Chapter 18: Fake Smiles
Inside the changing room.
Night Star and the others had already changed into their newly bought swimsuits.
Thanks to the effect of “Existence Interference,” even if their looks and aura were astonishing, they wouldn’t attract the attention of others.
This made Night Star feel much better inside.
At the moment, Night Star was admiring Lianhua and the others, internally critiquing their poses.
Lianhua is just so cute!
Although she’s seen her in a swimsuit at the store earlier, it still hadn’t lost its allure.
Seeing her again could still conquer Night Star’s heart with cuteness.
It was no longer a matter of being shy; it was purely about how much she liked it.
Anyway, Night Star really loved Lianhua in a swimsuit. Those exposed soft, rosy parts of her skin just begged to be pinched, or even lightly bitten to taste that youthful flavor—an urge that felt almost criminal.
Being a loli fan is truly wonderful!
Then there was Kong Yu Bai and Book Yao; in their swimsuits, they seemed like different people, with a completely transformed charm. They were irresistibly captivating but also held a forbidden allure, like little devils that drew out the desires hidden within.
If they were to heighten their presence and step into the public eye now, they would definitely attract a horde of men—women, too, would be helpless against their charm.
Many swimsuit beauties would fade into the background.
That’s the terrifying power of their combination of looks and aura.
Thank goodness for Kong Yu Bai’s “Existence Interference”; otherwise, as a social anxiety sufferer, Night Star would never have dared to come to such a bustling beach.
Just the idea of a bunch of strange gazes could send her to the grave.
“Hmm~ Just as I thought, these swimsuits really suit you all, they look absolutely great~ They’re so impressive, I doubt I’ll ever forget them even decades from now!”
Night Star didn’t hold back on the compliments.
Her sincere praise made Lianhua and the others feel all warm and fuzzy inside, causing them to blush shyly.
From the tone of Night Star’s compliments, it sounded as if they were the best in the world—no one could compare or argue.
The affection contained in her words perhaps surpassed that of ordinary friendships.
Are they best friends, or something more?
Regardless, their goal of wearing swimsuits had been achieved.
Kong Yu Bai walked over and tenderly stroked Night Star’s soft silver hair.
“Night Star looks so cute in a swimsuit! If other troupe members saw this, they might like our cute Audience Performer even more. Honestly, even if you gathered all the people in the world, none could match the charm of the current Night Star. You are truly the cutest little angel in the world.”
Kong Yu Bai’s praise was almost unfair, as if she saw no one else but Night Star, treating her like a little deity, offering the highest praise and affection, with no ulterior motives whatsoever.
Faced with this bombardment of flattering words, Night Star’s face quickly flushed a lovely shade of red, even reaching her ears—as if she might just drip water from embarrassment.
“Umm…”
Night Lan couldn’t help but cover her heated face, squatting down and making sounds like a little mosquito.
“So…so embarrassing…”
Kong Yu Bai’s compliments were way over the top.
Even with Night Star’s usual confidence, such praise made her feel lightheaded—while she was happy, it also brought a sense of shame.
She often joked in her dreams about being the universe’s most adorable little loli, but being praised in the same way felt like an alternative public execution.
But this wasn’t the time to blush and feel shy; she had to distract herself.
“Speaking of which, where’s Mo Rabbit?”
Night Star had just handed a swimsuit to Mo Rabbit.
But it seemed Mo Rabbit hadn’t changed in the women’s changing room after all.
Surely, she wouldn’t just pop into the men’s changing room.
It didn’t seem like she’d casually find another spot to switch up either.
That only left the possibility of her having returned to the Rising Sun Theater.
As Night Star looked around, she finally spotted a familiar petite figure steadily approaching—Mo Rabbit, now in her swimsuit.
Night Star had picked a black swimsuit for her, not a one-piece, just covering the upper and lower bits, with exquisite lace trimming the edges, looking simply adorable.
And the swimsuit wrapped around her chest had a cute little bow in the middle—talk about amazing!
“Oh~ Mo Rabbit, that swimsuit really suits you!”
Night Star was astounded, feeling a rush of awe.
If only Mo Rabbit could keep that usual smile on her face.
But sadly, she seemed unable to muster a grin right now.
Mo Rabbit felt like a million ants were crawling on her skin, wishing she could leave this planet in a rocket.
Night Star stroked her chin in contemplation, carefully examining Mo Rabbit’s current state.
“Mo Rabbit, show me a smile.”
“……”
Mo Rabbit forced a smile.
Though it wasn’t natural, it was cuter than her usual deadpan expression.
Taking swift advantage of this opportunity, Night Star whipped out her phone faster than the speed of light, snapping several photos of Mo Rabbit before casually putting it away as if nothing had happened.
“You……”
Now, Mo Rabbit’s eyes were completely devoid of sparkle.
While Lianhua supported everything Night Star did, she couldn’t help but feel pity for the Announcer being so bullied.
The Announcer had it rough.
She looked like she was about to break.
Could she really not break down?
Night Star didn’t push her luck any further but instead walked over to Mo Rabbit and patted her head gently.
“Alright, Mo Rabbit, you’re free to do whatever you like now—whether it’s playing here or heading back to the theater, I’m off to have fun by the sea.”
With that, Night Star breezed past Mo Rabbit.
Lianhua and the others quickly followed suit.
Mo Rabbit stood frozen for a minute, taking a moment to gather her thoughts.
She rubbed her exposed, sensitive little arms, feeling only the soft, comfortable skin, devoid of any sense of safety.
As expected, that swimsuit was just too revealing.
If she weren’t the one feeling embarrassed, she might find this scenario hilarious.
But since she was the victim, it was anything but funny.
She had absolutely no idea whose idea Night Star’s antics were.
Mo Rabbit would never admit it was hers.
The taste of reaping what you sow was no walk in the park.
“Ugh…”
Mo Rabbit didn’t plan to leave immediately.
Even though she was wearing a shameful swimsuit that assaulted her dignity, her strong mental fortitude allowed her to mostly ignore that feeling.
The Announcer was about to part ways with the Night Watcher.
As long as she maintained her usual mindset, she would be fine.
Mo Rabbit then walked to a secluded area, planning to sit there and observe while watching Night Star and the others venture towards the ocean.
After all, she still had leftover thoughts cluttering her mind and figured this was a good spot to clear them out.
Mo Rabbit centered herself, ready to blend in as a quietly low-key presence.
But reality didn’t seem keen on letting her do that.
Because an unexpected event was about to unfold.
The world is always so wondrous.
Many occurrences happen outside everyone’s expectations, catching them off guard.
At least, without any prediction, Mo Rabbit never saw it coming.
Nearby, an eerie presence of Star Eclipses began to show up!
