If there hadn't been an Emanator present, "Tingyun" would absolutely have found a way to secretly use her power to destroy the little device hiding Kafka's identity.
But right now, she herself had to tread carefully.
Naturally, she had no opportunity to provoke hostility toward Kafka from those two.
Phantylia kept up her false smile.
Again and again, she responded to the guests around the dinner table.
A mighty Lord Ravager—
Reduced to drinking and entertaining guests here.
Honestly, it was almost laughable.
And indeed, the people at the table were laughing quite happily.
Only Phantylia's smile was painfully forced.
"Miss Tingyun, smile for the camera!"
Su Ran raised his camera toward Phantylia.
With her cheerful smile still plastered across her face, he snapped the photo.
Yet on the camera screen appeared two images.
One was Tingyun's ordinary appearance.
The other still showed Tingyun's outer form—
But inside her chest burned a mass of flames.
After all, Lord Ravager Phantylia belonged to the heliobus race.
Her true body being a flame wasn't strange.
Though the fact she didn't appear in the palace-lady form Su Ran had expected was admittedly a little disappointing.
"Why does your smile look so delighted, Sir? Could it be you captured me poorly?"
Phantylia's heart skipped a beat.
Had he discovered something?
"Doesn't this look pretty good?"
Su Ran didn't hide anything and openly showed her the picture.
Naturally…
Only the normal one.
Seeing the photo looked completely ordinary, Phantylia became even more confused.
If it were the Xianzhou General, perhaps she would've underestimated him.
But an Emanator of Erudition being this useless?
Not noticing anything wrong at all?
That made no sense whatsoever.
"You actually managed to make me look this beautiful?"
Phantylia feigned surprise and shyly covered her mouth.
Beside her, Yukong was beginning to lose control.
The hand gripping her chopsticks was nearly snapping them in half.
Thankfully, Phantylia's attention wasn't on her at the moment.
Only heaven knew how agonizing this dinner had been for Yukong.
That damned Lord Ravager.
As for Fu Xuan—
Completely unaware of the situation—
She'd spent the entire dinner distracted.
Her thoughts remained entirely focused on the slip of paper Su Ran had given her.
If not for the crowded environment, she would've already demanded to know whether what was written there was true.
But there were too many eyes around.
She didn't dare.
Welt vaguely sensed something strange about this dinner.
But seeing that nobody else appeared alarmed, he felt awkward about disrupting the atmosphere.
Hopefully it was just his imagination.
"What's your name?"
After eating her fill, Stelle walked over to Clara.
She was extremely interested in this "little sister" she'd never met before.
"My name is Clara, big sister."
Even surrounded by unfamiliar people, Clara still answered politely.
"Not only are you super cute, even your voice is all soft and adorable?"
Clara: ???
Why was this big sister acting so weird?
After finally surviving the meal in constant anxiety, Phantylia hurriedly paid the bill and left first.
As for the Astral Express crew, they weren't in any hurry.
Mostly because Stelle had become completely glued to Clara.
Only after Welt confirmed that Yukong and Fu Xuan still had matters to discuss did he begin desperately hinting for March 7th to drag Stelle away.
"Mr. Yang, are your eyes uncomfortable?"
March scratched her head while watching Welt furiously blink at her.
"Pfft—"
Serval, who didn't know him at all, burst into laughter without mercy.
Feeling the increasingly strange looks from everyone around him—
Welt covered his face.
Deep inside, he regretted overestimating March's intelligence.
"We still have important matters tomorrow. We should head back early and rest."
If they stayed any longer, the three of them would probably end up sitting there awkwardly forever.
Hearing that, Stelle immediately picked Clara up, clearly intending to bring her back with them.
Her little sister.
She would raise her.
No problem there, right?
Clara: !!!
"Big Brother!"
She stretched out her tiny hand toward Su Ran for help.
Stelle: ???
She called him big brother, not dad?
So she's not my sister—she's my aunt?!
Something inside her seemed to shatter.
"Hey! Are you a kidnapper or something?! That's somebody else's child! Why are you taking her away?!"
March pried Clara out of Stelle's arms and put her back down.
Then she dragged away the apparently petrified Stelle.
"Goodbye, everyone! And thanks for the dinner, Mr. Su Ran!"
Before leaving, March still enthusiastically waved goodbye to everyone.
After being frightened by Stelle suddenly trying to abduct her, tears had already gathered in Clara's eyes.
Fu Xuan, who had wanted to question Su Ran immediately, forcibly endured the impatience in her heart while waiting for him to finish comforting the child.
"Take a look."
After soothing Clara, Su Ran handed the camera to Yukong.
Yukong accepted it and examined the photograph.
Seeing Tingyun's image with a golden flame burning within her chest—
Her face twisted with rage.
It was the first time Fu Xuan had ever seen such an expression from Yukong.
Naturally curious, she leaned closer to look as well.
But a hand blocked her view.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
She glared furiously at Su Ran for stopping her.
The last time he hid things from her, she'd endured it because of that slip of paper.
And now he was stopping her again?!
Did he look down on her, the future General of the Xianzhou?!
"This is part of the plan."
Su Ran looked at her earnestly.
That serious expression instantly stunned the still-angry Fu Xuan.
"So that's how it is?"
Hearing it was "part of the plan," Fu Xuan reluctantly gave up trying to peek.
Though she was still dying of curiosity.
But if it was part of the plan, she'd endure it.
All for the promise Su Ran made!
And if it ultimately failed…
Then I'll… I'll bite you to death!
Though that was only her inner thought.
Still, Fu Xuan hoped Su Ran could somehow read the meaning through her eyes.
She, Fu Xuan, wasn't that easy to fool!
"So it truly is…"
Yukong sighed deeply.
Today, Tingyun had still looked exactly like the girl she remembered.
But this photograph completely extinguished the last hope in her heart.
In the end—
The white-haired must bury the black-haired.
—------------------------------
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