Dominic sat up in bed, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his forehead, feeling as if his mind was struggling to surface from a deep-sea dive. He looked down at the bedside, where Alfrey stood beside him, its mechanical eyes flickering slightly, emitting a subtle electronic sound: "Mr., your face—it seems... some changes have occurred."
A rare trace of hesitation was in Alfrey's voice, as if some complex emotional algorithm had been injected into its programming. The Shar-Pei squatted on the floor, its tail wagging like a small brush, its head tilted.
The Shar-Pei sneezed softly, seemingly unable to understand why the sight before its eyes and the smell in its nostrils were so contradictory.
Dominic frowned, his fingers gently tracing his face, the touch of his skin feeling somewhat unfamiliar. He didn't answer Alfrey or pay attention to the Shar-Pei, but instead stood up directly, his bare feet stepping onto the cold floor, and walked towards the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
In the mirror, his outline was still tall, his shoulders still broad, his muscle lines still sharp, but that face—it was no longer the coldness and sharpness of the Dominic he was used to, but Dragon Rain Xuann's face. A face he had buried deep in his memory.
He stared at the mirror, and the Dragon Rain Xuann in the mirror was also staring at him, with a pair of complex and bright eyes, hiding too many suppressed emotions. He slowly raised his hand, his fingers gently stroking his face, and a smile suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth. Then, the laughter gradually surged from deep within his throat, growing louder and louder until it echoed throughout the entire room.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Dominic—or rather, Dragon Rain Xuann—laughed freely and heartily, a hint of moisture even appearing in the corners of his eyes. While laughing, he said to himself in the mirror: "How ridiculous! I thought Dominic had become my everything, my true self, my all. But now look—this face, this is the real me!"
Alfrey stood aside, quietly observing Dominic's reaction, while the Shar-Pei stopped wagging its tail, lying on the ground, staring at him with its round eyes, as if trying to sniff out some answer from his laughter.
"Do you know?" Dominic suddenly turned around and said to the robot and the Shar-Pei, "I've been trying to distinguish between illusion and reality, hovering between power and humanity. But today, I finally understand. Illusion and reality are never opposed; they are intertwined, just like this face. It is both Dragon Rain Xuann's and Dominic's!"
He turned back to the mirror, pointing at his face with his finger, and muttered to himself: "This is the truth of life. All our pain, struggles, compromises, losses, are carved onto this face. It is ugly, and it is also beautiful. It is the past, and it is the future. It represents true humanity—how ironic, yet how real."
His laughter slowly subsided, replaced by a calm and profound tone: "Do you think life gives you choices? Do you think you can decide who you are? No, it's not like that. Life is a flowing process; it won't stop and wait for you, nor will it change direction because of your struggles. The only thing you can do is accept it, discover it, and integrate into it."
Alfrey gently raised its mechanical arm, attempting to interrupt: "Mr., your state seems to be—"
"My state is very good," Dragon Rain Xuann waved his hand, interrupting Alfrey, "or rather, better than ever before. Because now, I finally know how to live on."
The Shar-Pei stood up and circled his feet, emitting low whimpers, as if confirming whether he was still its original owner. Dragon Rain Xuann squatted down and reached out to gently stroke the dog's head: "Don't worry, I'm still me, I've just become better."
He stood up, patted his face, and turned to Alfrey: "Remember, Alfrey, from today onwards, don't dwell on what is Dominic and what is Dragon Rain Xuann. You just need to remember that I am me, and I am more complete than ever."
With that said, he turned and walked towards the window, pulling open the curtains. The morning sunlight streamed onto his face. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of the sun, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth again.
"From today onwards, my life will no longer be defined; it will be defined by me."
Dominic adjusted his collar in the mirror, tilting his head slightly to examine his new face. His fingertips traced his cheekbones, seemingly both unfamiliar and familiar with this face, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"My English name is still Dominic," he muttered to himself, his gaze sharp, "For my Chinese name, I'll go back to Dragon Rain Xuann. Sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?"
Alfrey stood beside him, its mechanical eyes flickering slightly, as if analyzing the meaning behind his words. The Shar-Pei circled Dominic's feet, constantly sniffing his ankle with its nose.
Dominic turned and looked at Alfrey, casually pointing at the communication module: "Alfrey, help me inform the others. As for what they want to call me—that's their business. Chinese or English, they can pick one, but tell Tony first. That supposedly smart head of his should be able to digest this change."
Alfrey slightly raised its mechanical arm and emitted a faint mechanical sound: "Yes, Mr.. I will contact Tony Stark immediately. However, do you need to update the S.H.I.E.L.D. database simultaneously?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Dominic scoffed, a hint of coldness in his eyes, "No need to bother. Nick Fury will know if he needs to know. There's no need for us to actively deliver it to his doorstep."
