The only thing worth criticizing was that both the song she'd chosen and the way she performed it suited her current image of gloomy, dejected emo—she even seemed a little irritable.
She was the complete opposite of Tang Liuli, the child star from six years ago who was famous for her sunny smile and her ability to heal people's hearts.
It was hard to imagine how the public's opinions would spiral from here.
But more than that...
Chu Yuanqing stared at her intently for a long time. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something strangely familiar about her.
After thinking it over for a while, she suddenly asked:
"Are you... the child star who played Daliana in Magical Girl Daliana?!"
Tang Liuli furrowed her brows slightly. She calmly closed her suitcase, then spoke warily, like a prickly little animal:
"...Yes. What do you want?"
Chu Yuanqing was overjoyed. She pulled a notebook and a pen out of her suitcase and asked:
"That's amazing, it really is you! Could I have your autograph?"
Tang Liuli was caught off guard. Her newly raised social defenses crumbled in an instant.
Magical Girl Daliana was one of the first shows she'd taken on when she was new to the entertainment industry.
To be honest, the production was as shoddy as her acting when she'd just started out. It wasn't even broadcast until several years after it was filmed, and its audience was so small that it barely made a ripple.
That show marked the lowest point of Tang Liuli's child-star career.
So she'd never imagined that one day someone would ask her for an autograph from that show.
And on top of that, Chu Yuanqing was not only a fan, but also a competitor—and exceptionally beautiful.
Tang Liuli was silent for a long moment before deciding that there was no harm in signing.
She took the notebook with an impatient air.
Though she seemed irritable, she was very well-behaved as she signed. Her movements were smooth, as if she'd practiced for a long time. Her handwriting was elegant and bold, giving her the air of someone whose actions didn't match her words.
Chu Yuanqing tucked the notebook away with satisfaction and thanked her.
Tang Liuli stood up and moved to the side, shifting her suitcase farther away before crouching down to sort through her things again. She kept her distance.
After a long while, she casually asked, pretending it didn't matter:
"...Do you really like that show?"
Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment, then answered honestly:
"Not really, but my niece loves it. I'm getting the autograph for her."
Magical Girl Daliana was the only TV series she'd ever watched all the way through with her daughter. Back then, she'd even bought DVDs and toys as birthday presents.
She remembered working an extra shift on the weekend so she could afford those gifts.
But there wasn't much to say about the show itself. It was probably just a silly, childish, heartwarming story with plenty of nonsense.
The Magical Girl defeated the bad guys.
Good triumphed over evil in the end.
There weren't many twists or hardships. Everyone laughed and smiled.
Chu Yuanqing liked stories like that. Even if the good guys' victory over the villains was absurd and childish, even if love could somehow change everything and overcome anything, with no logic to it at all.
That was fine.
An era that could give rise to Magical Girl Daliana—
That fact alone was the greatest salvation she could have hoped for.
Chu Yuanqing's exquisitely beautiful face softened. Her brows relaxed, and a gentle, relieved smile appeared.
At that moment, the gray glass of the Lantern Pendant resting against her chest turned pure white for an instant, only to be swallowed up by endless black threads.
Yet in that brief moment, magic stirred strangely, releasing the positive emotions within it like a tide that swelled and then faded.
As the only person watching, Tang Liuli was inevitably swept up in it. Like Mary witnessing Jesus descend to Earth, she lost herself in a warmth that seemed to embrace everything.
In an instant,
Tang Liuli stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding violently. It felt as though the dark clouds hanging over her head had shattered. Her despairing, gloomy spirit was cleansed, and a strange clarity and comfort seeped through her whole body. Even her prickly defenses had fallen away completely.
The girl's emerald-green eyes were soft and sad. She murmured in a daze:
"It's just... like having a mom."
Book promotion time.
Well, this is my previous book. Feel free to give it a try if you're interested.
Synopsis: Have you ever wondered if your life was a play, with every part already decided?
It turned out that his hometown was nothing but a breeding ground for a civilization beyond the walls. Those chosen were forced to fall into depravity on a livestream, making fools of themselves to entertain the masses.
"My life is a joke inside a box inside another box."
"If I could start over, if only I could start over..."
As Li Xiusheng lay dying, he uttered a curse:
"I'll make you all suffer the same fate!"
Then his wish came true, and everything began again.
You want a show? Fine! I'll put on a show for you!
Play the hero and make the audience question their own lives.
Raise his charm and make the audience idolize him.
Become the Holy Father and exact merciless revenge on the audience.
And so God was given His flock, while the audience of old became prisoners forced onto a livestream:
"All it takes is one look at me, and they'll be utterly devoted—"
The young man stood in a heaven bathed in holy light. Below him, countless believers bowed in worship, willing to die for him. He spoke softly:
"Be my dog."
