A Kiss to Topple a City

An hour later, the melodious chimes of bells rang out from the direction of the Grand Theater.

Frieren, Dugu Qing, Fern walked together, leisurely heading towards the circus.

Looking at the empty surroundings, Stark couldn't adjust. He touched his round belly and shamelessly chased after them.

"That's strange, didn't you say you weren't coming?"

Seeing the sudden appearance of the light bulb, Fern felt slightly disappointed and secretly glanced at him sideways.

"You ate too much, let it help you digest!"

Stark walked up to Dugu Qing with a grin and put his hand on his shoulder.

The lobby of the open-air circus theater.

The four entered the theater, where a circus performance had already begun in the center of the lobby.

The spiral hall was filled with tiered seating for the audience.

Fern and Dugu Qing exchanged a glance and, as if on cue, began to cast their spell.

A soft velvet carpet, pure white and as light as snow, was summoned by Fern's magic.

Dugu Qing activated his Qi Manipulation Technique, manipulating the velvet blanket to fly into the sky. Delicate magic covered and reinforced the blanket, making it able to withstand the weight of four people.

"I feel like I've been fed a mouthful of dog food again!"

Stark awkwardly muttered to himself.

Frieren, oblivious to everything, lightly leaped onto the pure white blanket and lay down comfortably like a cat.

Dugu Qing and Fern landed lightly on the carpet, spread out the tablecloth, and took out various snacks.

"Excuse me, I need to go in."

Stark leaped and flew, landing heavily on the fluffy, soft blanket.

Frieren was thrown back, glaring at Stark with a cute but fierce look.

Unaware of what was happening, Stark gently stroked the cloud-like downy fur with both hands.

"It feels so good."

The fine, soft down shimmered in the hazy moonlight, warm and smooth to the touch, Stark burst into a delighted laugh, his expression exaggerated.

"You're so ignorant!"

"Country bumpkin."

Dugu Qing Fern looked at Stark and felt that their own status had been lowered by Stark. They stepped back in disgust and distanced themselves from him.

By a twist of fate, they ended up sitting together.

"Stark, image."

Frieren reached out her delicate hand and patted the blanket, looking at it with a disappointed expression.

Stark chuckled awkwardly, sat up straight, shut his mouth, and began to enjoy the circus performance below.

Dugu Qing controlled the blanket, flying into the secluded and quiet sky, hanging alone in the heavens, looking down and taking in the entire performance.

High-wire acts, aerial acrobatics, aerial silk dance, magic tricks, fire magic, parrot mimicry...

No magicians participated in the entire performance, yet the stage effects were superb, with one exciting scene after another, creating an extremely lively atmosphere.

The audience was thrilled, completely forgetting the threat of the Demons, cheering and applauding continuously, their voices echoing through the sky.

As we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new, we step into an unknown year.

Dugu Qing felt that the audience below had done a great job of acting as his mouth double.

I said everything I wanted to say and everything I didn't want to say. All the noisy and disordered thoughts were soothed and transformed into a melodious tune that quietly echoed.

Watching the performance below, Stark felt he could do better than them, but he couldn't bring himself to perform on stage. He sincerely admired the staff and gave them a big round of applause at the end of each performance.

"That's actually not bad."

Many times, Frieren spent the New Year alone. She couldn't understand why humans celebrated, and she would watch from afar, completely baffled.

Now that Frieren is in the thick of it, she probably understands... a profound and insightful wisdom flows through her heart.

Gently close your eyes, your mind and soul will find peace, and you will naturally fall asleep.

Frieren slept soundly, Stark watched the performance intently, oblivious to everything else.

Fern discovered that all the annoying light bulbs had disappeared, and on the soft, silky velvet, there were only herself and Dugu Qing.

Above us lies a silent sky full of stars, below us lies the deep, boundless earth, and in the distance, the warm glow of countless homes illuminates the world. Even the occasional fireworks that light up the heavens and the earth are merely embellishments.

She moved closer to Dugu Qing and considerately took out a handkerchief to wipe the sesame seeds from Dugu Qing's lips.

"I'll do it myself!"

After the New Year, Fern will be nineteen years old. With fair skin, beautiful face, and Dugu Qing really can't treat her like an ordinary little girl anymore. He takes the handkerchief and gently wipes his mouth.

"Dugu Qing, are you shy?"

Dugu Qing, with her elegant demeanor and aloof independence, rarely flinched, yet now seemed unable to look her in the eye. Fern secretly rejoiced that she had been eating well these past few days, her figure gradually becoming fuller and her curves more alluring, radiating charm at all times.

This is great news! It shows that the balance of power has shifted.

In the future, I can learn to be a mature and gentle older sister, carefully grooming myself, displaying my charming allure, and gradually attracting Dugu Qing...

"No, it's just that you've grown up, Fern."

Dugu Qing stared straight ahead, his expression returning to its usual coldness.

"Yes! Dugu Qing, you're an elf, and your appearance and figure are exactly the same as when you were sixteen! If this continues, you'll end up like Frieren, a thousand-year-old boy!"

The stark difference in their physical stature imbued Fern with a gentle maternal glow.

The thought of spending her future with the young Dugu Qing brought a touch of shy tenderness to her heart. Her eyes were filled with affection, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked to the side.

"Hmm, elves are quite special!"

Dugu Qing watched the circus performance below, shifting to a more relaxed position and lying down to watch.

The soft velvet, silky smooth and warm, the peaceful environment, and the tranquility and comfort helped him drift off to sleep quickly.

They're all asleep!

Stark looked at the two sleeping soundly on the carpet, feeling sleepy, and yawned deeply. He said goodbye to Fern, jumped off the flying carpet, and returned to the inn alone.

Fern nudged Dugu Qing, but he didn't budge, leaving Philon deeply disappointed.

"What! Going to bed so early? I still have so much to say!"

Fern tidied up the things on the blanket, controlled it, and slowly lowered it to the ground.

Silver moonlight spilled across the earth.

A crisp evening breeze caressed Dugu Qing's fair and delicate, elegant and flawless face, her white hair fluttering gently in the wind, ethereal and beautiful.

Fern turned around and looked at Dugu Qing. His fingers trembled, and he suddenly thought of something, his heart burning with passion.

There was no one around. Stark was long gone, Frieren was unconscious, Dugu Qing was sound asleep...

Isn't this a golden opportunity? I should seize it!

She controlled the blanket, making it fly back into the sky, far away from the theater, moving lightly and silently, before nestling down beside Dugu Qing.

She gazed intently at Dugu Qing's exquisite face, captivated by his alluring charm. She bravely raised her slender hand, gently cupped his chin, leaned forward, and tenderly kissed him.

This tender, intimate kiss was enough to overturn the romance of an entire city and irrigate all the bitterness of unrequited love, past and future.

Fern's fingertips trembled slightly, her heart churning with emotion.

The dream I've longed for day and night, the dream that has haunted my soul, has finally come true at this moment.

Her forehead pressed against Dugu Qing's, she was immersed in their intimacy, her heart overflowing with boundless sweetness and happiness, her cheeks burning hot.

I wish time could stand still at this moment.