Ding ling ling…
As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Kiana grabbed Hu Tao and sprinted out like she was running a hundred-meter dash.
She couldn't wait another second—she wanted to see her sister, and of course the gentle Mei.
Even during class, Kiana and Hu Tao had been secretly searching up information about the game Honkai Impact 3rd.
When Kiana found out that in the game, her in-game counterpart and Mei shared all sorts of orange-tinted (romantic) scenes, she nearly failed to suppress the goofy grin of a lovesick fool.
So the moment school ended, she dragged Hu Tao and rushed straight to the miHoYo Studio.
"Ahhh~ Kiana, slow down! My hat's gonna fly off…"
The two quickly arrived outside the studio.
Kiana pulled out a key and slipped in quietly with Hu Tao.
"Wow~ so this is what a game studio looks like?" It was Hu Tao's first time seeing such a place, and she looked unusually excited.
"Strange… where did everyone go?"
Kiana led Hu Tao around the office several times but didn't see a soul.
Only when they came to the door of the recording room did they realize—all the girls were gathered inside.
And with just one glance, Kiana spotted both her sister and the Mei she had been longing to see.
"Big Sis! Mei!!"
With a squeal of delight, Kiana dove straight into Mei's arms like a fluffy white snowball.
That familiar touch…
"Kiana? What are you doing here!"
Kiana tilted her head up, grinning cheekily. "I missed you, Mei…"
But the moment she finished speaking, she noticed that all her sisters' eyes were red and swollen—clearly, they had just been crying.
Kiana froze. "Sisters… what's wrong? Did something happen?"
The girls exchanged glances, then all turned their gaze toward Mo Li.
"..." Mo Li.
From the moment Kiana walked in, Mo Li's attention had been fixed on her—and the brown-haired girl following behind, Hu Tao.
Durandal had mentioned before that Kiana was her younger sister, currently still in high school.
So her showing up wasn't surprising.
What was surprising was the girl with her—Hu Tao.
"Didn't expect that little airhead to be hanging out with Hall Master Hu…"
Two mischievous, quirky girls together? Mo Li could only imagine how much of a headache their teachers must have.
"You! How dare you bully my sisters!"
Suddenly, anger flared across Kiana's delicate face as she stormed toward Mo Li.
Fortunately, Mei grabbed her in time. "Kiana, you've misunderstood…"
Clearly, Kiana had mistaken the girls' collective stares.
"Kiana, don't make trouble," Durandal added, her voice firm. "He's our new boss."
"Even if he's the boss, he can't bully my sisters!"
The girls: "..."
None of them had the heart to admit they'd just been crying over a sad game story.
So Ganyu stepped forward, wiping away the last traces of tears at her eyes. She explained softly, "We were just… moved by the game's story. The boss didn't bully us."
Hearing this, Kiana's anger vanished instantly. "Eh? R-Really…?"
She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Uh… sorry, Boss…"
Mo Li chuckled. "It's fine. Durandal already mentioned you to me. Just as I thought—you really are a lively, adorable girl."
The compliment made Kiana blush.
She poked her own cheek with her finger, mumbling shyly, "I-I'm not that cute…"
But inside, she was glowing with pride.
Bronya, however, rolled her eyes.
When Durandal described Kiana earlier, she had used the words "troublemaker" and "brat."
How did that suddenly become "lively and adorable" in Mo Li's mouth?
As expected—men's words, all lies.
"Ah, right! This is my bestie, Hu Tao~" Kiana tugged Hu Tao forward and introduced her.
"Hello, Boss! I'm Hu Tao~"
Mo Li smiled faintly. Of course he knew Hall Master Hu. He gave a polite nod in greeting.
Glancing at the clock, he saw that quitting time was near.
"Since your sisters are here to see you, let's call it a day early."
The announcement of early dismissal didn't excite Durandal and the others much—the game was their passion, after all.
But Kiana jumped with joy.
"Thank you, Boss!!"
Once Mo Li left, Kiana and Hu Tao immediately latched onto Durandal's arms.
"Big Sis, did you use me as a template to make this game character?"
"Durandal Sis, can't you give me a role in the game too? It looks sooo fun~"
The two girls chirped on endlessly.
Far from being annoyed, Durandal only smiled warmly and patted Kiana's snowy white hair.
"I did help with the game's development, but the decision wasn't mine. It was Mo Li who chose to put Kiana into the game."
"Eh? Really?"
"That's such a shame…" Hu Tao pouted in disappointment.
Just then, Bronya's cool voice cut in. "If Hu Tao truly wants to play a role… the boss might agree."
"Huh? Really?"
Bronya nodded. "I'm not certain. But you could ask him."
After all, cute girls were one of Honkai 3rd's biggest selling points.
With Hu Tao's looks, if she volunteered to appear in the game, Mo Li was unlikely to refuse.
"I'll take you to ask him. If he agrees, Hu Tao, you might even earn a decent income from it."
"Whaaat~ seriously?" At the mention of money, Hu Tao's eyes sparkled. "Bronya Sis, hurry and take me to Boss Mo Li!"
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