“You want me to live with this person?” Angelina pointed at Bai Youyou, her voice rising. “Absolutely impossible!”
“She looks like the type to shed fur all over the floor. Excuse me, but I have a cleanliness obsession. If you can lock her in a cage at night, I have no problem with it.” Bai Youyou shrugged her shoulders slightly.
“Yuzu, this is a bit too sudden, though it's not entirely unacceptable...::::” Akabane Tsubaki hesitated, her words trailing off.
Tang Xin smiled without saying anything.
“Don't overreact.” Xu Xiaoyou waved her hand. “If we want to advance all the way and obtain the Sovereign Key of the Omniscient, our team's current strength is far from enough. Our enemies aren't just the grade 4 and grade 5 professional players from other large guilds, but also the Queen's Arms. It is said that their starting lineup for this season is already infinitely close to the prism grade.”
“The schedule for this league is very long. There's enough time before the finals for us to level up and catch up with the main force. What's important is the chemistry between team members and our overall coordination.”
“To train that coordination, living together and deeply understanding each other's personalities, behaviors, and habits is a vital step. So, I will not back down on this point.”
“We have so many league matches ahead of us and a long time to spend together. Who you play with and who you aren't allowed to play with... you aren't kindergarten children. You can't keep being this awkward forever, right?”
“If you keep looking at each other through a filtered lens, are you going to let your personal biases violate team decisions during a match? Are you going to ignore a teammate in danger, interfere with the commander's judgment, and drag the whole team down?”
“Hmph...::::” Angelina turned her head away.
Bai Youyou similarly disdained to look in Angelina's direction, instead staring intently at Xu Xiaoyou.
“When you agreed to my conditions, you said that outside of competition time, I could arrest you whenever I wanted as long as I was willing. That still counts, right?”
“Of course.” Xu Xiaoyou nodded.
Bai Youyou took a deep breath and accepted in silence.
Angelina originally wanted to retort a few more times, but seeing that even Bai Youyou had agreed, she didn't say much more. She just crossed her arms, the rapid twitching of her wolf ears betraying her depressed mood.
A few flashes of light appeared.
In the blink of an eye, the group had arrived at the training base Xu Xiaoyou had mentioned.
Looking at the surrounding scene, Akabane Tsubaki's eyes lit up, and her mouth hung slightly open.
The entire apartment was surrounded by massive panoramic glass and divided into two floors. A virtual waterfall projection split the bright living room into two parts. On the left were the kitchen, bar, coffee shop, library, and other living facilities, fully equipped and planted with dwarf trees and flowers. On the right was the training zone, housing high-spec equipment for weekly activities such as gravity pods, the Tower of Eternity, holographic simulations, the Pale Red Battle-Net, the Deep Realms of Old, and the Misty Forest.
Standing by the window, one could see a rolling sea of clouds below, with sharp electric sparks occasionally flashing through. On the distant shore stood a glittering, radiant city, like golden streamers ground into the mist, with stars flickering and fading within the bands of light.
The spectacular sight was completely different from the cramped space they had imagined; for a moment, they felt as if they had arrived in another world.
They could be certain they were not in any known map of the Oasis, yet they were at a very high altitude, high enough to overlook the distant Oasis City.
【Region: Cloudtop Apartment】
【Coordinates: Unknown】
【Affiliated Guild: Light-Chaser Garden】
【Player ID 0E3605 — Mind Inquisitor. You have authorization for this area and may move freely.】
Bai Youyou analyzed the information of the area and nodded thoughtfully.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Akabane Tsubaki wished she could press her entire face against the window. Her eyes reflected the shining stars, and she was so shocked by the spectacular view that she couldn't speak.
At this moment, only one thought remained in the mind of this little family head.
If an apocalyptic crisis ever broke out, hiding here would definitely feel super safe, wouldn't it?
Tang Xin walked through the apartment, surveying everything around her, as an indescribable emotion welled up from deep within.
She didn't know how much longer she would wander the badlands. Perhaps it would be for a very long time. Journeys of millions of kilometers were distances that lovers could spend their entire lives without ever meeting across.
Perhaps she would always wander like this, walking under the cold moon of the wilderness, experiencing the winds and rains of miracles, witnessing the prosperity and decay of one city after another, never to return to the embrace of civilization until she grew old and lonely in some corner of the world.
What exactly was this indescribable emotion? Was it the feeling of a wandering traveler finding a harbor, no longer needing to worry about the dangers that could come at any time or the unknowns of tomorrow? Was it the resting of a heart that beat with anxiety all day long? Was it the sense of belonging she had anchored in this world, finding a place she could call 'home'?
Tang Xin shook her head, pulling this emotion back into her heart, leaving it to be slowly processed during the journeys to come.
