Good Night, We're Having Breakfast Together Tomorrow

The middle-aged woman flushed crimson, but faced with the three "Soul Elders" onstage, whose auras were anything but normal—especially Angel No. 1—she ultimately did not dare answer back.

Sandrone recalled Angel No. 1, walked over to Columbina, and said quietly:

"...I was afraid you'd kick the referee too. Then we'd have to announce our own victory. What a hassle."

Columbina tilted her head and glanced at her. Her level-ten cat-language skills decoded it perfectly: Sandrone clearly meant, Don't be scared. I can protect you. She just had to say it the roundabout way.

"Enough." Su Yun finished the last sip of his peach Four Seasons Spring tea and tossed the cup aside. It dissolved into ice crystals in midair.

"One of you is a maniac for violence, and the other is a prickly little tsundere, but you work together surprisingly well. Come on, let's register for the next match. Let's try to reach the advancement round today."

Columbina's eyes lit up. "Can I use my Soul Ring in the next match?"

Su Yun headed for the exit without looking back. "You didn't even light up your Soul Ring for those two kicks, and all seven of them ran faster than rabbits. Do you think your next opponents will dare fight you?"

Columbina pouted and muttered, "Then I'll knock them all unconscious before they can run..."

Sandrone brought up the rear. She quietly took out her little notebook and made an entry: "Lunar Strength field data collected. Next time, I'll build a Su Yun robot too."

She closed the notebook and watched the two arguing ahead of her, the faintest smile tugging at her lips.

The three were not lovers, yet they were closer than lovers.

Su Yun sat out the following doubles Soul Fighting matches and devoted himself to making Ice God collaboration drinks for Mixue.

Sandrone and Columbina had a wonderful time in the arena.

Sandrone tested her puppets, while Columbina seemed to discover a whole new world of possibilities for her Lunar Strength.

She imitated not only Su Yun's fighting style, but Zhongli's too.

She gouged a huge hole in the floor, hauled out a rock, and insisted it was Planet Befall.

She spun her Lunar Strength into a whirlwind at high speed and shouted, "Let the wind lead!"

Compared to Columbina, Ning Rongrong was practically a model citizen.

The three played all evening. By the time they returned to their rooms, it was past midnight.

After a quick wash, they said good night to one another.

"Good night, Columbina, Sandrone."

"Good night, Su Yun. Columbina... no singing tonight!"

Sandrone made sure to remind Columbina.

They had been at it all day. Columbina was now one of the Three Moon Sisters and would be fine without sleep, but Sandrone did not want to hear her sing again.

"Oh... good night, Sandrone, Su Yun."

Su Yun shut his door and lay down. He had only just closed his eyes to sleep

when, less than ten minutes later, he felt the mattress sink.

He knew who it was without opening his eyes.

"Columbina, can't sleep?"

Then he opened his eyes and realized something was wrong.

Sandrone was staring at Su Yun with wide eyes.

Columbina stood on his bed, holding her.

"Sandrone didn't want to sleep on her side. I'm helping her."

Her voice was utterly innocent.

Su Yun might have believed her if he had not spotted Sandrone's wind-up key behind her.

The girl had definitely pulled out Sandrone's key and stuck it behind herself.

Judging by the way it swayed, she was holding it there with her Lunar Strength.

At the sight of Sandrone's face turning scarlet, Su Yun could not help covering his mouth.

The prickly little cat finally snapped and shouted,

"Columbina! You really are so annoying!"

Su Yun could no longer hold back his laughter.

"Hahahahaha!"

Once he had finished laughing, Su Yun took Sandrone's key from behind Columbina and gently set it on the bedside table.

Sandrone was still stiff in Columbina's arms, like a cat held by the scruff of its neck.

Only when Su Yun lifted her out and settled her safely on his left did she finally remember how to breathe.

"You—"

She was about to let loose, but Su Yun's palm pressed lightly against the top of her head, soothing her like a bristling stray cat.

"...Keep your hands to yourself."

Her voice was almost inaudible.

Su Yun had placed Columbina on his right. She stared unblinkingly at Sandrone's face with amethyst eyes, as though studying an interesting blueprint.

"Sandrone's face is redder than peach Four Seasons Spring tea."

She delivered her conclusion with complete seriousness.

"Shut up and go to sleep!"

Sandrone bristled, caught the blanket in her teeth, and pulled it over her face. But she quietly tugged one corner to the left, covering Su Yun's shoulder too.

Su Yun did not call attention to it. He simply raised a hand and snapped his fingers beside the bed.

A wisp of ice crystals formed a palm-sized bird. It took the night-light from the bedside table in its beak and flew to the ceiling, where it became a soft halo. Warm light spilled down, gentle on the eyes but bright enough for the three of them to see one another's outlines.

"Sandrone, I want shrimp dumplings from Wanmin Restaurant tomorrow morning," Columbina suddenly said, as matter-of-factly as if she had already seen tomorrow's menu.

"In your dreams," Sandrone retorted from under the blanket. "You're the one who won't get up tomorrow. I'll definitely be awake before you."

"You said that last time too. Then I carried you out of the second floor, and your screaming woke everyone at Wangshu Inn."

"...That was because you picked me up without warning!"

"But you did get to the dining room first."

Listening to them bicker across him, Su Yun chuckled. "All right. Breakfast is on me tomorrow. Whoever gets a seat first chooses the dishes."

Columbina immediately turned toward him. "Then I won't sleep tonight."

"Just try it." Sandrone grabbed a corner of Columbina's clothes and held tight. "If you dare sing in the middle of the night, I'll... I'll have my puppets dismantle your bed."

"Then I'll put your wind-up key in one of your puppets."

"Columbina, you really are—"

"All right, all right." Su Yun cut in at just the right moment, resting his left hand on Sandrone's shoulder and gently patting Columbina's head with his right. "Close your eyes, both of you. I'll count to three. Whoever falls asleep first gets an extra chicken drumstick tomorrow."

"...I'm not three years old," Sandrone muttered, but she obediently closed her eyes anyway.

Columbina said nothing more. She merely nuzzled against Su Yun's arm like a cat that had finally found a comfortable spot, and her breathing gradually evened out.

In the shifting glow, Su Yun saw Sandrone's lashes still trembling. She seemed to hesitate for a long time before finally whispering,

"...If you want shrimp dumplings tomorrow, I can share one with you."

Columbina did not answer.

But Sandrone felt another hand gently clasp the corner of clothing she was holding.

She said nothing more. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

The night-light dissolved into motes like fine snow, drifting slowly down. The three of them breathed together, while something that needed no definition and no words quietly grew in the stillness.

"Good night.

We're having breakfast together tomorrow, after all."