“Alright, Siggy, wipe your tears.
You’ve practically cried yourself into a little tabby cat.” Aemeath smiled as she dried Sigrika’s tears.
“I…
I can’t help it…
I really thought I’d never see Nia again…” Sigrika was genuinely overwhelmed.
Though she was no longer wailing like before, tears still fell in fits and starts.
“A reliable grown-up doesn’t keep crying her eyes out, you know?” Denia smiled and teased her.
If her own eyes weren’t as red as a rabbit’s, this teasing might have been a bit more convincing.
“You’re one to talk.
When you two were hugging and bawling earlier, you nearly made the neighbors break the door down.” Xiao Ling roasted her without mercy.
Xiao Ling wasn’t exaggerating.
The two of them had been crying so loudly it was honestly a little alarming.
Anyone who didn’t know better would’ve thought some tragic drama was being performed.
It had driven the next-door neighbor to storm over, ready to kick the door in — only to find a whole gathering of stunning beauties.
The temper in their heart instantly melted away.
Had to say, being beautiful really was justice, huh.
“You and your smart mouth!” Aemeath delivered a merciless kick to Xiao Ling with those killer long legs of hers.
“Hey, you kicked me!
I think someone’s forgotten who calls the shots in this household!” Xiao Ling rolled up his sleeves, ready to reassert masculine authority.
“Then I’ll go tell Granny Lin you’re gonna hit me.”
“Stop!
Sis Amy, dear sister, I was wrong.
This lowly one had eyes but couldn’t see.” Xiao Ling immediately dropped into a dogeza and apologized profusely.
Linae: ????
“Granny Lin’s that formidable?
She can make the famed Voidworm Rider bow before her might?” Linae’s mouth hung slightly open, seemingly shocked by Xiao Ling’s rather excessive reaction.
“Our Voidworm Rider’s been getting whipped by Granny Lin ever since he was a kid.” Aemeath replied with a sly grin.
“Damn, do I get no face around here?!” Xiao Ling’s overheating spoke louder than any words.
Seeing that the gentle and reliable Senior from her memories was actually a total goofball in real life, Sigrika couldn’t help but burst out laughing through her tears.
“Right, speaking of which — who was the little snitch that tipped him off and brought him here?” Aemeath suddenly put on a stern face, on the hunt for whichever little traitor had sent word and led him over.
“It wasn’t me.” Linae shook her head vigorously.
She didn’t even have his contact info, let alone any way to tip him off.
“I don’t know.” Sigrika was even less likely.
Otherwise she wouldn’t have nearly cried herself into a puddle just now.
Aemeath turned her gaze toward Chisa, standing not far away.
Though Chisa’s face was expressionless, her wandering eyes had already said it all.
“Oho, Chisa!
It was you after all!” Aemeath immediately pounced and started pinching young Chisa’s delicate, tender cheeks.
“Le…
leggo.” Chisa couldn’t even speak clearly with her cheeks being pinched.
Aemeath’s “punishment” didn’t last long.
Chisa rubbed her pinched cheeks with a bit of a pout, which Xiao Ling found rather adorable.
After composing herself, Chisa began recounting to the other three the story of how she and Xiao Ling had run into each other at the department store.
“I also thought what Aemeath said made a lot of sense.
If we went looking for Senpai on our own, it might not be a pleasant surprise for him, but rather trouble brought to his peaceful everyday life.
Yet the longing Senpai and I feel for him is genuine and real.
If it weren’t to confirm whether he was living happily in this world, we wouldn’t have stayed.
And besides, up until now, we’ve always been making decisions on Senpai’s behalf, without ever truly asking what he actually thought.”
Xiao Ling strongly approved of this speech from Chisa, and it resonated deeply with him.
In the game, the Rover of the previous era had thought the same way.
More often than not, he’d made decisions for others on his own, without ever asking what they truly thought.
Even when speaking with Luuk Herssen, he’d blamed himself for dragging them into his ideal of saving the world.
But that was because Solaris was a world on the brink of collapse.
The Rover’s thinking was simple — if he ultimately failed, the others could still walk away unscathed.
But this was the real world.
No great catastrophes, no grand disasters.
Only the plain, mundane routine of firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.
So…
“This isn’t Solaris, girls.” Xiao Ling spoke up with a warm smile.
“You’ve been living in this world for a while now.
You should have formed a basic understanding of it.
It’s peaceful and orderly.
Here, I’m just an ordinary student living a plain life.
No halo of a savior, no heaven-spanning power.
