"Ahem..." Lü Heng cleared his throat. "What did she say?"
"Hmm..." Firefly paused, feigning deep thought. "I remember Robin mentioning a kind Captain among her colleagues—an older man who was very good to her, like a big brother figure."
That must be Captain Zhong, Lü Heng thought.
"Then there's this really strict senior who feels like a stern homeroom teacher."
Definitely Bai Yuanju, Lü Heng nodded in complete agreement.
"And a lively and adorable Dragon Lady friend."
Undoubtedly Yu Lin. So she's just lively and adorable? No mention of her being clumsy or ditzy?
"Oh, and a foreign guy with almost no presence."
That's Artyom for sure. A Bear Nation import—the description fits perfectly.
Just as Lü Heng was eagerly anticipating more, Firefly abruptly stopped talking. He blinked in surprise. "And then...?"
Firefly shrugged. "That's it."
Lü Heng stared, dumbfounded. "Huh? That's... that's all?"
Invincible Bro only joined recently and isn't close to Robin, so he doesn't count, Lü Heng reasoned. But everyone else was mentioned—even Artyom, the guy with the lowest presence! Why was I the only one left out?
"Right, it's a rather sensitive topic, after all," Firefly said, shaking her head. "We haven't really discussed it much." She clearly saw Lü Heng freeze in place. If she could add a special effect of him turning into a cracked stone statue, it would be perfect.
She had to admit, even though she desperately suppressed a laugh, the corner of her mouth twitched slightly at the sight.
Invincible Bro, standing next to Lü Heng, noticed Firefly's expression. After a moment's thought, he understood the situation. Robin had even mentioned the least conspicuous member, Artyom—how could she have possibly left out Lü Heng? She'd likely done it on purpose, just to see his reaction.
This cute girl actually has a bit of a scheming side? Invincible Bro thought. Still, this is too hilarious to pass up. He quickly pulled out his phone and snapped several photos of Lü Heng's dumbfounded expression.
In the end, no one blamed Firefly for her little deception. It was a trivial matter, and her status as Robin's close friend was now firmly established. Lü Heng's reaction alone proved its credibility beyond doubt.
Led by Shu Cat, the group headed towards the nearest local attraction. Their plan for the day was simple: visit one attraction in the morning, have lunch, then visit another attraction in the afternoon before disbanding after dinner.
The entire itinerary was straightforward: sightseeing and eating.
As they walked, the group naturally divided into gender-based formations: the boys in one line, the girls in another. Logically, since this was their first in-person meeting, even after chatting so much online, some awkwardness should have been expected.
But Soup Dumpling defied all expectations. She seemed to have an endless supply of topics, chattering non-stop throughout the entire walk.
She jumped from discussing Robin's new album to sharing funny anecdotes from her school days, from the purpose of their trip to Longcheng to the recent sensational topic of the "Dimensional Rift Killer," SAM.
"Oh my god, did you all see the news?" Soup Dumpling exclaimed excitedly. "That silver knight who's been flying around, resolving Dimensional Rift Incidents in minutes—he's so cool! Especially that initial video of him fighting in Great Britain—I became his biggest fan the moment I saw it!"
Even as she spoke, Soup Dumpling paused to strike a pose. "Ahem! Your courage is admirable, but this foolish act is utterly pointless!"
Firefly could only stare blankly.
In that instant, Firefly noticed several passersby turning to stare. A wave of inexplicable embarrassment washed over her, and she couldn't tell if she was embarrassed for Soup Dumpling or because of her cringeworthy delivery.
She quickly grabbed Soup Dumpling's shoulder and shoved her forward. "Let's go... Don't embarrass yourself like this!"
It had only been half an hour since they met, yet this was already the third time Soup Dumpling had declared someone her "ultimate bias."
Intrigued, Shu Cat chimed in, "I think SAM is super cool too! But do girls really like mecha stuff?"
"Why wouldn't we?" Soup Dumpling retorted as Firefly continued to shove her forward. "I like anything that's good-looking! Besides, that mecha is so awesome—just like something out of an anime or manga! The pilot must be a total hottie!"
"Um..." Firefly interjected, "That's not the same, is it? It's like comparing an online avatar to someone's real appearance. How can you judge someone's looks based solely on a picture? What if he's actually an old man or something?"
"No way! That's absolutely impossible!" Soup Dumpling declared with unwavering conviction. "He's definitely a handsome guy!"
Firefly fell silent.
For some reason, the phrase "A thousand people see a thousand different Hamlets" popped into her head. It seemed the same here—a thousand people imagining a thousand different Sams.
Meanwhile, as the trio chatted, Lü Heng subtly slowed his pace, tugging on Invincible Bro's sleeve. Having recovered somewhat from his earlier shock and realizing something, he leaned in and whispered, "Hey, don't you think Peace Dove is acting a little strange? I've never heard Robin mention having a friend like her."
Invincible Bro sighed wearily before replying, "Look, you and Robin are just ordinary colleagues. Besides, she's barely even a part-time employee, so she doesn't have to come to work every day. Is it so weird that she has other friends? What, do you expect her to report every little thing to you? What a creep!"
"No, that's not what I meant," Lü Heng said, scratching his head. "Look, I just have this feeling. Maybe it's intuition, a sixth sense honed from experiencing so many Dimensional Rift Incidents? Or something else entirely. I just sense... she's not ordinary."
"Hey, why don't you use your Ability to—"
"Absolutely not," Invincible Bro cut him off firmly. "I won't use my Ability to casually pry into someone's privacy. That's unethical."
They had only just met online, and Lü Heng wanted to dig up her entire family registry? Talk about being too forward.
"Uh..." Lü Heng realized he might have overstepped. "Okay, my bad. Maybe I'm still reeling from her earlier trickery, or maybe... Peace Dove is just too stunningly beautiful. Beautiful in a way that doesn't feel ordinary."
"The last time I saw a girl this gorgeous was when I met Robin..."