Chapter 399: Mysterious Guitarist, My Last Name Is Lin

Xu Ling wore her headphones. She enjoyed the edited stage video with smooth camera movements and the clever bullet comments from online fans. Then she turned off the show, put down her phone, took the last sip of her coffee, and looked outside.

The crowd in the square slowly began to disperse. Without the recently popular magical girls, their fans and curious onlookers all scattered. The various people who had come upon hearing the news, as well as the media who had been invited early to help promote, also started to leave one after another.

Late summer was still hot. The sound of the ice machine in the café oddly evoked a cool and crisp feeling. The clear sky was streaked with a few thin contrails. A promotional airship bearing the Dream Weaver Rabbit logo drifted by. It was said that just yesterday, a young idol had live-streamed the stage from inside it—a truly imaginative idea.

Looking down, the wings of a flying bird and the glass façade of a skyscraper both gleamed under the warm summer light, then the bird swiftly passed, blurring into an elusive shadow.

“Splash.”

Pei Xiaotong bit her straw and sucked until only ice cubes remained in her cup, making strange noises. She sucked a few more times like a child until she had finished all the pearls at the bottom, then puffed out her cheeks and stopped, looking satisfied.

The little girl chewed the pearls and said thoughtfully,

“It’s really peaceful now. I can’t imagine something like that happened just a few days ago.”

Before Xu Ling could wait for a more insightful comment, the girl eagerly shared the new dress she had her eye on. Her carefree and cheerful spirit was way ahead, leaving one unsure whether to tease or envy her.

The girls chatted for a while, then left the café one by one. They ran to the once crowded square to bask in the sun before going to the nearby mall to play the claw machine featuring “Dazzling Stage” dolls.

Although 70% of the dolls in the machine were the annoying Dream Weaver Rabbit, the two who cared about appearances did not mind because among those 70% was the Original Witch in her silver-haired, red-eyed form.

Half an hour later.

Pei Xiaotong happily held up a cartoon doll with a somewhat intelligent gaze using both hands and proudly showed it off:

“Yay! Look what I caught! A little Charlotte doll! So cute.”

Xu Ling looked at the Little Sakura doll that had fallen from the claw for the twenty-fifth time and wanted to pull out the little dinosaur at home and thrash it repeatedly. She smiled at her sister, who was still bragging, and said,

“Okay, okay, this means I have to deduct 50 dollars from your salary now.”

“…？！“

Half an hour later, to avoid losing her salary, the little girl who volunteered to help catch dolls spent 56 dollars before finally catching the Little Sakura doll. She walked out of the mall, softly crying and clutching her wallet.

This gloomy mood lingered until she turned into a cat café on the street, free-rode some little fish treats from the shop, fed the ragdoll cat, and gave it a vigorous petting. Only then did the heaviness in her heart begin to lift, showing how deeply wounded she was inside.

In the late afternoon, nearing dusk, the two boarded a bus and sat side by side.

Pei Xiaotong was scrolling through TikTok.

Xu Ling, on a whim, started watching the ninth episode of “Dazzling Stage” again. The little girl beside her couldn’t help but glance over and said,

“Honey Ling, you must have watched this stage at least a hundred times this week, right?”

“We saw it live, you know. Is this recording really that good?”

Xu Ling was taken aback by the question. She absentmindedly closed the bullet comments and stubbornly said,

“You don’t understand. The editing master has to capture all the essence from the original footage. Watching it a hundred times isn’t too much.”

Pei Xiaotong muttered,

“Editing master, huh? But you kept getting distracted by the bullet comments the whole time.”

Xu Ling poked the soft spot on the girl’s waist, breaking the conversation with a gentle physical nudge. She glanced at her phone for a moment longer, then took off her headphones and looked out the window. The rapidly passing scenery reflected in her eyes, revealing a trace of weariness in her expression.

One hundred times.

That week, she had used the excuse of editing to watch that stage performance one hundred times.

No matter how much she liked Little Sakura and the idols on stage, watching it so many times had long since become tiring.

But somehow, she always found herself unconsciously hoping for something.

It was like in middle school, when she would unwittingly go to the bathroom a few extra times, just to have a reason to walk past the next classroom more times, to steal a few more glances at the boy glowing with youth in the sunlight.

The ninth show’s stage was just like that. Deep down, she seemed convinced that it held some great secret. Almost every now and then, she couldn’t help but refresh it, as if watching it more times would reveal some hidden Easter egg.

