Chapter 412: Beach Concert, Gifts, Farewell

The waves hit the rocks, and the singing became more and more beautiful. One whale after another leaped into the air and then fell back with a loud splash, sending thousands of sparkling droplets flying. After they fell, they happily swam around, popping their big heads out of the water.

The shrine maiden was imitating a Sakura Idol playing the drums. She looked very serious as she matched the song of the Pure White Witch, beating out a lively rhythm. Curiously, she glanced at the dolphins that had swum to the edge, scared by the whales, and at the many sea birds that had taken off in surprise.

Despite being frightened, the little animals still lingered nearby, casting disapproving glances at the mischievous whales.

The little sea lion rolled around on the beach, basking in the sun.

The little penguin waddled around with its head shaking, circling happily around Honey Qing.

Seagulls, albatrosses, and other birds circled in the sky, flew nearby, or simply perched quietly on the guitar case lying on the side.

Sperm whales, humpback whales, dolphins, swordfish, seals, and even orcas…

These sea creatures, who had once regarded each other as food or enemies, now all looked very cute under the spell of the singing, like children trying to be good in front of their mother, unwilling to show any meanness. Even when competing for better seats to listen, they did it in a sneaky and gentle manner, like little tricksters.

Alright, alright, they would rather pretend than incur Little Qing’s dislike.

The shrine maiden laughed, commenting that the Pure White Succubus’s singing attack was truly frightening.

Even without using magic, the natural wave of emotion allowed the song to convey Chu Yuanqing’s thoughts, feelings, character, and true self, making the sea animals who liked her seem orderly and “purely good,” reminiscent of Little Yuanxiao, a bit sly.

After more than ten minutes, several gentle and soft songs, including a song called “Raspberry in Late Winter,” were all finished.

Chu Yuanqing looked up at the nearby little animals that hadn’t run away but had instead gathered more and more as if they were still calling their friends. Blinking in confusion, she muttered to herself,

“Strange, the wave of feelings covered more than ten kilometers, and the disaster aura in this area and on these little guys should have been removed.”

The shrine maiden put away the pretend drum set, floated to the sea surface, and looked at the group of black-and-white, big-headed ocean street kids. She tapped the most lively and mischievous orca with her drumsticks and playfully said,

“Why did you bring all your family and friends here? The disaster aura is gone, and Little Qing and I are leaving soon. You should all go back to the sea and play. Don’t linger here.”

After that, the shrine maiden, now acting as Honey Qing’s manager, floated to the other side, petted the heads of a few dolphins and seals, and confidently scolded the groups of sea creatures who had summoned their friends:

“And you all! Did you buy tickets? Bringing your whole family here! Aren’t you afraid of being eaten by orcas? Go back! You’re too young to be star-chasing, hurry home!”

In response, these little animals were not afraid at all. Those close by rubbed up against the ghost shrine maiden, while the ones farther away chirped. Some even clumsily performed tricks. The clever ones pretended to be silly, while the goofy ones acted cute, clearly proud as if to say, “No bad thing would hurt us in front of Honey Qing.”

Alright, alright, not afraid at all of being a buffet for the orcas and just sticking around, huh?

The shrine maiden stood in midair, hands on her hips, threatening,

“Little animals, do you think you can listen to the concert without buying tickets? Be careful, or I’ll turn you all into seafood barbecue!”

In response, a few orcas rolled in the sea. They flipped over and happily chirped a few times, as if to say that as five or six-ton children, they were not scared of being made into barbecue.

Chu Yuanqing’s eyes curved happily, and she smiled, her lips lifting. She laughed softly, hesitated for a moment, strummed the strings with her fingertips, turned her head slightly, and looked at the little animals and the shrine maiden. Then she asked,

“Shall we sing for a little while longer?”

The shrine maiden glanced back and smiled, showing no objections.

