Chapter Summaries

Xiao Ling went to a cake shop to learn how to bake a birthday cake for Dania, whose unfulfilled wish was to eat one. The elderly shopkeeper agreed to teach him, and the chapter ended with Cartethyia arriving as his senior apprentice sister.

• Xiao Ling told Sigrika that Dania was asleep after they settled their disagreement, then left to handle a secret errand.
• Xiao Ling visited a cake shop and asked the elderly shopkeeper to teach him to make a birthday cake for his friend.
• The elderly shopkeeper shared how her daughter had wished for fruit and cream cake and how she continued making cakes in her memory.
• The elderly shopkeeper agreed to teach Xiao Ling in exchange for occasional help at the shop and said her senior apprentice sister would join them.
• Cartethyia arrived at the shop and greeted the elderly shopkeeper, surprising Xiao Ling.

Cartethyia and Xiao Ling reunited at a cake shop, where they learned to bake together and helped the owner while growing closer. After burning their cake and being made to eat it, Xiao Ling walked Cartethyia home.

• Cartethyia met Xiao Ling at the shop and agreed to teach him cake-making as her junior apprentice.
• Xiao Ling told Cartethyia he was learning to bake a birthday cake for Dania and promised to invite her to the celebration.
• Cartethyia and Xiao Ling helped the shop owner serve customers, and Cartethyia fed Xiao Ling strawberry cake before he flirtatiously wiped cream from her mouth.
• Cartethyia and Xiao Ling left their cake in the oven too long, burned it, and had to eat it under the shop owner's watchful eye.
• The shop owner asked Xiao Ling to walk Cartethyia home, and the two left the shop together laughing.

Xiao Ling discovered that Cartethyia lived in a dilapidated alley and cared for homeless elderly people, so he arranged to take her home and promised to bring help to the alley. As they left, one old man gave them a few coins, and Xiao Ling accepted two as a blessing.

• Cartethyia led Xiao Ling to deliver boxed meals to the elderly people who had once taken her in.
• Xiao Ling saw Cartethyia's run-down home and worried about her living there alone, while Cartethyia explained that she stayed to care for the old men.
• Cartethyia transformed into Fleurdelys, who explained that she could transform for five minutes and that the world’s perceptions shaped how her powers worked.
• Xiao Ling decided to take Cartethyia home and arrange for a mutual-aid organization to support the elderly people in the alley.
• An old man offered Xiao Ling money in thanks for taking Cartethyia in, and Xiao Ling accepted two one-jiao coins before leaving with her.

Dania waited up for Xiao Ling and found him returning after midnight with Cartethyia, whom he had brought home to stay. Dania accepted Cartethyia and offered to help Xiao Ling explain the sudden arrival to the other girls in the house.

• Dania waited in the living room until Xiao Ling returned with Cartethyia, then introduced herself as his girlfriend who had joined the family.
• Dania led Xiao Ling and Cartethyia inside and asked Xiao Ling to make them a late-night snack.
• While Xiao Ling cooked, Dania recognized Cartethyia and asked how she had met Xiao Ling.
• Cartethyia explained their earlier encounters, and Dania said Xiao Ling had been rash but that Cartethyia was welcome to stay.
• Dania warned that the other girls in the house would need an explanation, then hurried to the table when Xiao Ling finished cooking.

After Cartethyia and Dania agreed on how to explain Cartethyia’s arrival to the family, Dania sneaked into Xiao Ling’s bed and secretly kissed him while he pretended to sleep. The two fell asleep in each other’s arms, while Cartethyia remained puzzled by Dania’s connection to the Lament Leviathan.

• Cartethyia sensed a faint resonance between Dania and the Lament Leviathan’s power and wondered whether Dania was connected to the Fractsidus.
• Dania slipped into Xiao Ling’s bed and teased him before settling beside him.
• Xiao Ling fell asleep, and Dania quietly kissed him twice while wondering what kissing felt like.
• Dania stopped when Xiao Ling’s eyelashes fluttered, then fell asleep with her head on his arm.
• Xiao Ling admitted to himself that he had woken during Dania’s kisses but had pretended to sleep, then drew her into his arms.

