Chapter 52

"But at the end of the journey, I suddenly realized that the song conveys more than just the sound itself... Even if the singing is futile, even if it cannot change the outcome, as long as it is sung softly, it can surely convey a small but beautiful hope, and that is exactly what those who are suffering need."

"Having figured this out, I began to gradually understand the true melody of Harmony, and in the name of Harmony, I went to various war-torn regions, temporarily stopping the war Guinaifen, delivering relief supplies to the war-torn people, and conveying a glimmer of hope to the weak who were mired in the quagmire."

"I've also explained this idea to my brother, but..."

She untied the ribbon at her collar, revealing a white neck with bullet marks that the makeup artist had tried to conceal with foundation, but which were still quite striking, like a brand that constantly proclaimed the kind of horrific attack she had suffered.

"During a concert, I was struck in the throat by a bullet containing the power to Path of Destruction. Although I miraculously survived, my throat suffered irreversible damage. Now, the singing you two can hear relies entirely on the power of Harmony. Path Harmony, I can no longer sing..."

As she spoke, Guinaifen gave a bitter smile; that familiar smile on her face now looked like she was crying.

"I know my brother doesn't agree with my ideas. He probably thinks he should shoulder more responsibility. It's been like this since I was little. He always listens attentively to my troubles, but he rarely confides in me... Maybe in his heart, I'm still his little sister."

"His precious..."

Boothill's face was somewhat gloomy. He silently drank another glass of red wine. He understood that this was perhaps one of the reasons why people like Helen could stay by the Guinaifen's side. As a former father, Boothill could understand. If he were the Guinaifen's brother, he would probably do everything he could to protect his sister and not want her to experience any more danger.

But that shouldn't be a reason to deny someone else's beliefs.

Boothill's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, Bai Jun suddenly spoke up:

"But no matter what, you've found your own path. Perhaps others see it as foolish and laughable, but the dreams of idealists should never be trampled upon. Maybe this path was destined to be this way, even if it's bumpy, difficult, and seemingly endless..."

Bai Jun looked up at the sky above Luofu. Under the deep night, there was no artificial light, only real light.

"But you have already brought hope to countless people, just like your name suggests, so stop doubting your path. No matter what the end of the road may hold, please continue to walk bravely."

"Th-thank you..."

The Guinaifen stared blankly at Bai Jun's profile, feeling her face burning and her heart racing for some reason. She quickly looked away and gazed at the street. The dark night painted the street gray, but a few scattered streetlights still illuminated the street.

Regardless of whether these words were meant to comfort her, the Guinaifen still felt very happy. For the first time, she felt that what she had done was not meaningless, and the oppressive atmosphere had completely dissipated. The Guinaifen felt an unprecedented peace in her heart.

"Miss, what are you doing here!?"

The quiet courtyard was broken by a series of hurried footsteps. Guinaifen, who was in the lead, was terrified by the Helen that had suddenly disappeared into the bathroom. After frantically searching the entire mansion, she finally found the Guinaifen in the back of the courtyard.

Because the Guinaifen's halo had been removed, her first reaction upon noticing the dark courtyard was that it wasn't there.

Before she could even feel relieved, Helen rushed forward, took her hand, knelt on one knee, and pleaded, "Please don't do this anymore. For your safety, please don't disappear suddenly again."

Helen's request was, to some extent, a constraint her brother had placed on the Guinaifen. Normally, the Guinaifen would have buried her emotional repression deep inside, but now she felt no remorse for her rash behavior, because she had found her own path.

"Okay, let's go back, Helen!"

Hearing her young mistress's energetic voice, Helen's eyes widened in surprise, because in her memory, her young mistress had never been this happy before. So her first reaction was that these two people had done something to her young mistress.

"Okay, Helen, I want to go back and rest."

Before she could ask, the Guinaifen pushed her into the house.

Suddenly, the Guinaifen turned its head and, with a rather impolite smile, solemnly and happily called out to Bai Jun, "No matter what, my wish will never change!"

Bai Jun's lips curled into a smile. Indeed, compared to its dazzling appearance, the Guinaifen's kindness and purity left a deeper impression on him.

"Brother, you're really something! Just a few words and you made that big star so happy..."

