This afternoon could be called the most leisurely day of the entire journey. There were no crowded schedules, no fierce battles, no busy missions, and no troubling matters. The few girls simply relaxed their hearts fully on this balcony.
In this peaceful sunlight, on this tranquil and elegant afternoon, wrapped in a warm atmosphere atop this tall building, they watched the shimmering light of the pool, the graceful silhouettes of the girls, and the pure blue of the sky. As thoughts drifted gently, they slowly sank into slumber.
How long had it been since things were this idle? It seemed that since that time she had first met Xiu'er—lying together on the balcony, sunbathing, and falling asleep—she had never been this relaxed again.
Truly, this kind of overly busy life didn't suit her. In all her past days combined, the amount of busy time probably didn't even add up to what she'd gone through in the past half month. But this sense of fulfillment was also quite nice—at least it let her see things more clearly, understand more deeply.
"Girl, are you deflated now?" Ayase's charming smile appeared in this sunlit space. Chu Lian opened her eyes to see the completely unclothed woman standing elegantly before her.
Her long hair, falling down to her ankles, was neatly divided into three parts—two locks draped over her chest, perfectly concealing the twin peaks beneath, while the last wrapped from her waist to her hips, veiling the tender space between her thighs.
Yet, this half-covered, half-revealed appearance, combined with her alluring expression, exuded even greater charm than complete exposure. At least from Chu Lian's judgment, without ten years of accumulated experience, one could never possess the seductive grace Ayase now displayed.
When Ayase saw that the girl was only staring blankly at her instead of answering, she rolled her eyes, stepped forward, lifted her right hand, bent her index finger, and flicked Chu Lian's forehead. The gentle impact made the girl dazed for a moment before she finally came back to her senses.
"I'm not deflated…" Chu Lian knew Ayase had seen her expression just now, so she didn't bother hiding it. After all, this wasn't the first time they'd seen each other like this—it was just that she was still stunned by Ayase's beauty every single time.
"I was just thinking about what I've been doing all this time. Hey, Ayase, you haven't appeared much recently, so you didn't see what I've been doing firsthand. But I'm sure you have your ways to know what I've done, right? What do you think?" After regaining her composure, Chu Lian spoke as she often did when relying on her.
Resting her right hand under her left, her index finger lightly tapping her own lips, Ayase understood the girl's thoughts. Yet she also knew that helping Chu Lian overcome her dependency on her wasn't something that could be done in a short time. So she didn't comment on that attachment.
She thought for a moment, then said, "There are some things you overthink. I know you like to plan out every cause and consequence before making a decision, but you never seem to grasp the right balance. You only decide after you've thought yourself into confusion."
"That's not wrong, of course. Preparing beforehand does make later things less troublesome. But in moments of crisis, this habit could put you in danger."
"In the future, try to be a bit more decisive. Don't worry so much about what the outcome might be, or whether you'll regret it later. At that moment, if your instinct tells you to act, then don't doubt it."
"Trust your intuition. It may seem mysterious and unpredictable, but for you, it's an incredible gift. Not everyone has such an ability—something close to foresight. Do you understand?"
Ayase reached out and lifted Chu Lian's chin, gazing into her deep eyes with a serious expression. "Maybe you don't feel it now, but when you're faced with a situation that forces you to make a split-second choice, you'll understand."
"Is that so?" Chu Lian turned her face aside, avoiding Ayase's slightly pressing gaze, murmuring softly, "Yeah… if only I hadn't hesitated so much before, so many things wouldn't have become this complicated."
Saying this, she turned her head again, looking into Ayase's black, autumn-water-like eyes, and whispered, "Hey, Ayase, if my choice one day causes terrible consequences… should I still not regret it?"
Although Ayase had already told her the answer, Chu Lian still wanted to confirm it once more—for she needed to make up her mind.
"Yes. No one is free from mistakes. Even if you calculate as precisely as a machine, things will still go wrong. The only one who never errs is someone who doesn't exist at all—or one who is the embodiment of correctness itself. Otherwise, no person, no life form, can ever make a choice that's absolutely flawless."
Ayase's voice grew faint, as if she were recalling something. "Whatever mistakes we make and whatever consequences arise—they all stem from our own decisions, and they're unavoidable."
"But what matters isn't what mistakes we'll make, or what we must avoid. What's important is to correct what's gone wrong. It may be troublesome, but who can say that even the most flawless plan won't encounter unexpected problems?"
