Mingzhu had a nemesis, or so she thought.
Their mentors were enemies, so Mingzhu wanted to beat the other woman and win back some face for her own mentor.
But she failed.
The other woman was a genius, and Mingzhu was only mediocre.
Her prized potion-making skills couldn't compare to the other's. Nothing she had learned, not a single thing, could measure up.
After being called a genius for twenty years, Mingzhu suddenly realized that she was mediocre.
Did she hate her?
She did. She hated her own mediocrity, the other's strength, the other's provocations, her own helplessness, the other's charisma, and everything about her.
Why couldn't she be that capable?
Why was she the mediocre one?
Why was the other woman nearly omnipotent, the spiritual leader of everyone in this era?
Mingzhu thought she would hate her for the rest of her life, either retiring in obscurity and frustration, or working for her forever, swallowing her anger as she endured one provocation after another. Then, one day, the other woman suddenly disappeared.
Everyone forgot about her.
They said she was Mingzhu's imaginary friend.
Huh?
Did she have a masochistic streak? Why would she imagine a friend like that?
Shen Zhiwang worked for the Quick Transmigration Bureau. She was bound to a Salvation System, putting out fires in this world on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and saving another world on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Saving the world came naturally to her. She was born to be an all-around heroine.
She thought her life would be nothing but saving the world, alone until she died. Then she met Mingzhu in this world.
Sweet Mingzhu. Mingzhu, who was as adorable as a kitten when she got angry. She liked her so, so, so much. But this world's mission was difficult, and once she succeeded, her existence would be erased.
Everyone would forget her... including Mingzhu.
She couldn't bear it, couldn't bear it, couldn't bear it, couldn't bear it.
She wanted to retire. She had to retire. She would retire.
Shen Zhiwang raced to complete missions and save up points, all so she could trade them for a body and return to the world where Mingzhu lived.
Mingzhu still couldn't let go of Shen Zhiwang.
Her adolescence had unfolded in the shadow of this woman. All her love and hate, all the dark feelings inside her, had sprung from Shen Zhiwang. She didn't believe Shen Zhiwang had never existed. She was going to find her.
Following the faint traces in her memories, she tracked down the place where Shen Zhiwang had probably disappeared and met someone who looked exactly like her.
The woman saw her, her eyes brightened, and she walked up familiarly to strike up a conversation. "Hello, miss. You remind me of someone."
"Someone I was destined to love."
Mingzhu: ...
Guess whether I'm laughing. :)
A gloomy, insecure, "widow-like" pouty shou x a cheerful, playful, powerful gong who loves teasing cats and dogs (role-switching, shou-leaning)
The world is still being developed, so the era is undecided.
Pure romance, one-on-one, no men involved. Short story, not paywalled until complete. Written in a burst of indulgence, with complete creative freedom, but updates will probably be irregular.
Theme: Perseverance is what matters