Angelina went to the beer machine and tapped it. Seeing the clear, golden malt liquor flow out, she nodded. Then she kicked the sofa to confirm it was sturdy enough, filled a cup of beer, plopped down, and took a large, refreshing gulp.
Seeing that everyone seemed satisfied, the weight in Xu Xiaoyou's heart dropped. At the same time, she felt an immense pain in her wallet. The construction of the Cloudtop Apartment alone had nearly emptied her private stash, and she had even used a significant portion of the guild funds. Not to mention the training equipment was all the latest generation; for that, she had even taken out a large loan of federal shields from the Federation Bank in the name of guild construction.
Because of this, besides a few basic skill cards like 【Back Alley Thrust】, 【Fireball Bombardment】, and 【Bleeding Frenzy】, her pockets were cleaner than her face.
After touring the first floor, they moved to the second. The crystal lamp hanging from the atrium emitted a soft glow. Rose-red carpets lined the hallways, and peacock-green wall stickers were dotted with gold dust. Book pages floated in the air, flipping on their own as light traced characters, forming knowledge that drifted through the space. In a corner, an unmanned grand piano played automatically; Angelina dug at her ear and turned it off, but Tang Xin silently turned it back on, smoothly changing it to a more soothing piece of music.
Feeling uncomfortable under Tang Xin's direct gaze, Angelina looked troubled. Finally, she sighed and gave up on the idea of arguing with her.
Bai Youyou stopped and looked up. Above her, books were arranged in a spiraling ring like a staircase, their simple covers emitting a faint glow. With a flick of her finger, a book flew into her hand.
Most of the content inside was dry legal knowledge that would make an ordinary person fall asleep at a glance, but Bai Youyou seemed to enjoy it.
Akabane Tsubaki grinned and pushed Tang Xin's shoulder, and the two girls chatted and laughed as they toured the layout of the second floor.
It didn't take long for this harmonious atmosphere to be shattered, as everyone began arguing again over the room assignments.
“Angelina, are you sick?” Bai Youyou's face looked grim.
“What do you mean I'm sick? My dear miss of the Order Court, what did I do?” Angelina's tone rose. “I just want to get along with you and improve our friendship, so I want to live right next to you. Is there a problem with that?”
“Missy, we have to get along well from now on~ Let's start with a wake-up service every morning. If you can't get up, do you need me to help you get dressed?”
Seeing Bai Youyou's obvious disgust and discomfort, Angelina couldn't have been happier. In her previous arguments with her, she had always been on the losing end. Now that she had finally found an angle to annoy the other girl, she was going to seize the opportunity and make the most of it.
“You... you're unreasonable!” Bai Youyou looked at Angelina's provocative face and bit her lip. This was the first time she had felt such a profound sense of helplessness when facing this person.
She glared fiercely at Xu Xiaoyou. Without a doubt, this shameless way of acting was definitely learned from this person.
Xu Xiaoyou acted as if it had nothing to do with her, whistling as she walked away.
As for Tang Xin and Akabane Tsubaki's rooms...
Tang Xin extended her index finger and expressionlessly pointed at Xu Xiaoyou's chest.
Xu Xiaoyou's mouth twitched.
Later that night, Xu Xiaoyou sat alone in her room. After reading through the guild logs and confirming everything was in order, she nodded, took off her round-rimmed glasses, set them aside, and rubbed the bridge of her aching nose.
She had handed over the allocation of guild funds, daily activities, and the selection and training of talent to the glasses-wearing man's management team. They were absolute professionals in this regard. Her current state was close to that of a hands-off manager; aside from being the public face, she only participated in guild management when major decisions were required.
The current membership of Light-Chaser Garden was close to two thousand, making it a level 4 guild. After breaking through to level 5, this number would increase several times over.
Unlike other large guilds like Life Daybreak, Winter Dawn, or the King's Clan, many things in Light-Chaser Garden weren't decided by the guild leader alone. In those other guilds, there were supervisory teams sent by the families, and the leader's power was restricted by the backing factions. Affairs including but not limited to loans, declaring war, adjusting contributions, and launching expeditions all required high-level meetings and joint decisions with the elders of the family forces.
In Light-Chaser Garden, however, all major matters were decided by her alone. She was essentially a dictator. Xu Xiaoyou firmly believed that only a dictator's vision was long-term enough, their judgment sharp enough, and their methods swift enough to keep the machine running at peak efficiency.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for all the major guilds. Everyone was preparing for the qualifiers tomorrow morning. Large guilds organized their forces, while small guilds prayed and drew lots.
Xu Xiaoyou squeezed out the last of the money in her private vault and chose to pull cards. The moment she saw 【Bleeding Frenzy】, a sense of salvation welled up in her heart.
Spreading out the three skill cards in her hand—【Fireball Bombardment】, 【Back Alley Thrust】, and 【Bleeding Frenzy】—Xu Xiaoyou felt infinite emotion. Good, the garbage dump trio was finally complete. Next, she would use these three skill cards again to fight her way through the upcoming league.
