Chapter 342
But...
Since Qing Bao said that, it means they saved at least several hundred people, right?
Even if you only save one person, or help other Magical Girl in a little way, it's already a big step forward.
Kiriwake Yayoi is very satisfied with this. Her reason for wanting to become an idol is to bring some sparkle and warmth to the audience's lives.
But now I can not only do these things, but I can even use the stage to protect the happiness of some people. No matter how you look at it, it's amazing.
"That's great! You'll have to work even harder from now on."
As I pondered and thought about it, my thoughts suddenly drifted far away.
Shortly after Little Sakura finished speaking, she lost consciousness and fell asleep on the sofa.
Chu Wangshu also nodded her chin, as if she were dozing off in class. The Green Eyed Cat next to her had already fallen asleep, and even the most "energetic" Xuan Bao had squinted her eyes, looking very tired.
This is only natural, as overdrawing one's "Cocoon of the Heart" is a serious matter. Without the support of "Pure White Aria," all four of them would need to sleep for three or four days afterward before waking up.
Chu Yuanqing coughed a few times, glanced at the void beside her, and said with a smile:
"Charlotte, let's take them back to their hotel room. It's not very convenient for them to sleep here."
The Doomsday Diva dispelled her ethereal form. She looked at the girl's pale face, pursed her lips, reached out and created a portal, then summoned a bunch of Charlotte figures and carried them back to their respective rooms.
After the girl finished doing all this, she walked to Chu Yuanqing's side, half-squatted down, tenderly held his cold hand, lowered her eyes, and whispered:
I thought you would hide it from me and secretly pretend to be strong on your own.
Chu Yuanqing coughed uncontrollably. The light in her eyes went out, the dark focus blurred, and blood spilled from her lips. Before it could fall to the ground, it turned into fine ashes and evaporated into nothingness.
This is the curse of the Sea of Truth, manifesting in the body as a result.
Since advancing to the [River] Realm of magic and being completely transformed by [Quicksilver Blood], theoretically, no matter what kind of injury one suffers, the spilled blood can flow back.
Even if 90% of the flesh and blood evaporate instantly, it can achieve an infinite regeneration and damage immunity effect at the cost of a small amount of magic power.
But the Sea of Truth is clearly not among them; a few strands of curse flowing back from [Pure White] are enough to extinguish the high density of magic.
The blood being coughed up now is all due to the passive properties of [Quicksilver Blood]. It's an instinctive attempt to sever its tail and survive, constantly converting the parts tainted by the curse into blood and coughing them up, similar to detoxification.
Chu Yuanqing's eyelashes drooped, her delicate face possessing an ethereal beauty. Her hazy, unfocused eyes concealed a poignant yet resolute will. She ran her fingertips across the Saintess's face, a smile appearing on her face, and said honestly:
"It's your birthday today. You would have kept it from me if you could, but you couldn't hide it from me now. If Yayoi and the others hadn't been in such bad shape, they would have given themselves away just now."
Charlotte puffed out her cheeks, feigning slight annoyance, stood up, sat down next to Qing Bao, so that their thighs were touching, and said:
"Selective honesty? How malicious."
Doomsday Diva spoke, observing the other's expression, she couldn't suppress her heartache. She tenderly reached out and touched Qing Bao's face, softening her tone as she said:
"It must have hurt a lot. Don't do that again next time."
"Even if you don't resonate with [Pure White], the Eternal Spear can still lock onto the rules of [Calamity Wish] and annihilate those 46 pillars of calamity energy."
"The [Calamity Wish] itself can be handled by the Countermeasures Bureau."
Chu Yuanqing coughed up blood without speaking. Of course, she understood this principle and believed that the Human Alliance's accumulated strength over 17 years was enough to resolve the [Calamity Wish] that hadn't had time to develop.
But...
"The backlash from these curses will only make me suffer for a while; it won't interfere with the increase or decrease of my lifespan."
"But if I don't intervene, it will kill many people, including children just starting school, fathers who are the breadwinners of their families, clumsy new mothers, and fans who want to see us perform."
Chu Yuanqing's dim eyes brightened as she recounted the victims she had seen. A radiant smile spread across her pale pink lips as she softly spoke:
"The happiness I gained from saving them far outweighs the pain I endured, and that's enough."
As the Pure White Witch spoke, a cute, guilty expression appeared on her beautiful face. She unconsciously softened her tone, tugging at the Saintess's sleeve. Even her usually cold, suppressed voice became much more alluring.
"I believe that Charlotte would have made the same choice as me."
"So, can you please not be angry?"
Charlotte fell silent upon hearing this. How could she be angry? She only felt sad, so sad that it felt as if a sharp knife had pierced her heart, as if time had turned back to the moment she first saw Chu Yuanqing die.
No matter how her appearance or gender changes, or how many years separate them, she remains that fool who willingly shoulders all the troubles.
No matter the pain or suffering, even if I die tens of thousands of times, drive myself to a mental breakdown and personality disintegration, I will never betray my original ideals.
--Wanting to save everyone.
--I want to start all over again.
