Chapter 430
"It's really good, but after drinking it, watching the wine spill into the hot spring felt a bit off."
But she quickly stopped dwelling on it and changed the subject:
"I checked online, and it says they're going to hold a music festival here before summer ends. Lots of people will be camping on the mountainside, and there should be fireworks at night. It's going to be really lively!"
Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment and asked:
"I remember there was a Fuji Rock Festival in July, held at the Naeba Ski Resort, but that time has long passed. Is it still a similar event?"
The Witch replied:
"It's related to Flashdance. There will be Flashdance contestants from the Tokyo Region performing at this music festival. They haven't revealed who will be there yet; it's probably just a way to promote their debut."
"Right now, the Little Idol in each region are preparing for their debut, and every group is very active. When the official tour starts, you might see them performing everywhere."
One can imagine that it would be an extremely prosperous and grand occasion.
If the plan fails, this will be the final celebration.
If the plan succeeds, this will be the prelude to the celebration.
Chu Yuanqing felt slightly worried, and she said softly:
Hopefully everything goes well.
The Witch rationally judged:
"It will definitely go smoothly. The power struggle in Sea Capital wiped out most of the resources the disaster group could mobilize. The Countermeasures Bureau probably wants to take advantage of this vacuum period to quickly advance the project, which is why they are pushing forward the debut tour so aggressively."
At least...
Regardless of any unforeseen events, Chu Yuanqing has done the best she could. The Ideal Kingdom once, Sea Capital once, combined, have almost completely destroyed both the light and dark sides of the Cult of Disaster Gods.
Otherwise, if those apostles, Supreme Calamity Beast, and dangerous calamities classified as A-Class or B-Class were to disperse to all parts of the world and specifically attack Little Idol on tour, the Countermeasures Bureau would have no way to deal with them, and the <Flash Dance> project would be cut short halfway through.
In contrast, even though the disaster group already knows about the existence of Shine Magic and can guess the core of the <Flash Dance> project by following the clues, it still hasn't stopped the global tour craze that has been ignited in just two weeks.
The attacks by the "Calamity Species" that once caused such a stir have become increasingly rare recently, as if they have all fallen into silence.
This shows how devastating the failure of that sacrifice was.
Chu Yuanqing nodded and said:
"Nothing should happen recently, but as long as the disaster group hasn't forgotten about [Child of Man], the thirteenth Disaster God, they'll come looking for trouble with Xiao Shu sooner or later."
Although Xiao Shu and her karma were deep, the fact that the [Child of Man] resided in the other's body, and the significant event of Him leading the other Disaster God to offer sacrifices, were information that could hardly be affected by [Nothingness].
Even if Chu Wangshu's special status is forgotten, the disaster group will come knocking again to investigate the survival of the [Child of Man] or the reason for this attack.
However, they simply don't have the resources to intervene at the moment.
Of course, Chu Yuanqing, as the father, was not too worried about this. She went to Zhelong Town a week ago not only to rescue Liang Xiaoxiao and teach the child a little more, but also to check on Xiao Shu's condition.
At that time, the child's magical power had reached the [Sea] realm, and his extraordinary perception and spiritual sense had undergone a transformation, even allowing him to capture her silhouette.
This is very reassuring.
You see, she only wanted to talk to her daughter and never intended for her to see her, but she still managed to find her.
Even though this is partly due to my own decline and the lack of [Void], it's still clear how much the other person has improved.
In addition...
Xiao Shu has indeed fully absorbed the power of the [Child of Man]. The ease with which she manipulated and suppressed the calamity genes, commanding them to submit to Liang Xiaoxiao, is enough to prove that the calamity swarm's judgment was correct. This child can indeed unify the calamity swarm and possesses infinite potential.
Having received nourishment from the [Child of Man], she is no longer so easily devoured by the swarm of calamities. Even if she were to sacrifice thirteen complete Supreme Calamity Beast, she would not succeed in doing so.
Chu Yuanqing guessed that Xiao Shu was far beyond the level of an ordinary Captain-Class Witch in the field of Magical Girl. If she were willing to use her power as the "Child of Man," only Charlotte in the entire Countermeasures Bureau could keep her in check.
This is just the beginning.
If this continues for a while, it might require both the biological mother and the stepmother to work together.
Chu Yuanqing curled her lips into a smile as she gazed at the Snow Country approaching the signal station. Her anticipation grew stronger. If everything were over, and the child were to bear all of [pure white]'s essence, wouldn't she be able to protect this world alone?
With my thoughts settled, the train officially arrived at the station.
The Witch stood up cheerfully, gazing at the scenery outside. She turned to look at Qing Bao, and without a word, took out her phone to take pictures of this beautiful, Snow Country fairy-like Mysterious Guitarist carrying his instrument case alone. She chatted with him as they walked to the platform.
"Mmm, Qing Bao looks at the camera, yes, so cute!"
