Chapter 115: (Extra)

In mid-July, the movie “Voice of the Clouds,” starring Xu Heran and Xin Nuo, with participation from Lady Diana, was released worldwide.

Hua Country, Sea City, late at night.

A group of fully armed people walked towards the movie theater along the illuminated path. The theater they were heading to was located in the Universal Entertainment Building District. At this time of night, the streets were sparsely populated. Upon seeing this group of girls wearing hats, sunglasses, and masks, people cast curious glances their way.

“I told you not to wear sunglasses. Can you see the road clearly?” Xu Heran’s hands were tucked in her pockets, and she lazily remarked.

Jiang Qiong retorted, “With two international superstars here, can you afford any mistakes if they happen?”

Xu Heran lowered her sunglasses and then used her left hand to brush her right arm before patting her left arm with her right hand. Finally, she pushed her right hand downward, bent over, and performed a move reminiscent of a eunuch from a period drama, saying, “That’s what Court Eunuch Wang said.”

“Why do I detect a hint of jealousy?” Haya had one arm around Lin Weineng and the other waving near her nose. “Someone’s jealous of international superstars!”

“To be precise, it’s ‘Wang’alousy,” Laurel chimed in.

Jiang Qiong sneered, “Funny, ‘This Wang’ is above everyone else. Who’d be jealous of some mere stars?”

Others chimed in unison, “Who’s above ‘This Wang’?”

Jiang Qiong: “…”

“You guys are so weird.” Dog Wangwang shook her head.

Song Fenghua took a step forward first, drawing a boundary, “It’s not me.”

Jian Yueyin immediately said, “Nor me.”

Laurel crossed her arms in front of her chest, “Not me either.”

“We’re eight people, two couples, these odds are too terrifying.” Dog Wangwang’s voice was heavy. “You three, who exactly has a crush on me? Speak up so I can reject you!”

The remaining three people all chuckled simultaneously.

“Eunuch Wang, you’re already twenty-eight and not in a relationship. Are you secretly flirting with someone behind our backs?” Xu Heran turned around and spoke with a tone of suspicion, scanning Jiang Qiong up and down as she did so.

Jiang Qiong lifted her foot and playfully kicked her from a distance, “Nonsense, Jian Yueyin is two years older than me! Why don’t you point at her!”

Jian Yuyin squinted.

Xu Heran immediately said, “That’s because Captain dedicated her entire life’s love to music. She’s the one among us who found love first! She loves music, and music loves her. The two of them are entwined and locked in for a lifetime!”

After finishing, Xu Heran gave a look to Jian Yueyin that said, “Captain, are you satisfied with what I said?”

Xin Nuo raised her hand and pinched Xu Heran’s chin, turning it forward so she could see the road.

“Little lackey,” she murmured.

Jiang Qiong burst into laughter, “Xin Nuo, keep your woman in check.”

Xu Heran propped her hand on Xin Nuo’s shoulder, not looking back as she waved to Jiang Qiong. Xin Nuo snorted softly and moved to the side, not allowing Xu Heran to lean on her. Xu Heran, who had tripped in the air, extended her long arm with a smile and pulled Xin Nuo into her arms. She opened her arms wide and hugged her. The two of them were like two penguins pressed closely together, swaying as they walked forward.

“Move away, it’s so hot!” Xin Nuo pulled Xu Heran’s arm, but Xu Heran pressed her down instead. Xin Nuo could only grasp one of Xu Heran’s fingers with her hand and moved forward in a position reminiscent of “Xin Nuo carrying Xin Nuo’s pearl.”

“See that?” Jiang Qiong pointed to the two figures ahead and said to her teammates, “A real couple.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xin Nuo suddenly shook off Xu Heran ahead and started running. Xu Heran leisurely chased after her, and the people behind who were eating dog food immediately revealed looks of disgust.

Jiang Qiong turned her head, wanting to talk to Haya and Lin Weineng. However, she saw Haya walking hand in hand on the inside, and Haya lowered her head to listen to Lin Weineng. Lin Weineng whispered something in her ear, but Jiang Qiong couldn’t hear. Haya smiled and raised her hand to stroke Lin Weineng’s head. Then she stood up and pressed Lin Weineng’s head against her chest.

