Sunlight slipped in through the gap in the curtains that hadn't been pulled completely tight, landing right on Kiana's eyelids.
The girl's eyelashes trembled, and she let out a whimper similar to a kitten stretching. She curled up into a ball on the sofa, then stretched out comfortably.
That relaxed sensation of waking up naturally even gave her an unreal illusion.
No nightmares.
No eccentric, sarcastic mockery from the Herrscher of the Void.
And no tension of triggering a red warning just by turning over slightly.
It's so comfortable...
Kiana rubbed against the cushion in a daze, a hint of a smile still hanging on the corners of her mouth.
Although that glass of bitter melon juice last night tasted terrible enough to kill, the effect was simply outstanding.
That Herrscher, who usually made a racket in her head, had probably been marinated by the bitter melon extract and still hadn't recovered.
Praise be to Auntie; I will never say you have bad taste again.
She habitually reached out her hand, wanting to touch the person who should be lying on the floor mat beside her.
She grabbed empty air.
She froze for a moment, her sleepiness dissipated by more than half by this empty sensation.
Wrong.
This isn't the bedroom.
Kiana opened her eyes. Reflected in her vision was the familiar ceiling—that cheap ceiling light, that slightly yellowed corner of the wall.
This was the living room. She had slept on the sofa last night.
Oh.
Right.
At home, the distance restriction between her and Su Yu had been lifted.
She no longer needed to stick to Su Yu's side like a hamster trapped in a cage.
Kiana lay on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling for a while.
The heterochromatic-eyed kitten named Chongchong had slipped to her feet at some point. It was curled up into a ball, sleeping soundly with a purr, its furry body rising and falling with its breathing.
Freedom.
These words rolled around in her mind, carrying a strange sense of unfamiliarity.
From the day she transmigrated to this world, she had been forced to get used to that annoying restriction.
She had to be by Su Yu's side to eat, by Su Yu's side to sleep, and rely on that pitiful thirty-minute experience card to use the toilet or take a shower—
Now, all of that was over.
She should be happy.
But why...
How should she put it? She was a little unaccustomed to it?
Kiana raised her hand, looking at her own palm.
She didn't turn into a transparent ghost, nor did she feel the fear of her body dissipating.
Everything was normal; everything was safe.
She smiled slightly.
That idiot should still be sleeping, right?
Kiana propped herself up, stepping onto the slightly cool floor with bare feet.
She wasn't wearing socks, and the moment her toes touched the wooden floor, she felt the unique chill of the early morning.
She gave a small shiver, then walked slowly towards the bedroom, her steps carrying an anticipation of wanting to play a prank.
Let's go see if that lazy dog is still dreaming.
If I'm lucky, maybe I can catch his ugly sleeping face while drooling. Then I can use it as a bargaining chip to threaten him into giving me extra food—
Kiana had already decided what she wanted to eat for lunch.
The bedroom door was ajar.
Kiana pushed the door open.
The bed was empty.
The quilt had been kicked to one side, revealing the wrinkled sheets underneath.
A shallow depression still remained on the pillow, a trace that someone had slept there.
But where was the person?
Su Yu was not there.
Kiana stood at the bedroom doorway and blinked.
She turned to look at the bathroom.
The door was open; there was no sound of water inside, no movement.
She walked to the kitchen.
The stove was clean, with no signs of cooking.
She even glanced at the balcony—the morning breeze blew in from there, carrying a trace of early summer warmth, but apart from a few pots of average-looking green plants, there was nothing on the balcony.
In the entire Unit 302, there was only her.
And that cat still sleeping sweetly on the sofa.
A strange feeling began to spread from the bottom of her heart.
Kiana stood in the center of the empty living room, unconsciously clutching the oversized T-shirt tightly.
That was Su Yu's clothes; she had worn it as pajamas last night.
The collar was a bit askew, drooping down to reveal a small section of her collarbone, but she couldn't care about that right now.
Where did Su Yu go?
This was the first time since she came to this world that she woke up and couldn't see that person.
In the past, even with the restrictions, she could feel his presence at any time—that sense of security from being forcibly bound by the System. Although it was a 'Social Death' situation, it was indeed reassuring.
But now...
Could something have happened to him?
Once this thought popped up, it spread wildly like weeds.
This idiot is so weak, he can't even beat a chicken. What if he meets some blind hooligans on the road?
He doesn't have my skills; he can't even run fast...
Will he be bullied by hooligans?
