Amid the dazzling lights, the moonlit lanterns, the hustle and bustle of people coming and going, Herta caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.
"Firefly!! Come solve the lantern riddles! I heard the prize this time is a limited-edition game console!"
Despite Silver Wolf's urging, Firefly just clutched the lantern in her hands, looking distracted and troubled.
Silver Wolf pouted. "Sigh, Firefly, are you thinking about Stelle again? We finally completed our mission and came to the Luofu for a vacation!"
Seeing Firefly still silent, sighing with unfulfilled longing, Silver Wolf half-joked, "Maybe, probably, perhaps Stelle has met someone new in that world called Amphoreus."
A flicker of unease and anxiety crossed Firefly's troubled eyes. She bit her lip, but remained silent.
Silver Wolf crossed her arms and sighed. "New people make you forget the old ones. Just like me—when I get a new game, I forget the old ones."
Firefly looked up and glared at Silver Wolf, the fire of Glamoth in her eyes seemingly capable of burning all the way to Amphoreus. "She wouldn't! Stelle isn't like that!"
"Oh? Firefly, September 9th is your birthday. Send Stelle a message and see if she replies."
Firefly hesitated. Years ago, on the evening of September 9th, she had awakened. That was the day Kafka and Elio had found her, and the day she had been reborn. Since then, September 9th had become her birthday.
"I... I haven't told Stelle my birthday yet."
Silver Wolf smirked, snatched Firefly's phone, and sent a message to Stelle. "Oh? Then I'll help you ask."
Firefly panicked and tried to grab the phone back. "Silver Wolf!"
The message was already sent. No reply came.
"Strange. Didn't that girl add you to her special notifications?"
Firefly quickly defended her. "Maybe... maybe she's busy right now. You know the Trailblaze Path takes a lot of time. Or maybe she's in a world where all signals are blocked, so she can't reply immediately."
Silver Wolf blew a bubble with her gum and glanced at Firefly. Stelle hadn't even given an excuse, and Firefly was already making up all kinds for her.
"Sigh, I really don't get you. Wait!"
Sensing the familiar aura of Herta in the crowd, Silver Wolf tensed, looking around warily. Then she grabbed Firefly and fled.
Herta smiled faintly, closed her eyes, and flicked her bangs with self-assured pride. "That little Silver Wolf—she sees me like a mouse sees a cat, a wolf sees a tiger. Don't you think so, Ruan Mei?"
When no praise came, Herta opened her eyes—and found that Ruan Mei had vanished.
"Ruan Mei?!"
She looked around. Amid the bustling crowd, there was no sign of her. She pushed through the throngs of people, searching. The lanterns were bright, the crowds gathered. Then she turned around.
There, where the lights were sparse and the crowd thin, stood that cool, distant figure—eyes closed in quiet meditation, far from the noise and clamor.
"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere."
Hearing the half-displeasure, half-reproach, and nine parts anxiety in Herta's voice, Ruan Mei simply handed her a plum blossom cake and said softly, "I still don't quite fit into such noisy, crowded places."