"So, you're going to wait for the Astral Express to arrive, retrieve the item you entrusted to them, and then take a Starskiff to leave the Luofu?"
"Mm. Originally, I planned to have someone else bring it over, but since I've stayed a few extra days, I might as well retrieve it myself."
At a port in the Starskiff Jetty of the Xianzhou Luofu, Lumina and Ruan Mei waited for the Astral Express to arrive.
"Hmm... Speaking of which, with so many ports here, are you sure the Astral Express will dock at this specific one?"
Standing beside Ruan Mei, Lumina inhaled the faint fragrance emanating from her while glancing at the countless Starskiffs flying past and the numerous ports surrounding them. She turned to Ruan Mei with a puzzled expression.
"Hmm... I'm not sure, but... it should be correct. This should be the place." Ruan Mei shook her head calmly, seemingly oblivious to the implications of being at the wrong port.
Hmm...
After observing Ruan Mei for the past few days, Lumina had firmly placed her in the "adorably clueless" category.
It wasn't that Ruan Mei was completely ignorant of common sense; rather, she knew it but simply didn't care.
This was arguably even more severe than being merely clueless...
Lumina sighed inwardly, shaking her head. Gazing up at the azure sky above the Starskiff Jetty and feeling the presence of the woman beside her, she felt a profound sense of contentment.
Could life offer any greater joy or satisfaction than this?
Lumina remained silent, as did Ruan Mei. They stood there, quietly waiting for the Astral Express to arrive.
Even if this wasn't the correct port, it wasn't a major issue.
Given Ruan Mei's status as a member of the Genius Society and the one who had entrusted the item, the Astral Express crew would undoubtedly find her even if they missed the initial docking.
So, all they had to do was wait patiently...
Lumina stole a sideways glance at Ruan Mei. Bathed in the gentle sunlight, her already exquisite face seemed veiled in a soft haze, adding a layer of mystery and dreaminess that was utterly captivating.
Damn... I really can't bear to see her go.
It felt just like when she had to say goodbye to Herta on Penacony.
Except this time, the reluctance to part was even stronger.
After all, Ruan Mei's departure also meant the departure of her soft "body pillow"...
Hmm...
Now that I think about it, I haven't experienced a lap pillow since saying goodbye to Herta...
She really missed it.
Next time I see Herta, I'll make sure to release all this pent-up longing!
Lumina's face hardened with a sudden, firm resolve.
"..."
The inexplicable determination that appeared on Lumina's face caught Ruan Mei's attention, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
What interesting thoughts are running through her mind now?
Ruan Mei was curious.
Fortunately for Lumina, she didn't possess the ability to read minds...
-
"Eh? Sister Lumina, Ms. Ruan Mei, what are you two doing here?"
Just as Lumina and Ruan Mei were waiting quietly, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed, followed by a lively, cheerful voice that could only belong to a beautiful girl.
"March, are you all here to wait for Himeko and the others too?" Lumina turned and asked with a smile, seeing the group that had just arrived.
Yanqing and the entire Astral Express crew were present. They must have received news that the Express was about to arrive at the Luofu.
"Eh? 'Too'? Sister Lumina, are you also waiting for Uncle Yang and Miss Himeko?" March 7th quickly picked up on the key word.
"Yes," Lumina explained with a smile. "I'm not sure if Himeko told you, but Ruan Mei entrusted her with a quest to retrieve something. She's here to pick it up now."
While waiting quietly with Ruan Mei wasn't boring in the slightest, Lumina was more than happy about this unexpected addition to their group.
Joy is better shared than enjoyed alone. The more people, the livelier it gets, and the happier Lumina becomes~
Take that one night, for example. With March 7th, Little Swarm, Ruan Mei, and herself—four people in total—it had been incredibly lively and fun.
The only downside was that it had been too lively, and cleaning up the room afterward had been a bit of a disaster...
Hmm...
By "lively," Lumina meant they had treated the room like a playground, constantly laughing, roughhousing, and playing all sorts of games.
Like hide-and-seek... pillow fights... and things like that.
Nothing else happened, and when it was time to sleep, they all slept in separate beds.
It couldn't be helped; the room was simply enormous, with plenty of beds to spare...
Hmm... The only slightly abnormal thing was that Lumina had gone to sleep alone.
Yet when she woke up the next morning, she was once again cuddling with Ruan Mei...
Well, it's not really that abnormal, is it? Ruan Mei is afraid of sleeping alone. Overwhelmed by fear in the middle of the night, she sought out Lumina's bed for a bit of security. That's perfectly normal, right?
Recalling the events of that night, Lumina couldn't help but feel a strong urge to travel back in time and relive those moments of carefree laughter and play with them...
"I see," March 7th said with a nod, remembering the situation. "In that case, Sister Lumina, Ms. Ruan Mei, let's wait together."
"Oh, by the way, Sister Lumina," she added.
"Part of our reason for being here is also to see off the delegations from the Zhuming and the Xianzhou Yaoqing."
"They'll be arriving here shortly."
March 7th gave them a heads-up.