Infiltrating a place like that right off the bat—you’ve got some serious guts..." I looked at her in a new light.

"Since it’s a place that maintains law and order, it’s bound to have the most information about potential dangers in the area. Investigating there would be the most efficient approach," she replied matter-of-factly, exuding an air of defiance. "Besides, with my ‘blessing,’ I’m unbeatable when it comes to escaping. If something went wrong, I could retreat immediately."

"I think the most efficient way would’ve been to find an internet café, but it’s not even clear if you know how to use the internet."

"So, when you infiltrated, you stumbled into the room where the guns and ammunition were stored and couldn’t resist taking one?" I asked, intrigued. "Now the authorities are chasing you—was it because you were caught during the infiltration?"

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"…Yes," she admitted reluctantly, as if embarrassed by the fact that she was discovered during the attempt. "I’m not very familiar with the security systems of this era, so…"

I pressed further, "Earlier this morning, you mentioned that you can’t use your abilities now because you forced yourself to use them despite your soul’s injury after coming to this era. Was that to escape from the authorities chasing you?"

"...No." She pressed her lips together. "The exact reason is something I can’t share with you."

Although she wasn’t willing to tell me, she also didn’t try to make up a lie to deceive me. Perhaps the real reason was connected to her being found covered in blood at that abandoned construction site. It was likely that she had determined the true cause to fall into the category of “a disaster that might bring danger to me.”

Which only made me want to know even more.

I realized I couldn’t rush this and decided to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Hmm... so, this morning, when I was talking to the police, you immediately understood that the serial killer they were looking for referred to you. That wasn’t because you’re actually the killer, was it?"

"I’ve already familiarized myself with the basic public safety situation of this era. 'A little girl wandering around with a real gun'—no matter how you think about it, that’s obviously referring to me, right? Later, I also confirmed it through you." As she spoke, a puzzled expression crossed her face, and she touched her stomach. "What I don’t understand is why they’ve labeled me a serial killer."

So she had tricked information out of me at that time without my realizing it.

I had underestimated her.

Still, it seemed like it was time to stop the questioning—she was clearly hungry.

I walked over to the sofa, picked up the remote control, and turned on the television. Then I said to her, "Let’s pause our conversation here. You can watch TV in the living room for a while; I’ll have a meal ready for you in no time."

"I understand."

Her gaze was immediately drawn to the colorful images flashing on the TV screen, yet she showed no sign of finding the television itself to be a novelty.

I quietly observed her reaction, taking mental notes, and then turned to head into the kitchen.

It was just a simple stir-fry, throwing various ingredients together, so it didn’t take me much time. However, I couldn’t help but worry—would it be too greasy or salty and upset her stomach? Maybe I should add more rice to reduce the ratio of oil, salt, and side ingredients. But then again, she did mention that her body was fine...

Forget it, I’ll just trust her for now.

Besides, if she ends up having stomach trouble later, I could use that as an excuse to let her rest at my place for a few more days.

With that thought in mind, I didn’t hesitate to increase the proportion of side ingredients in the fried rice. I even went back to the fridge, grabbed some rice sauce, and added a generous amount to the mix.

Before long, I emerged from the kitchen with two plates of deluxe fried rice.

Apparently, Ma Zao had caught the aroma wafting out of the kitchen, as her gaze had already shifted from the TV screen at some point, and she was now watching eagerly in my direction.

As the saying goes, hunger is the best seasoning. And if she truly grew up in a post-apocalyptic world where food was severely scarce, her resistance to delicious food might be far lower than that of someone from a peaceful era.

I’ve heard that in the last century, when material conditions were not as abundant, even instant noodles were considered a rare luxury, while nowadays, instant noodles have become a rather basic, average food in the eyes of the public.

I gestured for Ma Zao to sit at the dining table, then placed one of the deluxe fried rice plates in front of her and handed her a spoon.

She held the spoon in her hand, staring blankly at the fried rice, completely still.

“You can eat now,” I reminded her. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Huh? Oh…” She snapped out of her daze but continued staring at the fried rice without moving.

After a while, she swallowed a mouthful of saliva, then finally moved the spoon, mixing the vegetables with the rice before taking a bite, chewing slowly.

I stood by the table, silently observing her every move.

Halfway through chewing, it seemed she noticed my gaze. She furrowed her brows and looked up, asking suspiciously, "Why are you staring at me? Aren't you going to eat?"

Hearing that, I also picked up my plate, took a bite of the fried rice, and then said, "I just wanted to hear your opinion."

"It's very delicious," she replied with a hint of modesty, then continued eating.

I was still hoping that she might react dramatically, like the inhabitants of a fantasy world who are surprised by modern barbecue in novels, but it seemed I was just overthinking it.

Slowly, I began to notice the corners of her mouth curling up slightly, and her body, which had been tense like a wary wild animal, gradually relaxed. Her knees, hidden beneath the table, started to tremble lightly.

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

"Don't eat too quickly, chew more slowly, be careful of indigestion," I couldn't help but remind her.

"Mm, mm..." she nodded without looking away, slowing down her eating slightly.

As she ate, she unknowingly smiled a contented smile, and her complexion turned rosy.

How foolish of me to remind her about that.

But at that moment, she really looked like a young girl in the prime of her youth, rather than the wary, cold, and distant time traveler who feared both being hurt by others and hurting others.

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

This was the first time I had seen her smile.

I sat down across from her, watching her eat for quite a while. For me, this might be an unnecessary emotional indulgence, something that could hinder my actions when I need to be ruthless with her. But such a cute smile... surely looking at it a few more times won't bring misfortune, right?

...

...

If she knew what was truly in my heart, how would she view me?