Chapter 27: Expert at Finding People 2/5
White Paint had already left the break room.
Zero Meow immediately zeroed in on Night Lan, who was humming a tune that could only be described as “What is that?” Then, she swiftly tackled her, hands pressing down on Night Lan’s wrists.
The two were maintaining an incredibly awkward position.
Night Lan was startled by Zero Meow’s sudden move.
“Wah! Zero Meow, what are you doing?!”
“Hmm… Meow… What did you and White Paint talk about? Is there something I’m not privy to? Spill it, come on!”
Zero Meow looked at her with those signature curious cat eyes.
Observing the situation, Night Lan realized that if she didn’t spill the beans, Zero Meow would definitely not let her go.
“Well… um…”
Night Lan tried to wiggle free, only to find that Zero Meow’s grip was tighter than a cat burglar’s hold on stolen goods, so she gave up the struggle.
As it stood, Zero Meow was pinning her down in an embarrassing manner, one leg awkwardly positioned between Night Lan’s, making it impossible for her to close her legs.
And now, Zero Meow’s face was alarmingly close to Night Lan’s.
Night Lan could even feel Zero Meow’s warm breath, tickling her skin and making her heart race.
Anyone looking in might have thought something scandalous was going down.
Yikes.
Night Lan’s mind was racing.
Speaking of which, Zero Meow had no clue about the Extraordinary Star hidden within her. All she knew was that it probably related to some super-speed star power.
But judging from Night Lan’s earlier convo with White Paint, Zero Meow figured there was more to it.
If White Paint had been saved by Night Lan, then it was a given that Night Lan had other secrets up her sleeve.
How intriguing!
Maybe Night Lan’s star power wasn’t just about running fast.
If White Paint was in the know, then Zero Meow definitely deserved to know too.
After all, she thought she was already in on the super-secret that Night Lan had ties to the Rising Sun Theater Group.
So what could be more secretive than that?
Curiosity gnawed at her like a cat with a ball of yarn.
“Hmm…”
Night Lan shifted her gaze off into the distance, contemplating, and finally, under Zero Meow’s eager gaze, she said, “Nope!”
“Meow! Why not?!”
Zero Meow’s ears drooped, and she looked downright pitiful yet somehow adorable.
She thought Night Lan didn’t trust her, as misty disappointment filled her eyes.
Even though Zero Meow considered Night Lan her best friend, and had been completely open about everything, it felt a bit hurtful that Night Lan was hiding something.
Not that she’d ever hate Night Lan for it—she still liked her just the same—but she couldn’t help herself from being curious.
Contrarily, Night Lan was calm and seemed to have a well-thought-out excuse.
“Zero Meow, White Paint doesn’t even know about my connection to the Rising Sun Theater Group.”
“Eh? She didn’t know?! I’m shocked!”
Zero Meow’s attention was instantly diverted, her surprise genuine.
Night Lan smiled and continued, “Since White Paint doesn’t know this secret, but you do, doesn’t that balance things out? By letting you in on this secret, I’m showing you’re one of my best friends! Why would I not trust my best friend?”
Zero Meow loosened her grip on Night Lan’s wrist, deep in thought.
“Meow~ That’s quite the logical point, meow~”
Night Lan maintained her adorable smile.
“See? So you don’t have to worry about my star stuff. Secrets aren’t something you just tell anyone. If you spill it, it ain’t a secret anymore.”
Upon hearing this, Zero Meow’s burning curiosity began to cool off, and she actively chose to ignore the whole star issue.
“Hehe, Night Lan really is the best loli~”
Zero Meow happily hugged Night Lan and playfully rubbed her cheek, like an affectionate kitten, looking thoroughly delighted.
Night Lan didn’t care much about the triumph of taming a pesky Zero Meow; instead, she felt a bit troubled.
This meant Zero Meow would probably cling to her even more.
Would she still be able to find Night Star to sleep with tonight?
Sigh~
…
Dusk had passed.
Night had fallen.
Pinghaishi began its neon-lit nocturnal display, showcasing vibrant sci-fi colors.
The scene shifted to Night Star.
Not long ago, she had just finished dinner with Lianhua and the crew.
Now, they were strolling through the mall, casually chatting about what was going down with Night Lan.
With Night Star starting the conversation, Lianhua and the others had pretty much caught up on the details.
“Did you say there’s a giant sea monster out there? That’s shocking!”
Lianhua began to imagine the scene Night Star described and wondered if her Doll City could control that Tentacle Monster.
She figured it should be possible.
With Little Lian’s help, it wouldn’t be an issue.
Too bad that sea monster seemed to have been taken out by the Night Watchers.
A “puppet” that massive? Lianhua had never controlled anything like that.
Once she gained experience with giant puppets, who knew? Her stage might not be restricted to a traditional one, but could be something larger—like, the entire city as the stage!
How about a “Giant of Light vs. Monster?”
That could be interesting to try out.
Night Star, clueless about Lianhua’s weird ideas, began to rant in frustration.
“Honestly, it’s because of that frightening monster that Night Lan’s friends are all traumatized about the seaside now…”
Kong Yu Bai gently patted Night Star’s little head, trying to console her.
“Don’t they want to play at the beach anymore?”
“At least we need to give it some time before we can go, and only if I invite them.”
Night Star sighed deeply; she had no idea how to act about it.
White Fish and Zero Meow were fine, but Star Yoon and Neko Shinna were not equipped to handle that level of trauma.
Night Star worried they might be left with psychological scars for life.
But worring alone didn’t help.
If it came to that, Night Lan would have to look for some psychologists at the Night Watcher Base to help them deal with their mental blocks.
Or perhaps find some soothing star power.
Or, more dramatically, erase their memories.
No need to go searching; Night Star could manage that too, thanks to the Wish Machine—it was the ultimate tool!
“But before that, I need to figure out how to deal with the Star Eclipses that create those weird creatures.”
Night Star was taking this initiative purely for her own vacation plan.
She was super excited about the thought of White Fish and the crew parading around in swimsuits, splashing about by the beach.
But if Star Yoon and Neko Shinna didn’t come along, that was a bummer.
So, she had to handle the related Star Eclipses as the first step to tackling their psychological hurdles.
“Are you going to deal with the Star Eclipses that are polluting marine life?”
Book Yao seemed to have figured out Night Star’s intentions.
Night Star’s motives were pretty easy to grasp.
This was affecting her and her friends, so action had to be taken.
That was simply Night Star’s style.
“But how do we find the hiding spot of that Star Eclipse? Since it hasn’t been dealt with so far, it’s obvious the Night Watchers can’t find it either.”
“True, if the Night Watchers can’t track it down, we’ll have to rely on special means.”
Coincidentally, the Rising Sun Theater Group had a fair share of special abilities.
Let’s not even get started on Kong Yu Bai’s ridiculously high perception skills.
Then there’s Mo Rabbit’s fortune-telling prowess.
And Night Star’s wishing abilities…
All of these could come in handy.
When it comes to finding stuff, no faction knows the ropes better than the Rising Sun Theater Group!
