Outside the window, the scenery slowly descended. The land beneath them grew larger in their view—the airport was not far away now.
This city, filled with sin, decadence, desire, and money, opened its arms wide to welcome them.
Although no one quite understood why Chu Lian had chosen such an obviously unsuitable city as one of the destinations for their study trip,
Since the decision had already been made, it was unlikely to change—unless something major occurred.
At that moment, the spirit-powered flower surrounding Chu Lian quietly bloomed, revealing her safe and sound within its petals.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. The world seemed much clearer now. The once lifeless spiritual energy and power around her now felt… alive.
As if they possessed life of their own.
"Lian, you're awake?" "Chu Lian, you're awake?" "Big Sis, you're awake?" "Lady Chu Lian, you're awake?" Almost simultaneously, several soft voices sounded by her ears.
Turning her head, Chu Lian saw Inori, Chu Chu, Li Xiu'er, and Kurosaki Satsuki gazing at her with anxious eyes, and warmth rose within her heart.
Her sudden change had likely only been witnessed by these few girls. They hadn't told anyone else, keeping it secret between them.
After all, others couldn't perceive the existence of spiritual power. Such energy wasn't something of the cultivation world, and those who hadn't experienced it firsthand wouldn't understand it—nor could they see it.
"I made you all worry…" The girl showed an apologetic look. She always ended up worrying them—something she couldn't seem to help. Even if they didn't mind, Chu Lian still couldn't just brush it off without an explanation.
As she was about to speak, Inori gently stopped her. "You don't have to say anything, Lian. If something isn't meant to be spoken, then there's no need to tell us. When you're ready, you can share it then."
"Mm, Big Sis, we know there are many things you can't say, and this must be one of them. We won't mind. In fact, compared to forced explanations, I'd rather not know—or simply wait for the truth."
Chu Chu looked at Chu Lian, hesitated briefly, then nodded in agreement with Inori's words.
"I don't need to hear anything. I just want to know if your body's alright." Li Xiu'er didn't say much, but every word came from concern.
Hearing their words, Chu Lian fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "I'll tell you one day—when I can give you the real answer. What I can confirm now is that this was an unexpected breakthrough. It's had a positive effect on my strength and won't cause any harm or burden to my body, so don't worry."
"That's good enough. We don't need too many explanations," Inori smiled faintly, then raised her slender hand, pointing toward the window. "Lian, we're almost there."
"We're almost there… I didn't realize hours had passed already." Chu Lian nodded, looking at the sky that had already darkened, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
These girls had every right to know the truth—but she couldn't tell them. And just when she wanted to come up with an excuse they might accept, they stopped her, refusing to let her speak.
They had their own thoughts and feelings too. In these past few days, they'd learned much—and also learned how to better interact with her as she was now.
Thinking of this, Chu Lian turned her gaze to the window, staring at her blurred reflection in the glass—it was like her current self, unclear and indistinct.
With a bitter smile, she thought, perhaps ever since the "Goddess Development Plan" system attached itself to her, everything had become beyond her control.
If daytime Las Vegas was merely a prosperous city, then once night fell, it became the most dazzling gem standing in the desert.
Night was the true melody of this city—a time when the darkest sides of humanity were laid bare.
In this city's night, every shadowed corner, every passing moment, witnessed acts that exposed the ugliest depths of human nature.
Known as the City of Gambling, it welcomed those who came with money with open arms—but to the penniless, it showed only the cruelest face.
It was truly a paradise for the rich—and a hell for the poor.
Yet even with all kinds of rumors surrounding it, the city's allure remained irresistible.
Every day, countless tourists came here from all over the world. Chu Lian and her companions were not unique; they were just part of the crowd.
Of course, compared to those who came here for shopping, sightseeing, or straight to the casinos, they were a little different.
For example, they were all underage and therefore couldn't enter the casinos. For another, they were a group made up of cute girls and boys, with a few young ladies mixed in. And, most importantly, their combined wealth easily surpassed that of most people who came here.
The question was—what could they even buy?
"Although we included this city on your route, it's really just a passing stop. Its foundation is too shallow, its history too short. Because of its particular urban nature, it's destined not to be a suitable place for growth or experience. I let you choose this place just so you could see how those who fail in such cities live."
Ayase's voice sounded faintly in her mind. Hearing that languid, seductive tone, Chu Lian could immediately tell she was sipping red wine again.
