Chapter 163: Within Arm's Reach!

A few more seconds passed, and only after being sure the danger had truly receded did Pa Duo slump down like a deflated rubber ball.

She let out a silent, huge sigh, simultaneously releasing the arm that had been gripping Xi Lian's waist and the hand that had covered her mouth; she leaned her whole body against the opposite stone wall, raised a hand and brushed away the non‑existent cold sweat from her temple.

"Huh… that scared me to death…"

She pounded her chest, still trembling, her cat ears perking up energetically from the hood and swiveling cautiously, "Sister She, you were way too on my tail today! It's just an old glowing can, why the fuss…"

Only then was Xi Lian able to be free.

She staggered briefly, braced against the wall to steady herself; her pale cheeks flushed with a pink hue from the earlier breath‑holding and tension, and her azure eyes, still shocked, were more bewildered than anything.

"Um…"

Xi Lian opened her mouth, her voice still a bit weak, "Th‑thank you… but could you first tell me…"

Before she could finish, Pa Duo turned her head, her beautiful heterochromatic eyes meeting hers, her face instantly shifting to a bright, slightly ingratiating smile: "Oh! Sorry, AiLi sis! The situation was urgent just now, I hope I didn't hurt you?"

AiLi sis?

Xi Lian was stunned again.

She blinked, trying to make sense of the address.

"I…"

She hesitated, pointing to herself, "I'm not 'AiLi sis'… you must have mistaken me. I'm Xi Lian."

"Huh?"

Pa Duo Fei Li Si's smile froze for a moment; she tilted her head, her cat ears also cocked in confusion, and she examined Xi Lian from head to toe, her gaze lingering especially on the face that resembled Ailixiya's but was undeniably more youthful, and on the petite figure.

Then, as if a lightbulb went off, she tapped her palm with a fist, her face breaking into an "I get it" grin, with a hint of "let's play" teasing: "Oh—! Right! Xi Lian sis! Look at my memory!"

She leaned in a bit more, eyes crescent‑shaped, lowering her voice with a conspiratorial tone, "Don't worry, Xi Lian sis, we get it! It's role‑play! AiLi sis, the 'Xi Lian' you're playing this time is super cute! The name sounds nice! It's just…"

She gestured at Xi Lian's height, curiously asking, "You've gotten way too tiny, haven't you? What new gadget did you use? Or a newly mastered… uh, ability? Could you teach us? Maybe it'll come in handy when we run away… oh no, when we explore!"

Xi Lian: "…"

She looked at Pa Duo's "I totally understand and will cooperate" expression, feeling her explanation hit a soft yet stubborn wall.

The other seemed convinced she was playing a character named "Xi Lian", and that she was the very "AiLi sis" herself.

This deep‑seated misunderstanding left Xi Lian momentarily at a loss for how to clarify, especially after the bizarre hiding episode they had just endured.

She opened her mouth, about to more seriously explain her background and that she wasn't the person the other knew—

"Got you, little thieving cat~"

"This time, let's see where you slip off to~"

That eerie, deadly‑sweet female voice, like a phantom, appeared without warning, directly from the outside of the plants surrounding their hiding spot!

Within arm's reach!

Pa Duo's fur seemed about to explode at that moment!

Her heterochromatic pupils snapped shut to a thin slit, and the color drained from her face.

"Waaah—!!"

It was pure instinct, with no time to think.

Pa Duo let out a short scream and, moving fast enough to leave a afterimage, snatched the still‑dazed Xi Lian in one hand, clutching her like a life‑size doll, her legs bursting with astonishing force as she vaulted out of the hiding spot!

"Bang!"

She didn't even have time to use a door or the usual path; she barreled through a side doorway that was half‑closed, her figure accompanied by a chaotic string of "Sorry, excuse me!" shouts and Xi Lian's faint, nearly disintegrating cries, vanishing instantly into the dark, winding passage behind the door, leaving only a hurried, frantic sprinting sound fading away.

The chaotic shouts and Xi Lian's faint cries, nearly torn apart by the jostling, vanished instantly into the dark, winding passage behind the door, leaving only a burst of panicked, directionless running sounds that quickly faded away.

A few seconds later, the broad‑leaf plant was gently pushed aside by a pale, slender hand with nails painted a ghostly green.

