"Come on, my dear friend, pick one! It's on me!" Lumina exclaimed, waving her hand with extravagant generosity.
They were inside a flagship store of a renowned Xianzhou mobile phone brand, located in the Central Starskiff Haven of the Xianzhou Luofu. Lumina, holding Jingliu's hand, gestured expansively with an air of boundless enthusiasm.
Jingliu: ...
Staring at the dizzying array of smartphones before her, Jingliu fell silent. She knew she had pressing matters to attend to, yet Lumina's gentle, sweet, and heartwarmingly tender words had inexplicably drawn her here.
Normally, the chaotic crowd would have triggered her violent impulses. But to Jingliu's surprise, no such rage surfaced. Instead, she felt a profound sense of tranquility wash over her.
This feeling of peace was something Jingliu hadn't experienced in centuries. She couldn't even remember the last time she had felt this way...
She must have done something to me...
Jingliu watched Lumina select a phone with the shop assistant's guidance, a faint, slightly helpless smile appearing on her face.
But in the blink of an eye, the smile vanished, unnoticed by anyone.
Jingliu stepped forward and said calmly, "A phone is useless to me. There's no need to waste money."
Though her tone remained as flat and emotionless as ever, a comparison to her earlier demeanor revealed a faint, almost imperceptible hint of joy within its placidity.
"Waste? Don't worry, it's not a waste at all," Lumina replied, turning to smile at Jingliu. "After all, the Seat of Divine Foresight—or rather, Jing Yuan—is footing the bill."
Jingliu: ...
"Besides..."
Lumina observed Jingliu's silent composure—still and graceful as a maiden, an ice beauty so perfect it made one want to shatter her icy facade.
Lumina's eyes twinkled with mischief as she teased Jingliu:
"You came all the way to a phone store with me, and only now you tell me you're not interested in phones?"
"If you weren't interested, would you have come with me?"
"Little Jingliu~ You might say you don't want to, but your actions speak louder♪"
Jingliu remained silent, ice crystals shimmering in her hand. She looked ready to unleash a volley of Light Piercing Ten Thousand Streams on Lumina, just for the sheer satisfaction of it.
But seeing Lumina's teasing smile, Jingliu dissipated the crystals, abandoning the impulsive urge.
"Whatever," Jingliu said, crossing her arms and turning away to gaze at the revitalized Starskiff Jetty.
The rebuilt Starskiff Jetty was indeed far more beautiful than before...
Staring at the familiar yet strangely alien vista, Jingliu's thoughts drifted back hundreds of years.
To a time when...
"...!"
Jingliu's reverie was shattered by a sharp tap on the back of her head, instantly jolting her back to reality.
Without even looking, she knew exactly who it was. Jingliu whirled around, her icy glare fixed on Lumina.
Countless ice crystals flickered in her palm, and an unrelenting chill emanated from her body, dropping the temperature in the entire shop by several degrees.
It seemed that if Lumina didn't offer an explanation, Jingliu might just thank her by buying her a dozen "Light Piercing Ten Thousand Streams" phones right then and there.
"Here, your phone."
Unfazed by Jingliu's expression, Lumina waved the phone in her hand, smiled, and handed it over.
After a moment of silence, Jingliu accepted the phone. The chilling aura emanating from her instantly receded as she took it.
"We should leave this place," Jingliu said, tucking the phone away without a second glance—unlike most first-time smartphone users. She strode toward the exit before Lumina could reply, making it clear she wanted nothing more than to escape.
But would Lumina grant her wish? Of course not. The more Jingliu disliked it, the more Lumina relished the situation.
Lumina hurried to catch up, pinched a corner of Jingliu's sleeve, and tugged her in the opposite direction.
"We've already bought the phone! We naturally need a cute phone case too~♪"
"..."
Jingliu glanced at Lumina's slender fingers gripping her wrist and sighed in resignation.
"Never mind..."
"What do you think of this phone case? Do you like it?"
Lumina had brought Jingliu to a phone case store and carefully selected one that perfectly suited her.
The case featured a crescent moon encased in ice, upon which stood a white fox. The dominant colors were black and blue, a palette that harmonized flawlessly with Jingliu's aesthetic.
Though Jingliu betrayed no outward emotion, she instantly fell in love with the design.
Lumina, who had clearly put a great deal of thought into choosing the case, watched Jingliu install it. As Jingliu attached the case to her phone, her impression of Lumina warmed considerably.
"Wait, give me your phone first."
Seeing Jingliu finish installing the case and attempt to put her phone away, Lumina quickly stopped her.
Without hesitation, Jingliu handed over her phone.
Lumina led her out of the store, glanced around, and found a quiet spot to sit.
"Send me the download link."
[ Sent. But... won't this shatter her Dao Heart? ] the System asked, watching Lumina's earnest attempt to lure Jingliu into playing the addictive game Honkai: Star Rail.
Lumina's actions might not shake the entire Honkai: Star Rail cosmos, but they were bound to leave their mark on her personally.
To discover that her entire life had merely been a plot point in a game... Who wouldn't be devastated?
"So what?" Lumina said dismissively, noticing the System's concerns. She took control of Jingliu's phone and began downloading Honkai: Star Rail.
"If I'm here, doesn't that mean this is a real world?"
Thanks to the Emperor Bow 100G network, the download and installation were completed in mere seconds.
Lumina tapped the icon to open the game. As familiar icons appeared, the game began downloading additional data.
While waiting for the download to finish, Lumina gazed at Jingliu's pale blue-gray hair and her strikingly cool beauty. Then she looked at the bustling streets outside, filled with people hurrying about their lives.
Closing her eyes, Lumina's lips curled into a radiant smile—a smile that seemed to embody all the beauty in the world.
"Besides... There's no such thing as a 'game world.' I've always lived in reality♪"