The cable cars atop Mount Li weren't set beside the main road but farther away. Around four o'clock, after resting, Class One gathered there to wait.
In the central plains near summer, the weather wasn't unbearably hot but certainly not comfortable either. On the mountain summit, where the air was thinner, the afternoon sun was scorching and difficult to endure. Fortunately, the heavens were merciful—more than half an hour ago, a thin layer of cloud had drifted in, sparing Chu Lian and the others from direct sunlight.
Of course, they weren't fools. For the sake of their health, they naturally sought shelter. The world's environment was well-preserved, and though many places still bore traces of human handiwork, there were still many tall trees atop the mountain. Hidden spots even had pavilions for rest. There, some dozed, while others played on their phones.
Since arriving, Inori had been sleeping on Chu Lian's shoulder, until Ning Zhiyuan came to call them together, and Chu Lian gently woke her.
"Inori, it's time to wake up—we're going down now." Chu Lian shook her shoulder softly.
"Mm?" Inori sat up, rubbing her eyes, and murmured drowsily, her wine-red eyes hazy as she looked at Chu Lian: "Lian, what time is it?"
"Almost four. We'll visit the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, then return to Qingping Grand Hotel around six. We're to rest before eight, and at nine we'll head to the airport to take a private flight to Mount Tai." Chu Lian smiled wryly as she spoke the schedule. The plan was too packed—twelve cities in just half a month. It would be stranger if their biological clocks weren't in chaos.
But she couldn't complain. After all, the itinerary had been drafted by her following Ayase's suggestions, approved by the whole class, and arranged through negotiations between teachers and the school. At least for these domestic cities, rest would be scarce—time was simply too tight.
Things should improve once they reached the island nation. Then they could finally rest properly. For now, they had to keep up.
"Big Sis, do you want to look at this?" At that moment, Chu Chu crawled slowly over from the bench on the other side of the pavilion, laying her head on Chu Lian's lap and pointing at her phone screen.
"No, I don't want to. It's depressing. Those replies are way too much! I curse them to be unlucky all month! Hmph!" Chu Lian glanced at the screen, tilted her head, pouted, and sulked.
"Er, alright then. If Big Sis doesn't want to, it's fine~" Chu Chu blinked, then decided it wasn't a big deal. She flipped her phone back and silently prayed for a few people: "I tried to help you, but it only made Big Sis curse you. So this month will be rough for you all. But don't worry—I'm sure you trash will survive to keep polluting society. This big sister can only do so much for you. Just… try not to let Big Sis see your comments next time, or you'll end up dead…"
What Chu Lian didn't know was that outside of "The Heart of First Love," the core fan alliance, there was another group called "Push Down Chu Lian"—a dark fan alliance. Their obsession was fantasizing about Chu Lian in every possible way, all while boosting her fame.
Most of them had twisted, perverted minds. The comments Chu Lian had seen before were mild compared to the darker ones that existed—she had only been spared by not seeing them. And the founder and sole administrator of "Push Down Chu Lian" was none other than Chu Chu herself. Those close to her called her "Big Sister Head," while the rest referred to her as the "Cult Leader."
Her true identity was known only to herself. In front of others, she put on the airs of the "Alliance Big Sister." Many of the leaks about Chu Lian that circulated online had secretly come from her. Of course, she was the only one in the alliance daring enough to openly state her goal was to push down Chu Lian. Even if others shared the same intent, none dared to show it, lest she teach them a harsh lesson.
What she didn't know was that many people she knew, and many who knew her, belonged to both alliances. Some were hardcore members of "The Heart of First Love" by day, and hidden members of "Push Down Chu Lian" by night. Still, that didn't mean they were on the same side.
"The Heart of First Love" aimed to protect Chu Lian's growth, to be her strongest support, to shield her from storms, to clear her path, and ultimately see her rise as a goddess. They adored women in the normal sense—but in their minds, this woman had to be beyond perfect: a great chest, shapely beautiful legs.
"Push Down Chu Lian," on the other hand, would use any method short of ruining her reputation or drawing excessive hate to spread her fame. Their ultimate goal was the opposite: they wanted Chu Lian to remain forever a loli in body, heart, and voice, so that pushing her down would bring them their unique thrill.
Put simply, the former were hardcore fans, while the latter were like fanatical cultists. One side was the goddess faction, the other the loli faction. One believed: "Without great breasts, how can you gather hearts?" The other insisted: "Without a flat chest, how can the world be leveled?" Completely opposing doctrines—neither respecting the other, both clinging stubbornly to their faith.
For such extreme fan groups, it would be stranger if they didn't clash. Even if some people secretly belonged to both, once a holy war began, no one could escape.
