Regarding the question of whether one thousand lives are enough to beat Honkai Impact 3rd.

Bearing all the mental burdens alone is something the boy is used to doing; back in his time at St. Freya Academy, he hid everything very well.

This time, however, luck wasn't on their side.

But it's okay, just like before.

Su Qing'an was still able to face all of this alone.

43. Fu Hua wanted to offer comfort.

Seele didn't like the silence, even though it lasted for less than a minute.

But that sense of oppression unmistakably stretched time out for a considerable period of time.

She thought that she and Su Qing'an were not very familiar with each other. They had only known each other for two short days. So why did she no longer feel disgusted when she called him "brother"?

Seeing him dejected and sad, Xi'er's mood also became somewhat unpleasant; she didn't like seeing Su Qing'an like this.

The reason, of course, stems from the selfish thought that if the owner/bodyguard has a problem, he himself will be easily affected.

But there might also be some tender elements. She has somewhat accepted the fact that Su Qing'an is her brother, so she inevitably cares a little about his mental state.

Of course, Seele herself believes that this reason only accounts for a small part.

Yes, it is like that.

At that moment, when the little girl saw his somewhat helpless and vulnerable appearance through the peephole, her first reaction was confusion.

She thought Su Qing'an shouldn't be like this.

Perhaps it was from the moment when the power that isolated people from the world was crushed by martial intent.

Perhaps it was from the moment the droplet of water in the Sea of ​​Quanta was burned away by the boy.

In the little girl's eyes, a boy's attitude should be one of unwavering determination.

He should be the kind of brave person who would not waver or be afraid even if he walked towards the abyss.

But then Seele froze, finding her own taken-for-granted thoughts strange.

Why can't my brother be sad?

Why can't Su Qing'an show vulnerability?

This is something that makes absolutely no sense.

Such first reactions and habitual thinking are thoughts that Seele despises.

She quickly reflected on herself and chose to quietly listen to the boy's breathing until just now when she decided to intervene and interrupt.

The martial spirit was so overwhelming that the little girl subconsciously forgot Su Qing'an's real age.

Upon closer reflection, Su Qing'an had never explicitly stated her age.

But if you only look at his appearance, he's not actually that much older than me.

In reality, they are only three years apart, yet their life experiences seem to be vastly different.

Sheryl herself was well aware of this.

While Su Qing'an was unconscious, she clearly saw the scars that stretched upwards from his finger bones like a ukiyo-e print.

In the instant that the [hidden] self-released, these extraordinary things were reflected into the pupils without any concealment.

So even after Su Qing'an deliberately used the word "hidden" to cover up these abnormalities, Xi'er still understood a lot.

For example, the boy who picked him up was also quite abnormal.

But he also has a personality very typical of his age, a fact that the little girl only just realized.

In reality, Su Qing'an was just an ordinary person, and he was far less powerful than he imagined.

Unlike her past self, who was used to finding warmth in a gloomy world by sticking together, Su Qing'an was only used to giving warmth to others, but often didn't care whether she felt cold herself.

Such a person is good at everything, but is most demanding of himself.

That's just...like an idiot.

"Squat down," she whispered.

After Su Qing'an obediently did as he was told, Xi'er reached out and silently patted his head.

Her cool fingers slipped into her hair, her soft fingertips gently pressing against her scalp, a touch that felt like a gentle caress, yet also like a massage.

Seele whispered:

"It's okay if you don't tell me, that's just my personality anyway."

"It's awkward, strange, and makes me feel like a stubborn child, and then I'll try to justify it like an adult later..."

Seele is right. To avoid remaining silent, I would probably say something similar.

Su Qing'an was speechless, but found the conversation rather amusing...

It reminds me of my past with Himeko-nee.

I really miss it.

She paused for a moment, her deep blue eyes fixed on the boy's face, and continued:

"But Xi'er was picked up by Su Qing'an, who is just like that."

"Then there's nothing we can do."

