Lingering on the Edge of Love and Duty

"Ha... ha... ha..." As the roller coaster slowly came to a halt, Yaxiu watched Feili gasping for breath beside him and couldn't help smiling. "Was it really that intense?" "I'm afraid of heights!" Feili pouted. "I felt like my heart stopped just now... and they actually took photos!" "If you're afraid of heights, why did you go on a roller coaster?" "Can't someone who's afraid of heights enjoy roller coasters?!" Understood: the worse she was at it, the more she wanted to play. Yaxiu unbuckled his seat harness. Seeing Feili sitting motionless and holding out both hands toward him like a toddler asking for a hug, he blinked. "What's wrong?" "My legs are jelly." Feili put on an adorably helpless expression. "Help me up." Yaxiu glanced back at Vichy behind them, but after a moment's thought, he took Feili's hand himself and helped her up. They hadn't walked more than two steps before Feili spun around, pulled him along, and dashed toward the next mechanical ride. "I want to ride the giant pendulum, too!" Niya furrowed her brows and chased after them, while Vichy and Rose followed at an unhurried pace. Igola watched their retreating backs, suddenly feeling there was nothing here for him. Besides, he didn't enjoy thrill rides either. He turned around and said, "Harvey, we—" Looking around, he realized Harvey was nowhere nearby. In the distance, however, he caught sight of a parade themed around "Corpse Party" moving away, and among the crowd seemed to be a dark-skinned figure with curly hair. Are you kidding me? A legendary necromancer of your caliber, actually drawn to such boring nonsense... Igola sighed. Turning around, he spotted a tent labeled "Crystal Ball Divination." A long line stretched before the entrance. On the left side of the entrance was written "All-Knowing," and on the right, "Infallible." He took out his phone to check and found that Xiaguang Paradise's "Crystal Ball Divination" was actually one of the park's flagship attractions. The diviner here was purported to be the Nation of Stars' foremost mind master, capable of reading every thought and foretelling a person's past and future! Reading through the flattering articles, Igola had unconsciously joined the end of the queue. He hadn't been drawn in by an amusement ride; it was simply that, as a Swindler, Igola found it terribly hard to resist the chance to spar with a fellow professional. ... "I'm so dizzy... I can't walk..." Met with Feili's pitiful gaze, Yaxiu shrugged and had no choice but to scoop her up in his arms. Feili wrapped her arms around Yaxiu's neck and cast a subtle glance back at Niya, her lips curving up slightly—a sight that made Niya's blood boil. However, Feili gave Niya no chance to explode. She quickly hopped down from Yaxiu and dragged him over to a nearby booth. "They do free themed eye makeup here! Yaxiu, what do you want to get?" Yaxiu glanced at the eye makeup chart. "I want those wicked and wildly arrogant dark circles!" "Master," Vichy reminded him, "a wicked and wildly arrogant Lalafell is still just a Lalafell. Besides, those aren't dark circles..." Yaxiu snapped crossly, "Say another word and I'll put a helmet on you." "Still," he said, looking up toward the sky curtain, "it really is bright here, just like daytime." The theme of Xiaguang Happy World was perhaps something that could only exist in the Nation of Stars. Only in a world like the Nation of Stars, which existed perpetually under night, would "daytime" be treated as a subject of fantasy. Several massive curved reflective walls enveloped the entire amusement park. From the outside, Xiaguang Happy World resembled a cracked eggshell. These reflective walls bounced and layered light repeatedly, bathing every corner of the theme park in blazing white illumination. It was practically the brightest place Yaxiu and the others had seen since arriving in All Stars—truly resembling broad daylight. Yet whenever visitors looked up, they could see the dark night outside through the gaps between the reflective walls. That was the origin of the name "Xiaguang"—flawed daylight. Even so, that alone was enough to thrill countless guests. They strolled through this artificial world of day, reveling in the omnipresent light. "Daytime?" Feili pulled Yaxiu into the eye makeup booth. She had opted for glitter eye makeup, making her lower eyelids and the corners of her eyes sparkle. "Is this similar to daytime on the outside?" "Well..." Yaxiu pondered. "There's still a huge difference. No matter how blazing artificial lights are, they can't compare to real sunlight." "What is sunlight... like?" "Warm, blinding," Yaxiu paused. "If starlight is the stars gently stroking you with fur, then sunlight is the stars sticking out their tongues to lick you." Feili didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Even though I don't know what sunlight is like, I know that description of yours is way too bizarre." "Though Yaxiu's train of thought is a bit warped, this place really doesn't compare to genuine sunlight," Vichy said with folded arms. "When you bask in the sun with the one you love and walk down the street together, you truly feel the pulse of life. What dazzles isn't just the sunlight, but yourself as well." Feili was slightly startled hearing this, murmuring softly, "That sounds wonderful..." By then, Yaxiu had his dark-circle eye makeup done. He looked in the mirror, and sure enough, he looked even more like a wicked, wildly arrogant Lalafell. He didn't mind, though. "What do we ride next?" "I want to do the ten-inversion roller coaster!" "Aren't you afraid of getting dizzy?" "Don't I have you? Come on, let's go!" Feili was brimming with energy, showing no trace of someone suffering from insomnia. She dragged Yaxiu from one mechanical ride to another, even riding some two or three times. When they arrived at the north district of Happy World, they discovered a ropeway cable car leading directly to the