Bai Tang: Here I come, Astral Express!

"It's nothing."

The moment Bai Tang's entire face was revealed, Dan Heng felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity that left him momentarily dazed. Hearing March 7th's voice, he quickly came to his senses and replied.

Bai Tang ate very politely. She kept her back straight throughout the meal and took her time, eating every bite with care and restraint. Her bowls and plates remained clean and orderly, and she chewed with her mouth closed, making no sound. Even her yogurt was taken in small sips. She was so quiet that it seemed she had even softened her breathing.

At a glance, she looked like a child who had been raised with great care.

He studied Bai Tang carefully, wondering where the sense of familiarity had come from, only to find that it had vanished, as though it had all been his imagination.

Before long, Bai Tang had cleared away all the food in front of her. The satisfaction of a full stomach enveloped her like a thin cloud. She wasn't sleepy, but she didn't want to move, either. Her limbs sank lightly into the softness, and all her taut nerves relaxed at that moment, leaving only laziness and comfort.

Seeing her relax, March 7th leaned closer and asked:

"Do you remember your name?"

"...Bai Tang."

Bai Tang's voice was slightly hoarse, as though she hadn't spoken in a long time.

Beside them, Dan Heng was typing a message on his phone. When he heard Bai Tang's answer, he put it down and introduced them:

"Hello, Bai Tang. I'm Dan Heng, and this is March 7th."

When March 7th heard Dan Heng introduce her, she waved at Bai Tang, but didn't interrupt, letting Dan Heng continue.

"The Astral Express saw you in space on its way to Herta Space Station. Do you need us to help you contact the Xianzhou?"

He didn't ask what had happened or why she had been drifting in space. He only asked whether she wanted to contact the Xianzhou.

"No."

She might look like a Foxian, but if she actually went to the Xianzhou, she would just be an undocumented person. If they contacted the Xianzhou, she would definitely face a whole group of old foxes probing her. If that happened, she would cosplay as a teru teru bozu right in front of the dragon masters.

"Aren't you a Xianzhou native? If you left the Xianzhou without reporting it, won't you get in trouble if they find out?"

March 7th blurted it out. She knew how strict the rules were for Xianzhou natives traveling. If Bai Tang was still alive but didn't contact them, she would be done for if they found out later!

Bai Tang: "I'm not."

She had transmigrated, so there was no way she could be a Xianzhou native now. If anything, she was an undocumented person who had popped out of thin air!

"You're not a Xianzhou native? Then who are you? Don't tell me you've lost your memory like I did."

Bai Tang: "Mm."

March 7th was instantly at a loss for words. Wait, she really had lost her memory?

What am I supposed to say now?

Should I say, "Sorry, I didn't know"? That sounds a little like I'm provoking her!

Think about it: someone danced all over your sore spot, and when you got angry, they said they hadn't known, as though those words were a get-out-of-jail-free card. How could March 7th possibly say that?

She didn't know whether Bai Tang cared about her memory. If she didn't, it would be fine, but if she did, saying that would be a death sentence!

Dan Heng, help!

Dan Heng was unavailable.

"All right, Little March, stop pestering the patient."

Like a savior descending from the heavens, Himeko appeared before them and rescued the embarrassed March 7th.

When she first saw Bai Tang curled up in a ball, she immediately recognized the story behind her condition. Young people were generally ill at ease with an adult around, so she had given Welt a look and left.

Welt caught her look and pretended to have something to do, leaving the two youngsters to handle things.

March 7th was lively and Dan Heng was levelheaded (?). They could do a good job of calming an injured, wary little animal, and they were both strong enough to react to any sudden situation. Besides, Himeko and Welt were watching from nearby.

Seeing that the young lady had relaxed, Himeko naturally appeared and gave March 7th a way out.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express."

Himeko's voice was gentle, easily soothing others' emotions and putting them at ease.

March 7th chimed in to explain, "That means she decides where the Express goes. For example, she was the one who decided we'd go to Herta Space Station this time."

Like an NPC, Bai Tang spoke a few words at a time, as if she were overly nervous. "Hello. Thank you. Food, very good."

Hearing Bai Tang's answer, Himeko chuckled and held out her hand:

"Dan Heng told me about you, and Welt and I have discussed it. Would you like to board the Express and become a Nameless?"

Dan Heng's expression didn't change at all, as if he hadn't done anything. Only his slightly wandering gaze showed that he had indeed been up to something on the sly.

The first time, he had told Himeko that Bai Tang liked food, especially Floating Lamb Stomach Soup, and that if anything happened, they could use it to soothe her.

The second time was when Bai Tang said there was no need to contact the Xianzhou. He had taken out his phone and asked Himeko whether they could invite Bai Tang aboard the Express.