Dania struggled with sleep after secretly kissing Xiao Ling, while Cartethyia settled in with the girls at home. At school, Xiao Ling met Sigrika as she gathered material for her birdwatching account, and their affectionate moment left her flustered.

• Dania told Sigrika she was tired because she had not slept well, while Cartethyia reassured the girls that the elderly men she had helped were safe.
• Xiao Ling signed up for the university sports meet’s 3,000-meter race, surprising Brother Yang.
• Xiao Ling encountered Sigrika chasing birds and lured them down with leftover toast.
• Sigrika showed Xiao Ling bird photographs and excitedly described the birds she had documented.
• Xiao Ling patted Sigrika’s head, and she blushed and lost track of the birds nearby.

Dania woke up with pink cat ears and a tail, then went to school despite the attention they drew. After learning she would return to normal by the next day, she spent the afternoon with Xiao Ling and a crowd of cats, eventually falling asleep on his lap.

• Dania discovered she had grown cat ears and a tail, and Xiao Ling and the others were surprised by her transformation.
• Dania went to school, where classmates stared at her and assumed Xiao Ling was behind her unusual appearance, but she went back to sleep as usual.
• Lahai-Roi told Dania and Xiao Ling that the transformation would likely end by the next day, and Dania decided to go home after her afternoon class with Xiao Ling.
• A calico cat joined Dania on a bench, and several other cats gathered around her while Xiao Ling watched.
• Xiao Ling pulled Dania into his arms and rubbed her tail; Dania bit and playfully attacked him before settling on his lap.
• Dania fell asleep on Xiao Ling's lap, and he fanned her as her ears and tail drooped.

Dania went to a badminton court with her friends, escaped their attempts to get her to play, and met Iuno at a convenience store. Iuno and Augusta discussed whether Dania could be trusted and decided to consider preparing a birthday surprise for her.

• Lynae, Aemeath, Sigrika, and Chisa played badminton while Dania watched, then urged her to join them.
• Lupa told Dania that Xiao Ling had signed up for the men's 3,000-meter race at the sports meet.
• Dania used buying drinks as an excuse to leave the court and went to a Lawson convenience store.
• Iuno served Dania at the counter, then spoke with Augusta about Dania's connection to the Fractsidus and whether she seemed trustworthy.
• Iuno told Augusta that Cartethyia and Blank were preparing a birthday surprise for Dania, and they considered preparing one themselves.

While Cartethyia waited for their cake to bake, Xiao Ling went to buy lunch and unexpectedly reunited with Calcharo, who gave him an extra jianbing guozi as a birthday gift. Xiao Ling returned to the cake shop and found an unexpected visitor waiting there: someone who asked whether to call him Rover or Xiao Ling.

• Cartethyia told Xiao Ling she wanted jianbing guozi for lunch, and he stayed behind to watch the cake while she waited.
• Xiao Ling met Calcharo working at a food stall and caught up with him while he made jianbing guozi.
• Calcharo gave Xiao Ling an extra jianbing guozi as birthday wishes for the person whose name he did not know.
• Xiao Ling hurried back to the cake shop, where a woman with violet eyes greeted him and asked whether to call him Rover or Xiao Ling.

Xiao Ling reunited with Shorekeeper and invited her household to consider moving in with him. They made a strawberry cake together, and Shorekeeper ended the chapter calling it delicious and saying it tasted like happiness.

• Xiao Ling welcomed Shorekeeper and shared jianbing guozi with her and Cartethyia.
• Shorekeeper told Xiao Ling that she lived with Encore, Camellya, Iuno, Augusta, and Lupa, and agreed to ask them about moving in with him.
• Xiao Ling, Cartethyia, and Shorekeeper made a strawberry cake together, turning the baking into a playful cream fight.
• The three tasted their finished cake, and Shorekeeper told Xiao Ling that it tasted like happiness.

After losing sleep over Phrolova’s tragic story in the game, Dania opened up to Xiao Ling about her guilt and concern for Phrolova. Xiao Ling reassured her that she was entitled to her present happiness and promised to try to help Phrolova, and Dania soon fell asleep in class.

