Why Am I the One Being Won Over?

As for the reason, it was simple...

Boothill had long wanted to visit The Hunt's homeland, but the Xianzhou's entry procedures were far too complicated. As a Sea-patrolling Ranger with no official identity, he could hardly enter directly. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he decided to take a look around the Luofu.

On the Speed at Which Men Became Familiar with Each Other

After the misunderstanding was cleared up, the three of them entered the villa. In the living room stood a table made from precious wood, with equally luxurious wooden chairs beside it.

After Guinaifen sat down, Helen elegantly brought over three cups of freshly brewed black tea and respectfully handed them out one by one. But when she caught the faint scent of alcohol drifting from Boothill, a trace of disgust still surfaced on her usually well-composed face.

"Come to think of it, where did Mr. Boothill go just now?"

Guinaifen keenly noticed Helen's reaction and promptly changed the subject to draw Boothill's attention away.

"Oh! It was too damn boring staying at Shence Mansion, so I found a bar and sampled the local liquor. It was a little light, but they actually had Bater 17 Year from the Kavalan Star Sector—and it was sherry cask-aged!"

The moment alcohol came up, Boothill immediately began enthusiastically describing the wonders of Bater 17 Year. Especially after adding some Phosphor Fire Agent, it tasted as good as popping candy.

Guinaifen did not understand any of it, but she still clapped as if it sounded impressive. Bai Jun, on the other hand, frowned in astonishment, as though he had just heard someone ate dumplings with ketchup.

"Hey, that taste was damn incredible! Brother, I'll take you to try it sometime, yeah?"

"I don't drink, so please allow me to decline."

Boothill eagerly threw an arm around Bai Jun's neck, wanting to share the marvelous taste of Bater 17 Year with him. Upon hearing that, however, Bai Jun immediately shook his head with a troubled expression.

"Is that so? So you don't drink, brother... But life without alcohol misses out on a lot of fun. Everything needs a first try. Why not think about it some more?"

"Really, no... I'm a terrible drunk. If I have too much, something will happen."

Seeing how resistant Bai Jun was, Boothill could not press the invitation further. Drinking was supposed to be consensual, after all. He would never do something as low as forcing someone else to drink.

"Miss, it is getting late. For tomorrow's schedule, you should rest now." Helen, who had been silently standing at Guinaifen's side, glanced at the time and softly reminded her.

"Is it already 21:35? Sorry, I should go rest..."

Seeing the pocket watch in Helen's hand, Guinaifen widened her eyes in surprise. Then she smiled softly at Bai Jun. "Mr. Bai Jun's room is beside Mr. Boothill's. You two have worked hard today as well, so please rest early."

So cute. She was truly so cute. As expected of a universe-class idol.

After seeing Bai Jun nod in agreement, Guinaifen rose and left with Helen. The living room was instantly left with only Boothill and Bai Jun, two grown men.

With no one else around to worry about, Boothill no longer held back. He took off his cowboy hat, leisurely sipped his steaming black tea, and casually slung an arm around Bai Jun's shoulders. "Come to think of it, brother, your skills are damn impressive. Especially the speed of that punch—it'd rank among the best even in the Sea-patrolling Rangers. You're that strong... Could you be a Vanguard from Shence Mansion?"

"And what was that big, hot, hard gun you pressed against my face just now? It felt way stronger than mine."

"Please don't use such misleading descriptions, especially not all at once..."

Bai Jun finally could not help but complain. At the same time, he found Boothill's bluntness and carelessness deeply worrying. They were in a foreign land, yet Boothill had the nerve to pry into the background of someone he had known for less than an hour. If he had run into one of Yaoqing's Shadow Guards, his bed would be full of daggers tonight.

Yet for some reason, Bai Jun could not bring himself to feel much resistance or wariness toward Boothill. Perhaps it was because there was not the slightest hint of hypocrisy or falsehood in the man's every action. That pure, cheerful smile always seemed to make those around him lower their guard.

But then again, this guy's nickname could practically stand alongside Xu Chu's.

"...Its name is Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire."

Bai Jun did not answer Boothill's question. Instead, he summoned Heavenly Fire again and generously handed it to Boothill, treating it as compensation for accidentally beating him up earlier.

However, Bai Jun did not know that his action had stirred a stormy sea in Boothill's heart as well.

Boothill stared at the black-and-white pistol with its gilded barrel. For a moment, he froze in place, his hand suspended in the air as he did not know what to do. He had never expected Bai Jun to be so defenseless as to hand his weapon to someone else. Such foolish behavior was something he had never seen throughout his past travels.

