Amidst the noisy environment of little Xin's family...
Yunli was finally woken up by the commotion. Feeling a bit displeased, she crawled out from under the covers. But when she opened her bleary eyes, she saw four pairs of eyes staring intently at her.
Yunli Ծ‸Ծ: 'This is... huh?!!'
Realizing the situation, Yunli's mind gradually cleared up. A flush of red suddenly bloomed on her fair and cute face. She still didn't quite understand the situation or why so many people were watching her sleep.
Mo Xi (●—●): ???
Mo Qing ✪ω✪: 'So kawaii!'
Sister Acheron T_T: ...
Ye Guizhou T_T: ...
The piercing gazes felt like needles on her back. Yunli couldn't take it anymore and suddenly dove into the covers like a startled ostrich. Mo Xin, who had been dazed the whole time, was completely dumbfounded.
'Even though it is indeed awkward, why are you blushing like a bubble tea? Isn't this just going to make people misunderstand?'
Even she hadn't expected that the majestic Yunli from yesterday would show such a cute and contrasting side today. Just as her brain was spinning rapidly, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck her like lightning!
'Wait a minute? I'm not some perverted female lead or anything, what am I afraid of? And besides, we didn't actually do anything, so why should I fall into the trouble of self-justification?'
Thinking this, the tense expression on Mo Xin's face caused by the awkwardness quietly relaxed. She thought to herself, 'Well, as long as I'm not embarrassed, the ones who are embarrassed are the others.'
Thus, Mo Xin's arms under the covers unconsciously tightened a bit more. This subtle change was like a pebble thrown into the center of a lake, causing her to tremble slightly as well. However, Yunli kept her head buried, unwilling to peek out, as if she could hide both the awkwardness and the shame in the shadows.
At this moment, Yunli had a general understanding of the awkward situation. Because Yunli was homeless and didn't want to continue sleeping on the streets, she had taken the initiative to stay and accompany Mo Xin last night. Perhaps she was too exhausted, and without realizing it, she had dizzily climbed onto the bed.
This action had already made her feel extremely annoyed with herself, and what made it even harder to accept was that she had been caught red-handed by Mo Xin's family. And that wasn't even the most critical part; the most critical part was that she actually knew Mo Xin's family! This added a sense of inescapable distress to her already exposed embarrassment.
After all, she was all too familiar with that purple figure. Thinking this, Yunli felt even more ashamed and annoyed...
Time quietly ticked away, minute by minute. Seeing the girl's flushed cheeks and shy eyes, the others weren't in a hurry to disturb her and simply waited quietly. As the flush on Yunli's face gradually faded, she finally took a deep breath and poked her small head out as if resigning herself to fate.
"Um... I'm sorry, I don't know how I ended up... last night..." Yunli's words were a bit hesitant and awkward. Halfway through, the crimson on her cheeks surfaced again.
Seeing this, Ye Guizhou gave a light cough and stepped forward slowly, considerately smoothing things over for the young girl.
"I heard from little Xin that your name is Yunli, right? Don't be nervous, we just wanted to solemnly thank you for saving little Xin. By the way, you probably haven't had breakfast yet, right? Here, we brought this specifically for you. Eat something first before we talk."
Then, Ye Guizhou handed her the breakfast he had set aside earlier.
Gurgle!
As Yunli smelled the tempting aroma wafting to her nose, her stomach let out an uncooperative protest, making her lower her head in shame, the tips of her ears turning pink. This caused her to lower her head involuntarily. However, with the way out provided by Father Ye, Yunli decided to eat something before going back to sleep. So she gratefully took the warm breakfast and nimbly climbed down from the bed.
"Eh?" My mother watched Yunli's figure with surprise, or more accurately, she noticed what Yunli was wearing. Although my father remained expressionless, his attention was also drawn to it.
Meanwhile, I quietly glanced at Sister Acheron beside me. As someone who knew Sister Acheron was extraordinary... in my eyes, although the two wore different clothes, their overall style was very similar. And Mo Xin, who knew about Yunli, hadn't paid much attention before, but now the same thought occurred to her.
'Could there be some kind of relationship between them?'
