"Major General, your recent medical examination report has come out. Everything is normal, but your mental strength has actually risen to A+, and the military doctor mentioned that your mental strength still has the potential to increase! I knew it, the Major General must be very impressive." Shan Ni'er walked in with the report. Gu Sijiu was looking at some data on mechs and felt a bit puzzled upon hearing this.

As far as she knew, an Alpha's mental strength rarely changed. Mental strength determined a pilot's ability to control mechs and their responsiveness, the higher the mental strength, the stronger the resonance with the mech. Gu Sijiu felt somewhat pleased after hearing this, she thought that such an improvement must be due to her own efforts, especially since she considered herself somewhat of a top student in her previous world, and controlling a mech wasn't as difficult as she had imagined.

"Shan Ni'er, did you think I was weak in the past?" Gu Sijiu asked, trying to keep a straight face despite feeling happy inside. Shan Ni'er hurriedly shook her head, she wanted to say that the previous Major General wasn't very capable. In many situations, she lacked adaptability and only wanted to use brute force. However, the current Major General was clearly much smarter. Of course, Shan Ni'er only dared to keep this thought to herself and wouldn't say it in front of Gu Sijiu.

"Major General, I absolutely do not think that."

"Alright, I know you don't. Besides, I wasn't... very good before." Gu Sijiu looked at the report in her hands. Although her expression didn't show much fluctuation, she felt a bit happy inside. At least this proved that she was somewhat different from the original person's sc.um, and being upgraded to A-level was an achievement in itself. Gu Sijiu felt pleased with herself, but her happiness didn't last long as Shan Ni'er's next words made her feel a sense of trouble coming.

"Major General, because your mental strength has suddenly improved, the military has sent a team of experts to conduct a full-body examination for you."

"What kind of check? Didn't I have one before joining the military?"

"Major General, although you did, at that time your mental strength was at B. Now that you've upgraded to A-level, coupled with General Gu's influence, they'll definitely take special care of you."

Shan Ni'er explained softly, but Gu Sijiu couldn't find joy in her words. The technology in this world was far more advanced than in her original world, and she was unsure about the expertise of this so-called expert team. Would they be able to discern that she and the original owner were not the same person? While most people might dismiss the idea of soul swapping, in Gu Sijiu's mind, these experts and researchers were equivalent to oddities.

If they find out something is wrong, will they inform Gu Nancheng? Then, will they grab me for human experiments? Thinking about this, Gu Sijiu broke out in a cold sweat. Setting aside the consequences of being detected as not belonging to this world, just getting past Gu Nancheng would be a challenge. Although the original owner was useless and a scoun.drel, she was still Gu Nancheng's daughter. If he found out she wasn't the original owner, he would surely find a way to get his worthless daughter back.

Gu Sijiu didn't know where the original owner's soul or consciousness had gone. If she were found and the original returned, what would happen to Song Jinzhi? Gu Sijiu was lost in thought, realizing that her greatest concern wasn't her own safety, but rather the possibility of being captured for research. If they truly brought back the original scum, what would happen to Song Jinzhi? Gu Sijiu's gaze darkened as she reaffirmed that she could not let anyone know her identity, it was for her own protection and for Song Jinzhi's.

"Major General? Major General? What's wrong? Are you feeling hot?" Shan Ni'er continued discussing the report but noticed that Gu Sijiu's forehead was sweating profusely. 

Gu Sijiu snapped out of her thoughts, smiled at Shan Ni'er , and wiped away the sweat. "It's nothing, please continue. Has the issue in the slums been resolved?" Gu Sijiu pretended as if nothing was wrong and steered the conversation away from the topic at hand.

The Laniswei Empire was located in the southern hemisphere of the Planet Xing, and due to its remote location and relatively strong military, major incidents were rare. Gu Sijiu had been relatively idle in the army. However, recently, refugees from the slums had launched multiple terrorist attacks, leading to frequent armed crackdowns by the military, and this situation had been ongoing for over a month.

"Major General, the Minister is handling this matter, but it seems the unrest is more complicated than just the slum dwellers causing trouble. They have very advanced weapons and even mechs." Shan Ni'er said softly. After hearing this, Gu Sijiu stroked her chin in thought. First of all, it was already strange that the slum dwellers dared to cause trouble, and with what Shan Ni'er had said, it was even more serious.

