Chapter 22

"You look clueless. That's right, I'm talking to you." The cute creature lifted its round head, looked Star up and down, then said: "I've already heard the details from Jizi. Listen up, newcomer—I'll only say important things once."

"Recently many people have probably told you, 'You're special,' but this is the Astral Express, and the passengers aboard all have some sort of unspeakable secret."

"Since you chose to board, you must follow the rules here. Being special isn't just you—remember that."

"I'm the conductor of this train, Pam. If you encounter any problems aboard, feel free to come find me."

After finishing speaking, Pam wiggled her cute little short legs and went off to handle work.

"Conductor??!" Qianyana widened her eyes in surprise, "So it's not a pet raised by Aunt Jizi?!"

"Oh? I don't recall ever keeping a pet like that." Jizi suddenly appeared in the classroom, and voluntarily sat beside Qianyana. She wore a loose windbreaker, sunglasses on her face, her vigorous appearance completely different from the Jizi in the light curtain.

Qianyana exclaimed delightedly: "Aunt Jizi!"

"Is that really so surprising? We just went on a mission together not long ago." Jizi took off her sunglasses, gave a slight smile, "Qianyana, between the Jizi on the train and the one before you now, who do you prefer?"

"Ah, Jizi, why do you ask me that as soon as you show up? This is really…"

Qianyana's face immediately showed difficulty; she couldn't help glancing a few times at the white high-slit dress of the Jizi in the light curtain. Undoubtedly both Aunt Jizi are stunning beauties, just one serene and one lively, each with a different charm, making her choice truly difficult…

"Alright, alright, silence is the answer." Jizi feigned hurt, spreading her hands, "I never imagined that in my cute student's heart, the one I constantly interact with is inferior to… sigh, truly heartbreaking."

"Aunt Jizi, the Jizi in the light curtain… is that really you?" After carefully examining the image in the light curtain, Qianyana was the first to voice her doubt.

Although the two Jizi look nearly identical and sound the same, their speech habits and clothing styles are worlds apart. Moreover, the Jizi in the light curtain seems unsuited for close combat, whereas this Jizi teacher of hers… cough, clad in the new-era Valkyrie armor, she's downright ferocious.

"It's me." Jizi nodded calmly, "but I'm another me from a parallel universe."

"A parallel world? Then that would mean…" Qianyana looked shocked at Bronya beside her, though the duck seemed to have already guessed this result, her face showing no surprise.

"Don't look at Pam like that; there haven't been new passengers on the train for a long time, but it's still very interested in you."

Jizi sat on the train's enclosed sofa, holding a cup of steaming coffee, sipping while soothing, "I won't overstep—if you have any questions, just go bother the conductor."

"Okay, I got it." Xing was about to leave when Jizi's voice suddenly sounded from behind.

"—Oh right, you just boarded the train; would you like to try the train's specialty?"

"Specialty? What is that?"

Seeing Xing also interested, Jizi placed her coffee on the table and gently pushed it toward Xing: "This is coffee I brewed myself, the beans I ground by hand—you won't be able to drink this once you leave the Astral Express." Jizi's voice rose, seeming proud when she brought up the topic.

Xing carefully examined the coffee she pushed over; the dark liquid resembled a Black Hole in the cosmic starry sky, seemingly ready to gulp down the taster.

"It must be Jizi's signature move, huh…" Xing was just about to agree, planning to taste this unique train flavor, when suddenly she felt a gaze pierce her from behind, making her break out in a cold sweat.

The gaze slowly shifted; beside them on the sofa, Mr. Walter was holding a book, his gaze behind the glasses deep and mysterious.

"What's wrong, Xing?" Seeing Xing spaced out, Jizi spoke up to remind her.

In an instant, as if enlightened, Xing shivered violently, waving her hands repeatedly: "Um… uh… no, no need to bother, I suddenly feel sleepy; I'm afraid drinking too much coffee will keep me awake, so I'll have something else instead."

"Alright." Jizi seemed a bit disappointed but didn't insist: "Over there is the juice Little March likes most; the cup is right beside you, feel free to pour a glass if you want."

"Thank you." Xing let out a long breath, turned her head to look at Mr. Walter, whose eyes seemed to hold a mutual, appreciative understanding.

"Shenzi, I always feel everyone is wary of Ms. Jizi's coffee; am I imagining it?" Raiden Ei tilted her head, seemingly unable to understand why one would be so wary of a plain drink, as if facing a formidable foe.

She had tried the coffee before; it's a slightly bitter beverage, quite popular in the distant Fontaine, especially among nine-to-five workers.

But in her opinion, it's not as good as glutinous rice milk.

"Perhaps Ms. Jizi's coffee-brewing skills are just poor," Shenzi guessed, "bad food can be scarier than your lightning, Ying."

"Oh? Is that really the case?"

Ying's voice suddenly sounded from behind Shenzi, faintly carrying a hint of resentment, making the fur on Shenzi's tail stand on end.

Shenzi instantly broke out in a sweat, suddenly recalling from long ago… Ying had said she would cook her a delicious meal.

Ying simply can't cook; even with all her effort she still can't beat the kitchen. Eventually, after the kitchen in the keep was struck by heavenly thunder three times, Ying emerged from the smoke-filled kitchen bearing a twisted, abstract basin of something utterly indescribable and eerie.

The nine heavenly dogs, after lavishly praising the general, bravely took a tiny taste… then they actually took a full month's sick leave and still couldn't recover.

Faced with this, Shenzi merely joked that Ying's dishes were fiercer than her lightning, never expecting Ying to completely misunderstand, taking it as praise for her cooking, and thus she remained happy for a long time.

But now——

"So Shenzi's original meaning was that my cooking is terrible?"

Ying's face slowly approached from behind her, until it was near her ear, her breath lightly brushing, making Shenzi feel as if a feather were lightly tickling her face.

"Uh… so you actually made food back then?"