Bronya: Kids, I Can't Smile Anymore

The banquet eventually came to an end. In the lobby of the Goethe Hotel, the previously boisterous noise gradually subsided, leaving only the clinking of glasses and plates, and the lingering whispers of a few people.

Bronya rose from her seat and surveyed the room.

As the new Supreme Guardian of Belobog, she offered her final thanks to everyone, her words concise and solemn, before announcing the official end of the banquet.

Gepard immediately began directing the Silvermane Guards to clean up the area.

Seele helped Natasha, who had also drunk quite a bit, and the two staggered toward the door.

Just before leaving, Seele couldn't help but turn back and look in the direction Bai Luoming had just left.

She only glanced at him before Natasha grabbed her arm and dragged her away, disappearing into the night.

"Let's go, we should head back too." Himeko stood up, her cheeks flushed, but her gait remained elegant.

Welt walked last, closing the door to the suite area belonging to the Astral Express Crew, completely shutting out the noise from the hall.

The corridor fell silent.

Xing let out a long yawn, rubbing her stomach and complaining, "Burp... I drank too much juice, I'm so full."

"Who told you to drink juice like water?" Evernight maintained March 7th's tone, playfully teasing her.

Dan Heng silently followed beside the group, listening to their commotion.

The group walked to their respective doors.

"Get some rest. We need to discuss leaving tomorrow," Himeko said, opening her bedroom door.

"Good night."

Xing was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open. She almost stumbled open her bedroom door and rushed inside, half-asleep.

Dan Heng nodded to everyone and prepared to return to his room.

Just as he turned around, he paused, glancing back at March 7th who was about to open the door.

The corridor lights shone down from above, casting a soft glow on the ends of her pink hair. Her smile was bright and radiant, just as it always was.

Dan Heng felt that something was off.

However, Dan Heng couldn't figure it out, so he just shook his head and didn't delve into it further, thinking that he might be too tired lately, and then turned and went into his room.

The Evernight, closed the door.

With a soft "click" from the door lock, the light in the corridor was completely shut off from everything outside.

The main light in the room was off, only a small nightlight by the bedside emitting a warm yellow glow.

The light outlined the figure sprawled out on the bed.

Bai Luoming lay on his back on the bed that belonged to March 7th, completely unguarded, one hand still dangling off the edge of the bed, muttering something incoherently.

"Awesome! Awesome!"

Looking at him like this, Evernight's lips curled up in a smile.

She didn't do anything; she simply placed the camera on the bedside table, stood quietly, and then closed her eyes.

Evernight voluntarily relinquished control of the body, releasing March 7th's consciousness.

March 7th's consciousness suddenly returned, and the world spun before his eyes.

Her last Remembrance was of being in the banquet hall, holding a juice glass, ready to clink it with Xing's again.

What's going on?

She blinked hard, trying to make sure she was looking at the situation.

But no matter how many times she blinked, she was still in the hotel room, with her camera even on the bedside table.

She was inexplicably returned to her room, but could someone tell her why Bai Luoming was in her bed?

March 7th's brain completely shut down.

Her mouth opened and closed again as an absurd thought popped into her head uncontrollably.

'I'm dreaming.'

'Yes, it must be a dream.'

The moment this thought crossed her mind, Evernight's figure quietly appeared beside her. This time, Evernight did not appear in the form of March 7th, but in her own form.

She tilted her head, looked at March 7th, and whispered, "It's not a dream, darling."

On March 7th, the hair on the back of my head suddenly stood on end.

She let out a short scream, jumped back a step, and slammed her back heavily against the door.

"A ghost! A ghost!"

As soon as March 7th uttered his words, Evernight extended a finger and gently pressed it against March 7th's lips.

"Shh... darling, I'm not a ghost."

The touch on his lips was both surreal and real. March 7th shuddered, his eyes widening in terror as he warily surveyed the presence that had suddenly appeared in his room, his voice trembling.

"Who... who are you? Why are you in my room?"

The phantom took a step forward, its voice gentle, yet its words carried an undeniable air of authority.

"I am you, my dear."

"I don't believe it!" March 7th retorted without even thinking.

"Well..."

Evernight sighed helplessly. She moved closer to March 7th, her beautiful face pressed against his.

