Chapter 7 Blue Rabbit? Puppy? Xi Lian recently discovered white...
Xi Lian recently noticed that Bai E has been practicing swordsmanship much more diligently.
Although he was very serious in his daily life... his talent for swordsmanship was revealed at a young age. As the number of people in the village who could teach him gradually decreased, he had no choice but to explore and progress on his own.
As winter approaches, the villagers of Aili Mixie are getting busier and busier, taking advantage of the sunny weather to spread wheat and rice grains out in the backyard to dry in the sun, preparing for winter storage.
The market was bustling with people, filled with laughter, shouts, and chatter.
"Practicing swordsmanship again?"
Xi Lian avoided the bustling crowd and saw Bai E training hard deep in the fields.
"Your aunt asked me to call you back to sort through the straw. She plans to trim it a bit and make it into decorations."
Bai E wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel hanging around his neck, then flicked it casually. The towel traced an arc like a migrating bird in the sky. He nodded before putting down his sword.
“I’ll go right away,” he said.
You previously thought the game's background was limited to the opening screen. Like all simulation games on the market, the main screen only showed that one small room—usually the protagonist's bedroom—and new maps were gradually unlocked as events unfolded.
You stared at the wheat field for a long time at the beginning, thinking you would never leave this field. But when you logged in, you followed Bai E into the village. The surrounding environment was unfamiliar, and the camera kept swaying.
You swiped the screen and discovered that this thing could actually move. The top, bottom, left, and right sides were empty; you couldn't see your own body model. You could only see that Bai E's soft white hair seemed to have grown a bit longer, and he squinted uncomfortably when it brushed past his eyes.
...What...? What was all that about staring blankly at that fixed field scene? Was it because you were bored? Was it because you were stupid and had too much money?
Xi Lian was the first to spot you. She curiously leaned closer:
"Are you that [hero]?"
She is very considerate and has no doubts or objections about your situation of being just a ball of light.
"I've been wanting to meet you for a long time." She leaned closer, making a few cute, whispered sounds like a little girl. "I'm Xi Lian. Did you like the flower wreath I gave you last time?"
You nod... but soon realize she can't see your movements, so you quietly type in her tone.
[(Softly) I like it—]
"Oh, I really like you." Xi Lian was amused by your reaction. "How about coming home with me?"
"What do you mean, 'go home with you'?"
Bai E turned his head at that moment.
His questioning voice had barely faded when he quickly noticed you, who had been nuzzling against his shoulder. His eyes widened, and he jumped for joy.
"—You're here! When did you arrive? I didn't even notice..."
[What have you been doing lately?]
“I just finished training.” He smiled, his cheeks flushed with a healthy glow. “I’m on my way back to help my parents put together straw. It’s the month of conflict in the village recently, and everyone is stocking up on food in advance to express their gratitude to Nicardoli for emphasizing the teachings of peace.”
"I just heard Xi Lian talking to you. You two already know each other?" He scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "I was thinking of introducing you..."
“Bai’er has been working really hard lately.” Xi Lian said, her hands behind her back. “He’s become so much more serious about training! Let me think…”
She stretched out her hands, making a huge circle, almost the maximum length of her outstretched arms. "This many! I don't know how I suddenly became so diligent~"
You laugh: [So many! Xiaobai is amazing, and Xilian is so thoughtful.]
Bai E blushed deeply at Xi Lian's pointed teasing. He touched the back of his neck, coughed a few times, and looked uncomfortably at the market in the distance.
The villagers were busy moving goods or loudly hawking their wares. Several uncles with towels around their necks and aunties sitting on stools at the market entrance chatting and cracking melon seeds greeted Bai E and Xi Lian enthusiastically.
"Hey! Aren't these Bai E and Xi Lian? Off to practice swordsmanship again?"
"Does Bai'er still dream of being a hero? Hahaha, Uncle is waiting for the day you grow up and become a great man!"
"Bai'er! Mr. Pisius told me to tell you that you failed your history homework again yesterday—you'd better prepare for school tomorrow, hahaha—"
"Little Bai, I used to hold you when you were little. Do you remember me? I'm your father's cousin's husband's daughter..."
...
Xi Lian gently pulled you into his arms, covering you with his wide sleeves.
"Everyone's as enthusiastic as ever," she said helplessly. "Luckily, Bai'er took the brunt of the fire, otherwise even a beautiful girl like me would have been overwhelmed!"
Bai E led the way. However, because he was too short, even though his height was already quite noticeable among his peers, he seemed to be struggling to keep up with the group of adults.
Along the way, someone pinched his still-round, chubby face, and someone ruffled his hair. All around him were cheerful, good-natured laughter and teasing.
Xiao Bai'er's ears turned increasingly red as she gritted her teeth, "Xi Lian...!"
