At 8 PM, the TV screen flickered—
Episode 7 of 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' began airing on time.
Cheng Hanfei sat up straight.
At the start, it was once again C.C.'s narration, voiced by Zhuang Yuxin.
The story continued from last week's ending.
Lelouch attended the funeral of Shirley's father. Under the gloomy sky, his friends, classmates—even his most cherished sister—openly expressed their hatred toward Zero.
Leading the people of Area 11 in rebellion against Britannia wasn't the issue. Even though Lelouch's friends were Britannians, ordinary people couldn't influence imperial decisions—they could only feel sympathy.
But Zero's landslide tactic had not only wiped out Britannian soldiers—
It had also killed countless innocent civilians.
So it was only natural that Lelouch's friends condemned Zero as a terrorist.
Even Lelouch himself—
Usually confident and composed—
Was shaken.
His rebellion against Britannia wasn't just because he had been betrayed by his father and nearly died with his sister years ago—
But also because he believed his cause was just.
That he was fighting for the oppressed.
But now—
Killing civilians in pursuit of victory…
Made him question that very justice.
At that moment—
C.C.'s sharp voice cut through his thoughts.
"But the weak one here is you. What, are you treating this like a game?"
"Shut up!" Lelouch snapped.
"The people you killed—they had families too. Lovers, friends. Don't tell me you didn't know that." C.C. said with a faint smile.
Cheng Hanfei blinked.
C.C.'s words were exactly what fans across the Xia Nation had been debating all week.
"Shut up. Of course, I was prepared for this."
"Then why are you hesitating now?"
"You've already lost the right to waver or stop. This… is about survival."
C.C.'s expression turned serious.
If Lelouch couldn't figure it out—if he let meaningless attachments hold him back—
She would push him forward.
At that moment, C.C.'s appeal skyrocketed in the eyes of countless viewers.
Yes—
A protagonist can feel lost.
Can feel pain.
But it cannot remain lost forever.
Didn't Lelouch want to change the world?
Whether for himself or for his sister—
What's done is done.
If he couldn't accept that, then he had no business pursuing something greater.
Clearly—
Lelouch understood.
And in that moment, his character development took a major leap.
The reason Lelouch was so beloved wasn't just his intelligence—
It was his principles.
He was smart, but also emotional and loyal.
He acknowledged his mistakes—
But never let setbacks break him.
Even in the future, when the entire world—and even his beloved sister—turned against him…
He would never waver from the goal he set in Episode 1.
The story continued—
A solemn, tragic atmosphere unfolded.
Soon after, Lelouch launched another surprise attack against Britannia—
Only for it to once again be thwarted by Suzaku.
During their clash in mechs, Lelouch was injured and lost consciousness.
Meanwhile—
Through coincidence—and enemy manipulation—
Shirley arrived at the battlefield.
A mysterious message had told her that Zero might appear there.
And so—
Fate brought her face-to-face with the truth.
Lelouch's mech lay collapsed.
The cockpit opened.
Inside—
Zero was unconscious.
And Shirley found him.
As she slowly reached out to remove his mask—
Cheng Hanfei's heart started pounding wildly.
He couldn't stay calm watching this.
If Shirley discovered that Lelouch was Zero—
That he was her father's killer—
What would happen?
After her father's death, Lelouch had become one of her emotional anchors.
And now—
That anchor was about to shatter.
Cheng Hanfei thought Su Yan might drag this out—
But no.
The scene was direct.
Shirley removed the mask—
And saw Lelouch's face.
Then—
At the critical moment—
A Britannian officer aimed a gun at the unconscious Lelouch.
Without hesitation—
Shirley raised her own gun and fired.
Bang.
Cheng Hanfei slumped back into his chair.
He let out a long breath.
His emotions were tangled.
Shirley knew the truth.
She knew Lelouch was her father's killer.
If she couldn't bring herself to shoot him—
She could have simply walked away.
Let the soldier finish the job.
But instead—
She chose to protect him.
And then silently left.
[Sigh…]
The story moved quickly.
After being rescued by C.C., Lelouch realized someone might have seen his face—
But he couldn't understand why that person hadn't killed him.
Then—
A new character appeared:
Mao.
The second Geass user.
His ability—
Mind reading.
But it came with a fatal flaw:
He couldn't turn it off.
How could someone who constantly heard others' true thoughts ever live normally?
He had once been C.C.'s contractor—
But it was abandoned after losing control and descending into madness.
Now—
He targeted C.C.
Because only she—
Was silent to him.
The only person he couldn't read.
The only one he could connect with.
The only one he loved.
And so—
To take C.C. back—
He targeted Shirley.
Using his power, he pushed her mind to the brink of collapse—
Then, she used her as bait to lure Lelouch to an amusement park.
His plan was simple:
Push Shirley over the edge—
Make her shoot Lelouch.
Lelouch wouldn't suspect his friend.
And once Lelouch died—
C.C. would return to him.
Watching this—
Cheng Hanfei's anger surged.
[What kind of garbage character is this?!]
[Using mind-reading like THAT?]
[Others use powers to heal people—he uses them to destroy them!]
But at the critical moment—
When Shirley pointed the gun at Lelouch—
She couldn't pull the trigger.
Love and hatred tore her apart.
She couldn't kill him—
And couldn't forgive herself for not being able to.
Cheng Hanfei felt it.
That familiar pain.
[It's only Episode 7…]
[You're already doing this again, old sadist?!]
Lelouch stepped forward.
Gently lowered her gun.
Shirley broke down in tears.
He held her.
Cheng Hanfei froze.
[Wait…]
[Don't tell me… C.C.'s position is in danger?!]
[And if Shirley just forgives him like this—her character is ruined!]
"I… I was going to shoot you…" Shirley cried.
"But I'm still alive." Lelouch said softly.
"But…"
"I forgive you." He said firmly.
"But my dad… he's dead…" Shirley finally broke.
"Then forget it. Just forget everything painful."
At that moment—
Cheng Hanfei's chest tightened.
Forget?
How could she forget something like that?
But—
For Lelouch—
There was a way.
"I can't…" Shirley sobbed.
"You can. I'll make you forget everything. Shirley… I'm sorry about your father. If I could be reborn—"
His eyes glowed red.
Geass.
Shirley seemed to realize what was happening—
And cried out.
The scene shifted.
Night.
Shirley stood at her father's grave—
Calm, yet faintly sorrowful.
As she turned to leave—
She noticed a boy nearby.
Lelouch.
"Did you… lose someone too?" She asked gently, as if meeting him for the first time.
She didn't remember him.
Not his name.
Not his face.
Not the love she once had.
At that realization—
Cheng Hanfei felt his nose sting.
[You really did it…]
"No… not family. A friend." Lelouch said quietly.
"You must have loved them, right?" Shirley asked softly.
"…I don't know anymore." Lelouch replied, turning away.
The ending theme began.
Cheng Hanfei sat there, mouth slightly open.
The sorrowful music filled the room.
Lelouch had erased himself—
From Shirley's memory.
Her father's death couldn't be undone.
But the unbearable truth—
That the boy she loved was also her father's killer—
That was what broke her.
So Lelouch removed it.
Removed himself.
Removed everything.
No deaths in this episode—
Yet it was the most heartbreaking one so far.
Cheng Hanfei quickly turned off the TV.
His frustration boiled over.
[It's only been a year!]
[Su Yan—you're doing this again?!]
[You just can't stop with the emotional damage, can you?!]