Chapter 231

After a moment's thought, Chu Yuanqing gave up torturing her limited imagination. She was somewhat distressed, realizing that she was indeed not good at making children happy, which meant that parent-child games would lose their fun once her daughter got a little older.

It was already 6:30 after dinner.

The Little Idol arrived at the dance studio in a car rented by Chen Xiaoxiao and trained until 10:30 p. m. before returning to their hotel to rest.

Surprisingly, by the end of the training, everyone found that their control over the dance music had become quite proficient. After several formal rehearsals and watching the recorded videos, they didn't find any obvious flaws.

It's important to understand that in the past, just learning the basic dance moves, getting familiar with the movements and rhythm, plus memorizing the lyrics and sheet music would take twice the time—an average of three days of training (8 hours)—not to mention that a five-person dance requires frequent position changes.

Of course, we have to leave out Xie Qingxuan here. Her skills in this area are top-notch. With the added effect of [Meditation State], she's the kind of choreographer who, along with a certain choreographer with Hyperthymesia, can become familiar with a dance in two days and go straight to the stage to perform and Great Demon King.

The rest of the teammates were pretty normal.

So, the Little Idol were all talking about it, feeling happy but also a little strange.

After discussing it for a while, they attributed it to the team's tacit understanding and the gains from the intense dance competition in the previous two months.

Chu Yuanqing knew the reason: Liuli, Qingxuan, and Yayoi had all begun to change their Life Form, and Xiao Shu also showed signs of this today. Under these circumstances, although they would not immediately become superhumans, their respective idealistic organs would subtly achieve their deepest "wishes".

Simply put, because they treat being an idol as a profession and take the stage very seriously, their training efficiency increases, and they learn to dance faster.

Yes, it's conceivable that this was also the result of Flash Dance's calculations, and the other [Witch] trainees are probably in a similar situation.

Therefore, without any behind-the-scenes manipulation, those contestants who haven't built a "Cocoon of the Heart" will naturally fall behind the progress of these Little Idol and be continuously eliminated by the cruel competition system.

The Third Performance were the most direct period of explosive growth.

These 45 days are the only chance the Program Group gives all the contestants to defy fate.

After all, if we consider Flash Dance as a project destined for success, then the contestants who survive will share in the profits, becoming people with a higher social status than idols, or even all artists, responsible for maintaining the Shining City and protecting the existence of humanity.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this represents a change in social class.

As for failure? How many people would survive after a failure is a question, so there's no need to consider it.

Night.

The breeze from the Danube River caressed my face, which was quite pleasant.

Chu Yuanqing quietly slipped out of the hotel alone, carrying her Little Idol on her back. She strolled along the path beside the lush green grass, looked at the river shimmering in the neon lights in the distance, took a picture, and sent it, along with the other photos, to Charlotte.

The girl said in voice:

"You're right, the banks of the Danube are a great place for a walk."

"There are so many lights in the city, even the billboards glow like fireflies."

"The coffee at that coffee shop was really bitter, but I saw the little cat you mentioned. It was white and very cute."

Chu Yuanqing had visited all the places Charlotte had mentioned. She recounted her day's experiences to the familiar stranger in a serious and clear tone, as if reporting her itinerary.

The message notification on the screen indicated that the message had been read, and then a phone call came in.

Chu Yuanqing's small hand stiffened. She wasn't really ready, whether it was a conversation with no time for thought or a direct meeting. But thinking of her conversation with Dreamweave, she pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and nervously and expectantly answered the phone.

"Good evening! Vienna is beautiful, isn't it? You should explore it thoroughly so your trip to Austria won't be in vain."

"Also, I saw the photos you sent me! The cuisine in Great Xia looks delicious. Xiao Qing's cooking skills are amazing. I'm starting to envy your teammates!"

"I found that cat nearby and asked the owner to take care of it after I gave him an autographed photo. Speaking of which, I haven't named it yet. How about naming it after Great Xia cuisine? Baozi? Or Youtiao?"

Charlotte's voice came through the phone, her voice carried on the wind, soft and lively like a mango, as if dancing with a distant opera, tickling the ears.

That's amazing.

The tension and worry in Chu Yuanqing's heart flowed away like water. She felt as if she were embraced by a hazy, warm cloud. Her past memories seemed to have found a thread to graft onto them, which was pulled by the girl's bright and melodious voice, soothing the pressure in her heart and the bitterness in her soul.

A smile played on the girl's lips. Even though they were far apart, experiencing different night breezes, breathing in different atmospheres, looking at different night skies, and being illuminated by the neon lights of different cities, her voice lingered in their ears across the long years.

Hearing that person's voice, Chu Yuanqing replied in a daze:

"Then let's call it Crystal... Crystal Bag?"

