Extra 4: A Full Moon and a Family Reunion

September 25th, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, is the Mid-Autumn Festival night.

"Hey Ya Yaya, you've been stealing mooncakes again! If you keep eating them, there won't be any left for anyone else."

On the villa's rooftop, Xiao Ling was sternly scolding a certain gluttonous Honey Peach. The reason was simple: Dania had already devoured most of the mooncakes that Yangyang and Xixi had prepared in advance.

"I just wanted to eat mooncakes, what's wrong with that..." After being scolded, Dania immediately put on a pitiful and sympathetic expression. "After all, I've never even had one before. Does Ling dislike me because I eat too much...?"

Clearly, her trick always worked; the other girls who noticed Dania was being wronged all gathered around her.

"A-Yu, are you being naughty?" Aemeath said with a forced smile. "I remember you promised Mom you'd treat Xiao Ya well, right? What's going on here?"

"Food guarding? I happen to need a sparring partner. Anyway, the banquet hasn't started yet. Why don't you come and spar with me for a bit?" The Rover sharpened his knife, ready to strike at Lao Ling.

As Xiao Yue's personally appointed double protectors of the Demon King, this mother and Xiao Ling are the first to act up against Hajiling tries to bully Yaya will be severely reprimanded by them, except in bed.

"Xiao Yu, mooncakes aren't just for decoration. If no one tastes them, they lose their meaning," Yangyang chimed in, offering kind advice. "Besides, even if this batch of mooncakes is lost, as long as everyone wants to eat them, Lord Lingyin and I can make more. We still have plenty of raw materials."

"Young Master Xiao, if Miss Dania likes it, let her eat as much as she wants. I don't mind making some extra." Jinhsi also indicated that she didn't mind working overtime.

Under this combination of gentle persuasion and firm pressure, Xiao Ling couldn't continue to make a big deal out of Dania's act of stealing mooncakes, so he could only let the little glutton eat as much as she wanted.

"Look, so many people are protecting you." Xiao Ling looked both angry and helpless. "Oh well, eat if you want."

"Hehe." Dania chuckled twice, then lightly handed him a freshly baked mooncake. "Ling, you have some too."

Not only that, to make up for her mistake of stealing mooncakes, she ran around the entire rooftop and distributed the remaining mooncakes to the other girls present.

"Quite clever." Xiao Ling chuckled twice as he watched Dania handing out mooncakes everywhere, then strode off to find a lovely person with a deep connection to the moon.

Mid-Autumn Festival...

Looking at the full moon hanging high in the night sky, Heartfox couldn't help but show a look of reminiscence on her stunningly beautiful face.

"What's wrong? Why are you all alone here watching the moon on this holiday?"

The familiar tone and voice pulled her back to reality from her memories. She turned around and saw Xiao Ling walking casually towards her from not far away, and then standing beside her.

"The Charioteer?" A smile appeared on Heartfox's pretty face. "It's nothing, I was just thinking about some... things from the past."

"It seems these things must be quite meaningful to you, something you can savor alone." Xiao Ling chuckled, offering her one of the two lotus seed paste mooncakes he was holding. "Want to try some?"

"This must be the work of Yangyang and that Magistrate Jin, right?" Heartfox judged the mooncake's color, aroma, and flavor immediately. "Thank you for making the special trip to deliver it to me, Master."

"Mid-Autumn Festival, how can it be without mooncakes?" Xiao Ling grinned. "Try it, I really like this flavor."

"What flavors does the driver like...?"

Intrigued, Heartfox picked up the piece of Heartfox with two fingers and took a small bite, her posture quite alluring and captivating.

"Hmm, it does taste pretty good. By the way, it turns out the Master also likes sweets, just like me?"

"Eating sweets makes people happy." Xiao Ling took a big bite of the lotus seed paste mooncake in her hand. "In my opinion, when I'm in a bad mood, eating something sweet, or when I can't figure out what to do, eating something sweet can make most of my troubles disappear."

