Space station 3: Only True Damage Matters

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[Following the sound, you see a lavishly dressed actress standing on the staircase.]

[She is dressed extravagantly, her head held high with arrogance as she looks down on you disdainfully.]

[Instantly, it dawns on you.]

[Presumably, your frequent visits to Firefly have caught the actress's attention. The camera you carry is quite conspicuous.]

Firefly was no shrinking violet; upon hearing these words, she promptly retorted.

In response, the actress raised her voice even more, spewing acidic remarks about "stowaways," "outsiders," and "focusing on mischief instead of acting" - all sorts of unpleasant comments.

Su Qing remained silent, merely observing. Suddenly, seizing the moment, he slightly crouched and took a photograph.

Su Qing: "Please forgive my boldness; I've taken a picture of you."

The actress's confrontational behavior undoubtedly stemmed from jealousy.

After all, Su Qing was a cameraman yet spent his days constantly around a mere trainee artist, which greatly irritated her.

Upon hearing this, the actress's eyes brightened, and she swiftly approached him.

Her tone carried both surprise and smugness. "Alright then, at least you know what's appropriate and have some discernment."

"Uh..." Firefly instantly swallowed her retort.

She knew Su Qing was indeed dedicated to his work, but at this moment, he was actually taking photos of that actress!

[March 7th: Ugh! Is Firefly getting angry?]

[Firefly: Not quite... But I can sense that "I" really loves the photos Su Qing takes.]

[Firefly: Yet now, he's photographing someone like her. It feels somehow...]

[Black Swan: As if your cherished photos' value is being diminished, right?]

[Firefly: Yes! That's exactly it!]

Puffing out her cheeks, Firefly pursed her lips tightly, refraining from saying anything further.

Su Qing handed over the photo, saying, "I thought about naming it 'Sharp Teeth and Sharp Tongue.' However, since I'm giving it to you, your opinion matters."

It was the exact same line as before.

Firefly's thoughts wandered: Does he always say this to girls?

But then, "Sharp Teeth and Sharp Tongue"... Intrigued by the title, she couldn't resist taking a look.

!!

The instant Firefly saw the photo, she hastily tightened her mouth even more to control her expression.

[Firefly: ? (Laughs audibly on the spot)]

[Meanwhile, the real-time viewing Firefly couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.]

In the photo, she observed:

The actress waved her hands dramatically, fingers curled, mouth wide open. From this angle, her teeth appeared sharp, and her mouth seemed exaggeratedly large. Her furious expression suggested she had countless words to unleash.

[March 7th: Ha ha ha, what a hilarious photo.]

[March 7th: As... half a fellow professional, I think it's brilliantly captured! It has a satirical cartoon vibe!]

[Bronya: Indeed, the character's personality shines through at first glance.]

Initially cheerful, the actress's face flushed with anger as soon as she saw the photograph. "You! You jerk!!!" she exclaimed.

[Seele: Weak ATK.]

Su Qing enthusiastically explained, "Take a look at this photo: a lady dressed extravagantly yet exuding aggressiveness and poor character traits. Undoubtedly, such characters are essential elements of any bustling metropolis!"

"Classic, absolutely classic," Su Qing praised. "I assure you, when publishing my photo album in the future, there will definitely be a spot reserved for you!"

[Seele: This one deals true damage only.]

"Hahahaha..." Even Firefly on the scene couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She now realized that while Su Qing didn't use a blade, his words were far sharper than hers.

"You shut up!" The actress was about to lose her mind with fury.

Seeing Su Qing ready to continue his verbal barrage, Firefly hastily interjected, "We should hurry! We'll miss our tour bus time if we don't go now!"

Without waiting for Su Qing's response, she grabbed his wrist and swiftly jogged away.

As they ran faster, a breeze blew against their faces.

Recalling the incident, Firefly couldn't help but burst out laughing again while jogging.

Her laughter, like silver bells, echoed with the wind.

In the young girl's eyes, the scenes unfolding before her came alive with vibrancy.

The feeling of running was truly exhilarating and joyful.

Not just in reality...

Even within Penacony's dream, she had never experienced such unbridled freedom.

"Phew... phew..." Su Qing leaned forward, hands on his knees, catching his breath. Then he raised his right hand, giving a thumbs-up, "Well done, little sis Firefly. You sure can run."

"Tch, I might actually be older than you," Firefly retorted, feeling more at ease as their rapport grew. She too was panting, her soft chest rising and falling, clearly showing signs of exhaustion from the sprint.

Despite being out of breath, she promptly asked, "Was that photo earlier intentional?"

Su Qing feigned ignorance, "Which one?"

Exasperated, Firefly replied, "That exact one!"

After regaining his composure, Su Qing answered, "Just pure artistic expression, nothing more."

"Really?" Firefly scrutinized his expression closely.

Su Qing could only shrug. "Alright, truthfully, I did want to vent a bit. Judging by her demeanor, she must be quite annoying normally, right?"

"Mm-hmm!"

Firefly's eyes finally curved into crescent moons with a smile. "Her usual expression is just exactly like in the photo you took! Amazing!"

"Thank you. It seems my photography skills have improved then."

As he spoke, Su Qing stood up.

He couldn't help but notice that recently, he had been hearing Firefly's laughter much more frequently.

[Firefly: Hehe, hehee...]

[Stelle: (points finger) Firefly, aren't you currently watching the stream with a goofy grin on your face?!]

[Firefly: Ah! What? (frantically looks around) D-did you install surveillance in my room!?]

[Stelle: Hmph~ (wags finger) Don't underestimate my intelligence network.]

Following their routine, Su Qing first bought two oak roll cakes for Firefly and, today, additionally purchased two bottles of SoulGlad.

Then he asked, "Is there still time to catch the sightseeing tram?"

"It's early yet; what I said was just an excuse. Let me see, where are we going today..." As she spoke, Firefly pulled out her phone and opened her notes app.

As a photographer, Su Qing indeed enjoyed constantly being on the move.

Perhaps inspiration would strike today for one location and tomorrow for another. By documenting visited places, it would be easier to avoid confusion.

Firefly glanced at the notebook entries:

"May 6th, Golden Hour, visited luxury stores."

"May 8th, Solar Hour, visited Penacony's Grand Museum."

"May 9th, Hot Sands Hour, visited taverns and SoulGlad Festival auditions."

"May 11th, Oasis Hour, visited Sunlight Park."

The notebook contained uniformly formatted, concise travel logs, interspersed with records of revisiting certain locations.

"Theoretically, today we should go to Twilight Hour," Firefly said, closing the notebook.

Su Qing raised an eyebrow. "Theoretically?"

"Yes, according to the original plan. But now that I think about it, that place is mainly focused on shopping and might not be ideal for photography." After this remark, Firefly seemed hesitant.

Su Qing didn't rush him, patiently waiting instead.

Both fell silent.

However, Penacony, this city of joy, truly lacked any tranquility.

Even though they stopped speaking, sounds continued unabated around them. Advertisements, car engines, tourists' chatter, and even the incessant flickering of colorful lights created a sense of constant noise.

Amidst this cacophony, Firefly's thoughts remained focused. She lowered her head slightly, gazing at the two small cakes in her hand.

She recalled the first photograph taken on the square, their interactions over the past month, and the exhilarating feeling when Su Qing stood up for her, followed by their swift escape holding hands.

Taking a deep breath, Firefly made up her mind. "There's a place I want to take you to; it's perfect for photography."

"Additionally, there are some things I need to tell you. I hope you won't dislike me after hearing them..."

[Stelle: Oh wow!]

[Stelle: Is this leading to a crucial plot point?]