Or... did an accident happen? Hit by a car? Kidnapped? Or—
Kiana shook her head vigorously, trying to drive these messy thoughts out of her brain.
Her breathing became somewhat rapid, and her heart rate began to accelerate.
She could feel her palms sweating; that familiar tension before battle was quietly creeping up.
No.
This is a peaceful world.
There are no Honkai Beasts, no Herrschers, no Zombies.
Su Yu is just an ordinary person living an ordinary life in an ordinary city.
He just... went out, that's all.
Maybe he went to buy things.
Maybe he went for a morning run.
Maybe...
She suddenly felt somewhat dejected.
If I had known, I wouldn't have wanted this territory freedom right now.
Kiana scratched her hair irritably, rubbing her already messy white hair into even greater disorder.
If that restriction was still maintained, I could follow him right now, know where he is, know if he is safe...
Instead of being like this now, knowing nothing, able to do nothing...
She walked to the sofa and sat down heavily.
Freedom, huh.
In the end, it was just moving from Su Yu's side to this fifty-square-meter "birdcage."
She began to think again: If, in the future, all my restrictions are lifted, and I can enjoy the sunlight of this world even when I go out...
What would my life be like at that time?
She didn't know.
But she just felt...
If being free and unfettered meant being alone.
That kind of freedom.
It made one feel a little sad.
The sofa let out a slight creak. Chongchong was startled awake; it opened its pair of heterochromatic eyes to look at her once, then yawned and buried its head back into its furry belly.
Kiana picked up the mobile phone on the coffee table. A slightly crooked screen protector was stuck on the screen.
That was because Su Yu said he wanted to perform a feat of applying a screen protector without tools, to display his powerful ability to sell screen protectors at a roadside stall.
Then, after he finished sticking it on, he looked at the ceiling and sighed, saying, "I'd better go be a novelist."
As everyone knows, when a person accomplishes nothing, he often wants to become a novelist.
Kiana lit up the screen, wanting to call that idiot to ask where he was—
A unread message popped up on the screen.
Sender: [Idiot Su Yu]
The message content was very brief:
[What filling do you like for your steamed buns? Meat buns? The owner is about to close the stall, reply fast.]
Kiana stared at the screen for three seconds.
Then the corners of her mouth curled up uncontrollably.
This idiot...
So he went to buy breakfast.
She leaned back into the sofa, holding the phone above her face, her fingers tapping rapidly on the screen.
[Meat buns, two. And soy milk—hot, sweet!]
Send.
Then she added another message:
[Come back quickly.]
After sending it, she felt that saying this seemed a bit strange, so she added another sentence:
[Chongchong is hungry.]
Although that white cat was clearly still sleeping soundly.
Even Kiana didn't notice that after sending the message, the corners of her mouth curled up even higher.
About fifteen minutes later, the door lock clicked.
Kiana bounced up from the sofa.
The magnitude of her movement was so large that she startled even herself.
She quickly made herself sit back down, assuming a lazy posture. One hand rested on the armrest of the sofa, and the other held her phone, pretending to be reading something.
The door opened.
Su Yu walked in carrying two plastic bags; one bag contained steamed buns, and the other held two cups of steaming hot soy milk.
His hair was a bit messy; evidently, he had gone out without much grooming after getting up.
But he was intact.
No scrapes, no bruises, he hadn't even sweated much.
He was just an ordinary person who went to the street corner breakfast shop to buy breakfast and then came home.
Kiana looked at him, and the stone hanging in her heart finally landed with a thud.
"You're back."
She tried her best to make her voice sound casual.
"Mhm, bought the buns." Su Yu placed the plastic bags on the coffee table, then glanced at her. "Why are you up so early? Usually, you sleep until the sun is high."
"...Who made a rule that I can't wake up early?"
Kiana huffed and looked away, pretending to look at the scenery outside the window.
The sunlight had completely spilled into the living room, turning that thin strip of light into a golden carpet.
The kitten named Chongchong finally woke up. It stretched, then followed the scent of the buns and came over, rubbing its furry head against Su Yu's calf.
"Sure, sure, whatever you say is right." Su Yu opened the bag containing the buns, and hot steam rushed out. "Here, eat while it's hot. Five meat buns, is that enough? If not, I'll go down and buy more."
"It's enough."
Kiana took a bun and took a bite.
The meat filling was delicious, the skin thin and juicy; it was the taste of that time-honored brand on the street corner.