"The words may be rough, but the meaning is sound." Heartfox agreed with Xiao Ling's opinion. "Today is a day for family reunion, so of course we should eat something sweet."

"Back during the Moon-Chasing Festival, I also ran through every street and alley, admiring the moon, strolling the streets, and enjoying the lanterns. Xuanfang City was so lively back then! It's just a pity that now..."

"Things have changed, people have changed, right?"

Heartfox was speechless for a moment. Looking at her master's smiling eyes, she gave a helpless, bitter smile, as if to say, "You hit the nail on the head."

"Year after year, under the same moon, old friends meet again." Xiao Ling smiled slightly. "Perhaps the old friends you once cherished will reunite with you in this world in a different way?"

"Although I've heard of examples of the deceased being resurrected in this world," Heartfox said with a bitter smile, "To be honest, Master, I don't hold out much hope for it."

"It's always good to have some anticipation." Xiao Ling smiled gently and ruffled her delicate cheek. "Alright, don't look so sad. It's a holiday; everyone will worry about you if you look like this."

"Yes, the charioteer is right." Heartfox immediately changed her mood, put on her usual smile, and walked towards the crowd with Xiao Ling.

At that moment, Xiao Ling's questioning voice also rang out.

"Hmm... Speaking of which, where are the Phrolova people?"

"Hey, hurry up, sis, or they'll eat all the mooncakes!"

Not far from the villa entrance, Funuo Nuo was walking ahead, occasionally glancing back at Phrolova was still strolling leisurely.

"Are you sure we won't be turned away by the girls around him?" Phrolova asked, carrying the honey cakes she had made herself.

Although Phrolova and Funuo Nuo came at the invitation, the mistakes Phrolova made in the past could not be simply forgotten, so the girls in Xiao Ling's family would inevitably harbor resentment about it.

That was her concern. If the girls in his family held a grudge and refused to see her, she would have no choice but to deliver the gift and leave.

She could handle things calmly when they were enemies, but now that they've reached the crucial moment of breaking the ice, she feels somewhat uneasy.

Haha, looking back now, I've really changed a lot.

Upon arriving at the villa's entrance, Phrolova walked to the door and gently rang the doorbell twice.

Ding-dong, ding-dong.

Shortly after, a series of hurried footsteps came from the entrance hall, and then the villa door was opened from the inside with a click.

Upon seeing the two sisters standing in the entryway, Iuno's expression instantly shifted from sunny to gloomy, leaving Funuo Nuo, who was about to greet them warmly, at a loss for what to do.

Phrolova was not surprised by this scene at all. After all, he used to be their enemy, and now he suddenly came to their house with gifts and said he wanted to celebrate the holiday with them. Any normal person would suspect that he was a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken with ill intentions.

She sighed helplessly, having already prepared her excuse for running away, but to her surprise, the other party spoke with a stern face.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and come in, or there won't be any mooncakes left for you," Iuno said irritably.

"I thought you were going to just kick me out," Phrolova replied indifferently.

"It seems you have some self-awareness about the mistakes you've made," Iuno said calmly. "Stop dawdling and come in. If it weren't for the Mid-Autumn Festival, I would definitely have given you a good talking-to."

As soon as he finished speaking, Iuno stepped aside to make way for the two people in front of him, and Phrolova and Funuo Nuo stepped into the party.

"Blank, have I brought your guest?"

Hearing someone calling her, Xiao Ling looked in the direction of the voice and found that Iuno had brought the Phrolova sisters to the rooftop.

"Thank you for your hard work, Iuno baby, give me a kiss." Xiao Ling also showed off their affection in front of the two of them without any hesitation.

"Oh dear, Blank, you really are something else...!"

After being kissed a few times by Xiao Ling, Iuno blushed and fled the scene, while Xiao Ling took over Iuno's duties and began to entertain the Phrolova sisters.

"Iuno didn't make things difficult for you, did she?" Xiao Ling asked.

"Probably not?" Phrolova replied with a slight smile. "But she did say she was going to give me a good talking-to."

"There's nothing we can do about it; some things you just can't let go of so easily."

