Chapter 80 The Nameless Farewell You return to...
You have returned to the Star Train.
As Pam had previously said, "Regardless of the past, now that we're on the train, we're all anonymous passengers, Pam! To make the passengers feel at home, Pam is ready to put her skills to good use in preparing the meals!"
Surprisingly, when the four of you pushed open the door and entered the carriage, a familiar figure was standing in front of the huge, transparent floor-to-ceiling window of the observation carriage.
With pink hair and a white dress, she stood with her hands behind her back, humming an unknown tune.
"—Xi Lian!"
You are pleasantly surprised.
Upon hearing your call, the pink-haired girl's eyes quickly filled with a warm smile, and her long hair swayed in the air as she turned around.
"partner!"
Like Bai'er, Xilian was an unsung hero who saved Onpharos. After the great war, she devoted herself to being a fortune teller and opened a fortune-telling shop in Ohma, watching and listening to the stories of the people of Onpharos.
Bai E inherited the power of [Destruction]. Geniuses like Ruan Mei and the Star Core Hunters divided [Intelligence] among themselves, while [Memory] was chosen by this seemingly fragile but actually incredibly resilient girl. Now, it can be said that the strongest force remaining in Onfaros is Xi Lian.
You asked her if she wanted to get on the bus with you, but she gently declined.
"...Onpharos still needs to be protected."
She smiled and looked into the distance, unsure whether she was looking at the bustling streets of Ohma or at the distant, tranquil village.
"Bai'er has completed his mission, and the seeds of [destruction] can now sprout anew. As for [memory]... its best place is here, to commemorate the history of Onphalus in the long river of time, and to record all that is beautiful."
She said, "And people think it's really romantic, right?... Don't be so downcast, you can come back to see me anytime."
You understand her choice and say no more. After everything that has happened, her soft hair brushes against your cheek, and although you are about to part ways, her face still holds the same gentle smile.
...
The place was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and people were drinking and chatting.
Inside the party car, the soft sound of a saxophone filled the air, making the clear liquid in the glasses appear even more translucent.
March 7th was already slightly tipsy. He climbed onto the bar and, slurring his words, declared that he could drink three more cups, only to be helplessly pulled down by Himeko.
Dan Heng sat in the corner, refusing the offered drinks, his eyes completely clear. But Sunday next to him, unable to resist March 7's insistence on drinking, was already quite drunk, slumped on the bar like a rag doll, his face flushed and his breathing heavy.
Walter picked up a bowl of tea that you and Bai'er had brought back from the fairy ship, and sipped it gently, as if trying to sober up. Pam sat beside him with her short legs crossed, engrossed in grooming herself, and occasionally Walter would help her groom the parts she couldn't reach.
The black swan gave Xi Lian some instructions on how to control the power of [memory]. Xi Lian listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
When Bai'e came out of the restroom, this was the scene of a drunkard's gathering. Shut up was still rambling on and on, telling lame jokes that weren't funny at all, when March 7 smacked him on the head with a "bang." He was stunned for a moment, then lowered his mechanical head, looking aggrieved and indicating that no one understood his humor.
Bai E felt somewhat helpless, yet strangely calm.
This scene... though chaotic, was also very relaxing. He hadn't experienced in a long time letting his guard down and simply enjoying the party with his friends.
He walked over and saw you hunched over, resting your head on your arm, fast asleep against the bar.
Danheng said you're still a minor and can't drink alcohol. Sanyueqi retorted speechlessly, "She's already in a relationship, why should she care if you can't drink?" Xiao Qinglong froze, glanced at your pleading expression, and then sighed, indulging your foolishness that night.
At this moment, you can't hear the noise in the carriage. You are completely immersed in your sweet dream. Your face is flushed from the alcohol. Your mouth is slightly open. You are sleeping peacefully.
Bai E walked to your side, brushed aside your loose hair, and called your name softly.
