Honkai Impact: Grandma Pine Sparrow is still chasing me!

Chapter 397 What if there was a dog...

"Hmm...hmm?"

After an unknown amount of time, Xing awoke from her long sleep. Two seconds after opening her eyes, she suddenly remembered everything that had happened before she went to sleep.

He was possessed by some wicked woman from the fourth planet, and that wicked woman wanted to steal his brother—Danheng?

Out of fear, she frantically groped around and discovered that she was the only person in the unfamiliar bed and the entire room.

So, what about the Qiong people?

"elder brother?"

Xing jumped out of bed barefoot, not even bothering to put on her shoes. In the dark, shadowy corridor, only the flickering light illuminated her path—this gloomy place didn't seem like a place fit for human habitation at all!

Were she and Qiong kidnapped? Were they captured? Xing ran and knocked on each door, her breathing becoming more and more rapid.

"Brother, where are you? Answer me! Ouch!"

As she ran to the end of the corridor, Hoshino, barefoot, slipped and fell in the water, her knee hitting the floor with a loud thud. Just then, a familiar voice came from behind a door she had just knocked on.

"Wang Wang!"

"Xiaoxing, you're awake?"

The door creaked open, and Qiong and a black dog with wings appeared in the doorway, backlit by the light. Qiong quickly stepped forward and carefully helped Xing, who had fallen to the ground, to her feet. Xing froze for two seconds, then suddenly hugged Qiong tightly around the waist and buried her face in his stomach.

“Brother… I thought, I thought you had been kidnapped by that wicked woman…”

With a wry smile, Qiong gently patted Xing's back. Although he was indeed facing some trouble, he didn't want to make Xing too anxious. Xing just needed to be a happy little silly girl. If she wanted, they could embark on a journey together in the future; if not, they could find an opportunity to visit her old home on Mars...

"It's okay, I'm perfectly fine."

"really?"

Xing looked up, her eyes red-rimmed.

"Of course it's true!"

Qiong smiled and helped Xing up.

"It's a bit troublesome, but your brother has plenty of ways! Haven't you heard the saying: 'Nothing is impossible if there's a 'star' in it!' With stars around, your brother, the Galaxy Baseball Man, is invincible!"

As soon as Qiong finished speaking, the black dog came over and affectionately rubbed against Xing's ankle.

“Look, Duoduo thinks so too.”

Donegal: ...

Donigor really wanted to bite him! That's going too far, Dog Bro! But considering the consequences, he held back.

Qiong ruffled Xing's hair again.

"And remember to wear shoes. Last time you thought you'd lost me and ran out barefoot, you fell to the ground—if you've forgotten, I'll say it again."

Qiong stopped joking and gently cupped Xing's cheeks.

“Look at me, Little Star.”

Xing stared blankly into Qiong's eyes, and in those golden eyes that were 99% similar to her own, she saw her reflection.

In Qiong's eyes, there is her.

"I will never abandon you. No matter what happens, I will find you. You are one of the countless stars, but to me, you are my whole world..."

Xing gazed into Qiong's eyes, and in Qiong's gaze, she saw an unwavering determination.

"But that wicked woman..."

Xing muttered softly, her voice tinged with unease.

"Trust your teacher, there's no need to worry."

A cool male voice came from the other end of the corridor. Bai Ji walked closer while playing on his phone.

"elder brother."

Xing instinctively shrank behind Qiong. Qiong immediately understood, tapping Donigor with her toe to signal it to move aside, and then turned to block Baiji's view.

"Don't worry, with Master on the case, one is worth two! All the troubles have been resolved!"

Following behind Bai Ji, Song Que shook the sealed jar in her hand, inside which seemed to be a cloud of purple mist struggling.

"Thanks to Master's effective talisman water and our restraint device, otherwise it would have been in big trouble! As long as it rests well..."

Song Que hesitated, his gaze shifting between Xing and Qiong. As they had agreed beforehand, Qiong stepped aside, pulling Xing to stand in front of Song Que.

"Xiao Xing, call her Senior Sister."

……

After calming Xing down and getting rid of him, the three of them and the dog sat down in the living room for a casual chat.

Bai Ji glanced around, his gaze sweeping over Donegal, who was scratching himself, and the sparrow who was tossing around the sealed "dangerous goods" container while occasionally peeking at Qiong, as well as Qiong who was humming a little tune. A smile appeared on his lips.

"How long has it been since we got together like this?"

Donegal lay on the carpet and flicked his tail in dissatisfaction.

"I forgot, it's been a long time anyway. But could you please not treat Uncle Donegal like a mascot or a tool dog next time? Dogs have dignity too!"

Qiong hummed a tune, then paused slightly. Song Que stopped fiddling with the sealed jar, and even Bai Ji pulled out his phone again. They all simultaneously shifted their attention for a moment, but didn't respond to Donigor—no way around it, using Dog Brother in crucial moments was tradition…

"Hmph, you lot..."

