Honkai: Star Rail – Banner Character, Delivering Knives to the Player [59]

Ah Xian didn’t bother thinking too deeply about it.

To put it in her own words: Why should I care about all that complicated stuff?

Rather than analyzing deliberate misdirections thrown out by the writers, she'd rather push forward the main plot.

Lingzhou had just proposed something—since they couldn't sleep, why not put the Trailblazer creed into practice?

To do what they could for the suffering people of this world.

Stelle curiously asked, "What exactly can we do?"

"Medicine," Lingzhou replied simply.

"Medicine…?"

Stelle murmured thoughtfully, then suddenly looked startled.

"You mean Natasha’s clinic running dangerously low on medical supplies?"

Lingzhou nodded gently. "She didn't mention it directly to me, but I saw clearly when I went to help earlier."

"She must be anxious over it right now. Her current stockpile won't last two days."

"I’ve already used up all the medicine I carried."

Stelle understood immediately, but soon frowned.

"You want to sneak back to the Surface to buy medicine and bring it down here?"

Lingzhou shook his head. "That's a last-resort plan. Cocolia undoubtedly has eyes everywhere, waiting for us."

"There might even be wanted posters of us circulating. It’s not the right moment yet."

Stelle posed another question. "But then, where else in the Underworld can we get medical supplies?"

Lingzhou explained patiently, "I’ve gathered information about the Underworld. It's not just Boulder Town down here—there are several abandoned towns."

"Those towns were suddenly overtaken by the Fragmentum, catching many off guard."

"Why are there so many homeless vagrants around Boulder Town? Precisely because their former homes were destroyed."

"Those towns surely still have supplies left behind, but ordinary people don't dare enter them."

"If they're spotted by Fragmentum monsters, without strength or skill, they'd be doomed."

① "Then let's not waste time—let's go now!"
② "Just us two? Should we bring March?"

Ah Xian forced herself not to immediately click option one.

"A thoughtful person should consider the sleeping beauty March 7th."

[March-wife herself said staying up ruins your skin. You're heartless!]

After picking the second option, Stelle spoke again, a trace of worry in her voice.

"Are we really going by ourselves? I'm a bit worried about leaving March alone at Goethe Grand Hotel."

Lingzhou smiled softly, eyes filled with appreciation.

"You're becoming more and more like a true Nameless. It pleases me greatly."

"Don’t worry. Even by herself, March is perfectly safe."

Seeing that Lingzhou had no intention of explaining further, Stelle couldn’t help asking, "Why?"

Lingzhou’s smile turned somewhat mysterious. "You really want to know? If I say it out loud, you might get scared."

① "Forget it, I don't handle scares well."
② "My heart’s big—I’m fearless. Tell me."

"Ah! Hubby clearly wants to tease me! Even if it’s scary, I must know!"

Lingzhou’s eyes twinkled mischievously as he said, "The food I gave you had poison in it."

"Huh?"

Stelle’s eyes widened slightly, mouth open in shock.

She froze momentarily, blinking twice, suspecting she'd misheard.

"Hehe, did that actually scare you?"

① "Yeah, you really startled me."
② "No, I trust you."

Ah Xian’s eyes shifted back and forth, then decided to pick the less obvious answer—one.

She was curious about Lingzhou’s reaction.

But less than a second later, she regretted it.

Lingzhou’s gentle smile faltered momentarily, his lips parting slightly, and an almost imperceptible shadow flashed through his eyes.

Ah Xian was skilled at capturing emotions in two-dimensional characters' expressions, easily understanding what it meant.

Lingzhou was hurt.

Before Ah Xian could react further, that fleeting sadness vanished instantly, as though it had never existed.

"Just teasing you. Rest assured, your food wasn’t poisoned, though it was indeed supplemented."

"But that was just a harmless additive, something beneficial to your health."

Stelle curiously raised her hand, clenching her fist.

"I don't feel stronger or anything. Anyway, what's that got to do with not worrying about March?"

Lingzhou replied calmly, "Because the poisonous substance was actually in the incense burner I gave you."

"What?" Stelle was stunned once more.

Even the viewers watching froze, clearly not expecting Lingzhou’s playful lie to turn real.

However, Lingzhou soon clarified.

"The incense released by the burner causes paralysis and muscle weakness."

"If someone harboring malicious intent breathes it, certain components of the fragrance will transform into deadly poison."

"The additive in your food is the antidote to that."

"Together, they strengthen your body and soothe your mind, ensuring you wake up refreshed."

"…Ultimately, drugs are dangerous substances. Using them without your permission was thoughtless of me."

"I just… never mind. I'm truly sorry."

① "No need to apologize. It's really nothing."
② "Tell me in advance next time—it's scary."

Watching Lingzhou's lowered gaze, Ah Xian couldn't possibly harbor resentment.

He'd stopped halfway through a sentence, but the rest didn’t even need guessing; anyone could understand it clearly.

"Lingzhou was just concerned for his companions—how could he be at fault?"

"As the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy. Judging by his expression, he clearly went through something painful in the past."

"No one becomes overly protective for no reason. Those who deeply cherish friends often have experienced trauma."

"I can't even imagine… really can't imagine what he's gone through… to become this intensely concerned about companions' safety."

"Even resorting to poison combinations, risking player disgust once discovered, just to protect Stelle and March in his own way."

"He’s already gone this far—surely nobody could actually blame him for acting without consulting, right?"

[I keep saying it: No one is born reliable. Carefully consider Lingzhou’s past.]
[Lingzhou rarely has unnecessary scenes. Who'd have thought Stelle lighting incense earlier was foreshadowing?]
[Blame him? I'm grateful! Truly the definition of a reliable adult.]
[If there were genuine danger or uncertainty, Yifu definitely wouldn't have used this method.]
[With Lingzhou's portrayal so far, there’s zero chance he’d do anything risky to his companions.]
[+1. It's practically impossible he'd put them in danger.]

"I was wondering earlier why there wasn't a night watch scene down here, and why March only mentioned that staying up is bad for your skin."

"For Lingzhou, standing guard at night was utterly redundant."

"He'd already silently arranged precautions against accidents, fully committed to ensuring his companions' safety."

"This is what ‘actions speak louder than words’ means. I'm truly falling deeper in love with him!"

"If there were someone this reliable in real life who cared and protected you, imagine how happy you'd be…"

Lost in thought, Ah Xian suddenly recalled her own childhood.

Painful, wanting to cry.

The sense of security she'd always craved was rarely fulfilled in reality, yet easily obtainable within virtual game worlds.

How bitterly ironic.

Or worse—laughable, pitiful.

No wonder March had earlier remarked she wished they’d had incense burners back in the Surface’s hotel.

March must have long known Lingzhou’s protective methods.

Stelle finally said softly, "Why apologize? This is nothing at all. Your intentions were for everyone’s good."

Lingzhou’s voice came gently, genuinely relieved.

"Thank you for not blaming me for taking matters into my own hands."

---

T/N: hehe i want yandere lingzhou

This is a fan translation of 崩铁：卡池角色，给玩家发刀 by 三十度幻. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!