Wende, who was in the throes of decision paralysis, looked up to see two figures furtively approaching. These two clowns… were they planning to scare him?
Then again, it was perfect. As girls, they should know what kind of gifts are best, right?
At this thought, Wende felt a wave of enlightenment. Instead of agonizing over it himself, he might as well ask for their opinion!
And so, as the two of them drew near, Wende slipped behind them as silently as a ghost.
"Do you really think it's necessary for us to sneak around and spy on Wende like this?" March 7th whispered to Stelle, who was in front of her.
"Shh! Wende wouldn't just show up here for no reason. Since he's here, there must be a hidden quest!"
Stelle's eyes seemed to sparkle with a golden light! If I help Wende solve his problem, then won't I get a chance to get close to him! Hee hee hee! I haven't been this close to Wende in days! I absolutely cannot miss this opportunity!
It was a good thing Wende was standing behind Stelle. If he had seen the look on her face, he probably would have thought she had lost her mind and zapped her unconscious with a lightning needle on the spot.
However, judging by the slight darkening of Wende's face, if he let her run her mouth for a little longer, he might genuinely lose control and mete out some punishment!
"What are you two doing?"
Wende's voice quietly sounded from behind them. Stelle, who had been about to peek out to observe Wende's movements, froze instantly. Her neck turned slowly, as if its gears were rusted. Seeing Wende's face, which was composed but had a faint dark aura, she let out an incredibly awkward laugh and stood up.
"Sigh… I knew you were unreliable. What's with all the extra drama?"
March 7th had an "I knew it" expression on her face. She was completely unfazed by this sort of thing now. Still, she turned to look at Wende, her large pink and blue eyes filled with irrepressible curiosity.
"So, what are you doing here, Wende?"
Seeing March 7th's straightforwardness, getting right to the point, Wende nodded to himself. Little March could be quite sensible and well-behaved at times, at least compared to this rebellious child of his.
Wende glanced at the still-laughing-awkwardly Stelle with a lingering sense of helplessness.
"I'm just here to pick out some gifts. Since you're here, how about you help me choose a few things?" Wende invited.
"Sure, sure! Who are you buying a gift for?"
March 7th immediately agreed, looking at Wende with expectant eyes.
"Mm… it's for a girl. She's kind and strong, and I hope she can always maintain these wonderful qualities. I'm looking for a small gift that she would hopefully like."
Wende thought carefully before speaking plainly to March and Stelle. After all, if he was vague, it would only make these two overthink things, but if he said it like this…
"Is… is that so! Then you've come to the right person! I, little March, am an expert at buying gifts for girls!"
March 7th confidently puffed out her chest. Before Stelle could even react, she had taken the task upon herself.
"Okay, I'll be counting on you. I'm not particularly knowledgeable in this area."
"Hah! Just listen to me! You can't go wrong!"
And so, to Stelle's completely bewildered expression, she was dragged by March and Wende on a two-hour shopping spree through the Central Starskiff Haven. They finally teleported back to the train with a large pile of things.
Back in his room, Wende sorted through the gifts. There were some for everyone on the train, some for Kiana and the others, and of course… some for Wendy.
Hah… they were actually all the same: a pendant carved from jade into the shape of a kite. Both Stelle and March had loved it. He trusted that Wendy would like it too.
When it came to giving gifts, Wende always made sure to treat everyone equally. After all, if he forgot certain vinegar jars… his next few days probably wouldn't be very peaceful.
Besides, the kite held different meanings for different people. It could symbolize [Trailblazing], exploring the unknown like a falcon. It could also mean freedom and liberation, or even symbolize the memories of one's hometown…
More importantly, he hoped that Wendy could be like a kite—free and unbound, like a sprite…
There were nine pendants in total. Wende had even bought one for Pom-Pom. Including Wendy's, that was exactly one for everyone.
Himeko, Welt, Dan Heng, March 7th, Stelle, Tingyun, Jingliu, Pom-Pom… and Wendy.
He didn't know when it had happened, but he now had so many family members…
Mm… this is really nice…
Putting the items away, Wende looked out the porthole at the brilliant river of stars, a smile on his face.
He would hand out the gifts after Wendy got on the train.
He had told Stelle and March to keep it a secret. It would be a little surprise gift for everyone!
Closing his eyes, he saw Wendy, far away in the Honkai world, sleeping peacefully, hugging his body pillow. She would smack her lips every now and then, as if having a wonderful dream.
Wende nodded in reassurance, then also drifted off to sleep.
Wendy, I'm coming for you soon.
---o---
The next day, Wende woke up bright and early, because today was the day the train would begin its warp jump, leaving the airspace above Punklorde.
According to the route log and navigation, before heading to Penacony, the train would first investigate an "anomaly point" near the star rail. After confirming that it would not affect normal travel, they would proceed to Penacony to attend the grand feast hosted by "The Family."
Everyone gathered on the train. For the first time in a while, Wende made a simple and delicious breakfast for everyone: preserved egg and lean pork congee with tea eggs. He also prepared some pickled vegetables to go with the congee.
After everyone had eaten their fill, the train began its next procedure.
Normally, one shouldn't eat before a warp jump, or at least eat very little. But when Wende cooked… everyone basically fought to finish every last bite. They were all stuffed. This led to Pom-Pom having to let everyone digest for half an hour before finally hopping off to pilot the train and initiate the first warp jump.
This journey was divided into three stages. The first warp jump was to leave the star system where Punklorde was located, which would take ten minutes.
The second stage was to transfer star rails, crossing from a junction point to the target system.
The third stage was to locate the target. They would disable the warp drive before reaching the anomaly point and rely on the train's own propulsion to approach the location.
Sitting on the sofa, Wende couldn't help but glance at Welt. He hoped that after they crossed through the wormhole… Uncle Yang wouldn't be too surprised…