Chapter 1317

Keep moving forward firmly, San Yue. We've come this far all along, right? Catch up, and go through that big door with us.

Xing and Danheng then ran toward the distant gate. San Yue followed behind, but after just a few steps, that familiar girl's voice rang in her ears again:

You're running too fast, wait for me… those sweet nothings are really lovely…

But you must keep your eyes wide open—don't let yourself be deceived.

San Yue Qi arrived at the gate, raising her head to size up this semi-transparent door, when suddenly a ragged panting came from behind.

"Huff… huff… Finally caught up to you."

San Yue Qi tilted her head, looking at the pink‑haired girl before her who resembled her: "You… all right?"

Xilian smiled and shook her head: "I… I'm fine… just haven't exercised in a long time, I have no strength…… Oh, before you make a decision, could we chat, San Yue?"

"So, the voice that keeps pushing the gate away and has been dissuading me… is that you?"

"Well, let me introduce myself—I am Xilian, 'Ripple of the Past'… a name that's easy to remember, right? \" Xilian looked San Yue Qi up and down, letting out a surprised "Eh, \" and then added, "Upon closer look, I notice you and I… might be somewhat alike."

——

Honkai 3.

"They are very, very similar~"

San Yue Qi is a pink‑haired girl, Xilian is also a pink‑haired girl…… and they both have cute short hair; if we go to Ophyrus, we might even be mistaken for sisters~

Ailixiya twirled a strand of her pink hair around her cheek, gently turning the soft tip.

"One is a lively beautiful girl who takes photos everywhere with a camera in the Star Sea; the other is a cute golden‑haired beautiful girl from Ophyrus, meeting in this Star Sea of Fate's Narrow Gap by fate's encounter, hehe~ It's truly very romantic♪"

"……Ailixiya, your train of thought always manages to precisely avoid all the key points."

Meibiwusi let out a soft sigh, her vertical pupils half‑closed in those deep‑green eyes, and said, "Xilian is clearly dead, yet she appears in Fate's Narrow Gap… aren't you the slightest bit strange? It's practically like…… a ghost wandering through the ages of Ophyrus."

"Oh, Meibiwusi, you're using that scary wording to describe little Xilian again." Ailixiya feigned hurt, puffing her cheeks, but the next second she regained her bright‑eyed look and said, "If Ophyrus's true form is a staff, then the little Xilian now appearing in Fate's Narrow Gap is basically the same as us in Past Paradise—she's also a 'Memory Unit' made of data."

"Yeah, but why is it Xilian who shows up here, and why is she the only one?" Meibiwusi said with deep meaning, "It seems Xilian, like San Yue Qi, also hides some kind of secret."

Ailixiya giggled coyly: "Hehe~ If 'hiding a secret' counts, then I've found another common point between little Xilian and San Yue Qi~♪"

——

"Indeed, you also have a head of pink hair—quite eye‑catching."

Xilian continued: "Besides that, we're all cheerful, beautiful, and optimistic young girls—what an unbelievable coincidence!"

These praises made San Yue Qi's heart bloom with joy, and she nodded repeatedly: "Oh, you're so good with words… but it's not wrong either!"

"Just now you called me 'San Yue'? Do you know me?"

"We've just met, you know. But from the memories just now, I already understand your experience." Xilian said seriously, "It's hard to believe, but our common points might be far more than we imagined… I fully grasp your predicament, so I'd rather you not be exploited by bad people and get hurt."

San Yue Qi frowned slightly: "You can understand… my predicament?"

"After all, I've experienced it myself." Xilian turned to look at the space behind her, where aside from floating meteorites drifting everywhere, there was only the distant, unchanging starry sky, "In this empty place, I've been alone for a very long time—so long that I almost forgot what 'time' means. But there's one thing I remember very clearly."

Xilian raised her hand and pointed at the distant gate: "Behind that door, there's absolutely no answer you're looking for, oh."

"You mean, all that just now was a lie? They wanted to lure me forward?"

"Yes. Those words were true and also tempting, right? That's because bad people dug through your memories, stirring your deepest desire. Toying with a girl's delicate feelings is utterly unforgivable. If you walk through that door, the worst case is you'll become their pawn and never again control your own fate."

San Yue Qi asked curiously: "Do you know what's behind that door?"

Xilian lowered her eyes: "Although I'm trapped here and have lost my memory just like you, I still vaguely remember the homeland that raised me…… Behind this door is 'Ophyrus', and it is definitely not a gentle world."

"Over the long stretch of time, I could only watch helplessly as people walked into the Memory Gate. They couldn't see me, nor hear my calls. The voice from beyond always promises safety, but I've never seen anyone return safely……"

Xilian lifted her head and looked seriously at San Yue Qi: "So, I can't just turn a blind eye to you."

——

Azure Archive.

Xuan Long Men Student Council Room.

"This young lady named Xilian truly has a pure‑hearted kindness. But she's dead, right? Why is she appearing here?" Jin Wei Nan curiously surveyed the space they were in, adding, "And from what she said, it seems she doesn't yet realize that Ophyrus is a world simulated by a staff."

"Yeah, yeah, she's clearly a girl like a pink angel, yet she's stuck in this place……" Chun Yuan Xin Nai showed a distressed expression, "Teacher, teacher, do you think this is Laigushi's doing? It must all be its fault!"

"Hmm…" The Teacher sat in the main seat of the council chamber, about to speak, but Feixiao, seated in the student council president's seat, intercepted Xin Nai's words first.

"What Nan and Xin Nai said is correct—Miss Xilian truly is a good person, no doubt about that." Feixiao lifted the teacup on the table, gently blowing away the foam, "But good intentions aside, I've noticed there's something in her earlier remarks that deserves special attention."

"What?"

"Over the long stretch of time, she has seen countless people approach this gate—does this mean…… Yi Ting has actually abducted many people and lured them to Ophyrus? And San Yue Qi…… this girl is quite special; others can't hear Xilian's younger sister's voice, but only San Yue Qi can."

"Gate Master, do you think San Yue Qi and little Xilian share some kind of commonality?"

"Well, their common points are naturally not just limited to being pink‑haired beauties; perhaps there's a deeper 'similarity'." Feixiao turned her gaze away from Xin Nai's face, "... Teacher, what do you think? Are there any oversights in my reasoning?"