Chapter 57: The Price of Protection

“Something like that,” Hua Mu’ai replied.

[That’s wonderful.]

Yuena’s voice suddenly surged with excitement.

[You should hold a concert!]

Hua Mu’ai nearly crushed the milk bottle in her hand. “Are you out of your mind? There’s no way I’m doing that!”

[Why not?] Yuena asked, perplexed. [A concert is the most efficient way to gather positive emotions. Human adoration, joy… these are all pure positive energy that can help me recover quickly.]

“I said no, and I mean no!” Hua Mu’ai stammered in protest. “I—I haven’t sung or danced in ages; I’m completely out of practice. What if I trip on stage? How would I ever show my face again!”

Though she offered clumsy excuses, a bitter feeling welled up within her. The stage belonged to Su Wanning; without her, what meaning did Hua Mu’ai’s presence there hold alone?

[Recovering slowly is also an option.]

Yuena’s voice suddenly grew quiet.

[However, I must tell you something.]

“What is it?”

[To help you transform into your Tian Lanxing form, I need to expend something very special, which we fairies call ‘Heart Energy’.]

“Heart Energy?” Hua Mu’ai frowned. “What on earth is that? Is it like Star Energy?”

[It’s not the same.]

Yuena’s explanation entered her mind.

[Energy cannot be converted into Heart Energy. Without Heart Energy, even if I possessed an abundance of other energy, I couldn’t help you shift into your Tian Lanxing form.]

[In the Emerald Dream Realm, my Heart Energy could naturally replenish through the Tree of Life. But here, in the Azure Realm, I’ve lost my connection to the Tree of Life.]

Yuena’s voice became incredibly solemn.

[The only way to acquire Heart Energy is to absorb the positive emotions of beings in this world.]

[And the last time, when I forcibly lifted the restrictions to allow you to revert to Tian Lanxing, I completely depleted all my Heart Energy reserves.]

Hua Mu’ai’s heart sank once more.

She recalled that night on Golden Island, Xia Xingyan collapsing into her arms, drenched in blood.

Had she been unable to transform then, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

“Are you saying,” her voice felt parched, “that without this ‘Heart Energy,’ if danger strikes again, I won’t be able to transform back into Tian Lanxing, even if it means my death?”

[Yes.]

Yuena offered a despairing answer.

[At my current slow rate of accumulation, it would take at least half a year to gather enough Heart Energy for the next transformation.]

Half a year!

Hua Mu’ai clenched her fists.

Void Beasts wouldn’t grant them half a year to develop, and those lunatics from the Inheritors of Dawn certainly wouldn’t!

If the next crisis arrived, would she be forced to watch Gu Qianqian, Lin Xiaolu, and Xia Xingyan die before her very eyes?

Absolutely not!

The faces of Su Wanning and Xia Xingyan flickered alternately in her mind.

In the past, she had graced the stage solely for Su Wanning’s dream. Every shimmer under the spotlight was meant for that sun-like girl to be seen by more people.

After Su Wanning’s death, she had completely sealed away that stage.

It was a memory belonging to just the two of them, not to be defiled by anyone, including herself.

But now…

She looked down at her petite body, her pink hair cascading over her chest.

She recalled the adoring gazes of Gu Qianqian and Lin Xiaolu, and Xia Xingyan’s heartfelt “Captain, thank you.”

To protect them, what did it matter if she had to take the stage, or even descend into hell itself?

“But wouldn’t the audience come to a concert to hear Tian Lanxing sing? I can’t transform into Tian Lanxing right now,” Hua Mu’ai said, troubled.

[If it’s just about changing your appearance to Tian Lanxing, I can force that to happen. However, your daily transformation time would be cut in half.]

Since that wasn’t an issue, what more was there to consider?

Hua Mu’ai snatched her phone from the sofa, found Qin Lan’s number, took a deep breath, and dialed.

The call was answered almost instantly.

“What, have you come to your senses?” Qin Lan’s voice came through.

Hua Mu’ai gritted her teeth, her cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.

She held the phone slightly away, quickly muttering something in a voice only she could hear.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“What? Speak up, I can’t hear you.”

“I said!” Hua Mu’ai bellowed into the phone, “Set up a time with that rotten entertainment company; I’ll grudgingly go meet them!”

A sudden, dead silence fell on the other end of the line.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

“Pfft—hahaha, I understand,” Qin Lan’s uncontrollable laughter spilled from the receiver.

“What are you laughing at!”

No sooner had Hua Mu’ai finished speaking than the call was disconnected.

“Qin Lan, you scoundrel! Just you wait!”

She wished she could climb through the phone line and strangle the woman.

The living room fell silent.

Hua Mu’ai squatted on the floor, hugging her knees, burying her face in her arms, feeling as though she had never been so humiliated in her entire life.

Just then, a cup of warm water was placed on the floor in front of her.

She looked up, seeing Xia Xingyan standing before her, having approached unnoticed.

“Captain,” Xia Xingyan asked, her expression unreadable, “are you really going to become an idol?”

“…”

Hua Mu’ai gazed into those clear eyes, parted her lips, but found herself utterly speechless.

In the end, she could only bury her face deeper in her arms in self-abandonment, letting out a desperate whimper.

“Don’t ask… if you ask again, I’ll just die right here in front of you…”

****

The following day.

Hua Mu’ai, sporting dark circles under her eyes, pushed open the familiar office door within Aegis Tower.

Qin Lan stood before a massive floor-to-ceiling window; hearing the commotion, she turned around.

Today, she wasn’t clad in her crisp GSA uniform but a dark women’s suit, which softened her commanding sharpness, lending her the air of a capable, mature woman.

“About yesterday, I’m truly sorry.”

Qin Lan’s apology came so abruptly that Hua Mu’ai was momentarily stunned.

“I shouldn’t have laughed at you on the phone yesterday; that was my mistake.”

A brief silence settled in the office.

It took Hua Mu’ai a moment to respond, “Who cares about such trivial matters? I’m not one to hold grudges.”

Despite her words, her slightly reddened cheeks betrayed her true feelings.

Qin Lan straightened, observing Hua Mu’ai’s outwardly tough but inwardly soft demeanor, and sighed inwardly.

In truth, not long after hanging up the phone yesterday, she had received a text message from Hua Mu’ai.

In the message, Hua Mu’ai, with an extremely reluctant yet compelled tone, laid bare everything about ‘Heart Energy’ and Yuena.

–I’m not trying to be an idol, alright? It’s just that the fairy said she needs to absorb human positive emotions to recover her power. Without that stupid ‘Heart Energy,’ I won’t be able to transform back into Tian Lanxing next time. Don’t you get it? I’m only becoming an idol to protect my teammates!–

“Come on, the people from Starflare are already waiting for you in the reception room.” Qin Lan composed herself, returning to her usual commanding demeanor.