After what happened on the rooftop, Cai Ya still didn't give Chu Lian a good face when they returned, but anyone with sharp eyes could see the faint joy radiating from her.
"Feeling better?" The first to stand was Liu Yanran, who had been worried the whole time. Noticing Cai Ya's change, her eyes lit with some surprise. But after glancing at Chu Lian, she hesitated before asking.
"I'm fine now. One more take will be enough." Cai Ya nodded. She said nothing else, only promising that she would not repeat her earlier inexplicable mistakes.
"That's good. It's what we've all been hoping for. We really ought to thank Chu Lian for helping." Liu Yanran gave Chu Lian a friendly nod.
Chu Lian returned a gentle smile. She remembered this girl—able to match her in class debates, and before their departure, she had even shown her that copy of Firefly magazine. The page she had turned to back then was none other than the one with Chu Lian's Sword and Fairy.
"This is all her fault. No need to thank her." Even though Cai Ya had just revealed her most fragile side in front of her and spoken words that were nearly a confession, in front of others she still acted distant and cold toward Chu Lian. Her attitude was rather delicate.
Shrugging helplessly, Chu Lian didn't reply. By now, she had some grasp of Cai Ya's nature—she was the type of proud girl who couldn't stand showing weakness to others.
No matter how fragile or sentimental she might be in front of the one she relied on, the moment she was before anyone else, she would mask it with aloofness and coldness, unable to handle it any other way.
Fortunately, Liu Yanran seemed used to her tsundere ways and didn't press the matter, instead changing the subject: "By the way, Chu Lian, just now Xiu'er ran out. Did you see her?"
"Xiu'er ran out alone? What happened?" Chu Lian's gaze immediately shifted to Chu Chu. Seeing the strips of medical tape crisscrossed over her mouth, she quickly pieced together the situation. This little sister must have said something careless again, angering the already-shy Li Xiu'er until she ran off.
"Inori, what happened?" After giving Chu Chu a sharp glare to keep her from acting out, Chu Lian turned to the always-calm Inori.
Inori glanced once at Chu Chu. Though moved by the plea in her eyes, she still chose not to defend her. Instead, she turned back to Chu Lian and recounted the whole matter from an objective standpoint.
"So you're saying Xiu'er was driven to tears by Chu Chu?" Chu Lian's words came through gritted teeth, the icy chill in her tone making Chu Chu's hair stand on end. She shut her eyes, not daring to look at Chu Lian, and simply waited for the punishment she deserved.
But even after a long while, she felt no familiar sting of a beating. Cautiously, she parted her fingers and peeked at Chu Lian—only to meet those pure black eyes head-on. Terrified, she instantly closed her fingers again. A moment later, she heard Chu Lian's voice: "I'll go look for Xiu'er first. Inori, keep an eye on Chu Chu. I'll deal with her when I get back."
So Big Sis hadn't forgotten. She wasn't letting her off either. She just wanted to make sure Li Xiu'er was safe first, then she'd settle the score later. This time, she was really doomed. If only she had kept her mouth shut! Every disaster she caused was always because she spoke too much.
"Alright, Lian, go ahead. Xiu'er is probably in the restroom…" After these days together, Inori had learned a bit about Li Xiu'er's habits. She knew roughly where she would hide when upset, so she spoke up.
"I know, Inori." As if she needed reminding—of course she knew. With her back to them, Chu Lian waved her hand and quickened her pace, vanishing from sight.
"Lian is protecting you. She's bringing Xiu'er back because she knows Xiu'er has a soft heart. By then, Xiu'er will forgive you, and Lian won't have any reason to punish you too harshly. But remember—don't say reckless things again." Inori's eyes stayed fixed on Chu Lian's retreating back as she disappeared. Without turning around, she whispered these words to Chu Chu.
She could feel that after going out and returning this time, Chu Lian had clearly changed. It seemed her spiritual energy was stronger, and she was more considerate toward others.
If it had been the Chu Lian of before, the moment she walked in and saw this situation, she would probably have beaten Chu Chu first, regardless of the reason. It might not have hurt much, but it would have embarrassed Chu Chu and wounded her little-girl heart. Now, Chu Lian had clearly noticed this, which was why she had chosen to find Li Xiu'er first.
"No matter what, Lian has become gentler, more beautiful, making people want to draw closer. It's such a wonderful feeling, Lian." Her right hand rested lightly on her chest, her tone so soft only she could hear.
Meanwhile, Chu Lian walked to the restroom and stood at the door for a moment in hesitation. When she saw that no one but Li Xiu'er was inside, she finally entered.
