Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

"What do I want… of course, it's to reach this position I'm in now with the things I love." Yun Mengxi hesitated, then just chuckled. "As for what I love… let's keep that a secret for now."

"Then why did you choose to walk down a path you don't like?" Kiana still couldn't understand her confusion.

"Because this path suits me…" Yun Mengxi lowered her eyes and smiled faintly.

Kiana: "?"

Isn't it good if it suits you?

"Are you thinking, why would I feel bad and dislike something that suits me? Do you think I'm being too dramatic?" Yun Mengxi asked with a smile.

Kiana nodded, then shook her head. Honestly, she felt a bit overloaded.

"Then do you think what suits you is necessarily good?"

This time, Kiana didn't even know whether to nod or shake her head.

Fortunately, Yun Mengxi didn't intend to wait for Kiana to answer.

"I don't think what suits you is necessarily good. It's like I never liked using an image and abilities I don't like to stand under the spotlight, but… it really does suit me."

Kiana still didn't understand. "Then the things you want to do… don't suit you?"

"..." After a long silence, Yun Mengxi nodded sadly, "Yeah…"

"Huh?!" Kiana's eyes widened. She finally seemed to have caught a glimmer of understanding.

"Actually, I've always known that what I love doesn't suit me, and my brother knows it too. That's why he settled for second best, using another way to push me up here."

"See, he really loves me, right? He's not that much older than me, and the pressure on our family is so huge, but just because I said one thing, he took on the pressure that should have been shared by two people, pushing me onto the path that… suits me."

"He also had his own dreams… but carrying twice the pressure, he no longer had the energy to pursue what he loved… So, his pursuit of dreams turned into expectations, falling onto my shoulders."

"At first… I thought the same way, thinking that what suits me is the best, so I worked really hard, carrying my brother's expectations and striving to reach the peak."

Isn't that great? Kiana thought.

No matter how you looked at it, wasn't this kind of story supposed to have a happy ending? Then why…

"But… when I stood under that spotlight, the dreams I buried suddenly sprouted again. They told me… how wonderful it would be if I could stand there with them…"

"But I know it doesn't suit me, I know my brother's choice is better for me, but I can't help but wonder, which is better for me, what I love or what suits me?"

"Which path should I take? I always feel like the other path is better. Tell me… am I hopeless?"

Yun Mengxi suddenly chuckled bitterly.

"I still haven't taken the other path… because I don't want to disappoint my brother, who has sacrificed so much for me… but I just can't help but wonder… is there another path for me?"

"I think my brother was right, I think… maybe I'm not wrong either."

Kiana lowered her head, silent.

She could imagine how painful it must be to walk down a path you completely disliked.

But, Yun Mengxi herself also said, she thought Yun Feng hadn't done anything wrong.

Yun Feng wanted Yun Mengxi to better pursue her dreams, while Yun Mengxi didn't want to disappoint Yun Feng's expectations.

Yun Feng didn't want Yun Mengxi to walk down a path she didn't like, but there was no other way.

Yun Mengxi didn't want to think about this, but couldn't help it.

At this moment, Kiana couldn't help but recall Yun Mengxi's opening line before she started telling her story.

[Why is it that no one did anything wrong, but we still don't get a good ending?]

Kiana felt her brain was starting to overheat.

She also knew what "good intentions gone wrong" meant, and understood that not everything would lead to a happy ending, but…

She just didn't understand why things like this happened in the world. Just because of misunderstandings, because of chance?

Just like those two hotpot restaurants… why couldn't they just work together to create the perfect hotpot?

Was it unavoidable?

"Couldn't you… clear up the misunderstanding?" Kiana spoke, only now realizing her voice was a bit dry.

Yun Mengxi was clearly taken aback by Kiana's question for a moment, then shook her head, her eyes lost and unfocused as she stared at the ground.

"Of course, it can't be cleared up…" Yun Mengxi chuckled softly, but now, Kiana could also distinguish the bitter laugh from a genuine one.

"Why?"

"Because…" Yun Mengxi lowered her eyes, "Neither of us is wrong, you see… Apologize? Wouldn't that be like admitting your own choice was wrong? To admit you hurt the other person… to make the other person realize they hurt you too?"

"We just can't bring ourselves to say those apologies." Yun Mengxi shook her head.

"Then are you just going to let it drag on like this?" This time, Kiana truly didn't understand. Was face more important than right and wrong?

Was maintaining appearances worth letting things develop in the worst possible direction?

Yun Mengxi didn't speak, her gaze only becoming more unfocused.

Perhaps… they had both considered this before…

Yun Feng had hesitated several times, wanting to say something to her, and she had also been confused many times… They had both considered apologizing and yielding to the other.

But they had both lost to youth… lost to the closest yet most estranged relationship, and lost to the age where pride was strongest, and losing face was unthinkable.

Just like Kiana was unwilling to show her vulnerable side to Mei…

In the end, there was no difference between them. One was selfish for her own sake, the other was concealing things out of concern for others.

One forgot herself, one ignored others, and coincidentally, they were both matched with people just like them.

The reason two puzzle pieces could fit together was because they were mutually lacking, mutually complementing. If you stubbornly smoothed yourself out, you would only miss each other.

So… were they really just going to let it drag on like this?

Until in the end, nothing could be salvaged?

…

[There are two paths ahead of you. One is the path you're taking now, and the other can also lead to the destination you desire, and on this path, there's even scenery you love the most, it's just a bit winding. Would you choose it?]

Kiana suddenly remembered a question like this.

How had she answered back then?

[I'd definitely choose the better path! Why wouldn't I choose a better path if there is one?]

But… could she really reach the destination? Was there really a path in life you could only walk once and actually see the end of?

[What if that path isn't as good as you imagined?]

[Then I'll make it better! I know what I like, so I'll just work hard in the direction I love, wouldn't that be enough?]

Kiana took a deep breath.

So… had she actually made her choice a long time ago?

And what was her true choice?

Kiana looked up.

"Kiana, are you interested in becoming a hero?"

It was striving to become a "hero"!