Chapter 111: So Similar

They immediately reacted, a slightly admiring expression on their face: "Bai Hang? I know! Who in Luofu doesn't know this legendary aviator, one of the 'Five Heroes of the Clouds', a great hero! Too bad… died young, truly heaven's envy of talent."

They even sighed properly, as if lamenting a sealed piece of history.

Jing Liu remained silent, that calm, unruffled face making Bai Hang unable to guess what they were thinking.

Bai Hang only felt a chill down their back, more unsettling than facing an enemy afflicted by a demonic yin body.

"Um… customer, are you still buying anything?"

Bai Hang tried to break the suffocating silence, steering the conversation back to safe commercial ground.

"Buy."

Jing Liu finally spoke again, the words nearly making Bai Hang bite their tongue, "Everything here. How much?"

Bai Hang: "!!!"

Their mouth twitched uncontrollably, inner voice roared: "Everything?! Jing Liu, you weren't like this before! When did you become so… so lavish and inhuman?!"

"Ahem, this… customer, there's something you don't know."

Bai Hang quickly waved a hand, a forced smile on their face, "These are all precious limited‑edition items related to the Black Tower Lady, from a distant Space Station! To prevent some… uh, overly zealous collectors from stockpiling and affecting other customers' experience, we enforce a purchase limit. Each person, each time, each model, only one piece!"

They began rambling endlessly, trying to mask inner panic with nonsense: "Look at this Black Tower doll, it uses the latest nano‑filling technology, feels superb! And this necklace, see the cut, the luster, said to contain a faint glow of the Black Tower Lady's wisdom… The pendant is even more remarkable; hanging in a room not only decorates but… also inspires thought! All these come from legitimate channels, with… with Interstellar Peace Company certification… I think…"

Bai Hang's mouth was dry as they spoke, yet Jing Liu seemed not to be listening at all, that gaze hidden behind the eye mask, as if piercing through sunglasses, landing directly on their face, bearing a sense of scrutiny and… nostalgia?

This feeling is terrible!

Bai Hang forced themselves, almost involuntarily blurted out, "Um… if you don't believe, you can feel it? The texture is really great!"

Their intention was to let the other party feel the merchandise.

Jing Liu nodded, then—directly reached out, passing over the stall's goods, gently… touched Bai Hang's cheek!

Bai Hang: "!!!!!!"

They were instantly petrified, mind a blank.

That slightly cool fingertip contact, through the thin skin, seemed to carry a current, making their hair stand on end.

Jing Liu's finger even brushed lightly, then, moving upward, seemed to try to remove their disguise sunglasses.

"!!!"

Bai Hang snapped back to consciousness, almost instinctively, the fused agile system trait inside them instantly activated— their figure rippled like water, instantly becoming ethereal, and in the next instant reappeared a few steps behind the stall.

"Customer, please! Have some self‑respect!"

Bai Hang covered the cheek just "attacked" with one hand, voice tinged with genuine fright and forced anger, sounding truly like a respectable lady offended by a lecher.

Yet inside, a torrent roared: "Jing Liu!!! you you you… you actually dare to assault a respectable fox‑woman in broad daylight?! You weren't like this before! Where's your aloofness?! Your 'no‑one‑approaches' stance?! After centuries apart, how did you become like this?!"

Jing Liu slowly withdrew the hand, fingertips gently twirling, as if savoring the recent touch.

They remained silent, saying nothing, yet the intangible pressure grew heavier.

At that moment, a sharp female voice shattered the eerie atmosphere:

"Cloud Cavalry! That stall! That white‑haired fox‑people girl! I suspect she's selling unlicensed goods, evading taxes, and possibly smuggling!"

Bai Hang turned toward the voice, seeing the woman who earlier tried to swindle their goods, now leading several uniformed Cloud Cavalry members, storming in.

Bai Hang's heart startled, muttering internally: "Can't afford to play, huh? Actually reporting!"

The situation was dire, leaving no time for anything else.

"Sorry, customer! Business can't be completed today!"

She quickly said something to Jing Liu, deftly pressing the button on the small cart.

A few light "Ka‑da" sounds rang, the stall swiftly folded and contracted, transforming into a smooth riding form.

Bai Hang leapt onto the cart, the power core instantly activating.

"Swoosh—!"

The cart shot like a released arrow, carrying the panicked fox‑people girl, weaving deftly through the bustling crowd, disappearing after a few turns at the street corner, leaving only a faint trail.

When several Cloud Cavalry arrived, they saw only the empty street, and… the former Luofu Swordmaster, Jing Liu, still standing in place, hand raised in a lingering pose.

Jing Liu slowly lowered the hand, gaze seeming to look toward the direction where Bai Hang vanished.

In the air, as if a familiar scent lingered (?), and… that soft cheek identical to the one in Memory.

"So similar…"

She murmured softly, a fleeting ripple crossing her cold visage in an instant.

Except for hair color… almost identical.

The friend she thought long gone, only to mourn alone in endless night… really, just an illusion?

And now, Bai Hang, racing the cart through Luofu's alleys, patting the still‑tingling cheek, heart still trembling.

"It's over, it's over, it's over… I'm being targeted now! Lady, help! Jing Liu… she touched my face! Did she recognize me? No, I must report quickly, this Luofu… might not last long!"

Perspective shift.

In Ti Bao's room, the various Ti Bao dolls, seated or lying, their eyes made of countless buttons or glass beads, quietly stared at the center of the room.

Xi Lian sat on a soft goose‑feather pillow, pink short hair appearing especially gentle under the room's soft light.

She watched Ti Bao—the mature woman with thick fire‑red hair, wearing a white dress—fidgeting childishly, vigorously tapping the phone screen.

On the phone screen was the "Currency War" game made by the Black Curtain Lady.

At this moment, Ti Bao was choosing the Beloberg team, battling the "enemy" amid a data‑simulated ruin.

"Ah! Why is it gone again! This Xier is so fragile!"

Ti Bao wailed, watching the battle fail on screen, the Health Bar instantly dropping to zero, "These guys are so useless! Didn't even finish the First Stage and the Health Bar's almost empty! Is A8's difficulty reasonable?!"

Xi Lian leaned slightly, soothingly saying, "Sister Ti Bao, maybe it's luck. Next time… try Miss A Ge Lai Ya's team?"

Ti Bao pursed her crimson lips, tossed the phone into the nearby pillow pile, collapsing as if her bones vanished: "But always using A Ya is so boring… she's about to scold me 'addicted to reliance'."

She said that, then suddenly rolled over, flung her arms wide, hugging Xi Lian tightly, and together they tumbled into the soft sea of pillows.

"Little sister is the best!"

Ti Bao buried her face in Xi Lian's pink short hair that gave off a faint fresh scent, rubbed hard, her voice muffled, "It's just too hard to 'draw'! When will Mom be able to increase the odds of getting a 'little sister' a bit..."

Xi Lian was almost breathless from her hug, smiled helplessly, and gently patted Ti Bao's back, like soothing a large cat.

"Ti Bao sis, I'm right here."

Just then, the door that looked like decoration and usually remained shut let out a clear, regular knocking sound.

Thud, thud, thud.