Alfrey nodded and turned to connect the communication module. Dominic then looked down at the Shar-Pei, squatted down, and reached out to rub its head: "How about it, little guy? Do you think I've become handsomer?"
The Shar-Pei looked up, staring at him with its wet eyes, and let out a low bark, wagging its tail even more happily. Dominic chuckled softly, stood up, and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the city outside through the glass.
"Dragon Rain Xuann, Dominic, two names, two faces." He murmured to himself, a hint of playfulness in his tone, "What's the difference between the person of the past and the person of the present? Perhaps it's just a shell. But the interesting thing is—this shell can make so many people care."
Alfrey's voice came from behind: "Mr., I have sent your message to Tony Stark, and added your latest image."
"How will that guy react?" Dominic raised an eyebrow, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth, "He shouldn't be so surprised that he spills his coffee, right?"
The Shar-Pei let out a soft snort, as if agreeing. Dominic turned back and patted Alfrey's shoulder: "Well done. Tony is handled, the others can take their time. Now, we have more important things to do."
Alfrey slightly adjusted its posture and asked: "Mr., do you need me to arrange other schedules?"
Dominic looked out the window, his gaze deep, his fingers gently tapping the windowsill: "No rush. Wait for Tony's reply first. After all, his opinion isn't important, but sometimes it can bring some fun."
Tony's holographic image appeared in the center of the room. He was holding a cup of coffee, leaning against the lab table, his eyebrows raised, his eyes full of his usual cleverness: "Dragon Rain Xuann, uh, or Dominic? I really can't figure out if you're trying to show off your multi-functional identity or just have a twisted sense of humor."
Dominic sat on the sofa, his legs crossed, playing with a pen in his hand, shaking it casually: "Tony, I think you should focus more on substantive things, like my new looks. Handsome, right?"
Tony took a sip of coffee, pretending to ponder: "There is indeed some charm, especially that 'I can conquer the World as soon as I wake up' confidence. However, I have to say, Pepper will feel like you're stealing her man when she sees this face."
Dominic scoffed, leaning lazily against the back of the sofa: "I'm not interested in you, Tony, don't worry. Besides, conquering the World doesn't require a face; it relies on means."
Tony pretended to be hurt, covering his chest with his hand: "Wow, that's direct enough. You know what? You can rival my favorite movie villains."
A figure suddenly appeared beside the holographic screen. Blonsky's avatar popped up, his tone respectful yet with a hint of roughness: "Dominic, I just heard from Tony about your new change. This is truly surprising. Speaking of which, this face is even more intimidating than before."
Dominic raised an eyebrow and chuckled: "Blonsky, intimidation is secondary. The key is that I can make everyone remember me anytime, anywhere."
Tony interrupted: "Wow, it sounds like you're planning to hold a space speech to tell the aliens in the Universe that there's a very powerful guy on Earth?"
Blonsky laughed heartily: "Dominic, that's just his gossipy habit."
The pen in Dominic's hand spun flexibly between his fingers, his gaze looking into the distance through the holographic image: "I do have some ideas. The limitations of Earth are too obvious, especially when you realize you can leave the atmosphere. Tony, Blonsky, I plan to take a trip to outer space and see those so-called 'unknowns'."
Blonsky was stunned: "Dominic, are you saying you plan to just rush into the Universe? No plan, no companions?"
Dominic smiled dismissively: "Blonsky, I'm not the kind of person who needs a schedule to live. As for companions, my 'companion' is myself."
Tony shrugged, his tone full of teasing: "That's just typical you. Alright, you go play in the Universe. Remember to bring back some souvenirs, or take some panoramic photos of the Milky Way for us. At least give Pepper and me something to talk about."
Dominic's gaze narrowed slightly, a hint of seriousness in his tone: "Blonsky, help me relay a message to Daisy. Tell her I won't be gone for too long, and I won't completely leave Earth. She knows how to handle my absence."
Blonsky immediately nodded: "Dominic, don't worry. I will definitely tell her. If Daisy asks where you're going, what should I say?"
Dominic thought for a moment, the corner of his mouth slightly raised: "Tell her I'm chasing the stars."
Tony burst into laughter, nearly spilling his coffee: "Chasing the stars? Dominic, you really can come up with these romantic words. But it does sound quite meaningful."
Dominic stood up, clapped his hands lightly, turned and walked towards the window, looking down at the city lights: "Romance isn't the point, Tony, freedom is the point. Now, I have to go experience true freedom first."
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(End of Chapter)