--I want happiness for everyone on this planet, for all the people on this land.
And this was, initially, her wish.
After Charlotte awakened and was blessed, becoming a torchbearer, the ideal she spoke to Chu Yuanqing was so naive and impossible to achieve.
At that time, no one knew that those casual remarks made on the street would one day become a reality.
But if the price of making everyone happy is for Chu Yuanqing to suffer forever, she would rather be a little selfish, even a little more selfish.
But... I can't bring myself to say it.
These are words that Liuli, Yayoi, Xuan Bao, and Xiao Shu could all say, but they could never be uttered by the one who stayed by their side until the very end and knew the weight of this ideal.
Charlotte swallowed her bitterness and sorrow, and with her usual smile, she hugged her lover beside her, feeling the warmth of his body. She nuzzled Qing Bao's cheek and whispered:
"I'm not angry at all."
"I respect Xiao Qing's opinion, but you must also remember that you can't always act recklessly. The new generation of Magical Girl will have to go through trials of blood and fire sooner or later. Spoiling them too much will have disastrous consequences."
Chu Yuanqing was very receptive to advice; she said earnestly:
"This is a special case; the [Calamity Wish] is too powerful."
"Furthermore, a group of Little Idol will be coming to participate in Magical Girl training in a few days. I will research magic suitable for training everyone soon and become a good teacher."
Charlotte thought about it and reserved her opinion. Regardless of what kind of training magic Qing Bao could concoct, it would definitely be very painful.
There's nothing we can do about it. Although Xiao Qing is a very gentle person, she has grown stronger and stronger time and time again through such extreme methods, so her training style naturally tends to lean in this direction.
Miss Saintess decided to ignore these details for the time being. She blinked and said earnestly:
"Don't talk, let me treat you first."
Chu Yuanqing coughed a few times, and the poignant blood turned to ashes and withered away. Based on past experience, she had an extremely high pain tolerance, but was somewhat afraid of pleasure that reached the positive threshold.
Most importantly, the more painful it is, the stronger the pleasure will be when you block out most of the pain after Magic Replenishment.
The Pure White Witch said hesitantly:
"Huh? Right here? There are spectators outside, mostly your fans, and someone might come at any moment. Is it really appropriate to do this here? I have enough magic power, I can just bear with it... um."
Charlotte used the simplest and most direct method to silence those hesitant, soft, and pink lips. She pecked lightly for a while, then lowered her frosty blue eyelashes, her pupils filled with mist, and began to lift the outer edges, channeling her magic.
Chu Yuanqing's consciousness, corrupted by the curse, evaporated amidst the Heart Tide and entanglement of her emotions. Her hazy pupils regained their golden luster, and her breathing became disordered, making her voice sound somewhat hoarse.
The most outrageous thing is that the [Quicksilver Blood] in her body is extremely honest and does not resist Charlotte's magic at all. It begins to accelerate its circulation, detoxifying and absorbing at the same time.
The Lantern Gem hidden in her chest regained some vitality and began to have the capacity to process the abundant blessings that came with the stage, creating a positive cycle.
During this process, neither of them heard the slight sound of the door being pushed open.
Liang Xiaoxiao, carrying the snacks and drinks she had just bought, had just opened the door to greet the people inside when she saw this scene that shattered her worldview, causing her pupils to dilate in shock.
"Xiaoxiao, why aren't you going inside...?"
Before Lin Bao'er could finish speaking, her mouth was covered by the girl next to her. Her mind went blank as she stared at the inappropriate scene in the Waiting Room, her pretty face flushed red like rising steam.
Why???
Is Teacher Chu actually in that kind of relationship with Charlotte?!
Volume 1: 318. The Rebellious Disciple, Entangled Feelings. (5K)
The scene in the Waiting Room was absolutely explosive.
Although the Pure White Succubus didn't burst open her armor to reveal her alluring, restricted-accessible body, just watching Charlotte conquer her was enough to make one's brain shut down.
Liang Xiaoxiao stood stiffly outside the door, her gaze peering through a small crack at the inside. She stood frozen in place, unsure of her own feelings.
Because...
Her feelings for Chu Yuanqing were complex.
When they first met, Chu Yuanqing was an ordinary person who knew nothing but was exceptionally good-looking. At that time, Chu Yuanqing treated him as an ordinary roommate, someone she could chat with and who caught her eye.
But as the relationship gradually improved, and after being comforted once more, this feeling transformed from friendship into a passionate longing.
To be precise, it wasn't liking or infatuation, but rather a result of lacking love and suffering since childhood, making the other person a pillar of support for his soul.
Therefore, she instinctively craved, even depended on, this warmth, like a moth drawn to a flame, trying her best to keep up with the other person.
The result was cruel; she couldn't match the Idol Power of other truly talented girls in any aspect, let alone truly enter their circle.
Take roommates as an example.
Tang Liuli is already excellent enough as the lead vocalist, and she was once a well-known child prodigy. Her status naturally surpasses that of many girl groups that have not yet debuted, or even those that have already debuted.
