I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

"Sleeping inside my body?" Duanmu Yan raised an eyebrow. "Can't you hear anything outside?"

Abu shook his head vigorously: "I can't hear or see! Don't worry, I know the rules, personal privacy is the most important thing! As long as I dart back inside, I can fall asleep immediately. Unless you specifically call me, I won't wake up."

That shows they know the rules very well.

"Speaking of which, you swallowed such a huge black tide, and you really don't feel any discomfort?" Duanmu Yan asked, looking it over.

"How could nothing happen!" Abu immediately put on a pitiful expression, rubbing his non-existent belly with his little paws. "I don't know what happened at the time, I just felt a very strange frequency rushing towards me, I couldn't control myself at all, and I just darted out... and then, and then I was eaten up."

Its little face scrunched up, as if recalling that awful taste: "When I first ate it, I was so hungry that I didn't notice anything. But as soon as I got back into your body, that feeling came over me... Ugh, don't even mention it, it was like eating... Ugh, no, no, I can't think about it anymore, or I'll really throw up!"

"Oh—" Duanmu Yan nodded thoughtfully, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "So you ate the Black Tide because you were starving. In that case, if you had been starved for a while longer, wouldn't you have been able to feast on the Black Tide?"

Upon hearing this, Abu shrank back in fright and hid behind Phoebe, peeking out his little head: "...Listen to this, is this even human language?!"

"Just a joke."

Duanmu Yan couldn't help but chuckle at Abu's expression. He composed himself, took a deep breath, and solemnly extended his fist towards Abu: "Although I don't know the specifics, to put it simply... we'll be partners from now on."

Abu, who was initially fuming, paused for a moment upon seeing this, then his eyes lit up.

It flew up lightly, stretched out its tiny claws, and cautiously touched Duanmu Yan's fist.

"Yes!" It nodded vigorously, its voice tinged with excitement, "Partner!"

PS: After seeing the actual gameplay of Infinite, I think it's a game of epic proportions.

Is it too much for me to ask Kuro to let me drive in the new Federation?

Volume 1: Chapter 71 She Won't Wait Anymore

Dusk still falls.

The scarlet-clad girl sat alone in front of the theater, where the performance had long since ended. A cold wind swept through the empty street as she clutched the ticket she had never given away, her knuckles turning slightly white.

How many times?

She couldn't remember clearly.

All I remember is that after each performance, she would always politely decline her companions' invitations to celebrate, and return here with a faint hope, as if it were a stubborn ritual.

But that person never came.

As the days went by, that initial burning passion was gradually eroded by time, finally cooling completely, like a flame that had burned out, leaving only a pile of cold ashes.

"What am I waiting for?"

What am I hoping for?

What am I expecting?

—She didn't know.

The girl raised her head and looked up at the sky.

The sky was a somber blackish-red, like congealed blood. The world around us was distorting rapidly—the once silent streets collapsed and caved in, flames soared into the sky, and in an instant, it transformed into a living hell. The smell of burning, mixed with the hot wind, choked our nostrils.

Amidst wails and screams, the crowd scattered like a receding tide. Only she walked against the tide, alone on the scorching earth. Ashes fell like black snow. Her heart, too, was like these desolate ruins.

Then, she saw that person.

The person she had been waiting for was walking towards her through the withered thorns.

Is he the hero who's coming to save her? Like in the stories?

The girl reached out her hand, trembling, trying with all her might to grasp the blurry figure—she wanted to hold his hand tightly and walk with him towards a brighter tomorrow.

But the man only glanced back at her.

His gaze was calm, even carrying a hint of unfamiliarity.

He couldn't hear the sobs in her heart, nor could he see her outstretched hand. He simply turned away indifferently and walked step by step into a deeper hell.

"...Don't leave."

"You clearly...promised me."

Before the words were finished, the girl suddenly opened her eyes, waking up from the nightmare, and instinctively gripped the wrist of the person beside her bed tightly.

Duanmu Yan, holding a wet handkerchief, was startled by her sudden action. He stood there for a while before tentatively speaking softly.

"Miss Floro?"

Floro remained dazed for a long time before she finally raised her head in a daze. What came into view was the face she "hated deeply."

original……

Was it all a dream?

The girl stared blankly at him, then gradually released her grip on his hand.

A complex and obscure emotion flashed across her wine-red eyes.

Instead, there is a feigned indifference and alienation.

"What are you doing?"

she asked softly.

Duanmu Yan held the handkerchief, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were thinking about how to explain this to her: "I just saw that you seemed to be in a lot of pain, like you were having a nightmare, and you were covered in sweat. So I wanted to wipe your sweat for you."

"Really?" Floro took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I can manage on my own, no need for you to worry."

In the blink of an eye, she reverted to her usual aloof and unapproachable demeanor.

Duanmu Yan was already used to it.

But he couldn't help but miss the vulnerability she inadvertently revealed when she was unconscious—so different from her usual prickly self. That contrast was inexplicably vivid and endearing.