Only two kinds of people could do such a thing. The first were those with absolute confidence in their own strength, powerful enough that being unarmed did not matter in the slightest. The second were those who trusted the person before them completely and, from the bottom of their hearts, believed that person would never harm them... Or perhaps Bai Jun was both?

But no matter how one looked at it, this was still far too risky. Boothill had already thought well of this Xianzhou native, but he had not expected Bai Jun to trust him this much!?

After drifting through the cosmos for many years, Boothill believed he had long seen through the good and evil in people's hearts. He had also grown accustomed to the coldness of human relationships. Though Sea-patrolling Rangers remained connected with one another, those who could truly be called friends seemed few and far between. Yet now, an inexplicable warmth rose in his heart.

Since someone had placed their trust in him, he had to return that friendship a hundredfold. Boothill stuffed his revolver into Bai Jun's arms, a hot tear running down his face. "Brother, I, Boothill, will remember this kindness for the rest of my life..."

"What the hell are you talking about...? Are you going to look at Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire or not? If not, I'm taking it back."

Bai Jun was disgusted by his tearful, snotty appearance and instinctively tried to take Heavenly Fire back. But Boothill moved even faster, cautiously accepting one of Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire's pistols with both hands.

What an incredible gun...

The instant Boothill took Heavenly Fire, that thought surfaced in his mind. But before he could inspect it more closely, a sharp crackling suddenly came from his mechanical arm. At the same time, an intense pain erupted through his neural core. If he had to compare it to something from his past experience, it was lava.

"Whoa—! Hot, hot, hot!!!! Brother, does this gun recognize its owner or something?"

Flames burst over Heavenly Fire's body, and the rapidly rising temperature made even the air in the living room feel scorching. Boothill hurriedly returned it. The moment it reached Bai Jun's hand, the Heavenly Fire that had just fiercely resisted him immediately withdrew its flames like a docile little lamb.

"I don't know either..."

Bai Jun was somewhat dumbfounded as well. He had not expected Heavenly Fire to have owner-recognition capabilities. It even seemed far more intelligent than that Suiyang demonic sword that only recognized strength and not people.

"Please rest early as well, you two. Do not linger in the living room and make noise that disturbs Miss Guinaifen's rest. I cannot bear that responsibility."

A sigh came from the staircase. Having settled Guinaifen in, Helen slowly returned and fixed the two troublemakers with an icy stare. Her words were polite enough, but her tone sounded anything but friendly.

It was one thing for the Xianzhou to send someone to stay by Miss's side, but what right did that cowboy-hatted thug have to worm his way in? He was utterly revolting. Mr. Sunday had been right—Miss's radiance truly did attract all kinds of filthy, disgusting vermin...

Under the two men's gazes, Helen sighed, burying all her mockery and resentment in her heart before leaving in exhaustion.

"Just get used to it. Come on, brother, let's go sleep. Tomorrow will probably be the busiest day, so get some proper rest."

Bai Jun and Boothill exchanged a glance. Boothill merely shrugged indifferently. It seemed he had long become accustomed to that woman's unstable attitude.

The first night passed peacefully. Around five the next morning, the sky outside was still dim, but Guinaifen had already risen early. After washing up, she sat before the vanity while a maid tended to her hair.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Guinaifen recalled another dream about the past. Her etiquette teacher had stood by her side, tirelessly teaching her every aspect of etiquette and posture management, while telling her that she had to regard the service of others as something natural and expected.

She was actually tired of those things. She did not want to become an aristocrat who stood above everyone else and freely ordered others around. After her past journey, she had become even more certain that her singing was not meant to please those in high positions, but to deliver a faint hope to the weak who had fallen into the mire.

It was just that her brother seemed not to approve of her beliefs...

Lost in her memories, Guinaifen suddenly heard faint sounds of fighting coming from outside. She blinked and asked the maid beside her in confusion, "What is happening outside?"

"Ah, it is Lord Bai Jun and Lord Boothill. Those two began sparring outside around four in the morning. Have they disturbed your rest?" The maid carefully arranged her light-blue hair and immediately responded nervously upon hearing her question.

"Sparring... Those two are certainly energetic. Let's finish up quickly. I'd like to go out and take a look."

"Y-Yes!"

By the time Guinaifen had finished getting dressed, the horizon had begun to brighten with the pale light of dawn, and the sparring match between the two men was nearing its end.

The two tossed aside their weapons. Bai Jun, who had gained a brief chance to catch his breath, leaned against the wall with slightly uneven breathing. Boothill, meanwhile, sprawled on the ground as though every bone in his body had fallen apart, greedily gulping in fresh air.

"Whew... Brother, you're damn ridiculous. What are you, some kind of all-round fighter? You're absurdly strong..."

