I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

That's about it.

"I see... It would be best if we could get a picture of it..."

Upon hearing Xi Wang's affirmative reply, she subconsciously turned her gaze to the star-studded night sky, sincerely looking forward to it.

"Mom said that after people leave this world, they become stars in the sky, so they can see each other even from a great distance... Dad is like that. He went to a very, very far place and ended up becoming a star, so he can watch over Mom and me..."

"But then Mom left too, and she became a star... But I can't find which star is Mom, just like Mom couldn't find which star is Dad..."

She spoke softly, as if she were talking to Xi Wang, or perhaps to herself.

"Then, when the shooting star falls, that's when people come back... because those who left no longer need stars to see each other, because those who left have already returned."

"So...so...if there's a shooting star this time..."

She instinctively reached out her hand, as if wanting to touch the stars.

Could it be Mom coming back?

"Or...is it Dad?"

She seemed a little dazed, as if she were immersed in her own world, but she quickly came back to her senses and appeared flustered and helpless in front of Xi Wang.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot, I came to see my brother for this..."

As she spoke, she pulled several banknotes out of her pocket.

"Um... brother, you don't need to pay. I... I just made room for you... so... here, take these back..."

"No need, please accept these. After all, I've bothered you for a whole night, and you really helped me... Consider these my token of gratitude."

"But...but..."

"Then let me put it another way."

Xi Wang tilted his head, not taking the money from her hand.

“As you know, I am a bard, so I am naturally interested in other people’s stories, because these stories can provide me with inspiration for my music…”

"And coincidentally, I was very interested in the story about the stars you just mentioned, and it gave me some inspiration, so... I bought it~ After all, it inspired a song, which is priceless, so consider this my small token of gratitude~"

"Is...is that so? That's wonderful!"

The girl was very happy, seemingly believing that what she had just said had given Xi Wang inspiration, and thus accepted the money without any qualms.

"Um...brother, and...um..."

"Hmm? You can just say what's on your mind."

"I want to know my brother's name... So when Mom comes back, I can tell her that I met someone as amazing as you... um... [the bard]?"

"Oh, that's good. Don't be surprised, my name is Xiwang, but not the usual Xiwang. It's written differently."

"Xi Wang... what a... what an amazing name."

"I think so~"

"Then you can call me Sirin, brother...that's my name..."

A slight blush crept onto Xilin's face; she seemed a little embarrassed.

"Sirin...hmm, it's a very nice name~"

"hey-hey……"

Xilin was very happy, but then she noticed something, and an excited expression appeared on her face. She pointed to the starry sky and gestured to Xiwang.

"Brother! Look! A shooting star!"

"Yeah, I saw it."

Xi Wang calmly checked the equipment to ensure she could capture the scene, but Xi Lin's gaze remained fixed on the starry sky and never looked away.

"I hope it's Mom coming back this time..."

She prayed softly.

"Hmm... Sirin, she's really cute~"

Xi Wang looked Xi Lin up and down, then laughed, making Xi Lin feel embarrassed.

"Brother Xiwang..."

"Haha... But looking at your adorable face, I've had a bit of an idea... Hmm... Do you want to hear it?"

As she spoke, Xi Wang turned her gaze to the stars in the night sky.

"Can...is it okay?"

???~

Xi Wang did not respond directly, but instead hummed a short tune, which made Xi Lin immediately cover her mouth, afraid of disturbing him.

However, Xiwang quickly stopped humming, after all, this song was only a preliminary idea at the moment, but it was enough for Xilin.

"It sounds nice..."

"It would be wonderful if Celine liked it, after all, this song was inspired by Celine, in other words, it's a song dedicated to Celine..."

"Is it for me?"

"Well, the melody might have to wait until I get back to finish it. I'll bring a copy to Sirin when it's done."

Xi Wang shifted his gaze slightly and caught a glimpse of a figure hiding in a corner in the dim night... Hmm, it was the homeless man who had stopped him that morning.

Honestly... I don't know what to say. If you care about someone, just stand up for them openly.

Xi Wang looked somewhat helpless, but then chuckled softly and said gently.

"Maybe when the next shooting star streaks across the sky, my song will come to you~"

"Really? Thank you, brother!"

As she spoke, Celine became somewhat distressed and frustrated.

"But... what if... what if Sirin can't find her brother's star?"

"Hmm? Oh... I see..."

Xi Wang was stunned for a moment, then realized what Xi Lin was talking about... In any case, Xi Wang was a traveler, a bard, just passing through this place. In other words, he would definitely leave. In Xi Lin's mind, he should also become a star and rise into the sky. And when the shooting star streaks across the sky, that will be the time when he returns here with his song.

That's why Xilin has this question... She wants to know which star Xiwang will become, so that she can know when Xiwang will return with the song, instead of being like her parents, who couldn't find their respective stars and couldn't know when they would return.

