"Huh? Why is everyone gathered here?"
"Did something happen?"
Before long, the group from the Yaoqing Xianzhou arrived at the port.
When Feixiao saw the seven people waiting, a question mark practically materialized above her head.
Anyone who didn't know better might have thought they were lying in wait for an enemy.
Feixiao didn't dwell on it. She led Moze and Jiaoqiu over and asked, "Greetings, General Feixiao."
"Greetings, General Feixiao."
Upon Feixiao's arrival, Dan Heng was the first to greet her.
Seeing this, March 7th, who stood beside Dan Heng, quickly followed suit.
"Gr... Greetings, General Feixiao." Although her big brother stood with his hands on his hips, seemingly indifferent to the General's arrival, Little Swarm saw Dan Heng and March 7th being polite and naturally mimicked them.
"Greetings, General Feixiao," Yanqing added.
At this point, everyone had offered their greetings except for Stelle—who stood with her hands on her hips like a mob boss—and Ruan Mei and Lumina, whose statuses were equal to or higher than General Feixiao's.
Seeing this, a mischievous smile crept onto Lumina's face. She feigned deep respect, bowing slightly to Feixiao. "Greetings, General Feixiao."
"Er..." Feixiao paid little mind to the others' greetings, but hearing her own Sister Lumina address her so formally made her feel distinctly uncomfortable.
After all, setting aside their sisterly bond and their respective roles as General and Physician, Lumina's strength and reputation far surpassed her own.
Feixiao felt she hardly deserved such a formal "greeting" from Lumina.
"Sister Lumina, please don't tease me with that title," Feixiao said with a helpless smile. She hadn't expected her sister to have such a playful side.
"How could it be teasing? I'm being perfectly serious," Lumina replied with a grin, clearly satisfied with Feixiao's reaction.
If only it were just the two of us here, Lumina thought. Without the constraints of others watching, I could tease her even more...
Yes, teasing that would make her feel awkward, make her blush, and make her even more uncomfortable.
"Mmm..."
Just as Lumina was savoring Feixiao's flustered expression, the serene Ruan Mei, standing beside her, glanced at Lumina, then at the beautiful girl Feixiao. A flicker of understanding sparked in her teal eyes.
So that's how it is, Ruan Mei thought, a realization dawning on her.
It seems Lumina is all talk and no action...
Recalling the previous night—how Lumina had remained completely unmoved despite her own obvious intentions—Ruan Mei understood.
To put it in popular internet slang...
Is Lumina the type of "mesugaki" who's a 100% master online but a 0% novice offline?
"Pfft..." The thought was so amusing that Ruan Mei couldn't stifle a sudden burst of laughter.
Her laugh instantly drew the attention of everyone present.
And among them, Lumina's reaction was the most intense.
"?"
A question mark slowly materialized above Lumina's head as alarm bells blared in her mind. A moment's thought was all it took for her to realize: Ruan Mei must be thinking about something related to me.
And it's the kind of thing she can't tell me... something a bit... presumptuous.
"You..."
"Apologies, I just thought of something amusing." Ruan Mei curled her fingers slightly, pressing them to her lips as she let out a soft chuckle, indicating she was fine.
Hmm, not exactly a mesugaki, but similar, Ruan Mei mused internally.
In short, she's all talk.
Ruan Mei's assessment of Lumina shifted slightly.
But a change in assessment was just that—a change in assessment. It wouldn't deter Ruan Mei from her original plans for Lumina.
There's no time for that now, though.
So... I'll wait for the next opportunity.
Ruan Mei cast one final glance at Lumina before averting her gaze.
"?"
What's Ruan Mei up to?
What is she thinking? Why do I get the feeling it's something... not good for me?
Lumina stole a glance at Ruan Mei from the corner of her eye, taking in her every move.
Hmm...
She's so beautiful!
Ahem...
After that brief moment of admiration for Ruan Mei, Lumina snapped back to reality and started pondering whether Ruan Mei was planning something harmful.