But it was also time to end this meaningless habit. Constantly thinking about it made her distracted even when going out to have fun. That was probably why she kept failing to win much at the claw machine just now.

Xu Ling thought chaotically, almost missing her stop before her little cousin next to her angrily pulled her off the train, bringing her back to reality with an apologetic smile.

The girl glanced at the cluster of animal balloons fluttering near the subway entrance. She kindly bought one for the little child, then took out her transit card and held the child’s hand as they entered the subway.

Sea City’s subway lines were especially bustling, with commercial layouts expanding along them. It was common to see supermarkets and various food shops, while vending machines were surprisingly deserted, appearing cold and quiet.

Inside, on both sides of the covered corridor, were advertisements for *Dazzling Stage*.

But unlike the usual ads, these showed Kirimi Miyuki, Xie Qingxuan, Chu Wang Shu, and Tang Liuli winning first place in a public performance, bathed in lights and golden ribbons, shining brightly in a group photo.

Little Sakura held a golden trophy shaped like the Dream Weaver Rabbit, her eyes curved in joy and her smile radiant.

Chu Wang Shu stood close to someone’s shoulder; she was slightly shorter and positioned in the center of the group, like the group’s darling.

The green-eyed cat stood beside them, trying to quietly hide behind Chu Wang Shu’s back. She evidently felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. Unfortunately, her shoulder was held by the Great Devil next to her, so she was fully included in the shot.

This frozen moment captured in the photo, when paused, revealed many small details showing the close relationship among the four. It once caused the number of fans to surge, and recently many fans had been taking photos here under similar ads to mark the spot.

Xu Ling slowed her steps—not to take a closer look at the group photo.

In fact, her computer wallpaper was now a dynamic version of this very photo, so there was really no need to focus on the subway advertisement.

Her gaze fixed on the right side of the ad, at the far edge near the Great Devil, where someone was sitting on the ground.

The girl was wearing a large gray hoodie, the hood covering her face, revealing only a bit of her pale chin and a few silky strands of hair draped over her chest.

She was holding a guitar, looking down while strumming. Her right hand was bare of nail polish, with neatly trimmed, pale pink nails; her fingertips resembling scallion segments.

But what drew more attention was her “left hand” holding the guitar—made of a silver-like material with hollow patterns, shaped like bones and fingers, reflecting a cold, clear light. Each curve was exquisitely carved, like a piece of artwork, suggesting a broken art piece.

—She must be very beautiful.

Xu Ling stopped for some inexplicable reason, and this absurd thought popped into her mind. Then she focused on the guitar, which she had seen before in a video that Little Sakura had “reported” to fans during daily practice.

This was probably the same model, intentionally aged to make it resemble the guitar in the video even more.

So, she was a fan of Miyuki too?

Her thoughts fell silently as a melodious voice drifted through the vast subway station.

“I knew that I was running out of time.”

“I wanted it all, mmm, mmm.”

“And I was wishing they’d stop trying to turn me off.”

The girl listened, stunned, as the song flowed softly from her lips.

The late summer wind blew through the passage, carrying the scents of treetops and fresh grass. A roaring rush passed by the ears, the mingling chirping of cicadas and the roaring trains creating a chaotic clamor. A strange and dazzling dream slowly unfolded.

Hospital, chase, stage, singing…

Then, all the fragments dissolved into nothingness upon awakening.

Xu Ling stood there dazed, ignoring her cousin sister’s confusion.

— “Just Like Fire.”

This theme song from Elise’s Wonderland 2, she had heard many times before, but this time it struck her soul directly, as if it had knocked on the door to her past, stirring up complex yet unfamiliar emotions.

Pei Xiaotong tugged at her cousin’s sleeve, her bright eyes shining as she whispered softly,

“Wow, her voice is so beautiful.”

The little girl spoke, feeling a bit puzzled. Her small hand instinctively touched her round, fair, finely textured, and warmly smooth thigh, then she carelessly complained,

“But it’s 37 degrees today; isn’t wearing this sweatshirt super hot?”

The girl wore a sweatshirt on her upper body, paired with rather stylish black jeans below. Sitting cross-legged, only a segment of her calf was visible, revealing skin as bright and translucent as jade, with the faint cool gleam of metal.

Pei Xiaotong’s words abruptly stopped.

