At this very moment, inside a small restaurant.
It should have been a normal meal between only three people.
Due to various bizarre coincidences, it strangely turned into a small gathering of five.
This caused the originally warm and pleasant reunion to become eerily silent.
Especially for the only two "outsiders."
Liu Xiyue and Meng Xingyao were both feeling somewhat at a loss.
As for the remaining three—Firefly, Silver Wolf, and Cipher—they were all people who had seen their fair share of storms.
Aside from their initial surprise, they showed no flaws.
Though deep down, they were more or less shocked.
Cipher couldn't help but shake her head; she also hadn't expected such a coincidence.
She came to eat here for two reasons: first, the food at this place was indeed quite good.
Second, it was usually ordinary enough not to attract too much attention.
But she hadn't expected it to be such a coincidence.
Silver Wolf was also somewhat surprised.
But this surprise didn't come from Cipher, but rather from the blue-haired Magical Girl beside Liu Xiyue.
Having once hacked into the Extraordinary Forum archives, Silver Wolf naturally knew the other party's true identity.
Unlike Yan Xin and others, the relevant information about her was very detailed, though it was also strictly protected.
Meng Xingyao — Special Grade Esper,
All Rounder-Fantasy.[1]
Her Supernatural Ability is "Omnipotence"; she can construct any substance out of thin air, and it does not disappear after successful construction.
That is why she was specially approved as a Special Grade Esper.
Currently, because her combat strength only barely reaches Level Three, her identity is known to almost no one.
However, in front of Silver Wolf, this was as good as nonexistent.
Thinking of this, Silver Wolf scanned the room with a strange look.
Meng Xingyao sat bolt upright like a taut string.
Liu Xiyue looked suspicious, her eyes drifting around.
While Cipher smiled brightly, as if she were uninvolved.
Silver Wolf ( ᗜ ˰ ᗜ ): At this table, five people, and not a single one has a simple identity. Did I just happen to run into the main storyline?
Beside her, Firefly seemed oblivious to everything happening around her.
Cipher wore an understanding smile throughout, her gaze falling gently on Meng Xingyao.
Unlike the carefree nature of Silver Wolf and the others, Meng Xingyao felt that her stress levels were off the charts right now.
Although not long ago, the kind-hearted Cipher had promised that in the future, she only needed to keep the secret and provide help within her capabilities, and she would never use the power of the contract to force her to go against her own will.
These words successfully made Meng Xingyao feel much more at ease.
But who could understand the awkwardness of running into her again at the dinner party right after "escaping" the cat's claws?
And in front of her best friend, no less.
Meng Xingyao ( ๑ ŏ ﹏ ŏ ๑ ): If my best friend finds out about the master-servant relationship between me and Cipher... then I might as well just move to another planet!
She made up her mind; she absolutely could not be discovered.
While she was thinking this, Liu Xiyue suddenly asked out of the blue.
"Meng, do you also know this Sister Cipher?"
After all, the gap between her and the other party was obvious, so Liu Xiyue naturally called her sister.
Meng Xingyao was almost startled when she heard this, but sticking to her principles, she gave a casual explanation.
Roughly, she had just happened to meet a top-tier cosplayer on the road, walked up to talk, and got to know her.
As for the rest of the paid content, she didn't mention a word.
Liu Xiyue nodded silently after hearing this.
This was indeed in line with her best friend's personality.
So, when she contacted her, the two of them must have been exchanging ideas amicably.
And she just happened to interrupt, which made the other party nervous.
Thinking about it this way, it made sense.
But...
Liu Xiyue looked with surprise at Silver Wolf's current cyberpunk attire.
This was the first time she had seen this version of her.
It could only be said that it had a unique charm.
However...
Liu Xiyue glanced at the others at the table.
A sexy and beautiful Cat Girl, a youthful and cute girl, a cyberpunk cute girl, and also Meng Xingyao who was cosplaying as a Magical Girl.
Compared to herself, whose outfit was currently plain and unremarkable...
Liu Xiyue instantly felt unbalanced.
Liu Xiyue ( * ﾟ ﾛ ﾟ )!!: So, the one most out of place in the whole group is actually me?
And if nothing unexpected happened, all five of them could clearly feel the gazes gathering from all around.
There was no help for it.
Cipher and the others were all very eye-catching, whether because of their looks or their unique outfits.
