In an instant, the atmosphere around the table became strangely subtle.
Silver Wolf, who had been quietly enjoying her cake, paused mid-bite.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze sweeping across the others.
Something felt... off.
Silver Wolf (๑ᗜ ˰ ᗜ๑): 'Weird. Did I miss something?'
Firefly (๑°⌓°๑): 'Did I accidentally say something wrong? Why does Xiyue look so strange?'
Meanwhile, Liu Xiyue was still completely immersed in the storyline her imagination had pieced together.
A terminally ill childhood friend.
A hardworking girl earning money to support treatment expenses.
Two girls supporting each other through hardship.
Liu Xiyue (இдஇ`): 'This is way too moving...'
The more she thought about it, the more emotional she became.
She had actually intended to help Firefly from the very beginning.
After all, her aunt knew many Ability Users.
Surely among them there had to be someone with healing-related abilities.
Unfortunately, ever since arriving in Canglan City, she'd been...
Very busy.
Busy sightseeing.
Busy vacationing.
Busy doing absolutely everything except what she'd originally planned.
And over time, her doubts had gradually increased.
Firefly simply looked too normal.
Her complexion was healthy.
Her behavior was calm.
Her daily life appeared completely ordinary.
Honestly, she seemed mentally healthier than most healthy people.
Because of that, Liu Xiyue occasionally found herself wondering:
Does this illness actually exist?
Or did I misunderstand something?
At the same time, another thought surfaced.
The Anime Convention incident.
The disaster had left psychological scars on many people.
Even Liu Xiyue herself had been affected.
Yet strangely enough...
Meng Xingyao seemed completely fine.
In fact, she was almost suspiciously energetic.
Liu Xiyue couldn't help feeling impressed.
Meng Xingyao's mental strength had always been absurdly powerful.
Even compared to herself.
Now, seeing how quickly she had recovered...
Liu Xiyue could only sigh.
As expected of a fellow Special Grade Ability User.
Her growth isn't losing to mine at all.
"Xiyue?"
Firefly's gentle voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
"Is something wrong?"
"Huh?"
Liu Xiyue immediately snapped back to reality.
"Ah, no! Nothing happened. I just got distracted for a second."
She laughed awkwardly.
At the same time, she quietly made a mental note.
Find a healer later.
Definitely.
The two Stellaron Hunters sitting across from her had absolutely no idea that, within the span of a few seconds, this tiny loli had already imagined an entire tragic drama.
...
At that moment, a familiar voice drifted over from the front counter.
"Huh? Miss Firefly isn't here today?"
"She's currently on break."
The employee behind the register smiled apologetically.
"We're not sure where she went."
The three girls simultaneously looked toward the counter.
After seeing who it was...
All three paused.
Ye Chen?
...
Silver Wolf withdrew her gaze first.
Then she noticed the subtle change in Liu Xiyue's expression.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh? You know him?"
Liu Xiyue immediately shook her head.
"No."
Then she paused.
"Well... not really. We've only crossed paths during work."
"Is that so?"
Silver Wolf nodded casually.
She didn't press the topic any further.
After all...
She knew exactly what Liu Xiyue meant by "work."
And judging from her reaction, things probably weren't that simple.
...
The truth wasn't far from that assumption.
Liu Xiyue had indeed heard of Ye Chen before.
From her aunt.
After the Anime Convention incident, almost every Ability User involved had either died or suffered severe consequences.
Yet Ye Chen had emerged almost completely unharmed.
Naturally, that attracted attention.
Liu Yunshuang had investigated him afterward.
Unfortunately, she hadn't discovered anything particularly useful.
As for the other survivors...
Silver Wolf and the others were among them.
Although nobody had openly discussed the matter...
And although nobody possessed concrete evidence...
Among the survivors, certain understandings had already formed.
After all...
Who would believe someone could walk away from that disaster completely unscathed without possessing special abilities?
In fact...
Liu Xiyue occasionally suspected that Silver Wolf might have been the mysterious person who saved her back then.
But every time that thought appeared, she quickly rejected it.
Because if Silver Wolf was responsible...
Then how was she supposed to explain Sam?