Kiana still remembered the first time she ate it; she had hidden timidly behind Su Yu, still full of defensiveness towards this world.
But the old grandfather and his family making the pastries were very kind. According to Su Yu, the old couple had been making buns on this street for over ten years. Their small shop wasn't big and, although dilapidated, was managed in an orderly manner.
That kindly old grandmother chatted cheerfully with Su Yu and incidentally praised Kiana for being such a beautiful girl. She even stuffed an extra bun for Kiana, saying that a girl her age was growing.
Since coming to this world, she had really received so much kindness.
No one treated her as a monster; no one thought she was the culprit who plunged the world into the Honkai.
Of course.
Kiana secretly glanced at Su Yu beside her. He seemed to be chatting with someone. He was sitting less than a meter away from her—this was his habit during this period.
Even knowing that at home they could ignore that subtle distance, he still habitually appeared by Kiana's side.
Idiot.
Kiana felt the tips of her ears turn a little red. Quietly, without batting an eyelid, she moved a little closer to Su Yu. This time the distance was half a meter.
It was really strange.
Clearly, before he returned, she didn't feel like she was disappearing even when staying alone, but panic still spun in her heart, like a suspended stone refusing to land.
But at this moment, she actually felt a sense of relief. It was like a drifting ship finally finding a harbor to dock.
"What's wrong?" Su Yu turned his head, seeing her dazing with the bun in her mouth.
"...Nothing, the bun is quite tasty."
Kiana lowered her head and took another big bite.
"It's quite tasty."
Seeing Su Yu's gaze fall back onto his phone.
She secretly scooted towards Su Yu again, even if only by five centimeters.
Anyway, there is no red warning now. I can be as close to you as I want.
This is the true meaning of freedom, right?
After five meat buns went down the hatch.
Kiana revealed a satisfied expression.
She held the sweet soy milk, which was already bottoming out, and narrowed her eyes to look at Su Yu sitting beside her. She felt that this man was a bit off today.
It was a kind of strangeness belonging to the category of a girl's sixth sense.
"So..."
Su Yu cleared his throat, his eyes darting around like a cat that had just stolen a fish.
"How do you feel today? Did you sleep well? Did you have any strange dreams?"
Kiana felt something was odd.
There was a slight crease on Su Yu's shirt collar; although his hair had been fixed with water, a few strands still stuck up, and his face wore that kind of guilty smile.
When this guy went out today, he absolutely met someone.
"What bad thing did you do behind my back?" Kiana asked directly, too lazy to even lay the groundwork.
Su Yu's shoulders shook noticeably. That movement was subtle, but to Kiana, it was as conspicuous as if the words "I HAVE A PROBLEM" were written on his forehead.
He coughed twice and began to explain in an overly deliberate, relaxed tone:
"Nothing big... just, uh, this morning when I went to buy buns, I just happened to pass by that convenience store, and then I met... Fu Hua."
When the name "Fu Hua" came out of Su Yu's mouth, his eyes stole a glance at Kiana.
As if observing her reaction.
That cautious look made it seem as if the name he just spoke wasn't a person's name, but some taboo curse.
Kiana looked at this nervous idiot before her, and a warmth suddenly surged in her heart.
He is worried that this name will touch the scar in the bottom of my heart.
Although this cautious thoughtfulness was a bit superfluous, it really made one feel cherished.
"And then?" Her tone was very calm, even carrying a teasing implication. "What expression did you expect me to make? Crying bitterly? Or flying into a rage?"
Su Yu froze for a moment, then scratched his head awkwardly. That helpless appearance made Kiana unable to stop the corners of her mouth from curving up.
"Idiot Su Yu," she said softly, her gaze falling on the sky outside the window dyed golden by the morning light. "I know what you are worried about. But it doesn't matter anymore. The Fu Hua of this world... she is just a counterpart, right? Since that's the case, she should be treated as two different people."
When the words left her mouth, even she was a little surprised.
Everything she had experienced these days seemed to be truly changing something quietly.
Those names and memories that once made her breathless, although still heavy, no longer pressed against her heart like a knife.
As long as Su Yu was by her side, she felt she had something to rely on.
Su Yu's eyes lit up, and that layer of careful tension on his face finally relaxed.
The corners of his mouth curved into an arc, and he let out a long sigh of relief as if unloading a heavy burden. "That's great. Actually, there is one more thing to tell you..."
"Fu Hua... she seems to have misunderstood something."
"She thinks you are a direct lineage heir of the Tai Xu Sword Sect, some amazing expert. And if calculated according to sect seniority..."