The young woman displayed remarkable professionalism as a blogger; she had a microphone clipped to her scarf and was speaking words that would be recorded in the video:
"Alright, let's think of somewhere to go. Should we go to the ski resort first, or soak in a hot spring?"
"You're asking me? Well, I think the Mansion of Light is pretty good too, and taking the cable car from Yazankai is also very romantic."
"But it would be best to go for a drink first, I want to see Qing Bao blush."
Chu Yuanqing was already used to the Witch taking pictures and chatting with her on her phone. Her bright golden eyes seemed to be covered in frost, and she loosened her blue scarf with her slender hand. She exhaled condensed white mist from her lips and patiently talked to the Witch as she slowly walked forward.
This is Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture, Echigo-Yuzawa, Snow Country with fireworks, ski resorts, cable cars, and hot springs. Forgotten people and ghosts accompany them there, and a lonely mobile phone lens captures fragments of the journey, like an unfinished poem.
Volume 1: 405. The Astounding Wisdom of the Golden Haired Doggy, Hot Spring. (5K)
Sea Capital, Zhelong Town.
Underground base, practice room, bathroom.
Xie Qingxuan removed her sweat-stained undergarments, entered the shower room, turned on the showerhead, used the fragrance to moisturize her skin, creating rich bubbles, rinsed slightly, and then soaked in the large bathtub.
Hot water gushed out, and the crab toy in the bathtub blew bubbles and gurgled as it spun around, bumping into the towering peaks before slowly bouncing back—it was quite adorably silly.
The girl's platinum eyelashes drooped low. She lazily gathered the bubbles in front of her into her arms, obscuring the Snow Country scenery. She then poked the cool crab that was blowing bubbles with her fingertips, making it change its song.
She bought two of these toys, one golden and one bright red.
But strangely, no matter how hard I look lately, I can only find one.
If it were a normal person, they would definitely think that it was lost during that trip in Austria, and is most likely still in some hotel somewhere.
Xie Qingxuan, however, felt that, like the seventeen or eighteen extra pieces of sexy lingerie in her wardrobe and the pile of small toys in her suitcase, this must be hiding some unspeakable secret, and it was very likely related to the person she liked.
This is partly due to irrational intuition.
On the other hand, it is a judgment based on reason.
Xie Qingxuan received strict upbringing from a young age. Even when she rebelled, she chose to become an idol instead of pursuing the arts, which her parents preferred. In stark contrast to her physique, her personality can be described as sexually frigid.
Simply put, they are very self-disciplined, never act on their own initiative, and have no interest in sex.
Therefore, that pile of toys and lingerie looked completely out of place, not to mention the strange knowledge that had suddenly appeared in his head.
Furthermore, through her casual research while taking a bath, she unexpectedly discovered that her body had become... well, more sensitive.
If this were placed in a lighthearted game, it would be like the female protagonist being hypnotized, only to find her love points completely maxed out when she suddenly wakes up, causing her to question her existence – it just seems incredibly strange.
Xie Qingxuan didn't realize she had been hypnotized.
Although Magical Girl in this kind of erotic genre often end up as losers, easily falling apart and getting caught by the villains and having their breasts exposed.
Realistically speaking, as Magical Girl who Idealistic Being, once her self is distorted, her Soul Flower will definitely react, and may even spontaneously explode.
Therefore, the answer she got from her instincts at the time was, upon reflection and further investigation, proven to be the truth.
Where are you...?
The girl lowered her eyes and whispered, somewhat disappointed. She buried her head in the bathtub like a jellyfish, imitating the cool crab toy, blowing gurgling bubbles, her mind filled with melancholy.
In the past two weeks, aside from guessing that the lover she had forgotten was most likely a girl, she has gained absolutely nothing.
As for how the gender was determined, it was purely deduced through small toys and finger cots.
If the object is a man, unless she was used to being filled with drugs every day, there's no doubt that a bag stuffed with toys and finger cots would contain condoms.
Furthermore, looking at her packed schedule over the past year, she has always traveled as a public figure. Coupled with that deliberately posted Weibo, if she really had a boyfriend, paparazzi and fans would have found him long ago and made it known to the entire internet.
Therefore, the people she dated most likely came from the game "Flashdance," and it was an internal arrangement between girls.
Most importantly, the clever Golden Haired Doggy used its intelligence to check the last launch time of the toy app. Since it matched that time, very few people were using it at the same time, so it was highly likely that it was one of her teammates.
From this perspective, the lover she forgot might be a former teammate.
Xie Qingxuan was straightforward and honest, without any sense of shame in this matter. Therefore, he told Liuli, Xiao Shu, and Yayoi everything without any reservations, hoping to obtain other clues and report them to Dream Weaver Rabbit to help find the person.
Unfortunately, apart from the golden retriever, neither the dwarf in terms of movement— the Green Eyed Cat —nor the innocent Little Sakura in this respect could leave any clues in this peculiar aspect.
As for the Little Cotton-padded Jacket...
Well, there's even less chance she'd discover the flaw in this way.
