The bright full moon sat high in the frosty sky, bathing the land in silver,

The hospital room was silent, its atmosphere oppressive, as if even breathing had grown heavier.

Ten minutes had passed since Bai Tu told Bai Yu that her parents had died.

But Bai Yu still hadn’t said a word.

She held several plain envelopes in her hands. They were letters her mother, whom she had never met, had sent especially for her.

Bai Yu quietly opened the letters one by one. They had been kept all this time, and each was filled with her mother’s well-wishes.

【I hope my little fish grows up happy and healthy.】

【Be a good girl and listen to your big sister, okay?】

【Mom will definitely come back to see you. Just wait a little longer~】

【Mom loves you.】

“Sniff...”

Tears as big as beans fell onto the letters, one after another, soaking the words on the page.

The hand Bai Yu held the letter with trembled nonstop. She gripped it so tightly that it crumpled, but she still wouldn’t let go.

“You lied... It was all a lie! Why... Waaah—!!!”

Bai Tu’s eyes grew moist. She fought back her tears and pulled Bai Yu into her arms.

“Bai Yu, go ahead and cry. Big Sister’s here with you...”

“Waaah—”

......

Yexinglan watched the entire tragedy unfold like a bystander.

The Stars inside Bai Yu were shattered. There was no longer any risk of them going out of control.

Shattered Stars were Stars inside a person that had been partially damaged by some uncertain factor.

Once the Stars shattered, they could no longer use their power, and they would never lose control again.

They would simply remain quietly inside the person until that person’s life came to an end.

Ye Lan still remembered that.

But even after Bai Yu’s Stars shattered, the life force within her continued to drain away.

Ye Qingya’s death seemed to have done nothing but postpone Bai Yu’s own.

Even the researchers studying the Stars couldn’t find an effective way to treat Bai Yu. All they could do was wait for her to die.

In her current condition, Bai Yu probably wouldn’t last many more years.

That was how it was.

The story came to an end.

Yexing and Ye Lan sank back into darkness.

“What can I do?”

Ye Lan and Yexing looked lost.

She realized that even knowing what had happened in the past, there was still nothing she could do.

She couldn’t restore Bai Yu’s health, much less keep her alive.

There was nothing she could do, was there?

Yes. That was true.

Ye Lan and Yexing silently clenched their small fists, a fire seeming to burn in their hearts.

She couldn’t accept it.

“I won’t accept a story like this. I won’t accept this ending!”

Ye Lan wasn’t quick-witted. A lot of the time, she couldn’t tell right from wrong.

But!

Even so, this time she wanted to change something—and she knew what had to change.

No matter how insignificant her power was, she would make something change in this story!

“Please...”

As soon as Ye Lan made up her mind, the Stars within her answered the fierce longing in her heart.

Ding!

A flash of white light.

Yexing and Ye Lan appeared in separate, unfamiliar places.

They were stunned for a few seconds, then quickly understood what had happened.

“Good.”

“Thank you.”

They checked the time. They’d arrived shortly before Ye Qingya’s Stars lost control and turned into a Star Eclipse.

Yexing and Ye Lan had both taken on “reality” and descended into the story at this point in time.

And this was the time that hurt her the most.

But now, a mysterious force had sent them here.

Ye Lan and Yexing both smiled, their eyes full of resolve and courage.

“Let me help make your wishes come true.”

...

Inside the hospital room.

Little Bai Yu was asleep in bed when she heard the door open and woke up.

“Who...?”

The light came on. Bai Yu saw a black-haired girl standing in the doorway, watching her with a determined gaze.

Bai Yu didn’t know her, but she thought this big sister seemed really cute.

Bai Yu asked cautiously, “Um... may I ask what you want?”

“Bai Yu, do you want to see your mom? I’ll take you to her.”

“Huh?”

Bai Yu froze for a moment, as if she hadn’t quite understood.

“But... the doctor said I can’t leave the hospital until I get better.” Bai Yu sounded increasingly unsure.

She was trying to decide whether to be a good girl and do as she was told, or go look for her mom with this big sister she didn’t know.

“Can you tell me who you are?”

“My name’s Ye Lan. I’m your friend!”

“Friend...?” Bai Yu looked bewildered, her eyes full of confusion.

She knew what the word meant.

The problem was, when had she ever made a friend?

She couldn’t remember at all...

Ye Lan gave her a friendly smile, greatly boosting Bai Yu’s trust in her.

“Your mom’s on her way, too. Let me take you to her.”

“Really?” Bai Yu’s eyes lit up, and she was already getting excited.

“I’m your friend. Why would I lie to you? Come on.” Ye Lan held out her hand.

Bai Yu cautiously took the big sister’s hand, then let her scoop her up into her arms.

“Hold on tight. We’re about to make a run for it!”

“Mm...”

Ye Lan carried Bai Yu out of the hospital room in a bridal carry and raced outside at incredible speed.

Yexing had already gone to stir things up on the other side.

She didn’t care what the consequences would be.

She was going to change the ending.

At the very least, she wouldn’t let that mother and Bai Yu be left with regrets!

...

Elsewhere.

Ye Qingya began turning into a Star Eclipse.

Bai Yuan had driven a long way with her.

Things were just as Yexing had seen them before.

The temperature around them was bitterly cold. Bai Yuan had been forced to land, and had just gotten out of the car with Ye Qingya.

They were only a few high-rises away from the hospital where Bai Yu was staying. It would’ve taken just minutes to get there by hovercar, but the Night Watchers had intercepted them here.

So, yeah...

Xiao Jin and Bai Yuan had only just locked eyes and hadn’t even exchanged a word when an angry, girlish voice rang out.

“Fuck your mother! Damn Night Watchers! You’re nothing but trouble!”

A silver-haired, red-eyed little girl appeared before them.

She glared at the Night Watchers with righteous indignation, as if they’d committed some unforgivable crime.

“???”

The Night Watchers and Bai Yuan were both dumbfounded.

Where had this little girl come from?

A younger Wang Chao couldn’t help asking Xiao Jin beside him, “Who’s that little girl?”

Xiao Jin looked just as confused and gave a top-quality answer.

“I don’t know.”

After cursing them out, Yexing walked over step by step and stopped beside Bai Yuan, who was looking somewhat frazzled.

Bai Yuan reacted at once and hurriedly held out a hand to stop her.

“Don’t come any closer! It’s dangerous here!”

Ye Qingya had already become a Star Eclipse. Even if she deliberately held back, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t hurt an ordinary person.

Yexing stopped a few steps away and smiled faintly.

“Uncle Bai Yuan, Aunt Ye Qingya, Bai Yu’s already on her way. Please wait a little—she’ll be here soon.”

At the mention of “Bai Yu,” both Bai Yuan and Ye Qingya reacted.

“Really?!”

“...Who are you?”

Yexing smiled and replied, “My name’s Yexing. I’m Bai Yu’s friend!”

“Friend...?”

Although the couple weren’t often by Bai Yu’s side, they knew everything about the people around her.

At the very least, they’d never heard that Bai Yu had made any friends.

And they’d certainly never heard the name “Yexing.”

But judging by Yexing’s earnest expression, she didn’t seem to be lying.

A whole crowd of Night Watchers watched the two sides interact as if they were invisible, almost all of them wearing question marks on their faces.

The mysterious girl who’d suddenly appeared had thrown their original plan into disarray, leaving them completely at a loss about what to do next.

Just then, one of the Night Watchers noticed someone rapidly approaching.

Looking closely, it seemed to be a black-haired little girl carrying a much smaller girl in her arms and rushing toward them.

“What the heck?”