Chapter 346

Charlotte is free-spirited; she always manages to maintain a mysterious distance and a consistently composed attitude. Although her emotions are outwardly expressed, she is consistent inside and out, sincere and straightforward, giving people an impression that is both unpredictable and approachable.

But this gift still brought tears to her eyes, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

The girl took a deep breath, examined the Wedding Ring on her ring finger, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and smiled through her tears.

"I do."

Although they were separated by life and death and by time, this longing, after many twists and turns, has finally received a satisfactory answer.

Charlotte laughed and called out her reply. She lifted her skirt as if she were wearing a bride's wedding dress and threw herself into Chu Yuanqing's arms, completely disregarding the fact that he was still kneeling on the ground, causing the two of them to fall onto the lawn together.

The Saintess had no intention of doing anything wrong. Like a fairy playing in the forest, she embraced her lover's soft, slender waist, cuddled for a while, then stretched out her palm towards the sky, looking at the Wedding Ring, laughing and complaining at the same time:

"Too cunning, Xiao Qing has clearly forgotten a lot of things."

"But they still remembered that; I never expected this to happen."

Charlotte knew Chu Yuanqing well; she understood that he was the type of person who would be straightforward when necessary, and occasionally, his bluntness was comparable to Xuan Bao's.

But perhaps due to habitual thinking, she really didn't expect that the other party would prepare a Wedding Ring as a birthday gift not long after entrusting the child to her.

Chu Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief. When she was preparing the gift, she was always worried that there might be problems with the materials of the wreckage, that the final product might not be pretty enough, that the recipient might not like the style she chose, and how to choose the forging technique.

Even knowing that Charlotte would be happy to receive the Wedding Ring, her mind was still filled with doubts, afraid that she had overlooked some details or that she hadn't done her best in some way.

Upon seeing the other person's smile, all these worries vanished, replaced by genuine joy and a touch of nostalgia for the past.

If she hadn't participated in Flashdance, she might still be struggling to resolve her relationship with her daughter, wouldn't have met her teammates from the first playthrough, and wouldn't know that the Disaster God wasn't dead and that the apocalyptic crisis still existed.

As for his reunion with Charlotte and the act of presenting her with the Wedding Ring, those will naturally vanish like bubbles, never to return.

It's amazing how a single thought can completely reverse the fate of her and even the entire world.

Chu Yuanqing collected her thoughts, looked at the person lying beside her, smiled, and answered earnestly:

Even if I forget, it will only affect the forging formula and techniques, but it won't change my intention to give you Wedding Ring.

"Because this has nothing to do with an agreement or anything else. For you and me, it would be a real shame to lack such proof, wouldn't it?"

A few blushes appeared on the Pure White Witch's delicate face. She belatedly realized she was a little shy, but quickly suppressed this feeling, pretending nothing was wrong, and explained in a serious tone:

"Besides, Xiao Shu is all grown up now, it would be strange if she didn't have this. We must be proper and responsible parents, set a good example in this regard, and take responsibility."

Charlotte couldn't help but laugh after hearing this, but she tried her best to appear as serious as the other person, coughing a few times before saying:

"So, you're saying you want Xiao Meng to forge a marriage certificate from 17 years ago for us, and take all the wedding photos too? That's just burying your head in the sand."

Chu Yuanqing was speechless upon hearing this, and she said:

"So what if we're burying our heads in the sand? We're just making up for the procedures we didn't have time to complete. Getting married in the City of Doomsday doesn't even require that much trouble."

Charlotte's eyes crinkled into a smile. She stopped there, mindful of the Wedding Ring, and refrained from further teasing Qing Bao. Instead, she smiled and gave her a big hug, saying happily:

"It's okay, even burying my head in the sand is great. I want to have a marriage certificate with Xiao Qing and take wedding photos, even if it's just in a fantasy. I want to become your wife as soon as possible."

"So, let's find an opportunity to take wedding photos in the next few days? Hmm~ It would be best to bring Xiao Xuan, Liuli, and Yayoi along as well. As for Xiao Shu, we can take the photos in separate sessions, so we can even have family photos together."

After Charlotte finished speaking, she excitedly opened the mobile app and summoned the sub-system of Dream Weaver, asking it to use the body data of the five people to find a suitable wedding dress overnight and airlift it to Saint Wolfgang.

Chu Yuanqing felt a little guilty. She had just given Charlotte a Wedding Ring, and now she was about to take wedding photos with another Little Idol. No matter how you looked at it, this was too scummy, wasn't it?

--Although it was Charlotte who asked for it.

On the other hand, after using the high-grade wreckage obtained from the Countermeasures Bureau to forge Charlotte's Wedding Ring, there weren't many left, and there wasn't enough time to give one to each of the other Little Idol.

At this point, having Charlotte bring up taking such ambiguous photos could easily lead to her noticing the ring on the other person's ring finger, which would be like stirring up trouble and setting the stage for a potential disaster.

