Russell sighed deeply, closed his eyes slightly, and whispered softly:
"I can actually understand you, truly. To wholly embody the role of someone else's ideal... it must be very hard."
Hadn't he himself once been in the same position as Qiao?
Isolated, bullied, looked down upon, forgotten... yearning for love but unloved, seeking light but finding none.
The only option was to wear a false mask of a smile, forever pretending, forever running away.
They were both trusted by others, both had trustworthy friends and juniors, and they both received love—not for the mask, but for what lay beneath, for the core under the mask.
How much, then, did they differ?
How much could they differ?
Aside from the innate talents that set them apart, aside from Russell possessing memories of another world... there must still be a more fundamental difference between the two.
"It is because I understand you that I can confirm... we are completely different."