"Partner? Partner?... Don't sleep here, you'll catch a cold. Shall we go back to our room?"
You mumbled something, slapped his hand away without hesitation, and continued to sleep, as if Bai E were a dark demon king preventing you from loving your dreams.
The remaining conscious companions watching them chuckled softly. Himeko, arms crossed, said, "Take her back. We'll clean up this mess."
Bai E smiled helplessly.
He nodded, scooped you up from the bar, and used his strength to hold you tightly in his arms, supporting your hips with his arms so you were lying on his chest. Then he carried you step by step back to your room upstairs in the party carriage.
— Closing the door shuts out the noisy laughter and low music.
Even in my arms, you couldn't stay still. You felt the table was just the right coolness, but suddenly it felt like a scorching furnace. You groaned uncomfortably, making soft, whimpering sounds like a kitten whining.
The sentences were frequent, but lacked any real threat. Bai E's heart melted, but his arms remained steady and strong as he carried you to the sofa, then laid you down, letting you roll around on the soft sofa.
"Are you feeling unwell?" he asked.
You're a little more awake, but your vision is still blurry. "...It doesn't hurt."
Bai Er took off his suit jacket and casually hung it aside, seemingly about to turn on the bathroom faucet.
"I'll go get you some hot water—"
But before he could finish speaking, you had already moved closer.
As the saying goes, alcohol emboldens the timid. Things that one wouldn't dare say in ordinary times, or that one feels are inappropriate, seem to come out in this hazy, indistinct state.
"……noob."
You tugged at his tie. Bai Er obediently lowered his head, watching you get closer and closer, your breath brushing against his ear.
"Do you ever think about Ariel Secret Garden? Do you ever think... it's okay not to get on the bus?"
After all, Ariel's Secret Village is the homeland that Bai'er deeply loves. Although you will always encounter different and colorful landscapes on the road of exploration, there will never be another place with the same windmills, mills, swaying wind chimes, and endless wheat fields that seem like silent guardians.
As a child, Bai E loved to lie in the wheat field and bask in the sun. The wheat ears drooped over his face, blocking some of the sunlight, which also stung slightly. The scent of damp earth filled his nostrils, and a gentle breeze blew.
Bai'e, when you looked up at the sky as a child, did you think of returning to the sky, or simply staying on the earth, becoming part of the fields, the rain and the soil, not just [guarding], but simply like Xilian—[becoming] Onpharos?
Bai E was taken aback by your question.
He always thought you were carefree, only to find out you thought so much. You didn't want to be his compromise, because love is mutual, not one-sided concessions... You usually tolerate Bai E's emotions, but after all, it's your first time in a relationship, and you're always worried that you're not doing enough.
But you're all too stupid.
Whether Bai E couldn't handle his jealousy or you felt you were affecting his fate, these were choices made willingly by both of you.
Bai Er never thought he would regret it. The Erimit was his origin, the place that nurtured him, but no seed stays in one place for long; they all need to travel a long way and find suitable soil to sprout—and so it was with him.
He will always remember where he came from. But the road ahead will require a bit of unwavering courage, a gentle breeze, and the sweet rain of love to sprout and grow.
Bai Er didn't hesitate. Almost urgently, as if unable to bear it, he wrapped his arms around your waist, kissed your red nose and moist eyes, and whispered:
“I never regret anything, partner. You know my choices always have something to do with you.”
"...Hmm, is that so...? --Oh dear! Shiro, you—"
You gasp in surprise as he suddenly picks you up, takes a few quick steps forward, and puts you back on the sofa—lying face down with your back to him.
A burning kiss landed on your waist. Loving, tender, and careful.
"Hmm..."
It's so itchy.
You twisted your waist to try to dodge, but he pressed down on your waist and kissed you more intensely through the thin clothes, landing on your sensitive waist.
"...I can't take it anymore."
You hear Bai E say this behind you, almost in a murmur.