Phrolova nodded slightly, indicating that he fully understood.

"Hey, Phrolova's here too!" Dania noticed the Phrolova sisters arrive, walked over with light steps, and then stuffed a mooncake into each of their hands. "Here, these were specially saved for you two!"

Phrolova and Funuo Nuo thanked her together, took the mooncakes from Dania, and each took a bite.

"Mine is red bean paste!" Funuo Nuo said with a sweet smile, "Delicious!"

"I..." Phrolova looked at the five-nut mooncake in his hand with a slightly embarrassed expression, "Who thought of putting this in a mooncake?"

"If it exists, it has a reason," Xiao Ling teased with a light laugh.

Then, without him noticing, Phrolova stuffed the rest of the five-nut mooncake directly into his mouth.

Ling was shocked and forced to take a bite. The taste was so peculiar that it completely changed his understanding of mooncakes.

He looked at Phrolova, who had just ambushed him, and saw her watching his embarrassing state with a smile on her lips, seemingly quite pleased with her prank.

"Well, Phrolova, you actually ambushed me! I really need to teach you a lesson!"

"As for the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are many stories. First, there were the ancient autumn sacrificial customs, then the widely circulated legend of Chang'e flying to the moon, and finally, in the Song Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was officially established on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. At the same time, the prototype of the mooncake was also born."

After the moon-viewing activities came to an end, Xiao Ling suggested taking everyone for a stroll in the streets. Tonight was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and there were bound to be many fun things waiting for them to explore.

"Then, A-Yu, did a fairy sister named Chang'e really fly to the moon on this day a long, long time ago?" Aemeath asked curiously.

"No, it's just a legend. Just like the Moon Chasing Festival in Dreamland is named after the legend of the celestial fox chasing the moon, which is widely circulated among the people but its authenticity is unknown." Xiao Ling smiled and said, "However, the person involved is right here now, so perhaps we can ask her to verify it?"

"Oh dear, you're just joking, Master. I don't have the ability to chase the moon," Heartfox said with a charming smile. "Perhaps it's just an artistic embellishment by common folk who know I enjoy lively and amusing situations."

"That's the most reasonable explanation," Morning nodded. "The moon is 380,000 kilometers away from this planet, and even in near orbit, it's still 360,000 kilometers away. Even without considering other influencing factors, that distance is definitely not something that can be reached without any technological assistance."

"Yes, fortunately, our space program has developed quickly enough, which has allowed us to glimpse the entire moon," Xiao Ling continued. "But it's a pity, Little Ai, there's no Guanghan Palace there, nor a fairy sister named Chang'e."

"Oh... what a pity."

"Haha." Xiao Ling chuckled twice. "Alright, let's get down to business. Everyone, split up and do whatever you want."

At his command, the crowd scattered and began to wander the street, searching for things that interested them.

"Hmm?" Xiao Ling looked at Heartfox, who was standing still, and asked in confusion, "Aren't you leaving, Fox Fairy Sister?"

"Call me Xin." Heartfox gently flicked his forehead. "Such a beautiful day, wouldn't you, Master, wish to enjoy it with me?"

"It would be my honor to be invited by you."

"Master, is this suitable for me?"

At a mask stall, Heartfox's delicate hands swept over many masks, and finally she chose a fox mask that resembled her somewhat. She put it on and asked Xiao Ling for his opinion.

"If you want to wear a mask, you can just conjure one yourself, right?" Xiao Ling teased with a light laugh. "Hmm... it does look quite suitable for you."

"Why don't you try it on?"

"Me? Okay then." Xiao Ling took the mask Heartfox handed her and put it on. "What do you mean?"

"Hmm... almost there." Without waiting for a reply, Heartfox removed the mask from his face and put on a cat mask instead. "How about trying this one?"

After Xiao Ling put the cat mask back on his face, Heartfox nodded in satisfaction. "It looks much better now."

"Really?" Xiao Ling smiled brightly. "Then I'll go pay the bill."

After paying, the two, holding their masks, began browsing the various stalls.