March 7th opened her beautiful eyes wide, intending to push Evernight away, but found that her body was somewhat weak and she couldn't muster any strength.

(200 words omitted here)

When Evernight chuckled and stepped back, March 7th finally found her voice, which carried a sense of resignation after being utterly defeated, a mixture of shame and anger.

She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and suddenly pointed at Bai Luoming on the bed, quickly changing the subject:

"Alright, alright! My other self! Let's stop talking about that! Let's... let's get Luo Ming back to his room first!"

Evernight found it somewhat amusing to see her so eager to distance herself, so Evernight moved a little closer to her.

"What are you trying to do now?!"

March 7th was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; it reflexively pulled back and put its hands in front of it to protect itself.

Evernight was amused by her appearance and shook her head.

"Sending him back is simple."

Evernight lowered her voice.

"But, darling, are you really... willing to accept this?"

In short, it precisely hit the corner that March 7th had been deliberately avoiding.

March 7th turned her head and her gaze fell on Bai Luoming, who was fast asleep on the bed.

He seemed to feel a little hot, so he turned over, his cheek facing her, and mumbled something inaudible in his sleep.

Her voice was dry and unnatural. "... What are you willing to accept? I don't know what you're talking about."

Evernight didn't expose him, but simply added a lighthearted remark.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Listening to Evernight's words, March 7th's heart pounded like a drum.

Her gaze was uncontrollably fixed on Bai Luoming's profile, and she couldn't look away.

The soft lighting made his usually somewhat playful features appear unusually quiet.

She really did...

The moment the idea popped into my head, it grew wildly like weeds.

"If we miss this opportunity..." Evernight's voice rang out again, carrying a bewitching magic, "Do you really want to stand by forever and watch him get close to someone else?"

She had known her feelings for a long time, but... not in this way.

March 7th's expression shifted between hesitation and struggle; his lips moved, but ultimately he couldn't utter a single word.

Evernight understood her silence.

Given how thick-skinned March 7th is, this is already the limit.

If you push it any further, it'll get angry.

She smiled silently to herself, deciding to take the final step for March 7th.

The next second, her body, constructed from Memoria, vanished from its spot, and her consciousness instantly regained control of the body.

Hey! What are you doing!

March 7th's consciousness struggled and protested inwardly, only to find itself trapped in an airtight box, able to see and hear, yet powerless to do anything.

"Honey, if you don't want to, that's fine. I'll take this round first."

Evernight said this, and casually pulled out a few sealed scenes from the depths of her Remembrance, tossing them to March 7th to digest slowly.

Those were fragments of Remembrance from Evernight's Remembrance, from March 7th's repeated experiences of being the loser.

As they looked at the scenes from their Remembrance, the protests of March 7th came to an abrupt halt.

After feeling the complete silence in the depths of her consciousness, Evernight decisively cut off March 7th's perception of the outside world.

She walked to the bedside and gazed quietly at Bai Luoming's profile.

Evernight didn't rush to take the next step. Instead, she picked up Bai Luoming's terminal, skillfully unlocked the screen, and turned on the front-facing camera.

She adjusted the angle to confirm that Bai Luoming, who was unconscious, and herself were clearly visible in the shot.

Then, Evernight gave the camera a meaningful smile, made a playful "V" sign with her right hand, and pressed the shutter button.

"Click."

The sound of a camera shutter echoed in the quiet room.

This photo, which seemed to evoke all sorts of thoughts, was thus saved into Bai Luoming's photo album.

After doing all this, Evernight finally put down the terminal.

She leaned down, her long pink hair falling down, a few strands gently brushing against Bai Luoming's cheek.

2000 words omitted here.

At the same time.

Near Kliperburg, Bronya walked with light steps, a long-awaited smile on her face.

She gently pushed open the door to her residence.

The motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on automatically, filling the entire living room with soft light.

But the sofa was empty, and on the coffee table was only half a glass of water she had left before leaving in the morning, which had long since gone cold.

Bronya's smile gradually froze.

She strode towards the bedroom and pushed the door open.

The cool moonlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a narrow strip of light on the floor.

The light spots fell on the empty bed.

The room was empty; there was no sign of anyone having been there.

Bronya stood in the bedroom doorway, silent for a long time.