"Ruan Mei, do you enjoy this atmosphere?"
The Luofu Xianzhou, Skysplitter.
Lumina and Ruan Mei walked side by side, their shoulders almost touching. If they weren't refraining from holding hands, onlookers might have mistaken them for a close-knit couple... no, perhaps for very close girlfriends.
After all, a man and a woman would be considered a couple, while two women would only be seen as close friends.
Besides, they were both girls, and beautiful girls at that. What harm could there be in a little intimacy?
See? Isn't this typical Xianzhou behavior?
Not far from Lumina and Ruan Mei, two Xianzhou Foxian women were even more affectionate. Their fingers intertwined, their gazes so tender they seemed to stretch like silken threads hundreds of meters long. The next moment, their faces gradually drew closer until they kissed openly in public.
Ah, they're a couple. Never mind.
Lumina glanced briefly before turning her gaze away.
Though she enjoyed cuddling with beautiful girls, she had no interest in such displays of affection.
After all, doing something like that would mean having a mysterious "lock" suddenly appear on oneself...
This "lock" might seem harmless most of the time, but at a critical moment, it could prove fatal...
"Hmm... if you enjoy such things, I'm okay with it."
"Whatever you want to do, no matter what it is, I'll agree."
Being so close to Lumina, Ruan Mei naturally observed her every move.
This included the two Xianzhou Foxian women openly expressing their affection for each other in public.
Like Lumina, Ruan Mei had no particular interest in such matters.
However... if Lumina found it interesting, Ruan Mei would make an effort to be interested as well.
"Uh... Ruan Mei, you can't just say things like that!" Hearing Ruan Mei's words and feeling the gazes of the surrounding people, Lumina turned to her with a look of utter shock.
If they hadn't concealed their appearances, photos of Genius Society member Ruan Mei and the Saintess on a date would have undoubtedly topped the Trending Topics within ten minutes.
No, wait, that's not the point at all.
The real issue was Ruan Mei's attitude—she was far too calm about such things.
This was absolutely not how a normal person should react...
Combined with her "Divinity," Lumina grew genuinely afraid that Ruan Mei might completely disregard her own body and, for the sake of some so-called "social experiment," go on to... do who-knows-what.
"Pfft... Hehe." Though Lumina hadn't said a word, Ruan Mei could discern her thoughts from the constant shifts in her expression. She chuckled, bringing a clenched fist to her lips.
Under Lumina's questioning gaze, Ruan Mei asked with a faint smile, "Do you remember what I said on the bed during our call with Herta?"
"?"
"I will only engage in such interactions with Lumina, Herta, and Yu Qingtu," Ruan Mei recited with her eyes closed, repeating her earlier words. "Therefore, I will not acknowledge anyone else beyond these three."
Lumina: ...
When she'd first heard these words, Lumina had dismissed them as nonsense.
But now she realized Ruan Mei had been completely serious...
Wait... Ruan Mei, are you starting a harem here?!
Lumina's lips twitched uncontrollably. She was certain Ruan Mei had completely misunderstood what she was trying to convey.
"Ruan Mei, do you realize you'd be burned at the stake for saying that?" Lumina felt compelled to correct Ruan Mei's somewhat twisted mindset.
Sure, we're both girls—beautiful girls at that—and cuddling is perfectly normal.
But having three partners? That's absolutely, utterly unacceptable.
Therefore, Lumina's suggestion was to ditch Little Herta and Yu Qingtu, keeping just one. That should be enough...
"Hmm... Is that so? I don't see any problem with it," Ruan Mei hummed dismissively, convinced her views were perfectly sound.
Lying in the same bed, nestled against each other for a night's sleep?
It's not like it's a particularly difficult thing for Ruan Mei or her partners.
Look how happy Sister Lumina and I were together yesterday!
"This is a huge problem!" Lumina, unaware that Ruan Mei was referring only to sleeping together, assumed she meant... kissing all three of them.
"Ruan Mei..."
"So..."
"Do you understand now?"
Under Lumina's motherly guidance, Ruan Mei finally nodded slightly, indicating her agreement.
"Hmm, Lumina, you're right."
"Then I'll only act this way with you from now on."
