Knocking in the middle of something like this was no less than forcing a plane that had just taken off to make an emergency landing—the person involved would surely feel utterly frustrated and furious.
Therefore, when that damned knocking sound rang out, March 7th's movements paused, and her expression instantly darkened.
She was so close... Why did some tactless guy have to pop up at a time like this?!
Bang bang bang!
"Dan Heng? I know you're in there, kid. Come out and face your death quick! I'm gonna kill you!"
Bang bang bang!
"Come out quick! If you don't come out today, I won't leave here! Don't think you can muddle through by staying silent. Let me tell you, I have your location. Playing dead? Playing dead won't work! Come out for me now! Come out!"
Bang bang bang!
"...Hmph hahahahaha, still not talking? What, scared? Did the deed but can't own up to it? You had the guts to spread rumors about me, but no guts to face me? Quick! If you don't come out, the Cloud Knights will be here!"
Bang bang bang!
"Come on~ I've been waiting so long the flowers are wilting. Quick—"
Bang!
March 7th, unable to tolerate it any longer, shoved the door open. The door latch smacked right into that person's face, leaving a human-face indentation that looked like a certain nagging Stellaron Hunter.
"Little cutie, Dan Heng is in the next room! Get the hell out of here quick, you wuwuber!"
Bang!
After slamming the door shut again, March 7th took several deep breaths to adjust her raging mood. She turned back to Stelle with a smile. "Stelle, it's fine now. Be good, don't move around~"
Stelle's mouth was gagged with a sock, so she could only make muffled, terrified sounds: "Mmm mmm mmm, mm mmm!"
"Then I'm coming..."
Thud!
Just as March 7th was about to make her move, a muffled thud suddenly came from the wall connecting to Dan Heng's room. It sounded like the noise of something heavy colliding.
March 7th went silent for a moment, then chose to proceed anyway.
—" ...Hahahahaha! Of five people, three must pay a price! Dan Heng, do you know which three they are?"
"It's you, it's you, and damn it, it's you!"
Thud!
Amid a burst of laughter, another heavy impact sounded from next door.
"What the hell are you going crazy about now? I haven't updated lately because I've been busy!" Dan Heng's voice from next door was full of confusion as he said.
"Playing dumb when you know damn well. This rumor has spread all over the Luofu now! I heard it the moment I got off the ship. Who else knows about this besides you? Hm?"
"This rumor is uncannily similar to the content of your comics. You gonna say that's a coincidence? Hm?"
Thud thud thud—
Rhythmic impact sounds came from next door again.
Stelle desperately signaled March 7th with her eyes: March, it's too noisy next door. How about we do this another time? It'll affect the experience like this.
Who would have thought that this time, March 7th firmly shook her head: "No, Stelle. Haven't you noticed? Every time we're about to reach the final step, some force majeure factor always comes up to obstruct us."
"So this time, even if it's a bit noisy, I'll put up with it. They'll be done in a few minutes at most. We can spare that much time."
Stelle: "Mm mmm mmm, mm mmm mmm! (March, don't you care about Dan Heng's safety?)"
"Anyway, we're on the Xianzhou. What could happen to him? This time, I'm seeing it through to the end."
...
A few minutes earlier.
Sunday kept feeling a vague sense of ominous foreboding.
Due to his own sister's sudden visit, he hadn't seen the Stelle he longed for all day today. But fortunately, Miss March 7th didn't seem to have seen her either, which made him feel slightly relieved.
But after a heavy door-closing sound came from the room two doors over just now, his intuition told him: Something was ten or even nine parts wrong!
So, he quietly snuck up to Stelle's room door, pressed his ear to it, and listened intently to the conversation inside.
—"So this time, even if it's a bit noisy, I'll put up with it. They'll be done in a few minutes at most. We can spare that much time. Anyway, we're on the Xianzhou—what could happen to Dan Heng?"
Nani?!
Sunday was instantly furious. This guy was actually ignoring her companions' lives for her own selfish desires?
Didn't she know that if he were gone, Stelle would be in agony?
He had to stop her!
However, just as Sunday was about to crash through the door to stop all this, a strong hand suddenly grabbed him from behind.
Sunday paused, turned his head, and subconsciously said: "Miss Himeko?"
...
Still a few minutes earlier.
"Haa— Busy for nearly half a month, but good thing I made it back on the day the Luminary Wardance Contest starts."
Himeko and Welt walked side by side toward the VIP suites on this floor, chatting as they went: "I wonder if those young ones are having fun."
Welt chuckled: "With the festival atmosphere on the Luofu right now, it'd be hard not to have fun. Besides, there's Stelle anyway—if the Luminary Wardance Contest gets boring, they can always find her."
Himeko nodded: "That makes sense. Hey, how about we secretly check on what these young people are up to? We won't tell them we're back yet—give them a surprise, how about it?"
Welt clapped his hands: "Good good good, that's perfect. Let's go take a look."
And so, with that idea in mind, the two arrived outside the trio's rooms, just in time to run into Sunday, who was about to make his move.
"What are you doing?" Himeko asked, puzzled.
At her words, Sunday opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
Was he supposed to just tell these two that his Stelle was about to be heyy-hey-hey'd by March 7th? But it was well-known in the Astral Express crew that Stelle and March 7th had the best relationship. If he said it outright, these two might not help him.
Worse, they might even nod in agreement and drag him away, making him the "helpless secret admirer."
No, he had to find a way to trick them into leaving.
With that thought, Sunday squeezed out a smile and said: "Ah, Miss Stelle asked me to play a game with her. I'm here to find her."
"Play a game?" Welt said: "Doesn't she usually play with little March?"
Sunday: "...Fight the Landlord."
"What about Dan Heng?"
Sunday pointed to the room next door, where the battle was raging fiercely, and said: "He should be resting, I think? I'm not sure—probably already asleep."
The two suddenly understood and nodded. "That kid, sleepwalking even in his sleep. Whatever, it's best not to suddenly wake someone who's sleepwalking. Let's not disturb him for now."
Seeing that the two had bought his story, Sunday hurriedly changed the subject: "Sorry, I didn't prepare any reception since you two came back early. Ah, you must be tired from the trip, right? I've booked all the VIP guest rooms on this floor for your convenience to rest."
Welt shook his head with a smile: "No rush no rush. The reason we didn't say hello in advance was to see what you all were up to, then secretly prepare a surprise for you."
"Shh, keep it down. Let me listen to what Stelle and March are doing inside."
And so, under Sunday's tense gaze, Welt pressed his ear to the door and listened to the sounds within.
However, he'd only listened for a second when his expression changed drastically!