March 7th was delighted and surprised by Himeko's invitation:

"Huh? Really? Is Bai Tang going to become our companion?"

March 7th was a very kind person. She wouldn't refuse to let anyone board the Express, and was naturally happy to have another companion.

Bai Tang didn't speak, but Himeko didn't mind. She calmly withdrew her hand and said:

"There's no need to rush. Take your time and think it over. The next stop is Herta Space Station. Come find us once you've decided."

In the impression she gave others, Bai Tang was somewhat like Dan Heng when Himeko had first met him, both of them burying their emotions in their hearts. But Himeko keenly noticed Bai Tang's true feelings, just as she had sensed Dan Heng's thoughts and invited him aboard back then.

Lost and lonely, like a fox cub that didn't know where to go, left to evade and hide outside with no fixed home in the universe. Himeko thought it would suit her better to be invited aboard the Express and have a home where she could live in peace.

Besides, this little one was no ordinary person. Her body had been drifting through space for who knew how long, yet she was still alive and kicking. That alone put her above ninety-nine percent of the people in the universe.

At the same time, her body was like a bomb capable of destroying the world, liable to explode at any moment yet somehow appearing very stable. This time, she had surpassed ninety-nine percent of the people remaining in the universe.

"Bai Tang, we're going to Herta Space Station this time because we've finished a commission for Herta and are about to turn it in."

March 7th didn't mind that Bai Tang hadn't answered. Instead, she explained why they were going to Herta Space Station.

Is the story about to begin?

I wonder if the Stellaron Hunters have printed out the gray-haired Trailblazer, who might be a prospective Akivili, and put them there yet. What if they haven't?

Think of the Great Herta Tomb. Think of the Express broken in two.

Haha, that would be a complete disaster!

Joining the Express meant facing many dangers. Whenever something happened, its members rushed to the front lines, saying, "We're already here anyway," before going off to help save the world.

But Dan Heng, March 7th, Himeko, and Pom-Pom were all aboard the Express, and she could also go to places like the Xianzhou and Penacony to meet the other characters at any time.

I should join after all.

At least she could be free and happy on the Express, and she wasn't entirely without means of defending herself against enemies.

"Do you, need, a doctor?"

March 7th was still chatting happily with Bai Tang when Bai Tang fixed her vacant gaze on Himeko, who had yet to leave, and asked out of the blue.

"Of course we do."

Himeko immediately understood what Bai Tang was thinking. A gentle smile appeared on her face as she reached out to Bai Tang once more. This time, Bai Tang responded, reaching out and taking her hand.

"Me too!"

March 7th placed her hand on top of Bai Tang's and turned to look at Dan Heng beside her.

Dan Heng: "..."

He helplessly reached out and placed his hand on top.

"Welcome to the Express family, Bai Tang! I'm March 7th, a member of the Astral Express and your coworker. Now, please pose for your employee photo... I was just kidding. How come you're already posing?"

March 7th wrapped her arm around Bai Tang's, took out her camera, and gave it a wave. Seeing that Bai Tang had already struck a pose, she took a picture of the four of them.

Dan Heng made a standard peace sign, Himeko sat elegantly at an angle, and Bai Tang rested her head on March 7th's shoulder, her hand clutching it.

"Let me introduce myself again. I'm Dan Heng, the Express's guard. I also maintain its data bank."

"Dan Heng's amazing. He has all kinds of strange abilities. Oh, right, Bai Tang, I heard the Xianzhou's medical arts are very unusual. Can you show us a trick or two? It's fine if you can't. I'll show you how I settle everything with one arrow!"

No matter what, Bai Tang was a Foxian. If she knew medicine, it had to be Xianzhou medicine.

"Hello, everyone. I, Bai Tang, am an, ordinary, doctor. If you have, any, aches or illnesses, you can tell, me."

Bai Tang spoke a few words at a time, as though she had only just learned to speak, or perhaps hadn't spoken in centuries.

She spoke to them very earnestly. It was hard to tell whether they were meeting and getting to know one another for the first time, or reuniting after a long separation.

"I, can cook. Naturally, I can also, make medicinal meals. If, you don't want to, take medicine, you can, tell me. I'll, make it into, a medicinal meal, for you.

"I learned, forging. If your weapons, break, you can also, come to me for repairs.

"I'm happy, to meet, all of you."

Dan Heng and March 7th listened patiently without interrupting Bai Tang's difficult self-introduction.

Once Bai Tang had finished, March 7th responded in delight:

"That's wonderful! Now I won't have to drink bitter medicine. Bai Tang, you even learned how to forge? That's amazing! People with technical skills are priceless treasures!"

Seeing that the three youngsters were getting along well, Himeko looked gratified:

"You all chat. The adults have work to do."