No sooner had he seen Fu Xuan off than Bai Heng felt a sharp pinch at his waist.
The silver-haired girl beside him was puffing her cheeks, a pout on her lips as her slender fingers found a precise piece of flesh on his side.
The pressure was just right—enough to make the corner of his mouth twitch with pain, but not enough to make him cry out.
He'd truly never seen Firefly like this before.
Perhaps it was because, during that first simulation, Bai Heng's lifespan had been reduced to a mere two months. Both of them had wanted to leave the other with beautiful memories.
As a result, each had held back certain sides of themselves from the other.
Like Firefly's current, seemingly inexplicable irritation.
Or, like Bai Heng, who had just moments ago inadvertently let his gaze flicker over the sheer-stockinged calves of the Divination Commission's official.
But Bai Heng could swear on his life, he hadn't meant to look!
It was definitely that innate trait of the Star Child—being drawn to beautiful things—that had made his eyes wander just then!
Absolutely!
"Hmph~"
Seemingly appeased, the adorable Miss Firefly released her grip, letting out a sound she probably thought sounded cool.
Before Bai Heng could even begin to stammer out an excuse—ahem, an explanation—
The girl's slightly flustered voice piped up.
"I... I'm not really blaming you.... I know it's normal for men, I just wanted to say..."
At this point, a blush spread across the little firefly's cheeks, and her voice dropped a few decibels.
"If you like that sort of thing... I... I could wear them too...."
Bai Heng: "???"
My friend, I must ask you once again.
Do you not agree that Miss Firefly is pure, straightforward, childlike, and possesses peerless beauty, and moreover!
Is incredibly considerate!
Night deepened, and another day on the Luofu came to a close, much like any other.
These days, the Cloud Knights' fame shook the heavens, the Xianzhou Alliance stood as one of the greatest powers in the cosmos, and even those pesky Abundance abominations were suffering defeat after defeat against the relentless advances of the Xianzhou Yaoqing.
The Luofu had never been more peaceful.
"But is it really necessary to change clothes just for the Spring Lantern Festival?"
"And... doesn't it look strange on me...?"
In the room, Firefly looked somewhat ill at ease as she examined the Xianzhou-style attire she now wore.
She had swapped out her usual, rather ornate phosphorescent green outfit for a simple, elegant robe in the Xianzhou fashion.
While it concealed her graceful figure more than her previous clothing, it gave the little firefly a different kind of refined beauty.
"Questioning the aesthetic sense of a Star Child like me is quite hurtful, you know. Rest assured, any clothing only enhances your charm, Firefly."
"Or rather, the clothes themselves gain a different kind of elegance simply by being worn by you."
Hiding behind his identity as one of the Star Children, Bai Heng shamelessly laid on the flattery, which also happened to be the absolute truth in his heart.
The destructive power of such praise for a woman went without saying.
Beside him, Firefly was already nodding her little head, a faint pink tingeing her cheeks, joy blooming in her heart.
But soon, that joy was replaced by a wave of nervousness that followed close behind.
Firefly suddenly realized a problem.
Things were different now. The Bai Heng walking beside her had broken free from the Star Childen's fate, meaning he could live an ordinary life like anyone else.
Of course, knowing this filled the girl with happiness.
But along with that happiness, a tiny, hidden sense of possessiveness began to stir.
She thought about how Bai Heng could be liked by others, admired by others, even have confessions of love made to him by others.
Like that Master Diviner this afternoon. There was no sign of that now, but what if...?
Just the thought of it sent a wave of crisis through the little firefly's heart.
Her fist, hidden in her sleeve, tightened slightly. A look of determination surfaced on her delicate face.
To forever secure the affections of the one she loved, she made a decision.
It was time for a surprise maneuver!
--+--
Xianzhou Luofu, Aurum Alley.
Compared to usual, the alley was bustling with at least twice the activity.
As the annual Spring Lantern Festival, the vendors had put immense effort into preparing for this day.