But Chu Lian also knew that although the list contained twelve cities, many of them were merely transitional. Only about half truly mattered—and that was enough.
"I think we'll never become like those people," Chu Lian murmured softly, closing her eyes briefly. Then, as the plane gave a gentle tremor, she knew it was descending.
Opening her eyes, she gazed out the window at the evening landscape and the dim city lights below, and sighed quietly. "No matter how dazzling one may be, in the end, in this vast world, we're all just fleeting passersby."
The girls beside her were already used to seeing Chu Lian like this—lost in thought, daydreaming, or whispering to herself—so they said nothing.
After all, this was one of her most memorable charms. Seeing Chu Lian in her "cat mode," quietly immersed in her own little world, was simply too adorable.
Well, if not for her human appearance, one might even suspect she was actually a cat.
Of course, that assumption came with one condition—she definitely couldn't be the kind of lewd cat like Tina, who adored big-breasted girls.
After a short wait, the teacher announced that they could disembark. Inori gently tugged on Chu Lian's sleeve, bringing her back from her own world.
"Can we get off now?" Still not fully out of her daze, Chu Lian blinked blankly at Inori.
Inori nodded. "We've arrived."
"So we really have." Realization dawned in Chu Lian's eyes. The land of the white eagle—America—was now beneath their feet.
Seeing Inori beside her and the other girls waiting nearby, Chu Lian quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, stood up, and stretched. "Let's go. Time to see this famous City of Gambling."
"Big Sis, even if we wanted to, we can't go in—the age limit…" Chu Chu muttered, glancing at Chu Lian's hand naturally holding Inori's, then pouting slightly.
"Well, we're not going gambling—we're going shopping." Chu Lian said as she reached out to take Chu Chu's hand too, then leaned close to whisper playfully in her ear, "Jealous little jar…"
Even if she was called jealous, having Chu Lian hold her hand was already the best reward she could ask for. Whatever Chu Lian said didn't matter anymore.
Even if she were called the "sea of jealousy," she'd admit it gladly—as long as she could enjoy her big sister's affection, nothing else mattered.
The other two girls didn't mind being left out.
Kurosaki Satsuki didn't care; in fact, she'd feel more awkward if Chu Lian actually held her hand.
Li Xiu'er, on the other hand, wasn't demanding at all. When she saw Chu Lian's notebook backpack left on the seat, she quietly picked it up and followed behind the group.
Outside the plane, Cai Ya and the others had been waiting for some time. When she saw Chu Lian walking out hand-in-hand with two girls, Cai Ya's eyes dimmed for a brief moment before returning to normal.
"I heard some of your fans are waiting outside. Are you sure you want to go meet them?" Cai Ya asked, extending a finger to point in a certain direction as Chu Lian approached.
Chu Lian lifted her gaze and saw that the airport waiting hall was already crowded with people—at least thirty or so by her quick count.
Among the group waiting for her, around twenty had black hair and dark eyes—clearly of Asian descent—while the rest were a mix of various hair and eye colors, mostly Westerners.
Normally, this kind of crowd—so diverse and divided—wouldn't gather without some conflict or at least separation by interest. Yet now, all of them were holding up signs bearing the same Chinese name: "Chu Lian."
Even though some of the Westerners' handwriting looked a little off, it was impossible to deny the sincerity in their desire to see her.
Seeing this, Chu Lian couldn't help but feel puzzled. She could understand having a following among Asian or overseas Chinese fans, but Western fans too? That was unexpected.
She had never sung an English song, nor made any special effort to attract foreign audiences—especially not those from the Western world. How did they end up liking her?
It had only been what, half a month since her rise to fame? She truly couldn't make sense of their enthusiasm.
"Ah, fans? What's going on? Even if our itinerary got leaked, there shouldn't be that many people here, right?"
Chu Lian hesitated. Though the group wasn't large—barely over thirty people—it was still her first time, in both her past and present lives, being greeted by such passionate fans. Feeling nervous was only natural.
"Don't worry. Just go. It'll be fine." Cai Ya, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm. Having become famous at a young age and even performed on the Spring Festival Gala, she was long used to such scenes.
"Well, you all just stay behind me. Leave everything to me," Chu Lian said, letting go of the two girls' hands before turning to the group.
Since this wasn't a fight or anything dangerous—just something personal—they didn't stop her.
After tidying themselves up briefly, the group began walking toward the waiting hall.