Ruan Mei's gentle voice reached Lumina's ears, causing her to silently sigh in relief.
Great! I've finally managed to correct Ruan Mei's slightly twisted mindset.
After the sigh of relief, Lumina felt a silent, smug satisfaction.
But that smugness was quickly followed by a twinge of guilt...
Though Ruan Mei was a member of the Genius Society, she was utterly clueless when it came to interpersonal interactions.
To put it bluntly, she often came across as extremely rude in social settings...
Just as Lumina was inwardly rejoicing at having successfully corrected Ruan Mei's twisted mindset, unnoticed by Lumina, the corners of Ruan Mei's lips curled upward in a subtle smile...
-
"Sister Lumina, over here!"
As Lumina approached the agreed-upon meeting spot with March 7th and the others, she spotted March 7th waving enthusiastically from a distance.
"Hmm? Where's Stelle?"
Walking over with Ruan Mei, Lumina noticed that only two of them were present.
March 7th and Little Swarm were there, but Little Grey was nowhere to be seen.
"Aiya, did she wander off to rummage through trash cans again? Just ignore her."
Stelle's frequent disappearances were nothing new, so March 7th wasn't particularly concerned, waving it off with a cheerful grin.
"Oh, Ms. Ruan Mei is here too!" March 7th then noticed Ruan Mei standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Lumina, their arms brushing closely. Her expression instantly froze.
Regaining her composure, March 7th waved and greeted Ruan Mei politely.
"Ah, we meet again," Ruan Mei replied with a slight nod, her expression composed, before turning her gaze to Little Swarm.
Leaving Lumina's side, Ruan Mei strolled over to Little Swarm and gently placed her hand on the girl's head, her touch softening.
"Mmm..." Watching Little Swarm's slightly flushed face, radiating pure contentment and satisfaction, a spark of curiosity lit up Ruan Mei's eyes.
This gesture was something Ruan Mei had picked up yesterday while scrolling through short videos with Lumina, leaning against her shoulder.
It seems...
The effect is quite noticeable.
Could Lumina like this too?
A new thought sprouted in Ruan Mei's mind—an impulse to knead Lumina's head just as she was doing with Little Swarm.
"Let's hurry inside. The Wardance Ceremony should be starting soon," Lumina said, noticing the thinning crowd around them.
"Um... Sister Lumina?"
Just as Lumina was about to lead the group toward the stands, March 7th suddenly tugged at the corner of her sleeve, speaking with a hint of embarrassment.
"Hm? What is it?"
"Well... because of the Hoolay incident, I won't be participating in the Wardance Ceremony this time..." March 7th confessed, looking quite sheepish.
After all, during the battle with Hoolay, Yanqing and Yunli had carried the brunt of the fighting. Lumina herself had sustained minimal injuries and had fully recovered in just a few days.
"I know, that's why we're heading to the audience stands."
Watching Ruan Mei gently stroke Little Swarm's head, Lumina's own hands felt a bit itchy.
Hearing March 7th's words, Lumina chuckled softly, reached out, and gently ruffled March 7th's hair.
"Eh? Sister Lumina, weren't you going to participate in the Wardance Ceremony?" March 7th asked, startled at first, then puzzled.
Lumina glanced at Ruan Mei before smiling and saying, "I was originally going to participate, but with General Feixiao absent, I decided against it."
"Given my strength, it would feel a bit like bullying the younger competitors."
Without Feixiao, Lumina wouldn't get the satisfaction of beating up a beautiful girl.
Plus, Ruan Mei's presence had further dissuaded her from fighting on stage.
As for Herta, who was watching the live broadcast from somewhere in the Cosmos...
Well, let her keep watching for now.
Lumina had no intention of speaking to her just yet.
-
"Huh? Isn't that... Stelle?"
As the cannon blasts continued to echo through the Wardance Ceremony Arena, the ceremony officially began.
Moments later, the four spectators watching from the stands noticed a gray-haired beautiful girl suddenly appear on the arena floor.
March 7th, propping her chin on her hand and squeezing her cheeks into small puffs, muttered to herself in confusion, "Is that... really Stelle?"
