Chapter 80

PS:

You're a really good navigator

We are also very compatible in terms of personality.

I am ready to embark on a Trailblaze journey with you all.

It's a pleasure to taste your coffee.

Some navigators lack professional ethics.

Chapter 107 The kids are just being silly and playing around (5k)

"Mr. Bai Jun needs to rest! Please leave my room first!"

After the excitement subsided, at Asta's command, the people in the room gradually left.

"Excuse me, we'll take our leave now."

"Get some rest, Mr. Bai Jun. Remember to come play on the train with Stelle when you have time!"

"I'm leaving too. I still need to discuss the Simulated Universe with Ruan Mei and Screwllum today... Hey, Arlan, stop lying here sleeping, hurry up and go help me move some things!"

Himeko and the others needed to purchase daily necessities for the train, while Arlan, who had drunk himself unconscious on the floor, was grabbed by one leg by Herta and dragged out like trash.

Soon, the room became quiet and deserted, leaving only Bai Jun sitting on the bed, Asta standing beside him, and a small gray light bulb.

"Oh, this is Asta's room. Sorry... I'll get up now."

"It's alright, Mr. Bai Jun. I'm usually too busy with work to come back, so it's perfectly fine to say this is an unused room. Besides, you're a major contributor to this incident, so there's no need to be polite. Just make the space station your home!"

Upon hearing that this was a girl's private room, Bai Jun immediately tried to get up to tidy up the room and leave, but Asta forcefully pressed him back down. Her gentle expression gradually turned serious as she instructed him:

"Although it may be inappropriate for me to say these things, Mr. Bai Jun should also pay more attention to his health. Isn't rest necessary in order to continue moving forward?"

"You're someone who works overtime every day until you don't have time to rest, yet you're lecturing others."

"That's why they said it might be a little inappropriate... But these are all heartfelt words! Mr. Bai Jun, please don't think I'm just being polite!"

Looking at Bai Jun had raised his head, Asta muttered something under her breath, feeling a little awkward.

Bai Jun stood beside her, gazing up at the ceiling, his eyelids closed, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Then, the two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

Today, Asta changed her hairstyle. Her smooth and beautiful pink hair was tied into a bun on the side, paired with a carefully chosen school uniform and a pure white dress. The dress was cinched at the waist just right. Compared to her usual feigned maturity, she exuded a youthful and girlish charm. Perhaps, setting aside her duties as the stationmaster, this is how she should truly be.

"By the way, Mr. Bai Jun, I'd like to thank you for what happened that day..."

The girl hesitated for a long time before finally mustering her courage to speak.

Bai Jun blinked blankly, then seriously considered what he had done that made Asta come to thank him.

"As a leader, I am indeed far too incompetent. In the chaos at the time, I even considered giving up. If it weren't for your encouragement, Bai Jun, I'm afraid I... I'm afraid I would have made a choice that I would regret for the rest of my life."

Asta lowered her head in despair. Whenever she recalled that scene, she felt regret and shame for her cowardice and confusion.

Despite having already resolved to become independent and mature, and to share the work of the space station with the Herta, she still panicked and became disoriented when faced with problems. Her heart was shaken, impacted, beset by confusion and anxiety, and filled with all sorts of worries about "what to do".

She wasn't a naive young girl new to the world; she knew better than anyone that reality wasn't just data on paper. If her poor decision-making caused the deaths of so many innocent colleagues she worked with day and night, she would suffer for the rest of her life.

"But I didn't do anything. All the commands and orders were given by Asta. In fact, I only played the role of a henchman. The overall situation and important decisions are all your credit. And the fact that there were only injuries and no deaths on the space station already proves that Asta very capable, doesn't it?" Bai Jun shook his head and said.

"No, no! My mind was completely blank at the time. It's shameful to admit, but if Bai Jun hadn't patted me on the shoulder, I would have run away and hidden in my room to give up on myself!"

Half of her fair cheeks flushed red. She shook her head anxiously, Asta slender fingers twisting nervously as she explained to Bai Jun with burning anxiety.

"But... Asta has always tried her best."

"Ugh, Mr. Bai Jun, you idiot! I said such shameless things, why are you still praising me? And you even said I worked hard... I don't feel like I've worked hard at all! Whether it's managing the space station or researching celestial bodies, I'm still far from good enough!"

Facing Bai Jun's gentle smile, Asta's tone grew increasingly agitated, until she finally lost control and poured out all her emotions.

Rather than explaining, she seemed to be confiding her negative emotions to Bai Jun.

Even though her mind kept telling her "stop talking," she just couldn't stop. Even Asta herself didn't understand why; her heart was pounding like a madman.

She didn't ask for Bai Jun 'Bai Jun comfort; even a harsh scolding would have been enough to ease the torment of her guilt. However...

"No, I've seen Asta's hard work, and that's not open to argument."

