I don't know how much time had passed, but the sound of conversation in the living room continued to rise and fall.
It wasn't until Robin checked the time that she smiled and said, "Auntie, it's getting late. I should be heading back."
As she spoke, she slowly stood up, preparing to take her leave.
Mo Qing also realized that she had been so caught up in the conversation that she seemed to have temporarily forgotten about Acheron.
She looked at Acheron with a hint of apology, but the latter just shook her head lightly, a faint smile in her eyes, clearly not minding it at all.
Seeing that Robin was about to leave, Mo Qing said to Acheron, "Xiao Quan, why don't you see Miss Robin out?"
Hearing this, Acheron readily agreed and prepared to head out with Robin.
Mo Qing watched their departing figures with a soft gaze. Besides gratification, there was also a touch of deep thought on her face.
She sighed softly, leaned back slowly against the sofa, and silently mulled something over in her heart.
Thinking that Acheron was able to make friends, Mo Qing's face was filled with gratification, especially since the other party was a top singer like Robin; she was even happier for her daughter.
However... she frowned, a hint of doubt arising in her heart.
As a mother, she knew Acheron's social circle better than anyone.
Her daughter had a cold temperament and, usually, apart from being close to that girl Song Qianqian, she rarely interacted with anyone else. She really couldn't fathom when Acheron had gotten to know Robin.
Judging from the conversation and interaction just now, Mo Qing became increasingly certain: this young lady named Robin, even if she wasn't the daughter of a prestigious family, was definitely no ordinary person.
Her words and actions revealed a perfectly balanced sense of propriety; she was neither overly reserved nor lacking in manners. When mentioning music, the light in her eyes and her professional insights were far beyond what an ordinary enthusiast could compare to.
And the unique temperament she possessed—either her family background was extraordinary, or her own abilities were outstanding. It was definitely not something an ordinary family could cultivate.
Mo Qing ( • ̀ _ • ́ ): 'Is she an old friend from before Acheron lost her memory?'
This thought flashed through Mo Qing's mind, but there wasn't much worry on her face. Instead, she let out a soft sigh and muttered to herself.
"Regardless of whether they are old friends, at least this girl is sincere towards Acheron; she is a friend worth making."
"Awoo～" Little Yao let out a soft, sweet cry and nuzzled its head against Mo Qing's palm.
"Little Yao, you also think Robin is a good person, don't you?"
Mo Qing smiled and gently picked up Little Yao, her fingertips tenderly grooming its snow-white fur.
Little Yao seemed to understand her words. Meeting Mo Qing's kind gaze, it nodded its round little head slightly, its bright black eyes filled with obedience.
Mo Qing's fingertips gently stroked Little Yao's fluffy head, her tone filled with doting affection.
"Little Yao is so smart!"
...
Meanwhile, Acheron and Robin walked side by side outside the house.
Robin did not rush to leave. She slowly turned around and met Acheron's purple eyes. A subtle atmosphere seemed to permeate the air.
Acheron spoke first: "Is there something you need?"
She had long noticed Robin's hesitant demeanor; earlier, it was just because her mother was present, so it wasn't convenient to ask directly.
Upon hearing this, Robin didn't intend to beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Has something happened in Muyun City?"
Acheron did not refute this after hearing it, just nodded slightly, the expression on her face remaining cold.
Receiving the confirmation, Robin immediately understood.
During this time, her life had been as usual—writing songs and taking walks every day. Her days were very leisurely, and she hadn't detected anything unusual at all.
It was just that one day when she went out shopping, as she was walking, a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease arose in her heart.
It was also at that time that she vaguely felt as if the entire Muyun City was intertwined with countless chaotic musical notes, forming a kind of "Discordant Melody" that made one feel flustered.
But where this inexplicable unease and "Discordant Melody" came from, Robin herself couldn't say for sure.
That was why she had the idea of asking Acheron—compared to herself, the latter's intuitive senses were surely clearer and might be able to resolve the doubts in her heart.
Acheron didn't hide anything and told Robin all the details that Sparkle had informed her of.
Robin listened silently, her originally bright face gradually covered by a layer of gloom, her beautiful brows slightly furrowed.
It wasn't until Acheron finished narrating that Robin heavily covered her forehead, her beautiful brows tightly furrowed, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness.