Mei Bi Wu Si stepped out of the shadows slowly.

Her emerald snake‑like eyes stared at the passage where Pa Duo and Xi Lian had vanished, and instead of anger at a fleeing prey, a curious smile slowly curved on her face.

That smile made her beautiful face appear even more bewitchingly dangerous.

She stuck out her tongue, lightly licking the corner of her mouth.

"Impressive… you even found a 'little helper'?"

Star Dome Train, Observation Carriage.

Soft starlight poured in through the wide arched windows, reflecting on the dark floor and mingling with the warm yellow lights inside the carriage to create a tranquil ambience.

Soft starlight poured in through the wide, arched car window, reflecting on the dark floor, intertwining with the warm yellow lights inside the carriage to create a tranquil atmosphere.

Her ash‑white hair fell like a waterfall, and her violet‑black eyes were now intently fixed on the multiple Light Screens hovering before her.

The Light Screens split into several real‑time feeds, like an all‑seeing surveillance network:

Feed One: Xianzhou Luofu, at the gate of a tranquil courtyard, Xi Tong is holding an oversized feather duster, solemnly dusting a patch of non‑existent ash on the wall. A few passing neighbors cast odd glances.

Feed Two: System Space, in the labyrinthine corridors of the Past World Paradise New District, Pa Duo Fei Li Si is clutching a dizzy, wide‑eyed Xi Lian who looks like she's about to become a mosquito coil, sprinting away, with Mei Bi Wu Si's faint chuckle echoing behind. The pink‑haired girl wears a bewildered "who am I" expression, starkly contrasting Pa Duo's panic.

Feed Three: Letu Hall, Ailixiya still wearing those pink Star-shaped Sunglasses, dancing energetically to the music.

Yidian rested a hand on her forehead, sitting nearby, the wine glass in her hand unmoved for a long while.

And Kaiwen, at some point, reappeared in the corner, wearing those starry sky sunglasses, arms crossed, seemingly admiring seriously.

And Kaiwen, at some unknown moment, reappeared in the corner, wearing those star‑sky sunglasses on his face, arms crossed, seemingly appreciating earnestly.

Hua herself leaned against the door with arms crossed, brows slightly furrowed, listening to the faint curious exclamations from inside about a novel shower device; her face remained characteristically calm, though a rare hint of unease lingered in her eyes.

Heimu's gaze calmly swept over these feeds; the doll‑like delicate face showed little expression, but the faint upward curl of her mouth revealed a trace of pleasure.

She raised her hand, slender fingertips gliding lightly in the air, bringing up another translucent interface.

She lifted her hand, her slender fingertips gliding lightly in the air, bringing up another translucent interface.

The progress bar is climbing upward at a slow pace, each faint tick seemingly corresponding to a tiny bit of chaos, misunderstanding, or unexpected development in one of the feeds.

The progress bar is climbing upward slowly and faintly, each subtle tick seemingly corresponding to a tiny bit of chaos, misunderstanding, or unexpected development in a scene.

Hmm...

Heimu emitted a slight nasal sound, his fingertip tapping his chin.

"By indirect intervention, guiding them to spontaneously generate dramatic conflicts, the pleasure feedback obtained is scattered but wins by being continuous… even a mosquito's leg is still meat."

She indeed hasn't recently been on any scene to make big news (except remotely assisting A Xing and Du Ya's courier business), and more like a chess player, gently moving one or two pieces on an existing board, then watching with interest how these "actors" possessing extraordinary skills react based on their own personalities, sparking unexpected fireworks.

The result is decent.

Letu's Ying Jie, in the process of adapting to the new environment, have emotional fluctuations caused by these small "accidents," and the interactions they trigger, are slowly repairing her core.

"It's almost at 39%…"

Heimu's purplish‑black eyes flashed a calculating glint, "A good Node. Then, before hitting 40%, a bit more… a more interesting seasoning?"

Her gaze drifted across several scenes.

A vague outline of a plan took shape in her mind.

She needs some time to refine it, choosing the most interesting entry point.

"Not in a hurry."

Heimu said softly, lifted the cup of coffee the system had just delivered before him, and took a sip.

"Let the fun… fly a little longer."