For those who shine naturally, shining brightly doesn’t make them tired. Even if they don’t use magic, don’t enter the Heart Flow, aren’t praised by stars, or remembered by people, they can still spread warmth, like… the sun that shines on everyone.

Besides, Little Qing really liked these little animals.

During the great disaster when Chu Yuanying was born, there was nothing alive left in the sea, only zombies and monsters controlled by disaster genes. So now, looking at these little animals felt fresh and friendly.

The shrine maiden cleared her throat, imitating a funny performer from Little Sakura’s memory. She floated seriously into the air and, facing a group of sea animals who couldn’t understand human speech, loudly declared:

“Be happy! This is a special ocean concert just for little animals, held by a super idol!”

As soon as she finished, little fans from the sea splashed waves and made different sounds in reply. The smart ones happily spun around and danced, while the silly ones just smiled simply.

The shrine maiden quietly took out her phone to take pictures.

Chu Yuanqing felt much happier. She decided to play some cheerful, simple rock music. The guitar in her hands turned into an electric guitar that didn’t need power.

The intro of “FREEDOM” flowed like water. The rising emotion felt like a sudden burst. Her clear, bright voice began to sing cool, rebellious lyrics. The mix of American rock and blues made the little animals start to nod their heads and move with the music.

Although she never got the chance to debut or take part in the follow-up filming of “Dazzling Stage” and later big tours, she never stopped learning music and dance for her last big moment on stage, which was her only chance left.

Luckily, because the feeling of emptiness numbed the pain of the curse, she could put more emotion into her music than before, and she had more energy to study and improve. Whether singing, dancing, playing instruments, or being an idol in every way, she kept getting better.

Even as her life slowly came to an end, the fire that burned freely inside her helped her discover a special talent. Lately, her street dances became more like improvisations, and sometimes her singing mixed with her own music arrangements, slowly turning her into a stronger dancer, singer, and idol.

Now, in front of this pure group of listeners, her singing and playing became more spontaneous. She shared some shy, simple melodies she was too embarrassed to show on the street, all in this quiet, empty place.

The little animals couldn’t tell if the music was good or bad, they just knew Chu Yuanqing’s singing sounded nice and made them happy. They started tapping the waves in rhythm, like waving glow sticks at a concert.

When the exciting rock music reached its peak, a few young killer whales, not watched well by their mothers, happily swam closer. Riding the waves, they rushed to the shore and got stuck in the shallow water.

The shrine maiden floated over without a word and tried pushing them for a long time. But her gentle touch, like giving massages, couldn’t move the young whales at all, so Chu Yuanqing nearby had to step in to help.

Pure White Witch pushed the young whales back into the sea. Seeing many little animals gathered nearby, she picked a whale’s head to sit on and moved from the shore into the water to start a moving concert.

The music show went on until sunset. Far away, the horizon and the sun met, the rising and falling tides matched the sad evening. The sparkling golden and red light stretched as far as the eye could see.

Chu Yuanqing put away her guitar and gently patted the little animals on their heads one by one, telling them not to follow her anymore. Then, with everyone reluctantly saying goodbye, she left the sea area, returned to the beach, and walked back to the quiet seaside town. She found a restaurant and sat down.

Opening the menu, she saw there were very few ordinary dishes; most were seafood.

Pure White Witch hesitated for a moment, then picked some shrimp and crabs that had not been part of the earlier concert by looking at the pictures. She then took out a worn handwritten music sheet from her bag and started correcting it with a pencil, sometimes tuning her guitar and playing a little.

She looked like a music student troubled by a final project or like an artist seeking inspiration through travel.

The shrine maiden sat across from her. Sometimes she kindly gave suggestions, sometimes she smiled silently, quietly watching her friend.

The restaurant owner saw how she looked and gave her an extra serving of sugar pudding. She came over with a musical instrument and warmly started chatting, sharing stories about music.