mountain summit, where there was also a super bungee jump. The cable car could only seat two people at a time, so Feili naturally rode with Yaxiu. Because feet dangled in midair and the cable line was nearly vertical, riding this chairlift was even more roller-coaster-like than an actual roller coaster. Feili was so nervous she clung almost entirely against Yaxiu, the glitter from her eye makeup rubbing onto his cheek. This time, Niya finally couldn't take it anymore. But before she could charge over and squeeze Yaxiu off, Vichy pulled her away. Vichy said, "There's a fireworks extravaganza at eight-thirty. Meet up with us at Central Square then. We won't be heading up." "Okay." Yaxiu exchanged a glance with her and nodded slightly. The mountaintop bungee jump lived up to the expectations of their cable car ride up. Set right over a cliff, every plummeting drop gave even Yaxiu a racing pulse, to say nothing of Feili. Each time, Feili had to be supported out by Yaxiu, only to eagerly queue up all over again. When they noticed the queue thinning out, they realized it was already eight o'clock, so they hurried to line up for the cable car down. Riding the cable car downward was even more thrilling, the car and cable line letting out tingling whines. However, the mountain area lay outside Happy World's illuminated zone, so the starlight of the clear night sky spilled unreservedly across the cable line. It felt as though they were riding a river of stars back down to the mortal world. The cable line did not follow a straight line; rather, it rose and fell with the contours of the mountain. Just as their cable car descended toward the bottom, they suddenly noticed its speed slowing drastically. Immediately after, an announcement blared from loudspeakers along the cableway: "A cable car has experienced a malfunction and is undergoing emergency repairs. Passengers, please remain calm. Normal operations are expected to resume in fifteen minutes..." "Fifteen minutes?!" Feili checked her phone, growing anxious. "We won't make it down the mountain in time for the fireworks!" "Looks like we'll just have to miss the fireworks extravaganza," Yaxiu consoled her. "Still, the cable car is pretty fun—just like a Ferris wheel." "Like the Ferris wheel we rode at the end of our last date?" Yaxiu blinked and nodded. "Yeah, exactly like our last date." Feili stared blankly in thought for a long moment, then suddenly said, "I should apologize to Niya." "I practically monopolized all your time today without leaving her any... but I really couldn't bear to yield it to her." She looked up at Yaxiu, starlight reflected in her eyes, twinkling like stars. "This is our second date, and it might be our last." Yaxiu considered this. "It seems this is my second date, too." Feili smiled, holding back her lips, and took a deep breath, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. "Yaxiu, there's something I want to tell you." ... "Vichy, do you like Feili, hate me, or is it both?" Inside the resort restaurant, Niya suddenly lashed out at Vichy. Vichy munched on French fries without a care, remarking lazily, "I'm actually a very compassionate person—I love all small animals, whether sheep or hedgehogs. Why would I hate you?" "Then why did you..." Niya bit her lower lip. "Never mind." "I did indeed create an opportunity for Feili to be alone with Yaxiu, but that doesn't mean I'm helping her," Vichy said with a smile. "If I truly wanted to help her, I wouldn't have given her any chance to be alone with him." Niya looked at her. "One reason I dislike you is that you talk in riddles." Rose cut her steak gracefully, unbothered by their conversation. "What do you think Feili sought an opportunity to be alone with Yaxiu to say?" Vichy asked, amused. "Obviously, she wanted to—" Niya blurted out, but the moment she saw Vichy's knowing smirk, she realized she had probably assumed wrong. Still, never one to admit her mistakes or foolishness, she clamped her mouth shut. If Niya didn't ask, Vichy certainly wouldn't tell, waiting to see who would lose patience first. After a while, Niya asked in a muffled voice, "So why are you helping her?" "Because I'm curious too," Vichy said, glancing toward the distant mountaintop. "Lingering on the edge of love and duty, just what kind of answer will Feili give?" Niya frowned. She despised speaking in riddles like this. "Actually, compared to Feili, I'm even more curious about you." Vichy tilted her head. "Niya, do you really still care about your relationship with Yaxiu?" Niya instantly bristled, glaring at Vichy, but quickly reined herself in. Lowering her gaze, she fell silent and quietly ate her dinner. ... "Mhm," Yaxiu said softly. "I'm listening." "I wanted to tell you," Feili took a deep breath, "about the Soul Kingdom of Heaven project..." "Mhm." "I hope... I hope you... you... you..." The remaining words seemed to stick in her throat. She panted shallowly, unable to force another syllable past her lips. She limply clutched Yaxiu's arm, her breathing growing heavier as if the mere act of inhaling drained all her strength. "I hope you... you don't..." Feili bit down hard on her lip, tears gradually blurring her vision. Resting her head gently against Yaxiu's shoulder, her ragged gasps dissolved into whimpers. The whimpers grew louder until she could no longer hold back and burst into wails of weeping—crying heart-wrenchingly, hysterically, as though grief held inside for so long could finally pour forth without restraint. Yaxiu patted her back and chuckled softly. "Cry a little slower, don't rush so much. I'm worried you'll get respiratory alkalosis." "I can't say it... I can't say it!" Feili sobbed, letting out a hiccup. "I can't say anything!" "Why can't I say it... I clearly made up my mind..." "Because you don't want me to get hurt, yet you don't want All Stars to be destroyed either." Yaxiu looked up at the sky curtain of stars and said, "Because Feili, you are a kind demon."