Herta hesitated, lost in thought. Without Herta Ninety-Nine and Wisteria Cake to help her navigate things on the Luofu, given her complete lack of empathy, she could easily end up saying or doing something that would drive Ruan Mei away again.
She sighed. She wanted to be normal. She wanted Qingque and Fu Xuan's today to be her and Ruan Mei's tomorrow. But her personality—the way she spoke without thinking, the way she lacked any sense of empathy—was just instinct.
Finally, she nodded and let Asta stay.
"Thank you, Madam Herta. I'll do everything I can to help you."
"I hope you can be as useful as Herta Ninety-Nine and Wisteria Cake."
Herta turned and followed Ruan Mei toward the lantern festival in Changle.
Watching them walk away, Asta couldn't help but admire the view. What a perfect scene. First, get Herta and Ruan Mei together. Then...
The thought of that possible future brought a strange light to her eyes.
---
About ten minutes later, they arrived at the lantern festival's main event: a lion and dragon dance. On stage, a dragon and a lion moved in perfect synchronization, their performance vivid and lifelike, each step and sway executed with precision.
When the performance ended, two familiar figures appeared, unfurling a pair of festive couplets.
So this was why Sushang and Guinaifen had rushed off right after the wedding. They'd been preparing this lantern festival performance.
"Ahem! The first ten guests to collect all the event stamps at this year's Lantern Festival will enter a drawing for three grand prize lantern souvenirs."
Guinaifen's announcement drew cheers from the crowd—though some, knowing their usual luck, simply sighed in resignation.
"I'm going! I'm going right now!"
"Give it to me—I'm the luckiest star in the universe!"
"Sigh. I'll pass. I'm the universe's biggest cosmic disaster when it comes to luck."
Asta glanced at Herta and Ruan Mei. One's expression was utterly blank. The other looked profoundly bored.
"Madam Ruan Mei? Madam Herta? Aren't you interested in the grand prize?"
Ruan Mei said nothing, quietly eating her plum cake. She was only staying to see what Herta would do when it came time for the Ocean Lanterns and Lovers' Locks.
Herta yawned. "A mystery grand prize? I'm not interested. Ruan Mei probably isn't either."
Asta nodded and looked back at the stage, where Guinaifen and Sushang had just revealed the first two lion dance souvenirs. Then they produced something else—a flawless crystal fragment.
The moment its light fell on Ruan Mei, she froze mid-bite.
She had stopped thinking about collecting the fragments a while ago, since the last task—reducing Herta's excessive tsundere value below 100%—had seemed all but impossible.
(Note: Herta's current excessive tsundere value was 600%.)
[Oh? What a coincidence—these two have a flawless crystal fragment too.] ♪
"Did you arrange this?"
[Why would I? It's probably just chance. And you're down to the last three fragments now.] ♪
Herta and Asta both turned to look at Ruan Mei. She had seemed so indifferent just moments ago—cold and distant. What had changed?
Asta smiled. "Madam Ruan Mei, that crystal fragment—you want it, don't you?"
Ruan Mei nodded. "Yes."
In an instant, Herta and Asta both rose, determined to earn Ruan Mei's smile. They made their way to Sushang and Guinaifen.
"Sushang, Guinaifen. Long time no see."
The two scratched their heads, recognizing their tablemates from the wedding. "Station Master Asta. And Madam Herta. What can we do for you?"
"This isn't a good place to talk. Let's go to Ruomu Pavilion."
A few minutes later, in the pavilion, Sushang and Guinaifen saw that Ruan Mei had come as well.
"You wanted to see us about...?"
Asta smiled. "It's about that crystal fragment. I'm very interested. Name your price—I'll buy it outright."
Herta shot her a look. I thought you were supposed to be helping me, like Herta Ninety-Nine and Wisteria Cake. Why are you trying to buy it yourself?
Asta widened her eyes innocently, as if to say: Don't worry. I'll buy it and give it to you, so you can give it to Ruan Mei yourself.
Herta hesitated, then nodded.
On the other side, Guinaifen and Sushang were still hesitating. Just name a price? But this isn't even theirs to sell.
When they didn't answer, Asta named one anyway.
"One thousand."
"Thousand... credits?"
Asta frowned. "One thousand million credits."
Their eyes went wide. That was an astronomical sum. Years of savings. Then they remembered the wedding gift Asta had given Fu Xuan and Qingque, and it suddenly made sense.
"Miss Asta, this fragment is the grand prize for the lantern festival. I'm sorry, but we can't just give it away."
Asta froze. Another problem money couldn't solve?
Herta reached for her magic key. Asta grabbed her arm. "Madam Herta! What are you doing?!"
Herta clicked her tongue. "I'm not going to send them to Herta City. I'm opening a [Mirror] so we can collect all the event stamps and enter the drawing."
Asta relaxed. "That's fine, then."
As Herta and Asta turned to leave, Sushang spoke up. "We can't give you the fragment directly, but the prize was prepared by Miss Lingsha. She's the one organizing this event. If you can find her and get her permission, you can exchange it for another gift."
Asta blinked. Lingsha had been missing all day. Not even Fu Xuan or Qingque could find her. Where was she supposed to even begin looking?