"March, you can drop the 'seems like.' That's definitely Stelle," Lumina said with a smile, watching Stelle stand on the arena floor, hands on her hips, giving her opponent a pre-match glare.
No matter when or where, Stelle is always brimming with nervous—no, always brimming with Spirit, Lumina thought to herself, sighing inwardly.
"So, this girl just signed up for the Wardance Ceremony without a word?" March 7th ground her teeth as she glared at Stelle on the arena floor, looking like she was itching to throw a punch.
If she had known Stelle was participating, March 7th would never have withdrawn.
After all, if word got out, wouldn't I become known as some kind of "fugitive"?
Though, to be fair, that was highly unlikely to happen...
"Hmm... March, look beside her. She probably isn't the participant," Lumina observed, pointing to the red-haired man beside Stelle.
"Huh? That's... Luka?"
"What's he doing here?"
Hearing Sister Lumina's words, March 7th's attention was immediately drawn to the red-haired man beside Stelle.
Though it had been a long time, March 7th still recognized him.
Luka, the "Boxing Champion" of Belobog's Lower District and a member of Wildfire.
The sight of a Jarilo-VI native on the Luofu Xianzhou left March 7th feeling like she was dreaming.
Wait a minute... March 7th vaguely recalled that Jarilo-VI had been isolated from the Cosmos for ages.
How could they possibly have boarded the Luofu Xianzhou and entered the Wardance Ceremony in just a few months?
Could I still be stuck in Penacony's Sweet Dream...?
March 7th rubbed her eyes repeatedly, her disbelief palpable.
"March, you know him?" Lumina asked, feigning ignorance.
"Mm-hmm, Sister Lumina! Remember when you channeled your power through your ring to revive that planet?" March 7th nodded eagerly, her small face lighting up as she recalled the Abundance Divine Miracle on Jarilo-VI.
"Hmm... Is he from that planet?" How could Lumina possibly forget the grand spectacle she had orchestrated?
First, she nodded, then paused thoughtfully, before finally adopting an expression of sudden realization.
It was as if she had recalled some trivial matter after being reminded amidst a busy schedule.
But that wasn't the truth at all.
Lumina had been waiting for March 7th to mention Luka so she could seize the opportunity to meet him and launch the second phase of her Jarilo-VI show-off plan.
Lumina remembered that Hook and Lynx had also come to the Luofu Xianzhou.
So, she planned to use her title as the "Savior" of Jarilo-VI to meet them.
That was the hidden motive behind Lumina's initial reminder to Stelle about Luka's presence.
"Mm-hmm, that's right! His name is Luka," March 7th confirmed.
"Hmm... Is that a prosthetic arm?" While Lumina and March 7th focused on Luka himself, Ruan Mei's attention zeroed in on his mechanical arm.
Her pensive gaze sent shivers down their spines.
It wasn't that Ruan Mei was interested in Luka personally, nor was she particularly fascinated by his mechanical arm. Rather, Luka's prosthetic arm had sparked an idea for a fascinating new experiment.
This invention had something to do with head-patting.
Some people loved being head-patted, while others disliked it. Ruan Mei wanted to create something that would make anyone—whether they liked it or not—love being head-patted the moment this hand touched their head.
However, Ruan Mei wasn't very familiar with this domain, so she needed to plan carefully.
At the very least, she should first find out if Lumina liked being head-patted.
"Um... Ruan Mei, you're not thinking about... modifying people's bodies, are you?" Noticing Ruan Mei's gaze, Lumina leaned close to her ear and whispered.
Hearing this, Ruan Mei snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head.
She turned her attention fully to Lumina, scrutinizing her under Lumina's puzzled gaze. After a moment of careful observation, Ruan Mei said, "I have no interest in him."
"But I am interested in you."
While Ruan Mei wasn't skilled in crafting such devices, she excelled in the biological domain.
However... according to Herta, her current form...
Ruan Mei recalled Herta's words to her, her gaze lingering thoughtfully on Lumina, her thoughts unreadable.
Lumina: ?
Is Ruan Mei... lusting after my body?
And by "lusting after my body," I mean exactly that—the literal meaning of lusting after my body...