Your arrival isn’t bringing me trouble — it’s adding the colors that belong to you to my ordinary days.
So, I’ll still choose to protect you and stay by your side.
And you, of course, can rely on me just as you relied on the me in Solaris.
I think…
wherever everyone is, that’s home.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Aemeath threw herself into his arms, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Yeah…
that’s right.
Wherever you are, wherever everyone is — that’s home!” Aemeath said, smiling through her tears.
“Exactly!
Everyone together is the happiest!” Linae was still her usual easygoing self.
With Nia and Senior, and everyone here, I’ll be happier too!” Sigrika placed her hands over her chest, her tone deeply sincere.
Denia didn’t voice her thoughts.
She only gazed at the companions before her with a smile gentler than usual.
Everything was conveyed without words.
“So, there’s no need to hold back any longer.” Chisa smiled as she looked at Xiao Ling.
“The past is already past.
Walking forward with friends — the present and the future — that’s what’s truly precious.”
“Well then, girls, it’s already noon.
Are you hungry?” Xiao Ling pulled everyone back from the emotions of the moment with a simple, homey question.
Along with his words came the rumbling of several beautiful girls’ stomachs.
“Guess that’s a yes.”
The girls all flushed red at Xiao Ling’s teasing.
“To make up for my fault in being late, I’ll volunteer my services as chef for today’s lunch~” Xiao Ling stood up and rolled up his sleeves with gusto.
“Fair warning, don’t blame me if it’s bad.”
“If it’s bad, we’ll make you eat it all!” Aemeath said with feigned ferocity.
“Hey hey hey, that’s not fair.” Xiao Ling was spooked by this “vicious declaration” and quickly backed down.
“Right, could we invite Granny Lin along too?
Think of it as thanks for taking care of us, and a proper goodbye to her!” Sigrika said earnestly.
She was a good girl who knew to repay kindness, and hadn’t forgotten Granny Lin who had taken them in.
“Of course.
I need to properly thank Granny Lin for kindly taking you all in too.” Xiao Ling voiced his approval of Sigrika’s suggestion.
“Then let’s not waste any time.
I’ll assist Senpai in the kitchen.
For the rest, I’ll trouble everyone to tidy up and decorate a bit.” Chisa took the initiative to start delegating tasks.
After all, barring any surprises, this was their last day living here.
A farewell needed a sense of ceremony.
“Okay!”
Everyone was brimming with motivation.
They began earnestly setting up the inside of the apartment, determined to make this farewell an unforgettable memory.
…
After a warm farewell dinner with a few small hiccups along the way.
“Granny Lin, don’t rush off?” Xiao Ling called out to Granny Lin, who had been planning to slip away quietly.
“Rotten boy, what do you want?” Granny Lin snapped, her voice uncharacteristically choked up.
Her hands were full of gifts — things Aemeath and the others had stuffed into her hands before parting.
“Come take a group photo.
Those girls are all pretty reluctant to part with you.” Xiao Ling scratched his head and grinned broadly.
“After all, after today you won’t be seeing them as often anymore.
Keep something to remember them by.”
Granny Lin was silent for a moment.
In the end, she sighed softly and retracted her steps, which had been about to leave.
She wasn’t good at goodbyes.
Silently slipping away like this might have suited her better.
Though it had only been less than half a month of time together, as an empty-nest elder, she had already come to see these girls from another world as her own.
Since they all wanted something to remember her by, she had no reason to refuse.
“Hey, Granny Lin’s back!
Quick, come over!” Seeing Granny Lin turn back, Aemeath quickly pulled her over to sit in the center spot on the living room sofa.
And Denia, Chisa, Linae, Aemeath, and Sigrika all gathered around her in a circle.
“Girls, strike a nice pose.
Granny Lin, give us a smile, won’t you?”
Xiao Ling constantly adjusted the camera, directing their poses, wanting to make this group photo look even more beautiful.
“Alright, just like that.
Perfect.
Ready—” After setting the timer and pressing the shutter, Xiao Ling immediately dashed behind them, throwing up double peace signs and grinning wide.
“Here we go, three, two, one!”
“Cheese!”
…
Just before parting, Granny Lin suddenly seemed to remember something.
She trotted back to her own place, and when she returned, she held six small red fortune pouches in her hands.
“Granny Lin, what are these?” Sigrika looked at the red pouches in her hands curiously.
“These are protection charms.” Xiao Ling explained in Granny Lin’s stead.
“She’s praying for your safety.”