A smile played on the boy's lips. He lowered his eyes and said softly:

"Yes, I might just be a terrible adult to Seele."

"They are the kind of self-righteous adults who like to use their own ideas to restrict you."

"But from my perspective, this is perhaps the best option I can think of."

Seele wrinkled her nose and said with dissatisfaction:

"People who know they're terrible but still do things their own way are really annoying."

"Sister Xiaohua won't be happy either..."

The little girl's expression suddenly became somewhat subtle as she recalled the other person's behavior and the unconsciously gentle tone when mentioning the boy's name. She realized with frustration that this principle did not apply to these two people at all.

Seele said softly:

"Never mind, forget I said anything."

As a final act of revenge, the little girl ruffled the boy's hair with her ten fingers, then ignored him and sat down on the sofa as if nothing had happened.

She took the remote control and skillfully turned on the TV.

Seele has recently taken a liking to watching animal documentaries and nature channels, while younger cartoons don't seem to capture her attention as much.

Her eyes reflected the colorful images on the television, and her body was neatly arranged with her legs together, her posture very polite.

Su Qing'an's gaze still made Xi'er slightly uncomfortable. She pursed her lips, but didn't even glance at him, and said softly:

"If there are no green peppers for dinner."

"Seele... I forgive you."

Su Qing'an's lips curled up slightly as he agreed:

"it is good."

In a sense, he was indeed healed a lot, like a gentle breeze that had swept around the New Caledonia Reef and then carried the boy to the incredibly clean and beautiful coral sea beneath the reef.

At night, the scattered reefs seem to reflect the flickering stars in the sky, as if silently proclaiming that only the aurora borealis at 90 degrees south latitude can surpass this spectacle.

And so the sorrows scattered on the white sand beneath the ocean currents, and unknowingly, solace warmed the whole body in this brief dream.

These things all came from the little girl's patting her head and the words that fell between her lips.

Nothing was resolved, but my mind returned to peace.

In fact, Su Qing'an himself could not obtain any effective solutions. All the current factors pointed to the future outcome being worse than he imagined, and not possibly better.

So... perhaps all he needs are a few light words, an encouraging look, and a touch of warmth conveyed through his fingertips.

That's enough.

No one needs to help the boy carry any weight; simply letting him understand that he is not alone is more important than anything else.

Su Qing'an turned and stepped into the kitchen. The rice in the rice cooker was already in the keep-warm mode, and all she had to do next was stir-fry the vegetables.

Sitting on the sofa, Xi'er glanced at where the boy was. She quietly took out the phone she had bought yesterday from her pajamas pocket, hesitated for a moment, and then clicked on the profile picture of the person whose contact name was "Sister Xiaohua" and sent a message.

[My brother seems a little sad today for some reason. If Xiaohua sees him next time, please give him a hug.]

After posting, the little girl maliciously logged off her account.

She smiled happily and continued watching the animal documentary with great interest.

……

……

"Yuno, no need, I can blow it myself."

Hearing the girl's refusal, Sato Yuno simply continued to run her fingers into the girl's damp hair. Her eyes brightened slightly as she admired the texture of the gray hair.

She said softly:

"It'll be done soon. It must be a hassle for Xiaohua to dry her hair herself with such long hair."

Sato Yuno looked righteous and indignant, clearly having no intention of putting down the hairdryer and letting Fu Hua dry herself.

Although Teacher Su is very aloof, Xiao Hua is very cute!

Surprisingly, she has a somewhat soft personality in this regard, belonging to the type that is easy to tease but makes others feel embarrassed to tease her.

As Sato Yuno slowly dried the little girl's hair with a silent hairdryer, she watched her adorable expression as she silently drank her milk tea through a straw, and a bright smile appeared on her face.

Fu Hua seemed somewhat uncomfortable.

The intimate act of having someone help dry her hair was something her parents had only done for her when she was a child.

Her helpless response:

"It is indeed a bit troublesome, but if Yuno helps me blow on it, it will be just as troublesome, right?"