Even so, the three teammates' candidness in telling Xie Qingxuan still showed a certain degree of trust.
But unlike last time, [Nothingness] has devoured more clues and traces. The missing fragments in <Flash Dance> have now been partially corrected in terms of cause and effect, and all the text that previously pointed to Qing Bao has disappeared.
Furthermore, the emotional fluctuations, sense of déjà vu, and sense of incongruity among the four characters have been almost completely erased. The fact that they were even aware of this possibility is all a result of Xie Qingxuan forcibly bringing them together.
Although Dream Weaver Rabbit promised to investigate, it didn't take it very seriously and hasn't come up with any clues so far.
"Gurgle, gurgle."
Frustrated, Xie Qingxuan ended her pointless jellyfish-like behavior. With her hair still wet, she lowered her dark eyes, her Magic Particles scattering like dust, evaporating all the water from the bathtub, the floor, her hair, and her body.
In an instant, the bathroom returned to its state before the shower.
The girl changed her clothes, covering her alluring spring scenery, glanced at her smooth, dry hair in the mirror, subconsciously cupped a few strands in her hands, and a little longing rose in her chest.
Stepping out of the bathroom, the Green Eyed Cat, who had also just finished showering, was sitting on the sofa, flipping through the sheet music for their debut song with Kiriwake Yayoi and Chu Wangshu, humming a tune as they looked at it, their expressions serious.
For the past two weeks, the four of them have been working non-stop, making preparations in all aspects for their debut.
Because they are Magical Girl, they all have a high degree of autonomy. They can freely decide on everything from costume design and group concept to team style, stage design, and many other aspects.
However, too much freedom can easily lead to indecisiveness.
That's why in the beginning, Dream Weaver Rabbit had everyone fill out that form, only outlining the general requirements. After all, they are just idols; showcasing themselves, maintaining their charm, and meticulously preparing for the stage are their duties, while the rest should be left to the professionals.
Chu Wangshu put down the sheet music and asked:
Which song do you think would be suitable as our debut song?
Yes, Little Idol are struggling with now is the open audition process, which is just like HR recruiting people. Long before the <Flash Dance> project was officially launched and the show had even aired, the whole world was already preparing for the debut of this group of Magical Girl.
The debut song is undoubtedly part of this.
Flashdance started inviting submissions from musicians of all types around the world 1 to 3 years in advance, collecting many high-quality songs and storing them in the program's music library, waiting for this moment to arrive.
All contestants who advance have the right to freely choose 1 to 7 songs from the music library. They can use them as their debut songs, or simply choreograph them and release them directly on CD. All of these are allowed.
Of course, Flash Dance also allows Little Idol to directly utilize the program's resources to invite musicians to create a debut song specifically for their team as quickly as possible.
However, since Dream Weaver Rabbit only gave everyone a month to prepare for their debut, not many teams chose to do so.
Kiriwake Yayoi, she initially preferred a custom-made song, but after realizing that there was a chance of one less teammate in her team, she and the others decided to abandon this option and instead search the song library for a debut song.
Xie Qingxuan picked up the tablet on the table, searched for a few seconds, and presented his answer to his Little Cotton-padded Jacket.
--<My Air Lover>.
The girl blinked and said earnestly:
"I think this is good."
Chu Wangshu felt that Sister Xie was like a stray puppy abandoned in the same spot, with no one coming to pet her, which made her seem rather pitiful. She picked up the tablet and complained:
"Even if we choose this song, no netizens will know about our situation here."
This is similar to how she foolishly chased after the illusory figure a week ago, all the way to the most confidential place in the base, where she bumped into Sister Ji, Astrid, and Xiaoxiao. It was a bit neurotic, like trying to find a sword by marking the boat where it was moored.
Chu Wangshu felt that she was under too much pressure lately. In just a few months, she had experienced a series of explosive events, including being unexpectedly selected, advancing in the next round, becoming a viral sensation online, learning the truth about the world, becoming Magical Girl, meeting her biological mother who was the same age as her, and almost dying during Public Performance.
In this situation, it's reasonable for him to have some mental abnormalities, right?
That's why, upon hearing that unfamiliar voice, he chased after it without a second thought.
But deep down, she knew that the voice and the figure were not an illusion. The other person must have deliberately guided her to the bottom level so that she could save the knight who had fused with the Calamity Gene. Otherwise, there was no way to explain such a coincidence.
But...
If it wasn't a hallucination, then whose voice was that enigmatic, and whose white hair fluttered as he turned? Could it be the lover Sister Xie suspected—the one who suddenly vanished from everyone's memory?
Unable to get an answer, Chu Wangshu could only focus on doing what she needed to do in the present moment.
Xie Qingxuan wasn't disappointed by the rejection. She flipped through the song list; everyone had listened to these selected songs recently, and they were all of excellent quality. At this point, she was simply choosing the best ones.
Little Sakura earnestly suggested:
"I think we should choose positive and uplifting songs that bring laughter and are unrelated to romantic love, and that match our group name."