Boothill, who had not exercised in a while, had suddenly been struck by the urge at four in the morning. He had leaped from his bed intending to invite Bai Jun to spar and loosen up, only to discover that Bai Jun had risen even earlier than him. In the end, Bai Jun had been the one to invite him.

Boothill had long known Bai Jun was strong, but he had been careless last night. If they fought fairly again, he should not lose as miserably as he had then.

Yet reality was that he had encountered an all-round fighter during a sparring match. His marksmanship and swordsmanship were monstrous, and even giving it everything he had was not enough to defeat him!

Whether it was hand-to-hand combat, gunplay, swordsmanship, or even dirty tricks, he could not compare. It was terrifying. This only further convinced him that Bai Jun was definitely not some ordinary guard. If the Xianzhou's average strength was this high, the remnants of the Abundance would have gone extinct long ago.

"You're not bad either. You were so practiced with those dirty tricks that I thought you belonged to one of certain groups among the Rangers."

As a self-organized group that walked the same Path as the Xianzhou Alliance, they admired Lan's use of violence against violence, praised Lan's decisiveness in slaughter, and believed that kindness and justice in the universe had to be upheld through individual action. Spread throughout the cosmos, they hunted evil of their own accord. That was the kind of group the Sea-patrolling Rangers were.

Though it was romantic, their original intentions noble, and their results correct.

However, everything had two sides. Among Rangers who pursued justice through results, there were many who would stop at nothing to win. All kinds of underhanded tactics emerged endlessly. Moreover, most Sea-patrolling Rangers were rather eccentric, outsiders who stubbornly adhered to their own ideals.

As a result, a small number of deranged individuals among the Rangers had, through their actions alone, dragged down the reputation of the entire Sea-patrolling Rangers.

Bai Jun had encountered quite a few such deranged people before, and he sincerely did not want any further dealings with them. Fortunately, Boothill was not one of those fanatics, and his personality was much easier to get along with.

"You two are full of energy so early in the morning."

Hearing that familiar voice, Bai Jun turned and saw Guinaifen approaching.

She had changed into a formal dress specially prepared for this concert. Her fair, delicate shoulders were exposed above the bodice, while the light-colored skirt fell to about her knees, revealing her long, shapely legs. A light ribbon circled her slender, curvaceous waist, and she wore high heels that suited those beautiful legs perfectly.

Beneath her light-blue hair, which swayed with her movements, a pair of earrings could faintly be seen.

She was not wearing makeup, yet she looked both elegant and beautiful.

"Good morning, Miss Guinaifen."

"Oh, you're up as early as ever, superstar!"

Bai Jun gave her a slight nod. Boothill sprang up from the cold ground, picked up his fallen cowboy hat, calmly brushed the dust from it, and put it back on.

"The concert should begin around nine thirty in the morning. Let's have breakfast together, then we need to head to the concert venue and begin preparations. There will probably be quite a lot to do today, so I'll have to trouble you two."

"It's fine, it's fine. This is mine and my brother's job anyway... Uh, brother, brush the dust off my back. I can't reach it." Boothill waved dismissively, then, realizing he could not touch his own back no matter how he tried, turned to Bai Jun for help.

"Got it... Tch, stop moving around!"

"It's because you hit way too hard, brother. My whole body hurts so damn much I feel like I'm falling apart... Whoa—!"

Seeing that the two had already become close enough to tease and complain about each other, Guinaifen widened her eyes in surprise, wondering if she had somehow slept through two entire days.

Could this be what the old Xianzhou saying meant by "no friendship without a fight"? Otherwise, how had these two become so familiar so quickly?

Settling Old and New Scores Together

The long-awaited tour concert had finally arrived.

The circular stadium located in a bustling area of the Starcruiser Sea Hub had hung enormous promotional posters featuring Guinaifen early in the day.

The streets were exceptionally lively. Far more pedestrians than usual had gathered in the plaza before the stadium.

The plaza's ground was paved with stone slabs of various colors and decorated with seasonal flowers, adding a festive atmosphere to the scene. As far as the eye could see, the area was more boisterous than usual, yet it did not feel noisy. The cheerful footsteps of passersby sounded almost like praise for the musical celebration.

A band that seemed to have appeared from nowhere performed on the street before the stadium, playing trumpets and crisp flutes. Penacony residents in tailored suits could also be seen singing loudly to the lively beat of drums. Hearing those unexpectedly resounding voices, the audience applauded and laughed happily.

Under this boundless clear sky, everyone had the right to enjoy the festivities that day.