Book title: Global Livestream? I Deceived the Entire World!
Volume One: 28. Does she like blow-drying her hair?
Chu Yuanqing, completely unaware, asked in confusion:
"What did you say?"
At her words, Tang Liuli suddenly snapped out of that dreamlike vision.
The girl's face flushed red. Mortified, she sprang up like a startled cat and hurried out of the dorm room, snapping, "Nothing! You heard wrong!"
At that speed, it was as if she wanted to reverse time at the speed of light and obliterate the version of herself that had said those words.
Chu Yuanqing watched her haughty roommate hurry away, bewildered, and murmured:
"Girls this age really are hard to understand."
Chu Yuanqing hadn't brought much luggage. It was mostly clothes she'd bought at a discount store, along with a few odds and ends, so there wasn't much to sort through.
She quietly fished out her phone, which was wrapped in Magic Thread.
Even with security cameras watching, this supernatural trick would make it look as though she were holding nothing but empty air.
But to be honest, now that Xiao Shu was competing too, there wasn't much point in keeping this phone.
Especially after learning that a Super AI like Dream Weaver Rabbit was overseeing everything.
Under the circumstances, the only way to go online without risking trouble was to get down to the ground level. Otherwise, she'd easily get caught.
But she wasn't addicted to the internet, so there was no need to take the risk.
Thinking it over, Chu Yuanqing quietly put her phone away and took out a change of clothes. She planned to shower, then have a look around the base.
Xie Qingxuan happened to come out of the bathroom. She wore an oversized T-shirt and shorts, leaving most of her long legs bare. Water droplets slid over the fullest part of her thighs, past her knees and down her ankles, tracing a smooth, alluring curve.
Her face was still flushed from the hot shower. She looked like a peach, giving her a youthful air.
Xie Qingxuan casually dabbed at her damp hair with a towel, then left the stray strands sticking up. She glanced over, her gaze settling on Chu Yuanqing's ample, shapely chest. After choosing her words carefully, she offered some reassurance:
"You're still young. You'll grow more, and you're not exactly lacking now."
"?"
Chu Yuanqing didn't understand at first. Then, following Xie Qingxuan's gaze, she hurriedly covered her chest with both arms. She struggled to keep her composure as a rosy blush rose over her adorable face, turning even her delicate earlobes pink. She explained solemnly:
"I didn't close the door because of that!"
Xie Qingxuan considered this and asked:
"Then why?"
Chu Yuanqing was at a loss for words. Her brain nearly overheated.
Huh? Should I say it was because I was embarrassed? I can't exactly say I shut the door because seeing you would be a crime, can I?
But I'm a girl now. Wouldn't saying that make me sound like a total lesbian?
Oh, technically I am a lesbian now.
No, I've only become a Magical Girl for the last little stretch of my life!
On a broader scale, I'm still a perfectly ordinary man, so my sexual orientation is still normal.
No, that kind of sophistry... I can't explain it to anyone else. From their perspective, saying that would make me sound like a lesbian, so I can't say it!
Chu Yuanqing struggled for a while before finally explaining with a straight face:
"Because it's polite."
By then,
Xie Qingxuan had already looked away. She took the clothes off the camera, sat down at the desk, and picked up the personal iPad provided in the dorm room.
The iPad couldn't connect to the internet, but it had dance videos saved on it.
Each dorm room had been given one for every occupant, and they'd been placed on the desks.
"You knocked. I just didn't answer because I didn't think it mattered. I didn't expect you to react so strongly."
Chu Yuanqing thought it was dangerous to keep dwelling on this topic, so she awkwardly changed the subject:
"Do you want the top bunk or the bottom?"
"The bottom. The top's the only one left. If you want the bottom, I can switch with you."
Xie Qingxuan's voice was light and calm, like morning mist. Surprisingly, she was easy to get along with.
"No need. The top is fine."
As Chu Yuanqing spoke, her gaze drifted to Xie Qingxuan's damp hair. Seeing that she had no intention of drying it, Chu Yuanqing's years of caring for her daughter brought out her compulsive need to fuss. She couldn't help asking:
"Aren't you going to dry your hair?"
Xie Qingxuan remained unmoved, continuing to watch the dance video. She came from the Star Gate and wasn't used to being without an assistant to take care of little things like this. After a moment, she replied:
"It'll dry on its own."
Chu Yuanqing quietly unpacked for a while, then glanced again at Xie Qingxuan's damp hair. Her delicate brows furrowed. She hesitated for a long moment before saying:
"...If you don't mind, I can help."
"Suit yourself."
At that, Chu Yuanqing fetched another dry towel and patiently wiped Xie Qingxuan's damp hair.
Xie Qingxuan stayed still, like a golden retriever letting someone fuss over her. Her eyelids drooped, making her look both obedient and sleepy.
Before you continue