"She's just confused. Even without anyone around, she'll understand sooner or later. It's an inevitable outcome, and it has little to do with what I'm saying... Also, you reek of alcohol, get lost."

Boothill, standing to the side, draped his arm over Bai Jun's shoulder with a sigh, only to be met with a look of disgust from Bai Jun, who ruthlessly pushed him away without the slightest hesitation.

"Hey bro, you're really good at ruining the fun! And how could this little bit of wine possibly get me drunk? You could make me drink seven or eight bottles without any problem!"

Bai Jun ignored him, instead straightening his clothes and subtly moving to the side, creating some distance between himself and Boothill, before asking, "Speaking of which, what were you trying to say to me before the Guinaifen arrived?"

"I've achieved all my goals, nothing more... wait, damn it, I suddenly thought of something interesting."

Boothill's expression gradually turned serious. He threw down the empty wine bottle, sat up abruptly, quickly moved closer to Bai Jun, and put his arm around his shoulder again. "Brother, do you think the big star actually wants to go out for a stroll and clear her head?"

"Uh, I guess so. She does look like it... Wait, what are you trying to do?"

Under Bai Jun's wary gaze, a strange, maternal smile suddenly appeared on Boothill's usually cold face, "That's what I was thinking too, so how about you accompany the big star shopping sometime?"

"So you really were drunk after all..."

Upon hearing this guy's inappropriate question, Bai Jun wore a helpless expression that said, "I knew it."

P. S.: I'm taking leave at the beginning of the month, a classic among classics.

I want to take a day off on November 2nd.

Save my drafts, adjust my schedule, and maybe catch a bit of the CS2 Blast semifinals.

Chapter 76 Knight and Princess

As the spring equinox approaches, although there is still not much warmth in the air, the days are indeed getting longer.

The world tour is scheduled for five days, and more than half of it has already passed in the blink of an eye.

No matter how beautiful the music is, it will eventually come to an end. This musical extravaganza only has one day left.

Guinaifen's schedule doesn't just include performing; she also has many other commitments offstage, such as fan signing events, music album releases, and charity work...

What would be a hectic schedule for an ordinary person would be a nightmare for Guinaifen is nothing new to her. Perhaps because she's in a good mood, she finds her work these past few days quite easy and occasionally even finds things to do, like attending a fashion show yesterday afternoon.

This was a real hardship for Boothill and Bai Jun. As half-baked guards, they were not used to the monotonous life of following others around all day, and the sudden increase in workload was undoubtedly the last straw that broke the camel's back.

"Ugh, this is darling, I can't take it anymore! Brother, let's have another drink tonight, I feel like my lungs are on fire!"

The event seemed to have been delayed for a long time. Standing backstage, Boothill raised the brim of his cowboy hat, looked up at the clear blue sky above the street through the window, and couldn't help but complain.

Bai Jun gave him a rather helpless look. "This is the fourth time you've complained this afternoon. And just how addicted are you? Can your modified body handle drinking like this every day?"

"Alcohol addiction? No, no, no, brother, don't slander me. I only drink one bottle a day, I'm not addicted at all!"

"You've become a drunkard! I drank with you all night the day before yesterday, and I felt like I was going to die the next day, ugh... I still feel nauseous thinking about it."

On the surface, Boothill seems to have a pretty good drinking habit; he doesn't easily urge people to drink, nor does he act crazy or talk nonsense when drunk. But in reality, once this guy gets into a good drink, he'll forget everything else and reveal the shameful appearance of an old drunkard, forcibly dragging you to drink until you're completely drunk.

Recalling the various painful experiences after drinking with this guy, Bai Jun made a painful decision: he never wanted to go through the same ordeal of falling into the pool, spending the night on the cold lawn, and vomiting to his heart's content next to the toilet again.

"It's okay to feel bad, my friend. Comfort is for the dead. Life is a journey of constant suffering."

"Stop talking nonsense. In short, I will never drink with a drunkard like you again."

After spending a few days together, Boothill can now walk up to Bai Jun and put his arm around his shoulder with complete ease. The price is that he has become the kind of person he used to hate the most. However, the latter is determined and therefore his attempt to persuade Bai Jun to drink is resolutely rejected.