Still, if anyone slandered Chu Lian in their presence, both sides would immediately unite against the outsider, crushing them completely before turning back on each other. This became their unspoken rule: repel outsiders first, settle internal disputes later.
At present, "The Heart of First Love," with its diverse membership across social classes, held the advantage. Unlike the hidden "Push Down Chu Lian," they were the first, largest, and most professional fan group, existing openly online. Their growth was far faster.
But with so many subgroups and scattered goals, they weren't as united as "Push Down Chu Lian," whose singular, twisted purpose bound them tightly. Thus the two camps balanced each other, constantly clashing.
Curiously, one of the original thirty founders of "The Heart of First Love," now its vice leader Li Xiu'er, and the "Cult Leader" of "Push Down Chu Lian" were both here at the same time—yet neither knew the other's secret identity.
"Alright, it's time to leave. No more waiting. The mountains aren't safe late, and while we aren't afraid, there's no need to invite trouble. Remember, our main goal in Chang'an is to see the Terracotta Army. We've already wasted plenty of time on Mount Li. Any later, and all we'll have time for is sleep." Chu Lian pried off Chu Chu's head from her lap and went to wake Li Xiu'er, whose lips glistened with drool.
"Ah, Chu Lian, hurry and take off… clothes, quick, I—" Li Xiu'er stirred at Chu Lian's call, but her sleep-addled mind thought she was still dreaming, and she blurted it out. Chu Lian pressed a hand to her forehead, staring at Li Xiu'er's face until she shook her head, realizing her situation. Her cheeks burned red. Only then did Chu Lian flick her on the forehead, saying, "Don't ever sleep in front of others again. If you reveal your true colors, who'll want you after that?"
Finger to finger, Li Xiu'er lowered her head. "It's only because I felt safe with you here that I dared to fall asleep. If it were someone else, I never would… And besides, I hate it when you say no one will want me. I don't want to marry anyone. If I do marry, if I marry, if I marry, it will only be to…" Her last words were as soft as a mosquito's buzz. Chu Lian didn't catch them, so she leaned closer and asked, "What did you just say?"
"I said, it's time to go down," Li Xiu'er muttered suddenly, turning her head away and shifting the topic back to Chu Lian's earlier words.
Hearing that, Chu Lian didn't press further. She only nodded. "Yes, come on, get up, we're heading down."
"Alright, alright, Big Sis, let's go." Chu Chu tucked her phone away, cradled the still-sleeping Tina, and walked to the pavilion entrance. Tilting her head back to look at the sky veiled in thin white clouds, she said, "If we wait any longer, it might rain."
Holding Inori's and Li Xiu'er's hands, Chu Lian followed behind. Hearing Chu Chu's words, she replied, "I can feel the dampness rising. It's a sign of rain."
"Big Sis, wouldn't it be so romantic if we strolled back in the rain?" Chu Chu turned back with a radiant smile, clearly yearning for the scene.
Rolling her eyes, Chu Lian glanced at the oil-paper umbrella Inori carried, the one that belonged to her, and said: "If you want to get drenched, fine. But I brought an umbrella. It can cover four if we squeeze, though three would be much more comfortable. Looks like you don't want in."
"No, don't! Big Sis, I was joking!" Chu Chu quickly begged for mercy, flitting around her like a butterfly.
"Ah! You damned perverted cat, you're awake? Why are you scratching me?" Suddenly, Chu Chu cried out in surprise. She pulled Tina from her arms and held her up, glaring fiercely.
But Tina only turned her feline face aside, peering at her with disdainful eyes as if to say: [This cat feels ashamed that you, with such a large chest, would surrender to my flat-chested idiot master.]
Chu Chu could understand Tina's inner thoughts. Seeing that expression, she immediately knew what was meant. Anger flared. She hugged the cat tightly to her chest and rubbed her against it. "Hmph, don't you like big breasts? Then I'll let you feel the warmest embrace!"
In her normal form, Tina's strength matched Chu Chu's. But being held like this, she couldn't muster her power, so all she could do was struggle weakly without escape.
"Hmph! That'll teach you. Don't expect my warm embrace again." After venting, Chu Chu felt much better. She let go of Tina and dangled her by the scruff of her neck.
Seeing the girl and the cat bicker and tussle, the three behind her couldn't help but cover their mouths in laughter. Truly, this trip was livelier thanks to Chu Chu and Tina. Otherwise, there would have been many moments when spirits sank low.
Today we'll go… Was that dream really just a dream? Or was it an omen? The First Emperor of Qin… the woman in red… As she gazed at the cable car before her, Chu Lian's eyes narrowed slightly, whispering silently in her heart.