"Cai Ya, where did you go last night?" As soon as Cai Ya returned to the bedroom, the still half-asleep Liu Yanran looked at her with sleepy eyes and asked.
"Ah, I was thinking too much last night, my emotions were a little unsettled, so I went out to the balcony and stayed there for a long time. By the way, didn't you sleep last night? How did you know I wasn't there?" Of course, Cai Ya couldn't possibly tell her that she had gone to Chu Lian's room and fallen asleep holding her in her arms—that would've been far too embarrassing.
"Oh, I was thinking about a lot of things too and couldn't sleep. I happened to notice you leaving, so I paid a bit of attention. Honestly, we're still far too ignorant about certain existences in this world," Liu Yanran sighed softly, not suspecting a thing.
"Actually, once you've come into contact with it, you'll slowly realize just how beautiful this world truly is." Lux Lyle spoke softly as she slowly pulled on a pair of white lace stockings. Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight like dazzling jewels.
Her fair, delicate skin was already enviable enough, but paired with those stockings and her well-developed figure that far surpassed that of her peers, she was an irresistible sight.
Beside her, Ruriko Nana—now dressed in a black top and a short black skirt—added with a small smile, "Our family has long distanced itself from those conflicts, but we still know a little about the cultivation world."
"Once you step into that circle, there's no such thing as getting out unscathed. But in exchange, life becomes far richer than the monotonous one lived in the mundane world," she said, sitting on her bed as she pulled on a pair of black thigh-high socks.
Liu Yanran and Cai Ya exchanged helpless smiles. The weather was indeed perfect for such outfits, yet neither of them was fond of wearing stockings or anything like that.
Compared to seductive fashion, they preferred lighter dresses that covered most of their bodies while leaving only small glimpses of skin exposed around the arms and shoulders.
"You'll come to like these things when you're older..." Lux Lyle said casually. Having spent quite some time with them, she understood their personalities and didn't press the matter.
She herself came from Europe, a land known for individuality and openness, and she had received a noble upbringing. Naturally, her standards for fashion were far higher than most girls her age. Every time they went out, she was the one who spent the most time on her appearance.
Still, she knew well that everyone had their own tastes, and she never tried to force her views on anyone else. Unless someone asked her opinion directly, she wouldn't say a word about others' preferences.
Ruriko Nana also had a good impression of the two girls, Liu Yanran and Cai Ya. Though both came from noble families and were somewhat conservative in nature, they were kind-hearted and made excellent friends for someone like her.
As Cai Ya chatted with the girls, she completely forgot about washing up. It wasn't until she saw Chu Lian and the others already dressed that she suddenly yelped, "Yanran! We haven't washed up yet!"
Her words startled Liu Yanran, who quickly glanced at the time—it was almost nine! They still had to go out soon.
Realizing this, she immediately lost all interest in chatting, hurriedly apologized to the others, grabbed her clothes, and dashed to the bathroom.
Cai Ya followed close behind, nearly tripping in her rush, earning amused smiles from the two girls watching her. "The young ladies' daily dose of clumsiness."
Sitting on the sofa with her tea, Chu Lian couldn't help but laugh softly as she watched the normally graceful Cai Ya and Liu Yanran act so adorably flustered. "If I didn't live with them, I never would've guessed that these two, who always seem so calm and composed, could actually delay washing up because they got carried away chatting. How silly."
"Big Sis, you're not so different. I remember before my last trip, you used to oversleep almost every day. You'd wake up late, still half-dazed, and take forever to fully wake up. Anyone who saw you then couldn't resist teasing you," Chu Chu interjected with a mischievous grin, delivering a perfect jab at her sister's commentary.
"Alright, I admit I used to be pretty scatterbrained, but I'm much better now," Chu Lian said, coughing lightly. She didn't deny it—after all, it was true. But admitting it didn't mean she wouldn't defend herself. Ever since Inori arrived, she hadn't overslept once. In fact, she woke up earlier than usual. Wasn't that solid proof she'd already changed?
"Mm-hmm, Big Sis only does that because Inori's around. You want to take care of her, so you force yourself to be responsible," Chu Chu said with a teasing tone, glancing at both her sister and Inori. Some words hovered on her tongue, but she chose not to speak them aloud.
As they chatted, Ruriko Nana and Lux Lyle finished dressing and joined them, sitting nearby and pouring themselves some tea to sip leisurely.
"So, should we go check out Hollywood later?" Chu Lian asked once she saw everyone was nearly ready.
In both her previous world and this one, the first thing people thought of when hearing "Los Angeles" was inevitably Hollywood.
