A sudden stab of pain struck her heart, making Chu Lian place a hand over her left chest. Her brows knitted as she whispered softly: "What's going on? Why did my heart suddenly hurt? Could this be a sign that something is about to happen?"
At this moment, Chu Lian didn't know that the thread of fate between her and Ayase had long been linked. Whenever one of them was hurt, the other would feel a special sensation.
The first time this happened was during the award ceremony at the school festival. The second was when Ayase was trapped in the Punishment Space and Chu Lian felt a wave of overwhelming fatigue. She had been puzzled then but never understood the key, so the matter faded away.
When Chu Lian had been gravely injured that morning by the burly man, Ayase had sensed it through a surge of pain. That was what led to her emotional outburst and whispered confession. She had been worried, longing to escape quickly and protect her.
Now, this sharp pang was caused by the sudden increase in punishment within the Punishment Space, torturing Ayase to unbearable levels. Through some unseen existence, the pain was transmitted to Chu Lian, warning her of what was happening to Ayase.
If Chu Lian had known, she would have rushed into the Punishment Space without hesitation to bring Ayase out. But Ayase, well-prepared, had never told her. She often wasted her own energy battling that unseen existence just to block the sensations from reaching Chu Lian.
Because of that, even when she suffered serious injuries, the feelings weren't fully transmitted—at most causing Chu Lian some discomfort like weariness or irritability.
But this time, after so long within the Punishment Space, Ayase's strength was nearly drained. She could no longer suppress the link, and that was why Chu Lian felt the pain in her heart.
Ayase cherished and cared for Chu Lian so deeply that she chose to bear the pain alone, rather than let her share it. She carried the weight of the outside world on her shoulders to create a warm and almost perfect world for Chu Lian.
If where Ayase lived was hell, then Chu Lian was undoubtedly the single ray of sunlight shining into that hell, guiding her forward and giving her hope.
Of course, that didn't mean Chu Lian had done nothing for Ayase. Most of her motivation to complete missions came from her desire to help Ayase, not from fear of failure. She had never admitted it, but that was what her heart truly felt.
It was precisely because both of them worked for each other that their threads of fate became more and more entangled, until now they were practically bound to share one life.
But perhaps, deep down, this was what both of them wished for.
Inori, who had been resting with her eyes closed and listening to the wind, felt the cherry branch beneath her tremble. Slowly opening her eyes, she turned and saw Chu Lian clutching her chest. "Lian, what's wrong?" she asked.
"It's nothing…" Forcing a smile despite the pain, Chu Lian gave her a warm expression.
The smile looked identical to her usual one—even she couldn't tell it was fake. She thought she could fool Inori, but underestimated how well Inori knew her.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Inori reached out her small hand to grasp Chu Lian's trembling one.
Realizing she couldn't hide it, Chu Lian's smile faded. Her body trembled slightly as she nodded.
Leaning down, Inori lifted her hand to her lips, kissed the back of it, then pressed it against her warm cheek, rubbing gently. Her voice was as soft as a kitten's: "The worst pain isn't your own, but when someone you care for suffers and you can't share it. That is the most helpless, most heartbreaking pain of all…"
Hearing the hidden meaning, Chu Lian raised her other hand and stroked Inori's silky pink-white hair, murmuring: "I know, I know, I know…"
Up in the cherry tree, the two girls leaned tightly against one another on the swaying branch—seeking warmth, and clinging to each other.
Beneath the cherry tree, several girls silently looked up at the two of them—some with trembling fingers, some lightly biting their lips, some fidgeting, and some with deep, unreadable gazes.
A sudden gust of wind swept through, tossing their skirts and scattering their already fragile feelings into disarray, leaving them unsure of what to do.
Petals and fallen leaves were lifted into the air, forming a small floral whirlwind that spiraled away into the distance.
Chu Lian lowered the hand pressing against her chest and gently used it to smooth her hair, while her other hand helped Inori press hers down. Their eyes met, and they shared a smile.
The wind lasted for a full minute before it calmed. Turning back, Chu Lian saw that the girls were still standing in place, all now on their feet, their eyes fixed on her and Inori.
