Hearing his best friend's comment, Kevin scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Am I really as carefree as you say? I was pretty shy back then too, you know."
"Shy? I'll take your word for it."
Su nodded, pretending to believe him.
However, the smile on his lips betrayed his words.
As someone who had undergone superhuman enhancements in every aspect, Chang Yuan naturally overheard their conversation.
But he was in no mood to deal with it. The sensation of his lips from last night was still vivid in his mind.
Even though it wasn't a mutual kiss, it was still a significant step forward.
By the next day, Chang Yuan still hadn't slept.
However, thanks to his MANTIS-enhanced body, he didn't feel any mental fatigue or exhaustion.
But when he saw Elysia, he immediately became tense.
Yet, in the next moment, Elysia took his hand as usual.
Chang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed Himeko hadn't told Elysia about last night.
In reality, Himeko had shown Elysia the photo as soon as she woke up that morning.
After all, girls love gossip and sharing.
So, Himeko had no reservations about sharing it with Elysia.
When Elysia saw what Chang Yuan had done, she was momentarily stunned, but then her lips curved into a crescent moon-like smile.
"Very gentle, isn't he?"
That was how Elysia responded to Himeko at the time.
Her words left the single, older Himeko utterly defeated.
She couldn't understand how Elysia's 36-degree lips could utter such icy words.
Gentle? Indeed, he was gentle—but that gentleness was reserved for Elysia alone.
Himeko, already feeling defeated, had no choice but to shoo Elysia out of the dorm, claiming that after half a month of continuous battles, she deserved some rest and a chance to spend quality time with Chang Yuan.
That's why Chang Yuan saw Elysia first thing in the morning.
"Hmm~? Yuan, why does it feel like you're gripping my hand tighter than usual? Are you nervous? That shouldn't be the case, right?"
Elysia, knowing full well what was going on, chose to tease him with her words.
Her comment made Chang Yuan, who was already feeling guilty about last night, lower his head even further.
Ahhh! If she finds out I kissed her without her knowing, will she hate me?
Chang Yuan was now regretting his actions from last night.
Was it a spur-of-the-moment decision? A sudden surge of hormones? Or was it something he had always wanted to do?
Whatever the reason, it didn't change the fact that he had kissed her without her consent.
"Not talking? Is it because of what happened last night when you kissed me?"
"!!!"
Hearing this, Chang Yuan's already anxious heart completely froze.
"You... you know about it?"
Damn it, Himeko! I'll make sure you regret this! No wonder you're still single!
"It's hard not to know when Himeko took a photo of it. You didn't even stop her."
"Uh, ahaha, I—"
"It's fine. If it's you, Yuan, it's okay. After all, you're special to me."
Before Chang Yuan could finish, Elysia placed a finger on his lips, stopping him from speaking further.
"I've already said it—aside from not being able to give you an answer, everything else about me is yours."
"..."
"Still hung up on that answer?"
For Chang Yuan, if it were just about desire, things were already perfect as they were.
But what he sought wasn't just that. He wanted an answer from the flawless one.
An answer meant far more to him than anything else.
"Alright, Yuan, I'll give you an answer someday. Let's go. Oh, by the way, I have two concert tickets Himeko gave me. Want to come with me?"
Elysia pulled out two tickets from her pocket and waved them in front of Chang Yuan.
Chang Yuan immediately noticed the person printed on the tickets.
"Eden?"
"Hmm~? Yuan, you really do remember Eden. She gave me a record when we were kids."
"Let's go then."
As for Eden, he didn't need to invite her to join them early.
After all, in the original story, Eden's role was somewhat ambiguous.
On one hand, her songs could soothe the hearts of the people and comfort soldiers after battles.
On the other, her vast wealth could provide significant financial support to Fire Moth.
But that was in the original timeline.
Under his leadership, the soldiers had minimized casualties in every Honkai battle, so the public wasn't panicked, and the soldiers weren't severely affected.
Moreover, he had already seized control of the higher-ups, and the world's resources were largely under his command.
So, whether Eden joined or not was merely a bonus.
Soon, the two arrived at the concert.
At this point, Eden was only somewhat famous, not yet the globally renowned figure she would become.
But the bustling crowd still proved her popularity.
In the fields of classical music and theater, Eden had essentially monopolized the stage.
Even as a rising star, no one could rival her in these areas.
After entering the venue with their tickets, the two took their seats near the front.
As the time arrived, a graceful and elegant figure appeared on the grand stage.
Without the need for a microphone, Eden's pure voice filled the entire venue.
Elysia closed her eyes, savoring the music, her left hand resting on Chang Yuan's right, their fingers intertwined.
One classical piece after another played until the concert finally ended.
Elysia immediately used her backstage pass to meet Eden.
"Eden, do you remember me? You gave me a record when we were kids."
Hearing this voice, Eden, who had just finished signing autographs and was about to leave, turned around.
Seeing the pink-haired figure, her memories gradually overlapped with the person before her.
"You're... Elysia?"
"Yay~? I knew you'd remember me, Eden."
Without any sense of distance, Elysia opened her arms and hugged Eden.
Eden didn't push her away but instead glanced at Chang Yuan.
After a moment, Elysia let go of Eden.
"I never thought you'd actually achieve your dream, Eden. That's amazing."
"Hehe, yeah. Even I didn't expect to succeed so easily."