"Brother, you're so cold. We're going to be parting ways the day after tomorrow, and you can't even grant me this small request."

Boothill tossed his long, gray hair, looked up at the ceiling with a disappointed expression, and whispered.

Indeed, the approaching deadline seemed to foreshadow the end of this brief connection.

Realizing this, Bai Jun paused slightly, then changed his mind. "Never mind, I take back what I said earlier. I'm always happy to oblige."

"Bro, you agreed to my little request? That's so incredibly kind of you!"

Boothill's excited slap of his thigh immediately aroused Bai Jun's suspicion. Although the suspicion was unfounded, Boothill's smile, which couldn't hide his thoughts, was enough to make Bai Jun feel that something was wrong.

So he made some careful revisions to his answer.

"... I mean, I'm agreeing to drink with you, but don't try to trap me with any words, okay?"

"The big star has finished singing, bro, come look!"

Boothill did not respond, but instead pointed to the robin who had just come off the stage and was Guinaifen sweat with Helen's handkerchief.

The light white evening gown featured an open design at the chest and back, revealing her graceful shoulders. The gown was adorned with exquisite embroidery and decorations, demonstrating the designer's dedication and financial investment. Guinaifen wore smooth white gloves, and her long blue hair was tied up in a ponytail, hanging straight down her back.

She noticed Boothill's gaze, waved gently in response with a smile, and then walked straight towards him.

"You've worked hard, please take a rest."

Bai Jun handed the honey jasmine tea to the approaching Guinaifen, and then naturally draped the coat he was wearing over her arm over her shoulders. Even though they had only spent three short days together, a wonderful tacit understanding had already formed between them.

"Thank you, Mr. Bai Jun. By the way, what were you two talking about just now?"

And it wasn't just about tacit understanding; their relationship also grew much closer. At least, the Guinaifen of the past would never have pried into other people's private conversations.

"As usual, Boothill is extending an invitation to drink," Bai Jun replied with a shrug.

"Mr. Boothill really enjoys drinking, but he should be careful not to drink too much. Getting drunk every night is very bad for his health, especially sleeping on the cold lawn at night."

At this point, Guinaifen took a sip of jasmine tea, hesitated for a moment, then gently brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and asked shyly in a low voice, "By the way, tomorrow I only need to attend the closing ceremony of the concert, and I don't need to participate in any singing or other activities, so... if it's just a few drinks tonight, I can do that too, okay?"

"Oh! Even a big star drinks? My darling, it looks like tonight... no, it's definitely going to be very interesting! Hahaha!"

"They only had a few drinks, don't you dare use being drunk as an excuse to force them to drink more, or don't blame me for throwing you into the swimming pool to sober up."

Knowing Boothill's true nature, Bai Jun wanted to offer a word of advice, but Boothill didn't seem worried about such things at all, and quickly raised his hand to show his determination.

Something's not right...

Something just doesn't feel right.

This was Bai Jun's most direct feeling. His keen intuition told him that the person in front of him, Boothill, seemed to be brewing some kind of terrible conspiracy. There was no malice in it, but on the contrary, he could feel a little ambiguity in the other person's eyes.

If I had to describe it, it would be like an April Fool's Day event that has been meticulously planned for a long time is finally about to begin... something like that.

Just as Bai Jun was completely baffled, Boothill suddenly urged the two of them, "Oh dear, it's getting late. I think we'd better head back as soon as possible, lest something unexpected happens on the way."

Bai Jun was even more incredulous now. How could the fearless Boothill say something like "to avoid any unforeseen circumstances"?

He now had every reason to suspect that the person in front of him, Boothill, was a fake who had been switched out, or that the guy had no good intentions.

Before Bai Jun could even speak, Boothill grabbed the two of them and strode briskly toward the parking area. Helen and the others quickly followed, just in case something happened to their young lady.

The means of transportation in Luofu are quite different from those on other planets. Even within the Guinaifen's security force, there are no drivers who can actually pilot Starskiff. Therefore, from the very beginning, the Guinaifen's dedicated drivers in Luofu have all been aviators from the Luofu Tianbo Division.

However, this situation changed the following afternoon. Boothill examined the piloting mechanism inside the Starskiff and said in a cryptic tone, "I think I can pilot this thing."

