At Kiana and Hu Tao's insistence, Mo Li replayed the videos a few more times.
Each clip was only about three minutes long, yet the girls spent nearly twenty minutes watching them on repeat.
When the final playback ended, Mo Li finally turned toward Kamisato Ayaka.
"So? What do you think?"
"It's… it's incredible…"
Before Ayaka could even answer, Kiana blurted out first, her eyes sparkling with awe.
"I feel like she's even stronger than my character~!"
The other girls exchanged amused glances and looked toward Ayaka and Yae Miko, genuinely happy for them.
Himeko sighed softly.
"I'm actually getting excited myself. Those two designs are flawless."
"Seems like my outfit really is the plainest of all…"
"Mmhmm~ But I rather envy your wedding dress, Himeko~"
Yae Miko's tone was full of playful teasing. She even put a slight emphasis on the words "wedding dress."
Himeko raised an eyebrow and slung one arm casually over Mo Li's shoulder.
"You hear that, boss? Miko wants a wedding dress too~"
"Sure," Mo Li chuckled. "If she wants one, I'll design it just for her."
Then he turned to Ayaka with a smile.
"How about you, Ayaka? Want one too?"
Ayaka immediately flustered and waved her hands.
"N-No, that's… unnecessary…"
Just from the tone of Himeko and Miko's banter, it was clear that their "wedding dress" talk wasn't exactly proper.
She couldn't possibly say yes to something like that!
"I want one!" Hu Tao piped up eagerly.
Clearly, she hadn't caught the undertone. As soon as she heard "pretty dress," her hand shot up.
Miko couldn't help but giggle behind her sleeve.
"Oh no~ Hu Tao's still too young for that kind of outfit~"
Kiana tugged on Hu Tao's sleeve.
"Don't butt in. That kind of clothing… isn't something you can just wear anywhere."
"Oh…" Hu Tao pouted, still not quite understanding, but she obediently dropped the topic.
Mo Li stretched and stood up.
"Alright, I'm gonna change. Wearing Otto's outfit all this time just feels weird."
"Hmph~ That's what happens when you've done too many guilty things," Kiana shot back.
Mo Li spread his hands innocently.
"It's Otto's fault, not mine."
He soon came back, freshly changed.
But to his surprise, all the girls were still wearing their in-game costumes—none of them had changed back.
Apparently, they really loved those outfits.
Right now, the group was crowded around Eden, chatting about something in hushed tones.
Mo Li didn't join them. Instead, he pulled out his phone and made another call—to Ningguang.
But as always, the voice that answered wasn't hers.
"What now? Can you not just tell me everything at once for once, 480?"
The familiar voice of Keqing rang from the other end.
"Aw, what's this? I just wanted to chat with you, A-Qing~ You're rejecting me already?"
"Yes. Completely. I have zero interest in talking to you," Keqing huffed.
But after saying that, she didn't hang up.
"Alright, alright," Mo Li said, chuckling. "But I do have something serious this time."
"Check your email—I just sent two new costume designs. Try to make them when you have time, same specs as before."
"…"
Keqing clicked her tongue, muttering under her breath. And here I thought he actually wanted to chat with me. Turns out I'm just a tool again…
Still, she opened her laptop and began looking over the attachments.
Her eyes widened.
"Wow… these look amazing. But why do they look kind of… Sakura Nation–style?"
"Good eye," Mo Li replied. "They're for characters from Inazuma, so I mixed in some of that aesthetic."
Keqing scrolled through the reference images, examining the models.
"Tsk tsk… and both of them are gorgeous. Where do you even find all these beautiful girls?"
"Pure coincidence," Mo Li said with a grin. "I just happen to meet them, and if they fit, I recruit them."
Keqing rolled her eyes, then snorted.
"Honestly, you should just design yourself a set of women's clothing already. Turn your whole studio into a girl group."
"Hmm? Aren't I already having you make a set of armor? That's technically women's clothing too, right~?"
"Tch—fine, fine. I get it. Anything else?"
"That's all. Thanks, A-Qing."
Mo Li hung up.
On the other end, Keqing puffed her cheeks in frustration.
"Ugh… he is just using me as a tool…"
Not only was he making a fortune off his looks in-game, but even her character had been designed weak.
At this point, she'd basically become a power-scaling reference.
"Character X is now at 1.2 Keqings of strength."
Every time she saw that, her blood pressure spiked—but what could she do?
At least he promised to buff her character twice. That was her only consolation.
Meanwhile, online chaos had erupted thanks to a single Weibo post from Eden.
It was simple: one photo, one sentence.
Barely ten minutes after she posted it, the likes and reposts had already exceeded a million.
The comment section was exploding.
The reason, of course, was the photo—a group shot of Honkai Impact 3rd's main cast.
Sky Ranger Kiana, Crimson Knight Himeko, Bright Knight Durandal…
It was just a simple group photo, yet it moved countless fans to tears.
Fu Hua, Mei, and Durandal had never appeared on camera before, and Bronya had only flashed by for two seconds during Himeko's first stream.
Now, all of them were together in one photo. It felt unreal.
Even Otto was there.
Each person looked so true to their in-game self—expressions, posture, aura—everything was perfect.
And then there were two unfamiliar faces: Aponia and Griseo.
Obviously, those must be upcoming characters.
[Incredible!! Official-tier cosplay just crushed every amateur attempt ever.]
[Teacher Himeko QAQ]
[Seeing Sky Ranger Kiana and Himeko together again… I'm tearing up.]
[OTTO, DRAW YOUR SWORD!]
[Bronya looks so cool!!]