However, concerns are concerns,

Chu Yuanqing didn't want to spoil Charlotte's fun. She didn't have much time left, and perhaps it was more appropriate to follow the other person's pace than to try to do it her own.

After Charlotte finished explaining her requests to the hardworking Super AI, she continued to stroke the Wedding Ring on her ring finger. It was not only a token of their love but also had a certain practical function.

These include, but are not limited to, daily randomly adjusted fragrance buffs, blessings that refresh one's own status, thorn fields that reflect damage, time-space anchoring, and recording first-person perspective scenes that bring joy to the owner...

These various functions, when taken together, demonstrate a remarkable level of ingenuity.

If the Pure White Witch hadn't had incomplete memories, her forging skills weren't far inferior to before, and she hadn't been unable to use the authority and blessings she used to assist in forging, she would probably have been able to forge this Wedding Ring into an unconventional Mythical Weapon.

After all, the romance and experiences between the two are enough to support the concept of mythology. Incorporating it into the ring is enough to elevate it into an artifact comparable to the various magic rings and divine rings in memory.

As for now...

Chu Yuanqing's ability to perfectly fuse these high-level calamity remains, preserving the ring's future upgrade potential, is all thanks to borrowing Little Sakura's [Heart Forging].

Charlotte stood up, took Qing Bao's hand, and ran towards Sister Ellie in the distance, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. Smiling, she said to the children:

What would you all like to eat for dinner?

"I'm in a great mood today, and I'll be cooking with Sister Ellie."

"Sign up now and you'll receive a special homemade meal from your sister!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the children, who had initially wanted to gossip, eagerly raised their hands and rushed to name the dishes, showing great enthusiasm.

Of course, there were also dissenting voices.

"I want to eat Sister Chu's Great Xia vegetables!"

"Braised pork belly, lion's head meatballs, sweet and sour pork ribs, and stir-fried bullfrog with scallions!"

Charlotte puffed out her cheeks, grabbed Emma and Nia who were talking, and felt that her maternal instincts and feminine strength had once again been defeated by Qing Bao. She squatted down and looked at the two children, saying in a huff:

"So you all prefer Xiao Qing's cooking to mine? What a fickle child! I'll really be sad."

Nia said matter-of-factly:

"Although Charlotte is wonderful, it's your birthday today. How can we let you cook? We and Sister Chu should cook for you together."

After he said that, the other children also felt that it made a lot of sense. They lowered their raised hands with remorse and began to reflect on how they had only thought about eating and had not thought of this point at all.

The Saintess was completely convinced. She ruffled Emma's hair, slipped a candy to Nia, and said with a smile:

"Well said, then I'll cook for everyone tomorrow. For today, I'm looking forward to everyone's cooking skills."

This left the children, who knew absolutely nothing about cooking, with no choice but to look longingly at Sister Ellie, hoping she could be their savior in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, after Charlotte finished speaking, she happily took Sister Ellie's arm, and on the other hand, she took Chu Yuanqing's hand and led the children toward the chapel, giving no one a chance to interrupt.

Back at the church, dusk was falling, and the sailing race on the lake was nearing its end, with only one round left before the event was completely over.

The town's celebrations were coming to an end. Shops and events in the surrounding area were gradually closing down, food and drink stalls were packing up, and tourists were forming long, winding streams as they slowly left.

After most of the tourists in the town had left, the Little Idol, who were fast asleep in the White Horse Hotel, finally broke free from their spiderweb-like drowsiness and slowly awoke from their soft blankets.

Although sleep couldn't completely erase the side effects of overdrawing the [Cocoon of the Heart], after a good night's rest, everyone's spirits finally returned to a state where they could act and think normally.

Well, it's worth mentioning that Xie Qingxuan was the first to wake up, and a certain Green Eyed Cat who likes to stay in bed was the last to wake up.

As the group of Little Idol left the hotel and headed towards the birthday party, it was already completely dark. The road ahead was adorned with moonlight and starlight, and songs could be heard from afar from time to time.

Since the celebration was specifically for Charlotte, the birthday banquet couldn't possibly be held in the chapel.

The place that can accommodate thousands, or even more, of the townspeople is the stage where many spectators gather during the day.

The seats in this area are removable, making it look somewhat like a school arts performance venue. Removing them would create a large open space, where tables could be placed, and with the help of lighting equipment, hundreds of people could be squeezed around in the inner circle.

Although moving tables and chairs was a huge undertaking, the townspeople were used to it, and with Shining Blessing's quiet help, the process was surprisingly easy.

When Xie Qingxuan walked over, the children from the orphanage were performing a musical on stage. She had some recollection of the music and the plot.

The Three Cents Opera

This is adapted from John Gay's play "The Beggar Opera," which tells the story of a bandit leader and the daughter of the Beggar King in 1920s London, and their Dependents love story. It is hailed as a fairytale-like light opera.

The performance would take about two hours to complete, but since the performers were a group of children, only one segment was selected.

In this selected six minutes, there were quite a few mistakes, such as mispronouncing lines and laughing during the performance. The story became chaotic as it unfolded, and for viewers familiar with the original work, it was, in a sense, an unpredictable stage performance.

