March 7th: Lin Shuang, let's take a group photo

Listening to Lin Shuang's introduction, March 7th immediately brightened up. She raised her camera and nestled into Lin Shuang's arms.

"Hey, Lin Shuang, can you take a photo with me? I want to send it to the others."

While speaking, she held up a half-eaten skewer in one hand and made a playful pose, her head leaning against Lin Shuang's face.

Lin Shuang took the box from March 7th's knees and gestured behind her with her other hand. Hugging the waist seemed a bit too intimate, so in the end, she settled for placing an arm around March 7th's exposed shoulders.

Without hesitation, March 7th skillfully adjusted the camera angle and decisively pressed the shutter.

When showing the photo to Lin Shuang, she asked curiously, "You can take photos while eating snacks?"

"Of course! Once I take a photo, I'll never forget it."

Hidden in those casual words was March 7th's deep attachment to memories. If someone didn't know her, they might not think too much of it. But Lin Shuang was someone who knew many "secrets."

So, she couldn't help but think a little deeper about it.

To be fair, Lin Shuang herself wasn't much different. In this world, she, too, had "no past."

"Oh, right! Lin Shuang, where did you live before coming to the Xianzhou?"

"Me?" Lin Shuang pondered for a moment and left out some key details.

Starting with "I woke up on a planet destroyed by a Stellaron," she briefly recounted her story.

Just as Lin Shuang finished, a notification flashed before her eyes:

[Target: March 7th]

[Favorability: 72 (Admiration and Empathy)]

[Relationship: None]

['Wow, so now you're using your tragic past to win people over? You're really a natural-born heartbreaker!']

Lin Shuang chose to ignore the system's commentary, but March 7th's favorability score was surprisingly high.

This was their first proper meeting today, yet it had already broken past 70.

Was March 7th just too trusting, or was she simply too open-hearted?

Lin Shuang figured it was because of the slightly dramatized version of her past that happened to resonate with March 7th's own circumstances.

Thinking back, she never even mentioned losing her memories. But from March 7th's perspective…

Lin Shuang may have retained her past memories, but she had still woken up all alone in a barren land.

What did it even mean to remember the past? The civilization of her planet had long since been annihilated, and her homeland had been reduced to ruins.

Was remembering really a blessing?

And according to what Lin Shuang described, that place was overrun with world-shattering creatures and the monsters of the Antimatter Legion.

If she hadn't been lucky enough to be picked up by a passing "Galaxy Ranger," she might not have even survived to see the wider galaxy.

Besides, that Galaxy Ranger had their own mission and had since headed off to Penacony.

Lin Shuang had been left to wander the cosmos alone.

Compared to that, March 7th reflected on her own situation. She had no past, but she had woken up on the Astral Express.

Surrounded by kind-hearted, mature people, and with the train's pioneering spirit aligning with her desire to explore life, she had never truly been alone.

Comparisons could be cruel.

Before, March 7th had always felt uneasy about her lack of a past. But after learning Lin Shuang's story, she suddenly realized just how lucky she was.

And with that realization, her favorability toward Lin Shuang soared.

Even when she eagerly suggested taking photos together, there was a deeper meaning behind it.

But despite her usual cheerfulness, March 7th wasn't the type to just blurt out what she was thinking.

So instead, she simply said she wanted some photos of Lin Shuang.

Lin Shuang, of course, had no clue what was going on in March 7th's head.

But regardless of what she was thinking, the system's evaluation made Lin Shuang feel a bit guilty.

Like a deceitful woman taking advantage of an innocent girl…

Before she could say anything, March 7th happily tapped her camera and grinned, "Oh, by the way! I secretly took some pictures of you before. Want to see them?"

Though she asked for permission, her hands had already moved to show the photos.

The image before Lin Shuang made her pause.

She looked like a true Herrscher of Flamescion.

If Old Yang saw this, he'd probably call her an expert.

The first photo in the album was a close-up of Lin Shuang.

Dressed in full armor, freshly landed on a platform, the flames on her body had yet to fade. She held her sword with a confident smile, while behind her, the Doomsday Beast lay obediently on the ground.

It was a shot March 7th had secretly taken right after Lin Shuang had tamed the creature.

The later photos showed more—scenes of Lin Shuang battling the Doomsday Beast in the sky, moments captured in the heat of the fight. Who knew what March 7th was thinking when she took those?

Had she really been so distracted that she started taking pictures?

There were also images of Lin Shuang standing at the main console alongside Mount No. 1, clearly taken earlier in the day.

"…"

Lin Shuang looked at the strangely familiar face in the photos, feeling a bit unsettled.

Having someone else capture her in battle and then showing her those pictures—it felt surreal.

Almost like watching a bizarre movie called "Kiana on the Astral Express."

After all, her armor and weapons were exactly the same.

She had grown used to this face, and her daily clothing was different from the real Kiana's. But even so, how could she forget her past self so easily?

That eerie sense of disconnect sometimes crept up when she looked in the mirror.

And these photos triggered the strongest wave of it yet.

"You took some good shots. Send me a copy later."

As she spoke, Lin Shuang pulled out her phone and exchanged contact information with March 7th.

"Hehe~ I'll even edit them for you!"

March 7th held her phone and laughed.

Silly, yet incredibly cute.

—

Just then—

A puppet, adorned in exquisite makeup and luxurious attire, walked toward them alone.

"I haven't been to the station in a few days, and it's already in this state?"

Herta muttered to herself, stopping in front of Lin Shuang, gazing down at her.

The doll-like figure had mature eyes, creating a strangely mesmerizing contrast.

Herta's puppet was far more lifelike than Lin Shuang had imagined.

Especially her face—it was so vivid that it was hard to believe she wasn't a real person.

Lin Shuang even suspected that the only reason her joints had such obvious spherical designs wasn't due to technological limitations.

It was probably because Herta didn't want the doll to look too real.