Seele, Fulei, Loved by Everyone

It's 6:30 in the morning.

After drinking a glass of warm water, Carole closed her still-drowsy eyes and began to gently press her temples with her fingertips, trying to dispel some of the discomfort from her hangover.

She thought to herself, "Hua is clearly drinking for the first time, but he can drink surprisingly well."

Yesterday, aside from the duo of myself and Qiluo, the captain was largely responsible for getting her so drunk.

Recalling Himeko's appearance, the girl couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. Even after the Great Honkai, her desire to become a mature woman remained undiminished.

That capable and beautiful demeanor is truly admirable.

As Carole thought this, she pulled out a chair at the end of the long table and sat down, sprawling across the surface and muttering to herself with her head tilted to the side:

"I hope Teacher Su and Hua made some progress yesterday, otherwise all my headaches will have been for nothing."

Having just finished washing up, Seele walked into the living room in her pajamas, rubbing her still sleepy eyes.

Although the little girl didn't drink yesterday, in order not to disturb the others, they all deliberately stayed until the end of the dance before going home one after another. As a result, she, who was used to going to bed early and waking up early, was really unable to resist the sleepiness when she Awakened at the same time.

She nestled on the sofa, covering her legs with a blanket, leaving only her feet, clad in cartoon socks, exposed.

Immediately, Seele glanced at the message Prometheus had given her on the communicator in her hand and said seriously:

"According to the surveillance footage, my brother and Sister Hua arrived home at 9 p. m. last night."

Shiyu Qiluo, carrying two plates of fried eggs from the kitchen, glanced helplessly at Carole, who was showing signs of falling asleep. She placed the plates in front of her, pulled out a chair, sat down, and said casually:

"We should get home around midnight, right? Whether it works or not, we just need to check the sheets in our room now to see if there's any evidence left behind."

Shiyu Qiluo took a small black box from her pajamas pocket and said softly:

"This is a little gadget I borrowed from Captain Himeko yesterday; I think it will speed up the inspection process."

Carole, who was half asleep, was driven away by her desire to gossip after hearing the news. She raised her messy white hair and perked up.

The little girl looked around and said righteously:

"Let's go to Hua's room and wake her up for breakfast; it's already this late."

Sima Zhao's intentions are obvious to everyone; everyone knows what Carole wants to do. Shiyu Qiluo and Seele exchanged a glance but did not object. If they were going to Su Qing'an's room, they might be a little timid, but going to Fu Hua's room obviously did not create such inner pressure.

Thus, the consensus was reached in just three seconds, and the two nodded in agreement.

My biological clock successfully woke me up precisely at 6 a. m.

After taking a nap, the hangover seemed to have subsided considerably, and the girl instinctively moved closer to him, nuzzling her head against his shirt.

After getting used to it a little, the sense of security provided by the warmth of being embraced becomes more endearing.

But her clear-headedness quickly made her realize the meaning and shame of her actions. The little girl opened her eyes and stared at the Little Feather on the boy's head, which was also fast asleep. Her sleepy pupils curved into beautiful arcs.

"Chi Yuan? Good morning."

The Little Feather rolled over and slid down to her straight nose, almost brushing against her long, curled eyelashes. The girl quietly reached out and lifted it with her fingertips. She felt an itch on her skin, wrinkled her delicate nose, and felt a little strange. Chi Yuan seemed a little different than before.

As she gazed at the sunlight streaming into the room, reflecting off the shimmering, translucent texture of the feathers on her fingertips, she whispered as if afraid of waking the person next to her:

"I don't know why, but I always feel like you're a little different than before. Have you become smarter?"

Fu Hua politely placed the half-asleep Little Feather on the small empty space on the pillow between them, and massaged it with her delicate, soft fingertips.

For some reason, even though there was no Soul Link between them and they didn't communicate much through body language, Fu Hua inexplicably sensed the other person's peaceful mood.

She loved the emotions that were clearly transmitted to her mind after soothing the Little Feather; it felt like petting her kitten named Baozi back in her hometown.

It has a fluffy feel, behaves very well, and is very cute.

But after the Great Honkai, that cat was probably already dead.

Over the past six months, the girl has carried out many missions. The Moth to Fire is a military-like organization with strict orders, and in the early stages of the Great Honkai, the soldiers had no choice in which missions to take.

This was also true for Fu Hua, who had Himeko's protection. During this time, one of her missions was to eliminate the Honkai Emperor who was born in her hometown.

Gazing upon the ravaged land and the countless corpses falling from the sky, she understood a reality more clearly than ever before.

There is no place in this world that can be called home anymore.

The homeland has vanished, and the past worth revisiting can only be immersed in ethereal memories, like a dream between reflections in a mirror and the moon's reflection in water. There is no room for any reality that can be touched.

My father is dead.

My hometown was destroyed.

Those kind and amiable acquaintances and elders, and that kitten named Baozi, were all shattered under the shroud of Honkai, leaving no trace of their remains.

