The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

Xiu Xingmeng, who had already repeated this sentence many times, said it weakly.

"No, if I let you go, you'll run away in the next second!"

"Good Opera," he said cheerfully, showing no sign of reducing the force in his hands.

"But I still need to go home..."

Standing at the entrance of Treson Academy, Xiu Xingmeng pointed helplessly ahead.

"Why don't I just go back with you?"

Good Opera tilted its head, seemingly wondering why Xiu Xingmeng would have such a question.

"Don't you live in the dorm? I don't want to see the dorm manager rush to my house and drag you back..."

"What does it matter! The Overlord is an exception!"

Just as the two were entangled, three figures arrived behind them. With a loud cough, Xiu Xingmeng and Hao Geju's attention was also drawn to them.

"Hey, you harassing the horse racer!"

"I will do it in the name of a top-notch racehorse girl!"

"I will sanction you."

Looking at the trio whose tone was completely different and who were posing in strange ways, Xiu Xingmeng's mind was in complete chaos.

"Roar! How dare you approach the Overlord?"

Good Opera showed a rather interested smile after seeing the three members of Narita Road.

Right at the gates of Treson Academy, under the watchful eyes of all the racehorse girls, the battle for the Embroidered Star Dream is about to begin—

?

Chapter Forty-Eight: Look Behind You Again

"Good opera student, as the class monitor, I can't just stand by and watch you go astray!"

Narita spoke first, saying that as the most responsible member of the trio, she had to protect Xiuxingmeng at this moment!

"I'm not even in your class! How can the so-called class monitor control the tyrant!"

With her hands on her hips, Good Opera used her inexplicable confidence to unleash a powerful punch that instantly defeated Naritaji.

Saint King's Halo silently caught her from behind Narita Road, gave his companion a trusting look, and then walked up to her.

"Good opera girl, your behavior is so inelegant! As a top-notch racehorse girl, I have to correct you!"

"Ha! A true king doesn't need to follow the etiquette set by others! So does I, the overlord of the end of the century!"

Looking at the confident and eloquent opera singer, the Holy King's Halo was about to open his mouth when he suddenly lost his strength when he thought of the other party's record and what he had done to Xiuxing Dream in the dream world for a G1.

The second eliminated contestant appeared; the Holy King's Halo was defeated by the foolish self in the dream world!

At this point, only Orihime remains of the trio. Faced with the high hopes placed on her by her two companions, can she overcome the challenges of the opera?

The admiring Orihime stepped forward and stared blankly at Good Opera, while Good Opera returned a rather flamboyant smile.

A tense atmosphere was building between the two, causing the racehorse girls around them to slow down, eager to witness this earth-shattering battle.

Even Xiu Xingmeng, who was in the eye of the storm, quietly retreated to the side, wanting to see what other trouble these guys could cause.

Just as Xiu Xingmeng focused all her attention on admiring Zhi Ji and enjoying opera, a pair of large hands quietly reached out from behind and grabbed Xiu Xingmeng by the back of the neck, quickly taking her away from the scene.

"Who is coming!"

Upon seeing this, the opera singer rushed forward to stop them, but was unable to pick up speed because there were too many female racehorses watching.

"Such fast movements..."

Ai Mu Zhi Ji squinted at the figure who had already run to the school gate, opened the car door, and stuffed Xiu Xing Meng inside, and said in a low voice.

"This is kidnapping!! Are you sure it's okay if we don't go?!"

Narita, who hadn't seen the newcomer's face clearly, anxiously pulled his companions and said something, while Saint King Halo stared blankly at the departing car and slowly said something.

"Mother?"

"You don't need to call her 'Mom' if you've never pursued her!"

Narita looked at the Holy King's halo in shock and said, while his beloved Orihime shook her head helplessly before explaining.

“That is truly the mother of the Holy King’s Halo.”

That's right, it was none other than the mother of the Holy King's Halo, the world-class racehorse girl Yumai.

