Chapter 157: All Strangers
N Floor, the “rooftop” of the Frontier, and the most unique observation deck of the Special Affairs Bureau Headquarters Building—even after passing through countless Doors and witnessing unimaginable vistas, Yu Sheng still found himself awestruck by the sight before him. A floating island suspended in the Chaos Void, with majestic streams of radiant energy flowing across the sky. The brilliance at the edge of this void stirred something within him—a fleeting thought of the edge of the world.
But perhaps that thought was less inspired by the scenery and more by the conversation at hand.
Yu Sheng swirled the ice cubes in his glass, watching the clear crystals clink against one another in the water. Only after a long silence did he speak: “I heard the world beyond the Frontier is vast—and through those Doors, I’ve glimpsed many faraway places. Li Lin and the others told me that even with the influence of the Special Affairs Bureau, it barely scratches the surface. Beyond the Bright River Nebula, who knows how many worlds await?”
“You’re absolutely right,” Bai Li Qing replied, calm and unhurried. “This world is enormous. Most living in the Frontier never give such matters a thought. But for people like us, long-term thinking is necessary. Still, even with all that considered, we’re over eighty percent certain that Miss Foxy hails from ‘Beyond the World,’ rather than some distant, undiscovered corner of this universe.”
Yu Sheng furrowed his brow. “Why?”
“The conclusion is multi-faceted,” Bai Li Qing answered patiently. “We analyzed samples of her fur—some components defy our understanding. We evaluated the civilization level of her so-called ‘homeland’ from her memories. If such a civilization existed in this universe, its remnants should be everywhere. The ripples of their cosmic voyages would leave traces across spacetime, even visible in background radiation. We even employed some methods rooted in Mysticism… Interested in hearing about them?”
“No need. It’s enough for me to know you reached this conclusion seriously,” Yu Sheng waved it off, falling into deep contemplation.
Miss Foxy’s homeland was distant. He had always known that. But he never imagined it could lie Beyond the World.
Back in that room earlier, when Bai Li Qing shared their findings and questioned Miss Foxy, Yu Sheng had already begun to suspect the truth. To an ordinary person, such a revelation might be unfathomable. But for him, it wasn’t beyond belief.
Because he, too, came from a “distant” place. In that way, he and Miss Foxy were very much alike—strangers in a strange land.
Yu Sheng pondered: whose homeland was truly farther away—his, or Miss Foxy’s? Which was harder to return to?
The quiet Coastal City in his memory—could it really be waiting behind some Door? And her faraway home—could she also someday cross a crack in the world to return?
If her homeland was Beyond the World… what about his?
Was that little seaside town truly part of this world at all?
In the end… was this “world,” including the Frontier, even what he thought it was anymore?
Bai Li Qing said nothing. She merely sat across from Yu Sheng in silence, her colorless eyes fixed on him, not looking away for a moment.
And in her vision, another pair of ethereal eyes slowly opened in the distance—as colorless and illusory as hers, shimmering like reflections within the Chaos Void. They, too, were observing the contemplative Yu Sheng.
A voice devoid of emotion echoed in Bai Li Qing’s mind: “How strange… I’m looking right at him, yet I still can’t discern what he truly is. It’s like he isn’t really here, and yet his presence is overwhelming. He really is fascinating, Big Sis.”
Bai Li Qing’s expression didn’t change. She replied inwardly, “Don’t do anything reckless. Don’t cause any misunderstandings.”
“It’s fine. No one can see a ‘gaze,'” the eyes replied coolly. “I’m just satisfying my curiosity.”
Yu Sheng turned his head briefly, then looked back at Bai Li Qing and gestured behind him. “That your friend?”
Bai Li Qing: “…?!?!”
Yu Sheng was startled—mostly because he’d always assumed Bai Li Qing was as stoic as a statue. He never expected this Steel Faced Expressionless Big Sister to widen her eyes like that.
A moment later, Bai Li Qing blurted, “You can see her?!”
“Uh… was I not supposed to?” Yu Sheng asked, baffled. He pointed at himself, confirming that the enormous eyes behind him had indeed been staring, and then turned around to greet them. “Hi, I’m Yu Sheng. You are…”
And in that instant, the eyes vanished.
Yu Sheng blinked in surprise.
