Due to their fleeting lifespans and inherent uniqueness, very few in this cosmos have ever truly laid eyes upon a Star Child.
Even so, the archives of the Interastral Peace Corporation once held a record that read:
[The moment you gaze upon the true visage of a Star Child.]
[You will behold the true form of 'Ideal Beauty'—a splendor beyond words, beyond description. Your limbs will draw strength from the mere sight of them; every cell in your body will sing as if rejuvenated by countless cycles of rest.]
[Your vision will sharpen, the beat of your heart will grow more powerful.]
[Yet, in exchange, from that moment on, both your body and your soul shall become their captive.]
[Your nerves will fray in their absence, your thoughts will scatter without them. Every part of your being will only function normally when anchored near them.]
[Yes, the beauty embodied by the Star Children is an addictive poison.]
[When they are near, you bask in the ecstasy of surrender. When they are gone, you are met with agony that gnaws at your bones and devours your soul.]
Because it was related to Bai Heng, Firefly had specially gone to look up this record some time ago.
Back then, she felt the description might have been exaggerated.
But now, Firefly didn't doubt its truthfulness one bit.
Because the moment her eyes met his—those twin pupils shimmering with gold and silver—she could clearly feel the fatigue in her body dissipating at an incredible rate, replaced by a wonderfully full and exhilarating vitality.
But... that was all.
She felt none of the further effects mentioned in the record, nor any of the side effects.
It was undeniable that the young man before her was indeed more handsome than before, and made her heart flutter just a little more.
Yet Firefly wasn't the least bit surprised by this.
On the contrary, she knew the reason.
Because at the very end of that record, there was an annotation:
The only way to avoid the side effects of a Star Child is—You love him deeply enough, and he loves you just as deeply.
But from the beginning of the 1836th Amber Era until now, the number of people who have achieved this is: 1.
Of course, this was from literature that hadn't been updated. If they included today, the number recorded in the literature should have become '2'.
"A little disappointing. You don't seem surprised at all," Bai Heng said with a light laugh, his silver-white eyelashes lending him an indescribable divinity.
Though his expression was the same as always, his current appearance was clearly far more captivating.
Looking at him like this, the girl's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quietly revised the conclusion she'd just reached in her heart.
Alright, not just a little more handsome than usual—but a whole lot, a whole lot more...
"Ahem..." Covering her embarrassment with a cough, Firefly straightened her expression slightly. "No matter how you change, Bai Heng is still Bai Heng. That won't change, so there's nothing to be surprised about."
Yes, whether before revealing his true form or after, nothing had really changed for the girl.
She still loved the young man named Bai Heng.
Now, and always.
"Well then, since my appearance has changed a little, allow me to reintroduce myself~" Gazing at the girl before him, Bai Heng spoke in a light, cheerful tone.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Firefly. I am Bai Heng, one of the Star Children. I need to stay in Penacony for a month. During this month, would you be willing to be my guide and travel with me?"
Kneeling on one knee, Bai Heng took the girl's hand, his gentle eyes resting on her delicate, lovely face as he waited for her answer.
The girl said: "I do."
Like the final vow in a wedding ceremony, the silver-haired girl spoke those three significant words without a hint of hesitation.
Her answer brought a satisfied smile to Bai Heng's face.
A teardrop of starlight, formed into a ring, slipped onto the slender, pale ring finger of the girl's hand, perfectly concluding the moment.
[A youth kneeling on one knee, a girl with a face full of happy smiles—under the witness of a sky full of shooting stars, they completed a ceremony of profound significance.]
As the system's text slowly appeared, the viewers in the livestream chat finally snapped out of the overflowing happiness and beauty they had just witnessed.
Some of the more emotional viewers had tears welling in their eyes without even realizing it.
The scene just now was too beautiful—so beautiful that even they, as spectators, had become immersed in it.
So much so that not a single comment had appeared in the chat during that time.
Now, as the images on the screen gradually faded, the livestream chat heated up once again.
--+--
Pela: 「Congrats on the finale! Congrats on the finale!」
Keqing: 「Congrats on the finale +1!」
Yae Miko: 「The Starlit Youth and the Firefly Maiden… I think I have some new inspiration.」
Elysia: 「Although the journey had its twists and turns, the ending was wonderful~ But speaking of which, Mr. Bai Heng is truly captivating after taking off the Tear of Stars and revealing his true appearance! Even I felt a little swayed!!」
Mei Raiden: 「Elysia… Should you really be saying things like that in front of everyone? After all, Miss Firefly is here too…」
Silver Wolf: 「What kind of public cuckolding is this…」
Elysia: 「I'm just sharing my thoughts~ No other meaning intended, okay?」
Kiana: 「Speaking of which, since we saw Mr. Bai Heng's true appearance through the livestream, we aren't affected, right?」
Silver Wolf: 「Duh! If the Star Children's ability could work through communication software, they'd just post videos online and the whole universe would belong to them, wouldn't it?」
March 7th: 「Are you sure it doesn't work through comms? Then what's this all about…」
[March 7th uploaded a video.]
--+--
In the video, Stelle was hugging a doll from March 7th's room, continuously giggling foolishly and muttering incomprehensible things like "Bro, you smell so good."
On the doll's head was tied a mobile terminal showing a screenshot of Bai Heng's face.
--+--
Ganyu: 「....」
Seele: 「.....」
Welt: 「....」
Silver Wolf: 「I need to correct myself. If the subject is a total simp, then it still works...」
--+--
Just as everyone was immersed in the joy, the livestream screen lit up once again.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.