The singles group: “…”

When the clearly divided eight people entered the cinema one after the other and lined up to have their tickets checked, the ticket inspectors smiled and asked, “Celebrities, huh?”

“Huh?” The eight of them played dumb.

“There are many celebrities living around here. The dormitory building of Universal Entertainment is behind the residential building here. I often see celebrities,” the ticket inspector returned their tickets to them. “I wish you a pleasant movie-watching experience. If possible, when you leave, could you sign the autograph board at the entrance?”

Jian Yueyin, who often stayed in Haicheng, asked, “I’ve never noticed the autograph board at the entrance before?”

“The boss set it up this year, in April,” the ticket inspector said.

All eight people said in unison, “Thank you.”

Carrying their drinks and popcorn, the group entered the empty theater. Indeed, there were no other audience members at this time. They had bought tickets for the last row of couple seats. Because of Jiang Qiong’s previous remarks, except for Xu Heran and Xin Nuo, as well as Haya and Lin Weineng, everyone else had their own seat.

“What about it?” Xu Heran deliberately said, “Do you know what it means to reveal your secrets?”

“Gross,” Laurel said, holding her drink.

Xu Heran took out her phone, “If you gross out, I’ll immediately post online accusing you of bullying your teammate.”

Laurel rolled her eyes.

“If you post online, others will know that you and Xin Nuo are sitting in a couple seat,” Jian Yueyin said.

“I’ll censor it.” Xu Heran said.

Song Fenghua leaned back in her seat, her voice faint but her presence not visible. She spoke softly, “So, you want everyone to know about your relationship?”

Xu Heran smiled faintly, “It’s not like it’s impossible.”

She and Xin Nuo had already won the awards they deserved over the past few years. They weren’t afraid of what others might say.

“Sit tight,” Xin Nuo pinched her clothing corner.

Xu Heran obediently sat down.

Two minutes later, the lights went off, leaving only the brilliant glow of the movie screen. Amid joyful music, the edges of silver wings swept across the clouds, the vast blue sky in the distance, and the names of the director, screenwriter, and others hung within the clouds.

Starring: Per* Ashton.

Several people in their seats all exclaimed, “Oh~.”

Xin Nuo chuckled softly, “Who’s this?”

Song Fenghua raised an eyebrow, “Who’s this?”

Xu Heran hugged her arms and tilted her head with a smile.

In the next moment, the cloud bearing the name “Per* Ashton” spun around.

The long English name was struck out by pencil marks, and the three Chinese characters “Xu Heran” were neatly written.

In the sky, a flash of silver passed, dispersing the clouds, and a round, chubby white cloud floated over with another name hanging on it.

Starring: Xin Nuo.

Suddenly, the two characters “Xin Nuo” fell from the sky like stars to the ground. The camera followed the descent, shifting to a first-person perspective falling to the ground. The panoramic land unfolded gradually, a boundless expanse of greenery, where the winding blue sea met the land, and silver rivers flowed through the earth. All the scenery was up close, getting closer and closer.

The name fell faster and faster, plummeting toward a bustling city. Just as the name was about to land on the tip of a tall tower, the black letters turned into a wisp of smoke and drifted away.

Soldiers on the city wall pointed at the distant smoke and shouted, “It’s coming again!”

The defending soldiers panicked instantly. Some rushed toward the bell on the other end of the city wall, while others turned to the townspeople and shouted, “Enemy attack—”

The once lively city descended into chaos, with people and animals running amok. In the distance, atop the highest mountain, sunlight swept over the body of a colossal beast crouching on the summit. Its shimmering scales resembled sea spray, and its long tail playfully curled into the shape of a bow, lifting gently to rest against its lower jaw.

“Oh~”

“It looks like they’re ready.”

A deep and seductive foreign voice passed through the ears. Inside the cinema, the members who had spent eight years together with Xu Heran, walked through life with her, all sighed in unison.

Sounds really good.

The silver dragon swayed its long neck, humming a joyful tune. It spread its wings and leisurely curved its way towards the city.

As the silver dragon landed at the city gates, it faced vigilant soldiers holding shields and spears.

“Good day, everyone,” the dragon politely greeted.