He had noticed the eyes behind him from the very beginning. After all, the thing made no attempt to conceal itself and occupied a large area—it was easily caught by the corner of his eye. Truth be told, Yu Sheng had been startled at first, but his nerves quickly settled when he saw Bai Li Qing’s face remain unchanged. From her gaze, he knew she had also seen the massive “eye.”
He relaxed immediately. After all, he’d encountered plenty of strange, Heretical Abominations in Boundary City. So his first instinct was to assume the eye was just another local “phenomenon.” But judging by Bai Li Qing’s reaction now, Yu Sheng began to think he might have been wrong…
Bai Li Qing froze—longer than she ever had since becoming the Special Affairs Bureau Commander. It took her a good while to regain her composure. She ignored the constant noise buzzing through her mind and addressed Yu Sheng directly.
“You’re the first to see her—besides me.”
Yu Sheng opened his mouth, genuinely confused and a bit embarrassed. “I… had no idea. She was just floating there… She’s your friend? An invisible one? Who is she?”
Bai Li Qing looked conflicted. After a long internal struggle, she sighed. “She’s my Younger Sister.”
Now it was Yu Sheng’s turn to be speechless.
[…What?]
He almost said, “She really has a unique face,” but thought better of it.
Sensing Bai Li Qing didn’t want to elaborate for outsiders, he quickly coughed and changed the subject. “Ahem, looks like there’s a story there. I won’t pry. But why did she suddenly appear? And why did she leave the moment I said hi? Did I scare her off?”
“Yes,” Bai Li Qing answered with a sigh.
“…Could you apologize to her for me, then?”
“Alright.”
Yu Sheng felt that the Steel Faced Expressionless Big Sister before him looked a bit weary.
He shook his head, downed the ice water in one gulp, exhaled deeply, and stood up from the sofa.
“I’ll be heading back.”
“Don’t want to ask more?” Bai Li Qing looked at him curiously.
“Ask more? About what?” Yu Sheng spread his hands. “About Miss Foxy, or your Younger Sister?”
He chuckled, shaking his head gently. “I know what I need to. I won’t pry into your private matters. As for Miss Foxy… unless we really find her homeland and a way to send her back, I don’t care much about the rest.”
Saying this, Yu Sheng started walking toward the nearby “elevator.” But after a few steps, he suddenly paused, turned around, and looked back at Bai Li Qing.
“Wait, there is one thing. You said just now that Miss Foxy and those ‘Dark Angels’ came from ‘outside,’ right?”
“Yes,” Bai Li Qing didn’t dodge the question. Her follow-up was also forthright. “But we only know that Beyond The World, something exists. As for what ‘outside’ actually is, we know nothing—not the origins or goals of the Dark Angels, nor any clues about Miss Foxy’s homeland.”
“Hmm.” Yu Sheng seemed uninterested in the latter part. He simply nodded, then added thoughtfully, “If any intelligence comes up related to the Dark Angels in the future, could you inform me immediately?”
Bai Li Qing was caught off guard. She looked at him, hesitating for two seconds. “You want to…”
“I promised to send her home. Even if she says it doesn’t matter… I want her to at least have the option,” Yu Sheng said seriously. “I don’t care where the Dark Angels came from or what they want. But the way they carved that ‘tunnel’ into our world… that has my attention. And if it turns out Miss Foxy and her Father and Mother crashed into Night Valley because of the Dark Angels—then I have a score to settle.”
Bai Li Qing looked at him quietly. No one could tell what she was thinking. But after a moment, she nodded.
“Very well. Since you asked directly, the Special Affairs Bureau will prioritize sharing this intel with the Hotel.”
“Thanks.”
“Let me just say one more thing,” Bai Li Qing added after a moment of thought. “You care a lot about the people around you, don’t you? You must know dealing with Dark Angels is incredibly dangerous.”
“I know. People have warned me many times,” Yu Sheng smiled, though there was a hint of helplessness in it. “But what can I do? She calls me Benefactor—and in this world, she has no other family.”
“I understand.”
Bai Li Qing nodded and said nothing more.
But perhaps it was just a trick of the light, or perhaps it wasn’t. Yu Sheng could’ve sworn the Female Bureau Chief before him looked just a bit… lighter, as if a burden had eased from her shoulders.