**Chapter 35: Friendship**
Upon hearing Ice Lixie’s invitation, Night Star glanced at Lianhua and Kong Yu Bai beside her, as if seeking their opinions.
The two of them didn’t seem to have any objections and left the decision entirely to Night Star.
“Umm…”
After pondering for a moment, Night Star finally agreed.
“Well, just don’t secretly call anyone to catch us!”
“Relax, we’re not going to do that,” Ice Lixie assured her.
Seeing how the situation was unfolding, Mo Qianmeng didn’t know what expression to wear.
If Mo Tu found out about this, he might just find it amusing.
But for now, she wasn’t in a laughing mood.
It just felt like a terrible idea.
Was it really okay not to inform Senior Hei Yang about this?
A little while later, Ice Lixie led Night Star and the others deeper into the dining and entertainment area, arriving in front of a particularly special restaurant.
Night Star looked up at the building, wearing an expression that suggested she had seen this coming.
She had been here the previous day; it was the special restaurant run by the Night Watcher chefs.
Noticing Night Star’s expression, Ice Lixie asked, “Have you been here before?”
“Yeah, I came yesterday with others.”
Hearing this, Mo Qianmeng couldn’t help but murmur, “You’re really bold, aren’t you? Coming here to eat, don’t you know the usual patrons are patrolling Night Watchers?”
“Well, I didn’t know at first, but I figured it out once I got here…”
Night Star felt a bit embarrassed.
Logically, the Rising Sun Theater Group should be considered enemies of the Night Watchers.
But to show up on the Night Watchers’ turf just to eat felt rather disrespectful, almost like a provocation.
She was basically disregarding their authority!
Ice Lixie chuckled, “Well, it seems the Audience Performer has guts! Otherwise, why would she be wandering around the city alone all the time, completely oblivious to her stature as a key figure of the Star Eclipses organization?”
“Now that you mention it, there’s definitely a lack of awareness,” Mo Qianmeng chimed in.
Night Star felt a bit unamused.
“What do you know? This is what we call the confidence of the strong! It’s precisely because I have faith in myself that I dare to venture out alone.”
Alright, Night Star had convinced even herself with that one.
What a load of nonsense about being confident—she was just hoping she could run away swiftly if danger arose.
She had no interest in fighting!
However, Night Star was caught off guard when Ice Lixie actually believed her!
“I totally buy that! I’ve seen the grand performances in Yun Chang City, and the roles the Audience Performers play are so cool—one swipe and they’re done! Totally impressive!”
“A grand performance, huh…”
Mo Qianmeng was reminded of the clips circulating from Yun Chang City, which were probably documented in the history of the Night Watchers.
Maybe it could be used as material to introduce the Rising Sun Theater Group members in the future.
Perfect for newcomers!
Hearing this, Night Star felt a bit embarrassed.
Being discussed about her stage performance was downright shameful!
She resolved to maintain her silence!
Then Ice Lixie led the group into a private booth, opting not to eat in public.
After all, the identities of Night Star and the others were quite secretive; having other Night Watchers spot them could trigger a panic.
If things escalated and a fight broke out with the Rising Sun Theater Group, it simply wouldn’t be worth it!
Night Star sat stiffly across from two Night Watchers, while Lianhua and Kong Yu Bai sat at her sides.
Ice Lixie looked at Lianhua and Kong Yu Bai and smiled, “I’m guessing the Puppet Master and Singer are close to being human Star Eclipses, right? From your appearances, it seems like you don’t show any usual abnormalities of typical Star Eclipses.”
Night Star blinked.
Truly, the Sunlight Night Watchers were impressive!
Even this detail was noticed!
Kong Yu Bai politely nodded. “Hello, just as you said, under normal circumstances, I’m pretty much indistinguishable from any human, and so is the Puppet Master.”
“Well, that’s quite rare! Becoming a Star Eclipse without losing one’s sanity is a rarity,” Ice Lixie exclaimed with praise.
Mo Qianmeng fixated on the Puppet Master and Singer as they spoke, surprised that they appeared similar to regular people under normal circumstances.
If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean they’re just humans with different powers?
If all Star Eclipses were like this, perhaps the Night Watchers wouldn’t have to work so hard.
Soon, Ice Lixie began choosing breakfast and casually said, “Feel free to order whatever for breakfast; this one’s on us Night Watchers.”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly…”
Night Star hesitated, unsure if she should owe this person a favor.
Ice Lixie continued, “Actually, Sunlight Night Watchers can eat here for free. Order whatever you want; it’s just a token of appreciation, not a favor.”
“Umm, okay then.”
With Ice Lixie’s enthusiasm, Night Star ultimately agreed.
At that moment, Kong Yu Bai suddenly spoke up, “How did this Night Watcher miss meet our Audience Performer? You look like you’ve met so many times, and I had no idea.”
“In that case, let me tell you about my first encounter with her,” Ice Lixie replied gently.
“It was when she appeared alone at some elite academy, wearing the uniform of that academy to pass off as a student. I noticed something was off and planned to take her back to the Night Watcher Base for questioning, but she managed to escape with the help of the Group Leader. That’s when I realized she was one of the Audience Performers from the Rising Sun Theater Group; your Group Leader’s Star Eclipse aura and feathers are incredibly recognizable.”
“Oh, I see.”
Kong Yu Bai glanced at the now-avoiding gaze of Night Star.
Being caught by a Night Watcher while out having fun was indeed pretty embarrassing.
Now that it was being brought up, Night Star just wanted to bolt.
“After that, I kept running into her in different places, and that’s how our relationship blossomed.”
Upon hearing this, Night Star muttered, “Who’s blossoming with you? That’s not true at all…”
Ice Lixie paid no mind to Night Star’s words and continued, “However, you two really need to keep an eye on your Audience Performer lately. This city has been a bit unstable, and even Star Eclipses can be kidnapped.”
In response, Kong Yu Bai nodded, “Absolutely! Our theater group cherishes our Audience Performers. Regardless of the danger she encounters or the harm she suffers, we’ll do everything we can to rescue her and punish those who hurt her.”
“I see! It seems the Audience Performer is indeed very important to your group.”
Ice Lixie nodded thoughtfully.
She had heard of Night Watchers mistakenly injuring an Audience Performer, which led to the entire theater group going berserk, resulting in the downfall of the Night Watchers present.
Now, hearing the Singer’s comment, she could truly feel the Audience Performer’s status in the group.
She really was the adored pet of the troupe, wasn’t she?
She wondered how she managed to pull that off.
As for Star Eclipses like the Singer and Puppet Master who were close to being human, that was one thing.
But even the dangerous Star Eclipses, who were clearly not easy to provoke, succumbed to her charm.
This made Ice Lixie quite curious to ask this Audience Performer exactly how she did it.
