Honkai Impact 3rd, Paradise Typewriter isn't for making this kind of game.

The two's humming sounds echoed from below, but unfortunately, the Herrscher of Domination did not lower her head. Instead, she focused all her attention on processing the information collected by the other individuals. In the end, she placed the clues to finding her older brother and Raiden Mei in two different places.

1. A partition with ventilation ducts neatly cut off.

2. Sounds resembling the chirping of white mice inside the wall.

She was rushing to the two areas with the clues, and with her attention highly focused, she never expected that her older brother and Raiden Mei were right under her feet. If she knew what her older brother was doing with Raiden Mei, she would probably be so angry that she would twist off her doll's head and use it as a ball to smash them apart.

And so... the Herrscher of Domination missed the two of them.

After a long time—

Mei and Xia Yuan's lips parted, a glistening thread of saliva still lingering at the corner of her mouth. Mei's expression was somewhat charming and dreamy, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the kiss.

"Mei, I...we don't seem to have been discovered. It seems the Herrscher of Dominion has left?!"

Xia Yuan's expression revealed the joy after the great disaster. He kept shaking Mei's shoulders. He thought this would be his last kiss to say goodbye to the world and had given up struggling.

"Mr. Xia Yuan, we cannot be careless."

When Mei came to her senses, she could feel the obvious change under the zipper of the person behind her. She couldn't let herself sink any deeper... If this continued, she might succumb before Mr. Xia Yuan.

To hide her panic and shyness, Mei forcefully broke free from his embrace and climbed out of the pipe.

Chapter 457 The Escalation of Feelings

However, some physical contact is inevitable during the climbing process.

The other person's arrogance made Mei subconsciously put her fingertips to her lips; her heart seemed to crave more... Aunt Mei patted her cheeks, trying to clear her head; she couldn't go on like this.

Although the puppets sent by the Thousand Law Enforcers did not find her and Mr. Xia Yuan at the pipe exit, they still could not let their guard down.

She could clearly feel the vibrations from the ground as the other person walked over her, so was there something more important that had diverted their attention? She couldn't let her guard down yet.

Mei remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the surroundings. After confirming that there was no danger, she pulled Xia Yuan up from the pipe below.

On the other side—

The numerous dolls of the Herrscher of Dominion gathered in front of the ventilation duct, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

[Do you think Raiden Mei might have cut through the ventilation shaft's barrier?]

[It's one thing if the older brother can fit into such a narrow ventilation duct, but how did Raiden Mei get in? Doesn't she feel uncomfortable?]

The Herrscher of Domination placed her small hand on her chest, which felt as smooth as if it were flat ground, and measured it.

Hey, stop trying to embolden her. If you're so eager to know, why don't you just go inside and see where this ventilation duct leads?

Why don't you crawl inside?

"I'm afraid of the dark, and besides, there are rats and such in there. I even heard them from the other side of the wall just now."

【...How did you become one of us? You've completely disgraced the Thousand-Man Herrscher. Don't ever say you're one of us again. Fine, those who aren't afraid of the dark or mice, follow me. The rest of you, go to the wall where you heard the noise.】

She wasn't afraid of how powerful Raiden Mei, Bronya, or even Kiana who became the End were; what she feared was that her teammates would remain unreliable as always. Under the helpless command of the Herrscher of Domination, the dolls crawled into the ventilation ducts one after another.

After a short while—

When she heard the echoing sounds of other dolls coming from the wall, she made a decisive move and blasted open the pipe on one side.

"This is......"

As the dust settled, a tattered piece of clothing appeared before the Herrscher of the Void in front of the pipe. She picked up the fragments of clothing and carefully sensed the lingering aura above them, her expression revealing a certain obsession.

"Ha... Huff... This is my older brother's scent."

She'd finally found it. It was time to end this cat-and-mouse game. She wanted to see where this pipe would lead.

at the same time--

Mei lifted the manhole cover and peeked out at the familiar streets and city. She felt a little relieved, finally free from danger for the time being, and could take Mr. Xia Yuan to the dojo to meet up with Little Gretchen.

"We're out, Mr. Xia Yuan."

"Yes, Mei, wouldn't you say we've finally seen the light of day again?"

Of course!

Mei responded with a light laugh, then reached out a helping hand to Xia Yuan, who was still under the manhole cover.

Supported by her, the two walked through deserted streets. As the Herrscher of Domination pursued them, they relied on each other and overcame difficulties together...

