"You really don't remember me? It's me! It's me!" Xiao Shi circled Zhao Ran while somehow looking both happy and disappointed as he practically danced around her.
Zhao Ran licked her lips and said, "I forgot. I'm sorry, but I'm rotten goods."
Xiao Shi patted his mushroom head. "What about this? Do you think it's cute?"
Zhao Ran's eyes lit up. "It's very cute."
"Really?" Xiao Shi was thrilled by her response.
Zhao Ran finally noticed that Lu Yin and the others had arrived, and she cheerfully said, "Your Highness, you’re back. Ah, the herbal tea spilled! I'm sorry, Your Highness, I'll make more."
Lu Yin said, "Zhao Ran, do you know him?"
Zhao Ran looked over at Xiao Shi and then back at Lu Yin while shaking her head. "I don't know him, but he’s so cute!"
Lu Yin glanced at Xiao Shi, who appeared rather depressed. "Brother Lu, she should know me. She’s the first person other than Xiao Chi to think that my mushroom head is cute, and she even gave me a gift."
Zhao Ran apologized again, "I'm sorry, your mushroom head is really cute, but I’ve forgotten all about you. I'm sorry, but I'm rotten goods. I'm so sorry."
Xiao Shi quickly replied, "I'm sorry, you’re not rotten goods. You’re my friend, and I'm sorry for you."
"I’m sorry, but I’m rotten goods."
"I'm sorry, but you’re my friend. Look at this mushroom head!"
"Ah, it’s so cute! By the way, who are you? Since we’re meeting for the first time, let me make you a cup of tea."
Lu Yin was left speechless as he watched the entire conversation start again.
Xiao Shi blinked, as he also felt rather confused.
Skymender looked from Lu Yin to Zhao Ran. The astral beast had always felt that this maid was quite odd.
"Just forget it, Xiao Shi. She doesn't remember you," Lu Yin spoke up. He then asked Zhao Ran to check what was hanging around her neck, as it contained her memories.
Zhao Ran quickly remembered some things, and then she started to apologize to Xiao Shi yet again. "I'm sorry, but I'm rotten goods. I can’t remember anything, but your mushroom head is so cute."
Xiao Shi found himself unable to answer, due to his disappointment. "You really don't remember me?"
"I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!"
"Forget it. No matter what, you’re still my friend, and I’ll continue to protect your gift." With that, Xiao Shi pulled a pearl out of his cosmic ring.
The sight of the pearl completely stunned Lu Yin, as well as Destina, Skymender, and Starsibyl.
A pearl? Identical to the others? What the hell? There was another one?
They had never dreamed that another pearl would appear so suddenly and unexpectedly.
Xiao Shi held the pearl in front of Zhao Ran's eyes. "Do you remember? You gave me this as a present."
Zhao Ran just blinked, still as confused as ever.
Lu Yin stretched out his hand, took the pearl, and then pulled out the other ten. They were exactly the same. They were part of the set of Destiny’s thirteen pearls.
Lu Yin stared at Xiao Shi in shock. "Zhao Ran gave you this pearl?"
Xiao Shi nodded blankly. "That’s right."
"When?" Lu Yin asked anxiously.
Xiao Shi thought for a moment. "It was years ago. I was actually very young, as it’s one of my first memories."
"How long was it between when you received the pearl and when you found that big book?" Skymender asked.
Xiao Shi did some calculations before answering. "It was many years."
Lu Yin looked from the pearls in his hand to Zhao Ran, as though in a trance.
Zhao Ran still looked as confused as ever, remembering nothing at all. "Your Highness, would you like some tea?"
"I understand now. The reason why this man is able to read a Book of Destiny is because of this pearl. Despite never cultivating any of Destiny’s power, the pearl is already a connection to Destiny that must have extended to him over time, giving him the natural ability to read the book." Skymender felt as though his questions had been resolved.
Lu Yin had come to the same conclusion and breathed a sigh of relief; Xiao Shi was not Destiny.
However, why had Zhao Ran given the pearl to Xiao Shi? Where had Zhao Ran gotten the pearl?
Destina stepped forward and stared at Zhao Ran, as though trying to see through the girl.
Zhao Ran and Destina stared at each other, and Zhao Ran asked in confusion, "Would you like some tea?"
"Why do you have this pearl?" Destina demanded.
Zhao Ran glanced at the pearls in Lu Yin's hand and answered, "I don't have any pearls."
"You gave one to this boy," Destina replied.
Zhao Ran blinked. "Really? I don't know him. I'm sorry, but I’m rotten goods."
Destina’s eyebrows climbed high, but Skymender just shrugged. "She forgets everything periodically and is unable to remember things that even happened just moments before."
Lu Yin waved a hand. "Zhao Ran, go prepare some tea."
Zhao Ran agreed and quickly fled the scene. She did not like Destina, as the woman’s eyes made Zhao Ran feel uncomfortable. She just wanted to make some herbal tea, as she quite enjoyed doing that.
Destina turned to Lu Yin. "Are you sure that she really forgets things? She isn’t just pretending?"
Lu Yin said, "I first met her shortly after I first started cultivating. She was already like this for decades even then."