• Dania came downstairs exhausted and resentful after staying up late to play the version 2.5 story, alarming Xiao Ling and the other girls.
• In music appreciation class, Dania told Xiao Ling that Phrolova’s story had left her unable to sleep and that she worried Phrolova might never find happiness.
• Dania explained that Phrolova had once been a gentle colleague who played violin for her and helped ease her pain from the Exostrider.
• Xiao Ling said Phrolova would need to let go of her impossible dream before she could accept happiness, and promised to do his best to help her.
• Dania affirmed that she was happy with her life now, then lay down at her desk and fell asleep.

Lupa and Xiao Ling trained on the track while Dania timed their laps, then Dania joined their jog to avoid falling behind. After exhausting herself, Dania bit Xiao Ling, asked him to carry her, and fell asleep in his arms as they left the field with Lupa.

• Lupa and Xiao Ling warmed up and raced a lap while Dania got caught in the dust they kicked up.
• Dania timed their next lap and recorded Lupa at one minute and Xiao Ling at one minute and five seconds.
• After a break, Dania tied up her hair and joined Lupa and Xiao Ling for a jog, trying to keep pace.
• Dania completed three laps, then sprinted at Xiao Ling after he teased her about chasing him before, but her legs gave out.
• Xiao Ling caught Dania, who bit his arm and asked him to carry her; he carried her away while Lupa joked with them.
• Dania fell asleep against Xiao Ling's chest as he and Lupa left the field.

Xiao Ling took Aemeath to meet their new neighbor, Camellya, whom Aemeath recognized and greeted warmly. Camellya teased Xiao Ling about forgetting her, and after Aemeath grew jealous and Xiao Ling made peace with her, they went inside Camellya’s villa.

• Xiao Ling and Aemeath walked to their new neighbor’s villa to introduce themselves.
• Camellya opened the door, and Aemeath excitedly recognized her as Sister Camellya.
• Camellya teased Xiao Ling for not remembering her, while Aemeath pulled him close and joked about his lack of romantic experience.
• Xiao Ling offered Camellya some of the strawberry cake he had helped make, and Camellya accepted his apology.
• Aemeath asked Xiao Ling for a kiss to make up for his playful knock on her head, and he kissed her forehead before they entered the villa.

Xiao Ling and Aemeath visited Camellya’s villa, where they met Iuno and learned how she recognized Aemeath. After Aemeath shared her story, Camellya suggested inviting Xiao Ling’s other friends over, and Xiao Ling called them to join a gathering.

• Xiao Ling and Aemeath arrived at Camellya’s villa and learned the others were out shopping or running.
• Iuno came downstairs in her pajamas, fled to change after seeing the guests, then introduced herself as Septimont’s genius Oracle and identified Xiao Ling as a Blank Person.
• Iuno recognized Aemeath as the popular virtual streamer Wooly and offered to read her fortune; Aemeath then recounted her story to Iuno and Camellya.
• Camellya suggested inviting Xiao Ling’s other friends over, and he called them to come to the villa for a party with their new neighbors.

Dania and the others arrived at Camellya and the others’ villa for a family meal, where Xiao Ling and Shorekeeper were preparing lunch. The chapter left Dania nursing a crab bite after Xiao Ling taught her how to prepare crabs.

• Dania and the other girls arrived at the villa, where Iuno welcomed them and Aemeath and Camellya were playing Mortal Kombat.
• Dania and Chisa went to the kitchen to help Xiao Ling and Shorekeeper prepare lunch, while Sigrika went to the back garden with Encore.
• Xiao Ling teased Dania while she helped in the kitchen, and Chisa took over the wok when he went to show Dania how to prepare crabs.
• Dania tried to handle a crab herself, but it clamped onto her thumb, leaving her sore and ready to give up.

Xiao Ling hosted a meal and joined the girls for a badminton match that began as friendly practice between two school tournament teams. After Cartethyia transformed into Fleurdelys and the competition intensified, Xiao Ling was left nearly unable to walk and had to be carried inside.