The terrifying giant armored warrior that had appeared during the incident?
No matter how she looked at it, the two simply didn't match.
Of course...
In a certain sense...
She wasn't actually that far from the truth.
...
Meanwhile, after failing to obtain the answer he wanted from the staff, Ye Chen sighed helplessly and prepared to leave.
However, just as he reached the door...
His eyes swept across the café.
Then suddenly stopped.
A familiar figure entered his sight.
His expression immediately brightened.
"Miss Firefly!"
Firefly blinked.
Then politely looked up.
"Mr. Ye Chen?"
"It's been a long time."
Ye Chen approached with a smile.
Firefly tilted her head slightly.
"To be honest...I don't think we're close enough for that greeting."
The smile on Ye Chen's face stiffened for half a second.
Then quickly recovered.
"Sorry. It was just a spontaneous reaction. I've encountered some troublesome situations recently."
A trace of lingering fear appeared on his face.
As though he had narrowly escaped disaster.
...
The two spectators nearby immediately entered observation mode.
Silver Wolf: (ᗜ ˰ ᗜ)
"Wow. He's pretty good at pretending to be deeply affectionate."
"..."
Liu Xiyue looked confused.
"Huh? Really?"
From her perspective...
Ye Chen didn't seem fake at all.
And objectively speaking...
The guy wasn't bad-looking.
Even Liu Xiyue, who generally preferred hanging around girls, had to admit that.
Naturally, her curiosity was piqued.
"What happened between them?"
She immediately turned toward Silver Wolf.
Silver Wolf didn't mind sharing.
So she briefly summarized Ye Chen's previous attempts to get closer to Firefly.
The story left Liu Xiyue stunned.
But what shocked her most wasn't the flirting.
It was something else entirely.
Liu Xiyue (*ﾟﾛﾟ)b
Brother!
You're incredible!
You're actually willing to eat Firefly's Oak Cake Rolls for the sake of romance?!
She still remembered her own experience.
Back then...
Under Firefly's gentle smile...
She had confidently taken a bite.
The taste had nearly sent her soul directly to the afterlife.
Yet this guy kept eating it willingly.
That level of dedication deserved respect.
...
"Sorry, Mr. Ye Chen."
Firefly smiled politely.
"I'd like some private time right now."
Ye Chen froze briefly.
Then nodded.
"Of course."
"My apologies."
The sunlight filtered through the windows.
The silhouettes of the three girls stretched across the floor.
Each possessed a completely different charm.
Ye Chen's gaze lingered for a moment.
A strange light flickered in his eyes.
Then he simply smiled.
Turned around.
And left.
...
Inside the café, nobody paid much attention to his departure.
To Silver Wolf and the others...
The encounter was nothing more than a minor interruption.
Soon, Ye Chen's figure disappeared beyond the street.
His hands rested casually in his pockets as he walked.
However...
If someone observed carefully...
They would notice his lips moving slightly.
As though he were speaking to someone invisible.
"Master, don't rush me. I'm trying, okay?"
"..."
"What do you mean lusting after her? I'm genuinely attracted to her personality."
"..."
"Yes, yes. I know. I know."
Ye Chen rubbed his forehead helplessly.
Then suddenly frowned.
"Oh right. Master. What were those two girls saying earlier? Why did they keep looking at me weirdly?"
"..."
"What? You didn't hear them?"
Ye Chen looked genuinely surprised.
"How is that possible?"
...
Far behind him.
Inside the café.
Silver Wolf lazily raised her head.
Her gaze briefly landed on Ye Chen's retreating figure.
The corner of her mouth curved upward.
A smile that was difficult to interpret.
Mocking?
Amused?
Bored?
Perhaps all three.
Then her fingertip lightly tapped the air.
A tiny motion.
So subtle that nobody around her noticed.
At that moment, the little interference program she had casually left behind quietly deactivated.
And almost immediately...
A loud shout erupted from elsewhere inside the café.
The peaceful background music was completely overwhelmed.
"HOLY CRAP!"
"ROBIN FINALLY STARTED HER LIVESTREAM!!!"
...
The entire café instantly exploded into excitement.