At the lantern riddle stall, the two of them were a perfect match, working together seamlessly. One would guess a word, and the other would respond with a line of poetry. They quickly solved all the lantern riddles on the stall. Because they were wearing newly purchased masks, no one could record their faces, but their impressive skills were enough to leave everyone in awe.

Next came the more common game stalls, which was Xiao Ling's domain. He was incredibly adept at identifying the characteristics of these stalls, and his moves were always successful. This left the other tourists present in awe, calling him a master, and even Heartfox couldn't help but smile with pride.

Then, they visited many more stalls, including sugar painting stalls, goldfish stalls, and various snack stalls. Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and it was soon time to head back and meet up.

"I feel like you didn't have enough fun today?" Xiao Ling said out of the blue on the way back.

"Why do you think that, Charioteer?" Heartfox's smile deepened, concealing her true thoughts. "I'm actually quite happy today, you know."

"I don't know, but my intuition tells me you seem to be reminiscing about someone."

Heartfox's smile froze instantly. She remained stunned for a long moment before her smile faded, and she said with a somewhat sorrowful expression:

"You guessed it, in this moment, I am indeed reminded of a person I once knew. She, like me, loved lively gatherings, but because of me, she forever lost the chance to experience the joys of everyday life..."

"Because of Second Resonance?"

"Um."

Xiao Ling was speechless for a moment, and after thinking silently for a long time, she touched the fox's head with her hand.

"Cheer up! If your sympathizers see that you're unhappy even during holidays because of her, they're bound to get angry."

"Yes, what the charioteer says is true." Heartfox smiled again. "It's getting late, shouldn't we go find them and meet up? Let's go..."

Just as Heartfox was preparing to continue her return journey with Xiao Ling, she suddenly heard singing.

"The moon is high, the moon is far away, who is secretly watching from the human world?"

The singing was beautiful yet ethereal, as if it came from a very, very far place, yet she could hear it clearly.

"That singing...!" Heartfox froze on the spot.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Xin?" Xiao Ling noticed her unusual behavior and immediately asked.

Heartfox dared not delay, and after saying "Excuse me" she rushed straight towards the direction of the singing.

"That singing voice... it must be hers!"

Heartfox was certain that the song was a clue left for her by the deceased.

Although her reason had reminded her a thousand times of the reality that he was gone, she still wanted to take a gamble.

If even Mia can be reborn in this world, then why can't she be too!

Her mind could clearly perceive that the song was coming directly from her head, and the closer she was, the louder the song became.

She ran wildly against the flow of people, drawing surprised glances from passersby, but she paid no heed.

As the crowd thinned and the lights dimmed, she finally spotted that familiar figure in the light of the lanterns.

"The moon is high, the moon is far away, I chase after the moon and run with it~"

"Time flies like an arrow, but we remain young; may we shine together year after year."

The song abruptly stopped, and the beautiful figure seemed to sense someone's approach, turning around to look at Heartfox, who was not far behind her.

"Long time no see, Xin. Would you like to release a lantern with me?" The girl's smile was bright, just like she had back then.

"Xuanqing..." Heartfox softly called out the girl's name.

Dreamland's true Sentinel Xin, Xinyuehu, is also the one who perished while trying to save Heartfox. Now, they reunite under the full moon on Mid-Autumn Festival night.

"Um... would you like a piece of mooncake?"

Even though Heartfox possessed extraordinary abilities, she was at a loss for how to face her old friend who had been reborn, and could only choose the approach that seemed most appropriate to the situation.

"Mooncakes?" Xuanqing approached with light steps. "They weren't leftovers, were they?"

How did you know...?

"Do you think I don't know you? You're the most shrewd person. Every time you say you'll save me a bite of something delicious, you really only save me a bite."

"Wow, I thought something serious had happened, but it turns out it's just a reunion with an old friend."

Xiao Ling leaned against the railing, watching Xuanqing and Heartfox reminiscing not far away, and couldn't help but smile with relief.

"That's more like it! The Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for family reunion!"

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! This is a special Mid-Autumn Festival chapter.