Too Far from You, Hua.

On the Ferris wheel.

Su Qing'an looked at the girl beside her with a smile.

After leaving the flower shop, the two decided to find one last project to end their unexpected journey.

The closest building to the flower shop is the Ferris wheel, which should be a popular spot for couples and should be crowded. However, when the two arrived, they found that only staff were maintaining the machines, making it quite deserted.

Then the enormous structure opened for the two of them alone, slowly rotating and rising, swaying the view in front of them.

As dusk fell, the streets gradually narrowed, and the once bustling crowds became part of the scenery in their eyes.

Su Qing'an held the wooden plaque that the old man had given him in his palm.

[Iris]

He seemed completely unaffected by the meaning represented by the bouquet of flowers; his eyes shone with a radiance devoid of any gloom, a radiance now overshadowed by the rest of his figure.

The girl's flawless profile was bathed in the afterglow, the arc outlined by the light was extremely beautiful, and her snow-white skin was tinged with a different color. Under the boy's gaze, even the fine, almost non-existent downy hairs should be clearly visible.

However, the physiology of immortals is different from that of ordinary people. Their delicate and firm skin makes it difficult to see pores. At this moment, her long and curled eyelashes are slightly white from the sunlight. Her blue eyes are like the sea, and the ripples reflect a magnificent brilliance.

The scene was so beautiful it seemed unreal, like a painting.

The way she gazed intently at the scenery struck Su Qing'an as adorable.

It's like a girl seeing dusk for the first time, captivated by the beauty born from the fusion of human creation and nature, which is why she watches with such intense focus.

That kind of earnestness always makes people find it particularly interesting.

But Fu Hua had watched these scenes alone hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of times.

Even the phrase "never tiresome to look at" falls short of describing the number of times she has stood alone on the mountain peak gazing into the distance. Whether it was the sunrise through the morning mist in the mountains or the afterglow before nightfall, countless times had passed by her side.

Even now, the girl still intently watches the passage of time.

Well, today might be an exception.

The feeling of viewing the scenery alone was almost completely different from now. There was only the sound of quiet breathing in the carriage. The slowly rising view gave an unobstructed view of the entire theme park. The girl's earlobes turned slightly red. The other person's persistent and unwavering gaze made her feel a little uncomfortable.

"Su Qing'an, what are you looking at?"

Fu Hua turned around and asked the question knowingly.

Su Qing'an said in a serious tone:

"I'm looking at the scenery."

Fu Hua helplessly reached out her slender hand and pinched his cheek. Then she turned his face to the other side. This overly intimate action made Su Qing'an obediently submit without any ability to resist.

He instinctively lingered on the warmth and softness of the other's fingertips, while his peripheral vision secretly glanced at the girl's eyes and brows.

Yes, it looks great.

The girl gently tapped his head and whispered in his ear:

"Enjoy the scenery properly."

Although Su Qing'an felt she wasn't lying, she still obediently followed Fu Hua's gaze to look at the panoramic view of the amusement park.

The Ferris wheel rotates silently, its enormous shadow cast on the ground, its shape changing silently as it turns.

In the nearby Mind Lake, several bluefish swam clearly in the sunlight, while a balloon that had fallen from someone's hand wobbled and flew into the sky, and the HOMU balloon that Su Qing'an had tied to the corner of the bench swayed peacefully in the wind.

The roller coaster in the distance has already started a new round of games, and the screams of the tourists can be clearly imagined.

The museum next door was bustling with people, clearly indicating that the theme park was still open for business.

What came into view was a peaceful and ordinary scene, but these ordinary scenes were exactly what the immortals had always longed for.

The people of Shenzhou land seem to be doing quite well now.

Simply understanding this fact brought her a sense of joy. From a simple mission at the beginning to a habitual care and love for this land now, the reasons for this change are not hard to understand.

Compared to her meager life over the past decade or so, Fu Hua's years of protecting this land are far more profound and enduring, so it's only natural that she would find this place special.

Su Qing'an seemed to understand her thoughts, and he said softly:

"Shenzhou is doing well. It's peaceful here now, and the people living here are doing very well, hua."

"Perhaps, the existence of this peace is the reason we fight for it."

"Hua, I used to live only for myself, because just living was difficult enough for me, and it still is now. The existence of Artificial Stigmata constantly reminds me that my days are numbered, so naturally I have no time to think about anything else."

"But now, watching all this with you, I don't know why, but I really want this scene to last forever, for all of these people who have nothing to do with me..."