Whether it's the Central Monitoring Zone that's always lit up at dawn, the black coffee that's always left to cool on the table, the unopened lipstick, the nearly empty concealer... everyone on the space station sees her hard work.

"Bai Jun is so silly."

Asta grumbled sullenly, but no longer dared to look up at his smile, and her flushed face made her seem utterly unconvincing.

She finally understood and realized it.

She hoped to gain Bai Jun's approval...

The sunlight finally reached my sensitive heart, and warmth gradually seeped out.

The gray-haired girl beside her seemed to sense something was amiss. She looked suspiciously at Asta, who was shyly lowering her blushing face, and felt a strange sense of displeasure. Then she quietly got up and walked behind her.

Subsequently...

"Ah, there's a bug."

The pure white skirt billowed high from behind, and a gray-haired man crossed his arms, pretentiously commenting, "Hmm, it really suits a young girl's temperament."

An unnatural, deathly silence fell over the room. Bai Jun silently looked away and crawled back under the covers, while Asta's expression froze as if she were petrified. She slowly turned her head and let out a scream that pierced the heavens.

"Ugh, I hate it!!!!"

The ambiguous atmosphere between the young girl was thus ruthlessly destroyed by the Stellaron Spirit.

"Don't do that kind of thing again, it'll make people dislike you."

With a sigh, Bai Jun abandoned the pointless punishment for Xing, and pulled out a comb from somewhere, gently combing her long, gray hair that had become messy from the fight between the women.

"So what exactly did she do to make Miss Asta so angry?"

This is the Security Department's temporary office. Because Miss Asta was so furious, Arlan, who had just recovered from the effects of coffee and went to join the commotion, had several scratches on his face. He leaned against the wall and looked helplessly at the gray-haired girl.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"

The gray-haired girl quieted down, her body slowly relaxing, and she comfortably closed her eyes.

Xing's hair is long and stiff, and feels very comfortable to the touch. From Bai Jun's angle, you can just see her slightly trembling eyelashes, which cast a small shadow on her face.

She was beautiful when she was quiet, but her personality seemed a bit too unpredictable, so Bai Jun didn't know what to say and could only give a perfunctory reply, "She's just a kid, she doesn't know any better, she was just playing around."

"Let's put that aside for now. You weren't injured in this incident, were you?"

Bai Jun suddenly noticed the bandage on Arlan's arm and subconsciously thought that Himeko's arm was also wrapped in bandages.

"Regarding this matter... I'm sorry, I couldn't stop that Molten Armor, and it kidnapped the Stellaron Hunters."

Arlan lowered his head in disappointment and confessed to Bai Jun with great embarrassment, taking full responsibility for the matter. However, Bai Jun was not concerned about the abduction of the Stellaron Hunters; in fact, he had long anticipated that such a thing would happen.

"I'm not blaming you; if anyone is to blame, it's me. I just want to ask if you're hurt."

"How can you blame Bai Jun for this! If it weren't for you, the space station would have been destroyed by the Doomsday Beast and the Giant True Sting long ago... Ah, injured? I'm alright, just a slight fracture in my forearm. The doctor said I just need to rest for a few days."

Arlan raised his injured left arm and attempted some normal movements, as if to prove that his injury was not serious.

"That's good. I'll get my revenge for this injury next time. I have a feeling I'll definitely have to deal with those Stellaron Hunters again in the future."

Bai Jun's gaze gradually drifted into the distance. He then put away the comb he had been using to style the gray-haired girl's hair, and gently patted her shoulder as if urging her to leave. Amidst the girl's pitiful, reluctant expression, he said:

"Take a trip on the Astral Express. I heard what Himeko said to you earlier. Don't make that face. After all, you need somewhere to go, right?"

The gray-haired girl bit her thin lips, a conflicted look flashing in her beautiful amber eyes. Her fair, snow-white fingers gently tugged at Bai Jun's sleeve as she whispered, "Can I... come with you?"

"It's possible, I don't dislike you. Having you with me would simply mean one more pair of chopsticks in the house, but... I hope you can honestly ask yourself, before saying this, face your own heart and tell me if this is truly what you feel."

It would be easy for Bai Jun to agree to her request. He didn't dislike such a pure girl, and he could also see that she had an inexplicable dependence on him. However, more than that, it was her inner hesitation and confusion that truly concerned Bai Jun.

Perhaps her dependence on herself is merely an imprinting behavior similar to a fledgling bird imprinting on the first moving object it sees, but what her subconscious desires to pursue is precisely the answer she truly seeks.

"My... true thoughts..."

Xing muttered to herself, then lowered her head in confusion.

Yes, if she truly didn't want to become Nameless on the Astral Express, she could have easily refused Himeko's invitation on the spot. So why couldn't she speak, why couldn't she give an answer?

