Blanca: I've Worried Myself Sick Over the Doctor.jpg

"Senior Hen, Senior Blanca, and little Griseo... You've come to Australia?" Disaster looked at the Hen couple and Griseo in surprise.

"Oh, isn't it because Griseo likes to paint? There's an arts festival being held in Australia right now, so I was thinking of bringing Griseo to see it." Hen said with a smile, "I heard before that you all took leave, which made Lionel complain a bit. That's just his personality, don't take it to heart."

"I don't mind at all," Disaster said, arms crossed. "That guy isn't worth my complaints."

Kosma: (But... who was it that kept complaining to me the whole way? Oh well, Disaster has a strong personality, I guess I won't call her out on it.)

"Hmm..." Hen looked around and asked, "Aren't Maple and Elysia with you?"

Kosma replied, "They went to find Eden first."

"Huh?" Holding little Griseo, Blanca was somewhat surprised. "Eden? Did I hear that right? That world-famous superstar, Eden?"

"Elysia and Miss Eden are old acquaintances... no, I should say friends. Miss Eden also provided us with our temporary accommodation in Australia," Disaster explained, then remembered that she had asked Little Pardo to help her pick out a swimsuit. Little Pardo usually liked to collect all sorts of things, so her taste was definitely not bad.

"It seems that Elysia's interpersonal relationships are still as unpredictable as ever," Hen said, looking at Blanca.

"Yeah...that guy is popular everywhere." A lifeless voice rang out from behind the two.

"Dr. Mobius?!" Disaster exclaimed in surprise. "You... you're here too?"

"I invited her over," Blanca said with a smile. "Dr. Mobius just Fire Moth council, and recently the restrictions on Dr. Mobius in the council have been reduced, so she can travel normally now, just not in public. I thought, since holidays are rare, why not let everyone get together and have some fun?"

"Hmph, if it weren't for your repeated requests and Hathaway's desire to come, I wouldn't have bothered coming at all," said Mobius, wearing sunglasses and a sun hat, pursing his lips.

Blanca looked at Mobius with some helplessness. She was clearly doing this for Mobius. Hen had already told her that Dr. Mobius had another competitor, Maple, and his childhood sweetheart Lilith. This reliable and capable junior was practically overflowing with suitors.

Now that Lilith and Elysia have come to Australia with Maple, Dr. Mobius is still staying in the lab like a shut-in. At this rate, she'll be a loser sooner or later, right?

Hathaway wanted to come too, but did she even show a change in expression? Doctor, oh Doctor, your tsundere attitude has gone out of control!

I'm so worried about my PhD. jpg

"Is that so..." Disaster shifted her gaze to the gray-haired girl next to Mobius. Long bangs covered her left eye, and her head was slightly lowered, giving her a gloomy feeling, but it was still clear that she was a pretty girl.

Moreover... it's really impossible to see any emotional fluctuations from the outside, giving people a very distant feeling.

I first heard the name Hathaway from a conversation between Disaster and Rovoc. Rovoc mentioned that she was Mobius's new bodyguard... I've only seen her a few times from afar, and I've heard that she seems to be quite a fighter.

Kosma looked at the girl with a strange expression.

(Xila... that makes sense. Xila's current identity is Mobius's bodyguard, so it's understandable that she came with Mobius... Speaking of which, although Xila is stationed at the Fire Moth as Mobius's bodyguard, I haven't seen Xila when I've been to Mobius's lab a few times... However, it seems that Feng and Xila spend a lot of time together, which means that Xila was with Feng during those times?)

"Didn't Klein and Rovoc come?" Disaster asked again.

"Rovoc is genuinely not interested in these things, and I've already completely handed over several of my experiments to Rovoc to oversee; she needs to keep an eye on the project progress," Mobius said casually. "As for Klein, she felt that since I've left, the lab can't leave all the work to Rovoc, so she stayed to work overtime with Rovoc."

"The Doctor tried to persuade Klein, but Klein insisted on staying." Blanca sighed softly. "The Doctor was prepared to say that if Klein wasn't coming, she wouldn't come either. Then Klein practically pushed the Doctor out of the lab, telling him to take a break and not worry about her."