The restroom wasn't large, but there were six stalls. Chu Lian listened carefully and stopped before the fifth. She didn't knock or speak, just stood there quietly.
"Is that you, Chu Lian?" A tearful voice came from inside—it was Li Xiu'er, who had heard the footsteps and asked with a hint of hope.
"Mm, Xiu'er, I'll open the door now. If you don't want me to see you crying, then don't cry anymore, alright? Because, you know, people who cry are really, really ugly." Chu Lian tried to coax her with a soft voice, but the words came out awkwardly, and in the end even she couldn't help but laugh.
"You're so silly, Chu Lian…" Sniffling, Li Xiu'er's voice carried a trace of happiness. It seemed Chu Lian's clumsy attempt at comforting her had worked.
"Wait a moment before opening the door. Let me wash my face first." In this high-end office building, each stall had its own sink and mirror, convenient for people to touch up their makeup or change clothes. So Chu Lian found nothing strange in Li Xiu'er wanting to wash her face before coming out.
After all, the technology in this world had developed on a different path. Civilian technology, social policies, and lifestyle improvements far surpassed her past world. Yet in military aspects, it lagged behind by three to five years. Perhaps it was because the world here was more peaceful, or because nations allocated their budgets differently. In any case, life here was so good that even Chu Lian—who had lived a comfortable life in her past world—couldn't help but feel envious.
A few minutes passed, and just when Chu Lian was about to open the stall door herself, it opened from within. Aside from faint redness around her eyes, Li Xiu'er looked almost the same as when she had left earlier.
"Mm? You're alright now?" Chu Lian reached out to touch her face. Feeling the coolness of her skin, she asked worriedly.
"I'm fine. My face is just cold because I washed it. It'll be fine in a bit." She shook her head with a cheerful smile.
It seemed that ever since the school trip began, Li Xiu'er's emotions had revolved around Chu Lian—worrying when she worried, grieving when she grieved, sharing in her happiness, and now even overjoyed simply because Chu Lian had personally come to find her.
"Well, Chu Chu is still immature. I'll apologize for what just happened on her behalf." Chu Lian never forgot her role as the elder sister. When her younger sister did wrong, it was her duty to take responsibility.
"I know Chu Chu didn't mean it, so after being sad for a bit I forgave her. I only kept crying because I remembered other things and felt too embarrassed to come back out." Li Xiu'er shook her head. Her tone was calm, showing she truly hadn't taken it to heart.
"That's good then. I'll discipline that girl properly. If she dares do this again, I'll hand her over to you to deal with." Chu Lian took Li Xiu'er's hand and shook it lightly as she spoke.
"Chu Lian, you're such a good big sister. You act fierce on the surface, but deep down you love Chu Chu dearly." After spending so much time with Chu Lian, Li Xiu'er, like Inori before her, had begun to notice the changes in her.
There was no denying it—these two girls were truly insightful, sensitive to every subtle change. What made them even rarer was their thoughtfulness and understanding. Who knew why fate favored Chu Lian so much, sending these two into her life to share her burdens and ease her sorrows?
"Let's head back…" Chu Lian met her gaze, and without waiting for a reply, she gently pulled her along.
"Honestly, you should have waited until my eyes looked a little better before going back. It's so embarrassing like this." Li Xiu'er struggled lightly, but her voice carried laughter, her mood clearly brightened.
In the end, when Chu Lian returned, she didn't give Chu Chu any harsh punishment. She only took back the reward she had promised her. Even though Chu Chu cried and begged—saying she would rather accept her big sister's lash of love than lose the promised reward—Chu Lian never gave in.
After this, Chu Chu truly restrained herself. Punishments or even beatings were nothing to her. What she feared most was her big sister withholding rewards. Without them, she had no excuse or chance to get close to her. That was the greatest punishment of all.
The recording of Bird's Poem was finally completed. Listening to Chu Lian's voice blend perfectly with the flute's airy notes, the piano's warmth, and Inori's murmuring harmonies, even Chu Chu was entranced, lost in the music for a long time.
"It's perfect! Big Sis, Cai Ya-sis, and Inori-sis' coordination is amazing. Chu Chu is about to melt! I'm sure once the Japanese hear this song, they'll instantly become Big Sis' brainless fans!" Chu Chu clutched the "high-tech" portable drive, bouncing around with excitement, already daydreaming about the song's future.
Though her reaction was exaggerated, no one who had heard the performance could disagree. Even Ruriko Nana, herself Japanese, wholeheartedly agreed with Chu Chu's words.
Perhaps everything really was moving forward in the best possible way?
"Let's hope so…"