Charlotte agreed without hesitation, deciding on the "dignity" of a cat being trampled underfoot.

Chu Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Charlotte didn't ask why. She really couldn't come up with such a corny and stupid reason as "because your voice is very beautiful, like crystal."

On the other side,

Charlotte took off her shoes and walked barefoot on Lake Constance. Looking at the stage being built and upgraded on the lakeside, and the faint neon lights behind it, her azure eyes reflected the shimmering light. A sincere yet alluring smile played on her lips as she softly said to Chu Yuanqing:

"Thank you for sharing so much with me, I'm very happy."

Chu Yuanqing was somewhat confused about how Charlotte viewed her now, so she could only reply dryly:

"Me too."

Charlotte seemed to sense the unease on the other end. Her eyes crinkled into a smile, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud, honestly saying:

"I don't know how Xiao Qing feels, but I feel like you're both familiar and unfamiliar, like I've known you for a long time."

Besides,

--You are special.

Charlotte swallowed those words, her pretty face flushing red. How could a girl who had never been in love say such a shameful thing?

Yes, you must be reserved yet elegant, calm yet bold, approach the other person step by step, understand them, and then make your move!

The Saintess looked at the ripples on the water at her feet, her emotions churning, and she couldn't help but add softly:

"Yeah, that's why we chatted for so long. I'm usually really busy!"

Chu Yuanqing was dazed upon hearing this. Even if she completely changed her appearance, would Charlotte still feel a sense of familiarity? Was it because of the name? Or simply a gut feeling?

The girl's eyes were lowered, and she spoke softly, her emotions a mixture of complex feelings:

"I... I also feel like I know you very well, like we're close friends."

I can't say yet.

This is a phone call. Even if you believe in Dreamweave, you can't gamble with the integrity of those in power.

Charlotte pursed her lips upon hearing this. She didn't speak, but looked at the distant lake. After pursing her lips again, she began to sing a German song:

"Ich habe einen Schatz gefunden (I have found a treasure)"

"Und er tragt deinen Namen (Your name is engraved above)"

Chu Yuanqing listened quietly. The voice uttered from the girl's lips was as gentle and melodious as ever, like a breeze passing through the rosy clouds. With each word, each tone and breath brought a different beautiful scene.

"So wunderschon und wertvoll (This is a rare treasure)"

"Und mit keinem Geld der Welt zu bezahlen (It is a priceless treasure)"

Charlotte paused slightly as she sang this part, her kaleidoscopic eyes glistening with tears, and her lips forming a shy yet adorable smile. Mischievously, she decided not to continue singing and was about to say goodbye with a "goodnight."

But the next second,

The Pure White Witch gazed at the Danube's rippling waters, as if seeing those familiar eyes through the shifting neon lights. She smiled and whispered:

Charlotte, I want to see you.

Volume 1: 221. Charlotte, who breached the high paper defenses, the primordial matter, the pure white authority. (5K)

The arc of sunlight on the riverbank shimmered, and a few fish splashed in the water.

The residential areas of Vienna are like fireflies, and the deep, mellow tone of a cello drifts from afar. An unknown passerby sings softly in the wind.

Chu Yuanqing listened to the breathing on the other end of the phone, her heart pounding. Nervousness, shyness, anticipation, and joy—emotions that were too immature for her to bear—swirled and spread in her chest like a vortex.

The Pure White Witch clutched her chest, her palm sinking into the folds of the fabric, her fingertips touching the iridescent Lantern Gem. Her eyelashes drooped, her expression dazed, and a strange sense of peace emanated from her entire body.

I said it.

It's strange, how many years has it been since I've felt this way?

Chu Yuanqing looked at the Danube River in the distance, as if he had fallen into a net woven from the past, returning to the innocent days when he was first brought back to the orphanage and first met Charlotte.

At that time, both of them had lost their parents and were taught by the adults in the orphanage to treat each other as family.

After that, like most childhood sweethearts, there was not much ambiguity between them. There was only the comfort of being used to each other's presence and the bright feelings of treasuring each other.

They enjoy love, marriage, starting a family, and even procreation, which best suited the original human condition.

These processes, which should have unfolded naturally, were inevitably swept away by the ever-expanding Disaster Tide, the onslaught of the Supreme Calamity Beast, and the growing trend of the Disaster God forbidden lands spreading.

Chu Yuanqing awakened the blessing [Immortality].

Charlotte awakens the blessing [Funeral Procession].

What followed was a long and tumultuous journey.

The two naturally separated at times. The young Savior was just a mortal, unlike Charlotte who could easily quell the Disaster Tide with her [Funeral Procession] and guard the City of Doomsday. Her [immortality] was a meaningless blessing, like a joke, to 99.9% of humanity.