Indeed, as one of America's pillar industries and the most advanced film production base in the world—its cultural export machine—Hollywood was world-renowned.
Anyone with aspirations in film or the arts dreamed of coming here at least once. Even if they wouldn't build a career here, they'd still come to learn from the world's best.
Of course, to put it plainly, Hollywood was really just a cluster of companies—an umbrella term for the American film industry.
In truth, there wasn't much to see. Located on the outskirts of Los Angeles, it lacked the glamour of the city center and had few remarkable sights.
Perhaps that half-Eastern, half-Western spot—the so-called Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Walk of Fame—counted as its most famous attractions. Those were indeed worth a look.
"I have no interest in Hollywood whatsoever. I visited when I was little and found it quite underwhelming. Maybe it's because I've never really cared for movies; I just don't feel whatever charm others seem to find there," Lux Lyle said first, taking a delicate sip of her tea before placing the cup elegantly on the table and glancing at Chu Lian.
"I agree—it's not much to look at. And honestly, in the future, who's to say this place will even remain the heart of cinema?" Chu Lian replied softly, sipping her own tea as her eyes met the golden-haired girl's.
"Oh? Don't tell me you plan to step into the film industry, Chu Lian? I'd love to see what kind of movie you'd star in," Ruriko Nana said with a playful smile, instantly catching the key point in Chu Lian's words.
"Me? I'll make movies one day, yes—but I'll never make one I don't want to. And when I do, it'll be with the most advanced technology this world has ever seen," Chu Lian said without hesitation. With the system at her side, she already knew her future would lead to the silver screen—there was no need to hide it.
"Big Sis, isn't the world's most advanced film technology already here in Hollywood?" Chu Chu interjected at last, glaring at the two women who were, in her mind, clearly trying to charm her sister. How annoying.
Chu Lian's eyes flicked toward her from over the rim of her teacup. "Technology is made by people. I'll make my own. And when I do, it'll be more real and captivating than anything they call 'top-tier' today."
The system contained countless technologies related to film production—from the crude methods of the early days to the ultra-realistic effects that could rival reality itself. Finding the right one for her would be no issue at all.
And if worst came to worst, couldn't she film scenes in another world entirely? With the system's power, such things were trivial. The only real challenge now was finding the right story to tell.
"Oh? If you ever start filming, I'd love to be part of it," Lux said, her eyes lighting up—she'd just found the perfect excuse to get closer to Chu Lian.
"Indeed. If you ever decide to make a movie, I'll follow your direction anytime. I'm curious to see just how different a film made by you would be," Ruriko Nana added quickly. She wasn't about to let Lux seize the opportunity alone; she made sure to express her willingness too.
"Eh? You're talking about movies?" Cai Ya and Liu Yanran, freshly washed and dressed, walked over to the sofa and asked curiously after overhearing their conversation.
"Big Sis said she's going to make movies one day—with the best technology in the world, exactly the kind she envisions. Are you two interested?" Chu Chu quickly jumped in before anyone else could reply, as though she'd found reinforcements.
Beside her, Li Xiu'er rubbed her forehead, utterly speechless at Chu Chu's antics.
Xiu'er knew exactly why Chu Chu was so eager—she was trying to pull Cai Ya and Liu Yanran into the discussion so that Lux Lyle and Ruriko Nana wouldn't have such an easy time getting closer to Chu Lian.
However, her tactics were far too obvious. Not only Xiu'er, but even Chu Lian understood it clearly. Still, since she had brought up the topic with her own plans in mind, she didn't stop Chu Chu—she simply watched quietly as the girls began to chat.
"Lian, are you trying to give them a chance to get closer to you?" Of everyone present, the only one who could see through the situation as clearly as Chu Lian herself was Inori.
Chu Lian wasn't surprised by her insight. Leaning close to her ear, she whispered, "It's not exactly giving them a chance—just offering a choice. If they want others to help them, they have to give something in return. Otherwise, they'll only develop bad habits."
"You're being softhearted again, aren't you?" Inori's teasing tone carried a trace of laughter, making Chu Lian flustered. "I am not..."
"Last time you gave them a chance, and now you're doing it again. Lian, you're really quite the tsundere, you know that? You've already decided to help them, but you just won't admit it. Honestly..." Inori's gentle breath brushed against her ear, making Chu Lian's earlobes tingle and soften.
Watching the group of girls chatting happily, Chu Lian slowly nodded. "Well, I suppose it's part of my duty. After all, I am the Daughter of Fate—the only key that connects the Otherside and the Bright World..."
"Yes... a key..." Inori echoed softly. A key—wasn't she one herself?