Airi soon finished the satellite Velvie had built after Airi kept pestering her.
The satellite, capable of monitoring fluctuations in Honkai Energy across the globe, was now complete.
But Chang Yuan knew it was time for him to get busy.
"Hehe~, it's going to be like when we were kids again."
Airi smiled as she looked at the phone app Velvie had personally developed.
This app allowed them to monitor changes in Honkai Energy all around the world.
And once it showed an upward trend somewhere, Airi would take the Flame-Chasing Moth's private plane there.
"Yeah, but this time, we're not searching for that paradise. We're eliminating the Honkai so humanity can endure forever."
They were both journeys, but their meanings were different, yet they ultimately led to the same destination.
After all, to create an eternal paradise, an immaculate land of bliss, they needed to defeat the Honkai. And the purpose of this journey was also to destroy it.
"The days ahead are going to be exhausting, Ah Yuan. Are you really going with me? After all, this is just one of my little whims."
At that moment, Airi looked at Chang Yuan with eyes as gentle as flowing water.
Even if Chang Yuan refused, she would not say anything.
Unlike her, Chang Yuan did not possess inhuman stamina or mental endurance. More importantly, he had his own dreams.
She did all this for her dream, so she could use it as spiritual support to keep going.
But Chang Yuan was different. This had never been his dream.
"Of course. I was partly responsible for agreeing to let you do this, after all. I'd feel pretty bad if I let you suffer through it alone."
Chang Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a helpless smile.
"Really? It's not because of something else?"
Airi, who had been standing beside Chang Yuan, stepped in front of him. She placed both hands behind her waist, bent forward slightly, brought her face close to his, and smiled up at him.
Embarrassed by Airi's intimate gesture, Chang Yuan instinctively took a step back.
They had been so close just now—close enough for him to see every one of Airi's eyelashes, close enough to smell her fragrance.
Chang Yuan turned his slightly flushed face aside before answering guiltily, "Of course it's true."
Could he directly say that he was going because he did not want Airi to tire herself out too much?
Of course not. His feelings for Airi had not reached that point yet, or rather, he had not yet managed to turn this familial affection into love.
If he said it so abruptly, Airi might not know how to face him for a while.
So, to avoid making things difficult for either of them, he could not say that was the reason.
"I see. Since Ah Yuan said so, I'll reluctantly believe you."
With a soft laugh, Airi straightened up again, then turned around and faced away from Chang Yuan.
On the side Chang Yuan could not see, Airi puffed out one cheek.
What was with him? He clearly had another reason, so why would he keep it bottled up? Wouldn't it be better to just say it?
How could Airi possibly fail to see that Chang Yuan was lying to her?
But what could she do? It was not like she could press him for an answer.
"Then the first place is pretty close to us. Let's go."
Taking out her phone, Airi stopped dwelling on what had happened earlier.
Instead, she headed toward the nearest city where Honkai Energy was showing an upward trend.
Chang Yuan followed behind her like a little attendant.
Several months later...
"Mm, I really have you to thank for coming with me, Chang Yuan. Otherwise, I feel like I'd be losing my hair by now."
After investigating yet another city where Honkai Energy had been rising, Airi and Chang Yuan arrived at a double room in an upscale hotel.
After bathing, Airi came out wearing a white bathrobe. She gently stroked her pink hair with one hand while drying it with a hairdryer.
From time to time, she complained about how frequently Honkai Energy had been rising lately.
"What can we do? You were the one who wanted to do this in the first place. And I came with you too, so what's there to complain about?"
On the other bed, Chang Yuan lay sprawled out like a dead dog, stiff as a board.
This really had exhausted him. Regardless of day or night, regardless of time zones, whenever Honkai Energy showed an upward trend somewhere, they rushed over immediately.
He and Airi had not had a proper night's sleep in days.
Airi was fine, though. With her inhuman constitution, she would be fine even if she went a whole week without sleep.
But he could not. He only felt like his mind was about to break.
"So, thank you, Ah Yuan. You were willing to come along with stubborn me and carry out my little whim."
After thoroughly drying her hair, Airi lay on her bed, propped her chin up with both hands, and smiled at Chang Yuan.
With only a slight glance to the side, Chang Yuan could see a sight meant for his eyes alone.
The bathrobe was rather loose. Although Airi had done her best to cover herself, a faint line of cleavage was still visible.
But Chang Yuan only glanced once before immediately looking away.
It would be rude to keep looking.
Yet Airi, as someone inhuman, had extremely sharp senses.
So she noticed the glance Chang Yuan had just cast her way.
As a girl, Airi's face flushed slightly as well.
Then she immediately sat up.
She hugged her knees with both arms, rested her head sideways against them, and looked toward Chang Yuan.
"I can't help it. I promised Uncle Tok I'd take care of you, even after you grew up."
To avoid recalling what he had just seen, Chang Yuan tried hard to shift his attention elsewhere.
"Is it really just because of something Uncle Tok said?"
"...Of course. We're each other's most important family, aren't we?"
"Just family?"
Airi murmured softly upon hearing that, so quietly that only she herself could hear it.
Chang Yuan only saw her pink lips move slightly, but he heard nothing.
"Airi, what did you just say?"
"Nothing. I was just talking to myself. You're right, we're each other's most important family."
When asked, Airi was too embarrassed to reveal what she was thinking.
So she could only brush it off like that.
Both of them were inexperienced when it came to feelings. They had too many concerns, and they were both mindful of the other's feelings, so many things could not be spoken openly.
Hearing Airi's answer, a trace of disappointment appeared in Chang Yuan's eyes.
Sure enough, Airi had always seen him as family.
Airi really was not so easy to win over. Her love was too great and broad; it was difficult to make her fall in love with one person.
Beep beep beep—!
"Who's calling this late?"
Chang Yuan picked up his phone and looked at it, only to see the caller ID: Big V Teacher.
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