"Huh?! You still need to get in line for this?"
Xing, looking rather displeased, stood at the doorway, directly reaching out and pulling March 7th inside.
"Xing, what are you doing! Let go of me!"
March 7th was dragged along for a short distance. After Xing closed the door behind her, she turned her head only to discover that Bronya was actually in Fu Zhu's room too, and currently wearing what seemed to be quite revealing pajamas – a leather coat over silk sleepwear.
"What… what's going on?" March 7th was a bit bewildered. She had come to apologize to Fu Zhu, so why were Xing and Bronya here?
Fu Zhu watched as the three girls formed a triangular standoff, and he couldn't help but rub his forehead and sigh.
If it were just one of them coming to his room, Fu Zhu might have thought his romantic luck had finally arrived. But with three of them together… no matter how he thought about it, there was no way any amorous developments could occur. This was more like an Asura field.
It was a peculiar situation.
"So," Fu Zhu began, "what have you all come to find me for?"
Fu Zhu didn't make them stand; he had them all sit on the long sofa in his room, while he himself sat on the single armchair opposite, his gaze fixed intently on the three young women before him.
It was truly a curious scene. In the dead of night, three beautiful young women, each with her own distinct charm, were all dressed in pajamas!
Faced with Fu Zhu's frank and intensely scrutinizing gaze, March 7th and Bronya tensed up and shrank back slightly. Xing, sitting between them, however, remained completely unfazed.
Xing was the first to speak, raising her hand. "Instructor! I want to learn Redstone technology!"
Fu Zhu glanced at her, then pulled out a stack of redstone dust from his inventory and placed it directly on the table in front of her. The redstone dust wasn't particularly heavy, so he wasn't worried about her taking it.
"This is redstone dust. Alright, go play with it."
Xing picked up the redstone dust, a slight smile playing on her lips, and asked with some confusion, "Technical guidance? How am I supposed to use these things?"
"Redstone technology is inherently free-form. What it can accomplish depends entirely on your imagination. Go on, give it your best shot!"
March 7th and Bronya exchanged glances. They both felt that discussing their respective matters with so many people around was rather awkward, and they began to nudge each other to go first.
"Bronya, you go first."
"No, March, you go first…"
Seeing their hesitation, Fu Zhu remained silent. With this many people present, it was unlikely anything significant would happen anyway. He figured he might as well just let them clearly explain their intentions, and then he could go browse some MODs by himself to enhance his abilities.
After a bit of mutual prodding, March 7th and Bronya finally decided to proceed in the order they had arrived.
Bronya, her posture betraying a hint of nervousness, smoothed the hem of her pajama top, carefully stealing glances at Fu Zhu's expression.
"Fu Zhu… um… may I ask what kind of person you like, or… or what kind of things?"
Should I answer this seriously? Or perhaps… Fu Zhu wasn't particularly interested in Bronya's question, but he could also repay her through material means.
Xing, who had been examining the redstone dust, immediately perked up upon hearing Bronya's question. Her expression shifted subtly, and her ears seemed to twitch as she listened intently.
Hearing this question, Xing's expression became a bit peculiar, and she tilted her head, lost in thought.
"My XP… what do you imagine it to be? If I had a choice, I'd still prefer someone beautiful."
"Ah… no, that's not what I meant…"
"Then what did you mean?"
"This… just pretend I didn't ask."
Bronya let out a soft sigh. She had been pushed into this by her mother, Cocolia. After one or two failed attempts to voice her intended question, she had completely lost her nerve.
Fu Zhu, though finding the situation a bit odd, didn't press further when he saw Bronya wasn't continuing. Instead, he turned his attention to March 7th.
"What about you, Little March?"
March 7th, having regained her usual composure, spoke with genuine sincerity, "I… I'm here to apologize to you. I'm sorry for… for saying those… perverted things to you during the day."
As March 7th finished speaking, she performed a deep bow, her face flushed a bright red.
"For something like this, you came to my room in your pajamas in the middle of the night, Big Bro?"
Bronya's question was already quite provocative, and now you're here to apologize for that?
"My apology for this feels so insincere! I originally thought you might become my brother-in-law!"
"Xing? What's with that expression?"
March 7th noticed that Xing's gaze towards her was a little off. Although she couldn't quite decipher what Xing was thinking, she had a feeling it was something rather impolite.
"Nothing." Xing shook her head, then reached out and grasped March 7th's hands, her expression earnest.
"Little March, you absolutely must form an Astral Express crew with Big Bro and me for a lifetime!"
"Huh?" March 7th was a bit bewildered, not quite understanding why Xing had suddenly said this, but she nodded in agreement with her sentiment.
"Okay, if Fu Zhu is willing."
Having received March 7th's affirmative reply, Xing turned a satisfied gaze towards Bronya.
Compared to Bronya, she much preferred the Astral Express. She didn't want her Big Bro to end up settling down on Jarilo-VI.
Bronya seemed to understand the meaning in Xing's eyes. Feeling a mixture of shame and amusement, she promptly stood up to leave.
"Then I'll take my leave now. See you tomorrow, Fu Zhu."
With Bronya's departure, March 7th and Xing naturally didn't linger in Fu Zhu's room for much longer.
Although Xing genuinely wanted to stay and learn Redstone technology from Fu Zhu, she was forcibly dragged away by March 7th, who insisted that it wasn't proper for a girl to spend the night in a boy's room.
Fu Zhu closed the door behind them, letting out a somewhat disappointed sigh.
"When will the plotline of a single person entering my room finally make an appearance?"
The very next second, there was a knock on Fu Zhu's door. He didn't even have time to frown before the door swung open.
Standing at the entrance was the usually stern-faced Dan Heng. Upon seeing Fu Zhu, Dan Heng opened his mouth, his expressionless face turned towards Fu Zhu as he began,
"Fu Zhu…"
Before he could finish his sentence, the door slammed shut with a decisive thud.
Dan Heng stood silently at the closed door for a long moment, then shook his head with a hint of helpless resignation.
"Looks like he's too tired. Perhaps it's better if Welt and I ask him about the Stellaron's condition tomorrow."
In the end, Fu Zhu didn't truly refuse Dan Heng. He reopened the door and allowed him to enter.
"It's the middle of the night. You're here to check on the Stellaron's condition?" Fu Zhu sighed again, a note of resignation in his voice. Still, he thought, compared to March 7th and Bronya, Dan Heng at least had legitimate business.
"Yes. After all, the Stellaron is extremely dangerous."
"If that's your concern, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about."
Fu Zhu retrieved the Stellaron from his inventory and presented it in his hand for Dan Heng to inspect.
No matter how one looked at it, the Stellaron resting in Fu Zhu's palm was remarkably stable, much like the one residing within the Trailblazer.
Dan Heng observed it for a good while, then looked at Fu Zhu with a somewhat surprised expression.
"How did you manage this? Could it be… that you two are truly sworn siblings? It's incredible that the Stellaron becomes so stable in both your hands…"