Chapter 95: (Valentine's Day special)

Song Pianxian got a Valentine’s Day holiday.

Who knows why the Quick Transmigration Bureau, which delights in exploiting task officers, would give everyone a day off on Valentine’s Day, a completely irrelevant holiday.

Song Pianxian also didn’t understand, but that didn’t stop her from happily accepting it. She returned from the task world to the realm of the Quick Transmigration Bureau, ready to take 09 out to the mall. However, the little girl 09 hid half of her face behind a big pencil, blushing and whispering softly:

“Host, today I’m going out with 01.”

“…,” Song Pianxian suddenly understood why the Quick Transmigration Bureau was taking a day off.

Song Pianxian said, “Okay, have fun.”

“Before we go, there’s one more thing.” 09 tiptoed and waved the big pencil, and the cherry blossom eraser pointed in the air, forming four sparkling pink light clusters.

“Host can extract a character from a small world to spend Valentine’s Day on the map!”

Song Pianxian raised an eyebrow, glanced at the light clusters, and randomly chose a round one, asking 09:

“What’s the map?”

“It’s an entertainment instance without tasks. Host can understand it as a limited-time one-day small world.”

“Got it.”

With a flick of the big pencil, 09 drew a glowing circle, and with a clang, shot the pink light clusters into the entrance of the instance.

“You can enter the map now, and the character from the small world is already waiting for the host in the map.”

According to 09, this so-called character from the small world should be randomly selected from the small worlds they have been to. But Song Pianxian felt that the Quick Transmigration Bureau wouldn’t send over someone they dislike, and if they sent over a passerby, it wouldn’t count as a benefit.

She had a vague guess about the identity of the character, or from which few they were selected.

So when Song Pianxian opened her eyes, dazzled by the bright light, and saw Nie Lingbo at a glance, she knew she had guessed correctly.

“Lingbo.”

It seems that the few light clusters represent Lin Qinglu, Feng Yuexian, and Nie Lingbo.

But who is the remaining one? Is it Song Yingguang, or Song Ruyan? Or…

Song Pianxian stopped her thoughts, refraining from making futile guesses. Anyway, she had drawn Nie Lingbo.

She quickly looked around and found herself in an ancient-style market street, adorned with beautiful lanterns that were not yet lit. Despite this, the street was decorated beautifully.

While she was dressed in ancient attire, wearing an exquisite crimson butterfly immortal skirt, Nie Lingbo was dressed in a modern white suit, simple yet sharp.

What’s going on?

Nie Lingbo took a jade rabbit lantern from a shopkeeper and handed it to Song Pianxian.

Song Pianxian, puzzled, took the adorable jade rabbit lantern into her hands. Out of instinctive caution, she didn’t speak immediately.

“They said they’d accompany me to see the project, and even changed into ancient costumes. Why can’t we move forward once we’re here? Hold this, and let’s continue.”

“Ah,” Song Pianxian probably grasped some context, pondering with a smile, “This place is beautiful, I want to take my time.”

Nie Lingbo looked at the bright and obedient girl in front of her, unable to resist reaching out and lightly scratching her delicate nose. In a deep and magnetic voice, she said, “Alright, we’ll follow your lead.”

Song Pianxian looked up at Nie Lingbo, who was so close, with her light brown eyes slightly widened.

Why did it feel like the Nie Lingbo in this map had a much higher affinity than in the small worlds?

Not far from the street market, under the door of a tavern, Feng Yuexian squinted her eyes, watching the pair in front of the lantern.

The slightly taller woman handed a jade rabbit lantern to the woman beside her, then slightly lowered her head, showing a pampering gesture, keeping the woman close to her. There was a strong sense of possession and control.

In theory, none of this had anything to do with Feng Yuexian.

Unless one of them was Song Pianxian.

Song Pianxian was already planning to conquer Nie Lingbo, so when she saw Nie Lingbo being so affectionate towards her, she quickly adjusted.

Holding the jade rabbit lantern, she walked by Nie Lingbo’s side. As they moved, she accidentally brushed her hand against Nie Lingbo’s back with the back of her hand. Nie Lingbo immediately caught her hand in hers and didn’t let go.

It felt like a little rabbit hopping around at the entrance of a wolf’s den, inadvertently being pulled into the wolf’s lair and swallowed whole.