“Why are you here again?” among the soldiers, a head popped up in fear, “We don’t have the person you’re looking for here!”

“No,” the dragon’s tail extended forward, swaying, “The books say that humans are cunning creatures, not to be trusted.”

The humans present inwardly groaned.

What kind of books are you reading!

“So, hand over the princess,” the dragon’s tail whipped against the ground, instantly cracking it open, “The books say that every heroic dragon should have its own princess.”

“Compared to my companions, I’ve shown great mercy by not charging directly into the city. Thank me, humans,” the dragon proudly declared.

The commander wiped off cold sweat from his forehead, speaking loudly, “First of all, thank you for your merciful kindness and once again astonishing us with your erudition. However—”

The commander wanted to cry but had no tears left.

“You’re a dragon!!!”

Why would a dragon snatch a princess!

The scene shifted. The commander hurriedly ran into the palace and whispered in the king’s ear. The king’s expression grew serious, exuding unparalleled dignity. After hearing the soldier’s words, the king raised his hand, pointing forward, his expression growing even more severe.

“Do as it says!”

Everyone in the palace began to bustle around. At noon, soldiers riding horses rushed out of the palace, carrying parchment papers and posting them in every corner of the streets. The crowds immediately gathered.

At this moment, a girl wearing a patched-up dress, drenched in sweat and carrying a basin of water for laundry from the riverside, stopped in her tracks. She looked at the gathering crowd with curiosity.

“By the order of King Xuan, we are searching for the kingdom’s most beautiful girl. She will be crowned as a princess and bestowed with gold, silver, jewelry, and beautiful clothes. However, this princess will be sent outside the city to live with the dragon.”

“This is too terrifying! Girls as beautiful as me absolutely can’t accept such a dreadful fate!” a not-so-beautiful city resident screamed, covering her mouth with a handkerchief and running away. She bumped into a girl carrying a wooden basin, gave her a disdainful look, and scolded, “Go away, you ugly wench!”

“Bang.” The wooden basin fell to the ground, and the wet clothes inside landed on the road covered in gravel and mud. It seemed the owner of those clothes would need to wash them again.

But the girl with the clothes didn’t care about them at this moment. She wiped her wet hands on her worn but clean skirt. She muttered against the crowd’s remarks of “I absolutely can’t go” and “I will definitely die,” and walked towards the notice board. When she stood in front of the notice, she was the only one there.

The gazes of the soldiers guarding the notice focused on her simultaneously. They lingered on her mud-covered face, wrinkling their brows involuntarily.

However, she had a pair of eyes as black as pearls. This made the soldiers unable to resist asking her, “Ugly duckling, do you know how to read?”

“Yes, sir.” The girl wiped her hands again and replied hesitantly, “May I ask, is what’s written here true? If you agree to live with the dragon, can you really get jewelry?”

“Do you have any coins?”

The soldier smiled, “And beautiful clothes.”

“Yes, beautiful clothes.” The girl blinked, “Do you have any coins?”

Soldier: “…”

The two soldiers exchanged a glance. “Yes.”

The girl’s black eyes lit up all of a sudden. Her mud-smeared face turned into a radiant and beautiful one, like a blooming land. The soldier who was gazing at her froze, bewildered, and touched his head in confusion as he watched her excited figure.

“Her clothes… forget it.”

“Luor, did you see the announcement… Are you doing fine?” A companion who had come to find the girl looked at the chaotic little wooden house, surprised, and asked the girl who was packing her belongings, “Where are you going, Luor?”

“Judy! I saw the announcement, and I’m going!” The girl with the black eyes said excitedly. Her grayish skirt fluttered like a gray butterfly, flying around in the dimly lit house.

“Where are you going?” Judy was shocked, stumbling over her words. She stuttered for a while, swallowed saliva, and pointed in the distance, “You’re going… to the dragon?”

“Yes!” Luor nodded emphatically.

“You’re insane!”

Luor held all her belongings tightly, with bags of different sizes, and even a valuable iron pot hanging from her waist – of course, she was missing the wooden basin now. She happily walked towards the palace.

“But there is a pile of coins! And gold and silver jewelry!”