"Cirin, all you need to do is find the two brightest stars; they're a pair of 'double stars' standing side by side... and one of them is me!"

"Really...really?!"

"Yes, it's easy to find, right? If there's anything bothering you, just whisper it out. I'll be watching you from the sky... um... no, I mean, your mom, dad, mom, and everyone else will be watching you from the sky, okay?"

Xi Wang said with a smile, then took a few steps forward with a light gait, imitating Xi Lin's previous gesture as she stretched out her hands toward the night sky, as if she wanted to touch the stars.

"After all...look, the stars are still there~"

"……Um!"

Xilin nodded emphatically and smiled happily.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Autumn Whispers and Melodies (4710)

Your encounter with Celine was somewhat unexpected. Her story and the star-studded night sky inspired you. You felt you should write down this melody and expand it into a song... Of course, that's something that needs to be postponed.

After spending a few days in this remote town, you began your journey home... Before leaving, you played several farewell songs for everyone in the town, and you also played a melody that you had expanded upon for Sirin. Although it was not yet a song, its beautiful melody had already been remembered by her, and she was eagerly anticipating the song you would write for her.

"If my mother comes back, I will definitely sing for her!" — That's what Celine said.

In the end, you specifically sought out the homeless man again... Although he kept trying to avoid you, you eventually managed to stop him.

Tell him that if he truly cares about his daughter, he should bravely step forward and express his feelings. This familial love, expressed at any time, is always reassuring and joyful... instead of running away like this, letting the mistakes of the past continue to escalate.

He roughly pushed you away, accusing you of spouting nonsense without knowing anything. He then became increasingly agitated, berating everything around him, before finally collapsing to the ground in despair and sadness. You witnessed his entire transformation from agitation to rage, and finally to emotional breakdown, confirming that you hadn't picked the wrong person.

You offered him some comfort and financial assistance... not much, but enough for him to get by for half a month. You also told him about your agreement with Celine, and that you hoped he would bring the song to Celine after you finished it... This gave him a reasonable excuse to meet Celine, and you indicated that if he didn't want to, that was fine too.

[As expected, he agreed...and accepted your money, and begged you to take him to town...Clearly, he has some goals now, which is a good thing, isn't it?]

You take him to a nearby town, then bid him farewell and wish him well for the future, hoping he will find joy when he reunites with Sirin.

[And you have officially embarked on your journey home... However, you still encounter some interesting things along the way, such as meeting a "great magician"]

The magician, who calls herself "Vilvie," recognized you immediately and approached you mysteriously, hoping you could provide some musical support for her performance. In exchange, you wouldn't need a ticket to see her shows in the future!

You were somewhat surprised, after all, Virvi seemed particularly confident, even boasting that her talent in the magic world was equal to your and Eden's talent in music and art, both being "stars" that others could not touch.

You watched a few of her magic tricks and found them to be true, so you offered to accompany her performance with music... You know, that's quite an interesting glimpse, isn't it? You can also use your fame to give Velvi some free advertising, since her performances are truly amazing.

The only problem is... Virvi's personality is somewhat eccentric, and there's always a feeling that she has some... mental issues? So when she's resting, you try to play some soothing songs, but this only makes you witness a rather strange side of her...

[She is timid and insecure, surrounded by a strong sense of lack of self-confidence, but she quickly suppresses it and returns to her original confident and proud attitude. She is just much quieter when you play, and she stops fiddling with her magic props. She just stays by your side and listens to you play silently.]

After your performance, she suggested that "resting" beside you seemed like a good option, and also hoped you could record a few similar songs for her... You felt you had helped her, so you readily agreed.

However, she then made a further request, hoping you could write a song for her or arrange a setlist specifically for her performance. You didn't directly refuse, but simply said you needed inspiration and time. She understood and said she looked forward to your song. She also encouraged you to bring Eden to her magic show, as it would be a great honor for two big stars to be there!

You found her attitude somewhat amusing, but didn't directly reject her. After all, although Wilvi acted a bit strangely, you could tell she was a good person... and you two had become friends, right?

Finally, at Virvi's request, you signed one of her magic props, and then you went your separate ways.

[You returned to the Mu Continent, rested briefly, and adjusted to the changing weather from snow to late autumn before beginning preparations for your "important event".]

After all, Eden's birthday is coming soon.

--------

???~

It was Xi Wang's light and cheerful humming, the melody clearly uplifting, yet carrying a strange tenderness.

"La~? La la la~?... Hmm, this won't do... La~? La la~?"

While adjusting the melody he conceived, he tried to record the lyrics he thought of, and then made slight adjustments according to the melody. He repeated this process until he gradually perfected the song that was originally intended for Xilin.

Da da--

Some hurried footsteps approached, along with...

"Sorry, I'm late..."