Honkai: Star Rail: I Can Fix This Gender-Bent World — Chapter 107

Chapter 107: An Explosive First Impression

Just as Chen was steeling himself to switch characters and send the plummeting shuttle to a watery grave…

On the corridor bridge below, Dan Heng made her move.

She exploded from her standing start, her feet launching her into the air like a bolt of azure lightning. The Cloud-Piercer in her hand scribed a perfect arc, its tip striking the shuttle’s most fragile structural joint with uncanny precision. It was a textbook application of redirecting an opponent’s force—deflecting a thousand pounds with a mere ounce of strength.

A high-pitched clang tore through the air, followed by the agonized groan of twisting metal.

The out-of-control shuttle, struck by that perfectly timed thrust, was violently knocked off its collision course. It spun away, tumbling end over end toward a nearby clearing piled high with scrap.

After completing several dizzying, irregular rotations in mid-air, it finally—

CRUMP!

It smashed into the junk pile with an earth-shaking roar. A blinding flash of fire erupted an instant later, followed by a deafening explosion. Debris and shrapnel rained down in every direction as a column of thick, black smoke billowed toward the sky.

“It’s over! It’s over! I’ve caused a catastrophe! Someone’s been killed!”

Li Sushang’s face went deathly pale. Watching the inferno bloom, she flinched back, her entire body trembling. Though she possessed a decent talent for swordsmanship, she was still young. This was the first time she had ever witnessed such a horrific accident up close, and worse, it had happened while she was escorting someone. Her composure completely shattered.

“Not necessarily.”

A gentle female voice cut through the panicked air.

Luocha, a massive white coffin strapped to her back, stared intently at the heart of the explosion. Her blonde, shoulder-length hair swayed gently as she spoke. “There seemed to be an abnormal energy fluctuation just before the impact. There may yet be a survivor. I will go and see.”

At the very moment the explosion had occurred, deep within the wreckage of the shuttle…

A charred figure was violently ejected by the shockwave. It traced a long parabola through the air, arcing directly toward the corridor bridge.

It was Chen—or rather, Chen still maintaining Tingyun’s form.

Except this version of the elegant Miss Tingyun was in an utter state of disarray. Her originally exquisite brocade robe was burnt to tatters, riddled with smoldering holes and stained with soot. Her long, wine-red hair was a chaotic, tangled mess, and her face was coated in a thick layer of black grime. Only a pair of fluffy fox ears, twitching stubbornly, remained clearly visible.

‘That was close! Way too close!’Chen celebrated internally.’Switched to Herta at the last second for the invincibility frames, tanked the blast, then swapped back to Tingyun for the landing! A perfect execution! If only I could have saved the clothes and my face…’

After knocking the shuttle aside, Dan Heng had already landed back on the bridge. She saw an object being blown out of the fireball and, at first, assumed it was just a piece of wreckage, a dark mass silhouetted against the smoke and light.

But as the object flew closer, her extraordinary vision allowed her to discern its shape more clearly. It seemed… human?

And that silhouette, crowned by that unique pair of fox ears… a Foxian?

With no time for further thought, Dan Heng leaped into the air again, her arms outstretched. She caught the falling figure with practiced ease, cradling her securely.

The body in her arms felt as light as a feather. A quick glance revealed no obvious, serious external injuries, but the woman’s clothes were scorched, her breathing was erratic, and her face was so blackened with soot that her features were impossible to make out.

“Are you alright?” A rare note of concern colored Dan Heng’s usually cold voice.

Just then, Luocha arrived on the scene. She glanced at the disheveled Foxian woman held in Dan Heng’s arms, her gaze sweeping over the charred but seemingly intact body. No major wounds, no bloodstains. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.

“This young lady appears to have been quite fortunate,” Luocha observed. “She hasn’t sustained any fatal injuries, mostly just superficial wounds and shock from the impact.”

She extended a finger, and a soft light, dense with the aura of life, began to coalesce at its tip. “Allow me to provide some treatment. It should not be a major issue.”