I heard that the Synesthesia Beacon he claimed to have transplanted into his body was actually a second-hand beacon that the shady doctor had bought from the market. Apart from the knowledge that the beacon itself contained, it also contained a lot of Remembrance of experience related to piloting the Starskiff.

Perhaps its former owner was a true Xianzhou native, but this explanation always makes one wonder if this Synesthesia Beacon is also attached to some terrifying thing like Spirit Ring...

Although this sounds frightening, the actual situation is even more terrifying because secondhand beacons are very likely to cause a strong rejection reaction in the host, leading to many life-threatening complications.

It has to be said that Boothill's survival to this day is truly a stroke of good fortune.

Boothill didn't care about such things at all. He excitedly piloted the Starskiff and circled the Starskiff Haven a few times. After seeing that he hadn't been destroyed and had even managed to perform some fancy flying maneuvers in the middle of the Starskiff Haven, Bai Jun and Guinaifen believed that he really could pilot Starskiff.

In short, Boothill is currently serving as the driver for the Starskiff for the next two days, which saves a lot of trouble.

The focus that Boothill showed when driving the Starskiff was completely different from his usual rough and carefree attitude, which gave people a good sense of security. Bai Jun and Guinaifen sat in the back and chatted about the interesting things that happened that day.

But gradually, Bai Jun noticed something was amiss.

"Hey, I feel like we're getting further away from our destination..."

Considering Boothill's unusual behavior today, Bai Jun quickly realized something was wrong. The Starskiff's route was completely different from usual. Instead of heading towards the Starcruiser Sea Hub, it changed directions several times and finally turned into the Starskiff Haven in Exalting Sanctum's cave.

"Hehe, we've arrived at Exalting Sanctum! I heard this place has the most fun things to do. Big star, haven't you ever been shopping here before? Today, I'll fulfill your wish."

Boothill abruptly stopped his Starskiff beside the platform, putting on a clumsy act with exaggerated acting skills, and even slapped his forehead before turning to Bai Jun: "You agree, right, brother! You promised so clearly before, that you would definitely take the big star to fully experience the culture and customs of Luofu!"

The lines that uttered by Boothill left Bai Jun and the Guinaifen bewildered.

Damn it, this guy actually pulled that stunt!

Bai Jun had a similar thought in his mind. In fact, he had anticipated this possibility when he first entered the Starskiff. After all, he still remembered clearly the nonsense this guy had said a few days ago, and coupled with his abnormal behavior today, it was hard not to think of this possibility.

However, Bai Jun didn't expect that Boothill would be so decisive in this matter. Truly worthy of being Sea-patrolling Ranger...

"Ahem! Leave Helen and her gang to me, bro, you go take the big star out for a stroll!"

Boothill gave Bai Jun, who was stiff all over, a wink. He could actually tell that Bai Jun and Guinaifen had a good relationship, so he was sure she wouldn't refuse Bai Jun's invitation.

Seeing the other party's incredibly trusting eyes, Bai Jun, who had been forced into this situation, thought about the sacrifices and risks that Boothill had made and the small yearning for freedom that the Guinaifen had buried deep in his heart. In fact, Bai Jun no longer had the right or room to refuse at this moment.

He could only complain inwardly about Boothill's immaturity before quickly getting up and leaving the Starskiff. Standing by the Starskiff Haven, like a knight and princess meeting in a fairy tale, Bai Jun reached out his hand to the Guinaifen inside the ship.

"May I invite you to go for a walk in the streets, even if just for a moment... But I hope you can have true freedom and enjoy all things to the fullest."

In that brief moment, upon hearing the request that sounded like a fairytale love poem, the Guinaifen in her evening gown blushed adorably. She quickly lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly:

"Okay, okay... Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Bai Jun."

She mustered her courage and gently placed her hand in Bai Jun's palm.

I'll thank you properly when I get back!

After briefly saying that, Bai Jun, holding his coat in his left hand and Guinaifen's wrist in his right, led her quickly across the street from the platform. Thanks to his familiarity with the area, they soon disappeared into the city of Exalting Sanctum.

"Damn it, brother, I gave you such a great opportunity and you're threatening me? You're so heartless!"