Judy wanted to stop her. She ran around her, but it seemed her determined friend had already made up her mind. Luor walked straight towards the palace. The residents of the impoverished area, also dressed in tattered clothes, pointed and gesticulated at them. After hearing Luor’s purpose from Judy’s mouth, they ridiculed her even more.

“Look at her face, covered in mud every day. She can grow corn and wants to be a princess?”

“Look at her hands, rough and calloused like an old person’s. The dragon will probably slap her to death with its tail as soon as it sees her!”

“Ugly Luor wants to be a princess, ugly Luor wants to be the dragon’s bride, delusional ugly Luor, turns into a pile of mud~” A group of children sang and danced.

Luor stopped in her tracks, unhooked the iron pot from her waist, and threatened the children, “I’ll hit you, you know!”

“Wow!” The children laughed and scattered.

At this moment, Judy understood her determination and sighed, “Are you really going?”

“I’m going!” Luor said seriously, “Otherwise, I’ll keep living in the slums, day after day, struggling to have enough to eat and wear. I’ll die miserably like my abandoned mother.”

“But you can read, and you’re…,” Judy suddenly covered her mouth, looked around, and leaned closer to Luor, “You could easily marry a noble in the city.”

A look of disdain and contempt flashed in Luor’s eyes. She inserted the iron pot into her waist and said coldly, “I’d rather be squashed into mud by the dragon!”

With a determined heart, Luor arrived at the palace gates accompanied by Judy, only to be stopped by soldiers.

“I’m moderately decent-looking, but because there are a bunch of jerks where I live, I have to hide my face,” Luor said, “If you give me clean water, you’ll see.”

The soldiers were skeptical and took her to the grand hall of the palace. Luor sized up the magnificent palace, growing angrier the longer she looked. At this moment, the king walked in and saw Luor’s face.

“You idiots! Who let you bring beggars here!”

The soldiers hastily conveyed Luor’s words. The king’s expression mirrored that of the soldiers. He sat on the throne and sent a servant to fetch water.

“If she dares to deceive me, I’ll throw you both out to feed the dragon!”

Pointing at the soldiers and Luor, the king warned, making Judy cower behind Luor in fear.

Before long, the servant brought water, and Luor hurriedly washed her face, using two large basins of water. As she washed away the dirt from her face with clean, warm water, she couldn’t help but let out a comfortable sigh. When she raised her head, her untouched natural beauty outshone the grandeur of the gold hall, leaving everyone in the hall agape.

The king couldn’t resist coming down from his throne, his voice becoming incredibly gentle. “A delicate flower like you shouldn’t go to a dreadful lair. If you’re willing to stay in the palace, I can choose another girl.”

“Thank you for your generosity, but I don’t want other girls to suffer. I’m willing to serve the dragon,” Luor lifted her chin. Her damp hair was still dripping, falling onto her snow-white skin.

“I want to go. If I can’t serve the dragon, I only want to return to the slums and live as a beggar for the rest of my life.”

The king sighed and shook his head, full of regret. But he thought of the dragon’s threat. The deadline agreed upon with the dragon was only half a day away, and he had to make a decision.

“Alright, since you’re so determined.”

Luor smiled with joy, her eyes sparkling. “If I go, will you provide me with the promised gold and silver jewelry and coins?”

The king hesitated for a moment, then nodded and instructed a servant to take her to change clothes.

“Also, you must remember that you are the princess of this country. You absolutely can’t reveal anything to the dragon!” the king said. “For this, I’m willing to give you double the amount of coins!”

Upon hearing this, Luor immediately promised, “I will absolutely keep the secret. If I can’t, let me be a beggar for the rest of my life!”

“Good!”

Luor and Judy were taken to change their clothes.

“So much, all for me?” Luor looked at the ten gold coins on the plate with surprise.

The servant attending to her displayed a subtle expression, but a glare from the castle’s steward made them quickly say, “Yes, and these beautiful clothes as well.”

“That’s wonderful!”

Luor put on the somewhat ill-fitting but nice clothes. She gave one of the two pearl necklaces and five gold coins that the king had bestowed upon her to Judy. She also asked the “generous” steward to help Judy change into similarly ill-fitting good clothes. The two of them left with deep gratitude.

