Not long after, the Hyperion landed smoothly on the Moon. As the hatch slowly opened, Fu Lin was the first to dash out. Her boots crunched softly against the lunar soil as she shouted,
"Where's Fu Lin? Why isn't he coming out to receive me already?!"
Einstein: "..." She pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose. The lenses reflected the cold white light outside the cabin, her expression as calm and aloof as ever.
Fu Hua followed closely behind, stepping out of the hatch and giving Einstein a nod in greeting. Seeing only her, she asked curiously, "Dr. Einstein, sorry to disturb you. Is Dr. Tesla not with you?"
"She saw your message. After learning that Welt was trapped on the other side of the Stargate, she locked herself in the lab and devoted herself entirely to studying the related data."
Einstein's gaze swept over the people filing out one after another, from Siegfried, Mei☆, and Elysia, before finally stopping on the most lively and energetic Fu Shi. The corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly as she added, "However, even without Tesla's noise, this moon base probably won't stay quiet anymore."
That said, she still stepped aside and said flatly, "Fu Lin is in Kiana's room. Please follow me."
The moment Fu Shi's sharp ears caught the words "Kiana☆'s room," her pace quickened. She nearly dragged Fu Hua along by the sleeve as she charged forward, "Hmph!, So they really are together! I knew Kiana☆ definitely wasn't doing anything proper!"
Fu Hua stumbled from being pulled and helplessly pressed her fingers to her temple.
Mei☆ followed behind with a faint smile on her lips, while Elysia teased from the side, "Ara~ Fu Shi, slow down. If we catch Fu Lin bullying Kiana☆, that wouldn't be very friendly, would it~?"
Siegfried walked at the very back, carefree as ever, "He wouldn't dare!"
The corridors of the moon base were paved with anti-slip metal plates, footsteps echoing crisply.
Einstein led the way, her steps steady as she turned a corner and stopped in front of a silver-white hatch. She raised her hand and knocked, "Kiana, Fu Lin, open the door."
There was silence inside for a few seconds, then Kiana☆'s voice rang out, "C-Coming!"
Immediately after came a series of rustling sounds, as if someone were hurriedly tidying up their clothes.
Unable to resist, Fu Shi pressed her ear against the door to eavesdrop, only to have Fu Hua lightly knock her on the back of the head.
"Don't fool around."
A moment later, the door slowly slid open.
Kiana stood at the doorway, her signature white hair messily clinging to her cheeks. A few stray strands were damp with sweat, and her face was still flushed, as though thoroughly steamed by heat.
When she clearly saw the dense crowd outside, her pupils shrank sharply. Her eyes widened in shock, her tone filled with unguarded astonishment, "Fu Lin? Mei☆? Elysia? Why did you get here so fast! Uh... Dad and Class Monitor too?!"
Behind her, Fu Lin had just finished straightening his clothes. The dark fabric still bore faint creases.
He froze when he saw everyone, then nodded in greeting, his expression relatively "calm."
Only the red on the tips of his ears betrayed him, silently declaring that the two of them had definitely not been doing anything proper just now.
"Heh! Of course we're here to catch you in the act!"
Before Fu Shi even finished speaking, and before Kiana☆ could react, she squeezed past her like a nimble ferret. Twisting her body to dodge Fu Lin's hand as he tried to stop her, she darted straight into the room.
Her eyes spun around as she craned her neck, scanning every corner. The moment her gaze swept over the bed, she abruptly froze.
Fu Shi planted her hands on her hips, the corner of her mouth curling into a sly grin. She stared straight at Kiana☆, her tone dripping with undisguised mockery, "Oh~ So this is what you meant by being busy? You really were busy~"
The next second, time abruptly froze at that very moment.
Under the gazes of Fu Lin, Elysia, and Kiana☆, Fu Lin almost seemed to teleport to the bedside, stuffing the soaked bedsheet into his system space.
The gears of time began to turn again.
"???" Mei☆ frowned slightly, her fingers unconsciously brushing her brow. Her clear eyes were filled with confusion. "Just now... did time pause for an instant?"
She distinctly felt the surrounding atmosphere stagnate for a split second, yet she couldn't find any trace of anomaly, as if it were merely her imagination.
Mei☆, there are five people present. Four can move within stopped time. You, are not among them.
Fu Lin coughed lightly and spoke with deliberate enthusiasm, "Well... you rushed all the way here, you must be hungry, right? Have you eaten yet? How about I cook for you?"
"Works for me! I haven't eaten food made by you, kid, in a long time!" Siegfried slapped his thigh almost reflexively.
