[Inside the returning aircraft]
Jing Liuli was sleeping soundly, leaning against Yun Meng's shoulder. The Spirit Fox was curled up in her arms, their breathing synchronized and rhythmic. A pale purple domain radiance, like a thin layer of gauze, gently enveloped them, making the Star Power currents in the cabin feel exceptionally soft.
Yun Meng gently brushed away the stray hairs on Jing Liuli's forehead, her eyes filled with doting affection. After a moment, she turned to Tendo beside her and whispered, "Liuli is truly overjoyed today. She's even smiling in her sleep."
Tendo nodded slightly, his azure Star Power lightly scanning the cabin to confirm the flight path was correct. "Her domain awakened not long ago, and she is still slowly adapting. A daily routine like this allows her to familiarize herself with the domain while also helping her relax. It's better than always keeping her combat nerves taut," he said softly.
Caroline, who was nearby appearing to organize data, glanced at Jing Liuli from time to time out of the corner of her eye.
About an hour later, the aircraft suddenly emitted a faint alarm, and the console screen flickered. Caroline immediately put away her terminal and walked quickly to the console, her expression turning serious. "The navigation system has suddenly malfunctioned. We are approaching a sub-space turbulence zone. If we don't correct the route in time, we might be sucked into the turbulence."
Tendo also rose immediately and stood by Caroline's side, injecting azure Star Power into the console in an attempt to repair the navigation system. "The system is being interfered with by an unknown signal and cannot be repaired for the moment. I'll try to use Star Power to forcibly stabilize the route, but it will take time."
Just then, the sleeping Jing Liuli stirred slightly. The Spirit Fox in her arms raised its head and let out a soft, low growl. Perhaps sensing the tension in the air, the Star Power within Jing Liuli fluctuated subconsciously. The purple radiance of the "Natural Strong Luck" domain instantly intensified, not only enveloping her but also spreading across the entire control console.
In the next second, something miraculous happened.
The flickering console screen suddenly returned to normal, and the interfered navigation signal stabilized on its own. It even precisely corrected the flight path, steering the craft away from the turbulence zone ahead. Even more coincidentally, the unknown signal that had interfered with the navigation was coming from a nearby abandoned cruiser. That cruiser had now veered off its own orbit, flying away from the aircraft and completely neutralizing the danger.
"..."
Caroline stared at the restored console in astonishment, lost in thought. Tendo withdrew his Star Power, a flash of realization crossing his eyes. He looked at the sleeping Jing Liuli and smiled helplessly. "That really is quite an unreasonable ability."
Yun Meng gently stroked Jing Liuli's hair and said with a smile, "Even while asleep, this child is so lucky. She truly is our little lucky star."
The Spirit Fox lay submissively in Jing Liuli's arms, exhaling a wisp of light that wrapped around the console screen as if showing off its and Jing Liuli's "Natural Strong Luck."
A while later, Jing Liuli slowly woke up. Rubbing her bleary eyes and seeing the relaxed expressions of the others, she asked in confusion, "What happened? I thought I felt a Star Power fluctuation. Did something go wrong?"
Caroline turned around, her tone still flat but carrying a hint of imperceptible helplessness. "It was nothing. The navigation system had a minor glitch, but it was automatically fixed by your 'Natural Strong Luck'."
"Really?" Jing Liuli woke up instantly, her eyes lighting up. She sat up straight, clutching the Spirit Fox, her face full of pride. "Wow! My domain is so amazing!"
As she spoke, she leaned closer to the console, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she looked at the stable navigation route. "It seems that no matter where we go in the future, with me around, we won't encounter any danger!"
Tendo couldn't help but rap her on the head. "This time was just good luck. If you encounter truly powerful danger, relying on the domain alone won't be enough. You still need to polish your Star Power and not over-rely on luck."
"Bleh!" Jing Liuli stuck out her tongue and walked to the window with the Spirit Fox. Looking at the starry sky outside, she was filled with joy.
Just then, Jing Liuli's terminal chimed. It was a notification from the Star Net platform. She clicked on it and instantly cheered: "Wow! My vlog views have surpassed a hundred million! Also, my follower count has exploded—it actually broke a billion!"
Hearing this, everyone gathered around. Looking at the notification on the terminal, their faces broke into gratified smiles. Jing Liuli had not only become a Natural Disaster-grade powerhouse, but she had also maintained her celebrity brilliance and won the affection of even more people.
Yun Meng smiled tenderly and handed her a glass of Star Fruit juice. "You deserve this. You are hardworking, cute, and lucky. The fans will definitely keep loving you."
