**Chapter 11: Uniqueness**
Night Star Lan rolled out of bed, ready to wash up, but her spirit was dragging like a soggy noodle.
Maybe it was the side effects of having her wish granted that left her feeling lazily lethargic, with zero brainpower to think about anything.
Oh, how she wished she could just switch off her brain and snooze until the end of the world!
At this rate, getting to her goals would have to be a slow and steady grind.
But hey, she had a huge advantage.
This was the future, not the past.
That meant she had plenty of people to turn to for help—no need to bust her chops all on her own.
Given the circumstances, being a little lazy didn’t seem like a big deal.
With that epiphany, Night Star Lan finished washing up and flopped back onto her bed, planning to order some takeout instead of busting a gut.
Tonight was a no-go.
Nobody was allowed to disturb her beauty rest.
*Click.*
Suddenly, the door to Fish Playing House swung open, snapping Night Star Lan’s attention.
“Meow meow meow?”
Who could be back now?
Probably someone familiar.
She sensed the faint aura of Star Eclipses wafting in from the doorway—it was definitely not your average Joe.
The figure stepped into the living room and sauntered over to open Night Star Lan’s bedroom door.
And there she was, clearly visible.
“Um… Eypar?”
“Hey, big dumbie, you’re finally awake! You’ve been snoozing for ages, and no matter how hard I tried to play tricks on you, you just wouldn’t budge. If I didn’t know you were okay, I might have gone to find help!”
Eypar tiptoed to her bedside, moving like a ninja because silence was apparently part of her ghostly job description.
“Hmm~”
Night Star Lan squinted at whatever Eypar was holding, taking a closer look at her outfit that resembled something out of a ghostly uniform, and she began to ponder.
Eypar didn’t seem purely ghostly anymore—she could obviously interact with solid objects, looking just like a regular human on the surface.
Had she stopped being a ghost over the past three years?
Now that was a shocker that could leave Night Star Lan rattled for an entire year!
“Your expression looks weird.”
Eypar, blissfully unaware of Night Star Lan’s revelations, was just overjoyed to see her awake. Her signature silly hairdo flopped around like a happy little tail.
“Honestly, keeping a solid form is such a hassle. I’d rather float around like a carefree spirit.”
Eypar grumbled, her aura shifting, the Star Eclipses energy intensifying as if she was transforming back into a ghost.
“Oh, I see.”
Night Star Lan had an epiphany.
So, she had gained transformation powers!
From ghost to solid form, and the solid form could interact with everything. She could blend in with ordinary people’s lives with ease.
How did she evolve that ability?
Gotta do some serious research when she gets back on her original timeline.
Before Night Star Lan could delve deeper into thought, Eypar lunged at her, wrapping her arms around Night Star and Night Lan’s heads, snuggling her face against them.
“Night Star~ Night Lan~ Today’s work was such a drag! Even though I’m dead, I still have to work—how unfair is that?!”
“Pfft~”
Night Star Lan blinked, desperately stifling a giggle.
Making a lazy ghost girl go to work? That’s devilishly clever!
Who in the world concocted that idea?
It couldn’t have been her, could it?
“What…?!”
Eypar noticed Night Star Lan stifling laughter and pouted like a toddler.
“It’s totally your fault, lazy loli! Not only are you not comforting me, but you’re also laughing—it’s downright cruel! I’m taking matters into my own hands! Prepare for Eypar’s tickle torture punishment!”
Eypar’s silly hair bounced wildly like it was starting a ruckus.
Before Night Star Lan knew it, Eypar’s hands darted to her sides.
It looked like she was about to double the trouble!
“Eh eh?!”
Night Star Lan’s expression shifted instantly as she began to protest.
If both bodies got tickled, under the influence of double the sensations, it could be catastrophic!
“Scram, kora!”
Night Star Lan kicked the playful ghost girl away, narrowly avoiding a tickle attack.
Right now, Night Star Lan was in her weakest moment.
The Wish Princess was sound asleep.
Her energy levels were severely drained.
If Eypar succeeded in her dastardly plan, she wouldn’t stand a chance of fighting back.
She could end up being a helpless little lamb, and her dignity would likely take a flying leap.
Just thinking about it was terrifying!
If Eypar’s antics caused her to accidentally cry, she’d be mortified!
“Wahh…”
Eypar tumbled through the air, upside down and all around, not harmed one bit, just sporting an adorably disgruntled expression.
“That’s just heartless.”
But honestly? The two lolis looking all lazy and adorable, like sleepy kittens, only made Eypar want to do something fun even more.
She thought now was the perfect opportunity, though Night Star Lan’s resistance threw a wrench in the works.
If she could just tap into that double sensation, who knows what kind of unexpected twist might unfold? Exciting thoughts danced in her head!
Alas, Night Star Lan had mercilessly kicked her away.
If only Night Star Lan was a weak little loli, then the goofy ghost could effortlessly snag both little lolis for some mischief.
Hmm.
Now, what a lovely daydream!
Eypar wasn’t mad at being kicked away; she was simply intrigued by Night Star Lan’s state.
“By the way… why did you sleep so long today? You’ve been awake for a bit, but you still look like a zombie. I thought maybe I could wake you up with a little prank, but that clearly flopped! Have you eaten something funny?”
“Hmm… no worries, I’m fine.”
Night Star Lan finally spoke up, though her mind was swirling with doubts.
She was seriously lacking information about the future, and if Eypar caught wind of it, she might start questioning her.
That would be a disaster!
Night Star Lan was careful to avoid the blindsiding memory gaps.
She had no clue what had gone down in the past three years.
Arriving in the future didn’t mean going back to the past—she lacked those three years’ memories.
She felt like amnesiac.
What a bizarre twist of fate!
While Night Star Lan was lost in thought, Eypar reported on today’s events.
“Well, while you were in dreamland, a bunch of folks came looking for you—there were some from the Rising Sun Theater Group, and some Night Watchers too. They’re all your friends, but when they learned you were sleeping, they didn’t want to disturb you, so they just split.”
The theater crew must’ve been Lianhua and Kong Yu Bai.
They probably popped by to check on her since she hadn’t showed up at the theater today.
The Night Watchers were likely White Fish and her buddies.
Same reasoning there.
If she checked her messaging device right now, she’d find a boatload of unread messages.
All buzzing in while she was knocked out cold.
Leaving them hanging had undoubtedly raised some eyebrows.
Should she let them in on the truth?
It felt like even if she did, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Especially since the theater members were totally trustworthy.
After all, they’d always have her back.
But there was another question.
Since her “now” self had landed in the “future,” what about her “future” self?
Given the current situation, it wasn’t too far-fetched to think she might have taken over temporarily.
The Wish Machine had its uniqueness.
And that meant Night Star Lan had her uniqueness too.
No two Wish Machines could exist in the same timeline, nor should there be a second Night Star Lan.
It seemed her “future” self had temporarily morphed into her “now” self.