Chu Yuanqing listened carefully. The owner was a broad, middle-aged woman with bright red hair. Though her features were faded, she had once been beautiful. She held a traditional Hawaiian string instrument, an old ukulele.

Probably because there were few customers nearby and many neighbors had moved away, she was very friendly and talkative. When talking about music, she spoke about her favorite international stars, youthful loves, funny college stories, strange travel tales, and played local folk songs. She told old seaside legends that no one listened to anymore.

Chu Yuanqing understood all the language. She spoke with some hesitation but could communicate well. She was about the same age as the owner, so their conversation felt natural.

Maybe finding the two of them chatting interesting, the shrine maiden quietly took out her phone nearby to take pictures and videos. It made people curious about what kind of reaction the owner would have if it was posted on TikTok.

Chu Yuanqing was used to the shrine maiden filming and didn’t feel uncomfortable. She peeled shrimp and ate vegetables while chatting with the talkative red-haired boss. They had a few drinks, were given two more pitchers of beer, and a piece of apple pie.

When they left the restaurant, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

Goodbyes among adults are always as casual as the wind. Even after drinking, talking, and singing a few songs together, leaving is never slow or hesitant.

The red-haired boss watched the person who looked like a fairy or a god slowly melt into the moonlight like a bubble. She felt the alcohol making her more cheerful. She picked up the ukulele and softly sang a seaside folk song, filled with joy and sadness in her voice.

By the ferry at the harbor,

The girl’s dark blue-green long hair flowed down like a waterfall. Her wide sleeves moved gently, making her figure seem graceful and dreamy in the moonlight, like a magical fairy. She walked beside Chu Yuanqing, looking at the rising and falling tide, and smiled, saying:

“Today left us with nice memories.”

Chu Yuanqing stepped up the stairs and entered the ferry bound for another country, nodding and saying;

“Hmm, the little animals are very cute. Does Miyuki feel happy?”

The shrine maiden blinked and replied:

“Yes, I feel happy. So, let’s stay happy like this from now on. We will also go to many more fun and interesting places together.”

“By the way, this time we are going to Liuli’s hometown. What does Little Qing plan to do there?”

Chu Yuanqing was a little surprised when she heard this. She smiled, looked down, and touched the strap of the guitar case. Then she said:

“Well, I am interested in the place where Liuli was born. I just want to take a look.”

The shrine maiden thought for a moment.

This sounds like when Honey Qing visited Little Sakura’s hometown to see her family.

The only difference is that Liuli’s grandparents and even her parents have already passed away.

Grandpa and grandma’s generation broke ties with Liuli’s mom early on because of her mental health problems. There aren’t many childhood memories of Liuli in Gloria; it’s just where she was born.

But compared to their many properties around the world and several villas in Daxia that are always maintained but never lived in, Gloria at least has her parents’ gravestones, so it’s somewhat connected.

The shrine maiden thought of this and asked:

“So, do we still need to go see Little Xuan’s parents later?”

“Hmm, I always feel like they won’t be as easy to get along with as my own parents.”

Right after the shrine maiden spoke, she glanced at Pure White Succubus’s lovely profile, then quietly tucked her worries away. No matter what kind of characters Little Xuan’s parents are, if Little Qing takes the initiative to visit, just showing her face will be enough—no need to overthink it.

It would be the same on Dongliu Island.

If Chu Yuanqing randomly knocked on someone’s door and said she wanted to stay for a few days,

No matter if the people inside were shut-ins, busy workers, older comic artists, eccentric women, kind elders, or gloomy uncles, they would all awaken a longing for something beautiful and bring out the purest kindness inside, making it easy to enjoy free food and drinks.

Even if the stars and all the people in the world forget each other, the world can still show a simple and lovely face in front of her.

The shrine maiden thought of the recent movie about gods she watched with Honey Qing and felt very touched. A fox spirit that is not pretty is a monster; a fox spirit that is very beautiful is a sign of good luck. Honey Qing belongs to a level beyond good luck.

