"Which card is Tilan preparing to draw?" Ores raised the five cards in her hand, her eyes filled with anticipation and interest.
In the lounge, four songstresses sat around on cushions, playing the ga of Old Maid. Since songstresses could understand each other's emotions, this card-drawing ga beca a battle of wits, testing their emotional perception and ability to mask feelings.
"Is it this one?" Tilan placed her finger on one of the cards and asked Ores.
"Take a guess~" Ores blinked, her emotions seeming like an agile rabbit, making it hard for Tilan to catch.
"It's probably this one." Shui Yanqing, sitting nearby, strategized for Tilan, feeling that Ores was too happy at the mont, and it must be the dreaded joker.
"I think whatever card Tilan draws, Ores will still be happy, so it's impossible to guess." Blanchi, kneeling on the side, seed to be giving up in defeat.
"How about this one?" Tilan thought for a mont, then changed her selection.
"I won't reveal the answer, hmph," Ores declared, unwilling to easily expose her true thoughts.
"Is that so."
Tilan considered, then closed her eyes. Her fingers began moving again, gently skimming across the cards in Ores' hand.
Following her sensory perception outward, Ores' lively, dynamic emotions slowly erged in Tilan's mind, growing clearer.
Several seconds later, when Tilan's finger moved to the far-right card, it was as if a drop of water sent ripples through her consciousness. Though subtle, she managed to catch it.
This must be it, Tilan thought, opened her eyes, and drew the card.
"It's the joker! Ah, Ores' sche has succeeded." Blanchi exclaid in surprise upon seeing the card's design.
"Tilan couldn't have done it intentionally, could she?" Shui Yanqing felt Ores' luck was almost too good to be true.
The four laughed and bantered again, with Blanchi soon shouting to start another round.
As the group continued their lively ga, the door in the distance opened. Idrylia walked into the lounge hall with Prin, catching sight of the scene.
"They all seem so happy," Prin said with a hint of envy.
"Do you want to join them?" Idrylia turned her head and asked.
"Uh, I'd like to, but I think I'll pass," Prin replied, moving to lean against the wall with both hands behind her head.
"Is it because I'm here, and you feel awkward?" Idrylia could tell that Prin wasn't as indifferent as she appeared.
"Well… maybe just a little."
Despite wanting to find another excuse, Prin knew lying in front of a seasoned senior would only embarrass herself and decided to admit it offhandedly.
"I'm not the type to completely disregard others' feelings. When you're relaxing and having fun, I wouldn't rashly disrupt the atmosphere," Idrylia shook her head.
After that, she moved to sit on a nearby sofa. The two watched the group play their card ga while chatting about them.
"You and Tilan are from the sa Star Domain and had quite a bit of interaction in high school. You probably know her pretty well."
"Fairly well." Prin recalled scenes from five years ago.
Back then, she had just started her first year of high school, full of youthful exuberance. As a songstress, she enjoyed so fa and loved thrilling and novel experiences. So, when Yulanduoja suggested she perform in Payin City, she eagerly agreed, seeking an opportunity for an exciting surprise performance.
As expected, the process was exhilarating. Equipped with a heavy aircraft, she and her companions arrived over Payin City, then descended with their staging equipnt like ground-penetrating missiles, bursting through the deep cavernous entrance. It was endlessly thrilling, and that concert remained one of her favorite performances over those two years.
After the performance high subsided, she t Tilan for the first ti. To be honest, she didn't spend much effort paying attention to this junior at the ti. Her thoughts were filled with crafting today's adrenaline and passion into a song and lody. Their eting only involved a few pleasantries and gifting a token before swiftly departing.
The next ti she and Tilan genuinely understood each other was during a club rivalry on the bridge, which marked the beginning of seeing her as a songstress rival on par with herself.
There was no denying Tilan's astonishing growth speed. Within a few years, she had outperford Prin in the Winter Festival Tournant, and throughout their high school years, the two faced off several tis. Later, under Yulanduoja's guidance, they dined and hung out together, fostering a closer bond.
However, their camaraderie contained a significant competitive elent. Being songstresses from the sa Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, they were naturally subject to public comparison. Prin refused to lag behind Tilan indefinitely, which fueled her determination and diligence upon entering college, especially in her developnt as a songstress.
"When I first t Tilan… it's hard not to overlook her past."
"At the ti, she was so lacking in confidence, almost timid. It was probably due to her previous experiences," Prin recalled the matter involving Temisia.
"Her major shift happened during high school, but since we didn't attend the sa school, I don't know the details." Prin then gradually recounted stories about Tilan's sister and her family's ordeal. Compared to the polished and edited news coverage, Prin, a forr student of the Six Academies, had deeper insights.
"It was all so complicated," Idrylia murmured, her gaze lingering on the black-haired girl in the distance for a long ti.
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