He paused, seemingly considering how to broach the subject.
"She might have to call you Little Martial Aunt."
"Pfft——!"
Kiana was just about to drink the last mouthful of soy milk, but this time she nearly sprayed it directly out.
She tried desperately to hold it in, but still choked until she coughed repeatedly, her eye rims turning red.
What the heck? Little Martial Aunt?
While coughing, she searched her mind for the image corresponding to the name "Fu Hua."
That Class Monitor type character who always had a serious face, wore red-framed glasses, and hung words like "rules" and "discipline" on her lips all day... actually had to respectfully call her "Martial Aunt"?
That scene was simply too beautiful; it had a feeling of 'eating poisonous mushrooms and lying in a coffin.'
"A-Are you serious?" Kiana managed to stop coughing with difficulty. "That Fu Hua? That Class Monitor who hangs [Please Obey School Rules] on her lips every day?"
"Absolutely true." Su Yu spread his hands with a helpless look. "The Fu Hua of this world is a descendant of the Tai Xu Sword Sect. Her family opened a martial arts hall called Inch Heart Dojo, and she has seven disciples older than her... anyway, it's very complex."
"In short, she watched that video of you at the police station and felt your Kung Fu is the authentic Tai Xu True Transmission, so calculating by seniority..."
"She has to call me Martial Aunt."
Kiana repeated this sentence, and then couldn't hold it back anymore, clutching her stomach and laughing.
There was no malice in this laughter; she just simply found it funny.
That person who in her memory always had an expression of "I am very busy and have no time to pay attention to you," that Lord Class Monitor whom she both respected and feared, actually had to bow to her and call her Martial Aunt in this world?
This plot development was too ridiculous!
Su Yu looked at Kiana, who was laughing back and forth, and the stone that had been hanging in his heart finally landed.
It seems she really is slowly getting better. At least she can distinguish the name "Fu Hua" from those heavy pasts.
"Alright, alright, that's not the main point."
Wait until Kiana laughed enough, Su Yu continued.
"The System released a new mission. Simply put, if we can help this world's Fu Hua repair the lost supreme arts of the Tai Xu Sword Sect, we can unlock the complete version of the Tai Xu Sword Qi to help you confront the Herrscher of the Void."
Kiana's smile slowly converged, replaced by a trace of seriousness and anticipation.
"Power to confront the Herrscher of the Void."
Just hearing these words, she instinctively realized what this meant for her.
That second personality that could pop up at any time, that time bomb that made her sleep unsoundly every night—if it could really be suppressed...
"But the problem is..." She frowned, speaking with some difficulty. "Even if you talk about the Tai Xu Sect, I don't know those mental techniques at all? I fight based on instinct; how would I know any move formulas?"
Asking her to fight Honkai Beasts was fine, but asking her to be a teacher? That scene would simply be a disaster.
"Don't worry, I have cheats." He repeated the System's original words. "You don't need to give lectures. Initially, we just need to record combat videos and send them to Fu Hua."
"Our game originally needed a large amount of motion capture data."
"The Inch Heart Dojo has so many disciples; they can serve exactly as motion capture actors. We just need to gather the Dragon Balls—I mean, gather the Tai Xu disciples to record more data. Once the data is sufficient, the System will automatically allocate a teacher who knows Tai Xu supreme arts."
Kiana listened with her head in the clouds.
What data? What automatic allocation? Why does it sound like a heavenly book?
Forget it, I can't understand it anyway.
She simply gave up understanding and used the simplest way to solve the problem: "So what do I need to do? Just tell me directly; do I need to go beat someone up?"
As long as it was Su Yu who said it, she would just do it.
After all, this idiot Senior Brother had never pitted her... probably.
Su Yu looked at the girl before him who had "I trust you" written on her face, and a warm current surged in his heart.
This kind of unreserved trust was much more precious than any verbal gratitude.
"It's very simple."
Su Yu stood up, took his phone out of his pocket, and shook the message with explosion special effects sent by Vill-V.
"Without further delay, we will start recording videos now. Later, we'll go to that crazy great inventor's basement to pick up the equipment."
"Okay!"
Kiana jumped down from the sofa and rolled her wrists.
"This young lady has wanted to stretch her muscles for a long time! I drank that bitter melon juice last night, and now I'm full of energy!"
"? Didn't you say you hated drinking bitter melon juice?"
"That's not the main point. Start quickly! Faster, faster!"
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