The alley was now awash with crimson lanterns, all sorts of stalls lined the streets, and countless couples walked hand in hand.
Firefly and Bai Heng, now in their new outfits, were naturally one such couple.
Their clothes, one white and one black, complemented each other quite well.
It turned out that girls' mysterious enthusiasm for shopping held true even in the world of Honkai: Star Rail.
When they first left, Firefly was stiff and uncomfortable in the Xianzhou attire.
But the moment they entered Aurum Alley, her inner foodie awakened, and she immediately grabbed Bai Heng's hand, dragging him through the crowds from one stall to another.
From candied hawthorns to tanghulu, then to various grilled snacks, followed by carnival games like ring toss and dart throwing—they hit up every stall that offered food or fun.
For a fleeting moment, it gave Bai Heng the feeling of being back on that Planet of Festivities.
During those two months, he had held this girl's hand just like this, taking her everywhere.
But this time, there was no specter of death chasing at their heels.
Their steps, wherever they went, could be slow and leisurely.
After making the rounds, both of them were carrying an assortment of items: a clockwork bird model, a special festival lantern, wind chimes, and flowers—all trophies of Firefly's endeavors.
Finally, seemingly satisfied, Firefly came to a stop and sat on a bench by the roadside. As she swung her fair, slender, and beautifully shaped legs, she began inventorying her spoils.
In her left hand, she held a cluster of vibrant red roses.
These flowers, originating from The Blue, blooming in early summer and symbolizing love, had their seeds purchased by the Interastral Peace Corporation and spread across worlds, the Xianzhou being no exception.
On a special holiday teeming with couples, the appearance of such flowers was hardly surprising.
Firefly had bought a bunch—nine stems in total. It wasn't a deliberate choice; the flower girls had done their work well.
Nine of these crimson blooms carried a special meaning: everlasting love. Setting the number at this allowed the vendors to charge a premium, and customers were happy to pay.
Now, Firefly was carefully loosening the flowers from their bouquet wrap. Under Bai Heng's puzzled gaze, she took five of the roses from the bunch and placed them in his palm, explaining:
"These are called roses. They come from seeds the IPC bought from The Blue. Different numbers have different meanings."
"Alright, explanation over! Now for the question!"
She suddenly stood up, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
"Do you know what five roses signify?"
Yes! This was Firefly's surprise maneuver to secure her beloved's heart!
Men generally know little about things like flower meanings. When you pose a question that puzzles them, and then...
You answer with a gentle smile, offering a beautiful interpretation.
In that moment, your smile is etched into their vision, leaving a profound mark on their heart.
In the days to come, whenever they think of something beautiful, the first image to surface in their mind will surely be that wonderful smile you left them with!
Of course, the socially inexperienced and pure-hearted Firefly hadn't known any of this before.
She had simply turned to the all-powerful search function on her mobile terminal for the answer.
In other words...
She practically plagiarized it.
"On How to Capture a Man's Heart" — as absurd as it sounded, the girl had indeed done just that.
She'd also asked Silver Wolf about it.
But the response she got was:
"Isn't it simple? Let him take your mech for a spin. He'll be obsessed."
Firefly was skeptical of Silver Wolf's suggestion.
After all, who could possibly love a cold, killing machine?
So, she had decided to go with the first tactic!
However...
Why was Bai Heng's reaction different from what she had anticipated?
In Firefly's plan, Bai Heng should have been puzzled by the flowers in his hand, then turned to her with a troubled, inquiring look.
Finally, she would provide the answer, completing the final step!
But what was happening with Bai Heng now?
He was delicately handling the few roses, a faint smile on his lips.
As for the confusion Firefly had imagined?
Sorry, none to be seen!
A moment later, as if having reached a conclusion, Bai Heng's gaze settled on the girl, calm and gentle. He spoke slowly:
"The meaning of five roses... Well, for this flower, the symbolism can vary across different planets. Even the color can influence its meaning."
