"Again!"
In the training ground, Lin Xiaoyu's forehead was already covered in fine beads of sweat. She clasped her hands together, trying to make the ball of light in her palm brighter. But no matter how she tried, the faint glow remained as weak as a candle in the wind.
"Take a break." Luo Qingxue handed her an energy drink. "You can't rush it."
I quietly observed Lin Xiaoyu's energy flow—for the past six months, I had tried countless times to analyze her ability, but each time it was like hitting an invisible wall. There were only two explanations for this: either her ability level far exceeded my current recovery level, or...
"Your ability might be A-rank or higher," Luo Qingxue suddenly said.
Lin Xiaoyu almost spat out her drink: "Wh-what?"
"I've run tests." Luo Qingxue opened her tablet and pulled up the data charts I had compiled. "The energy peak for ordinary F-rank ability users is here, and when you last burst—" She swiped to another page. "—it was already close to the B-rank threshold."
Lin Xiaoyu stared at the complex curves, her eyelashes blinking rapidly: "But... but both my parents are D-rank..."
"Genetics aren't absolute." Luo Qingxue poked her dazed face. "My dad is SS-rank, and didn't I spend over ten years as a 'waste' (waste)?"
I added on the tablet: "【More activation experiments needed.】"
"No!" Lin Xiaoyu suddenly hugged herself. "What if... what if I hurt you...?"
"What's there to be afraid of? Yun Feng is here," Luo Qingxue waved her hand carelessly. "He's SSS-rank... uh..."
She suddenly stopped, but Lin Xiaoyu had already looked up sharply: "SSS-rank?"
"I mean, he's analyzed SSS-rank data!" Luo Qingxue quickly improvised. "Right, System?"
I drew a large checkmark on the tablet.
Lin Xiaoyu was half-convinced, but Luo Qingxue soon pulled her away to try new training methods. Watching them playfully interact in the training ground, I couldn't help but wonder—what secret was hidden within this seemingly ordinary girl?
— — — — — — — — — —
The bathroom was filled with steam. Luo Qingxue hummed a song as she dried her hair, then suddenly twirled in front of the mirror. Her silk nightgown fluttered gently with the movement, revealing her fair, straight legs.
"My figure's not bad, is it?" She winked at the mirror.
"Yes!"
The moment that word slipped out, I regretted it—through Luo Qingxue's eyes, I saw my own vague outline briefly materialize in the mirror.
"I knew you could see!" She grabbed a comb and threw it at the mirror, her face as red as a ripe apple. "Pervert! Lecher! Peeping Tom!"
The comb passed through my phantom image and fell to the floor. I hastily wrote on the misty mirror: "【We are one body...】"
"Who are you kidding!" She wrapped her bathrobe tighter. "Last time you said you could only see energy flow!"
The water droplets on the mirror continued to slide: "【Energy flow also requires a visual medium.】"
"Then when you look at Lin Xiaoyu, you can also—"
"【I can only see the ball of light,】" I quickly clarified. "【Your energy is special, highly fused with me.】"
She stared at the mirror suspiciously, then suddenly leaned closer: "Really?"
Too close. Through the thin bathrobe, I felt as if I could smell the faint jasmine scent on her. The writing on the mirror began to wobble: "【Absolutely true.】"
"Hmph... Men's words are the devil's lies!" She stepped back a few paces, her expression suddenly turning cunning. "Never mind, go ahead and look!"
I almost made the mirror crack—this reaction wasn't right?
"Anyway..." She made a face at the mirror. "You can only look at me for the rest of your life!"
The water droplets on the mirror condensed into a large exclamation mark.
"What? Not satisfied?" She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Do you still want to..."
I quickly wiped away the exclamation mark and drew a heart.
Luo Qingxue chuckled: "Good for you, knowing your place." She turned to walk towards the bedroom, but stopped at the door. "Oh, and special training doubles starting tomorrow!"
Watching her receding figure, I couldn't help but smile—even though I was just an energy body now, this feeling of being needed... it wasn't bad.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
The next morning, Luo Qingxue rushed into the training ground with dark circles under her eyes: "I'm here, I'm here!"
Lin Xiaoyu was already waiting, surrounded by various instruments—these were advanced detection devices we had "borrowed" from the Luo family's warehouse.
"Let's start." Luo Qingxue rubbed her hands. "Today, we must measure your true level!"
I guided them to connect all the sensors. As Lin Xiaoyu began to release her ability, the data on the instrument displays flickered wildly—the energy peak easily broke through B-rank, heading straight for the A-rank threshold!
"I told you!" Luo Qingxue excitedly slapped the table. "You are definitely—"
An alarm suddenly blared. All the instruments simultaneously went black, followed by a pungent white smoke. Lin Xiaoyu, startled, immediately cut off her energy output, but it was too late—millions of dollars worth of equipment were completely ruined.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She frantically patted the smoking instruments. "I'll pay..."
"Pay for what?" Luo Qingxue casually unplugged the power. "Out with the old, in with the new."
I wrote on the tablet: "【Energy overload.】"
"【A-rank potential confirmed.】"
"【A more robust testing environment is needed.】"
Lin Xiaoyu stared blankly at her hands: "So... I really am..."
