Chapter 24: Xieteliali: I… Am I Not as Cute as San Yue Qi?!

"Universe, galactic train, star god…… What kind of sci-fi movie have I been dragged into? The thing inside my body, this thing called a star core……"

"Outside the window, the specks of starlight seemed to gather into a huge golden whale, roaming interstellar space together with the train to the sound of Xing's whisper. Gazing at the splendid scenery outside, Xing couldn't help but stretch a hand toward the window."

"Are you catching stars?"

"The adorable San Yue Qi suddenly poked her head out, and Xing, caught off guard, bent forward—almost pressing face to face, like a female classmate from the neighboring desk whispering intimately with her. Xing could smell a scent like macarons emanating from her, sweet and hazy, floating between breaths, leaving Xing momentarily dazed."

"San Yue Qi's smile was faint, and childlike curiosity shone in her rainbow-like eyes."

"At this very moment, outside the light curtain, the men who had been hit in the face by San Yue Qi's adorable beauty all sighed, falling in love…… Such a cute girl, she must have been an angel in her past life……"

"A cute, lively, and energetic girl is forever a special weapon against straight men."

"Do girls like this really exist?"

"Inside the Holy Fire Arena, a certain Smoke Addict Chief named Salman secretly glanced at the intoxicated, red-cheeked Xieteliali holding a wine cup behind him, then muttered quietly: "Even though she also has pink hair and the appearance of a girl, why is the difference so great?""

"Unfortunately, as soon as his words fell, he was startled by the sound of someone slamming the table behind him."

""Y‑you… what did you say?!'' Xieteliali, who had just been dazed, suddenly appeared behind him."

""Well you, daring to chew Obsidian Grandma's tongue, I—I… looks like you're tired of living… hic.""

""Looks like you've forgotten Grandma's tricks, I—I… uh… vomit……" Xieteliali had just raised her hand when a strong urge to vomit surged up her throat; she instinctively covered her mouth… but in the end she couldn't hold it, and threw up all over the poor Smoke Addict Chief Salman."

"In the end, Ying pulled Xieteliali aside and helped her to rest at the side."

"Traveler……"

"After vomiting her guts out, Xieteliali finally regained some composure, her voice soft. Watching Ying prepare to rise and leave, she couldn't help but reach out and grab the hem of her skirt."

"Xieteliali gazed at the light curtain, her lake‑blue eyes reflecting San Yue Qi's flower‑like smile; then she cautiously withdrew her look and turned toward the Traveler…… her evasive eyes held the timid caution of a forest fawn, making one want to protect her."

"Although she had just been domineering to the point of deadly in front of outsiders, at this moment she was no longer the fearsome Smoke Addict Chief Salman, but a pure‑hearted girl who flirts with smoke, cautiously probing something."

""Traveler……'' Xieteliali was about to speak when a slender finger pressed against her lips."

"Ying said nothing, merely giving her a faint smile. Her gaze was clear, like dew falling from grass blades at dawn, making one want to catch it."

"——She could hear Ying's inner voice."

"——She could also hear her own "thump‑thump" heartbeat."

"In that instant, a blush rose on the cute face of the old thing."

""Hmph, I certainly know about this… those damned blind fools.""

"Xieteliali crossed her arms, turned her head away, and emitted a tsundere vibe that could blow three hundred meters in the wind: "Well… this time I'll let it slide, but if he dares to chew my tongue and bad‑mouth me while I'm drunk next time, I'll definitely make him relive the terror of being dominated by Obsidian Grandma.""

""Hehe, I've done that too." San Yue Qi chuckled lightly, sat beside Xing, and said, "But I wasn't catching stars—I was catching a lamp.""

""When I just woke up from the ice, I opened my eyes and saw a cluster of Starlight—so I instinctively reached out, but it was just the carriage's ceiling light.""

""Back then, everyone on the train crew was watching me from the sidelines. That scene was so embarrassing.""

"As they spoke, Xing noticed that San Yue Qi's expression was a bit downcast. Although she tried hard to hide it, her eyes gave her away."

"Xing leaned in slightly and asked, "Is everyone gathered around you?""

""Of course not? It's like they're observing some strange space creature—but it's not their fault, after all, nobody knows where I come from.""

""Can you imagine? Before being fished out by the train, I had been frozen in a block of ice, drifting through the universe." Mentioning her past, San Yue Qi was unusually subdued, a hint of sadness in her tone."

""Do you remember anything from before you were frozen?" Xing asked."

""Who knows? I've forgotten everything from before. I don't know who I am, what I was originally called, where I'm from… all of that is completely gone. Even the name 'San Yue Qi' was just chosen to commemorate the day I was awakened.""

""So I've clung to the train, riding it stop by stop, hoping that one day I'll be able to find my past……"

"Although San Yue Qi tried to keep her tone cheerful, the atmosphere remained melancholy."

""I thought San Yue Qi was a happy, well‑off girl, but she's endured this too." Zan Yin expressed sympathy, "Still, this optimism and openness are truly precious.""

""Without some special background, you simply can't board the Starry Sky Train, right?""

"Fu Lianlian calmly analyzed: "Among the five members of the train crew besides Pam, three have amnesia; no one mentions Ji Zi's background, and that Mr. Walter can suppress a star core with a mere gesture—especially that cane of his, which is impossible to read. In short, I want to say… nobody on the train crew has a simple identity.""

""Speaking of San Yue Qi, I have a hypothesis." Xiu Ta Er Ke raised his hand: "Don't you find San Yue Qi's ice oddly familiar? Like a certain star god……"

"Before he could finish, Filien exclaimed in realization: "Memory Star God!""

""Not bad, you're quite sharp." Fu Lianlian gave Xiu Ta Er Ke an approving glance."

"The Memory Star God seems to be made entirely of solid ice, appearing noble and mysterious—perfectly matching San Yue Qi's ice affinity. Moreover, she herself suffers from amnesia, and the Memory Star God happens to govern the memories of all beings in the universe……"

"It's hard not to spark speculation."

""In the light curtain, the train is about to embark on a jump; after wrapping up her talk with San Yue Qi, Xing went to Ji Zi's side to ask about the next stop's information.""

""Ji Zi sat in her chair, cheek resting on one hand, her beautiful eyes wandering over the glittering star river outside the window, and gently said: "Our next destination is a tiny planet, designated Ya Li Luo‑VI.""