Chapter 197
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Chapter 197: The Fifth Show, Liuli’s Guess, Miyuki’s Change
The night is dark, with stars sparkling.
The opera house across from the hotel shines brightly, looking like a grand palace glowing with golden light. The neon lights here are not very colorful, but they all burn softly and beautifully, making the bustling street look especially lovely.
It is now seven in the evening. The girls, who should have been sleeping on the plane, have each found a quiet spot after their excitement from arriving at the hotel, and have all decided to cancel their group activity.
During this time, Chen Xiaoxiao knocked on the door to ask if they wanted to go eat together or if she should bring some food back, but the little idols politely declined, saying they would experience Vienna’s delicious food tomorrow.
Clearly, even though everyone pretended that nothing was wrong, they all felt a little confused inside because they were all connected to a certain The Last Diva and needed to sort out their feelings.
Tang Liuli, feeling bored, fiddled with some music arrangements for a while, but then couldn’t hold back her curiosity and searched for everything about Charlotte.
Unfortunately, after searching it all, her mind was still a tangled mess.
The girl sighed deeply and murmured:
"Charlotte, she is indeed a remarkable person."
"But because of this, I can be sure I have never seen her before."
"If I had to say, the only connection between us is being contestants in ‘Dazzling Stage’, so… those images must have nothing to do with her."
Unlike a silly and easily fooled golden retriever, Tang Liuli’s character is sensitive and suspicious. She almost inherited a mental illness from her mother, so she must be careful with the clear images that flash in her mind.
First, those images are hidden in the dreams she has had before, only to be forgotten by the brain upon waking up.
In other words, the singing in the square was just a trigger that awakened those memories at once, creating a series of images like a flickering lantern.
Therefore, if we trace it back, those dreams are the reason for the flashback phenomenon. The real core issue is why she dreams such vivid, passionate dreams filled with strong emotions.
Wait, if she carefully considers the timeline, it seems she had those dreams only after once again living with Little Qing during the team competition while starting to take turns with magic replenishment.
She thought for a moment and could not find any connection among them.
The green-eyed cat gave up normal thinking. She lay seriously on the soft big bed, looking at the velvety wooden ceiling, deciding to use her detective-like reasoning and supernatural intuition to find the answer to this strange phenomenon.
At that moment, the amazing wisdom hidden in her brain began to grow. She used her skills as an actress, thought like a detective, and mixed in her wild imagination, letting her brilliant ideas collide and sparkle, and in a daze, she caught a few key words.
—Magic girl.
—Empathy gift.
—Magic restoration ritual.
Tang Liuli’s cute face seemed to say, "I am starting to understand everything," and her bright green eyes sparkled with wisdom. She suddenly sat up and said confidently:
"I understand! Those images are not my memories; they are Little Qing’s memories!"
The reason was simple. She had an incredible gift of empathy, able to share the feelings, sensations, pain, and joy of others through sight and other means, even a range of detailed senses.
At the same time, Chu Yuanqing was special.
At first, before there was a secondary rating, when she went to bring food to the other person, she felt a deep emotion like the ocean, almost bathing in holy light, and being forced to become enlightened, instantly turning into a Buddha.
Tang Liuli believed that this was the unique shining brilliance of magical girls, which held great importance in her shared feelings, and the mysterious ritual of magical replenishment provided the best conditions for empathy.
Under such circumstances, it was quite reasonable for her to receive part of Chu Yuanqing’s memories in the form of a dream.
Moreover, stopping in place today and showing something unusual first shook Little Qing herself!
So, it is very normal that the song Charlotte sang brought up related memories.
As for the Final City mentioned in the memories, it can easily be understood as a magical castle, a magical kingdom, or a magical academy, fitting the idea of a magical girl’s base perfectly.
Haha, I’m simply a genius!
The green-eyed cat was very proud, but before long, she suddenly remembered that if the memories in her mind belonged to Little Qing, then the feelings overflowing in her heart at that moment belonged to Little Qing too, didn’t they?
Oh no, could the voice in the memories be the white moonlight that Little Qing still cannot forget?
At this moment, the sadness in her heart flowed like a river.
Tang Liuli was greatly shocked. She had clearly discovered the truth (with doubts) and proven her talent, but why did it create such a strict and beautiful art?
Wuwuwu, it’s fake, I don’t believe it, what white moonlight! It must be forced to rise with death’s escape!
