Meanwhile, outside the mystic realm, Yunli and Mo Xin returned to the dormitory one after another.
After pushing the door open, Mu Yao glanced at the empty dormitory, confusion flickering across her face. "That's strange. I thought Sister QianQian didn't want to go shopping or had something to do and came back early, but it doesn't seem like that's the case?"
After she finished speaking, Mo Xin and the others followed her inside.
After a full round of outings, Yunli had finally escaped from Mo Xin's "dress-up claws" and successfully put on a sharply tailored JK uniform. The blue-and-white color scheme made her eyes look clear and bright, while the hem of her skirt swayed gently with her steps, her entire body overflowing with the lively vitality of a young girl. If she hadn't pouted midway and protested that she would "go on strike if she had to change again," then Mo Xin and Mu Yao's "Great Dress-up Operation" might have already evolved into a full-blown fashion show.
"Ugh… why do I have to wear shoes? It feels so unfamiliar!"
What made Yunli particularly dissatisfied were the stiff little leather shoes on her feet. Lowering her head, she looked at them; the smooth white leather reflected a cold sheen.
Hearing this, both Mo Xin and Mu Yao's lips twitched. The two of them felt speechless in unison (°ー°〃): 'Aren't shoes designed to be worn? Why on earth do you prefer going barefoot and giving out fan service, hey!'
No matter how aggrieved Yunli looked, her two roommates remained completely unmoved and firmly insisted that she must wear shoes. Under their tyrannical pressure, Yunli could only reluctantly agree for the time being.
After thinking it over, Yunli walked to the sink and carefully examined herself. The pure white cotton short-sleeved top paired with the fluffy skirt made her look like a freshly baked chiffon cake—soft and sweet, as if someone might actually want to take a bite. If she added the a girl's signature weapon—white silk stockings—it would be even more perfect.
At this thought, Yunli's slender waist swayed gently like a spring willow in the breeze, and her skirt rippled outward in a circle as she spun, as if even the air itself had been tinged with a faint, sweet fragrance. When she came to a stop, a soft smile had already bloomed across her delicate, translucent face. Her eyes shimmered so brightly that even the sunlight seemed reluctant to leave.
Yunli (๑＞＜๑): 'As expected of me, I'm cute no matter what I wear.'
"Hee hee hee!!!"
Her movements froze instantly. Turning her head, Yunli looked toward the source of the sound, only to find Mo Xin and Mu Yao watching her from the side with unmistakably maternal smiles (ಡωಡ). "You clearly like these clothes a lot. Little Yunli is so cute!"
Yunli: (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
A faint blush quickly spread across her face. Under their blatant gazes, she puffed up her cheeks and snapped, "Keep looking and I'll cut you!"
However, in their eyes, such a soft and adorable threat carried no real danger—it was no different from acting spoiled. Yunli quickly realized her situation and could only turn her head away stubbornly, muttering under her breath, "Hmph! I just wanted to confirm how your aesthetic sense is!"
"Ah, right, right, right!"
A smile tugged at Mo Xin's lips, but she forcibly held it back. She knew very well that if she truly pushed this little kitten too far, Yunli really would cut someone. Meanwhile, the completely oblivious Mu Yao continued frantically testing the boundaries between life and death.
And so, a few minutes later…
"Little Mo, don't you have anything to explain to your Senior?"
"No, Senior Mu. As your Junior, I know absolutely nothing."
Mo Xin's face tightened as she forced herself not to glance at Mu Yao, whose small head looked like it was about to start steaming on the spot. Sweet words poured out one after another.
Mu Yao: ♦ฺ(◣д◢)♦ฺ
"Ahem… speaking of which, where exactly did Sister Qianqian go? Why isn't she replying to messages?"
Under pressure, Mo Xin decisively changed the topic. Although Mu Yao felt dissatisfied, she was genuinely worried about Song Qianqian's safety. However, after making several calls, every single one returned the same result—no signal.
That result caused a faint unease to rise in Mu Yao's heart. "Could Sister Qianqian have really run into trouble?"
"Probably not," Yunli replied casually. "Sister Qianqian looks quite mature, at least, and besides, she was in a crowded place like a shopping mall. So her phone probably ran out of battery, or she has something urgent to do."
After saying that, Yunli simply returned to her bed. Mo Xin glanced at her, faintly feeling that Yunli probably knew something, but chose not to ask further. Although Mu Yao was still worried, she had to admit that Yunli's reasoning made sense. Even so, she remained cautious. "If Sister Qianqian still doesn't reply later, I'll have to ask the Captain for help."
With that, the three of them dropped the topic.
Yunli lay back on the bed, her eyes gradually turning thoughtful. She knew more than the other two. To be precise, Song Qianqian hadn't left on her own—she had vanished into thin air. Even Yunli herself had failed to find the slightest trace afterward. Not only that, she had vaguely sensed that quite a few people in the mall had also disappeared mysteriously.
'The possibility of it being human-caused is extremely low,' she thought. 'Unless the perpetrator was several kilometers away, there's no reason I wouldn't have noticed. Could it be… another mystic realm?'
Yunli quickly arrived at a conclusion that was, at the very least, reasonable. However, this wasn't her area of expertise—she was only good at fighting and killing.
At this thought, she sighed softly in her heart. 'I can only resort to this last method… Hehe… fortunately, this time is different from the last. Now, I'm no longer fighting alone.'
As if recalling something, a sly smile spread across her lips.
[Honkai: Star Rail Chat Group]
Silver Wolf: (｀Δ´)?
Yunli: (∠・ω＜ )~ Ehe!!!
Yunli: Then I'll leave it to you!
Silver Wolf: (＞n＜)!
Silver Wolf: What exactly do you take me for!
At the same time, on a rooftop along the commercial street, Silver Wolf closed the system interface with an annoyed expression. Her usually lazy eyes now burned with irritation, and deep down, she felt extremely dissatisfied with her other versions.
"One after another, they're treating me like a cheat code, making me handle every troublesome thing," she muttered, complaining nonstop even as her hands continued moving. "Hmph. One of these days, I must give myself a holiday and see what you'll all do then."
Not long ago, she had just accepted Acheron's request, and now another task had already arrived. Wearing camouflage goggles, she rapidly manipulated a floating virtual panel in front of her. However, while casually helping Yunli with her investigation, she suddenly paused.
"Eh? Song Qianqian is actually in the same mystic realm as Acheron? That saves a lot of trouble."
A grin slowly spread across her face. "Right! How about I turn this into a paid service from now on? Since I'm earning my own money anyway, I won't have to feel guilty. Hmph, a bunch of small fry dare to bother me? If you want to find me, go back and train for another hundred years."
While cracking open the mystic realm, Silver Wolf casually brushed aside a group of insignificant nuisances and even sent them a "little gift," completely unaware of the shock she had just unleashed upon the world.