Caroline glanced over and said indifferently, "Not bad. But don't let the surge in followers make you arrogant. You can film vlogs and livestreams, but the polishing of your Star Power cannot fall behind. Otherwise, the next time you face danger, even your domain won't be able to help you."
"Don't worry, Caroline!" Jing Liuli nodded vigorously. While sipping her juice, she quickly replied to fan comments. "I'll polish my Star Power well, and I'll keep filming great vlogs and hosting fun livestreams. I won't let the fans down, and I won't let you all down either!"
"Oh right! When we get back to the base, I'm going to host a celebration livestream to celebrate my vlog hitting a hundred million views and my followers breaking a billion. I'll also hold a grand lucky draw for the fans to share my good luck with everyone!"
Watching her exuberant manner, everyone couldn't help but laugh.
The aircraft sped smoothly through sub-space. Outside the window, the stars were dazzlingly bright; inside the cabin, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. The interweaving glows of purple, azure, silver-white, and pale pink Star Power created an exceptionally cozy scene.
Leaning against the window with the Spirit Fox, Jing Liuli replied to comments and hummed her own song. her smile was bright and vivid, like a star fruit soaked in sunlight. She knew that her good luck never came from nowhere; it was the blessing of the "Natural Strong Luck" domain. And this luck was not just meant to resolve small accidents or harvest surprises—it was meant to protect those around her and the peace of the Federation.
Soon, the aircraft arrived at the base.
As soon as they landed, Jing Liuli dashed back to her room with the Spirit Fox. While organizing the photos and videos taken that afternoon, she prepared for the celebration livestream, humming a tune all the while. Her cheerful laughter could be heard throughout the base.
Tendo, Caroline, and Yun Meng looked at her retreating figure and smiled at each other. Caroline turned toward the laboratory, muttering, "What a troublesome girl. Still, I suppose I have to make that Star Fruit mousse for the celebration livestream, or she'll throw a tantrum again."
Tendo and Yun Meng also smiled and shook their heads, going about their own tasks while silently preparing for Jing Liuli's celebration.
That night, Jing Liuli's celebration livestream started on time. The moment the room opened, the viewer count instantly surpassed ten million. The bullet comments flooded the screen, and gifts arrived in a continuous stream. Wearing her Natural Disaster-grade medal and the star-patterned jewelry she had drawn earlier that afternoon, Jing Liuli held the Spirit Fox and greeted the camera enthusiastically with a brilliant smile.
"Good evening, fan babies! I have a double surprise for you today. First, my vlogs have reached a hundred million views and my followers have broken a billion! Second, I'm going to hold a huge lucky draw!"
During the livestream, Jing Liuli not only shared the fun stories from their time at the Martial Capital today but also showcased her medal and jewelry. She even sneakily released a clip of Caroline helping her make the Star Fruit mousse, prompting fans to flood the chat with jokes about Caroline being "cold on the outside but warm on the inside."
The most interesting part was the lucky draw. Relying on her "Natural Strong Luck," every draw Jing Liuli made accurately landed on long-time fans who had always supported her. One fan even won three small prizes in a row, causing the chat to explode.
"Liuli baby's luck is too ridiculous; even a lucky draw is precision-guided fan service!"
"Crying from envy. When will I be hit by Liuli baby's good luck?"
"Follow Liuli baby, and good luck will never be absent!"
As the livestream was nearing its end, Caroline walked into the frame quietly with a plate of Star Fruit mousse. Although her face remained cold, she gave a slight nod to the camera and said, "Alright, the livestream should end about now. Go to sleep early and don't stay up late."
Jing Liuli laughingly pulled her over and stuffed a spoonful of mousse into her mouth. She told the camera, "Look, everyone! Even though Sister Caroline is very cool and aloof, she's a wonderful person. She even made this Star Fruit mousse specifically for me."
"Let's let Sister Caroline draw the final grand prize today to catch some of my good luck!"
Caroline shook her head helplessly but cooperated nonetheless. She casually picked a lucky fan, and to her surprise, that fan won the first prize: a set of custom star-patterned jewelry identical to the one Jing Liuli was wearing.
The livestream room boiled over instantly.
"So lucky! To be drawn by Sister Caroline and catch Liuli baby's luck!"
"The interaction between them is too sweet. Please, more screen time together!"
After the livestream ended, Jing Liuli leaned against Caroline with the Spirit Fox, a blissful smile on her face. "I'm so happy today. A billion followers and a great lucky draw—it's all thanks to my natural luck and everyone's hard work!"
Caroline rubbed her hair helplessly, her tone carrying a hint of indulgence. "As long as you know. Work hard in the future and don't fail the fans' support."