The answer can be attributed to a kind of destined mission, or destiny... In short, she did have the idea of becoming Nameless, but she was also reluctant to leave Bai Jun, who always gave her a sense of security.

"The 'Stellaron' may still be unknown to you, but it's already a fact within your body. You must hold onto this firmly to move towards the more distant future."

"Then, can Bai Jun also come to the Astral Express? We want to be Astral Express Crew for life, okay?"

Suddenly, the gray-haired girl grabbed Bai Jun's right hand tightly with both hands, knelt down on the ground, and begged.

"No."

Bai Jun felt that the scene before him was familiar. He gently pulled his right hand away from hers and firmly refused her. However, seeing her tearful and aggrieved look, he couldn't help but wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes and gently tap her forehead with his index finger.

"Alright, stop looking like that. I already said we're just going to take a look on the train first. After you've thought it over carefully, whatever your answer is, I'll respect it... Besides, even if you join the Astral Express, it's not like we'll never see each other again. You can always come to the Xianzhou to find me whenever you want to rest."

Bai Jun stood up and extended his right hand to her.

This time, the gray-haired girl didn't hesitate and immediately reached out her hand.

Thanks to a powerful blow, the vast majority of the space station's hull, from the Supply Zone to the stern, was directly destroyed. Even now, embers continue to burn beneath that massive slash.

From a distance, the cratered ground, ripped open by the meltdown, looked as if it had just been struck by a meteorite, but the Astral Express, parked on the Railway Platform, remained completely unharmed.

The already quiet Railway Platform now only has one train parked there. From the half-open train doors, one can faintly hear lively cheers and noises from inside.

"Passenger March 7th! Please explain what items were included in your essential supplies purchase?"

The Conductor stood on the table, hands on his hips, and uncharacteristically erupted in fury.

"Carpets, rocking chairs, cushions... aren't these necessities?"

March 7th counted on his fingers and answered truthfully.

"Are more than twenty pillows considered necessities!?"

Pom-Pom's soft, long ears perked up with a "pop," and she stared intently at March 7th with a meaningful look. Seeing how oblivious she was, she snorted irritably, turned her face away, and uttered a cold remark:

"Due to some 'essential items,' the train fund for Passenger March 7th has been severely overspent. As the Conductor, I hereby announce that the train fund for Passenger March 7th this month is cancelled!"

"Hey, hey, hey? The Conductor is so cruel today! He's never skimped on my allowance before..."

March 7th looked like she was about to cry, and lowered her head in utter despair. Dan Heng, standing beside her, rolled his eyes at her, covered his mouth with his notebook, and quietly reminded her, "The doll, the promised plush doll."

After extracting the keywords, March 7th suddenly remembered the giant plush toy she had promised Pom-Pom when she left the train, but she had forgotten about it because of a whole bunch of other things. No wonder Pom-Pom was so angry...

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Conductor, I forgot to buy you the giant plush toy!"

March 7th ran up to Pom-Pom, put his hands together in prayer, but his loud apology, full of remorse, did not make Pom-Pom feel better. Instead, it gave the two rascals an opportunity to tease him.

"Oh my, Conductor, it's been so many years, but you've never lost your childlike wonder."

"A childlike heart is a wonderful quality. In my hometown, it often signifies hope. No wonder he's our Conductor, carrying the hopes of everyone on board... By the way, how about I take a few more animated pictures of the Conductor?"

Himeko savored her freshly ground coffee, chatting jokingly with Welt was busy organizing his camera, about a certain Conductor. Just as the latter's face was about to explode with embarrassment, the two tacitly shut their mouths, letting Pom-Pom vent her embarrassment and annoyance on March 7th.

"You idiot, March 7th! I told you, I told you, we agreed not to mention this! You, you, how could you! Waaaaaah! One month... no... two months! Deduct two months' worth of train funds from Passenger March 7th account!!!"

After saying that, Pom-Pom covered her face, feeling both ashamed and angry, and ran crying towards the driver's seat.

"I don't want my allowance taken away for two months...!"

Stunned and unable to stop the tearful Pom-Pom, March 7th was filled with rage and turned his anger towards Dan Heng.

"You silent devil! Didn't you say you'd remind me?!"

"I forgot, and besides, I never agreed to that."

"I'll give you two good punches, see if you can get up then!"

"Oh, we have guests."

Just as the festivities on March 7th were in full swing, Himeko suddenly stood up, walked to the half-open train door, opened it for the two people outside, and softly welcomed them, saying, "Please come in, gentlemen. I didn't expect you to be visiting the train so soon."

Bai Jun and Xing walked through the gate and happened to see March 7th standing alone, waving his fist and looking pathetic as he stood on one leg.

The scene was quite awkward until the gray-haired girl gently tugged at Bai Jun's clothes and, without any shame, pointed at March 7th and said, "Bai Jun, I want to learn that!"

Bai Jun: "You... you trains have caused a lot of harm!"