Back in Jinzhou City, members of the Black Shores with black flowers pinned to their clothes could still be spotted from time to time.
But in the past few days, they seemed to have vanished. No one knew what had happened.
The group leisurely made their way to Taoyuan Vale.
Today was the Moon-Chasing Festival.
Though the distance from Jinzhou City to Taoyuan Vale wasn't far, their playful antics along the way meant they only arrived at the festival grounds by evening.
Yangyang, Chixia, and Baizhi had already been waiting there for quite some time.
"Over here!"
Chixia was as energetic as ever today, while Yangyang and Baizhi had also changed into casual outfits, unlike their usual formal attire.
"Let's celebrate properly during the Moon-Chasing Festival!"
"The few of us spending the festival together, eating sweet treats and admiring the full moon—sounds perfect!"
Abby enthusiastically responded, "I want to eat sweet treats!"
Since it was a festival, Rover didn't toss her back into the Tacet Mark and instead indulged her fondly. "Alright, alright, you can eat whatever you want. Just put it on the Fractsidus' tab."
Jiao-Jiao: "...You still haven't let go of the Fractsidus."
Chixia laughed. "There's also the Night Moon Fair! It's a special festival event unique to Jinzhou, only held on the night of the Moon-Chasing Festival."
"The market has endless food, drinks, games, and sights to see."
"Let me take you to see the biggest and most beautiful lanterns at the Night Moon Fair! I know a great spot with an amazing view!"
Yangyang chimed in, "Come celebrate with us. On the night of the Moon-Chasing Festival, there are even more fun things to do."
Baizhi also reminded them, "During the Moon-Chasing Festival, everyone in Jinzhou comes out. You'll probably run into a lot of familiar faces."
Lucian nodded slightly. "Of course we'll celebrate together. It's a festival where everyone can gather."
Chixia cheered, "Yay! It's a promise! With me around, I'll make sure you have an unforgettable festival!"
"But speaking of which, have you made a wish at the Wishing Tree yet?"
Rover replied, "We've already made our wishes."
Chixia blinked in surprise. "Huh? When?"
"What did you wish for?"
"Yangyang wished for family reunion, and my wish was..."
"My wish was for Lucian to marry me in the future!"
Rover: "?"
Lucian: "..."
Chixia grinned. "Well?"
Rover scoffed. "My wish was to always stay with Lucian, and Lucian's wish was to always stay with me."
"Chixia, too bad—Lucian only has me in his heart!"
Chixia froze for a moment, then her mind raced. "Lucian definitely has me in his heart! You must've written that wish for him!"
Abby mused, "I feel like whenever it comes to Lucian, Chixia gets a little smarter."
Lucian sighed. "Looks like Abby is officially the least intelligent one here now."
Abby: "Hey!"
Lucian asked curiously, "What did Baizhi wish for?"
Chixia burst out laughing. "Baizhi is a staunch scientific materialist!"
"She didn't make any wish..."
Baizhi smiled faintly. "That's not wrong, but don't mind it. It's just my habit."
"If I had to make a wish, it'd probably be similar to Yangyang's."
Lucian pondered. "I see..."
"By the way, do you know the story about the 'unsung hero' behind the Wishing Tree? I'm quite interested in that."
Yangyang looked up at the towering Wishing Tree. "There is such a rumor... Especially in recent years, the wishes people make on the eve of the Moon-Chasing Festival seem to come true in one way or another."
Chixia giggled. "I remember one year when Jinzhou had constant rain. Yangyang wished for clear skies on the night of the Moon-Chasing Festival so the Night Moon Fair could go smoothly."
"And on that night, the weather actually cleared up! The moon was huge and round."
Yangyang blushed slightly at the memory. "That did happen..."
"I just tried it on a whim, but somehow it came true."
"I wonder if it was just a happy coincidence? But there have been too many coincidences like this during the Moon-Chasing Festival."
"Maybe the Wishing Tree really has some kind of power that brings happiness."
Lucian fell into thought. "Altering the weather? Could this 'unsung hero' really have that kind of ability?"
He sucked in a breath. "I should've wished for 'endless Shell Credits' then!"
Rover chuckled. "Well, in that case, let's go take a look at the Wishing Tree. Maybe someone really is hiding inside."
Yangyang smiled. "Then we'll split up for now. After you return from the Wishing Tree, meet us at the market. Chixia and I are preparing for the fair activities."
Chixia grinned. "I'm helping Qingxi at the Moon-Shooting Pot stall. It's not fully set up yet, but I can give you a sneak peek!"
With that, the group temporarily parted ways. Lucian and Rover ascended the stone steps.
Suddenly, a small red robot came stumbling toward them, emitting fragmented words...
"Moon-Chasing Festival... wish... Moon-Chasing Festival... wish... wish... wish..."
But the robot seemed to be malfunctioning, its voice growing increasingly mechanical.
The little red robot stopped in front of them and fell silent.
"What's this?" Abby asked, puzzled.
Lucian mused, "It mentioned 'Moon-Chasing Festival' and 'wish.' Could this be the unsung hero?"
Rover frowned skeptically. "That... doesn't seem likely. Such a tiny robot doesn't look capable of altering the weather."
Seeing that the robot wasn't responding, Lucian suggested, "How about we give it a little tap?"
"Machines like this sometimes work again if you smack them..."
"Or just turn it off and on—solves ninety-nine percent of problems!"
Rover scratched her head. "I don't think we should. What if we break it?"
Lucian smirked. "No worries! Watch my 'Bone-Melting Palm Strike'!"
With that, he gently patted the little robot's head.
The next second, the robot spoke again.
"Wish... wish..."
Lucian's eyes lit up. "Fixed?"
No sooner had he spoken than the little robot fell silent once more.
Rover was silent for a moment. "Did it really break just now? Was that... its last gasp?"
Lucian thought for a bit. "Want me to try my Healing Art on it?"
Rover looked doubtful. "Would that even work? It's a robot."
Lucian grinned. "No harm in trying. If it works, we might discover a whole new application!"
Jiao-Jiao pondered. "The energy of the Healing Art is unique. It might actually work. Give it a shot."
Lucian nodded, pinching the little robot's red ears as a faint glow emanated from his palms...