"A genius!" Luo Qingxue hugged her tightly. "We're a perfect match! One awakened later, one with hidden depths!"
Watching them smile at each other, I suddenly felt that becoming someone else's ability wasn't so bad after all...
That night, Luo Qingxue lay on her bed, flipping through the test data: "Yun Feng, what do you think Lin Xiaoyu's ability type is?"
I controlled the pen to write in the notebook: "【Non-standard light-element.】"
"【Similar to starlight reaction.】"
"Starlight?" She sat up abruptly. "Isn't that the legendary..."
The pen tip slid quickly: "【Just a guess.】"
"【More samples needed.】"
She nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly closed the notebook: "Starting tomorrow, we'll give Lin Xiaoyu special training!" Her eyes sparkled under the desk lamp. "When the assessment comes next year, we'll surprise everyone!"
Outside the window, the starlight was exceptionally bright. One star suddenly flickered, as if responding to her anticipation.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
"Hah!"
Inside the training ground, Lin Xiaoyu executed a crisp spinning kick, simultaneously unleashing a dazzling white light from her palm. The sparring robot instantly lost its visual targeting and was hit in its core by her follow-up elbow strike, beeping as it stumbled back several steps.
This was the tactic I had temporarily devised for Lin Xiaoyu; her current ability couldn't directly injure opponents, so she had to combine it with combat skills.
"Beautiful!" Luo Qingxue applauded from the sidelines. "That combo is getting smoother and smoother!"
Lin Xiaoyu wiped the sweat from her forehead, her chest still heaving: "Thanks to the combat coach you found... but can you really not tell me how 'System' figured out I was suited for this fighting style?"
I displayed on Luo Qingxue's smart terminal: "【Combat data analysis match.】"
"See, System said so." Luo Qingxue wiggled her wrist. "Your flash ability combined with close-quarters combat is a perfect match!"
Over these past three months, with my tactical design and the full support of the Luo family's resources, Lin Xiaoyu had transformed from a purely support-type ability user into a headache-inducing flash fighter. Although her ability rating still showed F-, her actual combat capability was already approaching C-rank.
"But I always feel like something's missing..." Lin Xiaoyu looked down at her palm. "There's always a strange sense of stagnation after each flash."
I keenly noted this information—this was exactly what I had suspected: the essence of her ability was definitely not simple "fluorescence," but some kind of suppressed or unawakened high-level light-element ability.
"Take your time." Luo Qingxue handed her a towel. "Want to go relax first?"
"A bath!" Lin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up. "Your family's star-filled bath!"
Luo Qingxue's ears instantly turned red. Ever since the last "bathroom incident," she always found various excuses to avoid bathing together. But today, Lin Xiaoyu directly linked arms with her: "Don't try to run! Last time you said the water circulation system was faulty, the time before that was for disinfection and maintenance..."
"I, I didn't bring a bathrobe..."
"Use mine!"
"The water temperature might not be right..."
"System~" Lin Xiaoyu suddenly called out to the air. "Is the bath usable now?"
This sly girl! I helplessly displayed on the terminal: "【Everything is normal.】"
Luo Qingxue glared fiercely at the terminal, which I secretly responded to with a smiling emoji.
In the changing room, Luo Qingxue slowly unbuttoned her training uniform, muttering in a voice only I could hear: "You're getting off easy..."
I controlled the changing room's smart mirror to display: "【Visual shielding mode activated.】"
"Who are you kidding!" She bared her teeth at the mirror, but still quickly took off her top with a red face. "Anyway... don't look at Lin Xiaoyu!"
The misty bath was indeed luxurious—a circular pool ten meters in diameter, with a bottom paved with star-sand that changed color with temperature, and a panoramic star-filled projection on the dome. Lin Xiaoyu had already jumped into the water impatiently, letting out a comfortable sigh.
"Come on in! The water temperature is perfect~"
Luo Qingxue only dared to get into the water wrapped tightly in a bath towel, like a wary kitten. I consciously shut down most of my senses—after all, after the "mirror incident," we had reached a subtle understanding.
"Qingxue, why are you hiding?"
Lin Xiaoyu, like a nimble fish, chased the constantly retreating Luo Qingxue in the water. The ripples in the star-filled bath reflected tiny bits of starlight on the two girls' bodies.
"Who, who's hiding!" Luo Qingxue leaned against the pool wall, burying half her face in the water. "I just... I'm not used to bathing with others!"
"Liar~" Lin Xiaoyu suddenly scooped up a handful of water and splashed it at her. "Last week you said your bath could hold ten people at once!"
Water splashed on Luo Qingxue's flushed cheeks. I mentally slapped my forehead in the consciousness space—this girl was usually so sharp-tongued when arguing, but in situations like this, she was as clumsy as a startled rabbit?
"That's different..." She mumbled softly, her fingers unconsciously playing with the water. "Now 'System' is here..."
Lin Xiaoyu tilted her head: "Hmm? Isn't System an AI? Does it get shy?"
