World Modulation Mode in Honkai

Kiana was a bit flustered—Mei absolutely couldn't be fooled by Ye Feng. Mei blinked in confusion and asked, "Did Ye Feng lie about something?"

On one side was the newly acquainted Ye Feng, and on the other, Kiana. If the two had conflicting stories, Mei naturally leaned towards believing Kiana. However, Kiana began to stammer.

"Uh, well…"

Her mind raced. Kiana had been present the whole time, and to be honest, Ye Feng hadn't actually lied.

"It's not really about lying or not."

"Then what is it about?"

"Uh…"

Kiana opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. Seeing this, Mei felt reassured. Her father had always told her not to blindly trust her instincts but to consider the opinions of others as well. At least now, both she and Kiana thought Ye Feng was trustworthy, which was enough.

Suddenly, the communication terminal from the Far East Branch rang, displaying Theresa's image.

"Congratulations! You've successfully passed the exam and have been promoted to B-rank Valkyrie. The official notice wasn't supposed to come out until next semester, but since you're all here, I thought I'd deliver the good news early. Oh, and check your inboxes—there will be a survey where you can submit any requests for Valkyrie armor. Just make sure to send it to the system by noon tomorrow."

With a beep, Theresa's image disappeared. Kiana and Mei exchanged excited glances.

"That's great, Kiana! We've finally become B-rank Valkyries!"

"Yeah, it's awesome."

"Bronya probably got the notification too. We should celebrate today."

The earlier conversation had been interrupted, and since Mei didn't bring it up again, Kiana wasn't about to either. After all, the whole embarrassing situation she had gone through was still hard to talk about. Besides, there was still a week left for her to subtly remind Mei, and she would be around to keep an eye on Ye Feng.

Plus, there was their bet. If she won, she could demand that Ye Feng not make any moves on Mei. Kiana clenched her fist—she had to win this competition!

◇

"Wow, you became a B-rank Valkyrie so quickly! That's impressive," Ye Feng complimented.

Kiana raised her chin proudly. "Hmph, who do you think I am? I, Kiana Kaslana, am going to become the strongest Valkyrie!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you will, Bug."

Ye Feng's sincere expression made Kiana pause. She often said things like that, but everyone else treated it as a joke, even if she meant it. But Ye Feng seemed to take her seriously.

"Do you really think so?"

"I've told you before, right? I know everything about you. Kiana will become the strongest Valkyrie in the future—there's no doubt about it."

"Hmph, at least you've got some sense. But…"

Kiana looked at Ye Feng skeptically. "Are you seriously not planning anything?"

He called her to his bedroom just to chat? No way—he was definitely plotting something bigger!

"Let's get started with the competition already," Kiana grumbled.

"You're always so impatient," Ye Feng said, pulling her to sit in front of a vanity mirror. "Relax a bit first."

"What are you up to?"

Kiana glanced over her shoulder nervously at Ye Feng.

"Just sit and relax."

She felt his strong hands on her shoulders, pressing down. Even though he wasn't using much force, Kiana found herself unable to resist.

"Did you put some kind of spell on me?"

"No, I keep my word. I won't try anything for a week."

"Hmph, who knows if that's true."

Despite her complaints, Kiana obediently sat down. Her white hair fell softly, its silky strands shining in the warm light of the room.

Ye Feng stood behind her, running his hands through her hair. Kiana was puzzled.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm fixing your hair. Can't you tell?"

"???"

"Don't move, or it'll get messy."

"…"

Kiana watched him in the mirror, surprisingly staying still and letting him work. "You look like you know what you're doing. How many girls' hair have you styled?"

"Kiana is the first."

"?"

"You don't believe me? I don't lie to you. But I've practiced on dolls before."

"You practiced hair styling? You really have weird hobbies."

"Done. What do you think?"

"It looks great! Well, of course, since I look good no matter what hairstyle I have."

She inspected her reflection, noticing that her usual twin braids had been replaced with twin ponytails. The ends were tied up with red ribbons, giving her a cute, playful look.

Surprisingly, she didn't hate it. In fact, it reminded her of something comforting.

Kiana had never really known a mother's touch. After her mother was gone, she only had her often drunk father to raise her. Though he eventually sobered up, there was no way to replace a mother's warmth.

Having her hair styled like this reminded her of what that mother-daughter bond might have felt like. Kiana couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth.

"This is more fun than just changing outfits. Alright, Bug, lay down on the vanity."

"Huh?"

"I'm about to start driving."

"…"

Kiana gritted her teeth. Why did he always have to ruin moments like this?

Just as Ye Feng was about to press her down, the door swung open.

Startled, Kiana turned to see a woman standing there in a sacred yet sultry nun's outfit. She stood still, staring at them.

"Sorry, it seems I came at the wrong time."

Ye Feng waved. "No, Aponia, you came at the perfect time. Want to join us?"

Aponia shook her head. "I'll leave you two to it."

With that, she quietly closed the door behind her.

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