The green-eyed cat felt sadder the more she thought about it. She did not realize that her thoughts were like a boomerang that would come back one day. She hugged her pillow and began to roll angrily on the bed. She rolled so hard that she fell off the bed, and then she cried as she got up, feeling upset and ready to go to sleep.
…
…
In the next room.
Xie Qingxuan walked out of the bathroom. She had just taken a shower, took off her bathrobe, and wore only black lace lingerie. Her skin looked soft and seemed to glow, and she was drying her wet platinum hair with a towel, looking confused.
The girl glanced at the mirror on the dressing table. The scene inside looked like spring snow piled up, probably because she wasn’t wearing a sports bra. Her full top was especially noticeable. She lowered her gaze to her slim waist, which had a defined line, and then looked away.
After Xie Qingxuan confirmed that her body had no extra fat, she sat on the sofa covered with a fluffy blanket. She hugged her knees like a small animal and stared blankly at the silver hourglass on the bedside table, murmuring to herself:
"The dream isn’t over yet."
According to the plan, she should have been going out at night.
However, Chu Yuanqing’s strange behavior today made the sensitive golden retriever change its mind, deciding to give both itself and the other a moment of solitude.
"Is there really a past life in this world?"
Xie Qingxuan was the first to see scenes from the old times in her dreams, and naturally, she had the most to gain from today’s excitement. Those images, like smoke and mist, seemed to pass through a veil of glass, blending dream and reality, making the separation between them thinner.
However, her unique dullness, wakefulness, and the perspective from meditation quickly pulled her out of the chaos, allowing her to view the intertwined memories with reason.
After thinking for a long time, Xie Qingxuan whispered softly:
"It doesn’t matter."
This is her answer to herself.
Because no matter if it is true or not, the things she has to do, the person she likes, the things she loves, and the goals she chases will not change.
Thinking this, Xie Qingxuan quieted her thoughts. She hugged her knees, softly adjusted her breathing, and went into a deep meditation, lost in calm and tranquility, bringing her spirit to its purest and most unified state.
Meanwhile, the "Cocoon of the Heart" and the "Goddess’s Skirt" slowly resonated together, as if following the pace of her meditation, gently opening the way to becoming a magical girl.
…
…
On the other side, the table was piled high with colorful paper folded into origami cranes.
"999 cranes."
Kirimi Miyuki counted them again but was not in a hurry to finish the last one. Her heart was not calm, and cranes folded in this state would become formal and lose their original blessing.
The girl picked up the paper crane and placed it inside a glass bottle. The pencils on the table shook slightly, and the few sheets of rice paper that were previously hidden by the thousand cranes showed their true colors. On them, different scenes were drawn in pencil, including lively strange beasts and designs of machines and swords.
Kirimi Miyuki had studied painting for a while. When she was forced to leave her group, the company removed her from the dormitory. To participate in the audition for "Dazzling Stage" in Tokyo, she had to rent her own place in Tokyo. During this time, her income came from part-time jobs and a few scattered painting commissions she received online.
However, Dongliu Island is very competitive in this area, so even with good painting skills, it was hard to earn much money.
Little Sakura’s painting skills were quite average, not good enough for commercial orders. It was just small-time work. The scenes on the paper were at a level she could never have drawn before.
The monsters had manes and eyeballs, along with the stark white bones of their bodies, and realistic details of their claws tearing into human bodies, splattering flesh and blood. All of this was beautifully presented on the paper, like a comic artist spending several hours carefully crafting a long page.
The rest of the design drawings were similar, with a very professional touch. The realistic treatment in every aspect far exceeded her past skills and went beyond what she could imagine.
She created these seven or eight drawings in just 40 minutes while in a "Heart Flow" state, as if she were a human printer.
Kirimi Miyuki pressed her lips together, her eyes cast down at her slender hands, feeling lost inside.
If it weren’t for the slight ache in her joints and the dull pain in her wrist, with signs of cramping when she stretched, it would be hard to believe that she had painted these pictures herself.
This is very unusual and magical.
People cannot imagine things they have never seen, and it makes no sense for their skills to suddenly improve.
"My hands have become steady."
Kirimi Miyuki noticed this detail.
The girl picked up the guitar and tried to play half a song. The pitch and rhythm were just as good as before, showing no signs of her fingers being tired. It was as if these hands had been through many challenges, and such tiredness did not affect their ability to work accurately.
Little Sakura felt confused. She thought for a moment and then tried to draw other things. She soon realized her skill had not changed; if anything, her hands were just a little quicker and steadier. Only the things from her memory could be vaguely created.
"Could it be…?"
"Have I awakened some kind of power?"