But seeing that the two didn't seem to know each other, Mo Xin immediately dismissed the idea.
Sister Acheron: ...
Sister Acheron naturally noticed my subtle gaze. However, she didn't plan on revealing the secret of her identity. This was something they had all decided on together in advance. Sister Acheron, Sparkle... in the future, they would likely each have their own interpersonal relationships. And it was inevitable that they would meet at some point. If they made up fake backgrounds or something, it might be exposed sooner or later.
So they decided to simply use their original interpersonal relationships—that is, the general relationships from the Honkai: Star Rail storyline.
As for why Sister Acheron was wearing this outfit to visit the sick today... on one hand, since she regained her memories of her identity, although she occasionally changed into modern clothes, they were ultimately more used to wearing their original attire. Heh... on the other hand, it had to be mentioned whether this system was doing it on purpose or by accident.
Yunli and the others had accidentally discovered that the system seemed to have some hidden functions. For example, it could change outfits with one click and automatically clean clothes. It sounded like a thoughtful and convenient setting, but there was a small problem—this "outfit change" function could only restore them to their original "base skin" appearance. This was why after Yunli had just gone through a hearty battle, her clothes were still as clean and spotless as new...
"Alright, Captain, try moving around and see how you feel."
Hearing this, Chen Yuxuan slowly moved his arms and felt his body lighten significantly; the original pain had vanished without a trace. He then ripped off the bandages and thanked her softly. "Thanks, little Yao."
Mu Yao scratched her head bashfully. "Sorry, if I had known yesterday, I could have helped heal you sooner."
However, Chen Yuxuan shook his head in disagreement. "No, it was exactly because it was dangerous that we didn't call you. Plus, with Yu Tong away, it's best if you stay at the Ability Bureau for now."
Although Mu Yao's healing ability was strong, as a medic, she lacked self-defense capabilities. Normally, a medic shouldn't follow the team deep into danger. Usually, if Qing Yutong was in the squad, the team could avoid hidden dangers. In that case, even if Mu Yao followed along, the team members could provide her with some protection.
However, these were turbulent times. For Mu Yao's safety, it was suggested to pause her field actions unless it was an emergency, and wait for Yu Tong to fully recover before returning to the team together. Mu Yao naturally understood the Captain's meaning. Although she was reluctant, she could only silently lower her head.
Seeing this, Chen Yuxuan patted her shoulder to comfort her. "Alright, it's not that we're looking down on you. Besides, isn't school starting again for you in a few days? Just think of it as giving yourself an early little vacation. Look at that brat Lu Hao, isn't he dying of envy?"
After the Captain said that, Mu Yao suddenly felt it made a lot of sense. After all, she was just an ordinary, fragile college student. Usually, besides helping out as a medic or a mascot, she didn't seem to know how to do anything else.
Mu Yao ~(￣▽￣～)~: 'A vacation! Thinking about it that way, it actually seems pretty good!'
Lu Hao ( ｰ̀дｰ́ )?: 'Seriously, do I not get any respect?'
Watching the Captain and the other person gossip about him right in front of his face, Lu Hao's face twitched for a moment. But then, he could only point at the bandage on his forehead and complain weakly. "Yeah, yeah, right. Mu Yao, how about you heal me first before you get excited? This might not be a serious problem, but it really hurts!"
"Ah?! Sorry, sorry, I accidentally forgot. I'm coming right now." Mu Yao finally remembered there was another injured person and immediately stepped forward to treat him.
Lu Hao T_T: 'So I'm the redundant one?'
Seeing this scene, Chen Yuxuan left ahead of them. He then went to Yan Xi's office. At this moment, Director Yan Xi's brow was clearly marked with fatigue, and her spirits were quite low, though this was appropriately masked by her naturally good features. She also noticed Captain Chen Yuxuan entering the room. For a moment, she actually held her forehead and complained helplessly.
"Tell me, what is going on lately? Troubles are coming one after another, and yet almost all of them are untraceable?"
In response, Chen Yuxuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He sat down opposite her and spoke. "Who knows? Anyway, I'm not even sure if I can retire peacefully now."