This shared experience of life and death gradually transformed the initially estranged relationship between Mei and Xia Yuan, causing Mei's attitude to subtly change and their relationship to rapidly warm up.

"Mr. Xia Yuan, are you cold?"

A light drizzle was still falling. Perhaps worried that the other person's body temperature was dropping too quickly, Mei pulled the other person into her arms, hoping to bring them some warmth. Her expression was full of affection and care, without any of the awkwardness and indifference she had shown when they first met.

It seemed that it wasn't just the other person who was being warmed, but also her heart, which was gradually being touched.

"I'm not cold at all, because Mei, you're here with me. But once I'm healed, Mei, you have to keep your promise and let me hug you as much as I want, okay?"

"Alright, alright, I'll do as you say, Mr. Xia Yuan."

Mei looked at him with doting eyes, their gazes meeting. Her eyes, fixed on Xia Yuan, shone with a gentle light, as if conveying endless tenderness and affection.

"Then it's a deal, Mei. You can't go back on your word, okay? If you do, I'll fatten you up by twenty pounds so you can't walk in bed."

Mei seemed to have made a connection to something, and subconsciously glanced at her lower abdomen. Her cheeks flushed involuntarily. For some reason... she seemed to be looking forward to being fattened up by him, and even considered not keeping her promise, wanting to see how Mr. Xia Yuan would fatten her up.

"What's wrong with me? Why am I thinking such strange things?"

Under the influence of the drug, Mei's mixed feelings towards Xia Yuan seemed to gradually transform into love for him. Looking at Mr. Xia Yuan's small hand waving in front of her as if he wanted to make a pinky promise, Mei was stunned for a moment, then smiled and shook hands with him, helping him back to his residence.

However, Xia Yuan and Mei were unaware that their whereabouts had already been exposed to the Herrscher of the Void.

The Herrscher of Domination, with her head peeking out like a gopher, peered out from behind the manhole cover that Mei had just replaced. Her gaze lingered on the figures of the two figures as they walked away. The moment she found them after leaving the sewers, the Herrscher of Domination seemed to be plotting something.

"It's time to close the net!"

A slight smile played on her lips, as if she were contemplating how to punish Raiden Mei for taking her older brother away from her.

As the Herrscher was preparing to do something wicked in secret, Mei helped Xia Yuan all the way to the front of a dojo.

"Mr. Xia Yuan, we've arrived home."

"Family?"

When Xia Yuan saw the kendo dojo in front of him, he was stunned and stood there.

"Mei, are you treating the kendo dojo as your own home?"

"Yes, this is the dojo that was passed down from my father, Thunder Dragon Horse. Now I will inherit it. When I don't have any missions assigned by Destiny, I will continue to hone my swordsmanship in the dojo. However, now I am the only one left in this huge dojo. I don't know who will inherit this dojo in the future, or whether it will be left to fall into disrepair... Let's not talk about these old stories. Mr. Xia Yuan, please come in. I will prepare tea. Please wait a moment."

While saying these things, Mei was also observing Xia Yuan's reaction.

If Mr. Xia Yuan is interested in kendo and has the intention to inherit the dojo... wait, isn't doing this just like poaching Bronya's subordinate? Mr. Xia Yuan is still Bronya's subordinate.

Chapter 458 Bronya shouldn't mind, right?

Inheriting the kendo dojo and Mr. Xia Yuan's daily work in the principle studio, at first glance, seem to belong to two completely different fields.

One is full of historical and cultural heritage, while the other is the daily rhythm of modern life.

However~

There may not be any obvious conflict between these two things, but of course, if such a conflict does arise...

She believed it.

Bronya, that little girl who was once full of wisdom and rationality and loved playing games, was taken care of a lot when she was at St. Freya Academy. As a comrade-in-arms and friend, even after growing up, she should still consider Mei's feelings and give her enough respect and understanding, right?

At least we'll give Mei-nee a break... and lend her Mr. Xia Yuan for a while, okay?

at the same time--

Led by Mei, Xia Yuan stepped into the kendo dojo. However, once inside, Mei seemed lost in thought, appearing absent-minded, until Xia Yuan managed to pull her back before she was about to bump into a pillar.

Xia Yuan asked with concern, "Mei, my friend... are you alright?"

"Ah, I'm fine, Mr. Xia Yuan. I was just... thinking about some things." Aunt Mei quickly concealed her inner thoughts. Just as she was about to subtly inquire whether the other party was interested in kendo, a clear and innocent child's voice echoed in their ears.

"Brother Xia Yuan, Sister Mei!"