"I remember that the Doctor's assistants also included Danzhu and Cangxuan, right?" Disaster asked with some doubt.

"It's good enough that those two didn't cause any trouble for Klein and the others," Mobius said without any sign of fatigue. "Cangxuan is fairly reliable, but Danzhu is still a bit unreliable."

As he said this, Mobius was also thinking about how to come up with a reason to bring Klein along next time he wanted to go out. In their previous life, the two of them were always working overtime and pulling all-nighters on experiments. Now that most of the experimental data from their previous life was stored in his mind, there was no need for him to continue spending every day in the lab. He had to find a way to force Klein to take leave or something...

Fire Moth headquarters, Mobius Laboratory.

"The doctor seems to want to give you a break. Although Danzhu and Cangxuan might be a little out of sorts sometimes, I can still handle them. Why don't you go to Australia with the doctor?" Rovoc said while adjusting the microscope. "You haven't had a break in a long time, have you? It's necessary to balance work and rest."

"I..." Klein paused while organizing the data, then hesitated before saying, "Doctor, her main purpose in going there was for Maple. I... I'm afraid I'll just cause trouble... I'm not good at socializing... If it's just a meeting or something, I can manage, but..."

"That's not a reason, is it?" Rovoc looked up at Klein. "Or rather, it's not the main reason? When the Doctor asked you to come over, his attitude was quite clear. It didn't matter that you weren't good at socializing. Senior Blanca also made it quite clear, but you still refused in the end and even pushed the Doctor out of the lab."

Klein kept his head down, organizing the experimental data, and remained silent.

Rovoc didn't press further. She lowered her head and continued with an experimental project she was working on. After completing the project, she would need to visit Dr. Mei, as it was a joint project between Dr. Mei and the Mobius Laboratory.

Dr. Mei...

Thinking about this reminds me of Kevin. Although Kevin didn't understand the technical terms or experimental procedures, he always quietly supported Mei and never caused any trouble...

These two... are really a good match.

After a while, Rovoc heard Klein speak, "Actually, the Doctor gave me a break once before, but... I was wandering in the corridors of the Fire Moth, not knowing what to do... It was the same when I was in university, I just did what I was supposed to do, that's all... What to do in my free time, that's a very unfamiliar question for me, I... don't know what to do. Rovoc, what do you do when you're on vacation?"

"Hmm... I don't really have any particular hobbies or anything like that. During holidays... since I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to Honkai research, I usually go to the Fire Moth's library to borrow books and learn more about Honkai." Rovoc took a form and started recording data. "Sometimes, I also read novels and discuss the plots with Disaster. Recently, since Lilith joined Fire Moth, I occasionally have afternoon tea with her. Before, when I went to the café alone, I also had some good conversations with a girl named Mostima who works there."

"Is that so..." Klein said thoughtfully, "Hmm... I think I'm a little envious of you, since you have so many things to do."

"I think that's because you haven't tried. How do you know you can't do it if you don't try?" Rovoc said. "I also think the Doctor is not good at interpersonal communication. Even if she were a little more assertive, you wouldn't be able to refuse her... And when talking to Maple, the Doctor always acts awkward."

"Hmm..." Klein hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Regarding that Maple, what do you think... um... who would be more suitable?"

Rovoc paused for a moment, then said, "Although from my perspective, I should support either the Doctor or Vill-V, but... if I had to choose, I think it should be between Elysia and Lilith."

"Oh." Klein seemed to remember something else. "Speaking of which, you and that Lionel seem to be acquaintances? He came to the lab earlier and asked me where you had been."

"Him?" Rovoc frowned, unusually displeased. "He's always pointing fingers at others, yet he still comes here to bother you. He hasn't changed a bit."

"So you two really know each other? Is it... a past relationship like being classmates?"

"I don't have much to say to him. We did know each other before, from elementary school to high school, we were classmates." Rovoc lowered his eyes. "But we parted ways a long time ago... He's too self-righteous, always thinking he's right, and never thinking about how the people who hear him will feel."

