Early the next morning, sunlight streamed through the window and into the room.
Hinata sat by the bed. Yesterday's events had kept her from sleeping well last night, so she summoned her Clones again.
"Poof!"
With a soft sound, figures identical to Hinata appeared before her eyes.
Unlike before, Hinata took a deep breath. She didn't immediately have them start to Cultivate, but instead gave them a serious order.
"From now on, you must strictly follow one rule—it's best if there is no unnecessary physical contact between you! Don't get too close! No cuddling!"
She even specifically crossed her arms over her chest, making a large 'X' sign.
Hinata paused for a moment, then spoke fiercely.
"If I catch you, you're going to have some 'good fruit juice' to eat!"
She didn't want to see herself fall from a legendary pilot to a legendary miner.
As for 'female falling' or whatever... Yada!
Hearing this request, all the Clones immediately nodded in agreement and promised Hinata solemnly.
"Don't worry, we're not like those two from before! We're all proper, pure-as-can-be steel-straight girls!"
The Clones looked confident.
"It's a wrap! Just put your heart at ease! That kind of stuff is unnecessary!"
Just as all the Clones were making guarantees, a traitor appeared among them!
"Wait, main body, don't you have a correct val—"
Before she could even finish half her sentence, her mouth was covered by the other Clones as Hinata's gaze swept over.
"Hahaha! main body, she's saying your decision is incredibly correct, and she says she'll follow it too!"
Then the other Clones tacitly blocked her, continuing to make guarantees to distract Hinata, while a few others volunteered to help do her hair.
Hinata: "..."
She felt these Clones were acting weird, but she didn't say anything and continued with her daily routine.
The Clones also began to Cultivate. Once they had finished most of their training, some of them started to get restless.
One Clone sneaked up behind another Clone who was seriously studying the heaven and earth primordial qi pot recipes.
Then, Clone A grabbed two large mounds of dough with both hands and gave them a vigorous rub. (Dough intended for the heaven and earth primordial qi pot to make food, really.)
"Ow~ what are you doing?" Clone B cried out.
"Wow, it's very soft and resilient. Large volume, extra-large cup, food-grade."
After finishing her review, Clone A let go and sat down next to Clone B.
"The main body said not to get too close! Did you forget what she said?" Clone B glared at her, her face flushed red (from the heat of the fire).
"What? I just came over to taste some delicious food," Clone A quibbled.
"The main body set the rules. If any Clone has finished their Cultivate, they are absolutely not allowed to cuddle, or else you'll have some 'good fruit juice' to eat!"
"No cuddling, whoever cuddles is finished." Clone A repeated the main body's words to show she remembered, then changed the subject.
"The main body won't let you cuddle, but will you cuddle?"
Clone B was silent.
"The main body doesn't want you to cuddle, will you cuddle or not? Say it quickly."
Clone A paused, then spoke with a firm tone as if she were taking an oath.
"You must cuddle even if it kills you!"
"Then... then what if the main body catches us and we have to eat 'good fruit juice'?" Clone B asked worriedly.
"It's impossible for her to give you 'good fruit juice.' It won't even be a serious warning, just a warning not to cuddle anymore. Because we are one, hitting me is like hitting herself."
"Is the main body really going to punch herself just because I cuddled a bit?"
Clone A's eyes were filled with wisdom, as if possessed by Aqua; her wise gaze had long since seen through everything.
"Come, I'll teach you how to cuddle. Listen carefully, and then I'll tell you what to do if the main body catches you." Clone A looked serious, as if she were about to impart some world-shaking Secret Manual.
"When the main body catches you, she'll usually say, 'You, Clone, no more cuddling!'" While speaking, Clone A even imitated the movements the main body might make.
"The main body's expression will definitely be very stern, saying no cuddling is allowed. The main body says no cuddling, but she can't keep an eye on you all the time. There are dozens or even a hundred Clones; how could she always be watching you?" she explained confidently.
"So once the main body leaves, will you still cuddle? You must continue to cuddle."
"Then what if the main body catches me a second time?" Clone B was thoughtful.
"What was your reaction the first time you were caught? I especially hate it when you say you weren't cuddling. For example, if the main body says you can't cuddle anymore, you can't say you weren't. Since the main body says you were, then you were. Don't quibble, absolutely do not quibble."
Clone A looked solemn: "Then you must pull away from the other Clone. Regardless of whether you were cuddling or not, you must pull away immediately."
"Look at my face. If she catches you a second time, rest assured she definitely won't deal with you. Trust me, she absolutely won't deal with you."
"At that time, the main body will say, 'What's wrong with you? Didn't I say no cuddling? If you do it again, believe it or not, I'll deal with you.'"
Clone A continued in a low voice.
"She says 'believe it or not,' but you must never say 'I don't believe you.' You absolutely cannot say that. If you say that, I'm telling you, you're dead meat."
"Wait... why do I feel like I've heard these words somewhere before?" Clone B rubbed her chin, pondering.
"Hey, don't interrupt. The second time you're caught, the main body is angry. I'll tell you what to do. Pay attention to the details. You immediately use the Flying Thunder God to pull away, then look at the main body and smile. Just look at her face and smile awkwardly."
Clone B: "...I don't know how to smile awkwardly. I've never done it."
"You will... you will. When she's glaring at you, and you still have to smile, it'll be very awkward. Just looking at her face will make you feel awkward."
Clone A looked dead serious, as if she had actually experienced it.
Then she noticed that Clone B had already started smiling, and it really was a very awkward smile.
"Oh? You can do it? Not bad, not bad. That's the expression. When the time comes, just do that. Right now, your expression looks like you've really seen the main body."
Clone A smiled, looking as if she were watching her beloved disciple successfully graduate.
"Then what about the third time?"
A voice came from behind Clone A. Clone A instantly froze and stopped smiling.
"..."
"..."
She turned her head with difficulty and found that the main body was standing behind her at some point, with a "kind" expression.
No wonder Clone B's smile was so realistic; it wasn't acting... Clone A knew she couldn't just sit and wait for death. She instantly used the Flying Thunder God to pull back several meters.
Then she started... looking at the main body and smiling.
She smiled very awkwardly, even more awkwardly than Clone B had. It was the kind of smile that could be included in a Beijing Film Academy textbook.
"Learning and applying on the spot."
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