“Sir, if she finds out that the clothes and jewelry were casually picked from the unwanted things of the king’s mistresses, then…” the servant said anxiously.

The steward laughed. “Don’t worry, she won’t come back.”

“But that’s the dragon. It’s a pity that such a beautiful face, who knows how long it can survive under the dragon.”

Perhaps it was a sigh for the ephemeral nature of beauty, the king didn’t come out to see this woman he admired once more. He regretted not noticing that there were still such beautiful girls within the city, and ordered people to find a woman for him.

Meanwhile, dressed in somewhat loose clothes, Luor was led by the soldiers towards the city gates.

In the town, the townspeople hiding on both sides of the road stared in surprise at the girl in the yellow dress, wearing a pearl necklace, with black hair and black eyes.

“Oh my god, she’s like a goddess of the night. Her eyes shine even brighter than the diamonds on the hands of the noble ladies in the city.”

“Who is she?”

“In our city, there could actually be such a beautiful girl?”

“She must be the princess of our kingdom. Can you believe our arrogant king has actually produced such a gorgeous daughter?”

Walking behind the soldiers, Judy, who was bidding farewell to her friend with tears, heard the murmurs of the people and shouted angrily, “She’s Luor! A girl born in the slums! She’s the princess of the slums that all of you look down upon!”

“Remember her name. It’s her who saved you all! It’s her who went to appease the greed of the dragon!”

Everyone who heard her voice showed astonishment, especially those from the slums who were despised by everyone and hiding in the back. They were even more shocked than the common folk. They all came out one by one, gazing at Luor’s stunning face, silent for a long time.

I’m not doing it for them; I’m doing it for myself.

Luor thought to herself as she tightly clutched the five gold coins in her hand, gripping them tightly.

So, I don’t need their gratitude.

“Squeak—”

The gate opened, and the soldiers and Luor walked out of the kingdom, crossed the moat, and stopped on the plain.

A soldier blew the horn, and the muffled sound echoed into the distance.

Luor looked up, gazing at the open field and the distant mountains.

The sky was high and the clouds were light, the wilderness was quiet, and there was no sign of the dragon.

Just as Luor was wondering if the dragon had returned, and if she had to return the gold coins to the king if she didn’t go with the dragon today, a dark shadow swiftly pierced through the clouds and flew towards them amidst the exclamations of the crowd.

The dragon came closer and closer, until its silver wings stirred up the wind. The soldiers around Luor panicked and crouched down, covering their heads, shouting aloud.

“Ah!”

“Yikes!”

The dragon circled above everyone’s heads. Luor hugged her chest with her hands. She squinted her eyes and slowly raised her head. Unintentionally, her gaze met the dragon’s eyes.

Those were a pair of blue-purple eyes, as beautiful as the radiance of the galaxy.

Luor was momentarily stunned.

Its silver body was more graceful and grand than any creature Luor had ever seen. Its silver scales shimmered and sparkled, but the most beautiful of all were its clean, clear, radiant eyes.

No one had ever told Luor that dragons possessed such beautiful eyes.

Until the dragon landed in front of her, Luor had not snapped out of her trance. It was the exclamations of others that awakened her.

Because the silver dragon folded its wings and slowly approached her.

“Look, a beautiful girl.”

The dragon’s voice, like a pearl sinking into the sea, was deep and tranquil, causing Luor’s body to suddenly tense up, rendering her speechless.

As the dragon got closer, the surrounding soldiers instinctively backed away, unconsciously forming a semicircle. In the center of the circle stood the girl in the bright yellow dress. The silver dragon circled around her, stopping behind her amidst the soldiers’ stiff expressions.

Luor took a deep breath nervously, clutching the hem of her dress, her fingertips turning white. Amidst the terrified gazes of numerous onlookers, the dragon lifted its tail and wrapped it around the girl’s slender waist. It tilted its head, gently brushing its snout against the side of her face.

Suddenly, Luor’s eyes widened, and she had only one thought in her mind.

Chilly.

The dragon was in a good mood. It rested its head on the girl’s shoulder, lowered its voice, and gently asked, “Are you my princess?”

---

Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis
Proofreader: Ruu

Please support us on Ko-Fi.

---