Quiet in the Glimmer

[Natsume Yuri: Where are you now?]

As she sent the message, Xu Xiaoyou noticed her changed username. It must have been Akabane who stealthily changed it while she was in the Oasis.

［This message failed to send. The user is currently not in a service area!

[You may leave a message in the curtain—this core technology is provided by Kiss Calculus. Use requires an active Black Wind SVIP. Note: Renewal is initiated one day before this service agreement expires. 150 credit points will be deducted monthly. The service cannot be canceled at any time before the one-year term is complete.]

The red exclamation mark was glaringly bright. Xu Xiaoyou let out a soft sigh.

Only Tang Xin would send her messages like this.

She wanted to figure out where the other girl was in the world and what state she was currently in.

From the looks of it, Tang Xin's situation was not optimistic. She seemed to have lost her memories regarding herself, and her behavior patterns were disordered. To contact her, Xu Xiaoyou could only wait for the girl to be conscious enough to seek her out.

In such a state, the girl actually still remembered her and had found a way to leave these voice messages during her moments of lucidity.

The good news was that since she could send messages through the curtain, it meant she was at least not in the badlands millions of kilometers away from the human world. She was in a hive city somewhere in the civilized world, and the technological level there was higher than that of the Corrupt Hive City.

Otherwise, trying to reunite with her would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

A bionic robot handed over a handkerchief, its cold electronic eyes reflecting her figure: "I believe you need help, miss."

Xu Xiaoyou glanced at the bionic robot and frowned slightly. Ultimately, she took the handkerchief, wiped the water stains from her hands and face, and returned to the carriage.

Akabane was eating a piece of cake, her mouth covered in cream. Seeing Xu Xiaoyou return, she looked up and blinked, giving a giggle.

"If I'd known the cake was this good, I should've checked out that bakery we passed in Dragonfly Town."

Xu Xiaoyou raised an eyebrow. Akabane continued to mumble to herself, "My family used to be very strict with me. My three meals were tightly controlled. I used to have Sebas sneak snacks in for me."

"I thought you liked bitter melon." Before they left, Xu Xiaoyou had seen the girl pack her suitcase compartments full of various brands of bitter melon candy.

"That's different. I truly like those." Akabane took out a piece of bitter melon candy and handed it to Xu Xiaoyou.

"Want to try one?"

Xu Xiaoyou said, "I've already tasted enough bitterness. I don't want to eat any more. I just want to be a moocher."

Akabane's lips twitched. "Don't say something so degenerate with such a nonchalant face, hey."

Placing the bitter melon candy in Xu Xiaoyou's palm like a childhood treasure, Akabane's gaze was calm: "Who actually likes bitterness? The selling point of bitter melon candy is the liquid center hidden beneath the bitter coating—a sweetness that reaches the soul. It's a reward mechanism."

"Just like..." Akabane tapped her chin with her index finger, showing a thoughtful expression. "Just like the treasure chests in dangerous ruins in a game. Think about it. The protagonist winds through a labyrinth, ponders the grand lore, solves complex puzzles, and finally defeats a powerful enemy. What's his mood at the moment he opens that chest?"

"I imagine he must be pure joy and excitement. All that hard work turns into positive feedback at the moment of that golden flash. It becomes the courage to stride forward and gives him an unquenchable fighting spirit for every future hardship."

"Sweetness after the bitter," Akabane said, pressing the bitter melon candy against her lower lip.

"As long as you don't admit defeat and refuse to give up, no matter how great the setback, it will only knock you down, not beat you.

Even the most unbreakable predicament will develop cracks that offer soul-refreshing sweetness, becoming a new starting point."

"If experiencing the taste of bitterness is for the sake of that final sweetness, then I will take the initiative to taste it."

Xu Xiaoyou listened quietly to the dark-red-haired girl speak such profound words and gave a dry laugh. "Why are you suddenly saying things like this? It doesn't sound like you, Meijiu."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Akabane grumbled. "In your eyes, am I just some little family head who only knows how to throw tantrums and has a gaze full of clear stupidity?"

'I never said that,' Xu Xiaoyou thought. 'It seems you have a clear sense of self-awareness.'

"I have things I want to pursue too, you know."

Outside the viewing window, the glimmer of dawn had just begun to spread across the sea's horizon. The faint sound of waves receded as a small, palm-sized island stood lonely above the surface. Even through the window, one could feel the thick chill of the early morning. Thousands of pale-gold threads outlined the pure white wings of seagulls as they flew toward the brilliant morning clouds.

As half of the morning sun rose above the sea, the two girls looked at each other and smiled softly. The entire train was silent; the ventilation equipment hummed softly, the axles of the cleaning robots rolled back and forth on the floor, and faint electronic noise came from the broadcast. Everything looked so peaceful and harmonious.

People were deep in their dreams. Beneath the near-azure surface of the sea, schools of fish swam quietly, scattering and gathering, heading toward an unknown destination.

"Give it a try," Akabane said expectantly.

Under the pressure of the girl's fervent gaze, Xu Xiaoyou helplessly tore open the packaging. Looking at the dark green bear-shaped candy, her lips twitched slightly as she put it in her mouth.

An indescribable bitterness spread through her oral cavity, stimulating her salivation.

Xu Xiaoyou leaned back against the leather chair. The quiet and peaceful atmosphere caused the phantom pain of being stabbed to fade significantly. She looked at the red-haired girl in front of her. The girl's eyes were curved like crescents, and she was looking back with a mischievous smile.

She had to admit, when she was alone with Akabane, she felt quite relaxed. The girl was lively, romantic, and quirky; no one knew if she would suddenly have an epiphany and come up with many interesting ideas to clear the haze in her heart.

Time passed quietly. As if out of spite, the two of them stared at each other like they were playing a game of statues, neither willing to be the first to look away.

Because Xu Xiaoyou usually had the 'dead fish eyes' of someone lacking sleep, this was the first time Akabane had looked at her so seriously. Akabane opened her mouth wide; she was surprised to find that the girl's eyelashes were quite long. Her pale gold eyes were like clear water, shimmering with a crystalline beauty. The light from outside the window reflected in those translucent pieces of amber, looking quite vibrant in the dimness.

The two-hour playtime limit passed quickly. Xu Xiaoyou expressionlessly picked up the immersion device. The doctor's situation was dire; she had to return to the Oasis as soon as possible.

"Watch the surroundings for me."

"I won!" Akabane's face was full of pride. "You looked away first."

"Hey, give me some kind of reaction! Why are you being so guarded?"

Akabane ground her teeth in annoyance. "Fine! So you were just using me to pass the time just now, weren't you!"

Xu Xiaoyou placed her hand on the little red raccoon's head and rubbed it vigorously. "Be quiet. I'm immersing."

Her consciousness returned once more. Xu Xiaoyou opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief when she found that the doctor was not dead. She was currently at the bottom of the water storage carriage. She tapped the interface to check her status.

"HP: 1%"

"Spirit: 1453"

"Current Negative Statuses: Severe blood loss, mild lung damage, concussion, broken leg bone, dislocated arm, abdominal trauma, Akabane secret poison."