He sighed softly. If only he had known this would happen, he should have secretly recorded her soft murmurs in her sleep.

Perhaps this opportunity will allow me to hear Floro, when he is lucid, say those things himself.

Unfortunately, I was too upright.

Duanmu Yan sat down on the chair by the bed, his gaze falling on the girl's slightly pale face: "So, you had a nightmare?"

Floro turned her head and glanced at him indifferently: "Do you really enjoy prying into other people's privacy that much?"

For some reason, Duanmu Yan always felt...

The way the woman looked at him, the tone of her voice, and the resentment she harbored towards him all seemed to have become stronger than before.

So, why is that?

"Okay, okay, don't be angry. I'm just worried about you as a friend." Duanmu Yan raised his hands high, feeling helpless. "If you don't want to talk about it, I won't press you. I'm more worried about your health than that."

"My body?" Floro frowned slightly, and the look in his eyes became much stranger.

"Don't misunderstand," Duanmu Yan quickly explained. "I mean, back when we were underwater, weren't you trying to separate the frequencies of the Kuroshio Current? I was worried that you might have been contaminated by the Kuroshio Current."

Floro straightened up slightly, a cryptic smile playing on his lips: "If I were corrupted, what would you do? Kill me to prevent future trouble?"

"..."

what happened?

Why is Flolo so aggressive today?

Is it because I'm grumpy when I wake up?

"...Am I that kind of person in your eyes?"

“After all, that’s more in line with your style,” Floro said. “You’re willing to sacrifice everything to achieve your goals.”

"..."

What misunderstanding does Floro have about me?

Do I really look like the kind of bad and heartless person?

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

After a moment of silence, Floro turned his head to the side, his voice carrying a deliberate distance.

She paused slightly, as if choosing her words carefully, or as if she was restraining herself.

"The Kuroshio Current has no effect on me. As for why I'm still alive, and where the Kuroshio Current went... I think you know better than I do what really happened at the bottom of the sea."

"I won't ask what happened, and I won't tell anyone else what happened during this period."

She finally turned her gaze back, her wine-red eyes filled with a cold indifference.

Whether you have amnesia or are faking it, I don't care.

"Between you and me, it's like two shooting stars going in opposite directions. Only when we fall can we redeem the sin of our encounter."

After saying that, Floro stood up.

"I'm leaving."

"Goodbye."

Before Duanmu Yan could respond, she turned and left. As the door closed softly, he was left alone in the room, sitting there in a daze.

The girl's words before she left still echoed in his ears. He understood every single word, but when put together, they were like a riddle shrouded in mist.

Forget it. Since I can't figure it out, why bother being so persistent?

They'll meet again eventually, anyway. When that happens, Floro will probably say something he only half understands.

"—Ugh."

A golden light flashed, and Abu leaped out of his voice, rubbing his sleepy eyes and touching his rumbling stomach.

"I'm so hungry! Isn't it time for lunch?"

The little guy tilted his head and leaned closer to examine Duanmu Yan's face carefully.

"Huh? Why do you look so upset? Did someone bully you?"

It immediately waved its little paws and shouted angrily, "Tell me now! Let me use the power of Solaris's strongest body to teach him a lesson!"

"Alright, no one's bullying me." Duanmu Yan sighed helplessly and gently tapped Abu's forehead. "But you, all you do is eat and sleep all day. Be careful you don't get so fat you can't fly. Look at your little belly."

Abu immediately put his hands on his hips, sticking his belly out even more, and said defiantly, "That's not fat! That's a stomach! A huge stomach!"

Book 1: Chapter 72 He said he was running

Laguna.

The Fachibana family's acquisition and consolidation of businesses has finally come to a temporary end.

After several days of intense work, Koleta was finally able to catch her breath.

"Well--!"

In the office, the girl stretched lazily, as if trying to dispel all the fatigue accumulated over the past few days.

"After working overtime for several days in a row, I've finally got everything sorted out."

She picked up the still-warm coffee and slowly walked to the window. Sunlight streamed down the street outside, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere, and a long-lost sense of tranquility quietly crept into her heart.

So, this precious free time that follows...

Where should we go for a walk?

There's no need to worry about family matters for now.

My uncle will handle everything.

Koleta gazed at the distant horizon, her eyes inadvertently falling on the uniquely designed camera on the corner of the table. This was no ordinary digital camera, but an instant imaging device from the New Federation—a clever fusion of classical aesthetics and cutting-edge technology, a product where science and art intertwined.

In Laguna, an art-loving city, these cameras are far more popular than cold, impersonal digital devices.

She gently picked up the camera, her fingertips tracing its smooth exterior, lost in thought.

"Speaking of which, the family banking business is currently planning to expand to 97 (6) Jiu Yi Ba 8 Liu Qi Qiu..."

"Should we personally lead the way to Qiqiu and take a look?"

"While we're at it, how about we bring this camera there and try promoting it?"

Koleta murmured to herself, a familiar figure involuntarily appearing in her mind.