"But, if we're here on the Xianzhou, the meaning goes like this."
As he spoke, he pinched the stems of the flowers and gave them a light twist. The roses spun nimbly in his hand.
When the spinning stopped, and the blossoms pointed toward the girl,
Bai Heng said with a smile:
"Encountering you has brought me heartfelt joy."
That was both the answer and what he wanted to say.
And just as Bai Heng's soft words faded,
A firework, like a streak of meteor light, shot across the sky and burst into a magnificent bloom overhead. Hundreds of light trails cascaded down, illuminating his face, which was filled with a tender smile.
At that moment, the girl was stunned.
She felt as if the smile of the person before her was frozen by some mysterious force.
Then...
Deeply imprinted in her mind.
The adorable Miss Firefly suddenly had a complex feeling.
This surprise maneuver of hers...
—seemed to have backfired.
Good times are always fleeting.
Due to her status as a Stellaron Hunter and her unconventional arrival on the Luofu, Firefly couldn't stay for long.
After a few short days of reunion, Bai Heng had to temporarily part ways with this little firefly.
As for the parting itself?
There were no exaggerated, tear-jerking scenes.
But a hint of reluctance lingered in both their eyes, as if this brief reunion had left them unsatisfied.
Of course, Firefly also left him with a rather unique farewell.
"I hope that by the time I return, you'll have broken that Star Child habit of always being drawn to beautiful things~"
The warning in her words was unmistakable.
However, following the principle of the carrot after the stick, no sooner had the girl left than Bai Heng's Jade Abacus received a message from her.
It was a photo.
To be precise, a selfie of Firefly.
In the picture, clearly unaccustomed to taking selfies, Firefly wore an obvious look of shyness and had made a small peace sign with her fingers, looking utterly adorable.
Just as Bai Heng thought this was the girl's way of giving him something to remember her by, that Star Child trait—being drawn to beautiful things—kicked in once again!
Bai Heng keenly noticed that although Firefly's clothing in the photo was the same as usual, there was a dramatic change on the slender calves that so accentuated her grace!
Gone were the usual black-to-jade gradient tights, replaced by a pure white, like that of an ice cream bar.
Bai Heng: .......
My friend, I must ask you once again, and again, and again.
Do you not agree that Miss Firefly is pure, straightforward, childlike, and possesses peerless beauty, and moreover!
She keeps her promises!
--+--
[Bai: Beautiful. Love to see it. Send more.]
[Firefly: N-next time... when I come back...]
--+--
Closing his Jade Abacus, Bai Heng raised a hand to his face at a 45-degree angle, letting out a deep sigh in his heart.
This woman... is so damn sweet!
After seeing off the adorable, considerate, and promise-keeping Miss Firefly, Bai Heng returned to his usual routine.
But unlike his previous go-with-the-flow attitude, he now felt a newfound drive.
After converting all the points obtained from the last simulation into attribute points and adding them to himself, Bai Heng now had the following stats:
--+--
[Name: Bai Heng]
[Active Talents: Unsealed Star Child, Under the Afterglow, The Gaze of the Amber Lord.]
[Strength: 750 Stamina: 400 (The Amber Lord's Glance: Strength +150, Stamina +100)]
[Agility: 600 Spirit: 250]
[Charm: 500 (Unsealed Star Child: Charm x2)]
--+--
Simply put, if anything were to happen now, at least Bai Heng wouldn't have to hide behind Firefly in her SAM form, shouting, "Help me, Miss Firefly!"
But in Bai Heng's eyes, this was still far from enough.
In a world like that of Honkai: Star Rail, where monsters roam freely and Pathstriders are a dime a dozen, without at least the level of an Emanator, there was no guarantee you wouldn't somehow get caught in the crossfire between Emanators and end up dead.
So! To prevent such a situation from occurring...
Bai Heng's eyes narrowed with determination as he opened the simulator.
"Simulation—start!"
--+--
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.