She thought that if she had never met Su Qing'an, she might have drifted along in this world, living an empty life without knowing what the future held.

That penniless girl will eke out a living, waiting for fate to decide what kind of ending her path will lead to.

That seems to be my personality.

I always tend to avoid making choices when it comes to crucial matters, just like this dance party. If it weren't for the captain's persuasion, I wouldn't have chosen to attend. And if it weren't for Seele and the others pushing me, I certainly wouldn't have made that decision.

Hesitant and indecisive, their indecisiveness is simply annoying.

Perhaps such an incorrigible person doesn't deserve happiness at all.

So yesterday, Fu Hua was a little unlike Fu Hua. She thought that if it was for Su Qing'an's sake, becoming less hopeless and making some small changes was not a big price to pay.

It's just that I haven't been able to find a suitable opportunity.

The boy, who has just returned home, has a flawed personality and is even less interested in these things after learning of his father's death. The dance party organized by Captain Himeko is a good opportunity for him to show his talents.

At first, I didn't realize it. It was only after overhearing several people's loud conspiracy on the eve of the ball that I understood its significance.

The young girl, who is still inexperienced and not very old, is almost oblivious to such matters. Unless she speaks frankly and directly, it would be difficult for her to immediately grasp the meaning of the situation.

And now, the situation can perhaps be considered a fulfillment of their wishes.

As she pondered, a gentle smile played on her lips.

It wasn't just Su Qing'an got a peaceful sleep that day; for someone like herself who often suffers alone in dark dreams, the quality of her sleep and the feeling of comfort were exceptionally good.

The little girl quietly stroked the boy's hair. Normally, she would never openly touch Su Qing'an's hair.

The boy's soft, sleeping face was incredibly adorable. This wonderful atmosphere, like something out of a comic book, stirred her maternal instincts, making even intimate gestures like playing with his hair come naturally in this mood.

Little Feather rolled over, seemingly ending her half-asleep state.

Assuming it's some kind of small animal, the current action of curling up and unfolding its fur probably corresponds to stretching and yawning.

Because emotions can be clearly conveyed, the little girl could even sense that the other person was complaining about being woken up.

She gently rubbed the Little Feather with her fingertips, as if pleading for forgiveness, and then lowered her voice in a comforting tone, amused:

"Okay, okay, I promise I won't wake you up again. Please forgive me this time."

Little Feather turned over and ignored her, but the unhappiness she felt had already dissipated.

The proud and aloof Chi Yuan is adorable.

Fu Hua poked the other one. Sometimes she was really curious as to why a feather could be more intelligent than ordinary small animals, not only understanding human speech but also responding in a very unique way.

I wish I could have one someday. Next time, I'll ask Su Qing'an where the Chi Yuan came from.

She made a decision silently in her heart, completely unaware that the Nanobots that had slipped through the crack in the door were conducting a live, 360-degree, unobstructed broadcast...

Shiyu Qiluo nervously clenched and twisted her ten fingers, her face flushed, and her eyes were fixed on the television screen. Suddenly, her lips moved slightly.

"How dare you!"

Carole watched the live stream intently while frantically saving the video on her screen, muttering to herself:

"Lustful."

Seele, arms crossed, gazed at the scene, like a variety show host, offering her final assessment of the program while smiling:

"We're not far from collecting all the CGs and unlocking the gallery."

At that very moment, the girl's soft whispers, uttered shortly after she had woken up, echoed through the hall.

The voice, unlike its usual clear and melodious tone, was now mixed with a soft, slightly husky quality, yet it entered the three people's ears with unparalleled clarity.

[Okay, I promise I won't wake you up again. Please forgive me this time.]

Shiyu Qiluo's earlobes turned red. She suddenly closed her eyes and collapsed onto the sofa, too shocked to watch the live stream anymore.

This sounds like the tone of an old married couple.

Carole silently extracted the previous video, converted the audio into a format that could be played at any time, and quietly placed the communicator next to Shiyu Qiluo's head, pressing the play button.

Strange and unexpected critical hits occurred.

Shiyu Qiluo, suppressing the tingling sensation in her ears, snatched the phone, tapped Carole on the head with a chop to the head, and deftly deleted the audio file. Her face flushed, she said:

"Miss Pepper, I might not be able to resist punching you."

Carole covered her messy white hair and muttered:

"You already hit her, Qiluo- chan."

"Speaking of which, if we used this to tease Hua, we'd definitely see a very interesting expression."

"Isn't Qiluo- chan looking forward to it?"

Shiyu Qiluo responded:

"I think you'll definitely be dragged into the virtual battlefield by Hua, who's almost calmed down from her rage, and then hammered back and forth with her Void Sword Qi for a long time."

Carole felt a chill run down her spine at the vivid description, and she said seriously:

I've given up hope.

Seele pondered the sentence, finding it somewhat strange.

So, is my brother the type to act cute like this? Based on my understanding of him, he shouldn't be.