Even so, the townspeople in the audience did not hesitate to give them applause and cheers.

The Little Idol initially thought it was well-intentioned encouragement from the adults, but things gradually became more complicated when a group of middle-aged men came on stage arm in arm, adopting the demeanor of Vikings and singing "The Conquerors' March" like a war cry.

Tang Liuli was sitting at the children's table, drinking milk with lots of fruit pieces through a straw when she heard this. She was startled and almost exploded.

The girl's emerald eyes were filled with shock and wariness. She secretly used magic to cover her ears, feeling that it would take great courage and perseverance to listen to the whole song.

Chu Wangshu sighed:

"Wow, that's amazing. If these middle-aged men could join [Flow State], their presence would be incredible."

Xie Qingxuan seemed to be thinking. War Cry was indeed a technique worth learning. Just like Xiao Shu said, if paired with [Flow State], it might be able to intimidate the enemy with its momentum. And if combined with [Titan's Authority], the effect would be even better.

Kiriwake Yayoi looked over to the next table, where Chen Yining's group was seated, along with seven or eight children adopted by the church. Their group had a similar structure, except for the addition of Sister Ellie.

Little Sakura asked curiously:

"Aren't Xiao Qing and Charlotte here?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Qingxuan looked up at the grove of trees in the distance. Before she could even express her opinion, the Green Eyed Cat beside her anticipated her move and covered her mouth.

Sister Ellie's lips curled up into a smile, and she said softly:

"They should be in the Waiting Room right now."

Charlotte seems really looking forward to performing on stage with Xiao Qing. Would you like to come along too?

Volume 1: 322. The Fulfilled Promise, Ideal Land. (5K)

The night was beautiful, and the starlight was crystal clear.

The stage lights randomly fell and swirled, but what truly illuminated the surrounding scenery were the giant wooden frames that were set ablaze.

The flames shot rapidly from the bottom to the top, the soaring light carrying sparks and overflowing into a magnificent display of fireworks. After its momentum was exhausted, it fell in a flurry of debris, like a torrential rain, adorning the night sky.

There were many large bonfires nearby. Adults dressed in firefighting suits hid under the shelters not far away, drinking beer, watching the bonfires, and chatting and laughing while looking at the stage.

Despite the considerable safety risks, everyone in the fairytale-like town, bathed in the radiant blessings, could ignore these concerns and fully immerse themselves in the nighttime celebration, enjoying this once-a-year moment of beauty.

This scene, coupled with Sister Ellie's words, suddenly reminded everyone at the table of the various images that flashed through their minds when they first met Charlotte.

Only...

The campfire back then was nowhere near as blazing as it is now.

Kiriwake Yayoi looked up and smiled; she was the first to answer:

"Of course we're going! We made a promise a long time ago to perform on stage together."

Xie Qingxuan took out a hair tie from her bag, tied her platinum blonde hair back into a high ponytail, placed the gift bag on her lap, glanced at the distant campfire, and nodded, saying:

"Yes, today is Charlotte's birthday. She'll be very happy to fulfill our promise now."

Tang Liuli hugged the package in her arms and seconded:

"That's right, and we haven't had a chance to give her her birthday present yet. We can all give Charlotte a surprise after we perform together on stage."

Chu Wangshu looked blankly at the three junior seniors who were talking to themselves.

How strange, what agreement? How come she knew nothing about it?

Is this a consensus that only Xiao Qing's girlfriend can share?

Chu Wangshu's face was serious. She felt completely excluded. Just how many secrets did Qing Bao and the other seniors have that she didn't know about while they were messing around in private?

The girl glanced at Sister Ellie, sighed inwardly, pouted, suppressed the urge to complain, and replied:

"If Sister Charlotte agrees, I have no reason to object."

"Moreover, as long as we don't use [Flow State], going on stage more often now will help us regain our form."

Although all four of them have woken up and can move around normally, that stage performance still drained all their magic, and the artificial lanterns currently integrated into the [Cocoon of the Heart] are all extremely dim.

Actually, this isn't a very big problem.

If Chu Wangshu doesn't go on stage, she can rest for a day and then use Meditation Method to fill the lantern and return to normal. As for the others, it's even easier; they just need to take turns sleeping with the Pure White Witch once.

However, the feeling of meeting the requirements but being unable to construct Magic Armor and officially become Magical Girl is like having accumulated enough pulls for the guaranteed gacha pull but being unable to pull from the limited gacha pool, which is truly unbearable.

Sister Ellie smiled and said:

"It seems you have a good relationship with Charlotte, but don't worry, as with previous celebrations, this child will be on stage for quite a while."

The nun dowager's candy-colored eyes narrowed slightly. Her smile was warm and kind. As if sensing something, she spoke softly in an exceptionally gentle tone:

"So, after she and Xiao Qing finish their performance, you can go to the Waiting Room to find her, right?"

"Let's eat something to fill our stomachs first. The apple pie the kids made together tastes great, everyone should try it."