Chapter 541

Honkai 3.

「Sleepless Night? 」

In Past Paradise, Ailixiya stood with her hands behind her back, her head slightly tilted, her pink eyes sparkling with undisguised curiosity and anticipation; she also wanted to know what Tuopa meant by 「Shajin's dance」 exactly.

The darkness in the canopy was like a velvet curtain, and the first to lift this curtain was a whistle.

It was clear and lively, with a touch of playful irreverence, like a dexterous nightingale tapping the rhythm keys with its toes; each note was full of elasticity, tracing in absolute silence a rhythmic line that made one want to sway along.

「Mmm… this style is truly fresh and bold~ it feels like an invitation to an endless party♪~」

Ailixiya lightly tapped her chin with her finger, her body unconsciously swaying slightly to that catchy beat, 「It's like adding a hint of rebellious midnight air to a sweet cocktail……a style Eden would like. 」

——

「A spotlight snapped down with a 'bang', white light sharp as a blade, cutting a perfect circular stage in the darkness. 」

「Shajin stood right at the center of that light. 」

「He bowed slightly, his hat brim pressed low, revealing only a defined jaw and a smiling mouth corner; light streamed over his splendid attire, swirling with the whistle. 」

「Then, the deep bass and drums entered seamlessly, giving the music a solid heartbeat. Shajin also stepped out sliding to the beat, his gaze under the brim lifting sharply, bright and full of a certain rhythmic grace. 」

「A snap, a turn, a brim slightly pushed up—each tiny motion landed precisely on the beat; when the music reached the end of a phrase and the melody paused, Shajin's movement froze abruptly, he turned his head, his gaze precisely aimed at the thick darkness on the other side of the stage. It was a silent, certain invitation. 」

「As if answering his call, a second beam of light lit up in response. 」

「Xing stood in the light, her movements almost mirroring Shajin's in perfect unison, as if she had stepped into his rhythmic domain. In the lobby of the White Day Dream Hotel, in the Claude Audiovisual Paradise… the whole of Pinokangni seemed to become their stage, with music echoing in every corner of the land of dreams. 」

——

Absolute Zone Zero.

「Whoa——!! So, so cool!! 」

In the hot pot restaurant, steam rose, the spicy broth bubbled gurglingly, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of beef tallow and various spices. Ling had just placed a slice of tripe into the pot when she turned her head and was completely captivated by the flamboyant dance of Shajin and Xing on the canopy, even forgetting to fish out the tripe.

Usually Shajin is the picture of a calculating schemer, yet now he voluntarily steps onto the stage to dance… and unexpectedly, it suits him.

「Brother! I have a super—strong premonition! You'd be perfect for this dance! 」

「Pfft—cough cough! 」 Zhe was choked by a mouthful of chili oil, coughing violently, his face instantly flushing red: 「Ling… don't, don't talk nonsense! I couldn't possibly dance… I can't even do radio calisthenics in sync…」

「Brother! Everything has to have a first time! 」

「I… I also want to watch! 」 Vivian, sitting beside Zhe, wouldn't let this chance pass, her eyes sparkling with stars, looking at him eagerly: 「Lord Fafnir! I also want to watch! No…… I super want to watch! Please teach me! 」

「Um… Vivian, how could you too……cough cough, but Shajin isn't dancing alone, I need to find a guy to dance with me…」

「No need for a guy, I can do it myself! 」

Vivian moved closer to Zhe without a sound, nearly leaning on his shoulder.

「Vivian, this is really your true purpose, isn't it……! 」

「How could there be…… Lord Fafnir~」 Vivian couldn't help but rub against him, lifting her sparkling eyes: 「I think we shouldn't delay; let's start after we finish the hot pot. 」

——

「「The night outside the window flows with colorful light♪」」

「「Don't forget to close your eyes—that's when you truly wake up♪」」

「「You take part in this play, changing your posture♪」」

「「How should I guess the answer to this riddle's ending♪」」

「A luxurious sports car swept past the street, the clamor and neon outside flung far behind. Inside, Zhigengniao and Xingqiri sat side by side, she gracefully holding a crystal cup, her lips curved in the perfect smile. 」

「At the bustling street corner, crowds flowed like weaving. Countless dreamfish drifted lazily through the city, fireworks hopping and jumping among the schools of fish; she pressed her fingertip to her lips, then playfully tossed an extremely bright wink~ at everyone. 」

「Countless cards bearing mysterious patterns hovered silently around the black swan, rotating and dancing; her slender fingers lightly skimmed over each card, her gaze focused and deep, as if admiring her own treasured memories. Finally, she gracefully selected one, lightly pressing it to her chest. 」

「「Memory is the prelude to a dream♪」」

「「Scars are covered, yet yesterday remains♪」」

「The night breeze gently stirred Liuying's silver‑gray hair; Liuying held two newly lit fairy wands. 」

「Hiss——」

「Tiny golden sparks burst forth instantly, like confined little stars, joyfully leaping and blooming at her fingertips; she happily spun her skirt, the fabric gently unfurling with her turn, tracing a soft arc. 」

——

AveMujica.

「Whoa! This song's heat has already exploded! 」

Youtianji Ruomai shot up from the practice room sofa with a 'whoosh', waving her arms and legs as she thrust her phone screen at those still immersed in the MV: 「Quick, quick look! This song's heat has already reached number one! 」

Toyokawa Shouko took a close look, and indeed, a keyword was dominating the hot‑search list with absolute advantage—

#《Sleepless Night》MV#

Afterward, it was even followed by a bright red 'burst' character.

Below, it was even followed by countless waves of praise.

【What kind of divine production is this? The four great families of Pinokangni are throwing money!】

【As soon as the music started, I got goosebumps!】

【Sounds amazing! Give me the audio! Give me lossless!】

Uniformly described as pleasant to hear, explosive, and eliciting a surprised "huh?", there is hardly any negative feedback, with the heat simply soaring to frightening levels.

Holding a bass and silently tuning, Yawataumi Rei also drew attention; she quietly watched for a while, and compared to the flashy visuals and catchy melody, she paid more attention to something else in this MV.

Hmm…… the melody and arrangement are indeed excellent, but I'm more concerned about the lyrics—haven't you noticed? This song's lyrics not only correspond to Xing's journey in Pinokangni, especially the line 【Scars are covered, yet yesterday remains】, which even subtly echoes Liuying's situation…… although I don't know who wrote this song, it's very thoughtful.