• Xiao Ling served lunch, and the girls praised his cooking while Lupa noticed grit in the crab Dania had prepared.
• The girls took turns putting food in Xiao Ling’s bowl, while Sigrika and Encore watched Dania sleep and Encore soon dozed off on Sigrika’s lap.
• Augusta, Iuno, Aemeath, and Lynae played a closely matched badminton game, which Cartethyia refereed.
• When Lynae and Iuno ran out of stamina, Cartethyia and Xiao Ling took their places against Augusta and Aemeath.
• Cartethyia transformed into Fleurdelys during the match, and Xiao Ling accepted her challenge before being thoroughly exhausted.
• Iuno and Aemeath carried Xiao Ling into the living room to rest after the match ended.

After Xiao Ling exhausted himself playing badminton with the Resonators, Roccia and Morning arrived at the party and found him barely able to stay awake. He fell asleep on the sofa, leaving the women to photograph him and prank him with a temporary cat-face graffiti.

• Aemeath and the others carried an exhausted Xiao Ling inside after he played three hundred rounds of badminton, and Dania made him drink warm water and warned everyone not to let him overexert himself.
• Roccia and Morning arrived, and Roccia mistook Xiao Ling's condition for excessive lust until Aemeath explained that he had worn himself out playing badminton.
• Xiao Ling insisted that a nap would restore him, then promptly fell asleep on the living-room sofa.
• Dania and Aemeath began recording the sleeping Xiao Ling, and Lynae painted a cat face on him with graffiti that would disappear on its own.
• Aemeath, Lynae, Dania, Sigrika, Iuno, Augusta, Cartethyia, Lupa, Roccia, and Morning took playful photos beside the sleeping Xiao Ling.

Aemeath, Lynae, Sigrika, Professor Morning, and Dania performed at a family karaoke party, with Dania’s emotional song recalling the feelings she had once hidden to protect Rover and her friends. The chapter ended with her friends embracing her and Xiao Ling praising her performance.

• Aemeath opened the karaoke party with “Indigo Universe” and received enthusiastic praise from Iuno, Sigrika, Principal Roccia, and the others.
• Lynae sang and danced to “Catch me if you can,” then Sigrika nervously performed “L!!!!ght” and was encouraged by the audience.
• Professor Morning sang “Little Love Song” and charmed the audience with her sweet performance.
• Dania performed “A Born Coward,” a song that reflected how she had concealed her love for Rover and her friends while preparing to sacrifice herself to protect them.
• Sigrika, Aemeath, Chisa, Lynae, Shorekeeper, and the others hugged and comforted Dania, and Xiao Ling teased her before sincerely praising her singing.

Xiao Ling showed the girls Dania’s tragic story, moving them with her choice to sacrifice herself, then revealed his plan to celebrate her birthday. The group agreed to prepare a secret party for the weekend after the sports meet, determined to keep Dania from finding out.

• Dania fell asleep against Xiao Ling, and he carried her upstairs, soothed her nightmare with her Trickster plushie, and tucked her into bed.
• Xiao Ling showed the girls Dania’s story, including her friendship with Sigrika, her feelings for Rover, and her decision to face her own funeral.
• Sigrika, Lynae, Chisa, and Encore went to the backyard as Sigrika cried, while the others discussed Dania’s sacrifice and the Fractsidus’ manipulation.
• Xiao Ling announced that he wanted to hold a birthday party for Dania, and the group agreed to celebrate on the weekend after the sports meet.
• Cartethyia offered to prepare the cake with the Righteous One, and Xiao Ling told everyone to keep the party secret from Dania.

On a rainy day at school, Dania reflected on how Xiao Ling had given her a reason to look forward to the future, then shared his music and memories with him. They began a playlist game that continued as the rain eased.

• Dania imagined what her friends might be doing in the rain and felt grateful that she could now look forward to tomorrow.
• Dania watched Xiao Ling sleep, borrowed one of his earbuds, and winced at the loud music.
• Xiao Ling woke and shared a song that had once lifted his spirits, telling Dania how he discovered it.
• Dania asked to watch the anime associated with the song with Xiao Ling, then started a game of guessing how he found songs in his playlist.
• Xiao Ling recounted the stories behind his songs while Dania added songs he could not explain to his tally, and they kept playing as the rain softened.