Ironclad Group Chat: Red and Black Lists Engraved with Heroic Epics

"Do you remember the question on the invitation—Why does life fall asleep?"

Liu Ying leaned against the railing, gazing at the city cluster of Pinocchio: "Look, in this land of dreams, everything is allowed, everything is possible. The unbearable past dissipates like bubbles, and the tomorrow we don't want to face will never come."

Why do people choose to sleep? I think…

"It's because I'm afraid of waking up from the dream."

[Sunday: A thousand people, a thousand faces; the same dream, yet so many answers?]

[Black Tower: More like a need than an answer. People's circumstances differ, so their needs naturally cannot be the same.]

[Robin: Therefore, a true paradise must offer people choices.]

Liu Ying suddenly realized that her thoughts had wandered too far and she had talked about too many irrelevant things.

"The atmosphere suddenly became so heavy, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... Let me think, how can I lighten the mood?"

"By the way—you have many friends on the train. How do you usually handle situations like this?"

To liven up the atmosphere? She has a lot to say about that.

Xing counted on her fingers: "Pam would use a spray bottle to calm us down, Dan Heng would tell corny jokes with a straight face, Himeko would make us a cup of coffee, Uncle Yang would try to change the subject, and March would drag us to take selfies together..."

[March 7th: They're all great! Except for Himeko's coffee...]

[Danheng: Using that method would probably solve "all problems." And, was my joke lame?]

[Shut up: No, the passengers on the Danheng train have a very high sense of humor, only slightly inferior to mine.]

[Star: That's too tragic. Even more hopeless than the yellow and purple color scheme of Bai Er's outfit.]

[Bai Er: Hmm?]

"I was already trying to change the subject..." Firefly stammered like a kitten caught off guard by a mouse: "...but I failed. So...confess, confess...you're right!"

"I've been here so many times, why didn't I think to take a picture?"

[March 7th: It has to be me!]

"But being alone... feels a little strange." Firefly invited quite naturally, "Want to come together? Consider it a keepsake."

Given the atmosphere, how could she refuse? Xing readily agreed: "Okay."

Liu Ying blushed and said shyly, "I'm a little camera-shy, don't laugh at me. Here... take it."

The girl handed the phone to Xing, her eyes full of anticipation.

[Silver Wolf: Tsk, impressive skills. I didn't even want to call you out on it. You got a photo so easily. If I gave you a month, I don't know how far you'd go.]

[Phantom Image: Hmm~~ It gives me the feeling that Firefly is a big bad wolf disguised as a kitten.]

[March 7th: Huh? Really? Her movements are so smooth!]

[Firefly: How could that be! I, I was just expressing my feelings...]

[Xi Lian: That's right, I can feel that feeling. Wow, being with my friends really lets me see so many different and adorable girls♪]

[Su Chang: No matter what, it's so sweet.]

Xing took the phone, opened the camera app, and switched cameras. All in one smooth motion. Then, she stretched out her arm, holding the phone further away to ensure the viewfinder could accommodate two people.

The background music coincidentally reached a climax, very "thoughtfully" adding to the excitement for the two.

"Wait a minute, let me get ready..." Liu Ying was extremely nervous. Posing, makeup, demeanor... such an important matter as taking a photo with Xing was decided so hastily.

I should dress up nicely! Do I look ugly like this?

After a flurry of frantic tidying up, Liuying finally mustered the courage to face the camera: "...Okay! Let's begin."

"one……"

"two……"

"eggplant!"

Click~~

The flash went off quietly, capturing the beautiful faces of Xing and Liuying, with the shooting star and the rising sun as their witnesses. Both of them were radiant, their smiles as beautiful as a painting.

[Star: Ah~~ She's so beautiful.]

Xing gazed at herself in the camera lens, silently vowing to herself that she would extend this fleeting joy to a lifetime! Just like the song title, to free a heart from sorrow!

[Kafka: Great! Very photogenic and produces many pictures.]

[Potio: My girlish heart is melting... Ahem, you guys didn't hear anything!]

[Long Night Moon: March, if we don't take screenshots now, it'll be too late!]

[March 7th: Oh? Ah, right!]

I was so engrossed in watching that I completely forgot about something so important.

[Fireworks: Hey~ I suddenly have a great idea! Don't you guys think it would be really fun to Photoshop the fireflies in the photo into lairs?]

[Sangbo: Huh? It's a bag, sis!]

[Star: Huh?!]

Xing's smile, which was basking in the wonderful atmosphere, suddenly froze on her face, and her eyes widened in shock.

Are you being polite? What kind of animalistic behavior is this?

[Star: Fireworks, are you asking for trouble again?!]

[Firefly: Fool, in that case, our positions might no longer be so relaxed and harmonious.]

The light screen lit up again, and the silhouette of a robin appeared on it.

Having finally escaped Shu Weng, she relied on the power of music to follow the trail of Xing and Liu Ying, even arriving at another building in front of that building.

[March 7th: Oh right, Miss Robin is still following us. I almost forgot.]

[Fireworks: Looks like I missed so many shows before. Coming now, I'm afraid I'll just be a third wheel, huh? Hehe, the robin is still running here!]

The robin suddenly stopped. "We can't track it anymore. Is it because the dream world isn't finished yet?"

She had no choice but to try her luck and search around.

Around a corner, a member of the hound family heard footsteps and habitually barked, "Is that—Lady Robin?!"

"Ah, hello."

Upon seeing who it was, the hunting dog could hardly believe its eyes. To run into this top-tier celebrity in such a remote, godforsaken place?!

The hound was almost incoherent: "I... I never expected to meet you here! When I first joined the hounds, it was you who sent me your family greetings."

[Hanabi: If you keep staring at that expression any longer, you'll see Sunday too.]

Just then, the robin asked him about the whereabouts of the stars and fireflies.

"Are you looking for someone? I don't really remember them..." The hound scratched his head. "How about I keep an eye out for you?"

"Oh, this..." the robin said, somewhat embarrassed.

After all, whether those two people would pose a threat was merely her speculation, so using hunting dogs for reconnaissance would be far too frivolous.

Just as they were in a dilemma, an unexpected voice appeared beside them.

"No need to trouble yourself."

On Sunday, the impeccably polite and meticulous head of the Oak family appeared beside the two of them without warning, as if by ghostly apparition.

[Star: Holy crap! Damn, you scared me!]

[March 7th: He actually came? Could it be... that siscon is some kind of causal law?]

[Sunday: ...I'm not a sister-complex person, I just care about my family.]