A Girl's Inner Voice

As Chu Lian and the others were talking, Chu Chu came bouncing back. She no longer looked anxious or worried, and her eyes were filled with excitement.

"Oh, I see, I understand…" Before Chu Lian could greet Chu Chu after saying this to Kurosaki Hazuki, Chu Chu hugged her from behind, resting her face on her back and rubbing against her like a playful kitten.

Her face showed the joy of a cat enjoying itself, as she inhaled Chu Lian's fragrance and said, "Sister, the hot spring has been arranged. The rain just stopped, so we can't use the outdoor hot spring—we'll have to use the indoor one."

"We never planned on using the outdoor hot spring, Chu Chu. What on earth were you thinking just now? Were you hoping someone would see you naked?" Chu Lian tapped Chu Chu's head, speaking with slight annoyance.

Chu Lian hadn't hit her hard, and Chu Chu knew she wasn't actually angry, just reminding her. So, she didn't move away and kept rubbing against her, saying, "Chu Chu knows, but did you know that there's a semi-outdoor hot spring here that's amazing? It has a transparent dome that you can only see out of from the inside, surrounded by a bamboo forest. There's a seven-meter wooden fence around the perimeter, and guards are always watching, so no one can get in."

"The water quality is excellent there, and they say that after soaking, you not only feel refreshed but it's also great for the skin. What's even more amazing is that it supposedly promotes physical development. Although it's super expensive because of its special properties, it's totally worth it. But unfortunately, it's already been booked in advance, so we can't use it." As Chu Chu said this, she sighed in disappointment.

Even Chu Lian was a bit tempted. If that place was really so good, even if it was semi-outdoor, it would still be great to soak there. But since it was already reserved, there was nothing they could do.

"What are you going to do?" Kurosaki Hazuki, lying in bed, listened to their conversation but couldn't understand as Chu Chu and Chu Lian were speaking in Chinese. After a while of listening in confusion, she finally asked.

"We're going to the hot springs. Do you want to come? But with your current injuries, I'm not sure if it's a good idea..." Chu Lian turned and asked after hearing her question. But the moment Kurosaki Hazuki heard the words "hot springs," she seemed to freeze and didn't respond.

"Hm?" Noticing she might have recalled something from the past, Chu Lian stopped Chu Chu from speaking further. She then walked over to Kurosaki Hazuki and gently shook her arm, saying, "If there's something from the past worth remembering, keep it deep in your heart and reflect on it in your own time. But don't show your vulnerability in front of people you're not close to…"

Chu Lian's words snapped the girl out of her reverie. She lifted her head, gazed into Chu Lian's eyes, and slowly nodded. "Thank you for the reminder. I lost my composure."

Chu Lian smiled warmly. "Everyone has moments like that. You'll get used to it. You're still young, and there's a long road ahead of you. If you let a beautiful moment trap your soul, you'll be wasting a wonderful life."

"We observe the scenery, but those watching us are also part of the view. Life isn't about lingering in one place forever—it's about exploring countless different places. That's what makes life meaningful and why we're here in this world."

As she spoke, Chu Lian walked over to the window and opened it, letting the bright sunlight flood the room. She spread her arms wide as if to embrace the world. "Regrets are inevitable. If we can't undo them, we should at least try to mend them. Even if it doesn't change much, that's no reason to stop moving forward. Do you understand? The world is vast, larger than we can imagine, but it's also small, fragile enough to shatter with just a touch."

Chu Chu and Li Xiuer exchanged puzzled looks, unable to understand her words.

Meanwhile, Kurosaki Hazuki and Inori, who both understood Japanese, had different thoughts.

Kurosaki Hazuki reflected on her past, the years she had spent running from place to place, and the changes she had gone through. Her final memory was of crying alone in a cave before meeting Chu Lian and the others. She smiled faintly—after all these years, she hadn't truly grown.

She had clung to her memories, trapped in the beauty of the past, hiding behind a cold, fierce exterior. But inside, she was still the weak girl who had once snuggled in her father's arms. The only thing that had changed was her obsession with revenge and her regret for the past.

Inori, on the other hand, had experienced the collapse of worlds, watched everything fade into nothingness, and wandered endlessly through space and time, her memories sealed away. Her existence only truly began when she met Chu Lian.

She understood what Chu Lian meant by "the world is vast, the world is small." Chu Lian was subtly expressing her worries. Even though these concerns might be unfounded, Inori couldn't quite grasp why she was saying such things. Perhaps there was a part of Chu Lian's past that they didn't know about.

As Inori turned around, she noticed the confusion in Chu Chu and Li Xiuer's eyes, realizing they didn't understand what Chu Lian had said. She walked over to them and gently translated: "Lian said this…"

After hearing Inori's explanation, Chu Chu and Li Xiuer were even more confused. They could understand each individual word in Chinese, but when put together, none of it made sense to them.

In truth, Chu Lian's words reflected her current mindset, shaped by her experiences and perspective. Only those with similar life experiences, like Inori and Kurosaki Hazuki, could grasp the meaning. Chu Chu and Li Xiuer, being young and inexperienced, were naturally perplexed.

Of course, if young girls were so wise, how could you trick them with a lollipop? Really…

Feeling that her words might have been too heavy for the moment, Chu Lian turned and smiled brightly at Kurosaki Hazuki. "So, what do you say? Interested in joining us at the hot spring? I think your body should be able to handle it. The choice is yours."

"If you're not worried about me running away, then I suppose I can join you." The white-haired girl glanced at Chu Chu and Li Xiuer before turning her gaze to the wall and responding.

"In your current state, you can't even beat me. Why would we worry about you running?" After hearing Inori's translation, Chu Chu rolled her eyes and snorted at Kurosaki Hazuki.

Indeed, while Chu Chu hadn't changed much physically, her attributes had mysteriously increased by two or three points each.

Don't underestimate those few points. If the average healthy adult male has attributes of 12 points per category, Chu Lian and the others, as girls in their adolescence, were already approaching 60 points, which was quite impressive.

Some might think this was exaggerated, but for girls from well-off families with exceptional talent, anything less than these attributes would be strange.

The so-called adult attributes represent fully matured bodies that won't improve without deliberate training. Ordinary people's highest attribute is 15 points, and breaking past that threshold indicates stepping into the realm of cultivators.

Attributes don't increase linearly—each additional point represents a significant leap in overall strength.

Of course, there are naturally gifted individuals whose strength or speed nears its peak during adulthood, allowing them to easily surpass human limits with training. These are the physical prodigies, not geniuses in intelligence but in raw physicality.

Given that Chu Chu had already exceeded human limits in every attribute, the severely injured Kurosaki Hazuki indeed couldn't compare.

Kurosaki Hazuki didn't understand what Chu Chu had said, and neither Inori nor Chu Lian translated her words, so she could only stare blankly at Chu Chu without reacting.

Even though her instincts told her Chu Chu's words might not have been kind, without understanding them, she couldn't retort and could only remain silent.

Chu Lian, seeing this, gently pinched Chu Chu's cheek. It seemed that language barriers were the best way to prevent conflict between people.

After being scolded with a cheek pinch, Chu Chu didn't say anything further. She and Li Xiuer each took one of Chu Lian's arms and smiled, "Sister, let us take you to the hot spring. We should soak for the entire morning, otherwise, we'll have no energy for the afternoon!"

"But Chu Chu, soaking too long makes you sleepy…" Li Xiuer, having listened quietly, added in a timely remark. However, Chu Chu had already done her research. "It's fine! For people like us with special constitutions, soaking in the hot spring won't make us sleepy at all. Unless we're really tired, it'll only make us more energetic."

"Oh… I didn't realize having a good constitution had that effect…" Li Xiuer mumbled, at a loss for words, and could only nod.

Rolling her eyes, Chu Lian dragged the two of them to the door, made them stand outside, then closed the door and went back inside with Inori to help Kurosaki Hazuki change.

After all, Chu Lian could tell that Kurosaki was actually very shy. She might be fine with just Chu Lian and Inori, but if Chu Chu and Li Xiuer were there, she'd probably become so embarrassed she'd freeze up, making it impossible to change her clothes.

So, after Chu Chu and Li Xiuer had linked arms with her, Chu Lian cleverly sent them outside and returned to help the girl change.

About ten minutes later, Chu Lian opened the door. Behind her was Inori, dressed in a pale pink dress, followed by the slender figure of Kurosaki Hazuki in a black gown.

"She's prettier than I expected…" The pale face that had been devoid of color had regained some blood flow, making her look much healthier and revealing her beautiful features. Chu Chu and Li Xiuer couldn't help but stare in slight awe.