Xi Lian pretended not to hear his cries for help and kept her head down, continuing to chat with you.
"...You mean I can call you [Pioneer]? You're so sweet and know how to charm a girl, my heart is pounding!"
You couldn't help but laugh.
Everyone is taking good care of Xilian and Xiaobai.
Bai'e finally made it through the market, squeezed out of the crowd, and stood at her doorstep, letting out a sigh of relief.
He was taken aback by this, then smiled sheepishly, "Because everyone here is a very nice person..."
“Oh, right,” he added, as if suddenly remembering something, “you haven’t seen the straw decoration making process at the Elegant Secret Pavilion, have you? During the ‘Month of Conflict,’ everyone makes beautiful handicrafts out of straw… well, although mine aren’t very good… but Xi Lian is very good at it!”
*
Bai E said he was going to get some straw from the storeroom, eager to show you how the handicrafts were made. Xi Lian shook her head, sighing and complaining about his excitement, saying he was like a puppy impatiently showing off its treasure.
After greeting Bai E's parents, the three of you began rummaging through the storage room. There weren't many candles left; the few remaining had been taken to the living room to maintain normal life, leaving the room completely dark.
You took on the role of providing illumination, lighting up a small area with the self-illumination of the light cluster itself. Unfortunately, you couldn't stray too far from Bai'e; whenever you tried to fly away, it seemed as if some invisible wall was blocking your way.
[Let's explore the area ahead later~]
who! ?
You become alert. Why does that voice sound so familiar?
Bai E and Xi Lian carried several bundles of straw to the yard, intending to weave them in the sunlight.
Xi Lian joked with you, "How about we knit a little bunny later? A round, fluffy one..."
"—Partner, Xi Lian!"
Bai E suddenly screamed from the other side of the house.
"There's...there's a rabbit here...!"
You and Xi Lian looked at each other in bewilderment. What a coincidence!
...However, it was no ordinary rabbit.
It had big ears and a bright blue body. It was asleep in a small nest made of stacked straw, and its belly kept making "gurgling" sounds.
Bai'er tried to poke it, but the creature mistook his finger for food, biting it in the process, and making soft, human-like sounds:
"Bread...hehe...a bread lover...!"
Bai'er quickly shook his hand, pulling his poor finger back. He looked closely and saw only a shallow tooth mark on it, without even breaking the skin—the little guy didn't seem to be a carnivore.
Xi Lian called softly, "Wake up, little guy—wake up—"
"It's so noisy...who's disturbing my sleeping, shivering..."
The blue rabbit mumbled something and reluctantly opened its eyes.
However, what you see directly is your luminous body, a white-haired, blue-eyed boy's face that looks particularly serious in the dim light, and a pink-haired girl's face filled with worry.
“…Ah.” The blue rabbit was stunned.
"Help! I'm about to be eaten by humans!!!"
...
"—In short, the shivering fan is not some strange blue rabbit fan."
In the deserted courtyard of Bai'er's house, a blue fairy who called herself "Shivering Fan" floated in mid-air with her hands on her hips, complaining incessantly to two little kids and a strange ball of light below.
"I'm a fairy fan from the Lost Realm...! I can talk, I can fly, I can hear music... how can you call me a rabbit fan!"
You type: [Looking at it this way, it really doesn't seem like it.]
"Right, fan!!! I knew you had great taste—"
[Like a puppy.]
"—Not a blue puppy fan!!! A fairy, a fairy fan!"
Xi Lian tried to clarify the situation, "So... um, you mean you were so hungry that you smelled food in the storeroom, which is why you left that place called 'Lost Secret Realm' and risked running into human society?"
"That's how it is, you pink human, you're quite clever, aren't you, mystic? But there's no food in the 'storage room,' only inedible sticks, mystic..."
Just then, Bai Er emerged from the kitchen and handed it a piece of bread. "Try this, Shivering Mi. It's freshly harvested wheat, just ground into flour, made by my mother herself."
The trembling creature used its bushy tail to scoop up the bread, its eyes practically sparkling with drool. It took the bread with its paw instead of its tail and took a bite—
Happiness blossoms floated around it, "Delicious! So delicious! I've never eaten anything so delicious before!"
[What did you eat before?]
"Hmm..." it counted on its paws, "Honey, wild berries... Winter is approaching, and all the berries have disappeared... So the shivering creature has to risk coming out to find food..."
"That sounds a bit pitiful..." Bai'er tried to soften his voice, "Are the other little fairies also starving?"
The trembling, lost figure landed and drooped its ears. "Yes, lost..."
Bai E glanced at you, then at Xi Lian. You and Xi Lian both nodded to him.
So he continued softly, "...Perhaps we can offer you assistance."
A note from the author:
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