"I see." Klein nodded, and without asking any further questions, continued to bury herself in her work.

Australia, Eden's oceanfront villa.

"Wow, this is truly Miss Eden's villa! The decorations here are unlike anything I've seen before. Did you design them yourself?" Blanca said, looking at the layout of the villa's living room. "I hope our unexpected visit as strangers hasn't caused you any trouble?"

"How could that be?" Eden's voice was tinged with drunkenness. "You are all Elysia's friends, so you are my friends too. How could I think that my friends' visit would cause me any trouble? If you want to stay, I have extra rooms available for you to rest... The decor here is indeed my own design."

"Hey, Eden, you've drunk so much today, take a break." Elysia looked at Eden with a helpless smile. Eden... once he starts drinking, he absolutely won't stop until he's completely drunk...

"It's alright, Elysia." Eden's drunken voice carried a peculiar languor. "These wines, as a collection, will eventually disappear. Rather than waiting for them to vanish, it's better to enjoy them while they're fresh. Isn't that the original purpose of fine wine after it's been brewed?"

Zhu Yufeng glanced at Eden.

If he remembered correctly, when the Seventh Herrscher burned down the Australia continent in his previous life, it included many of the treasures that Eden had left in Australia...

Eden was described as "a person without a future," not because the higher-ups had any prejudice. It was because Eden was always nostalgic for the past and was obsessed with playing classical music. After the Ninth Herrscher incident, when humanity's civilization suffered a major blow, she often reminisced about the glorious past of humanity's civilization and composed one song after another for that glorious era.

And... in the very end, she chose to succumb to the times, leaving behind her final song, offering the last swan song of the pre-Ming Dynasty before all silence fell.

Eden was too fixated on the past. She believed that she was born of her time, having experienced the most glorious period of human civilization, as well as its decline and fall. As an artist of this era, she belonged to this era, not... the next civilization.

Her final decision was likely influenced by these thoughts, but the most important reason was the passing of Elysia, her most important friend.

Perhaps in Eden's eyes, Elysia was the embodiment of all the beauty of this era, his most important friend and understanding person. She loved humanity and this era so much that even at the end, Elysia remained in the dust of time. She was a girl who was afraid of being alone, so Eden wanted to stay with her.

So in the end, she became Elysia's biggest regret... After Eden returned, Julli didn't tear her apart...

Just as Zhu Yufeng was pondering these matters, Hen spoke up again, "No need, let's not bother Miss Eden any further. We came here to ask you for a favor, Feng, to take care of Griseo for us during this time."

Griseo glanced at the mark.

Kosma slowly typed a question mark. Why is it Feng again? He's been helping to take care of Griseo lately, hasn't he?

Actually, Hen had his reasons for saying that. After all, among the boys in the Present scene whose pairings are uncertain, only Feng is still a potential couple. Kosma and Disaster are clearly locked in, and the fact that they both acted alone this time is quite obvious, isn't it? Let's give this young couple more time to spend together.

"Yes, I don't know if you have the time," Blanca said with a smile. "I remember when I first went on a date with Hen, it was also at an arts festival in Australia. This time... we'd like to relive that feeling. Since Dr. Mobius and you are both on vacation here, could you help us look after Griseo?"

These abacus beads are practically hitting my face! Do you really think I don't know what you're thinking? And you two, did you drink some kind of "forget-child milk"? Did you think Griseo would just sell it off like that?

Zhu Yufeng thought to himself, speechless, before saying, "No problem."

Griseo looked up at her mother, then at her father who was secretly giving her a thumbs-up. A rare look of speechlessness appeared in her eyes. Then she reached out her hand to Zhu Yufeng.

After chatting with everyone for a while, Mr. and Mrs. Hen said goodbye and left.

While everyone was chatting in the living room, Disaster quietly returned to her room and asked Pardo to put the swimsuit she had been given to her in her room first.

After that...

Disaster stared at the swimsuit Pardo had brought her, lost in thought...

Little Pardo's taste... is it really that bold? Isn't this swimsuit a little too revealing?