"The people from the Church are one thing, but this 'the fool' really is tireless. Is she not satisfied unless she stirs Muyun City into total chaos?"
However, now that things had reached this point, complaining wouldn't solve the problem.
Robin sighed softly, then raised her gaze again. The originally gentle look in her eyes had less kindness and more seriousness and earnestness that didn't match her usual image.
"Tell me about the hint as well. I want to know what we should do next."
Acheron nodded. After a moment of recollection, she chose to hand the note left by Sparkle to Robin.
[When the chapter of the story turns to a new page, the protagonist in the shadows will step, step by step, from beneath the stage into the folds of the [Nightfall].]
"A plain sentence. If we analyze it solely from the literal meaning... does it refer to a certain time node or location?"
Robin frowned, pondering the content of the note repeatedly, and offered her own opinion.
Acheron also appeared pensive, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing her cuffs. "I have also had similar speculations, and I feel the possibility of the former is higher."
"What is the basis for that?" Robin asked.
"Little Yao."
Acheron looked up at her, her tone calm but carrying certainty. "It also once had a similar feeling to yours and reacted very strongly to that kind of 'Discordant Melody'."
She lightly stroked her smooth chin with her fingertips.
"You and I are in different times and different places, yet we both felt this inexplicable unease. There is reason to speculate that this so-called 'ominousness' has a very high probability of encompassing the entire Muyun City."
"Is that so..." Robin murmured softly. She didn't know the specifics about Little Yao, but looking at Acheron's determined gaze, she chose to believe her and didn't ask further.
Her thoughts raced, and she quickly understood what Acheron meant.
Combining this with the hint, if Muyun City itself was the so-called "stage," then how would the "protagonist" in this city step from the "stage" onto the "stage"?
"Looking at it this way, this hint indeed is more likely to point to a specific time node," Robin analyzed.
"[When the chapter of the story turns to a new page], if we only look at the first half of the sentence, without a specific 'reference point,' it is impossible to speculate."
Acheron nodded slightly; clearly, she had already thought of this point long ago, and it coincided with Robin's thoughts.
Robin lowered her head and pondered for a moment, her brows suddenly relaxing as if she had grasped some key clue. She looked up at Acheron and changed the subject, asking.
"If the Church wants to encompass the entire Muyun City, they can't do it on their own. There must be something or some special nodes helping them. You have keen senses; can't you detect even a hint of anything unusual?"
Acheron shook her head lightly, a hint of helplessness flashing in her purple eyes. "It is some kind of object, and it must be hidden extremely deeply. If there are certain nodes in Muyun City itself, it cannot be ruled out that the Church has used special means to cover their tracks... In short, I currently have no clue either."
However, there is another possibility: that Sparkle is the one causing trouble.
With the conversation reaching this point, everything seemed to have returned to the starting point.
The so-called hint could not yield any effective information for the time being.
Even so, Robin was not discouraged by this. "At least I have an accurate answer in my heart."
Acheron nodded and asked, "What are your plans?"
"Since there is a 'Discordant Melody' in the city, there must be a way to set it right. I plan to investigate and research it carefully. At the very least, I want to be able to ensure the safety of the residents of Muyun City when things happen."
Robin's exquisite, pretty face was firm and serious. Immediately, she turned to look at Acheron. "What about you?"
Acheron thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "I plan to try and search for whether 'nodes' exist. Perhaps that could mitigate the impact of the situation."
Robin nodded, a flash of relief in her eyes.
For people like them who held the answer but didn't know a single part of the process, this could be considered a good strategy for now.
Suddenly, Robin proposed another idea: "Muyun City has a corresponding Ability Bureau; should we ask them to help investigate?"
However, this time, Acheron shook her head decisively and denied it with a firm tone.
"Since the people from the Church have been planning for so long, they must have done thorough work to hide their tracks. It's impossible for them to be easily discovered by the Ability Bureau. Moreover, the Ability Bureau's movements are also under semi-surveillance. We can just find an opportunity to warn them; they can't help with anything beyond that."
Upon hearing this, Robin immediately put away her previous thought.
Just as Acheron said, this matter was too deeply involved; it was long past the point where the Ability Bureau could simply get involved.