Sis Ceci looked up emotionally, then glanced at Sis Cannon and the other girls. “Let’s go and celebrate after bathing!”

Everyone cheered.

Suddenly, Sis Ceci looked at me and smiled maliciously. “Come! Let’s splash Luo Bing! So that she would stop standing there in a daze!”

Sis Cannon and the other girls looked at me and broke into grins. “Alright! Luo Bing! Come on! Come to our warm embrace!”

Oh, sh*t! Just as I thought of running away, water was splashed at me and the whole bath was filled with girls’ laughter. At that moment, I felt that they were just like me - ordinary, playful young maidens.

Sis Meizi had given birth to a girl, who weighed about seven jin. The entire city rejoiced at the great news.

Everyone set up many long tables outside Sis Meizi’s house, where they served the best food in the warehouse along with rye whiskey that had been brewed in Noah City itself. It was said that this was the only alcohol in Noah City, and was only served during the New Year.

Then, everyone sat around the long table together. They sang and danced, and the children received precious sweets. It felt just like New Year in Noah City.

I stood in front of Raffles’s warehouse and calmed myself down. Second Sis has left, and I’m supposed to wean myself off her.

I had already applied for a room of my own, which was right next to Sis Cannon and the other girls. From now onwards, I was going to sleep alone, just like Harry and everyone else. I was going to begin my new independent life.

*Swoosh!* I heard Raffles writing when the door opened.

“You didn’t join the celebration?” I walked into the warehouse.

“I’m waiting for you. Uncle Mason ordered me to tell you not to join the celebration. You are to rest well in your room because you need to wake up early tomorrow,” Raffles said as he wrote. I walked past the board that he was writing on, and stopped before the pile of wire rod that had been arranged like a huge nest. There was even a quilt that Raffles had added for us later on so that we could sleep more comfortably.

“Thank you for your hard work tonight. Oh yeah, Luo Bing, how did you communicate with the Flying Corpse King? Can you tell me the process in detail? It would be extremely helpful for my research. Until now, no one has been able to prove that the flying corpses could understand human language but..” Raffles tilted his head sidewards and looked confused as he continued to write, “During the time I spent with Second Sis, I felt that she could understand me. Could it be some kind of telepathic communication?” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A peaceful and envious expression flitted across his androgynous facial features. He smiled and he stopped writing, “The fragrance of lilies. I’m so jealous of all of you for getting to soak in the bath.”

He looked as though he was imagining himself enjoying his bath. I glanced at him and said, “Raffles, I won’t be sleeping here tonight.”

“What?!” His eyes opened wide. There was a tinge of disappointment and confusion, and he looked down. “Did I disturb you?”

“Not at all. I felt safe sleeping with you around.” My explanation calmed him down and he couldn’t help but smile. He lifted his face and asked, “Then, why are you not sleeping here anymore?”

I looked at him for a while, then lowered my face. “I should be weaned now.”

“Wean?” Raffles was confused. While I began to pack my things, he walked up to me and said, “You are not getting any milk. There’s no milk in Noah City, so how would you wean? If you want some milk though, Sis Meizi should have some. I can go and ask for you.”

My hand grew stiff when I heard what Raffles said. How could Raffles think of that?

“You are Noah’s Treasure. Elder Alufa even used your image as the symbol on Noah City’s badge!”

“What?” I looked at Raffles in shock. Raffles nodded and said hastily, “So, if you want some milk, Sis Meizi would definitely give it to you.”

“Raffles!” I stood up and grabbed his shoulders, cutting him off. He looked at me in a fluster as I explained to him, “I meant weaning metaphorically, as in when a child needs to leave his mother and become mentally independent!”

Raffles stared at me blankly. I let go of his shoulders and put my school uniform that he had washed for me into my bag. “I lost my memory. I was scared. I was lost. I didn’t understand what had happened to the world. Then, Second Sis and I went through a disaster together. Hence, I became dependent on her. When I couldn’t sleep at night, I would fall asleep listening to you talking, and I became dependent on you too. Now that Second Sis has left, it is time for me to become independent. I can’t keep relying on you like a little bird anymore, Raffles.” I looked at him solemnly as I picked up my bag. “My continued reliance on you all would make me weak.”

Raffles looked at me for a while, then looked down. He became quiet and didn’t speak again.

“Plus, it’s just that I’m not sleeping here anymore. It’s not like I’m going to stop being friends with you,” I added.

Raffles was stunned, then he smiled bashfully. “Heh!” He blinked and looked up at me again, his gaze so gentle that he seemed shy to even look at me. He said, “Luo Bing, you are a girl. No one would say you are weak even if you are dependent.”

I smiled as I carried my bag. “Thank you, Raffles.” I turned around to pick up my quilt.

“I’ll do it.” He helped me to carry the quilt as he smiled at me. Walking in front of me, he opened the door to the West Zone.

Raffles and I walked past the tunnel in silence. Dim yellow lights lit along both sides of the tunnel. Noah City’s main energy source was solar power. However, because solar energy’s power flux density was lower, it couldn’t become a perfect energy form. Its capacity and utility were too low to be used as the main energy source for spaceships and flying vehicles. This was also the main reason why the spaceships and flying vehicles in Noah City couldn’t travel too far.

The best energy resource was no doubt the blue crystal energy. It was a kind of magical, assembly energy, and could even absorb solar energy. However, blue crystal energy was said to be stored in the center of radiation zones. Hence, it was almost impossible to mine it! Plus, it was unstable and could explode due to even minor vibrations. Hence, even Silver Moon City didn’t dare to mine blue crystal energy hastily.

I have no idea how blue crystal energy is formed or where it had come from. There are many things that I still need to explore in this world.

From the resounding celebration noises, we knew that we had arrived in the West Zone. Uncharacteristically for his usual talkative self, Raffles didn’t speak on the way there.

The building that Sis Ceci and the other girls stayed in was situated behind Sis Meizi’s building, on the other street. I was familiar with the street because it was across from where Harry and the other guys were staying.

My room was on the fifth floor, and Sis Cannon was already waiting for me at the room door. Seeing Raffles, she grinned. “Our mascot is here too. Raffles, do you feel unwilling to part with our Luo Bing? Hahaha..” Sis Cannon burst out in hearty laughter again as she held me by my shoulders. Her cheeky behavior made her seem even more of a badass.