But Sister Hua doesn't seem to be outputting to thin air...

Suddenly, the little girl was faced with a difficult life problem.

At this time, Su Qing'an was unaware that her reputation was being gradually destroyed by Little Feather.

Seele stared at the screen on the television, gave up thinking, turned to the two of them, and said seriously:

"I think it's more interesting to watch live than on TV."

Carole pointed to the photo on the communicator and whispered:

"Isn't this angle nice?"

Shiyu Qiluo commented:

"Is this what Teacher Su looks like when she's asleep? So cute!"

Seele leaned against the door, watching the little girl's face turn red with panic, but she tried her best to keep quiet out of consideration for the sleep of the people next to her. She felt very gratified.

If she hadn't done this, Sister Hua might still have remained as open about her relationship with her brother as usual in front of everyone, but now that she's been subjected to the most shameful public humiliation, it's a completely different story.

As long as the threshold of shame is raised to a whole new level, even in front of everyone, Sister Hua can freely and casually stick close to her brother.

According to the assessment made by the Nanobots inside Shiyu Qiluo's black box, the two did not develop the anticipated close relationship.

Although Seele felt a little disappointed this time, after experiencing this, she thought that even the difficulty of entering the actual CG scenes would be reduced in a roundabout way, becoming a progress that could be expected soon.

However, putting aside the little girl's earnest good intentions, Fu Hua on this side has been forced into a state of doubting life and going through several crazy crashes.

However, forced by the harsh reality, the little girl had to soberly realize that she was indeed being publicly executed.

She had just been struggling with how to report the progress to the group, and felt embarrassed and ashamed about it, but now she didn't need to worry about such trivial matters.

The sight of the two embracing intimately on the same bed needs no further explanation; anyone would suspect something was amiss.

Carole opened the communication list, pondering how many photos to send to Captain Himeko. She decided not to send the audio, partly to save face for Hua —she was afraid of getting beaten up—but as for the rest, as a comrade-in-arms and a major contributor to yesterday's efforts, she felt she should at least share the fruits of victory and the joy.

Of course, I also need to share my thoughts from yesterday, about eating potato chips by myself and fruit with Seele.

Although the opponent's actions along the way were rather sloppy, this did not deter Carole's willingness to share and make sacrifices.

Shiyu Qiluo then leaned closer to secretly observe Su Qing'an's sleeping face.

Clearly, she found it quite strange to see someone who was usually so serious and unsmiling so completely unguarded.

Her fingertips hovered over the edge of the boy's face, as if she couldn't resist poking him at any moment.

This "dangerous" behavior was only completely stopped after the little girl next to her stared at him with a fierce gaze, but it made Shiyu Qiluo reveal a meaningful smile.

Seele watched everyone's interaction from behind, somewhat dazed.

If only things could stay this way...

Let's assume that this peaceful and beautiful scene will not continue to evolve in our lives as time goes by.

Even someone like me might gradually become the kind of person my brother hopes I will become.

At that time, the burdens and heavy sorrow in her heart will completely melt away, and Seele Fulei will be able to become a girl no different from a real girl her age.

She seemed to be becoming increasingly greedy, wanting to hold onto more and more things, her longing for peace growing stronger, and her desire to do more for those she cared about overflowing like a tidal wave.

But to have expectations for anything, to feel that someone is important, to feel that peace is necessary—for her, this is an extreme luxury.

Is everything we're experiencing right now just a displaced dream?

Seele Fulei sometimes thinks that what she is experiencing now is not real. There is no such thing as a fool like Su Qing'an who would be unconditionally good to her in this world, no such thing as a gentle sister like Fu Hua, and no such thing as kind people like Carole and Shiyu Qiluo.

In reality, she was still immersed in that long experiment, and perhaps while wandering in the Sea of Quantum, she completely forgot everything, and her mind Honkai to the point that she could no longer distinguish whether what she encountered in the dream was fantasy or reality.

That explains it, right?

Explain why you can receive such warmth, explain why you can still enjoy this gentle moment in such a world, explain why your innate specialness can be used as leverage to help loved ones, rather than to conform to what others consider right.

Explain why the scene created by such hard-won coincidences can be so beautiful.

Prometheus's voice came through the earpiece:

"Seele, why aren't you happy? You've achieved your goal, haven't you?"

Seele Fulei said:

I'm very happy.

"It's so wonderful that my brother and Sister Hua are like this; that's what I truly believe."

"Thank you. Without Prometheus's help, things wouldn't have ended this way."

The gray-haired girl, curled up in the corner of the phone wallpaper, swayed her pigtails and said earnestly:

"You're welcome."

"You're welcome since Prometheus likes Seele."

"After successfully helping Seele, I could feel the AI module simulating an emotion close to joy, which made me very happy."

The little girl said softly:

"I'm also very happy, happy that everything I'm seeing is real, and not a dream."

Seele Fulei wants to hold onto the last vestiges of beauty and live together with everyone in this cruel world.

Therefore, she will try her best to live.