Kirimi Miyuki dismissed this abstract thought, feeling something was not right. How could she encounter such strange things on her very first day in Vienna? Did that monster from last time do something to her?
When she thought of the nightmare now, her first reaction was not fear or worry, but to forge the weapons from the design and use them to strike that monster a few times.
Little Sakura worried for a while, then thought it was a good thing, gathered her spirits, and murmured:
"This is not scientific, but very magical."
"Let’s ask Little Qing tomorrow; she might know something."
After saying that, Kirimi Miyuki wanted to put all the papers away, but she couldn’t help but look through them for a while. She was so focused while drawing that when she looked again, it felt a bit strange, which was unexpectedly interesting.
As for the designs, she liked the mythical styles the most, like Futsunushi no Mikoto, Ame no Habakiri, and Kusanagi no Tsurugi from Dongliu Island, because these seemed to be just a play of imagination, so drawing them felt more natural.
"The first one I drew is this."
The pink hue in the girl’s eyes, she brushed her fingertip over the lead print on the paper, making the misty lines beside the sword blade burn brightly, transforming into clear, dancing marks of fire.
In the end, the lead marks that touched her skin smudged the name written at the bottom.
——Laevatain.
…
…
At this moment, when a retired savior felt weak and lost like a little widow, another sun rose over Daxia, making the new fifth episode very exciting.
The first elimination, three performances, outstanding stages that followed one after another, fierce competitions between various contestants, and a lot of live footage that was suddenly revealed, all built up great anticipation.
This growing excitement made the audience for the fifth episode very passionate; many people waited eagerly for the update, trying to be the first to see it and actively posting comments.
After all, reality shows are different from regular programs; each contestant has their own supporters, or fans.
Although the live stream from Dream Weaver Rabbit announced the list of those who advanced, making it clear who won and who lost, fans are often the most emotional beings. If they support an idol who is doomed to be eliminated, they definitely don’t want to miss that idol’s last stage.
—Elimination means a broken dream.
"Dazzling Stage" greatly emphasizes the characteristic of auditions, making each contestant seem delicate and deserving of sympathy. The harder they worked and the more talent and stunning dance they displayed in the earlier episodes, the more regrettable it was when they were eliminated and stripped of their shining moment.
This sense of despair, filled with a genuine beauty of endings, gives the brilliance on stage a unique flavor.
Simply put, if you do not fill your mouth with glass shards and overflowing bitterness of reality, how can you highlight the preciousness of dreams and the purity of brilliance?
The program’s comment section is filled with complaints:
After that, many players arrived on site and began analyzing how fun "Shining Line" is, and even here a group of players were showing off their cards.
"I’m so mad! I really want to catch Honey Qing and get her character card! Is there a lucky dog who has caught Honey Qing yet?"
"I can’t stop laughing; Honey Qing also showed her card on Weibo, but she showcased Honey Moon’s card. Did the other teammates get it wrong?"
The popularity of "Shining Line" is obviously linked with the show, and many contestants are eager to play the game for some fun promotional ways.
Of course, Chu Yuanqing is different; this old-timer who hasn’t seen much of the world really loves to play "Shining Line."
It is worth mentioning that, because of the mixed elements of idol auditions, there are quite a few people who drew character cards related to home, creating a very amusing scene on social media.
Xu Ling didn’t care about this; the two little idols she was following were not in the card pool. Her attention was completely on the live footage of Chu Yuanqing’s stage performance, and fan support groups were discussing the real appearance of the Pure White Witch, all requesting to make the special effects and styling permanent.
Xu Ling couldn’t help but put on a disguise with a small account, typing excitedly in the group chat and blending in with the many fans, feeling completely at ease.
"So beautiful! Is this really special effects? Why didn’t other stages have such a brilliant touch? Other contestants’ fans are so envious."
"Thank you for the blessing from above! ❤️❤️❤️."
…
…
The next day.
When the Pure White Witch woke up groggily and sat at the dining table with the little idols, she casually opened a super topic group and saw this abstract and terrifying scene.
Chu Yuanqing’s sleepy feeling disappeared, and she quickly poked the lantern in her chest, reminding the little creature not to just eat and eat, warning it not to shake later. She used her chopsticks to break the soft-boiled egg in the plate, glanced out at the clear blue sky, smiled, and said softly:
"Today, shall we first go to Saint Stephen’s Basilica?"
Saint Stephen’s Basilica is not only a symbol of this city, but also Austria’s most important Gothic building. It is… located in the Vienna district.