I quickly controlled the smart panel by the bath to display: "【Temperature adjusting.】"
"See! It's more generous than you!" Lin Xiaoyu laughed and pounced, grabbing Luo Qingxue's arm. "Relax, it's normal for us girls to bathe together!"
The water surface shook violently with her movements, and the two girls' bodies were vaguely visible in the shimmering light. Although as an energy body I didn't have organs like a "nose," if I still had a physical body, I would probably be having a nosebleed right now...
"Ah!" Luo Qingxue suddenly shrieked, pushing Lin Xiaoyu away abruptly. "Where are you touching!"
"Sorry, sorry~" Lin Xiaoyu stuck out her tongue. "But Qingxue, your skin is really smooth, what shower gel do you use?"
"Stop changing the subject!"
Watching them frolic in the water, I couldn't help but recall the cold instruments in the lab when I was alive. If someone had told me then that after rebirth I would "participate" in girls' bathing time in this way, I would probably have stuck a test tube up my nostril to confirm if I was awake.
"Seriously," Lin Xiaoyu suddenly quieted down, looking up at the star-filled projection on the dome. "If it weren't for your help, I might still be washing clothes for people in an alley..."
Luo Qingxue's expression softened: "Silly, what's there to say between friends?"
"So I have to work even harder!" Lin Xiaoyu suddenly slapped the water, splashing it. "Next week's friendly match, I must win a round!"
"With your amateur skills?" Luo Qingxue raised an eyebrow. "If 'System' hadn't helped you design tactics..."
"That's why I need special training!" Lin Xiaoyu suddenly leaned closer, her wet face almost touching Luo Qingxue's nose. "Coach~ Can we add extra practice starting tomorrow?"
Too close! Through Luo Qingxue's vision, I could clearly count the water droplets hanging on Lin Xiaoyu's eyelashes. A strange energy fluctuation suddenly came from the skin where they touched—wait, what is this...?
"Wh-whatever you want!" Luo Qingxue retreated in a panic, but didn't notice the star-sand at the bottom of the pool was slippery, and she fell backward.
"Careful!"
Lin Xiaoyu reached out to pull her, and they both fell into the water together. In the chaos, I clearly "saw" a star-shaped light spot appear below Lin Xiaoyu's collarbone, fleetingly. That was definitely not a trace left by an ordinary ability!
"Puh-ha!" The two finally struggled to sit up, their hair wet and plastered to their faces, like two drowned chickens.
"It's all your fault..." Luo Qingxue wiped her face.
"You were the one hiding first!" Lin Xiaoyu retorted.
They looked at each other and suddenly burst into laughter. Their laughter echoed under the star-filled dome, and even the star-sand at the edge of the bath shimmered slightly, as if responding to this joy.
I quietly recorded this phenomenon—Lin Xiaoyu's emotional fluctuations could actually affect the Luo family's custom star-sand? This was definitely not something an F-rank ability user could do...
"Oh, right," Lin Xiaoyu played with a floating bath bomb, "what does 'System' actually look like?"
"Huh?" Luo Qingxue froze. "Just... like a normal AI?"
"Liar!" Lin Xiaoyu suddenly pounced and tickled her. "Your ears always move when you lie! Tell the truth!"
"Stop it! Hahaha... it's just a ball of energy! Nothing special!"
I displayed on the tablet by the bath: "【Calculating tactical analysis.】" —attempting to change the subject.
"Look, he's shy!" Lin Xiaoyu pointed at the tablet and laughed.
"He's not shy!" Luo Qingxue blurted out, then realized her slip of the tongue and quickly corrected herself, "It's a machine!"
Lin Xiaoyu narrowed her eyes: "You just used 'he'..."
"You misheard!" Luo Qingxue suddenly stood up, splashing water everywhere. "I've had enough of bathing! I'm going to shower!"
Watching her flee, Lin Xiaoyu rested her chin in her hand thoughtfully: "There's a secret..."
Late at night, after confirming Luo Qingxue was asleep, I quietly mobilized energy and pulled up Lin Xiaoyu's test data on the tablet. Those abnormal energy peaks, the special influence on the star-sand, and that mysterious star-shaped mark... all clues pointed to one possibility.
If my guess was correct, then Lin Xiaoyu was very likely...
"Analyzing data again?"
Luo Qingxue's groggy voice startled me, almost short-circuiting the tablet. She rubbed her eyes and leaned closer to the screen: "Found anything?"
I hesitated for a moment, then wrote: "【Lin Xiaoyu's ability is abnormal, possibly related to stellar energy.】"
"Stellar?" She instantly sobered up. "Are you saying... the legendary Starlight ability? Isn't that already..."
I drew a question mark. It seemed the Luo family knew something too.
"Never mind, I'll think about it tomorrow." She suddenly turned off the tablet, rolled over, and lay down. "No staying up late to analyze, that's an order."
Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft halo on her face. I gently adjusted the air conditioning temperature, making the blanket automatically wrap around her shoulders.
"Good night... Yun Feng."
She whispered the name very softly, then buried her face in the pillow. My energy core trembled uncontrollably—it was the first time she had called me by my name.
In this quiet night, something warmer than the stars was quietly growing between us.