Hmm... Forget it. It doesn't matter.
She tried to figure it out but came up with nothing.
Lumina decided to drop it altogether. After all, Ruan Mei couldn't beat her in a fight, so she wasn't afraid of whatever Ruan Mei might try.
If she does anything, I'll just overpower her with brute force and make her sing "Conquer" beneath me!
Lumina savored the delightful thought.
"Sister Lumina? Sister Lumina? Sister Lumina?"
"Hm? What is it?"
Feixiao's calls pulled Lumina out of her own world.
"It's nothing, you just seemed a bit dazed," Feixiao replied with a smile.
Her tone then turned serious and sincere as she placed a hand over her heart. "Sister Lumina, I'm incredibly grateful for everything you've done for me during this time."
"From helping me cure my Moon Rage Syndrome to stopping me when I went berserk during the Wardance Ceremony."
"And even finding Jiaoqiu and healing his injuries... I'm truly, truly grateful for all of it."
"But..." Feixiao paused, studying Lumina's expression before continuing, "I don't know how I can possibly repay you."
"After everything you've done, I truly don't know how I can possibly repay you..."
Feixiao lowered her head slightly, as if admitting her own inadequacy.
"Don't worry about it. I really don't mind."
Though Lumina was very interested in Feixiao's offer of repayment, she had to maintain a facade of indifference. Besides, seeing how guilty Feixiao looked, she knew Feixiao wouldn't accept such a casual dismissal anyway.
"No, that won't do."
Just as Lumina predicted, Feixiao immediately looked up upon hearing those words, insisting that the matter couldn't be ignored.
"..." Nearby, Ruan Mei seemed to have once again seen through Lumina's thoughts. Her calm, placid eyes held an unreadable expression.
"Sister Lumina, since I can't think of any way to repay you, please decide for me." Oblivious to Ruan Mei's gaze, Feixiao's face was filled with determination.
It was as if she wouldn't leave the Luofu today unless Lumina accepted her repayment.
"..." Hearing this, Lumina feigned a troubled expression as she stared at Feixiao.
"Sigh... Fine."
After a moment, seeing Feixiao's unwavering resolve, Lumina let out a sigh, as if reluctantly yielding after a fierce internal struggle.
"How about this, then?"
"Feixiao, you have my contact information, right? So, from now on, you have to send me at least one message every single day, okay?"
Lumina said with a bright smile, proposing a "repayment" that hardly seemed like one at all.
"This..." Hearing this, Feixiao first froze, then shook her head. "Sister Lumina, how is that repayment?"
"Even without this 'repayment,' I would have messaged you every day anyway."
"It's different. Because, you see, if you ever miss a day or forget to send a message..." Lumina gave a mysterious smile, then leaned in close, whispering into Feixiao's ear, "I'll have to administer some... punishment~"
"And those punishments will be more than worthy of the 'repayment' you mentioned, General Feixiao."
Lumina's voice was utterly enigmatic, leaving even Feixiao unable to guess her true intentions. She hesitated for a moment.
Feixiao wasn't concerned about the punishment itself. Her worry was whether it would interfere with her duties as a Xianzhou General. After all, she had many responsibilities to attend to. If these punishments caused her to neglect her official duties, that would be absolutely unacceptable...
"Don't worry. If you ever do forget to send a message and face punishment, you can hear what the punishment is first before deciding whether to accept it."
As if she had seen right through Feixiao's thoughts, Lumina said with a smile, reassuring her that she had nothing to worry about.
Even if she encountered a particularly difficult punishment, she could choose whether or not to accept it.
"Huh? But wouldn't that be unfair to you, Sister Lumina?" Feixiao froze again.
If she could refuse, what was the point of the punishment?
"Not at all. If it were unfair to me, why would I have proposed it in the first place?" Lumina shook her head, her face still wearing that mysterious smile that Feixiao couldn't decipher.
"This... Alright, then. I promise to message you every day, Sister Lumina."