At that moment, many nearby people were captivated by the singing, standing still and listening to the guitarist’s performance. Fortunately, the passage was spacious enough that no congestion occurred.

Xu Ling still did not respond to her cousin sister. She unconsciously stepped a little closer, gazing at the person beside the advertisement. The four young idols were seated neatly beside her, and the golden ribbons in the picture seemed to flutter outward, carrying the light, brilliance, and cheers of that moment, all softly falling on her slender shoulder.

Dazed and mesmerized, her vision blurred.

The girl’s heart pounded rapidly, overwhelmed by fear, shyness, surprise, excitement, and bewilderment. It was like seeing the morning star in endless darkness, yet the star flickered intermittently, much like a television screen filled with snow.

This strange and indescribable state gradually subsided only after “Just Like Fire” finished playing. Her toes seemed to touch the ground again, bringing a tangible sense of being alive, though her brain still lingered in dizziness.

The mysterious guitarist ceased playing. She seemed like a wandering poet who performed impromptu music; carrying her guitar case, she politely nodded at the gathered audience and then turned to leave, seeking nothing in return throughout.

Xu Ling’s thoughts stalled, her mind went blank, but her body moved on its own. Under Pei Xiaotong’s stunned gaze, she quickly caught up to the guitarist and mustered the courage to ask,

“Um, you sing very well. May I see your face?”

The guitarist stopped and glanced back. She was silent for a moment, then removed her hood, letting her pure white braided hair fall loosely.

The girl’s golden eyes flickered like burning candle flames. Her features were perfect and delicate, like a divine blessing. Her pale skin resembled crushed pearls; even the black cracks spreading out like cracked porcelain only added to her fragile and unique charm.

But in the other eye, there was a silver-crafted ocular implant, gleaming with flowing light.

Left hand, right leg, left eye, skin.

This stunning woman, extraordinarily beautiful to the point of breathlessness, bore many terrifying imperfections on her body.

Xu Ling felt as though something was lodged in her chest. A sharp bitterness mixed with sorrow burned fiercely inside her like strong liquor poured into a wound. She didn’t know what to say.

Should she offer comfort? On what grounds?

Should she pity her? What right did she have?

Should she say she was upset? What reason did she have to feel sorrow before someone who had suffered such tragedy?

In the end, the only thing she managed to utter was a selfish question:

“Can you tell me your name?”

Was this question important? She did not know.

But inexplicably, a voice inside urged her to learn more about the other person.

The girl put her hood back on and softly said,

“My last name is Lin.”

With that, the mysterious guitarist walked forward, soon stepping out of the subway, blending into the bustling crowds on the street, and vanished from sight.

Xu Ling stood there, lost and stunned for a long while, repeating that surname in her mind until her frustrated little cousin sister tightly hugged her and shook her for a time, finally bringing her back to reality. Suddenly, she realized with painful regret,

“Ah! I forgot to record a video of that girl playing the guitar!”

“I’m your sister!” Pei Xiaotong, long ignored, expressed her anger.

Xu Ling took out a hundred yuan from her wallet to appease the child’s fury, then ignored her and boldly inquired among nearby passersby whether anyone had recorded the video, completely forgetting her subsequent plans.

…

Outside a fast food shop by the street, a few luminescent cherry blossom petals drifted slowly down in front of a bench, twirling in the wind but lingering before finally falling.

“Little Qing, that child’s love for you has almost become that of a selfless believer.”

Chu Yuanqing listened quietly to the shrine maiden’s words. Pink lips smeared with sweet sauce, and her hand held an egg pancake filled with pork loin and spicy strips. Her beautiful face beneath the hood was serene, like a small animal engrossed in eating. After patiently chewing, she replied,

“Yes, that’s why she can’t hear me sing a second song.”

“Although the Void hasn’t completely swallowed me, ordinary people are better off not recalling anything about me. Otherwise, it’s easy for them to develop mental issues.”

If it were not so, she would not have deliberately given Xu Ling a false surname.

At this moment, both the soul and the cherry blossom tree residing within the Void dimension shone brilliantly.

The shrine maiden’s figure materialized, dressed in the Saiō King’s attire, like a cold yet enchanting apparition. She sat beside Chu Yuanqing on the bench and softly said,

“The most dangerous time has passed. Just as you thought, Charlotte still remembers you, and others are striving to preserve your traces.”

“These anchor points succeeded in waking you after seven days of slumber.”

“But in return… you have been forgotten by the world.”