Therefore, believing that one will not die became the first and most difficult trial.

This is something that cannot be achieved through sheer courage alone. Perhaps in the future, Chu Yuanqing will be able to rely on his tempered will, unwavering faith, and undying obsession to forcibly exempt himself from the fear of death, the hesitation about resurrection, and the distrust of himself.

But at that time, the only way for her to control [immortality] was through crooked methods such as memory manipulation, forced hypnosis, and self-deception.

Chu Yuanqing forgot what choice she made at the time; she only remembered that Charlotte cried because of it.

The girl's tears were scalding hot, as if they were melting her heart. The kaleidoscopic gradient in her beautiful pupils seemed to shatter, causing the glistening water droplets to ripple like flowers. They felt like raindrops hitting her cheeks, sliding down with the cold wind, and the air was filled with the stench of blood.

These fragmented memories, so shattered that even the other person's cries were barely audible, somehow laid the foundation for the tragedy that followed.

Chu Yuanqing closed her eyes. She didn't want to recall those memories anymore. The images were blurry and indistinct, but the emotions she felt at that moment were vivid, as if reminding her not to be as oblivious as a fool.

So,

The Pure White Witch raised her eyes, and before the Saintess could recover from her daze, she continued earnestly:

"Charlotte, I want to see you. This feeling has been there ever since I knew you were in Austria, before I knew you were in Flashdance, before I knew you chose to become an idol, and even before I knew how to contact you."

On the other side, on the lake shimmering with silver light.

Charlotte's fair skin flushed red, and her phosphorescent eyes shimmered with moisture. She snapped out of her daze, unable to bear the shame, and squatted down, letting the thin fabric stretch out in a winding arc under her hips and back. Like an idiot, she covered her ears and muttered, "I don't want to hear it."

Cunning, so incredibly cunning!

Damn it, we've only known each other for a short time! Even if... even if she's right about her gut feeling, why is she being so blunt?

Well, at least... at least another week before I can play that kind of straight shot!

To do this now is simply frivolous! Careless! Clumsy! Insincere! It only deserves a 90... no, only a 10!

The Saintess awkwardly manipulated her magic, making her phone hover beside her burning red earlobe. A cute smile curved her lips. Rather than feeling dissatisfied, she was more embarrassed and annoyed that Chu Yuanqing was usually as wooden as a wooden block in conversation, had turned the tables on her.

Charlotte had planned it all out. She would sing a love song at the beginning, and while Chu Yuanqing was distracted, she would say goodnight and hang up the phone. By maintaining a girlish reserve and a sense of mystery, she would leave the best image in his heart, which would greatly increase his favorability.

But... but this person is being unreasonable, completely disregarding my girlish feelings!

Charlotte felt ashamed and couldn't help but feel sullen, yet she also felt happy without realizing it. She didn't even know what she was thinking. Her usually composed exterior was shattered, and her heart was in complete turmoil, like a silly goose who had tried to trick someone but ended up being tricked herself.

At this moment, having received no reply, the Pure White Witch decided to say something more.

Charlotte covered her burning face as soon as she heard the sound, her eyes welling up with tears. She could no longer hold back and immediately surrendered, saying in embarrassment and anger:

"Stop talking, stop talking! I'll agree to see you, okay?"

Chu Yuanqing's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she asked earnestly:

When? Where are you now? Are you free tomorrow?

Charlotte felt dizzy listening to this; her brain struggled to process such innocent and ambiguous emotions. She pursed her lips and said:

"I... I'm still very busy right now. I have a commercial performance in Bregenz tomorrow, and I think the day after tomorrow will be free."

Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment and said:

"Then I'll come to Bregenz to see you the day after tomorrow."

Chu Yuanqing's team has been in Vienna for quite some time now. Tomorrow, after completing their street performance and visiting a few famous landmarks, their original plans will be complete, and they can set off to travel to other places.

So, given the timing, it was just right that she asked her Little Idol to accompany her to Bregenz.

As for whether everyone will be jealous...

In order to find Xiao Shu's mother, these "details" will be temporarily ignored!

In short, meeting Charlotte was imperative. She needed to find out if Charlotte was the "Lighthouse," how much of her memories from the previous Worldline she had, and whether she would have a similar feel to the Little Idol around her.

"No!"

Charlotte rejected the suggestion. Giving Xiao Qing the initiative in this situation would be tantamount to waiting to be ambushed offline. What if this person was just as direct offline and asked for a kiss right away? She wasn't that kind of person!

The girl thought it over and it made more and more sense. She needed to regain the initiative, so she said confidently: