Honkai Impact: Grandma Pine Sparrow is still chasing me!

Chapter 403 The Corner for Mother Isn't Like This...

Qiong felt that she was sleeping very comfortably.

For him now, this is quite a rare treat, since Qiong has had a hard time getting a good night's sleep since returning from Mars.

Lying in bed, Qiong stirred, trying to turn over, but felt a resistance—something was preventing him from turning over?

Qiong, who was half asleep and half awake because he was turning over, did not want to wake up. However, he still tried to twist his body, but the more he tried, the more he felt something was wrong. It seemed that he had trapped someone's thigh.

Uncle Siegfried? Impossible! He's not back yet, and I'm in my own room right now!

Qiong suddenly opened her eyes. It wasn't fully light yet, and the room was extremely dimly lit. In Qiong's line of sight, a pair of fair thighs were sandwiched between her own legs, as she was a rather unruly sleeper.

With the slightest movement, I could feel a warm, soft body pressed against my back...

Where did those long, white legs come from?!

Qiong froze, holding his breath. He slowly turned his head and saw long pink hair spread across his bed, the girl sleeping on her side, a small section of her fair neck visible...

Xi Lian? Or the larger size?

The girl was sleeping soundly, her breathing even and long. Because of her clothing, the neckline was slightly loose, and she was curled up behind him in a completely unguarded position, her arms resting in front of her, and there was something that looked like a ring on the ring finger of her left hand…

Of course, her beauty and all that doesn't matter; what matters is the thigh he's sandwiching between his legs—no wonder he feels "obstructed," and then...

Blood rushed to her head, her eardrums buzzed. All Qiong wanted to do now was scream.

"what!!!!"

A scream escaped from Qiong's throat. The thigh that was clamping Xi Lian's thigh immediately sprang away as if it had been burned, and Qiong used both hands and feet to get away from the girl until she fell off the bed with a "bang".

The violent movement and the sound of her landing finally woke the sleeping girl. Her long, thick eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she groggily opened her eyes, her pink eyes filled with the confusion of just waking up. She subconsciously touched the empty blankets beside her before focusing her gaze on Qiong, who had just gotten up from the ground.

"Partner, is that you?"

Xi Lian's voice was hoarse from just waking up, yet also possessed a softness unique to young girls.

"What happened to you? How did I get here..."

As she spoke, she naturally propped herself up with her hands, slightly raising her upper body. She even rubbed her eyes, her long pink hair slipping down her shoulders, exuding a lazy and docile aura that seemed completely out of place with Qiong's current state of terror.

After getting up, Qiong pressed herself tightly against the door, her fingers digging into the cracks, her face flushing red and then turning pale, unable to even form a complete sentence.

The last time I was this scared was when Luo Xing Leiera was so swayed by the clock trick that she just wanted to stay close to me in bed—this Xi Lian seems even more formidable than Leiera at first glance, though she's a bit unstable, but could she possibly…

"You...I...how...why are you here?!"

Qiong's gaze uncontrollably swept over the girl's disheveled clothes and long pink hair, finally settling on the ring on her left ring finger...

Following his horrified gaze, Xi Lian looked down at herself, seemingly only then realizing something. A faint blush rose to her cheeks, but she didn't panic. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, revealing a smile that was both slightly confused and perfectly natural.

"Oh dear, it seems that she was still 'Mimi' back then..."

"You dead gray hair, why are you yelling so early in the morning?!"

Kiana?

Qiong suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck.

Logically, at this moment, he should trust that fool Kiana more than Xilian. He should rush out to protect Kiana and let her face this "ghost" with him, but...

Qiong's feet seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move at all. Because he didn't know how to deal with this Onpharos "ghost" who had suddenly barged into his life.

Bang bang bang!

Kiana, furious, began knocking on the door, while Sora hesitated between opening it and not.

"Open the door! Open the door!"

Qiong was torn between two conflicting thoughts: if she opened the door, Kiana would see Xi Lian, and although it was a bit hard to explain, he was indeed innocent; if she didn't open the door... well, never mind, she'd open the door!

Qiong straightened her clothes and opened the door. There stood Kiana, dressed in pajamas, looking sleepy, holding a pillow.

"You're so loud, can't a person get any sleep?... Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing!"

Kiana grumbled in dissatisfaction, then was pulled into the room by Sora, staggering a couple of steps before regaining her balance. Just as she was about to lash out, she saw Sora, like a startled rabbit, quickly hide behind her, her finger trembling as she pointed to the bed—where there were only crumpled sheets and a messy blanket.

"Look, she's right there... wait, where is she?"

Kiana looked suspiciously in the direction Qiong pointed, then glanced around the familiar, slightly cluttered room. Apart from the two of them, the room was empty.

"Who? There's no one there! Are you seeing a ghost again?"

Kiana rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Dead Gray Hair, are you still half asleep?"

"I'm not just confused from sleep, it's real!"

Qiong tried to explain urgently.

"It's Xi Lian! The girl who was just moaning incoherently this afternoon! She was just in my bed, and, and..."

Qiong blushed again when she thought of the warm thighs she had trapped between her legs, and the words she was about to say got stuck in her throat.

"Xi Lian? That little one's name is Xi Lian?"

Kiana raised an eyebrow; she was becoming somewhat interested.

"Not small! It's big! As big as us!"

Qiong gestured incoherently.

"Long, pink hair, wearing... well, anyway, it's her! And she even spoke!"

Kiana looked at Sora's flushed face and her anxious expression as she tried to prove herself, then glanced at the empty bed. She walked to the bedside and reached out to touch the bedding; it was still slightly warm, but otherwise, there was nothing unusual. She even bent down to look under the bed—there were only a few pairs of Sora's unwashed socks.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry! I apologize again..."

Xi Lian's voice rang in Qiong's mind. She drew out her tone and then returned to that cheerful feeling.

"They promised that such an accident wouldn't happen again! But it's getting late, buddy, let's cheer up and welcome a new day!"

Qiong: ...

It seems that the "trouble" his Mars trip brought him was far more numerous and more... unpredictable than he had imagined.

He subconsciously touched his leg, and his ears started to burn again.

"That one, the dead gray hair..."

Kiana nudged him and gave him a suggestion.

"It's another ghost sighting. Why don't you sleep with your aunt tonight? Her Judah can physically exorcise ghosts."

Qiong rolled her eyes at Kiana. This was absolutely a terrible idea! Putting aside whether Judah could exorcise demons, doing this would probably get him torn to pieces by that old bastard Otto!

"Kiana, your suggestion is good, but don't mention it again next time."

……

In the shadows of the corner, unnoticed by anyone, a faint pink halo quietly shifted and vanished in a flash.

In a place unseen by anyone, a pink halo coalesced into a pink puppy holding a quill pen, which was writing and drawing in front of a book.

"Lord Wan Di's suggestion won't work. When you're not familiar with someone, your partner will never accept sharing a bed with them..."

"Mimi" stared at the crossed-out suggestion. She was no innocent person. As she had said, she also had her own selfish motives... There was nothing she could do. After all, the world of "Demiaoge" and "Mimi" basically consisted only of herself (Xilian) and the pioneers. Everything else was just hearsay.

So she asked a large group of friends (mainly members of the Golden Family) for tips on how to achieve her wish.

Among them, the last crown prince of Suspended Peak, the demigod of strife, and the spear of divine retribution, Madmos, believed that the word "retreat" did not exist in the dictionary of Suspended Peak people. They would just do whatever they wanted and that was it. And then... that was it. Victory would come naturally unless an unromantic HKS like "The Rising Sun" came out to cause trouble.

However, the affection level wasn't high enough... Just like how Ga La needs to increase the affection level with her mother, if the affection level isn't high enough, a bad ending will occur, so Xi Lian failed.

"We were too hasty... Perhaps we should try Ms. Aglaia's suggestion after some time?"

After all, the demigod of conflict is probably not as reliable as the demigod of romance in this regard.

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In Walter's dormitory at St. Freya Academy, Hoshi held the bank card given to her by Rita with a mix of trepidation and excitement.

"The password is today's date, Miss Xing."

In the video call, Rita thoughtfully answered Xing's questions that he was too embarrassed to ask.

"The amount isn't much, but it's enough for you to live on until the start of the school year... Please don't feel guilty; constantly troubling others probably isn't what you want, is it?"

It wasn't what she expected, especially since her brother had even acted as guarantor to borrow some money from Susana to fix the ventilation duct... If she accepted the money, at least her brother wouldn't have to pay it back, right?

Although Xing was unaware that a certain wealthy young woman had already forgotten about the matter.

"Rita, what happened to Yae Sakura...?"

"You should call her 'Sakura-neechan,' Miss Hoshi. As you can see, for certain reasons, she harbors deep affection for your brother. She needs to integrate into your brother's social circle, and you are the most suitable bridge."

Some reason? What could possibly make the long-eared school principal's secretary fall for her older brother?

Hoshino's mind was buzzing. Scenes of her brother and Mei interacting, the scene of Tou taking everyone down, the absurd yet impactful images in the manga, and the wicked woman possessing her... Was her brother some kind of heartbreaker? How could it be one after another?!

Seeing Xing's puzzled expression, Rita flashed an impeccable smile.

"All you need to know is that she harbors absolutely no ill will towards your brother; in fact, you could say her existence is largely intertwined with his. We simply hope this relationship can develop more smoothly… In a sense, your brother is undertaking a monumental experiment unprecedented in history…"

"A great experiment?"

Seeing the star, Rita took the bait and began to speak eloquently.

"In our British way of saying it: even if a person does not plan for it, he still considers it his duty to benefit the world. If it is what the people expect, then only by accepting it can the world be truly benefited. He can only take on the responsibility and completely abandon his own selfishness..."

Xing didn't understand, but she found herself unable to refuse Rita's high-sounding rhetoric—refuse? She had already half-heartedly accepted the "bribe."

A strong protest? But deep down, besides absurdity and shame, there was also a hint of curiosity that even I didn't want to admit...

More importantly, Xing really needed the card. Although her brother loved her, she couldn't keep relying on him forever. After being stopped from using her powerful summoning magic to search for treasure in the trash cans, which could potentially cause trouble, Xing couldn't think of a way to earn money right away—this money would give her her own little space and stop her from worrying about living expenses…

Simply accepting financial aid doesn't really count as betraying her brother, right? As for helping "Sister Sakura" integrate into her brother's social circle... she could slack off or outwardly comply while inwardly resisting, right?

"I understand, but I won't do anything against my conscience!"

Xing spoke dryly, trying to hold onto the last shred of her principles.

"At most... at most I'll just inform my brother. If you ask me to do anything to hurt him, I absolutely won't do it!"

This sounded utterly ineffective to Rita.

Rita's smile deepened, as if she had already anticipated this outcome.

"That's enough. I hope you 'act according to your conscience.' Well then, I won't disturb your rest any longer. The initial amount in your card should put your mind at ease. Subsequent payments will be made regularly as needed. Have a good day, Ms. Xing."

Rita, with a knowing smile, quietly hung up the phone.

The room suddenly fell silent, leaving only Xing alone with the heavy bank card in her hand.

She slumped into the chair and buried her face in her hands.

Oh no, it seems she really has become an "accomplice"—even though she hasn't done anything yet.

But what should she do then? If her brother asks where the money came from, how should she explain it? Should she say it's her allowance from fate? Or that she found it on the street?

And then there's Mei-neechan... If I really help Yae Sakura...

Xing jerked her head away, trying to clear her mind of her chaotic thoughts. She looked down at the bank card in her hand.

At least... we can check how much money is in there now?

When the balance was displayed on the screen, Xing's eyes widened instantly, and she gasped.

The length of that string of numbers far exceeded her expectations.

"This...this isn't much?"

Xing felt her cheeks burning even hotter, but this time it wasn't just shame, it was also guilt.

Even without her, perhaps under the influence of money, Yae Sakura would soon find herself in her brother's life in some unexpected way...

It's definitely not because she's greedy. But if she's not greedy, will others not take it? Uncle Yang can resist temptation, and even if she can resist temptation, there are always others who can't—money is the root of all suffering, so let her bear it all!

"Uncle Yang, are you there?"

Oh no, it's my brother! My brother's back!

Xing hurriedly put away her bank card, patted her cheeks, and went to open the door—if it weren't inappropriate, she really wanted to yell at Qiong:

Bro, our family's rich now!

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Columbia is in pieces; this is even more despicable than the wretched Toledo...

I'm going to play Honkai Impact 3rd later, I hope the new storyline won't be nerfed...