Jing Liuli nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with determination. "I will! In the future, I will take my good luck and continue to be your light. Together with my partners, I will protect the Federation and this warmth and luck. I'll also keep filming great vlogs and hosting fun livestreams to grow together with my fans toward a better future!"
As she spoke, Caroline's terminal suddenly rang. An alarm from the laboratory popped up on the screen, and her face darkened slightly. "The mechanical calibration instrument in the lab has malfunctioned. If the mechanical core I was tuning this afternoon isn't calibrated in time, tomorrow's report to the Federation Council will be delayed."
She stood up to head to the lab, her tone becoming a bit frantic. That calibration instrument was a special Federation model with extremely high precision. Once it malfunctioned, it was very difficult to repair quickly. Previous calibration errors had already wasted several core components.
"The calibration instrument is broken?" Jing Liuli's eyes lit up, and she immediately stood up with the Spirit Fox. "Caroline, I'll go with you!"
Caroline wanted to refuse, but remembering how the navigation failure was easily resolved by the domain and seeing Jing Liuli's expectant face, she eventually relented. Her tone remained cold, but it hid a trace of compromise. "Don't cause trouble. Mechanical experiments are very precise. If you break a part, I won't let you off easy."
The two soon arrived at the lab. They saw the screen of the calibration instrument flickering on the workbench, the needle jumping frantically, and a "beeping" alarm sounding. The nearby mechanical core was emitting a faint silver-white glow, clearly suffering from minor energy turbulence due to the calibration error.
Caroline stepped quickly to the workbench and operated the instrument rapidly. Her silver-white Star Power flowed in, attempting to fix the fault. However, no matter how she tuned it, the needle continued to jump wildly. It even began to lag severely, and a "Core Component Damaged" prompt appeared on the screen.
"The core sensor component is actually broken. I don't have a spare part here, and the Federation supplies won't arrive until tomorrow." Caroline frowned, her tone full of helplessness. She reached out to shut down the instrument. "It looks like I'll have to delay the report."
Just then, Jing Liuli leaned in with the Spirit Fox. Her pale purple Star Power fluctuated subconsciously, and a faint radiance enveloped the entire workbench and the instrument.
In the next second, something magical happened.
The needle that had been jumping frantically suddenly stabilized. The flickering screen instantly returned to normal. The core sensor component that had just been reported as damaged emitted a faint hum; the turbulent energy was smoothed out by the Star Power and recovered automatically.
Even more coincidentally, a drawer on the workbench popped open slightly, revealing a small spare sensor component inside. Caroline had tossed it in there six months ago and had long since forgotten its existence. It happened to be a perfect match for this model.
"..."
Caroline's eyes widened. She looked at the functioning instrument and then at the spare part in the drawer. A look of even greater disbelief than the one she had during the navigation repair appeared on her face. She clearly remembered there were no spare parts left. How could this be here? And the instrument—it fixed itself?
Holding the Spirit Fox, Jing Liuli smiled brilliantly, her face full of pride. "Caroline, I told you I could help! Look, not only is the instrument fixed, but there's a spare part that matches perfectly. Now you don't have to delay the report!"
Jing Liuli reached out and lightly touched the instrument. The needle remained steady, and the energy of the mechanical core stabilized completely. "Caroline, try it quickly! It'll definitely calibrate normally now!"
Half-believing, Caroline operated the instrument and placed the core inside. Sure enough, the calibration started smoothly. The needle moved steadily, and a "Calibration Successful" prompt appeared on the screen. The mechanical core emitted an even silver-white glow, more precise than anything she had tuned before.
She turned around and looked at Jing Liuli's cheerful expression. The helplessness in her eyes was gradually replaced by tenderness. She reached out and gently rubbed Jing Liuli's hair, the coldness in her tone softening significantly. "I'll give it to you—you're quite something. You didn't cause trouble this time; you actually helped."
"Hehe, I told you so!" Jing Liuli smiled even more happily, rubbing her arm against Caroline's while holding the Spirit Fox. "In the future, if you run into trouble with your experiments, just call me. That way you never have to worry about broken parts or faulty equipment again! By the way, since I helped you so much, are you going to give me two extra days of Star Fruit mousse as a reward?"
Caroline rolled her eyes helplessly but nodded anyway. "Fine, you'll get your mousse. But you aren't allowed to sneak clips of me doing experiments into your vlogs anymore. Otherwise, the reward is canceled."
"Got it, got it!" Jing Liuli nodded vigorously. She sneakily took out her terminal, snapped a quick photo of Caroline with the calibration instrument, and saved it. She wouldn't tell Caroline that she had been wanting to take a photo of her working seriously as a treat for her fans for a long time.