Song Pianxian felt more certain about their relationship.

As they strolled along the street, she noticed that besides herself and Nie Lingbo, everything else seemed like a backdrop, like NPCs in a game, repeating almost identical phrases and actions. Nie Lingbo seemed not to have noticed, but she was the only one who sensed something was amiss.

No wonder this place was called a “map”; it was just like a game map.

Nie Lingbo seemed to enjoy taking care of her. She had said she came to inspect the film and television city project, but just after handing Song Pianxian the jade rabbit lantern, she now spotted a peach pastry stall and wanted to buy some for Song Pianxian to eat.

Before Song Pianxian could refuse, she felt hungry. Nie Lingbo asked her to wait there while she went to the stall across the street. Just as Song Pianxian was about to follow, several carriages slowly passed through the middle of the street, separating them.

Suddenly, Song Pianxian’s vision blurred, and she lost consciousness. The next moment, she found herself in a strong embrace.

When Nie Lingbo turned back with the peach pastries, Song Pianxian had vanished without a trace, and the jade rabbit lantern had fallen to the ground.

“Pianxian?”

The relaxed expression on Nie Lingbo’s face disappeared instantly, replaced by cold, sharp eyes. The warm peach pastries in her hand turned to powder in an instant.

As Song Pianxian gradually regained consciousness, still with her eyes closed and surrounded by darkness, she heard a dangerous whisper in her ear:

“Who is that person? My princess, my… highness.”

The voice was cold and seductive, like a cold mist creeping into Song Pianxian’s ears, making her tremble slightly. She couldn’t tell if the tremble was due to the cold or because the woman naturally exuded a bone-deep seductiveness.

The voice was too distinctive, and Song Pianxian recognized it effortlessly:

“Yuexian?”

How could Feng Yuexian be here? Wasn’t Nie Lingbo just here? At this moment, Song Pianxian just wanted to grab 09 and ask what was going on.

She opened her eyes, still seeing darkness, but she felt the touch of silk on her face—her eyes were covered.

Perhaps her astonishment was too evident in her voice, Feng Yuexian sneered, her anger growing heavier in her voice:

“Surprised to be caught with her, aren’t you?”

“… Song Pianxian was in a bad situation. Feng Yuexian clearly didn’t remember anything from the Quick Transmigration Bureau. She had no choice but to say, “Can you please let me go first?”

Yes, the reason she couldn’t untie the cloth herself was that she was sitting on something soft now, probably in Feng Yuexian’s lap, her hands still held firmly by a warm palm, unable to move.

And since encountering Feng Yuexian, her character, weak and sickly, seemed to have returned. Now, just saying a few words made her feel uncomfortable and breathless, leaning against Feng Yuexian’s chest, trying to catch her breath.

In the tea room, Feng Yuexian wore a black robe, with the current Princess Song Pianxian in her lap, leaning against her, her red lips slightly parted, emitting soft breaths, delicate and beautiful.

On her fair and delicate face, her eyes were covered by a black hairband, which was Feng Yuexian’s hair accessory.

At this moment, Feng Yuexian’s black hair fell loosely behind her, with a few strands lingering on Song Pianxian’s arm, intertwining affectionately.

Feng Yuexian looked at the delicate figure in her arms, recalling what she had just seen, the angrier she became, the calmer her heart.

She lowered her gaze, her black eyes fixed on Song Pianxian.

“And I believed His Highness’s command to go out of the capital for you, running errands. It’s really ridiculous—Is this how the Princess treats me?”

Feng Yuexian reached out, pinching Song Pianxian’s small chin, forcing it up.

“Who is that person? Is His Highness saying, or not saying?”

Song Pianxian’s lips moved but didn’t speak.

She refused to speak.

This realization made Feng Yuexian tense all over, she leaned closer to the face she loved and hated, wanting to live and die.

“You don’t speak, I’ll search the entire capital, and I’ll find her—”

Feng Yuexian’s words abruptly stopped because Song Pianxian raised her hand, reaching out towards herself.

Those hands hesitated to move forward, either afraid of hitting herself or fearing herself at this moment. Song Pianxian’s slender hands in the air looked helpless and bewildered, extremely aggrieved.

Feng Yuexian couldn’t continue her harsh words.

“Yuexian?” Song Pianxian called softly.

Feng Yuexian didn’t respond, still angry.

