This was the first time Mo Si and Mo Chengyu had ever spoken for so long during peacetime.
In the past, the only times their calls lasted this long were when Mo Chengyu was remotely instructing Mo Si on Mecha repairs.
But this timeâ
Mo Chengyu said, "A while back, I asked Qiuqiu what she thought of you. She said youâre very gentle and that your voice is pleasant to listen to."
"Oh."
Happiness +1
Mo Chengyu continued, "And all those times weâve eaten together, she always prepares bamboo shoots for you and puts them right beside you. Have you noticed? It might be subconscious on her part."
"Oh."
Joy +4
"Also, back when our family relationship hadnât been revealed, she tried to feel me out, asking about our relationshipâif we were a couple."
"How could we possibly be a couple?" âBut the fact that she asked is very telling.â
Happiness +10
Living so closely together, there were many other small details Mo Chengyu had noticed.
He relayed every single one to Mo Si.
As the night grew later, Mo Chengyu finally finished, ended the call, and went to bed after offering one last word of encouragement.
Mo Si thought about all those little things, hidden in plain sight, and felt an all-encompassing love.
A wave of affection washed over him.
It was a feeling beyond words. Mo Si couldnât help but fall onto his bed and roll around a few times.
Only then did the overwhelming sense of joy begin to slowly fade.
âQiuqiu.â
He looked in the mirror, and it was as if he could clearly see the lovely image of the girl, her face flushed red as she pushed him away.
However, his perfect-score happiness vanished the moment his gaze fell upon the mask on the bedside table.
Black Hole, Black Hole, Black Hole. The name itself was like a black hole.
He didnât want to wear this mask anymore. Every time he wore it when they kissed, Qiuqiu was just kissing the mask!!!
That would not do! Next time, he had to be the one doing the kissing, so he could kiss the real Qiuqiu!
Also, he had to go and tell Qiuqiu directly that he wasnât Black Hole. He was Mo Si.
He also didnât want to face Qiuqiu while wearing a face that, despite being seventy percent similar to his younger self, was ultimately not his own.
Butâ
He leaned into the mirror, first carefully studying his own face, then putting on the mask to observe the face it displayed.
They looked more or less the same, but Mo Si stubbornly maintained that his own face was more authentic.
âSo, should I go tell Qiuqiu tomorrow?â
He could just tell her he had something important to say, then take off the mask right in front of her and explain, "My face may be fake, my family may be fake, and my name may be fake, but my love for you is real."
"..."
âThat sounds... a little off, doesnât it?â
If Qiuqiu didnât question that and instead asked, "Fine. Who are you, really? Please tell me your true information."
"Iâm Mo Si, and Iâm... thirty-nine years old?"
âWait, Iâm thirty-nine.â
"My profession is Imperial Admiral? Or was it Imperial Marshal?"
"..."
âWhy does that sound so much like a con artistâs spiel?â
Still, his face would match the one on the news, so that could prove he was telling the truth.
As for his family, there wasnât much to say. They were just an ordinary family. Mo Chengyu was his relative, and Qiuqiu knew him.
Her knowing someone from his family would probably be a point in his favor.
After running through the various scenarios in his head, Mo Si put them all together and played out the fantasy.
And he decidedâ
This wasnât going to work.
-
Maybe he should watch a movie with a similar plotâdraw some inspiration from a romance film.
âDING. Opening Love Magician.
Synopsis: He is a Love Magician who always appears before women cloaked in a romantic, fabricated identity. He uses his profound knowledge, otherworldly charisma, and handsome features to win their hearts. Then, once they are deeply in love, he reveals everything...
âSeems a bit on the nose,â he thought.
Mo Si started the movie.
The movieâs opening was dull. Mo Si patiently watched it. It was still dull. He impatiently started to fast-forward.
Theyâre falling in love!
Theyâre together!
The identity revealâ
Male Lead: "I... I have something difficult I need to tell you."
Female Lead: "Darling, tell me. No matter what it is, Iâll forgive you."
"Actually, this face... itâs fake."
Female Lead: ?
With a RIP, the male lead tore off his mask, revealing a completely unremarkable face beneath.
Female Lead: !
He was a Love Magician. He had deceived the female lead with a fake face. He got slapped. He got dumped. He went to find his next target. He got slapped again.
Mo Si: ...
âTurn it off, turn it off. Next!â