At the breakfast table, the Immortal, dressed in splendid Shenzhou attire, was sipping soy milk and eating freshly made water chestnut cakes.
Across from her sat the man who had just taken off his apron, looking every bit the part of a very competent cooking husband.
"Is there something you want to say?"
The Immortal, who seemed to have long anticipated certain things, looked at the man who still appeared to be full of energy and spoke.
"Perhaps I should look into some body enhancements, increase my passive resistance or something."
Mr. Cooking Husband, who had nearly been KO'd by a certain Immortal using Fenghuang Down, pondered for a moment before saying such words.
"That way, I can guarantee that, without using healing or time-based abilities, I won't get demoted to a 'Young Master'."
The young man, who had just simultaneously mocked a certain flying-sword-wielding Young Master Emptiness and a certain Fatui Harbinger who runs out of steam after a bit of melee, looked at the Immortal's impassive expression and spoke.
Recalling the scene of the Immortal amplifying his senses, Li Zihan thought for a moment and added another sentence.
"That way, if a domestic violence incident were to occur, I could also take a few more hits without being beaten half to death."
Fu Hua had clearly already figured some things out. Playing dumb now would be useless.
At this point, it was better to be frank.
"I don't have the ability to beat you half to death."
Gazing at the man who was, in theory, virtually immortal, the Immortal, who was currently chewing on a water chestnut cake, had an expression as placid as ever.
"Besides, having already agreed not to interfere in your emotional affairs, getting jealous and starting a big fight would be a bit too strange, wouldn't it?"
The way you pummeled Altrouge didn't look like you weren't jealous at all.
Remembering how Miss Altrouge seemed to have only one breath left in her when he saw her, the young man rolled his eyes internally.
"Besides—"
"You sleeping with that pitch-black fellow... isn't a bad thing, is it?"
After having beaten up a certain King of the Dead Apostles, the Immortal, who had achieved a great deal of mental clarity, drank a cup of tea, looked at her husband, and said with a smile.
?!
Those two symbols popped up over Li Zihan's head.
"Relax. As the big sister, I'm not that petty."
Having gained a much broader perspective after beating up Altrouge, the Immortal chuckled lightly. Unlike her usual ethereal, smoke-and-clouds-like demeanor, her smile now had a hint of a worldly air to it.
Yes, an ancient worldly air.
Li Zihan felt that the Immortal's aura was truly a bit intense. For some reason, it reminded him of the matriarch of a grand old household, who commanded respect without being angry.
Was it his imagination?
He had the distinct feeling that every single development up to this point had been held firmly in the Upper Immortal's grasp.
"I will get along with her peacefully."
The Immortal, having achieved mental clarity after thrashing the Dead Apostle King, chuckled lightly and said.
"Just like how I accepted Stargazer before."
...Just like how you accepted Stargazer?
The young man, who could still vividly remember the Upper Immortal wearing a pair of Stargazer's stockings to mess around under the table, and who later had a matching outfit made to drag him onto Stargazer's bed for a roll in the sheets, found his expression becoming quite complicated.
Moreover—
The word "accept" was clearly a statement made from the perspective of the one in charge of the household.
The Upper Immortal, who never cared about seniority when she was with Sirin, Kiana, or Mei, was now, after meeting Altrouge, not only putting a hat on Miss Altrouge's head but also trying to make her call her "big sister"...
This character design collapse...
The young man had seen many girls' established personalities gradually change, but he never expected the Upper Immortal to break character this badly. His expression grew more and more peculiar.
This was purely a plan to get revenge on Altrouge in a different way.
Li Zihan suddenly felt that the personality-shattered Fu Hua was very similar to Altrouge.
Miss Altrouge's decision after getting beaten up was to first put a hat on Fu Hua, then attempt to recover her strength through mana transfer, beat Fu Hua up, and then declare that she forgave her "little sister Fu Hua."
Like Fu Hua, she basically didn't care about the other girls and was even willing to help him by providing support to increase Stargazer's affection for him.
"As a good wife, I must help my husband in certain aspects."
After repeated sessions of mana transfer, Miss Altrouge, who now seemed to have a rather good relationship with Stargazer, went to chat with her after getting dressed.
This was also why only Li Zihan and the Upper Immortal were at the breakfast table.
Altrouge and Stargazer were chatting. Kirie Kagarino, whose recovery ability was trash compared to Altrouge, the Upper Immortal, and Durandal, was still sleeping and resting.
Therefore, the only ones who came to eat were Li Zihan and Fu Hua.
But Altrouge, who was even willing to help Li Zihan raise the affection of other girls, adopted an "Revenge in ten days is too slow!" expression only when it came to Fu Hua.
Those two were quite alike.
After comparing the actions of Altrouge and the Upper Immortal, Li Zihan thought to himself, for some reason.
You could say that the actions of the Upper Immortal and Altrouge were almost identical, just in a slightly different order...
"Actually... you and Altrouge are highly compatible, aren't you?"
As if making a sarcastic comment, the young man spoke while eating his meal.
"She is my cute little sister, after all. Of course, our compatibility is very high."
The Immortal, not denying that her current self was very similar to Altrouge, chuckled lightly, then spoke to her lover.
"I'm going to pick up my custom-made clothes this afternoon, so I probably won't be able to practice boxing with you. I'm a little sorry about that."
"Pick up custom-made clothes?"
Li Zihan was stunned when he heard this.
Then, the Immortal sitting across from him began to smile, a smile that carried a seductiveness she had almost never shown before.
"Even I occasionally want to try a Gothic-style long black dress."
A Gothic-style long black dress...
That was Altrouge's outfit.
The corner of the young man's mouth twitched slightly, as the first person he thought of when mentioning a woman in a long black gothic dress was Altrouge.
Before this, the Upper Immortal had changed into Stargazer's clothes and dragged him onto Stargazer's bed for a tumble.
Li Zihan had wanted to refuse at the time. After all, the whole thing was a bit too malicious.
But—
"Back in the day, that girl Stargazer did the exact same thing to me when my Honkai genes hadn't awakened yet."
Those were the words the Upper Immortal had said at the time.
She was taking personal revenge.
If nothing unexpected happened, this time, the Upper Immortal was planning to wear Altrouge's clothes and sleep on Altrouge's bed...
"Well then, I'll be heading out."
The Immortal, whose smile remained as light as wind and clouds, drained her soy milk in one gulp, wiped the faint white residue from her cherry lips with a napkin, smiled at her husband, and then stood up.
"...I understand."
The corner of the young man's mouth twitched, as he vaguely seemed to understand why the Fu Hua of the past had been tormented by Altrouge and Stargazer in such a way.
This was bad.
They couldn't keep messing around in this world.
If they kept this up, who the hell knows what other lewd and violent causal loops would be triggered.
After watching his lover depart, the young man sighed.
Right, let's just go check on the enemy's movements.