But where Song Pianxian was unreasonable, she showed signs of struggle. After all, she couldn’t resist the desire to get closer to the other person.

Feng Yuexian’s face was tense, she lowered her head towards those hands, getting closer to them.

Just a little bit of accommodation.

In the darkness, Song Pianxian reached out and finally, her fingertips touched Feng Yuexian’s face.

She traced over Feng Yuexian’s straight nose, lingered on her full lips, outlining their shape, and sighed as if lamenting:

She missed Feng Yuexian very much.

This longing is different from romantic love. Song Pianxian’s rationality is very clear. From Lin Qinglu to Feng Yuexian, and then to Nie Lingbo, what makes her develop feelings are the souls beneath the surface. This understanding is rooted in her consciousness, never wavering, and very certain.

But as individuals, they each have their own unique charm due to different life paths. Song Pianxian’s longing for them is like that for long-lost old friends.

It won’t be sad, won’t be forgotten—

But they won’t meet again.

“Let me look at you again, okay?”

In the tranquil tea room, a few rays of light shone through the window cracks, with dust particles floating in the light.

The anger surrounding the woman in black strangely calmed down. She was like a tamed beast, hesitating for a moment by nature. Then, she slowly reached out her hand, paused for a moment, and finally chose to remove the headband for the woman in her arms.

Willingly, recklessly.

As her fingers touched the headband above Song Pianxian’s eyes, Feng Yuexian trembled and stopped her movement.

“Yuexian?”

Feng Yuexian pretended not to hear, leaning down to kiss Song Pianxian’s eyes over the headband.

In the next moment, the black headband was removed, floating down to the ground.

“Is it okay now?”

“What?”

Lin Qinglu’s eyes were fixed on the monitor screen. She, who had always been dedicated, showed no respect for the art of film at this moment.

“Is it okay now? There are no flaws in this scene, it passed in one go.” After saying this, she added lightly, “In the future, find your own extras. Don’t expect Pianxian to help you again.”

Seeing Lin Qinglu, who was usually easy-going, like this, the director dared not joke around anymore and hurriedly said, “Okay, okay, I will, I will.”

Lin Qinglu had already left him behind and headed towards Song Pianxian.

And when Song Pianxian saw Lin Qinglu, she was not only unsurprised but even had a feeling of “just as expected.”

Since she had already encountered Nie Lingbo and Feng Yuexian, would Lin Qinglu be far behind?

But this map is too strange.

The whole street market was originally the project mentioned by Nie Lingbo, the 上京 (Shangjing) mentioned by Feng Yuexian, and now it has become the film and television city mentioned by Lin Qinglu.

It’s as if the three worlds exist with thick barriers between them, but at some point, a door has been opened, allowing them to blend together—

And allowing them to meet each other.

Although it’s not all good, Song Pianxian thought expressionlessly.

Just a second ago, Song Pianxian had just gotten up from Feng Yuexian’s body, and the next second, Lin Qinglu pushed open the door and came in. In that moment, Song Pianxian felt the panic of being caught in bed for the first time in her life.

If Lin Qinglu had come in one second earlier, Song Pianxian felt like she would have been scared enough to roll off Feng Yuexian’s body.

Is this really a Valentine’s Day bonus? Right now, Song Pianxian just wants to grab 09 back and give her a good questioning.

Behind Lin Qinglu, a group of staff rushed in, dressed in various colors, like a group of colorful mosaics, bustling over, passing directly past Song Pianxian and heading behind her.

And behind Song Pianxian is Feng Yuexian.

The overly busy scene caught Song Pianxian’s attention, and she couldn’t help but look back. Sure enough, Feng Yuexian seemed to have been wiped away by the mosaic, and somehow had disappeared from the tea room.

The ebony chair she had sat in stood alone on the ground, looking somewhat lonely.

A faint voice came from in front: “Song Pianxian, what are you looking at?”

Song Pianxian blinked and quickly stood up straight, not looking around:

“I’m watching them pack up, it’s quite interesting.”

“Interesting?” Lin Qinglu didn’t believe this nonsense for a second.

With her cat ears slightly drooped, sourly and somewhat aggrieved, she questioned with the authority of a girlfriend:

“Do you think she’s pretty? Is she prettier than me?”

Huh? This isn’t easy to compare, they have different styles.