Granny Lin, just about to speak, rolled her eyes at him in annoyance instead.
Then, one by one, she solemnly pressed the red pouches into each of the girls’ hands.
“I’m poor.
Don’t have much to support you girls with in material things.
I only hope that after you go off with that rotten boy Xiao Ling, you’ll live safe and happy.” Granny Lin spoke with earnest gravity.
“If that guy ever bullies you, come back and find me.
I’ll grab my clothes hanger and sort him out!”
The bright red pouches still carried a trace of Granny Lin’s body heat.
Inside them was hidden her most sincere blessing for these girls from Solaris.
“Granny, thank you.
We really love this gift!” The girls all bowed together toward this grandmother who had prayed for their peace and safety.
Go on now.
Off you go.
The world outside is vast.
Go walk around, see things.” Granny Lin saw off these lovely girls, her voice choked with emotion.
Though tears glistened at the corners of their eyes, the girls still wore smiles as they bade Granny Lin farewell.
“Rotten boy, get over here!”
Xiao Ling, just about to lead Aemeath and the others away, heard Granny Lin call him and immediately knew she had something to say.
“Anything else you want to tell me, Granny?” Xiao Ling asked softly.
“Don’t squander this enormous blessing.
Treat them well.” She stuffed the last protection charm into his hand.
“If they suffer even the slightest grievance, just wait for me to come over and whip you good!”
“I will, Granny.” Xiao Ling wore a genuine smile.
Holding Granny Lin’s aged, wrinkled hands, he made this solemn promise.
“Absolutely.
I’ll be off then.”
“Go on, rotten boy.
Don’t come back!”
Xiao Ling looked at this old granny — sharp of tongue but soft of heart — and bowed deeply to her with equal solemnity.
Then he turned and strode swiftly away.
…
After emerging from that somewhat narrow alley, Xiao Ling spotted them at once — those girls of indescribable beauty, waving at him.
“You’re finally out!
Hurry up, let’s go!” Aemeath skipped over with light steps, grabbed him, and ran toward Chisa and the others.
The old folks in the alley, seeing this group of handsome young men and beautiful women gathered together, immediately sensed an atmosphere different from usual.
“Little Amy, are you all leaving?” Some older woman spoke up first.
“Yeah…
yes, Auntie Liu.
We probably won’t be back for a long time.” Aemeath replied sincerely.
“Is that so…”
Auntie Liu, who ran the snack stall, immediately pulled out an empty bag and stuffed it full of snacks.
She pressed it into Aemeath’s hands before she could refuse.
“These are all your favorite little snacks.
I packed a bit extra for you.
Should last a while.” Auntie Liu stood on tiptoe and patted Aemeath’s head.
“Take good care of yourself after you leave here, you hear?”
“Mm…
mm-hmm.
I will, Auntie.” The tears Aemeath had just managed to hold back suddenly threatened to surge again.
She replied, her voice slightly choked.
As if Auntie Liu had started a chain reaction, the vendors on both sides of the alley all spontaneously stuffed many things into these lovely girls’ hands.
“These are fresh-picked fruit from my place.
Super fresh!
Eat them on the road!
And come back to visit when you’ve got time!”
“These are dumplings I just made today.
Little Lin, you’ve always told me my dumplings were the best.
Hey, take more, take more!
Who knows when you’ll get to eat them again once you’re gone!”
“Sigrika, Chisa — these are snacks my mom made.
Oh, right, do you remember her?
You helped her out so much!
That mom of mine, honestly.
A grown woman too embarrassed to come say goodbye herself…
anyway, take these!
And remember to come back and visit!”
…
Only now did Xiao Ling truly feel just how much everyone in this alley adored this group of girls from another world — Aemeath and her companions.
No one asked where they were going.
No one asked why.
There was only that weighty blessing, packed into bags at the moment of parting.
Even though their hands were nearly too full to carry any more, these simple, honest old folks still tried every which way to stuff more things into their arms.
Even Denia, who’d only just arrived here, had been given quite a bit.
All the way to the end of the alley they went.
The afternoon sunlight gilded them in a layer of golden light, making them look especially radiant.
Aemeath and the others turned back, looking at these simple, kind-hearted people — people they’d only known for a short time, yet who had cared for them so deeply.
They bowed once more, and following Xiao Ling who walked ahead, they set off toward a new chapter.
That was just how life was.
There was no eternal, endless winter.
At the end, where the last snowflake melted away, spring would eventually arrive.
Just like the ending of every fairy tale.
The breeze was soft.
Spring had come.
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