Chapter 196: How Strange

Starry Sky Train, Observation Carriage.

A moment later, Xinghe, now in regular clothes, and San Yue Qi, still bearing Jizi's appearance, sat side by side on the sofa in the Observation Carriage; both tilted their faces slightly, trying to hide the conspicuous slap mark with hair or hands.

Opposite them sat the "San Yue Qi" who was elegantly sipping morning coffee—more precisely, Jizi's consciousness inside San Yue Qi's body.

She chose a slightly more mature outfit today, trying to temper the overly lively, unrestrained aura that San Yue Qi's body brings, but the effect was limited.

At this moment, she held a mug bearing the Starry Sky Train emblem; her light pink eyes showed gentle puzzlement as her gaze swept back and forth over Xinghe's own face.

"So,"

Jizi set down the cup, her voice still the crisp tone of San Yue Qi, but her tone was steady and calm, "Can anyone explain why you two… um, were injured in a 'symmetrical' way? And it looks like it was caused by a palm strike?"

Xinghe and San Yue Qi's bodies tensed simultaneously.

Xing felt her cheek a little hot, quickly glanced at the dignified San Yue Qi sitting beside her, and her mind whirred rapidly.

She couldn't just tell the truth—"I was curious about Sister Jizi's body texture, so I touched it a few times at night, got hit by San Yue Qi, and then Sleepwalked and hit San Yue Qi again."

…Saying that would make me look like a pervert and get thrown off the train, right?!

"It was… it was Sleepwalking!"

Xing spoke first, her tone exaggerated with "I'm shocked too," "Sister Jizi, I think I have a Sleepwalking problem! I didn't even know it myself!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Sleepwalking!"

San Yue Qi quickly agreed, nodding vigorously with Jizi's body, her deep‑red long hair swaying, "Xing Sleepwalked suddenly last night, and her movements were terrifying!"

"Sleepwalking?"

Jizi tilted her head slightly, a hint of thought flashing in her pink eyes, "What exactly happened?"

Xing forced herself, beginning to fabricate a version that sounded as plausible as possible: "Well… I don't know how I got up, maybe I was fighting in a dream… then, in a daze, it seemed like I slapped myself?"

She pointed to her left cheek, "Then… maybe when I turned I lost control, accidentally… bumped, bumped into San Yue?"

The more she spoke, the softer her voice became, clearly lacking confidence.

San Yue Qi nodded forcefully beside her, adding, "That's it! Xing's Sleepwalking gave her great strength! Her movements were fast! I couldn't even react!"

Jizi's gaze floated between the two.

Xing's explanation sounded full of holes, and San Yue Qi's agreement also seemed a bit unnatural.

The strong, identical slap marks on their faces hardly resembled something caused by an "accidental bump."

Moreover, Xing had a prior Sleepwalking incident—the lump that knocked on her own head.

She recalled that before returning to her room last night, she had indeed been a bit worried that Xing might Sleepwalk again, and unexpectedly… the worry came true, and the scene seemed even more "intense."

"Xing,"

Jizi's voice was gentle but carried an unavoidable seriousness, "Did you know you had Sleepwalking before? Roughly when did it start?"

Xing scratched her head, genuine confusion on her face, "I don't know, Sister Jizi. If San Yue hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known I still had this issue."

She paused, muttering softly, "No wonder I sometimes feel especially tired in the morning, as if I've been running all night…"

That wasn't entirely a lie.

Last night, the high‑intensity training with Kaiwen in the Le Tu Training Room, and the later danger after Xilin appeared, indeed left her mentally exhausted, unlike the previous refreshing feeling.

Jizi looked at Xing's genuinely bewildered expression, then glanced at the bright red slap mark on her own face, sighing inwardly.

She could probably guess that the two children were hiding some awkward details, but the core reason—Xing's Sleepwalking—seemed genuine.

Moreover, this Sleepwalking appeared to have a certain aggressiveness and unpredictability.

"I understand."

Jizi nodded, not pressing for details, which would make the already embarrassed children even more mortified, "It seems we need to keep an eye on this issue. Xing, before resting at night, try to relax, don't think too much about battles or stressful matters. San Yue… cough,"

She paused, still a bit uneasy being called by name, "You too; if you notice Xing having similar episodes again, don't rush close, first ensure your own safety, then inform me or Walter."

"Okay, Sister Jizi!"

Xing and San Yue Qi responded simultaneously, each silently breathing a sigh of relief; it seemed they had bought some time.

Perspective shift.

In the hall of Past World Paradise, today Yidian casually adjusted the lighting to a lazy warm gold, illuminating the timeless ornate decorations and also casting a slightly strange atmosphere in a corner of the hall.

Xi Lian sat upright in the center of the soft long sofa, her back habitually straight, but this time she was not alone.

Ailixiya affectionately embraced her from the side‑behind, her chin gently resting on Xi Lian's pink little head, her lotus‑shaped arms loosely encircling the girl's slender waist, as if holding an oversized cute doll.

(So strange…)

Xi Lian muttered softly in her heart, a hint of confusion flashing in her azure eyes.

(Black Curtain Lady had held me like this before, and now it's Ailixiya… Why does someone keep wanting to hold me lately? Is it because I look… easy to hold?)

She wasn't very used to such overly intimate physical contact, especially from a big sister whose appearance was so stunning and whose passion burned like fire.

But Ailixiya's embrace was warm and soft, carrying a faint floral scent, making it hard to muster strong resistance, so she reluctantly allowed herself to be held, albeit a bit stiffly.

The hall was still fairly lively at this moment.

Yidian reclined at an angle on a high‑back chair opposite, twirling a crystal cup between his fingertips, his expression gentle as he observed this side; Hua sat in a slightly farther armchair, spine straight, quietly explaining something to the curious Li Su Shang beside him; Sakura, as always, stood silently at the boundary between shadow and halo, like a sheathed famous blade, aura cool.

At that moment, a light, brisk footstep sound approached from afar.

"Oh dear~ It's rare that everyone is here! Let me see… hmm? Wait!"

The newcomer was Wei Er Wei; she entered the hall with a smile, her gaze sweeping over everyone, finally fixing on Ailixiya and Xi Lian on the sofa; her expression instantly shifted from curiosity to surprise, her eyes widening a few degrees.

She extended a gloved finger, incredulously pointing at Ailixiya, then at the Xi Lian in Ailixiya's arms, her voice slightly higher from surprise: "Goodness! Ailixiya, when did you learn such a realistic Clone Magic? Or have you finally developed the legendary SelfReplicationTechnique?"

Obviously, Wei Er Wei, busy with the workshop and major projects, had never heard of this 'little guest' who resembled Ailixiya in appearance.

Ailixiya let out a giggle, released one hand that was encircling Xi Lian, and shook her index finger at Wei Er Wei: "No, no, Wei Er Wei? This one isn't my Clone at all! She's a new friend, named Xi Lian, a guest who accidentally came to our Le Tu from a distant world called Weng Fa Luo Si~ Look, isn't she cute?"

As she spoke, she tightened her arm again, re‑securing Xi Lian, who had tried to shift a bit, back in place.

"I see, a visitor from another world… and she looks so much like you, Ailixiya… interesting."

Wei Er Wei's surprise was quickly replaced by keen interest; she touched her chin, studying Xi Lian up and down, her gaze making Xi Lian feel like some novel curiosity.