Although Feng Yuexian’s combat power is higher than Lin Qinglu’s, she has a more charming demeanor, while Lin Qinglu’s appearance is actually more heroic, both masculine and feminine, and she can attract a bunch of fans when cross-dressing.

After careful consideration, Song Pianxian gained confidence in answering the question. She confidently lifted her head, ready to answer, but immediately noticed that Lin Qinglu’s expression wasn’t quite right.

Seemed even fiercer.

“…”

“Well?,” Lin Qinglu said with a sinister tone, “What took you so long to think, have you come up with an answer?”

“…Came up with—” Oh no.

Doing, while being watched.

The last three words were swallowed back into Song Pianxian’s stomach under Lin Qinglu’s fierce and aggrieved gaze.

Around her were the coming and going of staff, the bustling and busy set, but all these sounds seemed distant, like the rustling of branches in the sunlight, indistinct and fragmented.

Song Pianxian thought for a moment: “Do they have butterfly pastries here? I’ll treat you to some butterfly pastries.”

“Don’t be mad at me, okay?”

Song Pianxian’s voice was already gentle, adding a bit of pleading, whoever heard it, their ears would soften, and their hearts would soften a bit too.

Not to mention those eyes, like a lake full of spring, brimming with light.

“Don’t act cute,” Lin Qinglu said firmly.

But soon, she revealed the expression of “I can’t do anything with you,” her lips quickly curled up, her tail wagged secretly, but her mouth didn’t relent.

“Don’t think this can be solved with a bag of butterfly pastries.”

Song Pianxian was enchanted by that fleeting, graceful smile, and even more so by Lin Qinglu’s cuteness. This rare moment caused Song Pianxian’s mouth to be faster than her brain, and she subconsciously said:

“Then how many bags do you want?”

“?”

Song Pianxian, seeing Lin Qinglu’s fur about to explode again, casually changed the subject as if nothing had happened:

“Let’s buy more, I haven’t eaten them in a long time, and I kind of miss them.”

“Hmph.”

Lin Qinglu generously spared Song Pianxian and reluctantly agreed to go buy butterfly pastries with her.

Song Pianxian stepped out first, not seeing Lin Qinglu behind her. She glanced back at the untouched ebony chair, her eyes filled with caution and hostility.

Song Pianxian didn’t know how this map operated, but when Lin Qinglu, Feng Yuexian, and Nie Lingbo all appeared together and saw each other, Song Pianxian was sure that this map wanted to kill her.

She and Lin Qinglu bought butterfly pastries and strolled down the street while eating. They talked a lot, perhaps about boring topics, but both of them laughed happily.

The street soon came to an end, and the boundary of the map was a void. The map seemed like a thin sheet of paper stretched across space, with a smooth cut.

As twilight fell, the surroundings of the map were shrouded in a hazy purple-gray, giving off a gentle feeling.

Song Pianxian sensed that the moment of parting was approaching. Just as she was about to bid farewell to Lin Qinglu, she saw Nie Lingbo and Feng Yuexian walking from both sides of the street, locking eyes at the intersection, then turning in unison and heading towards Song Pianxian.

Their pace was unhurried, but their presence was increasingly intense. Song Pianxian felt as if she were facing two powerful big cats, elegant and powerful, approaching step by step.

Pressing closer and closer.

Double the big cats, double the suffocation.

Song Pianxian quickly glanced at Lin Qinglu. If the surroundings weren’t so empty, she would have wanted to hide Lin Qinglu first, reducing a bit of the impending confrontation.

Lin Qinglu, always the most naive, was the first to cautiously speak up: “Song Pianxian, who are they?”

She accused, “How many good Little Sisters do you actually have?”

Song Pianxian: “…I’m not.”

The two approached.

Feng Yuexian’s gaze swept over Lin Qinglu and Nie Lingbo, coldly smiling. Her eyes were like icy pools, carrying unseen ripples of anger and arrogance at the bottom.

She lifted her chin, refusing to appear weak even at this moment.

“Today, it’s her first.” Feng Yuexian looked at Nie Lingbo, then turned to Lin Qinglu. “Then it’s her. Your Highness… you seem quite busy.”

“…I don’t.” I also feel quite busy today, Song Pianxian felt a bit desperate. This is just too much to handle.

Nie Lingbo remained silent all along. Although it’s the same soul, as she aged, time settled on her, washing away some things and adding things that young people didn’t have.

