Hearing that cloyingly sweet and cute voice, the crowd instantly scattered like a flock of startled birds, fleeing in all directions.
In their place, only a Little Girl remained, striking a standard wink pose and blinking innocently.
Sparkle: (๑•. •๑)?
Sparkle looked around blankly, only to see everyone backing away as if she were some kind of plague or savage beast. Her eyes immediately reddened, and tears began to well up.
"Waa... it's a long-awaited reunion... does... does everyone not like Sparkle anymore?"
"Correct." * 4
"Ah, Captain, what are you all doing? Um... please don't cry..."
Hearing the collective rejection and seeing the Little Girl's teary eyes and trembling, pitiful pout.
Mo Xin's heart tightened instantly, and she subconsciously took a step forward.
However, just as she moved, her Master's hand firmly pulled her back.
Yunli tilted her head slightly, signaling her Disciple with a look not to cause trouble, while she herself stepped forward.
Two Little Girls of similar height stood facing each other.
Mo Xin watched the scene blankly, her eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.
She clearly hadn't figured out who this sudden Little Girl was, or why everyone's attitude had turned so cold and harsh.
Seeing everyone avoiding her, Sparkle's pitiful, teary act instantly vanished into boredom.
She curled her lip slightly and instead fixed her gaze precisely on the only newcomer who didn't know her, Mo Xin.
"Hello there! This should be our first formal meeting, right? My name is Sparkle!"
"Ah? Hel... hello. Um... I'm Mo Xin!"
Although Mo Xin was unnerved by everyone's stares, she braced herself and answered.
But Yunli, who knew Sparkle's "troublemaking" nature all too well and was Mo Xin's Master, bristled on the spot.
"Why are you paying her any mind?"
"And! Don't you dare get any ideas about my Disciple!"
Before her words even faded, Yunli had decisively pulled out Old Mettle and smashed it down upon Sparkle's head!
This scene left Mu Yao and the others stunned. When did Yunli become so decisive and straightforward? Even to the point of attacking without a second word?
Though it was to protect her Disciple, it felt like there was a bit of personal grudge mixed in. And that was indeed the case.
Rumble—
Accompanied by a deafening roar.
When everyone's gaze focused again, what met their eyes was the horrific sight of Sparkle lying in a pool of blood.
Blood soaked through her clothes. It was a shocking sight.
Seeing this, Chen Yuxuan and the others behind him all gasped, their sighs of shock rising one after another.
Mo Xin's face turned as pale as paper, her pupils dilated with shock as she stared at the scene before her in disbelief.
Mo Xin: (●—●)
"Mas... Yunli... you... how could you..." She opened her mouth but couldn't make a full sound, only able to squeeze out a few words intermittently. "To this Little Girl..."
She couldn't bring herself to say the rest.
Mu Yao, worried that her Junior Female Student would misunderstand, was just about to offer a few words of comfort.
Mo Xin suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder.
Sparkle (＞⤙＜): "Oh my, this little sister is much more caring, unlike the others~ Hmph!"
Mo Xin: Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ
Mo Xin was so startled she stumbled back two steps before steadying herself, only then realizing that Sparkle had silently appeared behind her.
At such close range, her gaze quietly fell upon the exquisite red and white fox mask on the other girl's head.
Sparkle... fox mask... at that moment, Mo Xin finally remembered this familiar name. Wasn't this the fox-masked girl, that the team had mentioned before?
No wonder the captains not only knew her but also remained so wary of her.
Having figured everything out, Mo Xin's eyes cleared up significantly, as if a layer of mist had been brushed aside.
But she still looked blankly at the "Sparkle" on the ground and then back at the "Sparkle" in front of her, as if trying to confirm something.
"Oh, you figured it out so quickly? Not bad, little one!" Sparkle chuckled, a flash of mischief in her eyes. She had clearly seen through Mo Xin's confusion long ago.
As for Mu Yao and the others, though their expressions were a bit unsightly, they had experienced a similar "surprise" before and were prepared.
As the perpetrator, Yunli naturally knew she couldn't do anything to this fun-seeking "little devil."
She could only helplessly retract Old Mettle and stand aside sulking, her lips pressed thin.
"It's a long-awaited reunion, why is everyone being so cold? I even went out of my way to come back and visit the injured..."
Sparkle complained softly while turning her gaze toward Qing Yutong.
Their eyes met instantly, and a flash of mischief crossed Sparkle's eyes, as if saying: See, how caring I am!
"It's you..."
"Oh? I didn't expect you'd still remember me!!"
As Qing Yutong stared at the familiar figure, a red silhouette suddenly flashed through her mind.
But the memory immediately receded like a tide, leaving only a chaotic daze.
[The black hole] [The red silhouette]... accompanied by a slight stinging pain, she could only barely piece together a blurry, almost illusory figure.
"Sister Yutong, are you... are you okay?"
Seeing Qing Yutong suddenly clutch her head, her expression so pained she was almost curling up, Mu Yao immediately panicked.
The others also cast concerned glances and instinctively took a step forward.
"Sparkle! Did you do something again? You caused Yu Tong to fall into a coma before, and now..." Lu Hao pointed sharply at Sparkle, his voice filled with anger.
"Whoa, whoa, I'm not taking the blame for this..." Sparkle chuckled and took half a step back, spreading her hands.
"Hao, calm down!"
"But Captain!"
"Everyone..."
While the others were arguing, Qing Yutong's face gradually returned to calm.
"I'm fine, just now... I seemed to remember something..." she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible confusion.
"It's good that you're okay. By the way... do you remember what you thought of?"
Chen Yuxuan asked tentatively.
Upon hearing this, a trace of pain clearly appeared on Qing Yutong's indifferent face, her brows furrowing tightly.
Seeing this, the others all wanted to step forward and stop her.
But Qing Yutong still described the images she saw, word by word, with determination.
"I... I saw... a black and white world... there was nothing there... as if... nothing had any meaning..."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone except Yunli and Sparkle...
...was completely clueless.
However, Chen Yuxuan keenly tried to connect what she said with her current condition.
Could this be the reason for Yu Tong's change? A black and white world... an unknown mystic realm? But when did she enter it...
As she recounted her memory, Qing Yutong seemed to undergo an indescribable change.
Her tone was no longer a cold narration, but instead took on a hint of confiding.
It was as if she were in a long, lonely abyss, struggling to climb out and touch a sliver of warmth, even if that warmth was as faint as a firefly's glow.
"And... a... person... a woman..."
In the end, with her missing memories, Qing Yutong could only barely recall this much.
Hearing this, Sparkle's excited plum blossom pupils lit up like they were being fueled, a circle of crimson light swirling within them as if tiny flames were dancing in the depths of her eyes.
The corners of her mouth curled into a sweet, hidden arc, her eyes sparkling with mischief and anticipation.