"And if I forget or can't send one for some reason, I'll accept a reasonable punishment."
Gazing at Sister Lumina's smile, Feixiao hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Although she had outwardly accepted the request, deep down, she didn't consider this a true "repayment" at all.
So, after returning to Yaoqing, Feixiao resolved to find something special to give Sister Lumina.
Otherwise, her conscience would never be at ease.
Sister Lumina... she's just so kind!
Feixiao sighed with emotion, praising Lumina silently in her heart.
She could guess some of what Sister Lumina was thinking.
She probably doesn't want any repayment from me, but she also doesn't want me to feel too guilty. So she came up with this "repayment" that isn't really a repayment at all, right?
After all, the only part of this "repayment" that worried Feixiao was the punishment for forgetting to "check in."
But as long as she didn't forget, the so-called punishment was nothing more than an illusion.
And even if she did forget one day and Sister Lumina imposed a punishment, she could simply refuse it. In the end, she wouldn't have to face any consequences at all...
At this point, even a fool could see that Sister Lumina was clearly looking out for her, showing her consideration...
Sister Lumina is just so kind!
Feixiao silently praised Lumina again in her heart.
"Hmm?" Lumina, the object of Feixiao's praise, was inwardly smirking mischievously.
From what I can tell, Lumina thought, Feixiao must be thinking that this "repayment" isn't really a "repayment" at all, right?
But that's where she's wrong.
Because my punishments will all be just a little bit excessive...
For example, I could make Feixiao... and then... and finally...
Something like that.
And when faced with these slightly excessive punishments...
Feixiao will surely grit her teeth, hesitate for a moment, and then agree, right?
After all... her heart is filled with guilt toward me.
Guided by that guilt, as long as the punishment is only slightly excessive, Feixiao will agree to it.
And when that time comes...
Lumina: o( ̄▽ ̄)ブ
-
"Alright, say cheese~"
After Lumina and Feixiao finished their conversation, March 7th, Yanqing, and the others had also said all they needed to say.
Feixiao exchanged a few pleasantries with Ruan Mei.
Then, just as Feixiao's group was about to leave, March 7th suggested taking a photo.
Click.
The seven of them, plus the three from Yaoqing, posed for the picture. With a click of the shutter, the Yaoqing trio boarded their Starskiff.
"Sister Lumina, everyone from the Astral Express, Dawn Sentinel Yanqing, Miss Ruan Mei, goodbye!"
"You must come visit Yaoqing when you have the chance!"
As Feixiao's final words faded, the Starskiff vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Just looking at Feixiao's personality, if you didn't know her better, you'd never guess she's a Xianzhou General," Lumina mused, gazing at the Starskiff, which had already shrunk to a tiny dot in the distance.
"That just proves how charismatic General Feixiao is," March 7th replied with a smile. "Her charm is so overwhelming that everyone overlooks her status as a General."
Hearing this, Lumina glanced at March 7th with a hint of surprise.
She hadn't expected such words to come from March 7th.
"March is right. Feixiao's personal charm is indeed immense." Lumina walked over to March 7th, placed a hand on her head, and gently ruffled her hair.
Her expression was incredibly tender.
But inwardly, Lumina wasn't nearly as gentle as she appeared.
She was pondering a specific point—
It seems like March 7th has been getting smarter and smarter since we arrived on the Xianzhou...
Though she's still firmly in the "adorably clueless" category...
Lumina thought to herself as she watched March 7th melt under her head-patting technique.
Oh well, it doesn't matter. As long as she's still the same March 7th who calls me "Sister Lumina" with every breath, none of this matters.
Dealing with Herta could easily backfire. Dealing with Ruan Mei... hmm, the chances of that backfiring are very, very low.
Because Ruan Mei is also adorably clueless and easy to handle.
As for this March 7th... it's absolutely impossible for things to backfire.
She's just a silly pink-haired girl. Even if the cosmos itself were to be destroyed, I could never mess up when it comes to March 7th!
Lumina thought with absolute certainty...