Donigor snorted in dissatisfaction and buried its head in its front paws.

It knew that the matter of Leiera was now temporarily resolved. Although they had been tricked and almost allowed the gods of Luo Xing to obtain Earth's coordinates, they were safe for a considerable period of time.

Because of the pink light and their efforts, Leera's consciousness cannot be restored for the time being. According to Bai Ji's assessment, as long as Xing doesn't think about it or feel fear, ordinary stimuli will not elicit a response from Leera. Conversely, if Xing's emotions are highly agitated, especially if there are significant negative emotional fluctuations, it might cause her to wake up or even regain control of Xing's body...

Therefore, the most correct choice now is to whitewash the situation.

Even now that the problem has been (temporarily) resolved, Qiong still wants him to continue monitoring the lamp?

Why? Just because it's a dog?!

Donegal, growing angrier the more he thought about it, looked at the dome.

"Hey, what are you thinking about, kid?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking about what my two most important friends are doing right now."

"Two friends? Qiong, your two most important friends... you can't be talking about your classmates at school, right?"

With a fawning smile, Song Que seized the opportunity to ask a question, but this earned him Donegal's disdain.

What a great opportunity it was just now! Qiong's words, "Pine Sparrow, long time no see," and Bai Ji's words reminded him of everything, which scared the little sparrow so much that it was too scared to speak. It almost stepped on the sparrow because its legs went weak. Now it's fine, its legs are not weak anymore, and it dares to speak.

"Danheng and Sanyueqi, I've mentioned them to you before, haven't I? I wonder how they are doing now..."

Everyone, including Bai Ji, felt a chill run down their spines. The name Dan Heng was easily forgotten, but once recalled…

Bai Ji suddenly remembered the two boys and girls he had only met once in the infirmary. They were Dan Heng and San Yueqi.

No, that's not right! I must have remembered it wrong... He's really getting senile, yes, he must be getting senile... Aren't those people on the other side of the Milky Way?

"I suddenly miss the days I spent with them..."

A hint of nostalgia appeared in Qiong's eyes. They were all her family. With them, that was home... Fortunately, Uncle Yang was here.

Besides that, there is also guilt, guilt towards Teacher Danheng.

The pink-clad, time-traveling girl (let's call her that for now), Miss Xi Lian, showed him fragments of Dan Heng's life. As she described, the future Dan Heng would suffer in the eternal land of Onpharos in his search for him, so the March he spent with him certainly wouldn't be any better. Besides, he seemed to have borrowed his name a little too often since arriving in the solar system. Leaving aside Kevin, the main issue was that on Mars, it had been certified by the gods and written into history books, and even the Dream Seeker System, whose whereabouts he still didn't know… He genuinely felt a little guilty, guilty for misappropriating his own brother's name.

Unfortunately, if necessary, he'd do it again next time. And he wouldn't say sorry—they're all brothers, wouldn't apologizing and thanking them be too formal? If the emotionally stable Danheng really got angry about this…

Then I should quickly buy some local specialties from Earth and my treasured "King of the Trash Cans" figurine and send them to him. If that doesn't work, I'll just bend over and let him poke me with his Cloud-Striking Spear... Hmm, Dan Heng shouldn't be that heartless, right? Oh, and I should introduce him to Xiao Xing, who has immortal blood. They'll definitely have a great time chatting...

Amidst the horrified gazes of the other two and the dog, Qiong, whose mood inexplicably improved, started humming a song, took out her phone, and sent a message to Walter Yang, one of the train crew's parents:

Uncle Yang, I miss the big guys on the train.

"The boat, rocking and rocking, rocked to a strange place where the oar broke, entered the soil, and grew into a wish and a new homeland. My friend, where are you? Are you gazing at the same moonlight? Are you... Hmm? There's no signal here?"

Why is there no signal here? Didn't Baiji just use his phone?

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Bai Ji calmly turned his gaze to Donigor, who was lying on the ground pretending to sleep.

"Donigor, let's talk."

Donegal's ears twitched, but he didn't look up and responded in a muffled voice.

"What are we talking about? If it's about continuing surveillance, then forget about it."

Baiji ignored its complaints and asked a small question.

"Such a clean rejection? Does she know?"

Donigor stiffened, slowly raised his head, and a hint of panic flashed in DouDou's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Who? What do you know? I don't understand what you're saying."

Bai Ji shook his head helplessly.

“I understand. The crowbar you brought last night was kept by the lamp. Saffre is just as perceptive as you and I. Did she really not notice anything at all? Did she really not realize that you had been watching her since you went back last night?”

Donigor finally raised its head, a hint of hesitation flashing in its eyes, a stark contrast to its usual carefree demeanor.

"I...I can't say."

“Songque has already driven them back to school.”

