Collapse: The opening system captures the Herrscher of Knowledge

"Himeko-sensei in this world must be a kind person, right?"

Kiana☆ rested her chin on her hand, her eyes filled with anticipation for Himeko, and even her tone softened.

“Yes, Himeko is indeed gentle.” Fu Ming nodded in agreement, but then abruptly changed the subject: “But it’s best not to accept the coffee she offers.”

Fearing that Kiana☆ might be too soft-hearted to refuse, he quickly added, "Try to refuse if you can, and if you really can't... just call me."

"Why?" Kiana's eyes widened instantly, tilting her head in confusion. "Could it be that the coffee made by Himeko-sensei in this world is really bad?"

Fu Xiang recalled the visceral assault of that dark brown liquid she had been overwhelmed by last time, and couldn't help but shudder, her voice tinged with lingering fear:

"Well... it's probably on par with the food I cook."

Upon hearing this, Mei☆ lightly tapped her chin with her fingertips, her brows furrowing slightly, her tone as serious as if she were analyzing a battle situation:

"Then it seems that things are really bad."

After all, Fu Ming's cooking skills had long been an "unspeakable shadow" in the hearts of the group of women.

So, the group chatted amongst themselves about how to politely refuse without hurting anyone's feelings.

Fu Ming was caught in the middle, listening to their discussion, but his thoughts were quietly drifting away:

'I can't wait to see Walter tomorrow. I wonder what kind of expression he'll have on his face... Hehehehe.'

As he pondered this, Fu Ming couldn't help but let a wicked smile creep onto his lips.

He suddenly remembered something, lightly scratched his cheek with his fingertip, and muttered to himself, 'I wonder if that Rakshasa fellow read my letter to Walter.'

"What are you secretly laughing at, Ah Ming?" Alicia was the first to notice his little action, leaning closer to look at him with her head tilted. "Are you thinking about something interesting~?"

Fu Ming coughed lightly:

"It's nothing, you'll find out tomorrow."

Xiao Shi immediately noticed the mischievous smile he couldn't quite hide at the corner of his mouth, reached out and pinched his cheeks, pulling them apart, her tone teasing and accusing him:

"You're not thinking of ways to prank Walter, are you?!"

Fu Ming hissed in pain, quickly slapped her hand away, and rubbed his reddened cheek.

"Xiao Shi, can you read my mind?"

"Read my ass!" Xiao Shi rolled her eyes at him, but wasn't really angry. She just raised an eyebrow and asked, "Your little thoughts are practically written all over your face."

Upon hearing this, Mei☆ hesitated for a moment and said:

"Pranking Teacher Yang? That's not a good idea, after all, she's an elder."

Kiana☆ shook her head helplessly, but didn't stop her, only reminding her:

"Ah Ming, don't go too far. If you anger Uncle Yang, I won't be able to plead for you."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Fu Ming rubbed his cheek, his cunning even more pronounced. "At most, I'll let him reminisce about his 'lost youth,' that's not going too far."

Xiao Shi raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, her tone full of curiosity:

"What exactly are you planning to do? Give me a break."

"No way~" Fu Ming deliberately dragged out his words, lightly tapping Xiao Shi's forehead with his fingertip: "You two can just watch from the sidelines tomorrow."

"—But let me make this clear beforehand: if Walter tries to chase after me, you guys have to help me stop him."

"Why should I?" Xiao Shi slapped his hand away, but couldn't help asking curiously, "Tell me first, or I won't take care of you."

"This is definitely going to be interesting!"

Fu Ming patted his chest to assure her, but refused to say another word, his smile impossible to hide.

Tomorrow is destined to be a day that Walter will find 'unacceptable'.

By the porthole of the Starry Sky Train, Walter frowned slightly, his other hand unconsciously rubbing the tip of his nose, as if something had disturbed his thoughts.

Himeko walked over with two steaming cups of coffee, handed him one of them, and said in a slightly teasing tone:

"We'll be seeing Xiao Sanyue and the others soon, why do you look so preoccupied?"