"This world has accidents, miracles, countless inconceivable events—so many factors that can change the course of anything you do."
"These are things we can never fully control or predict. That means the future of what we do, and the causes and effects we create, are unseen, unknowable, and irreversible. In other words, there's no escaping such things."
"So, try to trust yourself. Believe in your choices. Believe that you are right. Only with that conviction can we truly become strong, never defeated by our own errors or regrets."
As she said this, Ayase cupped Chu Lian's face, leaned down gently, and kissed her cherry lips. When Chu Lian closed her eyes to savor the moment, Ayase also closed hers, devoting herself to teasing the girl's tongue…
After a long while, she released Chu Lian's face and, seeing her flushed cheeks, laughed softly. "See? You've definitely been practicing with those little girls lately. Now you even know how to enjoy my kisses."
"Well, I'm not stupid. Try it a few times and you learn," Chu Lian said with a smile. "You used to only brush against my lips for a moment and pull away. Why the deep kiss this time?"
Her inquisitive eyes circled Ayase's face, trying to catch a glimpse of embarrassment.
"That girl called Mana actually stole your first kiss. And then you went around kissing other girls like that too. Of course I'm jealous," Ayase said, knowing full well Chu Lian's personality. She blinked mischievously, pressing her right hand to her cheek in mock shyness.
"Pfft… haha, Ayase, I knew you'd get jealous, but never over them. They're too young. You don't even see them as rivals." Chu Lian now understood the kind of bond between them, so she neither avoided nor clarified it—just let it flow naturally.
"Ahh, you saw through me again. You're right, they're not my competition. They don't threaten me, so I won't be jealous of them." Ayase lowered her hand, stepped forward, and leaned to whisper by Chu Lian's ear.
When she finished, she embraced the girl, warming her with her own body heat. Resting her chin atop Chu Lian's head, breathing in her faint fragrance, she said softly, "Lian'er, be careful. Tomorrow, those people will act. I can't intervene anymore—it's up to you all to face them now. I worry for you, but all I can do is pray for you here."
"Mm, I know. Those people are the compromise you had to make after taking action. If we don't let them come, the enemies I'll face later will be far worse. You've already done so much for me—I won't blame you. If we can't even handle a few Spirit-level experts with serious injuries, then I probably don't deserve your support anymore."
"I believe in you, just as you believe in me. Show me your conviction, Lian'er…" Ayase's whisper was soft, and Chu Lian listened quietly, closing her eyes, letting herself melt into her warmth.
"Do you know, there are so many who could take you away from me? I won't let that happen—you belong to me…" Those were Ayase's unspoken thoughts, words that Chu Lian would never hear.
She thought back to that night—the night Chu Lian's power had surged. The woman who called herself Chu Lian's concubine, the one known as the Key of Seven Illusions, and the group behind her… Ayase's heart sank slightly.
When Chu Lian opened her eyes again, darkness stretched endlessly beyond the airplane window. She turned to look beside her, where Inori sat quietly, reading a book.
Next to them, Li Xiu'er and Chu Chu were leaning against each other, asleep. The two had played too hard that afternoon and were now resting soundly.
Across the aisle sat Kurosaki Satsuki, staring blankly ahead, clearly lost in thought.
At that moment, Ning Zhiyuan's voice came over the intercom: "Students, we've arrived over Los Angeles. We'll be landing shortly. Please check your belongings and make sure nothing's been left behind. Also, wake up your classmates beside you so we don't delay disembarking. We'll be staying in Los Angeles until tomorrow night, then heading to Miami. This will be your chance to truly experience the heart of the global film industry—make the most of it."
Hearing their teacher's words, Chu Lian slowly exhaled. So, they had arrived at the place the world called the City of Angels. She wondered—how different could it really be from that City of Sin they'd just left? Or were they, in essence, the same?
As she pondered, her gaze drifted to the airplane window and the city outline that was gradually coming into view.
Like all great metropolises, this city came alive at night. Lights blazed everywhere, neon interwove through the streets, and she could even make out the countless streams of cars flowing along distant highways.
It truly was a bustling city. Even the ancient city of Chang'an, once home to the mightiest emperor, now seemed dim in comparison.
As she gazed at it, her thoughts turned to her homeland, to Las Vegas where they had just departed, and to Tokyo two days prior. None of these cities were without their secrets.
At that moment, the airplane began its slow descent…