Chapter 5: Delicious Pickings
As the night faded, the sky began to lighten.
It was ten in the morning—oh no, I mean ten in the AM!
For once, both Night Star and Night Lan snoozed their alarms and woke up feeling as lively as a couple of bunnies ready to tackle a new day.
No work, no need for clocking in; this lazing about sure is a beautiful thing!
After rolling out of bed, Night Star didn’t rush off to the Rising Sun Theater, and Night Lan wasn’t in any hurry to check in at the Night Watcher Base.
After all, with the possibility of separation looming over them, they had to squeeze in as much cuddly time as possible before that happened. They needed to be together for a little longer!
Whether it was snuggling in bed, gaming together, or even taking a bath side by side, nothing compared to the special vibe they shared.
That deep connection and unspoken understanding? Pure gold.
Once they brushed their teeth and washed up, the duo plopped back into bed, ready to order in some grub from outside.
“Let’s wait to head out until noon or the afternoon, no rush at all!”
Night Lan lay sprawled on the bed, scrolling through her phone as if trying to discover the secrets of the universe.
In contrast, Night Star was sprawled atop Night Lan’s chest, looking as defeated as an overcooked noodle.
Even if they were both flat-chested, they still managed to feel a bit of softness, with absolutely no fear of poking each other.
The Ghost Girl, Eypar, floated nearby, looking more torn than a cheap pair of shoes.
“Waaaah! There’s no place for me!”
If Night Lan weren’t around, Eypar could at least cling to Night Star like a rubber band. Given Night Star’s easygoing nature, as long as Eypar didn’t overdo it or interrupt anything crucial, she could easily sneak in for some cuddles.
Like right now—if Night Star were just lounging and playing on her phone, Eypar could swoop in for some snuggles.
But alas, with Night Lan planning to stay home for a while, Eypar was left to watch the two cuddle from a distance.
During this little bubble of time, it was like Night Lan had declared a “no outsiders allowed” rule.
On the bed, the pair waited for their takeout.
Night Star, with her eyes shut, seemed lost in the enjoyment of the moment while Night Lan was busy searching for info about operas on her phone.
She believed everyone in the theater group had the talent for performing opera; besides the usual acts, they could totally branch into the world of musicals!
That way, when the Rising Sun Theater performed, they wouldn’t be confined to boring old solos.
Take the group leader, for instance—a special case!
Until a solution cropped up, Night Lan thought it best to stick the group leader into group performances; his acting was top-notch!
In fact, he earned plenty of applause during their last opera performance.
So, Night Star had to buckle down and hone her scriptwriting skills.
The only reason her last script had succeeded was that the group was stacked with talent!
Their acting had elevated the script to new heights.
Night Star couldn’t continuously let them perform those laughably dull stories; at least, she needed to create scripts that matched their abilities and status.
For such a goal, Night Lan could sacrifice her leisure time to study script ideas.
For her, that was a colossal personal sacrifice.
Well, sorta.
You see, for someone who enjoys slacking off, devoting so much time to something feels like a towering mountain to climb!
Night Lan lay on the bed, swiping her finger across her phone screen like an artist at work, mumbling to herself.
“What theme should I write about next? How about one where the star obliterates everything in sight? The storyline could be ‘k*ll k*ll k*ll!’—if anyone stands in the way, poof! They’re a goner! And let’s have them sing a bombastic battle song while challenging everything—sounds exciting, right?”
Night Star, still draped across Night Lan’s chest, sighed, “But… the singer doesn’t really fit that role. The sense of dissonance is through the roof.”
“True that.”
“Waaaah… this is such a catastrophe.”
Eypar took a sly glance at the two as they bantered, shaking her head.
The pair always did this—two bodies acting as one. One sentence popping out of Night Lan’s mouth would be perfectly followed by an equally snappy response from Night Star. Close your eyes, and you’d swear only one person was talking!
How did they even manage that?
Eypar was undeniably envious!
Just then, the takeout arrived.
Night Lan tossed her phone aside and prepared to feast with Night Star.
As for the script? Well, that could wait.
…
At the Rising Sun Theater, the atmosphere hung in eerie silence. Without an audience, the theater felt gloomier than a rainy day.
The singer had switched back to the Night Watcher Base, while the group leader, the gentleman, and the fraudster lingered in the shadows. The announcer had vanished, leaving only the puppet master practicing her puppet play quietly on stage.
After wrapping up a performance, Lianhua tucked her puppets away, her boredom palpable.
“Hmm… why hasn’t Night Star come over to play yet? Is she still snoozing? Should I swing by her place for a visit?”
Lianhua mused aloud.
“And where’s the singer? The announcer seems to have ghosted too. Feels like I’m the only lively one around here.”
With that thought, Lianhua considered summoning her puppets to bring a little cheer to the dreary theater.
But that could irritate the gentleman and affect everyone else’s chill time, so she decided against it.
Suddenly, Lianhua felt an odd wave of discomfort wash over her. A dizzy feeling crept in.
“Mmm.”
She clutched her head, puzzled.
Strange, since turning into a Star Eclipse, she shouldn’t be feeling ill. Generally, she wouldn’t have symptoms, but why was she feeling dizzy now?
“Is it because of lack of rest?”
With that thought, she concluded this could be the case, so she followed the lead of the group leader and snuggled into the shadows for a nap.
Meanwhile, gray feathers fluttered down, exuding an ominous glow, signaling that change was a-brewing.
No one knew what would happen when that time came.
Until the afternoon.
Having cozied up with Night Lan for long enough, Night Star finally made her way to the theater, only to find a lone pigeon flitting around.
As soon as the pigeon spotted Night Star, it soared down, landing on her head.
“Coo coo! Bring me some fries!”
“Got it, got it! Here’s your fries!”
Night Star placed a box of fries on a seat, keeping her promise.
Seeing this, Guqiu flew down and commenced munching away on those crispy fries.
“Coo! Tasty!”
“Guqiu, you need to hurry up and become a solid performance prop; those fries are my investment in you!”
Night Star said while shoving a fry dipped in sauce toward Guqiu’s beak, babbling on.
“Best you can do a lot more stuff and go beyond just being a prop. Only by pushing your limits can you earn more fries—get it?”
Night Star tried to conjure up dreams of grandeur for the clueless pigeon.
“Coo! I’ll do my best!”
“That’s the spirit!” Night Star grinned widely.
It was surprisingly fun to tease a pigeon!