Xie Qingxuan comes from a wealthy family. Her older sister is a national idol, and she herself was considered a Demon King contender for the championship even before the competition began. Her figure and looks are unparalleled among this group of exceptionally beautiful young women.
These people have nothing to do with ordinary people; their talent, appearance, family background, hard work, and personal charm completely overwhelm anyone who enters this competition.
Despite failing to get a rating, failing to form a team, suffering consecutive defeats in Stage Battle, and failing to reach the [Flow State] state, she was only able to advance and stand where she is now thanks to Chu Yuanqing's brilliance and Chen Yining's help.
Throughout this process, Liang Xiaoxiao came to a clearer understanding of herself time and time again. She always felt that she was clear-headed enough, but each time she was frustrated, she realized that she was not mature enough.
The pain, bitterness, resentment, sadness, and even despair along the way were not meaningless; they became nourishment for her self-improvement. In the moment when the tram was overturned by the Calamity Beasts and her friend died in front of her, her personality was truly changed.
Liang Xiaoxiao never understood what Chu Yuanqing was saying before. She took the little warmth he offered as her emotional support and, with the cowardly mentality of a dependent, thought herself right and made efforts.
This effort certainly yielded results; her dancing and singing skills improved. However, in the realm of [Flow State], which involves magic, she was always running in the opposite direction, never directly shattering the Nightmare Corridor, only foolishly enduring and waiting.
But after Lin Bao'er's death, that hatred and anger broke free from the inferiority complex instilled in her by her family of origin for the first time, and also made her truly mature afterward, no longer regarding a specific person as a pillar of her soul.
Therefore, that longing is no longer an obsession.
And as things happened afterward, the aspirations evolved into the kind of feelings that students have for teachers, juniors for elders, and daughters for their mothers.
After sorting through her thoughts, Liang Xiaoxiao finally pulled herself out of the void of being NTR'd. She barely regained her composure, watched the two women kissing in the room, pursed her lips, and wondered what it felt like to make Teacher Chu make that kind of expression.
Although she felt she should pull Bao'er away immediately out of politeness, her eyes were still glued to her.
There's no way around it; it's not good to say this from a student's perspective, but Teacher Chu's current appearance is just too lewd.
The Pure White Succubus's delicate face was tinged with an alluring coral pink. She still tried to maintain her usual serious and indifferent demeanor, but her features inevitably softened. Even when she deliberately showed disgust, she could only exude a sense of wanting to refuse but also wanting to accept.
What's most poignant is that pair of eyes that used to chill the blood and tremble the soul when they looked over, now devoid of the magnificent majesty that once burned the world, like a pool of spring water filled with mist, overflowing with tenderness.
This contrast is like Emperor sitting on his throne overlooking the world, who, after taking off his armor, is not only a cold and aloof little widow, but also reveals a bewildered yet alluringly cute reaction after being kissed passionately, innocently allowing you to ask for whatever you want.
Even a complete passerby would have to stop and take a picture if they saw this scene, let alone Liang Xiaoxiao, who is the other party's student. Standing here to spy on them is even more immoral and taboo.
Of course, out of politeness, after covering Lin Bao'er's mouth, she also covered her own eyes, only peeking through her fingers because she couldn't resist, still showing great respect for her teacher.
Lin Bao'er, oblivious to her own Xiaoxiao, was so confused she was practically turning into a rebellious child. She blinked, looking shyly and curiously at the scene of Qing Bao being kissed, her heart pounding with excitement, a touch of shame at prying into others' lives, and a strong urge to gossip.
The little girl couldn't help but think to herself:
"So this couple that everyone's been talking about online is actually real! Does that mean 'Wu Zhong Jian Qing,' 'Qing Ci Li Qu,' and 'Qing Cheng Qing Guo' have all lost out?"
"What a pity. Does that mean even neodymium copper has to follow the law of 'childhood sweethearts can't compete with those born out of nowhere'?"
"No, no, what am I thinking? Liuli and the others might not necessarily want to develop that kind of relationship with Teacher Chu. They probably just want to be good friends with Xiaoxiao, like I am."
Wait, my friend, neodymium copper.
Lin Bao'er's slow-witted mind was finally pieced together; her almond-shaped eyes widened as she belatedly realized a shocking truth.
Could it be...?
Is the team leader and Xiaozhu, like Teacher Chu and Charlotte, not just good friends, but a couple?
So, is the reason Xiaoxiao is subtly and overtly telling Wutong not to interfere with their time together because she already knew this secret?
Lin Bao'er's mind was in turmoil. Only then did she realize why the captain was so furious about Xiaozhu joining Teacher Chu's team, and why he was still angry when Xiao Zhu returned and wanted to "bully" her.
The little girl sorted out her thoughts and suddenly felt ashamed. She realized she had actually wanted to have the same kind of relationship with Xiaoxiao as she had with the team leader and Xiaozhu.
Thankfully, I didn't say it directly to Xiaoxiao, otherwise it would have been too embarrassing!
Lin Bao'er's face flushed. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at Xiaoxiao's expression, and then suddenly realized a possibility.
--Xiaoxiao, you wouldn't happen to like Teacher Chu, would you?