40. A Chance Encounter Without Recognition

Seele glanced at her naked reflection in the mirror. Her lingerie, adorned with snowflakes, covered most of her figure, but it held back her rounded weight and accentuated her beautiful shape. The remaining cleavage and snowy skin still possessed an allure and temptation that was incongruous with her age.

The little girl herself was somewhat aware of her situation, and compared to other girls her age in the orphanage, she did seem to be a little different.

But Seele herself didn't think it was a big deal. Her gaze didn't linger on her own body for long before falling on the girl next to her.

Perhaps because the indoor heating was on full blast, she took off her heavy coat, revealing a white turtleneck sweater underneath. Only an inner shirt was left to completely conceal the outline of her bra, and the undulating curves and slender waist beneath the fabric spoke volumes about her youth.

Seele discreetly compared the visual sizes, only to find that they appeared roughly the same from the outside. So, she unhooked the back of her bra, casually switching to a different style, and asked:

"Doesn't Sister Hua need it?"

Fu Hua's gaze never lingered on the other person. This respectful and self-assured approach made her completely oblivious to the slight upturn of Seele's lips. She simply shook her head and said:

"Oh? Seele can buy it, I don't need it."

"It's not good to keep Su Qing'an waiting outside for too long."

Seele pulled her fingertips out from between the soft flesh and the bra. Her requirements in this regard were practically zero; style and comfort were not reasons for her repeated consideration.

Essentially, the little girl was simply using this time alone with Fu Hua to grow closer to her in her own way.

This is the result Su Qing'an hoped to see, so Seele will try her best.

Seele embraced Fu Hua from behind, her pale arms passing under the girl's armpits and encircling her soft waist, their ten fingers interlocking, her breath causing her small earlobes to turn slightly red.

She then slightly raised her head and whispered in Fu Hua's ear:

"It's okay, my brother will definitely like it if I get closer to Sister Hua."

Oh dear! What's wrong with this child?

Feeling the soft fabric pressing gently against her back as she leaned forward, Fu Hua was bewildered by the warmth and itchiness around her ears.

However, since Fu Hua's sexual orientation is normal, these maneuvers still failed to land critical hits, which prevented Seele's proposal from being immediately approved.

Fu Hua was a little uncomfortable with such close contact, but she wasn't averse to it. She said helplessly:

"Seele... I already have one, there's no need to buy another."

The little girl's smile deepened, and she pleaded in a soft, pitiful voice:

"Sister Hua, just keep Seele company for a while."

This is so hard to bear...

It seems only Master Su can make Seele a little more obedient and well-behaved.

Although she knew that if she agreed, the child might take advantage of her, Fu Hua was inherently difficult to refuse.

Moreover...

The fine, indelible needle marks on the girl's pale arm were clearly visible in her blue eyes, like the gradually cracking ice on a lake in winter, symbolizing incompleteness and harshness.

Considering that this child's past likely rarely included such pleasant times, her attitude towards Seele could only develop in the direction of pampering.

Fu Hua gently removed Seele's restless little hand from her waist and replied helplessly:

"Oh well."

The little girl's eyes lit up.

Yay!

By the time Su Qing'an and the other two came out, half an hour had passed.

Since they had pre-ordered the items through their accounts at the store and the payment was automatically deducted, the group didn't need to make a special trip to pay, which also avoided the awkward situation of the boy seeing a detailed bill for a pile of women's underwear.

Although she was very curious about what had happened to make both of their faces still flushed when they came out, Su Qing'an wisely chose not to ask.

More than the reasons for their shyness, the boy was more concerned about the newfound brightness and spirit in Seele's bright, darting eyes that had appeared yesterday.

It was like a dusty, decaying object receiving a baptism of rebirth.

The hidden resentment and anger, the deep-seated confusion and helplessness—elements that should have intensified the change in temperament—were tempered within a short day.

At this moment, Su Qing'an realized that he couldn't let her stay at home forever; he needed to let Seele witness the world firsthand.