Fu Shi blinked her round eyes, her face full of question marks that screamed have you lost your mind. She subconsciously took half a step back, disbelief thick in her voice, "You dare eat food made by Fu Lin?!"
Fu Lin's eyes lit up as he immediately seized the opening, his tone overly warm, "See? It has to be Father-in-law who understands me!"
The moment those words fell, the entire room went silent.
Fu Hua's fingers paused at her brow as she closed her eyes helplessly. Elysia covered her mouth, amusement nearly spilling from her eyes as she barely held back her laughter.
The words "father-in-law" were like a spark thrown into a barrel of gasoline. Siegfried instantly switched to battle mode. He raised his hand and slammed it onto Fu Lin's shoulder, his voice trembling, "Y-You shut up! Who told you to call me that?! I haven't agreed to you and Kiana yet!"
Fu Lin stiffened under the grip, cold sweat instantly sliding down his temple. He looked up with innocent eyes, "Well, you see, the you from another world, and Mother-in-law too, have already agreed to me and Kiana☆."
Siegfried's hand tightened violently on his shoulder. His eyes widened like copper bells, disbelief flooding his pupils, his voice cracking outright, "W-What?! Another world's Cecilia... she's still alive?!"
He had lived most of his life, weathered countless storms, and never truly envied anyone.
But at the words "another world's Cecilia is still alive," it felt as though something clenched his heart hard. Sourness and swelling surged together, his blood pressure spiking as even his breathing grew hurried, his eyes faintly reddening.
Seeing her father's loss of composure, Kiana☆'s nose tingled as well. She stepped forward and gently tugged on his sleeve, "Yeah. In that world, Mom originally died in the Second Honkai Impact too. But later, Fu Lin used an item to revive her. Now she's living happily with another Dad, me, and my sister."
"R-Revived?!" Siegfried snapped his head toward her, shock nearly overflowing his eyes. His grip tightened uncontrollably, his voice full of urgent hope, "Then, then can I also... can I also see Cecilia again?!"
Einstein's eyes lit up as well, but she remained silent, watching quietly.
Fu Lin frowned slightly from being grabbed, yet still patiently soothed him, "Father-in-law, don't rush yet. That revival item has a very long cooldown, so it can't be used right now. But don't worry. As long as we wait slowly, one day... it might really be possible to see Mother-in-law again."
The moment "father-in-law" left his mouth, Siegfried's attention instantly shifted away from "reviving Cecilia." His brows shot up, yet he didn't retort sharply like before.
He merely loosened his grip a little, his tone carrying an awkward edge, "Who allowed you to keep calling me that... but, "
His tone abruptly changed, his eyes turning eager as he grabbed Fu Lin's arm again, "How long is that cooldown? One year? Two years? Or ten? I'll wait no matter how long!"
Being shaken made Fu Lin dizzy. He hurriedly raised a hand to steady Siegfried's arm, his voice quivering slightly,
"Stop shaking, stop shaking! One year. Just one year, and we can make another wish!"
"One year?!" Siegfried's voice shot up, trembling with disbelief. His shoulders, which had been slumped just moments ago, suddenly tensed as dazzling light burst into his eyes.
It was the wild joy of something regained. He froze for a few seconds, then repeatedly confirmed while gripping Fu Lin's arm, urgency filling his voice, "You're serious? Just one year? I thought... I thought I'd have to wait three or five years, maybe even longer."
Seeing the joy almost spilling from her father's eyes, Kiana☆ felt a faint ache in her nose. She raised her hand and gently patted his broad back, her voice soft as moonlight, "Dad, one year will pass quickly. We'll wait together."
"Right!" Siegfried's eyes lit up as he instantly revived at full health. He slapped Fu Lin hard on the shoulder, the force nearly knocking him off balance.
"Kid, if you can let me see Cecilia sooner, I won't just agree to you and Kiana☆, I'll even help you deal with everyone who opposes it!"
"I object!" Fu Shi stepped forward with her arms crossed. She glared at him challengingly. "How are you going to deal with me, huh?"
The heroic look on Siegfried's face instantly stiffened. He coughed twice to cover the awkwardness, then shifted gears, patting Fu Lin's arm with a sly grin, "Ahem, well, of course that's something the son-in-law has to handle himself!"
As he spoke, he even winked at Fu Lin, looking exactly like an old prankster enjoying the chaos.
Fu Shi clicked her tongue in disdain, scolding Siegfried for his lightning-fast change of attitude.
"Siegfried, you're way too double-standard! You were all fierce just now, but the moment you heard you could see Cecilia, you immediately accepted a son-in-law? Be a bit more firm in your stance!"