"...Black Wolf, I already heard your talk with Edgar. Nicely done. The Mermaid Tear is worth stirring this storm."

"Heh-heh... My lord, I know the tides. If it weren’t the Mermaid Tear, I wouldn’t dare make waves alone."

"But next, I’ll control the teachers in Starfate City myself. Don’t show your faces, understood?"

"M-My lord... you’ll act in person?" Black Wolf’s voice quivered like a reed in wind; the figure beside him was power just shy of the bishop.

If she chose to strike, she could leash the whole Heavenly Melody Academy, or butcher Starfate City—Kerlinveil Xuewei included—like frost mowing autumn grass.

"Yes. I won’t say more. Do what I told you. I’ll make that little one see what kind of people stand around her." Her cold golden eyes, framed by blue hair, flashed like sunlit ice.

...

"Uncle Guard, I’m back." I waved to the gatekeeper and slipped inside Starfate City, feet quick as sparrows, because dew spoils fast like fragile pearls.

Breakfast for Lan’er would be jam potato cakes. The ingredients waited like neat little soldiers from last night; only the dew had to be fresh.

Forest dew carries a leaf-scent, like green shade after rain. Mixed into jam, it lifts the flavor like a breeze through blossoms.

You can’t press jam from pure juice, or it clings like glue. A ribbon of dew thins it, and the taste opens like dawn.

At seven, all was set like a tidy altar. I went to wake Lan’er, heart soft as cotton.

Fresh from sleep, Lan’er looked melt-soft, her tousled golden hair spilling like ripples of wheat—mess turned into its own quiet beauty.

That’s the mercy of good looks, a halo like morning light.

Lan’er has no morning temper; when I called, she breathed a gentle “oh,” light as a feather drifting down.

She’d wanted me to lift her like a lazy kitten, but worried it was too willful—what if I disliked that? So she only murmured and dressed, calm as mist.

"Idiot! At least wait till I step out before you change!" I yelped, face flushing like peach petals, and fled the room.

Snow Orchid’s smile was faint as moonlight. Truth is… she’d done it on purpose, a playful thread like a cat’s paw.

She wanted to see me shy because of her; books say that sweet blush waters love like rain on bamboo.

"Waaah—did you make these yourself, Tangxue?" Lan’er’s eyes lit with tiny stars at the star-shaped potato cakes.

"Of course. I told you I’m good at little sweets," I said, smiling like a warm stove in winter.

"Mmm, so sweet!" The jam bloomed in her mouth like spring flowers, and she squinted in simple bliss.

"Well? Good, right?"

"Mm-hmm! Tangxue, you taste it too!" She slipped me a jam-dipped cake, sly as a fox. "There’s a special flavor."

I chewed, slow as a cow under shade. "That’s because I added dew…"

"Nope—it's the taste of happiness." She said it with a blush like rosy clouds, eyes steady as a lake.

I dodged her gaze like a skittish bird and finished the remaining cakes, quiet as snow.

After breakfast, we had no pressing chores, so we drifted to our own tasks, minds like wandering kites.

"Tangxue, let’s stroll the city later. We’ve nothing on the schedule."

"Uh? I don’t mind..." My tone was flat as calm water.

"Great! I want new clothes. Your outfits haven’t changed in ages, right?" Lan’er’s voice came with a soft hiss, like tea steaming.

"..." Lan’er felt a bit off, a sweetness like too much honey.

"I’ve still got plenty of clothes..."

"Haven’t bought in a long while?"

"I…"

"A long while..."

"Fine… we’ll go later." I surrendered like a leaf in current.

I really don’t want to shop! With girls, it turns into hours, clouds drifting store to store—even if they don’t buy, they still look.

"Yay!"

No yays allowed!

————

Morning had come, but for Ling Xuewei it meant nothing; night’s starry river had vanished, and daylight held no stars, only blank sky.

She stumbled down, fog-brained, and opened the fridge like a steel cave, biting into cold bread as chill as stone.

After eating, she dragged a mop over the already pristine floor, then wiped the window till it shone like glass water.

It was spotless because Shengsheng, with a water element habit like rain’s ritual, cleaned daily, neat as a monk’s robe.

Xuewei still cleaned, because she didn’t want that to be someone’s excuse not to come—she wanted every surface bright as welcome lanterns.

Done, she thought a bit, mind like dry leaves. No class today, so she planned to collapse into bed and force sleep like sealing a jar.

...

"Lan’er, do we really have to hit this street?" I asked, voice thin as thread.

Starfate City has three commercial streets and two big malls, like rivers and lakes of people.

"But it’s the only one we haven’t visited, Tangxue. Let’s go together~" Her tone chimed like little bells.

"I heard it’s the most notorious… the biggest one." I gulped like a sparrow.

"All the better~" She laughed, light as dandelion fluff.

"Uu..." My protest wilted like a wet cat.

"Don’t grumble, Tangxue. You’ll fall for that wandering vibe~" Lan’er’s smile pulled my hand like warm sunlight.

"So we’re buying clothes—why drag me into a lingerie store?" The sign glowed like a blush, familiar and strange.

"Underwear’s clothing too~" Lan’er winked, star-bright, and tugged me inside like a tide.

"No! I was just here two months ago!" I clung to the door like a barnacle.

"But you never came with me!" Lan’er pulled, stubborn as ivy.

"My lingerie’s already too much to store!" I yelped, mind a flustered flock.

"It’s fine! One more won’t hurt!" Her cheer bobbed like a buoy.

"I..." Right, I cut Xuewei’s lingerie last time—maybe I should buy her a few, like paying spring rain back.

"Uwa!" I let go suddenly and toppled onto Lan’er, two soft bundles tumbling like fallen cushions.

"Are you okay, you two cute little sisters?" The store manager’s smile curved warm as crescent moon; she helped us up gently.

"Thanks, sis..." Lan’er isn’t great with chit-chat, so I stepped in, voice steady as a handrail.

"Wait—aren’t you the little heroes from Heavenly Melody Academy?" Her eyes sparked like fireflies. "I was there when you protected us!"

"Uh, was you? Ah-haha..." I laughed, awkward as squeaky chalk.

"Sure was! Welcome to my shop, little sisters! If you like any lingerie, I’ll gift it—thanks for what you did."

"Really?" Lan’er’s eyes popped with stars, bright as a night sky.

"Of course~ But let me serve you today, cute little sisters." The manager’s gaze curled like a cat watching fish.

I shrank my neck, a turtle in shell; that look felt familiar, like déjà vu fog.

"Of course! Thank you, Manager Sis!" Lan’er beamed and agreed, smile sweet as candied fruit.