At this moment, Qingque's expression was a little peculiar.
Right in front of her, a scene was unfolding that made her brain spin at lightning speed, only to end up utterly baffled.
A silver-haired girl who'd fallen straight out of the sky had landed squarely on her good buddy and Celestial Jade partner—Brother Heng.
Yet, not only were both of them perfectly fine, they were now locked in a deeply emotional, gaze-filled standoff!
The girl's eyes brimmed with tears, her face a mix of anguish born from loving deeply yet being separated, and the sheer joy of reunion.
As for Brother Heng, his eyes held a touch of stunned surprise, as if the girl's appearance here was completely unexpected.
In just an instant, the scene before her sparked a whole dramatic storyline in Qingque's imagination.
Maybe Brother Heng was actually some high-ranking bigwig in the Interastral Peace Corporation, who'd been betrayed due to internal faction struggles, lost his memory, and ended up scraping by in the Exalting Sanctum selling Snow King Tea.
And this girl was his childhood sweetheart and first love, who'd been away on another planet when he met his misfortune!
Now she'd pacified the internal strife within the Interastral Peace Corporation and had come to reclaim her long-lost love!
Or perhaps these two were star-crossed lovers, separated by life and death in a past life for some tragic reason, and now, after Brother Heng was reborn, the girl had crossed the cycle of reincarnation to find him again!
No wonder the Divination Commission's Master Diviner's prediction mentioned a 'fated match' arriving within three days.
So this 'sister-in-law' of hers really did fall straight from the heavens!
Having thoroughly enjoyed the drama, Qingque didn't make a sound to break the quiet moment. Instead, with a pained look, she fished out a dozen or so Strale from her already thin purse, placed them on the table as a 'wedding gift,' and slipped away quietly.
--+--
Bai Heng's current mood was… complicated.
While the idea of simulations becoming reality was certainly an entertaining trope, he'd never really taken it seriously.
After all, this so-called 'Knifing Simulator' of his always found some way, in every simulation, to guide him toward his final rest, making him a man worthy of the title 'dead man' in the process.
Since he was someone who had died, returned to stardust and merged back into the cosmos, even if he'd left a profound impression on others while alive, at most he'd become a regretful 'what-if' memory in their hearts—a fleeting white moonlight. It shouldn't have caused him any real trouble.
But now...
Looking at the girl standing right before him, her expression complex, Bai Heng felt he had underestimated the impact of those two words: 'white moonlight.'
As Bai Heng was lost in thought, Firefly began to move.
Her pale, slender fingertips gently landed on his cheek, then began to slowly drift downward, as if caressing him.
Chin, jawline, neck, until they reached his chest. Sensing the vibrant life force beating within, the tears welling in the girl's eyes finally spilled over, uncontrollably.
As if confirming something important, a faint smile touched her lips, born from the joy rising in her heart.
"It's really… you…"
At that moment, Bai Heng froze.
He understood why she had acted that way.
She was checking if he was real, if his heart was still beating.
That's why her touch was so careful, so hesitant—because after losing him once, she was afraid the figure before her might vanish like a bubble at the slightest touch.
The warmth of her tears fell on his cheek, and Bai Heng's own emotions grew heavy. He realized something clearly now:
—He had to face everything that happened in the simulations honestly.
Both her feelings, and everything else.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze, and that gentle expression she remembered so well gradually returned to his face.
Bai Heng looked directly into Firefly's eyes, gently took her hand, and gave his response.
"Mhm, it's me."
Those three simple words sent the girl's heart into a turbulent storm.
But Bai Heng wasn't finished.
"Although there are… slight differences, I remember everything from those two months we spent together on the Planet of Festivities, Penacony."
"Like our first meeting on Penacony, when I tricked you out of twenty thousand credits with a little scheme."
"And that time at the Clockie Theme Park, when I sweet-talked you into spending thirty thousand credits on a limited-edition Clockie badge that was only worth five thousand."
"But the memory that stands out the most has to be the Dreamscape Bar. You had a bit too much to drink, your true nature came out, and I had no choice but to play along in that little comedy act~"
Bai Heng spoke softly, his dark pupils shimmering with the light of recollection. The memories were so fond that a faint, unconscious smile curved his lips as he spoke.
Watching him like this, the Firefly beside him finally felt certain.
The person before her…
It was him!
Even though he didn't have the striking appearance of a Star Child now, Firefly understood—this was probably the 'slight difference' he mentioned.
But none of that mattered anymore.
What mattered was that he was here, right beside her.
As long as that was true…
It was enough.
Bai Heng seemed to still be lost in reminiscing, murmuring on to himself.
But the girl didn't give him a chance to continue.
Slender arms gently encircled his neck, and under Bai Heng's slightly startled gaze, her cool lips slowly met his.
The scene was just like that moment in the simulation.
Beautiful, yet achingly brief.
"Those were all things from the past. No matter how beautiful, they've already happened."
"But now we have a better choice."
"For example… looking toward the future."
The girl tilted her head, the faint smile on her face so captivating that Bai Heng found himself mesmerized.
Alright, he had to admit it.
Miss Firefly was pure, straightforward, whimsical, breathtakingly beautiful…
And also, a little bit seductive.
"Doesn't really sound like something you'd say," Bai Heng remarked, a slight curve to his lips.
"I learned it from you~" Firefly admitted freely, even looking rather proud of it.
Holding the girl's hand, they both stood up.
But just then, Bai Heng noticed the smile on Firefly's face take a slightly peculiar turn.
At some point, she was holding the Glamoth Iron Calvary Key, which shimmered like a crystalline gem. The smile on her face could only be described as 'pleasant.'
Step by step, she walked toward him, speaking as she moved:
"By the way, I have a friend. She once believed her beloved had perished, and she was lost in sorrow because of it. But to honor a promise she made to him, she made herself face everything with a smile."
"But strangely enough, her beloved hadn't actually died for some reason. Not only did he remember everything that happened between them, he wasn't restricted in his movements either. Yet, he never came to find her."
"Mister Star Child Bai Heng~ Why do you suppose that is?"
Looking at the girl's 'sunny' smile, Bai Heng swallowed hard.
He had a feeling…
Had he somehow… led Firefly astray?
Talking like this while pulling out her transformation device… the Firefly he remembered wouldn't do something like this, right?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.