Because of the strange expression on her daughter's face after returning home yesterday, Yongwu, who also had a dream, keenly noticed the problem from her daughter's words and actions.

Today, while Saint King's Halo and the others were at school, Yongwu had already investigated all the information about Xiuxingmeng.

At that moment, having been staking out the school gate for several hours, she seized the opportunity and took Xiu Xingmeng away.

This is the wisdom of the older generation of horse racing women!

Xiu Xingmeng was pulled into the car by Yongwu without her even realizing it and was taken to a high-end restaurant. She only came to her senses when the waiter led her to the table that had been reserved in advance.

"that……"

Xiu Xingmeng hesitated for a moment. After all, the racehorse girl in front of her had been her mother for several years, but now she was a stranger and had brought her here. She really didn't know what to say.

Fortunately, the truly mature Yongwu had anticipated this, and she smiled as she tied a napkin around Xiuxingmeng's neck before speaking slowly.

"Xiaomeng, actually I'm your mom's friend."

These words were like a thunderbolt, shattering all of Xiu Xingmeng's thoughts about Yongwu's actions. She could only stare blankly at Yongwu, waiting for her to explain.

"Because your mother suddenly lost contact with us all back then, and no one at Treson College could find her."

"I only recently learned about her situation, and I never expected that she would encounter something like that."

Yongwu feigned a melancholy expression, which unconsciously drew Xiuxingmeng to her words.

"You...know my mother?"

Xiu Xingmeng vaguely remembered that her mother had indeed mentioned that she had attended Treson College, but apart from that, her mother had never revealed anything about her past to her.

Could it be that Yongwu will become the medium through which he learns about his mother's past?

"Of course, we were good friends back then."

“If she hadn’t deliberately cut off contact with everyone back then, I might have become your godmother.”

Looking at Xiu Xingmeng, who was gradually becoming attracted to her, Yongwu's eyes revealed a hint of joy.

Her words contained both truth and falsehood. Yongwu did know Xiuxingmeng's mother, but they didn't have such a good relationship as she claimed.

Ultimately, Yongwu only stayed in Tressen as an exchange student for a short time back then, so how could she have had the time to become such good friends with Xiuxingmeng's mother?

He might not even be as familiar with her as the owner of that coffee shop near Tresson.

However, this informational advantage was enough for Yongwu to gain Xiuxingmeng's trust.

Moreover, Xiu Xingmeng has memories from the script world, so she wasn't wary of Yongwu and the others.

What was your mother like in the past?

Having already believed Yongwu's words, Xiuxingmeng asked with some curiosity what kind of past her mother, who had single-handedly raised her from an orphan, had.

"She?"

Yongwu put her finger to her lips, as if recalling their past, but in reality she was just thinking about the intelligence information she had found.

"She's a pretty amazing racehorse girl, with great talent. If she hadn't left Treson, she might have achieved a lot."

"It's a pity. If she hadn't deliberately cut ties with the past, I wouldn't have stood by and watched you all live like that."

As Xiu Xingmeng listened, completely absorbed, Yongwu suddenly grasped her hands.

"Xiao Meng, it must have been very hard for you to keep going all this time on your own."

Hearing Yongwu's words, Xiuxingmeng was speechless. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't suffering. At that time, she had to study hard for the Treisen exam while also taking care of her mother.

Watching the numbers on her bank card gradually decrease, Xiu Xingmeng, filled with anxiety, could only try her best to find time to work part-time and earn money.

Unfortunately, this amount of money was just a drop in the bucket; otherwise, Xiu Xingmeng wouldn't have taken such a gamble and signed up for the debut competition with almost no preparation.

For Xiu Xingmeng at that time, she had truly reached a dead end.

"So, let me take care of you in place of your mother, okay?"