Xu Xiaoyou nodded and walked out of her room, but the scene before her was somewhat unexpected.
The lights on the first floor were dim. The television screen was playing 《Blade Runner》, its flickering light illuminating the silhouettes of two girls.
Bai Youyou sat on the sofa with a dark expression, while Angelina beside her was boldly drinking canned beer. Just as Angelina reached into the popcorn bucket in the other girl's lap, her hand was heartlessly slapped away by the black-haired girl.
“Why are you being so stingy? It's just a handful of popcorn.” Angelina curled her lips and familiarly slung her arm over Bai Youyou's shoulder.
“Don't bother me.” Bai Youyou watched the movie coldly, once again slapping away the other's hand. “Don't talk to me. Are we that close?”
If it weren't for the fact that this alcohol-reeking person followed her shamelessly wherever she went, Bai Youyou would never have tolerated her sitting so close.
In the nearby kitchen, under a hazy white light, Akabane Tsubaki was holding an eggbeater and whisking the batter in a bowl. Tang Xin stood beside her, teaching her step by step.
“Did I put too little water? What about the flour? Did I add too much?”
“No, that's just right. You're already doing very well.”
“Really?” Akabane Tsubaki's eyes lit up. After receiving the girl's praise, she suddenly felt motivated and continued whisking with full power.
The baking timer went off, and a steaming cake base came out of the oven. The rich aroma of milk mixed with wheat wafted right under their noses.
The light in Akabane Tsubaki's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and her heart was incredibly excited. This was the first time she had ever made a cake.
But as soon as her hand touched the cake mold, Akabane Tsubaki jumped up from the burn.
Seeing the red-haired girl cast a pitiful look for help, Tang Xin smiled helplessly, took the other's hand, and blew on it twice. A soft stream of water floated out, and the burning sensation on the scorched area faded.
A flower band-aid was slowly wrapped around her fingertip. Akabane Tsubaki's eyes met those clear ones, and she couldn't help but daze for a moment, lowering her head in some embarrassment. Big Sister Tang had such a good personality; to think she had initially speculated that the other girl was some dark and terrifying existence.
Tang Xin took in her shy demeanor, and her calm gaze shifted, catching sight of Xu Xiaoyou walking over.
“Yuzu, you're not sleeping either?”
“Do you want to try some? It's the cake Xiao Li just made.”
What is this, a fruit meeting?
Xu Xiaoyou thought to herself.
Akabane Tsubaki had added a pile of cream and dried fruit to her portion of the cake. She took melted chocolate and colorful sugar sprinkles and threw them on top until the white cream surface was completely covered.
She couldn't wait to shove a large spoonful into her mouth. The fluffy cream and sweetness filled every taste bud in her mouth, and a satisfied blush drifted onto her cheeks.
“Eating such sweet things late at night... aren't you afraid your teeth will fall out or you'll get fat and won't be able to sleep?”
Xu Xiaoyou's reminder hit Akabane Tsubaki like a bolt from the blue.
She turned to look at Tang Xin, only to see the other girl holding a bowl with a cake base, digging out a tiny spoonful and delicately sipping it into her mouth. Akabane Tsubaki seemed to realize something suddenly; her eyes filled with disbelief, and her cream-stained lips trembled. Even the elegant smile of the blue-haired girl seemed to become terrifying.
“Yuzu, you're right. I... I'm not eating anymore!”
Akabane Tsubaki quickly set down the plate and sprinted upstairs.
Tang Xin looked puzzled: “What's wrong with her?”
“Don't bother me.” Bai Youyou walked past quickly with a dark face. “Keep your distance. Stay away from me.”
Angelina followed close behind, raising an eyebrow and giving an OK gesture in this direction.
Xu Xiaoyou shook her head and took the cake base from Tang Xin's hand: “She's still young. Don't bully her too much.”
“Sigh.” Tang Xin let out a sigh. “Is this the image I have in your eyes now?”
“Not at all. Xiao Li is quite cute.”
“Sorry, I don't really know the right way to treat a ‘sister.’ My understanding of friendship and family is limited. These weren't taught in the textbooks at the Starry Art Academy, but I'm trying to learn.”
“You should get some rest early too, Yuzu.”
She watched Tang Xin leave and walk toward the second floor.
The surroundings grew quiet as the darkness from the edge of the living room spread inward. The warm images of the night still lingered in the air, and a faint white light shone on Xu Xiaoyou, illuminating the small area where she stood.
The events of tonight slowly replayed in the depths of Xu Xiaoyou's eyes.
Although their relationships were far from as harmonious as they appeared on the surface, at the very least, had the first step for Light-Chaser Garden toward tomorrow been taken?
Rate on N.U.