She held her breath, coldly observing the other two. Seeing Song Pianxian unable to defend herself under their questioning, Nie Lingbo stepped towards Song Pianxian, her voice low, even carrying a hint of a smile:

“Playing love games, have you gone too far? Hmm?”

“Am I… just a game to you too?”

Song Pianxian’s scalp tingled, her eyes watery: “…Let me explain.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s not like that…” Song Pianxian’s defense was weak, and there was no continuation to her words.

Right now, she just wanted time to pass quickly, to kick her out of the map.

In response to her words, the three reacted differently.

Lin Qinglu, expressionless: “Go on, I’m considering whether to believe.”

Feng Yuexian sneered, “Before, I believed you once.”

Nie Lingbo, without hesitation: “I believe you.”

Song Pianxian & Lin Qinglu & Feng Yuexian: ???

Nie Lingbo revealed her most charming smile to Song Pianxian, affectionately saying:

“Pianxian, I believe in you.”

She reached out to Song Pianxian, palm facing up: “So, are you coming back with me? Little friend.”

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Even Song Pianxian, who knew that they were the three main accounts of Qinglu, couldn’t help but glance at the top of Nie Lingbo’s head, as if searching for a graceful green light.

Nie Lingbo remained composed, her smile even more affable than usual.

As she grew older, Nie Lingbo became more decisive in her actions.

Faced with two opponents whose backgrounds were unclear but seemed strong, she chose to first lure Song Pianxian into her embrace.

It’s not that other matters weren’t important, but compared to Song Pianxian, they were less important.

—These could all be dealt with later, slowly, in conversation with Song Pianxian.

For some reason, even though Nie Lingbo appeared to be the gentlest and most compliant among the three, Song Pianxian was most wary of her.

She glanced at the other two again.

…Forget it, I choose death.

Song Pianxian quietly took a small step back, wondering if it counted as forced withdrawal if she jumped down voluntarily. Should be fine, right?

Instead of choosing anyone, Song Pianxian retreated in the opposite direction.

Behind her was the vast void. Falling down there definitely wouldn’t end well. Seeing Song Pianxian moving towards the void, the three almost simultaneously narrowed their eyes and bristled.

“Song Pianxian, I advise you to come back now — if you come to me, I’ll consider listening to your explanation.”

“Your Highness, are you threatening me with your own body? Forget it, you’re frail. Come back to the palace with me and drink a calming potion before discussing anything else.”

“Pianxian, come back.”

In that moment, Song Pianxian was a bit distracted. The three accounts were tacit, and it seemed that they still had their main consciousness, otherwise they wouldn’t have collectively chosen to forgive for love, right?

Wasn’t it because subconsciously she knew she was jealous of herself? Huh.

Realizing this, Song Pianxian thought of the Qinglu lurking behind them—really wanted to drag Qinglu out and see what her little world of consciousness was up to.

“Pianxian?”

A faint call brought Song Pianxian back to her senses. Wind had risen around her, whistling past her ears. She couldn’t even make out whose voice it was.

The wind swept in, centered around Song Pianxian, forming blades of wind shimmering with an icy cold light, like feathers, lingering around her fondly.

A pure white ice feather blocked Song Pianxian’s vision.

She couldn’t see the three people in front of her.

In the next instant, Song Pianxian felt a sudden emptiness beneath her feet, falling like a weightless feather—

Was this how the map was cut out?

Perhaps it took a long time, or perhaps just a moment, but Song Pianxian finally landed on the ground.

She still couldn’t see, but beneath her was soft and light. The sweet scent of grass wafted to her nose. She guessed she was lying on soft grass.

Through the thin ice feather, she faintly saw a petite figure approaching her.

The figure remained still for a long time, as if sizing her up. Song Pianxian held her breath, feeling wary of the unknown.

Under her vigilant gaze, the blurry figure approached Song Pianxian’s neck. Soft strands of hair fell onto her, and the person herself, like a harmless little creature, nestled against Song Pianxian’s neck and gently sniffed.

The skin where her breath brushed tightened instantly.

“Don’t be afraid.” The girl’s sweet voice sounded in Song Pianxian’s ear, like an innocent and lively young girl, speaking in a playful tone.

“How could I bear to harm you?”

“They don’t deserve you, only I—”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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