The room was dark. In the darkness, Bai E saw the girl beneath him turn her head, her face flushed, with a hint of shyness, as if she couldn't bear his overwhelming love. Her eyes, illuminated by the starlight of the Milky Way, looked like melted honey.
Those memories, almost long forgotten, from many years ago, surged into the mind of this white-haired hero in this moment of utter silence and profound upheaval—
That was an ordinary day in my childhood.
He dragged his straw sandals, responded to his parents' nagging a few times, and planned to run to the big tree at the village entrance to look at his newly acquired comic books. The air was filled with the aroma of toasted bread, a refreshing breeze, and the smell of old, stale wood. These smells had once constituted his entire little world.
Little Whitey ran and ran until it reached the big tree at the village entrance. It glanced at the green leaves rustling in the wind above its head and thought to itself, "This is just an ordinary afternoon."
—And then you appeared.
A gentle golden light suddenly appeared before Little White Calamity, like a glimpse of fate bestowing its favor upon humanity.
He opened his eyes wide in astonishment—
The color of that golden light was just like your eyes. Later, Bai E realized that he had gazed into your eyes countless times long before they actually met.
"……partner."
He uttered the name he had used countless times before.
In unspoken understanding, Bai E leaned down and placed a kiss on your eyelids.
Your eyelashes trembled, glistening—but those weren't your tears.
You suddenly opened your eyes and met Bai E's blue eyes.
...He cried.
He wasn't wailing; he was just quietly shedding tears. Perhaps he wasn't even aware that he was crying until he saw a tear fall onto your face, at which point he paused, then hurriedly wiped it away.
"I'm sorry..." he apologized awkwardly.
This resolute hero, this pioneer who has endured countless moments of solitude without shedding a single tear, is now moved by this night, by this quiet moment.
You felt a little amused and a little sorry for him, so you turned around and hugged his head.
Why are you crying?
Bai E's eyes were red at the corners. "...I'm just...too happy."
The air was filled with your familiar scent and a faint smell of alcohol; Bai E was also a little drunk.
He closed his eyes and tightened his grip on you.
*
Inside an unnamed tavern.
Hanabi had just finished a few pointless promises when those fools started praising her, saying things like, "You did a really good job this time," and "I never expected that person to step in too. How was it working with Him?" Hanabi was getting tired of hearing it.
She shook off the crowd and went outside alone.
Compared to the noise inside the pub, it was noticeably quieter here. The black-haired girl started fiddling with her phone out of boredom.
"……Hello."
Suddenly, she spoke.
But her vision was empty, and it didn't seem like she was talking to herself.
"I said, this play directed by Hanabi-sama was pretty good, wasn't it? Next time, Edo Hoshi, we should act together again. You're a pretty good partner."
"...Seriously, little gray hair, you look much better when you're smiling. Keep being happy like this, okay? Whether in this text or in your little world—well, you ask if this counts as a wish?...Not at all, it's just a little bit of [joy] practice by a fool."
Hanabi raised her eyes and made a "shh" gesture.
"Hurry up and say you like me! Otherwise I'll be sad~ Hehe~"
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Author's Note: It's finished! This was my first medium-length novel, and it wasn't easy to stick with it all kkk
After careful consideration, to thank everyone for your continued support and to express your love for Xiaobai, I've decided to make all subsequent side stories free bonus content! Anyone with a subscription rate of 95% or higher can access them all for free. Since I plan to write many different types of side stories—modern school fantasy, forum-style, and later adventures between Edo Hoshi and Xiaobai—you won't need to purchase them separately. This way, those with a high subscription rate won't need to spend money, and those with a lower rate will only need to pay a little extra, which is still more cost-effective than buying the side stories outright! [Exaggerated praise]
Of course, for readers who have subscribed to the full text, I'll be holding a giveaway tomorrow—the prize pool is even bigger than usual, so remember to participate! Love you all, muah muah!
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