[So these are all the real models behind the game? They're prettier than most celebrities…]
[EDEN!!!]
[Elysia's so cute!!]
[I'm jealous… I wanna work at miHoYo QAQ]
[Same!! Imagine seeing real-life Valkyries every day…]
[Please release solo posters for each character, I beg you QAQ]
[Why'd they watermark the photo?! I wanna use it as wallpaper QAQ]
…
Then, Elysia left a single comment—and it completely blew up the thread.
[Hehe~ Secret time! Otto promised me he'd crossdress once~ in full Valkyrie armor~♡]
The comment's likes skyrocketed instantly.
Fans had always joked about "crossdressing Otto" memes—he had that slender, almost androgynous beauty about him.
Even without any official event, that image had spread far and wide.
So with this comment coming from Elysia herself… chaos ensued.
[Screenshot saved! He better not go back on his word!]
[LOL, Elysia totally tricked him into it 😂]
[Forget new versions—I just wanna see Otto in women's clothes now.]
[Place your bets: which Valkyrie armor will he wear? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]
[No contest. Definitely Luna Kindred.]
[Boring! He should go full Theresa with the nun outfit!]
[No no no, Fischl's costume would fit better—same blonde hair!]
[Actually, Otto in Rita's maid outfit sounds… dangerously good.]
[Wait… why does "maid Otto" sound kinda hot???]
[Bro, you good??]
Back in the miHoYo studio, Mo Li had just finished his call with Keqing and walked back to the lounge area.
The girls were still huddled together, whispering and giggling.
Every now and then, they'd sneak glances at Mo Li.
Hu Tao even covered her mouth to stifle laughter, looking extra mischievous.
Mo Li blinked, completely confused.
After another round of giggles, he finally stood up.
"Alright, what's so funny? What're you all looking at?"
He walked closer, curious.
The moment Hu Tao saw his face up close, she burst out laughing.
"Pfft—haha!!"
Mo Li touched his cheek.
"What? Do I have something on my face?"
Himeko could barely keep a straight face.
"Boss, tell me—do you think Rita's maid outfit suits you better, or maybe Fischl's?"
"Huh??" Mo Li blinked.
"If you'd like, my Lord," Rita added sweetly, "I can fetch the maid costume right now~"
Now Mo Li was really lost.
"What on earth are you all talking about…?"
"Here, boss—see for yourself," Eden said, handing him her phone with a knowing smile.
Mo Li scrolled down the comments. Within seconds, he understood everything.
"Hehe~" Elysia chimed in, "But see, everyone says Luna Kindred doesn't count as real crossdressing.
Which means… our little agreement technically doesn't count, right~?
If so… how am I supposed to snuggle up in your arms now~?"
Mo Li: "…"
"Figures. You really are a wicked woman, Elysia…"
"My, my~ How could you say such a thing about me?" Elysia gasped dramatically. "I'm just giving the fans what they want~"
That made the rest of the girls burst into laughter.
Even Aponia's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Not happening," Mo Li said firmly, handing the phone back to Eden.
"The internet can joke all it wants, but there's no way I'm actually wearing a dress."
The others knew he wouldn't, of course. They were just teasing him for fun.
It was the same online—just memes and banter.
No one seriously expected him to do it.
"Aww~ that's such a shame," Kiana sighed. "I really wanted to see what you'd look like in our outfits."
Mo Li smirked.
"Oh? You really wanna see that, Kiana?"
At once, everyone perked up.
"Wait, boss, are you actually gonna do it?"
Mo Li rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes glinting with mischief.
"Well… maybe. You like Mei so much, right?
How about this—"
He leaned forward slightly, grinning.
"I'll dress up as Mei and let you experience what it's like to go on a date with her."
Himeko instantly burst into laughter.
"Pfft—HAHAHA!!"
"Double Mei!!" Hu Tao cheered.
Mei herself flushed crimson.
"Boss… please don't tease me like that…"
The others just covered their mouths, trying not to laugh.
"So? Interested, Kiana?"
For a moment, Kiana imagined Mo Li dressed as Mei.
Sure, he'd look good—but… it wasn't her Mei.
"N-No way! Absolutely not!"
Mo Li shrugged.
"Too bad. That was the only crossdressing idea I actually liked."
Elysia immediately grabbed Kiana's arm.
"Come on, Kiana, say yes~ I really wanna see that~"
"No! I won't let him insult my beloved Mei like that!"
"Such a pity~" Elysia sighed dramatically. Then her eyes lit up.
"Boss! How about you dress as Eden instead? I'll go on a date with you!"
"Eden wouldn't mind, right~?"
Eden chuckled softly.
"Not at all. In fact, I'd be curious to see it."
"If you want, I can lend you my outfit right now."
"Perfect~!" Elysia cheered, grabbing Mo Li's arm and trying to drag him off.
"Seriously?" Mo Li groaned. "Just how much do you want to see me in women's clothes?"
"Come on~ It'll be fun! And don't worry, I won't tell anyone~"
She turned to the others.
"Right, girls? We'll keep it secret~"
Everyone nodded eagerly.
Even Yae Miko chimed in, amused.
"There are some leftover buns in the kitchen—we can use them to… fill in the missing parts~"
Mo Li: "…"
"Nope. Nope nope nope. Forget it. I was kidding, you maniacs."
He quickly pulled his arm free from Elysia's grasp.
As tempting as a date with the pink-haired troublemaker sounded…
He just couldn't bring himself to cross that line.
Not yet.
Black Friday Sale is Stil live! Get a flat 20% off on all memberships and collections. Don't miss it!
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554