The boy began to read out one name after another earnestly:

"Whether it's Kiana, Headmaster Theresa, Himeko, Yuno, Bronya, Mei, Teacher Shara, or even people I haven't known for long like Uncle Kambara Shuichi, Miss Yu, Rin, Leonid, and finally, you, Hua."

"I hope you can all live in this world, and live on with all your might. Even when faced with despair and hopelessness, I hope there will always be light to open the way forward. And if I can, I want to help you."

I want to help you, I want to stand by your side and fight alongside you.

This was an obsession that Su Qing'an had held for a long time, and at this moment he was subtly expressing his feelings.

Su Qing'an's usually composed expression was now completely gone. He gazed at the distant scenery, deliberately shifting his gaze away from the girl's face. Then, without waiting for her reply, he smiled and lightly changed the subject, saying:

"Doesn't that sound a bit ominous, like you're destined to encounter a crisis?"

Fu Hua softly uttered the boy's name:

"Su Qing'an."

The boy gazed at the setting sun, its radiance illuminating Fu Hua while simultaneously coating him with a layer of ethereal beauty. His delicate face glowed with a serene elegance in the afterglow. He said:

"What's wrong, Hua?"

Fu Hua chuckled and patted his head, ruffling his hair and turning him to face her. She said:

"Weren't you enjoying it before? Why are you afraid to watch it now?"

The boy felt a little uncomfortable, but he still spoke earnestly:

"I was admiring the scenery earlier too."

Su Qing'an wasn't lying; he was simply seeing things through the eyes of a young girl.

The girl sighed helplessly, clearly not intending to pursue the matter further, because she felt that if she continued to delve into it, she would be dragged into a forbidden vortex.

Fu Hua's expression turned somewhat desolate, and she said to Su Qing'an:

"For me, Shenzhou is both a mission and a promise to someone."

"Fighting against the Honkai is something I must do; it's my destiny. But Su Qing'an, you're different. If I could, I would prefer you to be like these people."

Her tone shifted to the boy beside her, and her voice gradually changed from its previous quiet narration to one tinged with sadness.

Even if you know nothing and understand nothing, you can still avoid facing so many heavy things.

"Sometimes I think you're a really strange person, but I also understand that you're not fearless; you're just braver than most people."

"But even with this solitary courage, how long can it last? The belief in protecting others may make you stronger, but it will also make it harder for you to break free from this path."

"You weren't without a choice before, so why did you choose to stay at St. Freya, Su Qing'an?"

"If you had left that day, you wouldn't have been forced to have Artificial Stigmata implanted, you wouldn't have suffered such torment, you wouldn't have lost most of your life, and naturally, you wouldn't have been noticed by the higher-ups of Schicksal. You could have simply walked away."

"Don't you like running a coffee shop?"

"Wouldn't it be great to open a coffee shop in a completely new place, meet new friends, build a new lifestyle, enjoy this peace, and finally... find someone to fall in love with, get married, and have children?"

She paused briefly as she recounted her experiences before falling in love, instinctively sensing a subtle unease. But why did she feel this way?

At this moment, Fu Hua didn't have much time to think about the problem. She was once again filled with regret. Why... hadn't she been able to persuade him again back then?

After learning that Su Qing'an had received Artificial Stigmata, this thought appeared more and more frequently as the two grew closer.

If it were this person in front of her, the girl would very much hope that he could live in the peace she had created and spend the rest of his life in peace and happiness.

Su Qing'an paused for a moment, then said softly:

"That would be too far from Himeko."

"Too far from Kiana, too far from Yuno."

The boy gazed at her lowered eyelashes and said in a more serious tone:

"I'm too far away from you."

"And I just happen to dislike being too far away from you."

"Then there's no other way but to stay."

"As for the consequences of staying, I didn't expect it to turn out this way, but if you absolutely have to ask me if I regret it..."

My answer is no regrets.

Su Qing'an gripped the wooden plaque engraved with "[Iris]" tightly in her hand and said with a smile:

"The past is irretrievable, but the future can still be changed."

"Didn't you promise to help me?"

"Then I won't be afraid."

That day, time spent in the Ferris wheel felt both long and short.

Images frozen in memory are destined to fade and wither over the long years, no longer as vibrant as they once were.

But only the boy's final response remained unforgettable; even after a very long time, the girl would never forget it.

Then I won't be afraid.

He said this with such firmness, his eyes gentle and his tone resolute.