Gu Sijiu and Shan Ni'er chatted for a while, and when it was time, she left the military base punctually. Returning home, she found a pair of shoes and a suitcase at the doorstep, indicating that Song Jinzhi had returned from her trip. They had been apart for almost half a month, during which they had both tacitly refrained from contacting each other. The matter of the birthday was left unspoken by Gu Sijiu, and Song Jinzhi seemed completely unaware. They both treated October 15th as if it were a non-existent day.

Standing at the door for a moment, Gu Sijiu picked up the suitcase and took it to Song Jinzhi's room. The door was closed but not locked, so she pushed it open and immediately saw Song Jinzhi lying on the bed. Dressed in a changed nightgown, she seemed to be resting, her complexion not looking too good and somewhat haggard. Gu Sijiu stood at the door for a while, lifted the suitcase gently, and placed it on the carpet inside the room before walking over to the bedside.

Although they hadn't been apart for long, during this period, Gu Sijiu had pondered many things about her and Song Jinzhi. Song Jinzhi deliberately avoiding her was clear to Gu Sijiu, and the resulting unhappiness wasn't something that could be easily dispelled in just this short half month. However, upon seeing Song Jinzhi's face once again, Gu Sijiu realized that, despite feeling angry, she couldn't help but feel joy upon seeing this person, which was the most frustrating part for her.

Annoyed, Gu Sijiu poked Song Jinzhi's slightly flushed face. Sunlight streamed through the curtain's gap, casting a slanted beam onto Song Jinzhi's face. The sleeping "bad wooden face" appeared very obedient, like a tired kitten hiding its little paws. Gu Sijiu chuckled softly, picked up a light blanket from the side, and gently draped it over Song Jinzhi.

Suddenly, as if startled by something, Song Jinzhi woke up. It wasn't Gu Sijiu who had woken her, but rather a not-so-pleasant dream she had while asleep. In the dream, the gentle and considerate Gu Sijiu had transformed, revealing her true nature. She regained her memories, recalling her ugly and malicious side. She mocked her own stupidity, trying to forcibly mark her over on the cold floor.

The dream was so vivid and distressing that Song Jinzhi cried out in her sleep. Upon waking up to see Gu Sijiu's face up close, she reflexively pushed her away. Gu Sijiu, unprepared for this reaction and never expecting Song Jinzhi to push her upon waking up, took a few steps back. Meeting Song Jinzhi's guarded and disgusted gaze, Gu Sijiu's heart sank.

"Sorry for waking you up." She glanced at the blanket in her hands that she hadn't managed to cover Song Jinzhi with and suddenly felt like a lowly clown, realizing that her efforts were insignificant in the eyes of a passerby, almost like a joke. Song Jinzhi's attitude toward her, after all... remained the same.

Gu Sijiu didn't say much more and turned to leave the room. In truth, she had more to say to Song Jinzhi, but at that moment, she had lost the mood and ability to talk. If she opened her mouth, it might reveal her choked voice. After leaving Song Jinzhi's room, Gu Sijiu didn't return to her own room, instead, she went downstairs to the garden and sat on a chair, lost in thought.

After her birthday, Gu Sijiu had been wanting to find an opportunity to talk to Song Jinzhi. She wasn't someone who caused trouble for no reason or would go to extremes for love. Song Jinzhi was the first person she had feelings for, but that didn't mean that if Song Jinzhi didn't reciprocate those feelings, Gu Sijiu would sacrifice her own emotions. Gu Sijiu wanted to have a clear conversation with Song Jinzhi, and if there wasn't even a trace of affection from Song Jinzhi, Gu Sijiu was prepared to let go.

Gu Sijiu had this thought that night, but she rarely liked someone and wanted to make more effort. Unexpectedly, Song Jinzhi didn't even give her the chance to try harder and went directly to the Moon. Thinking about this, Gu Sijiu let out a bitter smile. She thought that during this time spent with Song Jinzhi, perhaps there was some mutual feeling, that even if there wasn't love, it wouldn't be as hateful as before. But now it seemed she had been mistaken.

Gu Sijiu hated procrastination and suspicion, and she couldn't accept vague feelings. She didn't understand Song Jinzhi's earlier mixed signals, nor could she comprehend the sudden distance. She felt that her current behavior was unlike herself. Before, she wanted to express her feelings to Song Jinzhi, saying that if there was still a chance, she would be willing to fight for it. If Song Jinzhi truly had no feelings for her, then she wouldn't force anything and would just maintain their casual relationship. But those words were left unsaid, as Song Jinzhi's actions had already given her the answer.

Some questions have answers without needing to be asked.

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