Knowing she could no longer hide, Chu Lian stretched lazily. At the moment she lifted her head, the sunlight bathed her, her beauty dazzling enough to make the girls' hearts skip a beat.
Holding Inori's hand, Chu Lian leapt down from the branch. Walking gracefully to the group, she smiled lightly. "Good afternoon, everyone."
Leaning against the wall alone, Kurosaki Satsuki relaxed the stiffness in her body at the sight of Chu Lian. She was truly unaccustomed to being among so many unfamiliar people, especially such innocent girls, which made it difficult for her to maintain her cold expression.
As Chu Lian passed, Satsuki's gaze lingered briefly on the interlocked hands of Chu Lian and Inori before shifting away. Such a bond was something she had never experienced before. She felt a mix of envy, longing, and avoidance.
"What a peculiar girl… interesting, interesting…" Chu Lian noticed her subtle reaction and noted it silently.
"Why did you take so long to come out? Did something happen?" Cai Ya tried not to focus on their joined hands. She stepped up, unbothered by shyness, and took Chu Lian's other hand, asking directly.
"Some things I don't quite understand yet, but it shouldn't be a problem. No need to worry. By the way, are you all hungry? Should we go eat?" Chu Lian didn't want too many people knowing the truth, so she mentioned it only briefly before changing the subject.
Cai Ya understood it wasn't the time to press, so she simply followed along. "We ate plenty in the morning, but after soaking in the hot spring for so long, we're a bit hungry. We were just discussing what to eat for lunch, waiting for you."
"Chu Chu, Xiu'er, is it the same for you two?" Hearing Cai Ya's words, Chu Lian knew she spoke for her group. She nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to the unusually quiet Chu Chu and Li Xiu'er.
"Ah, Big Sis, Xiu'er and I are a little hungry too." Startled by Chu Lian's sudden question, Chu Chu quickly snapped out of her daze and answered.
"Xiu'er, do you feel the same?" Chu Lian's eyes lingered on her for a moment. She knew Chu Chu sometimes made mistakes, but the shy, meticulous girl was far less likely to.
"Yes. The breakfast wasn't very much to our taste, so we've been thinking about what to have for lunch." Li Xiu'er's eyes flickered before she answered.
Chu Lian knew the two girls were hiding something. But as a proper elder sister, she also knew this wasn't the place to ask. Instead, she turned and spoke in Japanese to Kurosaki Satsuki: "And you? You've only just recovered from serious wounds—you can't go without eating."
Having kept silent until now, the white-haired girl finally understood what they were discussing. After a pause, she replied: "Ordinary food is fine. After these years, I've learned not to be picky."
Her words sounded casual, but the bitterness behind them seeped through each syllable. One couldn't help but wonder—what kind of life had turned this once-pampered girl into what she was now?
"What a troublesome group…" Chu Lian sighed inwardly. Cai Ya's concerns she could partly guess, Chu Chu and Li Xiu'er were clearly hiding things, and Kurosaki Satsuki was a problem all on her own. Very few of them gave her peace of mind.
Perhaps only Liu Yanran, Lux Lyle, and Ruriko Nana—girls from good families with solid upbringing and little personal connection to her—were ones she didn't need to worry about.
Maybe this was what people meant by: If you don't care, you don't pay attention.
"It seems you all didn't enjoy the Japanese breakfast. Let's have Chinese food for lunch. There's an authentic Cantonese restaurant on the seventh floor of this inn. Light and nourishing, Cantonese cuisine is perfect for us right now." Chu Lian made her decision after a brief thought.
"Cantonese cuisine?" Inori, who had often heard of the various delicacies of Huaxia's nine major cuisines, asked with anticipation.
"Yes. The owner was once a great master of Cantonese cooking. But after losing everything in an industry competition, he accepted the Zhao family's invitation and opened this restaurant here at Wafuu Inn. Though a failure in one sense, in Cantonese cuisine he remains one of Huaxia's finest masters."
The information Zhao Ziming had provided described him in detail. It was essentially: "If you want good food, go to him." Since everyone was hungry, she chose the best option.
With the decision made, they wasted no time. Tidying up their things, they headed toward the main building…