The three-day tour concert was not one where only one or two singers would perform. Yet judging by the current scene, it seemed everyone had come solely for Guinaifen's name. The organizers clearly understood this as well, since the promotional materials spread across the plaza were all posters of Guinaifen.

Hearing cheers from every corner of the plaza without even needing to strain his ears, and seeing nearly everyone holding a matching Guinaifen light sign, Bai Jun could not help sighing in admiration while also feeling irritated by the surrounding clamor.

Come to think of it, this was his first time attending this sort of concert. He had always disliked noise and had no interest in overly lively occasions. If not for his guard duties this time, Bai Jun would not have come somewhere like this even if he usually enjoyed Guinaifen's songs.

"What a spectacle. I didn't expect Guinaifen to be this popular on the Luofu."

Irritated by the noisy atmosphere around him, Bai Jun tried to suppress the unease in his heart and looked at Boothill, who stood with him backstage inside the venue.

"Is Guinaifen preparing backstage?"

Boothill did not answer. Instead, he pointed helplessly toward a certain area backstage. Bai Jun followed the direction of his finger and saw the makeup artists clustered around Guinaifen again.

"Why is she putting on makeup again? Didn't she already spend nearly half an hour on makeup after breakfast?"

Their battle-ready caution was worthy of respect, but there seemed to be far too many jars and bottles. In particular, the liquids in many containers looked almost identical in color. Even if Bai Jun could understand the process, he could not see what had changed about Guinaifen after the makeup was done.

"Who the hell knows? It's my first time seeing a superstar prepare before going onstage too. What's the point of makeup being this troublesome? You can't see a damn difference at all!"

Ignoring the dissatisfied looks from the costume and makeup staff backstage, the cowboy lowered his hat brim. Accustomed to being frank, he could say all sorts of offensive things without changing expression. Bai Jun admired that quality, but he could not help wanting to complain about Boothill's verbal habit.

"I've always been curious. Why do you always insert certain words that make people lose their composure whenever they hear them?"

"Words... Oh, here's how it is. My synesthesia beacon was modified. Anyway, now you can only hear me talk to you and those damn cute little darlings like this... Little darling, little darling, little darling! See?"

Boothill paused before belatedly explaining. It was all that short doctor's fault, the one who had replaced his mechanical body. That man had definitely done it to get revenge for Boothill pointing a gun at his head back then.

"I see. So certain words were specifically replaced?" Bai Jun nodded. He was still struggling not to laugh, but he indicated that he understood.

As the two chatted, many specialized security personnel moved around backstage, checking whether the stage had been tampered with, whether any ceiling equipment or building materials had loosened, and ensuring that every potential risk was eliminated before it could emerge. Danger absolutely could not arise while Guinaifen was onstage.

Meanwhile, Helen stood expressionlessly at the center of the stage, estimating which sections of the audience posed the greatest risk to the stage so that she could focus security forces there during the performance.

Though her attitude toward Bai Jun and Boothill was not particularly good, she was indeed far more professional than either of them.

Boothill gazed at the woman from afar, then shifted his eyes away in annoyance. "I'm used to taking things easy. Every time I see that woman, I think of a cage submerged in pitch-black water. The superstar lives in that kind of environment every day. It really makes me feel suffocated for her."

It was not that Boothill held any particular grudge against Helen. On the contrary, he had personally seen her use her own body to block several bullets and blades from Annihilation Gang members for Guinaifen, and he admired her loyalty and conviction.

But after spending some time around her, Boothill had realized that compared to a loyal guard, Helen saw herself more as a death warrior who could cast aside her life for Guinaifen at any moment.

She denied the existence of anything that might pose a threat to Guinaifen. In Boothill's eyes, all her actions toward Guinaifen were less loyalty than a kind of pathological possessiveness, a possessiveness that selfishly imposed one's own ideals on others...

Boothill acknowledged Helen's loyalty, but he absolutely did not agree with her beliefs. No matter how noble Guinaifen's identity might be, she should always be regarded as an independent and free person, not endlessly protected like a bird in a cage—that was how one treated a pet!

But the key was that Guinaifen had long grown accustomed to it. Even when she was unwilling, she would silently bury her thoughts in her heart and wear a calm smile as though nothing were wrong.

Who knew why? Perhaps it was because of her brother's influence.

Whenever this came to mind, Boothill could not help shaking his head and sighing. But he and Guinaifen were not people who walked the same road. Once this trip to the Luofu ended, they would merely be acquaintances passing by each other, perhaps not even friends. What right did he have to interfere in someone else's family affairs?

Bai Jun remained silent at the side, merely rubbing the corner of his lips with his thumb. His cornflower-blue eyes remained half-lidded and lifeless.