Hmm, this cruise ticket to the nearby island country was a gift from a wandering artist who was watching street performances today.

The shrine maiden was already used to this.

When the Pure White Witch danced and sang on the street, she always received many strange gifts. Even though she didn’t want to take expensive things, she liked to keep some odd little trinkets.

Like smooth stones from a little girl, old crystal crafts that were not worth much, antique coins from a country that no longer existed, pretty little wooden boxes with no real use, glass beads with Hello Kitty inside, and a red and blue accordion that looked like it was from Mario…

Now in her guitar case, these little gifts were more than all her own luggage.

Chu Yuanqing didn’t know what to do with these things, but sometimes when she unpacked at night, she would take them out to look at them, as if counting the marks left on the world again, or tasting the love many people had given her.

The shrine maiden always looked at these “collections” with her, naming who gave each one and joking about the givers and receivers, smiling happily.

Chu Yuanqing carried her guitar case, full of the whole world, swiped her card to enter the room. The cruise ship was very fancy, much better than the old inn she stayed in yesterday. She walked into the bathroom and took off her clothes.

Halfway undressing, she took out a shell from her pocket. It was not too big or too small, with a fancy spiral pattern but a simple look.

It was a gift from the little sea dog.

Chu Yuanqing lowered her eyes and smiled quietly. She put the shell into her guitar case collection, making it one piece holding her memories.

Then, she washed with hot water, rinsing away the salty sea smell. She sat at the table, writing and drawing for a while. After that, she turned off the lights, lay on the soft bed, slowly falling asleep, ending her day’s journey.

Late at night, the cruise ship slowly set sail, heading toward a faraway land.

The next day, in Gloria, Komo, at the backyard of a memorial that was still unfinished.

Chu Yuanqing walked to the tombstone, where a few Scottish roses were placed.

These were paper flowers dyed with Scottish green paint. They looked delicate and beautiful, but the petals were slightly yellowed, possibly due to recent rain, dried in the sun afterward.

It was very likely that Liuli had made them herself. The flowers gently swayed in the wind, carrying a subtle and difficult-to-explain emotion.

Chu Yuanqing stood still for a moment, thought for a while, then took out an old wooden box from the guitar case.

It was a gift from someone else, with a cover adorned with enamel and wire designs, exuding an ancient style from Daxia that felt out of place with Gloria.

Chu Yuanqing crouched down and placed the box beside the tombstone. She politely put a bunch of recently bloomed white tuberoses on top. She remained in a daze for a long time before remembering to walk around the museum that was still unfinished.

After leaving the backyard, Chu Yuanqing glanced at the belongings of the other person’s parents but didn’t linger long. After 10 minutes, she quietly left, like a dream fading in daylight, slowly disappearing from the memories of the guards and staff.

From start to finish, she never said a word, as if she knew that saying one more thing would cause everything to vanish.

Half an hour later, inside a taxi going to Komo Airport,

The shrine maiden asked,

“Don’t you want to explore a little more?”

Chu Yuanqing looked out the window at the passing scenery and said earnestly,

“I want to, but I can’t stay too long.”

The shrine maiden pondered the meaning of her words, fell silent for a moment, then spoke cheerfully again,

“So next, we will go to see Little Xuan’s parents?”

“Come to think of it, I have never met her family. I’m quite curious.”

Chu Yuanqing hesitated for a moment, shook her head, and replied,

“We will go, but now is not the right time.”

The shrine maiden tilted her head and asked,

“Then where are we going?”

Chu Yuanqing looked down at the advertisement on her phone screen. She was using a local Sacred United Country phone, and it barely showed any idols from Donghong’s “Dazzling Stage.” Almost all of the pop-ups were smiling faces of a certain The Last Diva.

Pure White Witch gently touched the person on the screen with her fingertip and softly said,

“I want to go to Austria, to see Mother Ellie and the children at the orphanage, and at the same time… say goodbye.”