"Ha? If we can't solve these recent matters, the entire Ability Bureau will probably be done for. If we really do solve them, I reckon it'll be enough for us to get a direct promotion. At that time, even if you want to retire, you'll have to wait a few more years."
A moment later, after the jokes were finished, the two of them became a bit more serious. Yan Xi took the lead in starting the topic. "You've been in contact with that girl named Mo Xin, right? What's your impression?"
Chen Yuxuan thought over the relevant events and gave his opinion. "Different from the records, she seems to have parents. Everything else is almost identical, and she also seems to have awakened a Supernatural Ability. I speculate she awakened during this incident, but she seems to know about the existence of our Ability Bureau. Based on my observations during our contact this morning, it's highly likely that another girl named Yunli told her the specific details. So, if this is true, the key to the problem might lie with Yunli."
After he finished speaking, Yan Xi didn't respond but closed her eyes to think about the situation. Chen Yuxuan wasn't in a hurry either, and his mind involuntarily recalled what happened yesterday.
After the burst of the light pillar ended, both Chen Yuxuan and Lu Hao had suffered a certain degree of injury. While they were hesitating whether to evacuate first, a figure walked out from within. It was Yunli, suddenly carrying the unconscious Mo Xin out.
Chen Yuxuan and the others had initially maintained a high degree of vigilance regarding Yunli's origins, their eyes full of wariness. But when Yunli's seemingly small and weak frame suddenly pulled out a thick greatsword with a backhand motion, the blade emitted scorching flames that seemed capable of tearing through the air. Even if the two were not Mental-type Ability Users, they could clearly sense the terrifying pressure radiating from Yunli's body.
However, Yunli didn't directly attack them. Her gaze revealed concern, and she hoped to send the injured person in her arms to the hospital for treatment. Finally, at Yunli's sincere request and considering the safety of the injured, they agreed to the request.
Not long ago, after some consideration, they tried to head inside to investigate. But a scene that left them dumbstruck appeared. The familiar Residential Complex had almost completely disappeared, leaving only a hellish scene before them, with countless amounts of blood and the remains of unknown creatures everywhere. In addition, a bottomless chasm spanned across the middle.
That was the end of the memory. Chen Yuxuan didn't know much about the specific measurement of strength for Ability Users above Level Three, but he knew that someone who could do something to this extent was at least a Second-Level Esper. However, since the details were not yet certain, he couldn't jump to conclusions.
Yan Xi, on the side, had obviously thought of this as well, but she understood the terror of it even more clearly. 'According to Captain Chen's description, there were many remains of unknown beast carcasses there, but their sizes were extraordinarily huge. Although it's not clear yet, they are very likely Extraterritorial Creatures.'
If it were Extraterritorial Creatures, this matter would be very serious. The first possibility was that an Extraterritorial Creature appeared and hunted all the living beings in the Residential Complex, but its whereabouts are now unknown. This possibility wasn't high because... the first person that came to her mind was that person named Yunli. The only two survivors from the mystic realm.
These two survivors were not only alive but almost completely intact, without having suffered any harm. Behind this seemingly lucky outcome hidden a huge doubt, and if the facts were indeed so... 'it would mean that she herself might have the strength of a First-Level Esper, or there was a third party involved.'
"Sigh, no matter which case it is, it's almost beyond the capabilities of our Muyun City Ability Bureau!"
In the end, it was because their Muyun City Ability Bureau's own strength was insufficient!
In the hospital on the other side, the ward was filled with a warm yet slightly awkward atmosphere. Yunli was currently being "besieged" by Mo Qing. My mother was like a chatterbox, asking Yunli questions non-stop.
The source of all this was Yunli's cute appearance, like a flower blooming in spring, which made my mother fall in love at first sight. Mother's fiery enthusiasm made Yunli feel a bit at a loss. She lowered her head shyly, her hands unconsciously twisting the corners of her clothes, a faint blush appearing on her face.
Just as Yunli was about to explode from embarrassment, father Ye appeared in time and pulled Mo Qing away on the pretext of "giving the children space to talk." Otherwise, She might have ended up with a little sister for no reason.