She might have been just like the cold number on her white coat—a precious experimental subject, unworthy of enjoying freedom.

In such an environment, the only perspective one can gain is one of hopeless darkness and terror, which in turn breeds only hatred and anger.

Love and brilliance cannot grow in such soil; it can only fuel the anger and hatred that even Seele herself doesn't quite understand.

Even after leaving that environment, that mindset has already become ingrained.

Without guidance, it's hard to imagine what the little girl's future will look like.

This is Honkai world.

It is precisely because of this sorrowful and destined-to-be-gloomy world that our hearts must be filled with enough fuel to burn brightly and illuminate the path ahead.

If possible, Su Qing'an hoped that the firewood wasn't simply fueled by hatred.

The boy gazed ahead, listening to the two whispering secrets, his eyes growing deep and thoughtful.

Moreover, this child's Honkai Energy cultivation is in no way inferior to Hua's.

Even... a little better than Hua.

Looking back on the people he had met, the boy carefully assessed them and realized that only a few of them had Honkai Energy proficiency at the same level as Seele.

This made Su Qing'an worry about the potential risks involved.

The only preventative measure he could take was to let her see more of the beauty in the world.

Let this little one understand that besides darkness, she can have many more colors.

In this way, even if the worst happens, there will still be a glimmer of hope.

Seele was unaware that Su Qing'an, walking beside her, was already swirling with so many worries and anxieties about herself. She was simply recalling the magnificent world beneath the turtleneck sweater in the fitting room, her face slightly flushed.

The spring scenery that lingers in my mind is like snow in the warm spring, piling up to create a cool and warm landscape.

The overall impression is more profound than the specific curves and details.

Seele naturally didn't have any strange desires; she simply thought it looked beautiful.

The little girl's limited vocabulary and limited experience made it difficult to describe the scene in words. If she had to put it into words, it would probably be described as a perfect blend of gentleness and harmony.

But continuing down this path felt strange, so she gave up on thinking about it further.

Fu Hua has returned to normal, and she feels it's shameful for someone like her, who is like an older sister, to lose her composure in front of Seele.

Say a tongue twister.

Fu Hua felt more ashamed of the fact that she felt shy because Seele had seen through Seele heart than of the shyness she felt from it.

However, this was just due to a lack of experience; if there were a next time, the girl would probably feel no emotional reaction whatsoever.

Yes, that's what she thinks.

In reality, due to Seele's limited experience, her mischievous nature only has a significant effect on pure and gentle people like Fu Hua.

Although Su Qing'an also meets the above conditions, his gentleness is not entirely indulging.

So, to avoid the terrifying punishments that have become an internalized hierarchy of punishments—such as not being able to watch TV for twenty minutes, being forced to eat three green peppers, being locked in a dark room for ten minutes, and having her face pinched for five minutes— Seele has become quite clever.

She resolved to be a well-behaved child in front of the boy.

Being a good child is a simple and enjoyable thing.

For example, when Seele finished lunch, she offered to wash the dishes herself. Upon hearing this, Su Qing'an smiled with satisfaction and said that Seele could just watch TV and he would wash the dishes.

Sometimes taking the initiative can help you get rid of burdens that might otherwise fall on you.

This is the lesson Seele learned from this incident, and she resolved to apply this lesson to make her life more carefree in the future.

But the naive little girl didn't know that as she practiced this principle more often, some unpleasant things might happen.

For example, there is an idiom that means "to walk into a trap."

There is also a Chinese idiom, "To let go in order to catch someone."

Only then will Seele realize how meaningful the smile on Su Qing'an's lips was.

The three then continued browsing in the mall.

It's winter now, so clothes for this season are also on my shopping list.

Since these clothes don't require much consideration of chest size, children's clothing stores naturally became the next target.

Here, I must discuss Su Qing'an's personal philosophy on clothing.

Actually, you can tell a thing or two from the fact that Seele was forced to wrap herself up like a ball when she went out in the morning.