Walter instinctively took the coffee, his fingertips touching the warmth of the cup. He frowned slightly and spoke, his tone carrying a hesitation he himself was unaware of:

"I don't know why, but I always feel uneasy, as if there's some 'surprise' waiting for me in Luofu."

Himeko leaned against the porthole with one hand, lightly tapping the rim of her cup with her fingertips. After a moment of contemplation, she smiled and joked:

"Maybe Xiao Sanyue has secretly prepared some surprise for us. Besides, Xiao Sanyue said that Fu Ming and Xiao Shi are also in Luofu."

"Fu Ming and the Herrscher of Consciousness, huh...?"

Walter nodded, then took a small sip, his face immediately stiffening.

The familiar taste, a mixture of bitterness and indescribable liquid, slid down his throat, causing him to instinctively furrow his brow. The panic he had felt earlier was somewhat overshadowed by the sensation.

He suppressed the discomfort in his throat, and when he put down the coffee cup, his fingertips were a little stiff. There was a hint of helplessness in his eyes as he looked at Himeko.

?————

The next day, Kiana☆ and the others followed March 7 to the port of the Starry Sea.

As soon as they reached the dock, they saw Himeko and Welt standing not far away. March 7th immediately waved his arm and shouted:

"Himeko! Uncle Yang! We're here!"

"Little March, I've finally waited for you all." Himeko smiled and waved to the group, her gaze sweeping across the crowd before lingering briefly on Kiana's face. She asked, "Hmm~ Aren't you going to introduce these ladies?"

"Of course! Little Shi doesn't need my introduction." March 7th instantly jumped into the middle of the group, stretching out her arms to put her arms around Kiana☆ and Sirin's shoulders, her eyes curving into crescents:

"This is Kiana☆, next to her is Sirin, Fu Ming's younger sister, and this is Raiden Mei☆—her cooking is amazing! And this is a beautiful girl with pink hair like me, named Alicia."

Walter's gaze fell on Sirin, he adjusted his glasses, his fingers unconsciously tightening their grip on his cane, his voice carrying a hint of uncertain confirmation:

"The Second Herrscher?"

Celine immediately put her hands on her hips, her eyes still showing undisguised disdain, and her tone even carried a hint of provocation:

"Hmph, are you nervous about seeing me?"

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. March 7th quietly tugged at Kiana☆'s sleeve and whispered:

"This atmosphere...it's weird. I wonder if Uncle Yang and Xilin are going to start a fight!"

Walter sighed softly, his tone carrying an indescribable complexity. He paused, his gaze scrutinizing Sirin as if confirming some change: "You look different than before."

Celine snorted coldly. She had nothing to talk about with Walter, so she turned her head away, ignoring Walter's hesitant gaze.

On the other side, Himeko's gaze swept over the faces of the group, finally settling on Kiana☆, her eyes softening slightly:

"Kiana☆......that name sounds quite familiar."

Kiana☆ blushed slightly, scratched her head a little shyly, and said softly:

"Himeko."

Walter also turned his gaze away from Sirin and onto Kiana☆ and Mei☆, his tone softening with a long-lost gentleness:

"Kiana☆, Mei☆, it's been a long time."

Mei☆ nodded slightly and responded gently:

"Teacher Yang, it's been a long time."

"Yes! Professor Yang, Dr. Tesla has been talking about you every day since you left."

Kiana☆ then smiled and leaned forward, mimicking Tesla's tone, deliberately raising her voice a little:

"That Joachim disappears as soon as he leaves. Does he even care about this family? Wait till he gets back, I'll teach him a lesson!"

"Uh......"

Walter's fingers, which were adjusting his glasses, paused for a moment. His lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and his tone, a mix of helplessness and amusement, concealed a subtle hint of nostalgia.

"She still has that fiery temper...that puts my mind at ease."

Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, before they could see him, they heard his voice and Sowalt instantly breathed out.

Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, before they saw the person, they heard a voice—a deliberately drawn-out melody drifted over from afar.