Holding Xiu Xingmeng's hand, Yongwu said sincerely that she had said many ambiguous things today, but this sentence was undoubtedly the most sincere word from Yongwu's heart.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Struggle

From that strange dream to today's investigation and stakeout, and even those seemingly true yet false words at the dinner table just now, everything was a prelude for Yongwu to say those words.

After accepting the dream, she already regarded Xiu Xingmeng as her own daughter.

She absolutely could not accept that her daughter would live in such a dilapidated place, sign up for competitions to earn medical expenses, or let injuries affect Xiu Xingmeng's dreams. Otherwise, the tragic ending in her dream might reappear.

Yongwu would never allow such an ending.

Therefore, Yongwu will take care of Xiuxingmeng in place of her mother.

In her eyes, Xiu Xingmeng was still a child, and no matter how capable she was, she shouldn't have to bear such a heavy future.

Holding Xiuxingmeng's hands, Yongwu could feel the sweat on her own hands from nervousness. Even after seeing the vast world, this world-class racehorse girl was still uneasy because of Xiuxingmeng's response.

But there's nothing shameful about it. This is proof that Yongwu loves Xiuxingmeng. Because he loves her, he looks forward to her answer. Because he loves her, he is anxious about the answer and feels uneasy because he is afraid of hurting her.

Seemingly sensing this affection, Xiu Xingmeng, who had been being led astray by Yongwu's words, suddenly grasped her hand and said something.

"Being able to transfer that feeling of concern for her close friend to her daughter as well."

"Even if they are complete strangers, they can still make a vow to take on each other's lives."

Xiu Xingmeng, who personally shouldered the burden of her mother's life, could certainly understand the profound meaning behind those words. She believed that Yongwu, who had been through many years of experience in society, would not be unaware of this, but the fact that Yongwu could still say those words made Xiu Xingmeng very happy.

On the one hand, Yongwu's character made Xiuxingmeng feel that she had not misjudged her; she was still the excellent mother in her heart.

On the other hand, Xiu Xingmeng was genuinely happy for her to know that her mother had such a close friend who was even willing to dedicate time, energy, and money to taking care of her child.

Her mother taught Xiu Xingmeng what unconditional love was, but in Xiu Xingmeng's eyes, her mother was also lonely except for herself.

Hearing that her mother had a close friend was the happiest thing for Xiu Xingmeng today.

"I really...thank you so much."

Looking directly into Yongwu's eyes, Xiuxingmeng smiled.

Seeing that smile, Yongwu already knew what her answer was.

She really wanted to refute it, to say that they were not complete strangers, that they had an inseparable bond in another world, and that taking care of Xiu Xingmeng was not a burden for Yongwu, but an opportunity to write a beautiful ending herself, a possibility for her to change the tragic ending.

But looking at that smile, Yongwu suddenly couldn't say the words she had been holding back.

She felt as if she had returned to that coffee shop, where the person who had made a vow to her and invited her to witness the brilliance of the Dream of Embroidered Stars was now standing there.

She had the same look in her eyes back then.

Didn't we already know that?

Once she's made a decision, nothing can sway her.

For a moment, Yongwu instinctively wanted to escape again, just like she had done in the dream world, pretending not to see anything, hoping that things would turn out well on their own?

but--

Yongwu gritted her teeth, remembering that tragic ending. Did she have to accept that cold tombstone? That stone wasn't her daughter. The steadfast, gentle person radiating life before her was the real Xiuxingmeng.

Did he have to see that tombstone devour his daughter again?

Absolutely not!

"I understand."

She closed her eyes, but her words did not end.

"But I can't just stand by and watch my friend's daughter live like that!"

When Yongwu opened her eyes, her crimson eyes seemed to be burning with a dazzling light. Having been worn down by society after leaving the arena and forgotten her past sharpness, she once again recalled the brilliance of that time.

Now, there's no need to add the prefix "world-class" to her name anymore.

The word "brave dance" is enough.

"I will pay all her medical expenses from now on, upgrade her to the best ward, hire the best doctors, and naturally, the best caregivers!"