Meng Xingyao naturally realized this point as well.
To avoid embarrassment, she cast her gaze toward the friends Sister Yue had made.
And immediately felt a shock.
Meng Xingyao: ( ω )
If she hadn't just received a profound lesson today, in normal times she would have already rushed up to start a conversation.
She couldn't imagine how Sister Yue had befriended this group of high-quality two-dimensional cosplayers.
Everyone's outfit perfectly set off their own temperament, and even the various accessories showed care.
While the Magical Girl she was cosplaying, in such a group, was instantly outclassed—it was like comparing a small witch to a big one.
Meng Xingyao's gaze just touched Cipher's sweet smile, and the enthusiasm that had just ignited in her heart was like being doused by a basin of cold water, instantly cooling down.
To this, Cipher just stuck out her tongue innocently.
Cipher: ～ ( ∠ ・ ω ＜ ) ⌒ ☆
Next, as the dishes were gradually served, the five of them officially began the meal.
The two intermediaries, Liu Xiyue and Meng Xingyao, also began to introduce them to each other.
Cipher and the other two all nodded slightly.
Meng Xingyao also successfully learned that Cipher had just happened to come to eat and was then pulled over by Liu Xiyue.
This made her feel a moment of joy.
But then she glared angrily at her best friend beside her, her gaze like a fiery arrow, filled with a hint of reproach.
Meng Xingyao ( ꐦ Ò ‸ Ó ): You really are my best friend, you're the one who brought this trashy cat over!
The oblivious Liu Xiyue just blinked in confusion.
This scene made the cat beside them burst into laughter.
The puzzled Liu Xiyue chose to change the subject.
So she looked at Silver Wolf and asked, "By the way, Silver Wolf, you shouldn't have known we would be eating together, right? So how did you find us?"
Silver Wolf glanced at her lazily, her eyes full of the implication of looking at a fool, then spoke calmly to explain.
"Did you forget my profession?Directly hacking your phone and then searching for the phone's location—isn't that easy?"
Liu Xiyue ( ๑ •. • ๑ ): Oh right, I almost forgot that Silver Wolf is also a hacker.
Perhaps it was because she was in a bad mood today, or perhaps it was the atmosphere.
Liu Xiyue didn't even think about how Silver Wolf managed to travel from Muyun City to Canglan Capital in half an afternoon.
In the time that followed, the entire meal seemed much quieter.
Liu Xiyue noticed that Meng Xingyao's eyes were drifting, and a trace of suspicion couldn't help but arise in her heart.
Meng Xingyao was unconsciously nervous because Cipher and her best friend were both by her side.
Just like that, the perfectly fine meal slowly ended in this eerie atmosphere.
At the last moment, Meng Xingyao couldn't help but add Firefly and the others as friends.
She called it: her best friend's best friend is her own best friend.
But only she knew what she was really thinking.
Meng Xingyao was staring at her phone, laughing happily.
Cipher suddenly leaned in, resting her entire head on the other's shoulder, her warm breath hitting the side of her neck unexpectedly.
"Why does the Little Princess keep staying so far away from me? Are you that afraid of the cat?"
Meng Xingyao: ( ⁄ ⁄ • ⁄ ω ⁄ • ⁄ ⁄ )
Meng Xingyao's cheeks grew hot, and she hurriedly dodged away, stammering.
"You... you... what are you doing! I'm not afraid of you at all!"
This scene was seen by Liu Xiyue, who hadn't left yet.
Her eyes scanned back and forth between her best friend and the Cat Girl like a scanner, finally settling on the blushing cheeks of Little Meng.
As the saying goes, a girl's blush is worth more than a thousand words.
At this moment, Liu Xiyue successfully realized the truth.
The little girl stomped her feet violently, and a strong resentment surged in her red eyes, rolling like a tide.
Liu Xiyue: ( ꐦ Ò ‸ Ó )
She stood on tiptoe to wrap her arms around Meng Xingyao, pressing her whole body against her, her voice filled with resentment as she whispered low into the other's ear.
"Oh, you, lying even to your best friend! Say it! Did you fall for that Cat Girl? Didn't you once say you weren't a yuri girl!"
Meng Xingyao Σ ( ﾟ ∀ ﾟ ﾉ ) ﾉ: No, sister, what exactly did you misunderstand!
[1] They mentioned her as one of the four Special Grade Esper of the Dragon Nation.