This person is a complete pragmatist.

His current style of dress might make him seem like someone who prioritizes style over warmth, standing at the forefront of retro trends, but this is purely because Su Qing'an's current physical condition is no longer that of a normal human and he only has one set of clothes.

If time could be rewound to winter in Su Qing'an's original world, he would be the kind of guy who would stuff hand warmers under his feet, wrap himself in a scarf, wear a beanie, and only go out when he was fully equipped with thermal underwear, long johns, wool pants, several sweaters, and a down jacket.

Now, due to her physical condition, she no longer needs to wear many heavy clothes to keep warm, so Su Qing'an naturally feels that it is normal to go out wearing just a trench coat.

In short, this habit of prioritizing practicality over aesthetics has continued to this day.

Su Qing'an himself was very confident in the style of the clothes he chose, so his invitation to Fu Hua to go shopping together was entirely to cater to Seele's aesthetic sense.

While the group was enjoying their shopping, their Roommate Miss, who had bought a baseball cap and was wearing it, followed behind them, sometimes browsing intently, sometimes watching the three of them interact with great interest.

So this is what they call a date?

The Roommate Miss, who had no prior experience, began to use her knowledge gained from reading books and browsing the internet to understand the current situation of the three of them.

What appears to be a dangerous love triangle is actually a robust triangular system.

Although there's an extra third wheel in the picture, for couples who are shy in the early stages of a relationship, this third wheel plays an important role in easing the awkwardness of running out of things to talk about.

She nodded to herself.

Hua may seem inexperienced, but she actually knows a lot.

Given her personality, it seems she might not be able to adapt to exciting dates in a short period of time, so finding a "tool" (someone who acts as a support) would be a good solution.

It's important to understand that having either the man's friend or the woman's best friend act as a "lubricant" is not a good choice.

The worst-case scenario is that it will cause resentment and have the opposite effect.

In comparison, the little girl would be a much better fit.

Their youthful appearances allow for more space in their interactions.

The child is cute and adorable; he can be used as a lubricant when needed and as a mascot when not.

In her Roommate Miss's eyes, Seele was already an excellent tool.

As the sun gradually set and the mall's lighting adjusted to the appropriate mode, my Roommate Miss, distressed by the impending curfew, reluctantly left.

This activity of shipping couples across the void is surprisingly interesting, and it inevitably contains a strange feeling of peeking into other people's secrets and lives. This strange feeling is the culprit that made her forget the original purpose of shopping.

But... it's not bad, I guess.

Breathing in the cool air outside, her loose hair danced in the wind as her Roommate Miss used the brim of her baseball cap—her only prize of the day—to tuck the stray hairs from her forehead.

She looked up at the birds flying across the sky and smiled brightly, without a trace of disappointment.

Even though she came to a strange city alone, entered a campus that felt completely out of place, and spent another seemingly boring afternoon all by herself, her Roommate Miss still didn't feel sad or lonely.

She will make friends, and then she will definitely not be alone anymore.

She will study hard, and then she can show off to her mother.

She will graduate smoothly and pursue her dreams. Life will be more challenging but also more fulfilling then, but that future is not something to fear.

If you were to ask my Roommate Miss what she's most looking forward to, it would probably be the vacation six months from now.

If I go home at that time, I should be able to catch the fireworks display.

When her father said that he would give her something he had always wanted as compensation for enrolling her in the school without her consent and as a gift for the long separation, he would do so.

What could it be?

The girl suppressed her growing anticipation, and her smile grew even brighter.

She had completely forgotten the strange impression the boy had given her; all that remained was her evaluation of his appearance.

But at this moment, a gentle breeze ruffled her hair, the afterglow was intoxicating, and the girl's steps were light and lovely, so all of that else no longer mattered.

My Roommate Miss is 15 years old and a first-year student at a private school in Canghai City.

She awoke from her dream today, only to be completely lost in the sea of people once again.