Inside the dojo, Little Gretchen was concentrating on painting. She wielded her paintbrush, and the two figures of Xia Yuan and Bronya on the canvas were lifelike, their movements skillful and steady.

However~

As the footsteps drew closer, she suddenly stopped, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

She put down her paintbrush and turned to look towards the door.

that moment--

When she saw Xia Yuan and Mei standing outside the dojo, her pupils dilated instantly, revealing an indescribable joy. To little Gretchen, Mei-neechan and Xia Yuan-niechan were like mothers to her, giving her a warm feeling.

flutter--

Excited little Greta rushed barefoot into Xia Yuan's arms, rubbing her cheek against his chest.

That's wonderful... Xia Yuan is alright. She has so many picture books to share with him, and so many things she wants to tell him. But when little Greta's cheek accidentally brushed against the wound, Xia Yuan gasped.

"Sigh~"

"Oh dear, my dear little Gretchen, be gentle, be gentle, and don't run around barefoot. Your Xia Yuan brother is fine."

"Gresh was just too happy. It's so good to see that you're alright, Brother Xia Yuan."

Xia Yuan stroked the other's deep blue hair, but suddenly, an indescribable weariness and exhaustion overwhelmed his consciousness.

"Ugh...!"

Before Xia Yuan could react, he felt his body slip out of his control and he fell heavily to the ground.

"Mr. Xia Yuan?!"

"Brother Xia Yuan?!?"

The last thing that came into view seemed to be the exclamations of little Gretchen and Mei.

However, he couldn't hear anything, not even what they were saying, and his vision began to blur. Although he couldn't hear their voices clearly, he knew from their anxious expressions and worried eyes that they were worried about him.

He saw their lips moving, but he couldn't hear any sound.

Everything before Xia Yuan's eyes seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist. He tried hard to stay awake, but exhaustion and weakness made it difficult for him to hold on.

“Bud…, Ge…I…”

Xia Yuan wanted to tell them he was alright and not to worry, but his eyelids kept closing uncontrollably... Darkness gradually eroded his consciousness, plunging him into nothingness.

Mei quickly picked up Xia Yuan, who had fallen to the ground, and listened to his heartbeat and breathing.

She had been thinking about wanting the other party to inherit the dojo, but she almost forgot that Mr. Xia Yuan had already exceeded his physical limits in order to save her, and had been in a state of near-death experience and mental tension.

Now that my mind has relaxed... I will have to bear the backlash from my body.

Mei felt extremely guilty.

Because she was lost in thought, she didn't notice the other person's physical changes in time.

"Brother Xia Yuan, what's wrong? Say something, don't scare Greta..."

Little Gretchen gently shook Xia Yuan's arm, but he didn't respond. Tears welled in her eyes, and she looked helplessly at Mei beside her, asking in a slightly tearful voice:

"Sister Mei, is it because Gretchen pounced on Brother Xia Yuan that Brother Xia Yuan is like this?"

"Brother Xia Yuan, wake up! Gretchen hasn't had a chance to show you the picture book she prepared yet. From now on, Gretchen will definitely listen to you, Brother Xia Yuan, and will never walk barefoot again... She will definitely wear socks properly. So please wake up, Brother Xia Yuan!"

Gently wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, Mei comforted her:

“Gresh, this is not your fault. Mr. Xia Yuan’s body had already reached its limit before. It’s a miracle that he was able to hold on until now. Can you lend a hand to Mei-nee?”

"Sister Mei, is it possible for Brother Xia Yuan to wake up?"

"Of course you'll wake up. Please trust your Mei-neechan. Not only that, you'll be healthier than before."

With Gretchen's help, Mei held the unconscious Xia Yuan in her arms.

Mr. Xia Yuan's coma was probably caused by excessive blood loss. There was another reason why she brought him to this kendo dojo: directly below the dojo was a laboratory that the Reverse Merchant had secretly built, which was fully equipped with medical facilities.

Guided by Mei, little Gretchen activated the elevator leading to the underground laboratory.

The two raced against time, arriving at the laboratory as quickly as possible to inject the compatible blood type into Xia Yuan's body.

Drop drop-

When they saw the heart rate gradually stabilize on the monitor, Mei and Little Gretchen both breathed a sigh of relief. "Mei-neechan, does this mean... Xia Yuan-gege will wake up soon?"

Little Greta clung to the edge of the hospital bed, her big, watery eyes fixed on Xia Yuan lying on it, hoping he would wake up soon.