Yu Sheng had planned to catch up on sleep once he got home, but two bowls of “Fox Stew” ruined that plan. He wasn’t sure if the Cyber Fox Immortal’s “stew” was actual food, but its “medicinal effect” was fierce. Right now, he felt bursting with energy, like he could run another speed challenge through Nightfall Valley.
Since he wouldn’t be napping, he decided to do something more productive.
“I need to drop by the Special Affairs Bureau,” he said as he walked into the living room. Doll, who was called Irene, sat cross-legged on the coffee table watching variety shows. “You stay here with Foxy.”
Irene looked up from the screen. “Okay… Will you be back by lunchtime?”
“Hard to say. Might not make it,” Yu Sheng answered. Then he glanced over his shoulder and saw Foxy walking out from the dining area, wiping her hands on her tail. “If I’m not back by lunch, just heat up the leftovers in the fridge—”
Foxy blinked. “Already ate them.”
“…Still got anything ‘stored’ in your tail?” Yu Sheng asked.
Foxy broke into a grin. “Yes, there’s more!”
“Then just make do with that,” Yu Sheng said, waving a hand. “Tonight, Little Red Riding Hood and the others plan to hold a celebration in the Valley, so we’ll have a proper meal then—on the Special Affairs Bureau’s tab, anyway.”
Yu Sheng pulled out his phone and sent a message to Bai Li Qing. Once they agreed on a time, he let out a quiet breath. Then he opened a Door that appeared in midair.
He stepped through it and found himself in a vast, silent space.
It was a tiny, fragment-like island adrift in endless darkness. Outside the “floating island” lay an infinite void. Overhead flowed a brilliant, glowing stream that arced across the entire space. A wondrous “elevator” structure rose from the center of the isle, extending upward into the darkness. The entire scene was majestic and mysterious, just as he remembered—quiet as ever.
He stood on N Floor of the Special Affairs Bureau Headquarters Building, which some called the “roof” of the Borderland. It was indeed a good place for a private talk.
The area was deserted, and Bai Li Qing hadn’t arrived yet. Yu Sheng wasn’t worried. Strolling around the broken, drifting island, he soon found a small rest area beside that glowing elevator. There, he poured himself a glass of iced water and sat down on a sofa to wait in silence.
He gazed at the grand, lonely view. Beneath that radiant stream of light, his mind began to wander. He thought about the Cursed Children in the “Fairy Tale” organization and their future, about himself, about this incredible world, and about the ark named “Anka Aila.” He remembered the ark’s long journey, as well as the ancient memories it had shown him.
Lowering his head, he watched the ice cubes float in his glass. Tiny bubbles formed on their surfaces, drifting upward and sometimes merging. Some clung to the cup’s sides, while others popped gently at the surface.
After a while, he felt a sudden sensation that made him straighten up and clear his thoughts. He lifted his head to find a pair of massive eyes silently watching him.
Only the eyes were visible—pale, almost colorless irises, suspended in the air, beautiful yet lacking any human warmth.
Yu Sheng paused, then greeted them hesitantly. “Uh… hello.”
He knew who this was. It was Bai Li Qing’s “Younger Sister.” But this was his first time seeing her without Bai Li Qing around.
“Hello,” spoke a cold, flat voice that seemed to echo in his mind.
“I invited your sister here to discuss something,” Yu Sheng explained, feeling awkward.
“I know,” the eyes replied in that same emotionless tone. “She’s still in a meeting. It’s boring.”
[So that’s why this feels odd,] Yu Sheng thought as he tried to hold a normal conversation with a pair of disembodied eyes. [She’s basically just two windows, nothing else.] He couldn’t read any expression or sense any emotion. It felt as if he were speaking to an all-seeing security camera.
Still, it was Bai Li Qing’s sister, so he tried to stay polite and searched for a topic. “So, um, I never asked your name. You are…”
“Bai Li Snow,” the eyes answered calmly. “Though I haven’t used that name for many years.”
Yu Sheng froze for a moment. [That’s a pretty name, and surprisingly ordinary too.]
But before he could speak, the eyes seemed to sense his thoughts and went on: “Big Sister and I both have names our mother gave us.”
“…” Yu Sheng had no words for a second.
“Yes, I’m indeed my Mother’s daughter,” Bai Li Snow said. “Just like my sister.”
“I… I didn’t actually say anything,” Yu Sheng muttered.
He scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed that his inner questions had been read so easily. Yet those questions kept multiplying. [Did Bai Li Snow always look ? Just two eyes floating around? What exactly happened to her? Why does she seem so distant from Bai Li Qing? Is she here just out of curiosity because the meeting was dull?]
Still, he didn’t want to pry. He wasn’t the nosy type, so he quietly sipped his iced water again.
But perhaps his reaction was too subdued, because after a brief silence, the eyes took the initiative to speak once more.
“You destroyed a Dark Angel?”
Yu Sheng stopped sipping. He remembered the withered, dying biodome, and the final farewell from Anka Aila before it shut down. After a long pause, he shook his head.
“It chose to ‘die’ on its own. All I did was keep it company at the end.”
He could feel those piercing eyes studying him—not hostile, just curious.
“All the same, it’s an extraordinary achievement,” Bai Li Snow said. “A Dark Angel has ‘fallen’—for the first time in known history. People will soon learn of this, and many will be shocked. Of course, nobody will dare storm the Borderland and demand the truth, but before long, the impact will show itself…”
Yu Sheng responded half a minute later with a slow, “Oh.”
“You… don’t seem that concerned,” said Bai Li Snow.
He raised his head. “Why should I be?”
For the first time, Bai Li Snow appeared surprised. She fell silent for two seconds, then spoke again. “You know, like in those stories where the hero tries to hide after some amazing feat, afraid it’ll disrupt their peaceful life…”
Yu Sheng said, in genuine astonishment, “You read stuff like that?”
“Besides watching and reading things, what else can I do?” she asked.
[Well, she has a point,] Yu Sheng thought.
He cleared his throat. “Well, I haven’t worried much about that. My ‘peaceful life’ has already been pretty chaotic, so there’s no point in obsessing over it.”
“That makes sense,” Bai Li Snow agreed. “You certainly do have a crowd of… lively people around you.”
“Exactly,” he said with a dismissive wave. “Let the rumors spread however they spread. I’ve got my reasons for looking into Dark Angels anyway. If some commotion brings new intel, that’s fine by me.”
Bai Li Snow fell quiet. Just then, Yu Sheng heard a soft sliding sound from the elevator door nearby.
He turned to see Bai Li Qing step off, a gray-white ponytail swaying as she hurried forward.
“Sorry. As soon as I got your message, I tried to end the meeting, but it still ran longer than I expected,” Bai Li Qing said quickly. Then she spotted the floating eyes facing Yu Sheng and stopped in her tracks. “…What are you doing here? When did you wander out?”
“In that moment when you stood up and said, ‘I’d like to add two more points,’” Bai Li Snow replied.
He watched Bai Li Qing walk over and sit across from him. Then he watched the giant pair of eyes vanish behind her. After a long moment, he broke the silence.
“Your sister… is actually kind of interesting.”
“She is,” Bai Li Qing said with a slight nod. “But she’s also dangerous. Don’t stare into her eyes for too long. You can tell her state isn’t really ‘human’ anymore. She may treat you well, but there are some inhuman and irrational powers she can’t always control.”
Yu Sheng considered that. [I didn’t sense anything off, but I guess she’s just being cautious for my sake,] he thought. He decided not to argue.
Still, it made him even more curious about Bai Li Qing, Bai Li Snow, and the bond between these two mysterious sisters.
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation