Well then, I suppose there’s nothing left for me here. Although I’m a native of this world, my connection to it feels so tenuous now…
I sighed.
“Alright then, let’s go!” I raised a small hand and waved it upwards. “Once you’re ready, we’ll head to the station.” I then started to lift my foot, intending to walk out of the reception room.
“Eh—!” I yelped in surprise. Someone had grabbed my collar, and honestly, being tugged twice in one day was quite enough.
“Oh no, look at your hair. It’s quite a mess. How can a cute little goddess walk around with such disheveled hair?” Liu Han leaned closer, her voice soft and gentle, a mix of reminder and subtle threat. Her tone was beautiful and tender, yet it carried an undeniable authority, a hint of someone accustomed to having their way.
I ran my fingers through my hair several times. It seemed that ‘that guy’ had ruffled it earlier, but smoothing it with my hands made it look much better.
However, Liu Han frowned at my seemingly decent appearance. She promptly grabbed my collar and pulled me backward. “Lavishly, I think I need to properly tidy up this foolish goddess who doesn’t appreciate her own looks. Could you wait for me?”
Lavishly, of course, had no objections; in fact, she seemed delighted. Having someone else willing to help educate this little Moe God brought her genuine joy. “It’s alright, go ahead and teach her. Don’t worry about me; we’re not in a hurry.” She finished with a smile that I understood all too well.
And so, I was dragged, struggling, into the inner room.
With a decisive *snap*, the door shut. Liu Han pressed me onto a stool. “Alright, Little Mengmeng, now I’m going to give you a proper makeover.”
I felt a surge of resistance. The female attire was already enough; now a makeover too? This was simply too much. “C-can I refuse?” ‘I wanted to refuse.’
She rummaged through the vanity table, not even turning her head. “Naturally, that’s not an option. You must understand, I am your agent, which makes me your manager. You have to follow my arrangements.”
‘I certainly don’t recall anyone saying that an agent is the same as a manager. You must have just made that up.’
“Actually, I always wanted to be a celebrity manager.” Her expression clouded slightly as she spoke. “But my father said, ‘What’s the use of a manager? Whether a celebrity becomes popular ultimately depends on whether a patron is willing to support them. Who do you want to promote? I can just spend money to make someone famous for you.'”
“Isn’t that incredible? But that’s what he said, and naturally, I never had the chance to pursue anything like it, so I gave up.”
I remained silent. Though I didn’t fully understand human emotions, the internet always advised speaking less when others confided in you. So, I simply acted like a mannequin, letting her fuss over my hair.
“Later,” she continued, “when I was bored and playing games online, I saw you. At the time, I thought, ‘Being a celebrity isn’t going to work out, but promoting a popular streamer wouldn’t be bad.’ So, I sought you out.”
In retrospect, Liu Han felt she had been a bit impulsive. Yet, Big Dream Lord’s subsequent performance had certainly not disappointed her; in fact, it had given her a tremendous surprise.
Only then did I understand why she had proactively helped me back then. How should I put it? I was undoubtedly fortunate, for without her sudden whim, my life would likely have remained unremarkable.
“But now, it seems my hope has been rekindled,” Liu Han said with a smile.
“Huh?!” ‘Wait, hope?’ A sense of panic began to set in. ‘No way, right?’ I quickly spoke up, realizing that pretending to be a mannequin any longer would surely lead to trouble.
“Actually, I—I’m not suited to be a celebrity.”
She found it rather amusing, her beautiful large eyes fixed on me. “But aren’t you currently the most famous global superstar on Earth?”
I froze. Now that she put it that way, it did seem to be the case. But, but, this was entirely different!
She leaned her face close to mine, observing me meticulously. From my perspective, I could see her beautiful eyelashes fluttering gently, her dark, gem-like eyes slowly shimmering, her nostrils flaring slightly, and her small mouth parting just enough to reveal an alluring pink.
Just as I was observing her features, she abruptly lifted her head. Suddenly realizing what had just happened, my face flushed crimson from the base of my neck to my forehead. It felt as though my neck might snap from the heat at any moment.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, truly astonishing. I, who have always been so confident in my own appearance, must reluctantly concede defeat. You are indeed a goddess.” Liu Han clicked her tongue. “So, makeup is completely unnecessary. Next, we’ll focus on attire and hairstyle.”
I found myself both pleased and assailed by an indescribable feeling. Let me be clear: I wasn’t happy because she complimented my beauty. My joy stemmed from not needing makeup; her praise merely left me with a profoundly complex mix of emotions.
She scrutinized me for a long moment. “The dress you’re wearing is barely acceptable, but I absolutely cannot tolerate this utterly casual hairstyle. You’re not one of those with long, straight black hair; this shoulder-length style simply doesn’t suit you.” She gently picked up a strand of my hair.
‘If it weren’t for various reasons, I actually would have preferred a buzz cut…’
From the vanity table drawer, Liu Han produced a comb, several hair clips, a few ribbons, and some hair ties. “Well then, let’s try them one by one and see which hairstyle suits you best.”
Sitting on the stool, I squirmed uncomfortably. Liu Han gently pressed me down. “It’s alright, I’m very skilled. Be good, stay still. I’ll be quick.”
I allowed her to continue fussing with my hair, and every now and then, she would emit a satisfied hum.
Finally, she stopped. Looking at the young girl in the mirror, I saw my hair gently tied into twin pigtails, though only a small portion was gathered, with much of it still flowing over my shoulders.
Watching my reflection, I had to admit it looked incredibly cute. However, this also made me feel quite strange. To be a boy dressed up so adorably… it evoked a strong sense of, well, a profound feeling of impropriety.
She released me, then picked up the comb and gently tidied my hair. “Little Mengmeng, remember to wear this hairstyle from now on, alright? You need to learn how to tie it yourself; it’s actually very simple.”
I shook my head. “I… I actually still prefer my long, flowing hair…”
Liu Han’s attitude was firm. “I don’t appreciate foolish deities who are irresponsible about their appearance. No means no.”
In every sense, I found myself unable to oppose this girl who had changed my life. Moreover, it was just such a small request, merely tying my hair; how could I possibly refuse her?
As I emerged from the room, Lavishly, Mifeier, and Xilinka had their faces light up. They looked as if they had discovered a new continent.
Lavishly unceremoniously rushed forward, embracing me and pinching and rubbing my cheeks. “Hehe, it seems I was negligent. I didn’t expect you to become so much cuter just by changing your hairstyle!”
Mifeier also leaned closer, scrutinizing me with an incredulous expression. She had thought Sister Ye was already adorable enough, but now she realized I could be even cuter.
Xilinka, too, stared at me from a distance, observing me carefully and seemingly lost in thought.
I broke free from Lavishly’s grasp, swiftly tucked Liu Han’s travel bag into my independent space, and darted out of the reception room, leaving behind a golden blur.
Watching the shimmering golden afterimage ahead, Lavishly and the others smiled and followed suit.
Ahem… Standing inside the train station, we felt a bit awkward. The train to the Divine Realm only departed once every seven days. No wonder the agent had been willing to let me stay in the human realm for a week.
Lavishly’s face showed embarrassment. “So what now? Are we supposed to go back and stay at Liu Han’s place for seven days?”
I sighed helplessly. It seemed there wasn’t a better option.
Mifeier lowered her head in thought, then seemed to recall something. She looked up at Xilinka, who nodded, indicating it was feasible.
After receiving Xilinka’s affirmation, Mifeier spoke, her tone serious. “Actually, we could just fly up there directly.”
Lavishly clapped her hands. “That’s right! The train is essentially just a mode of transport, primarily for those who can’t fly. Everyone here except Liu Han can fly; someone can just carry Liu Han.”
At this, I weakly raised my hand. “I… I have a fear of heights…”
Lavishly chuckled. “I already thought of that. Mifeier can create a large block of ice, and you can just fly on top of it. While it might be a bit strenuous for Mifeier to carry you on the ice, sustaining the elemental movement won’t consume much divine power.”
“If you make a mistake, she’ll only need to catch you once, and you can continue flying.”
Although it seemed troublesome, it was undeniably a good solution. Moreover, with the ice block obstructing my view, I wouldn’t be able to see below, thus alleviating my fear of heights.
But the question remained: why did I have to carry Liu Han?
Before I could even ask, Lavishly spoke again. “As for why you should carry Liu Han, Xilinka’s divine power is limited, and carrying someone while flying would be quite exhausting for her. My arm strength isn’t sufficient, and Mifeier gets so nervous she falls asleep…”
Her explanation was perfectly logical; I couldn’t find any flaws. Still, having to carry a girl felt somewhat awkward for me. I worried I’d be too nervous to handle it.
We walked to the train’s docking area, ignoring the stationary train at the entrance. Instead, we proceeded directly onto the tracks behind it.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
Three soft *whooshes* of beating feathers gently resounded. Mifeier, Xilinka, and I all unfurled our wings, slowly extending them to allow divine power to flow through our entire wing structure. This would make flying more efficient and faster.
Yet, just as I was relishing the sensation of divine power slowly filling my wings, a faint, discordant feeling emerged upon them.
I opened my eyes to see Liu Han gently stroking my wings.
‘No, no, no! If she kept touching them… it already felt incredibly strange when I touched them myself, but if someone else did…’
I wanted to stop Liu Han’s next action, but her hands were already beginning to apply more pressure…