"I really can't tell!"

Otherwise, even a dog's brain would be smashed out.

Bai Ji sighed.

"Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't. But remember, everything must be for Xingping's sake. If they do something irreversible, everyone will suffer..."

Hearing Bai Ji say that, Donigor felt caught in the middle! There was no other way...

Donigor lowered his head and began to sob softly.

"Baiji, let me ask you something. Suppose there's a handsome, talkative dog who goes to a dessert shop to retrieve a blunt weapon, but is discovered by the owner, Jellyfish Head, and is even being watched while returning it! This handsome dog, being principled, chooses to keep it a secret, but because he knows some secrets, Jellyfish Head assigns him the task of monitoring a brother and sister. Jellyfish Head also says that if the handsome dog tells the rich woman Little Sparrow or the doctor about the secrets or reports that he's being monitored, he'll get his brain smashed out. Do you think this handsome dog should keep it a secret?"

Bai Ji touched his chin and smiled.

"Since you promised to keep it a secret, you shouldn't tell anyone easily. But what if the doctor is smarter than the puppy and discovers the puppy's actions? Do you think it's still the puppy's fault?"

"It's the handsome dog!"

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"When it comes to love... there aren't really any fixed techniques. Qiong and I just liked each other, and then we naturally got together."

Mei pictured Sora holding a crowbar in her mind. She couldn't very well tell Anna that she and Sora ended up together because they accidentally swapped their first kiss, could she?

In a sense, Kiana Kaslana deserves great credit.

"Mei, how did you attract Sora in the first place?"

Mei thought for a moment, wondering how she had attracted Sora...

It seems like she's attracted to Sora? Before Kiana started dating Sora, her relationship with Sora was clearly better.

Of course, I could never say such a thing.

"Maybe it's because we share common experiences and memories? Mutual understanding and support... Yes, that's it! Shared experiences and memories, and mutual understanding and support!"

Mei nodded vigorously, as if that would make her hastily cobbled-together statement more convincing. She picked up her soy milk and took a sip, trying to hide her slightly flushed cheeks.

Shared experiences and memories? It all started with her being hit in the face with a baseball bat by Sora…

Of course, she cooked a lot more after escaping Changkong City.

As for mutual understanding and support... Mei's fingertips unconsciously rubbed against the bun; she seemed to be talking about understanding and support in a somewhat vague way...

Ultimately, besides Kiana's crucial final blow, she and Sora were able to succeed thanks to Bronya Zaychek, who had been silently supporting her from the very beginning of her plan. Without Bronya's help, she honestly didn't think she could handle Sora, that blockhead.

"for example?"

Anna pressed for answers out of curiosity, even pulling out her notebook to take notes, while Seele listened intently from the side.

Could you elaborate?

"For example... for example, when we study together!"

Mei's gaze drifted towards the horizon.

"I will stay up late with him while he studies, and help him correct his mistakes..."

Generally speaking, what's being corrected are Kiana's mistakes.

"I'm here! Mei, what are you two talking about?"

Kiana rushed over and immediately stood next to Mei.

Kiana, you're here! We're here—

There's nothing there!

Raiden Mei and Bronya responded in unison, interrupting Anna.

Bronya had somehow appeared behind Mei, holding a game console in her hands, her gray eyes calm and unwavering.

Wow! Why are you all being so secretive?!

Kiana pouted and grabbed Mei's arm.

"I don't care, Mei, I want your fried chicken for lunch today!"

Anna blinked, her gaze shifting between Mei's slightly reddened earlobes and Bronya's expressionless face, before thoughtfully closing her notebook.

"Experiencing memories, understanding and support..."

She repeated it softly, a smile playing on her lips.

She and Sora were on a mission together in Manila, and they were even sworn brothers! Now she is not only a member of a Valkyrie squad, but also Sora's theoretical secretary (although this acting captain has never really worked a day in his life). Isn't that closer than Raiden Mei?

Miss Mei, I think I'm even more...

"Cough cough!"

Mei coughed lightly and gripped the soy milk cup even tighter.

Anna finally put away her notebook and smiled at Mei.

"Thank you for sharing, Mei. I think... I understand something now."

"What on earth are you talking about?!"

"Anna-neechan, Mei-neechan, what do you think the training camp will cover?"

As a competent wingman, Bronya began to change the subject—as long as the topic was taken far enough, Kiana, that idiot, would definitely forget about the previous topic!

"It's a real battle."

Qiong's voice came from outside. Everyone looked over and saw Himeko and Qiong following behind her, hurrying over.

"Did you all hear that? Everyone, get your Valkyrie armor and weapons ready!"

Himeko waved her hand and poked Kiana's messy hair.

"This training camp is a real-world exercise. I will be your head instructor. Now, everyone, follow me to the Hyperion!"

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I had a bout of whiffing, but I understand...