“Wait a moment!” Li Sushang cried, finally catching up. Seeing the Foxian lady’s miserable state, she was overwhelmed with guilt and anxiety. “Lady Luocha, be careful! Is she badly hurt? Should we lay her down first?”

But Luocha’s light had already touched the charred sleeve of Chen’s robe.

The gentle luminescence washed over the burned areas on his body. Wherever it passed, the blackened, dead skin flaked away, revealing smooth, unblemished skin rapidly healing underneath. Even his mind, which had been groggy from the concussive force of the blast, began to clear. An indescribable sense of comfort spread through his limbs.

Chen subconsciously closed his eyes and let out a soft groan. “Mmm…”

‘Wow… this healing technique… feels pretty good!’

In the space of a few breaths, the light faded. Luocha withdrew her hand. “The physical wounds are no longer an issue. She simply needs to rest for half a day.”

At that moment, although the Foxian lady’s clothes were still tattered and her face a sooty mess, the skin visible beneath the rags was smooth and whole. Her breathing had steadied, and the light had returned to her eyes. Aside from her disheveled appearance, she indeed seemed perfectly fine.

Li Sushang’s eyes went wide. She looked from Luocha to the restored Chen and back again, exclaiming, “Lady Luocha, you’re amazing! You healed her just like that? That’s incredible!”

Dan Heng, too, let out a quiet sigh of relief.

And Chen, held securely in Dan Heng’s arms, felt the pleasant warmth of his body’s rapid recovery under Luocha’s care. With his physical discomfort gone, his mind began to spin. It was time to perform.

He immediately slipped into the persona of Miss Tingyun.

He first gave a delicate wriggle, his voice deliberately softened and laced with a hint of lingering fear. He looked up at Dan Heng’s expressionless yet refined face, now mere inches from his own.

“This… benefactor… this little one is no longer in danger. Could you… perhaps let this little one down? This posture is truly… a lapse in etiquette.”

Hearing this, Dan Heng didn’t hesitate. She loosened her arms and placed Chen steadily on the ground.

Chen’s legs immediately went soft, and he nearly stumbled, but he used the motion to lean against a nearby crate for support. He patted his chest and took a deep, theatrical breath.

Then, he turned and bowed deeply to Dan Heng, Luocha, and the concerned Li Sushang.

“This little one is Tingyun. Many thanks to the three benefactors for your righteous intervention. This life-saving grace is like being born anew! If not for your timely rescue, I fear I would have been crushed to pieces today, buried within that iron wreckage!”

As he spoke, he even raised a hand to wipe away non-existent tears from the corner of his eye. His performance was flawless.

Li Sushang hurriedly waved her hands. “No need for thanks, no need! It was the right thing to do! It’s just good that you’re okay! You scared me half to death just now!”

Luocha also offered a gentle smile. “It is for the best that you are unharmed, Miss.”

Seeing that the atmosphere was sufficiently primed, Chen suddenly raised his head, his gaze locking directly onto Dan Heng. He took a small step forward, his face still streaked with soot, and forced the most sincere smile he could muster. His voice became cloyingly sweet.

“Especially this benefactor who wields the spear—that thrust just now was truly valiant and divine! This little one watched with such fascination…”

He paused, then delivered his bombshell.

“This little one has no possessions and nowhere to go. This great kindness is truly beyond repayment. After much thought… I can only offer myself in marriage. I wonder what my benefactor thinks?”

The air froze.

“Huh???” Li Sushang’s mouth dropped open into a perfect ‘O’. She stared at Tingyun, then at the expressionless Dan Heng, completely unable to process the conversational leap.

The corners of Luocha’s lips seemed to curl into a slight, amused smile before she smoothed her expression back to placid calm. The interest in her emerald eyes, however, grew a little stronger.

Dan Heng said nothing.

Her hand, gripping the Cloud-Piercer, tightened slightly. Her cold gaze lingered on Chen’s soot-covered face for a full three seconds, as if trying to divine the Foxian woman’s true intentions from beneath the grime.

Was she speaking nonsense out of shock? Did she have some ulterior motive? Or… was her brain simply not functioning correctly?

And more, why did her words and actions feel so strangely… familiar and annoying?