"'The Situation Is Great'? 'Ruan1'? What do these mean?"
Herta looked at the barrage where many were spamming these comments and asked curiously.
Ruan Mei shook her head.
Indicating that she didn't care about these either.
Scientific research pursues simplicity and efficiency in mechanisms. Learning about the waves of meme culture emerging online was purely a waste of time for the two of them.
However.
Some more straightforward comments made her realize what these players were anticipating.
[I've rewatched this part several times, it's so sweet!]
[Beautiful women being close together, I love it ahhh!]
"Huh?"
"These players think there's some kind of emotional entanglement between you and me?"
"...to the point of forming a relationship similar to that of ordinary couples?"
"That's too lowbrow!"
Ruan Mei said thoughtfully, "After studying so much of the Honkai: Star Rail storyline, this kind of relationship isn't hard to understand."
"Not just among geniuses, other characters also seem to have a tendency to be subjectively promoted."
"For example, Bronya and Seele, Black Swan and Acheron, you and me."
"Actually, studying these case subjects reveals that there's a certain degree of equality in status between the two parties, which can be considered a kind of... acknowledgment."
Herta found it amusing that Ruan Mei had actually delved deeply into this kind of relationship!
She really seemed to have changed!
Compared to when they first met, she had become much more humane!
And easier to get along with.
Probably easier to handle than before!
Just as Herta was thinking this.
She suddenly heard her in-game self say, "There's more to come."
"Lend me your lab."
After saying that.
Without waiting for Ruan Mei's agreement.
She waved her wand.
Colorful light gathered at the tip of the wand.
Pointing out the window!
Ruan Mei's laboratory, located between planets, was now enveloped by a giant cake, forming something even larger than the surrounding celestial bodies!
Besides exquisite cream decorations, the cake featured planets, purple lilies, and a giant black cat plushie.
...
"Wait, you actually know how to do this?"
"Magic... cake planet!!"
"Ruan Mei: So lavish!"
"Such a huge cake, for you!"
"Ruan Mei: I turn planets into living beings, you turn planets into cakes?"
"This matter is also recorded in the Light Cone Erudition The Day The Cosmos Fell."
...
After seeing the scene outside.
Ruan Mei sighed.
Commenting, "Too exaggerated."
Yet she couldn't help but smile slightly.
"I still prefer the smaller one."
"How rare."
Herta remarked,
"When did your taste become so good?"
...
"She smiled! She smiled! She smiled!"
"Spread the word: Ruan Mei likes the small one!"
"You like the one Herta made herself, right?"
"Ruan Mei: It's not that my taste improved, it's just that I like you."
"Let me watch one more episode, I'll do anything!"
"What about later, let me see what happens next!"
"What comes later is content from the chat space."
"Friendly reminder: The Interastral Peace Network is not a lawless zone. Please mind your language and communicate amicably..."
...
The video ended here.
Fortunately, Herta didn't understand some of the comments in the barrage.
Otherwise,
many users on the Interastral Peace Network might have been directly banned, or perhaps even had their terminals remotely exploded by tracing their IP addresses!
"Finished watching. What do you think?" Ruan Mei asked.
Herta shook her head: "Just average."
"This video doesn't seem to have a clear point—it's basically just exposing my daily life."
"Perhaps... Yu Ling finds exposing a genius's daily life to be a matter of Elation?"
"I actually quite like the style of that short video of yours."
Just as Herta finished speaking.
"Ding-dong!"
A crisp notification sound echoed in the office.
Both of their gazes converged on the screen before them.
[The user you follow, [Yu Ling], has posted a new update. Let's take a look~]
[Honkai: Star Rail Thousand-Star Chronicle PV: "The Silent Mystery of the Stars"]
"Another video?"
Even Herta was surprised.
Because,
the video's thumbnail was still her!
A close-up shot right in her face!
It seemed Yu Ling also knew her face was flawless—no need to bother with designing a thumbnail, just using a straightforward frontal photo would do.
It must be said,
Yu Ling understood what made a video stand out!
Ruan Mei clicked open the video description.
[The minute when 1+1=2 was solved
The minute when the necessity of the equal sign was overturned
The minute when day and night found their rhythm
The minute when inhalation and exhalation ceased to alternate
The minute when life's sixty-first second occurred
The minute when stars shone and fell silent after extinguishing
Countless questions flicker in the universe, and only life can quench curiosity.]
A faint smile appeared on Ruan Mei's lips.
"The video style you wanted is here."
Herta, meanwhile, looked up.
Her gaze fixed on the void.
"Hey, Yu Ling, are you watching us?"
"You just posted this, so you must be observing everything in this universe too."
Unfortunately,
Yu Ling didn't send any actual response.
Of course, this wasn't unexpected.
At the very least,
the appearance of Honkai: Star Rail had made this universe much more interesting.
"Let's continue watching. Hopefully, the content of this video won't disappoint me."
...
...
Jarilo-.
Belobog.
A blizzard swirled like a massive white vortex across the sky.
The land stretched out in a vast, desolate expanse.
Aside from ice and snow, only the dark traces of corruption from the Fragmentum remained.
This place was almost a no-man's land for life.
Yet.
In such an extremely dangerous environment.
A person walked calmly across the glacier!
Wearing only a jacket and casual pants.
The blizzard and extreme cold seemed to have no effect on him!
He was even leisurely eating an ice pop.
His entire demeanor was completely out of place with the surroundings!
"Hmm, tired of ordinary scenery. Occasionally, this kind of raw, wild snowscape isn't bad either."
He casually tossed away the finished ice pop stick.
There was no need for any sense of public morality here.
Of course,
it might be discovered by people from Belobog decades or even centuries later, becoming an unsolved mystery.
"In this kind of environment, having hot pot would be much more comfortable."
Lin Yu extended his consciousness outward.
The scenery within hundreds of miles appeared in his mind like a 3D map.
Originally, he had intended to find a place with nice scenery to serve as his dining spot.
Unexpectedly, he discovered an "unexpected delight."
"Surprisingly, people have made their way here..."
"Oh, there's an active Fragmentum node nearby."
In Lin Yu's vision.
Beneath this glacier lay a massive internal space.
The passages inside were intricate and complex, like an ant colony.
Many areas are affected by rift corruption, with numerous monster ice sculptures appearing in a semi-awakened state.
In one such location, a small team was resting.
The leader was actually a familiar face.
—Bronya!
Why would she come to a place like this?
Everyone in the team looked pale, as if they had been trapped here for some time, and many were injured.
"Lady Bronya, please rest assured. Our supplies can last for three more days. I believe rescue will find us."
Bronya frowned deeply.
Her expression was grim.
She shook her head and said, "I'm not worried about that..."
"Have you noticed that although this cave isn't particularly cold, it seems to be undergoing some kind of unusual change?"
The female guard beside her looked tense. "Could it be... the influence of the rift?"
"Very likely. We can't stay here any longer, or we'll definitely attract them."
Soon.
The team chose a fork in the path, planning to scout ahead.
However.
Lin Yu could clearly see.
That path was not a way out—it was a dead end filled with monster statues!
Just then.
A system notification chimed in his ear.
"Ding!"
"The items you are following, [Viewing Rewards] and [Honkai Impact 3rd Angel Rebuild Storyline], are about to refresh. Please note the remaining time..."