SN: Chapter 4 Pale Springtime

Pale Springtime is the fourth chapter of the main storyline of Shining Nikki.

Plot
Nikki, Momo, and A-Huan travel to Qingyun City in the Cloud Empire to search for more clues about someone who can decode Lierlide's Excerpt. There, they meet a quiet girl Yexiao and the famous actor Qinyi as the city prepares for its famous annual Flower Festival, but not everything is as it seems...

4-1: Qingyun City
Nikki and Momo return to the Ark to ask Zhou for clues about someone who can decode Lierlide's manuscript. A mirror resonates with the manuscript, a white magnolia flower blooming within. Zhou suggests that Nikki, Momo, and A-Huan travel to Qingyun City in the Cloud Empire. When they arrive, they find that Qingyun City is blanketed in snow even though it's already March.
 * Attribute: Sweet
 * Suggested Styling Power: 5550
 * Style Theme: cute enough

In the Qingyun City market square, they come across a giant poster of a figure dressed in eye-catching opera clothes with a butterfly birthmark. As she stares at it, Nikki seems to briefly see a young man in the snow with the same butterfly birthmark. Meanwhile, A-Huan gushes over the figure, who turns out to be Qinyi, Cloud's famous actor. Annoyed, Momo reminds them of the magnolia clue, leading Nikki to realize that the poster has magnolia flowers in the background. A-Huan recalls that Cloud has an annual festival every spring, where they will surely find a blooming magnolia.

4-2
In the market, the group runs into a silver-haired girl named Yexiao when she and Momo both want the last pork bun from a food stall vendor. They decide to share and sit down together. Yexiao marvels at Momo's cat-like appearance. When Nikki asks Yexiao about magnolia flowers at the upcoming celebration, the food stall owner chimes in, explaining that Qingyun City's annual Flower Festival celebrates the blooming of all flowers, including the magnolia. However, the city is unexpectedly covered in a strange unmelting snow. The food stall owner and A-Huan then gush over Qinyi. As they finish the meal, Yexiao welcomes Nikki to visit her house at the outskirts of the city whenever she wants.
 * Story Stage

4-3: Sudden Danger
As the group strolls along Qingyun City, Nikki spots a figure moving around jerkily just like the controlled townspeople had in Liuying Town. Wondering if the Black Vulture is nearby, they follow the strange figure to a shaded pavilion. Suddenly, the controlled man leaps to attack Nikki.
 * Attribute: Sweet
 * Suggested Styling Power: 3521
 * Opponent: Controlled Person
 * Style Theme: Qingyun maiden

Nikki uses her styling power to wake him up, but he falls to the ground in pain. He struggles to his feet, begging for their help. A-Huan steps toward the man, unaware of his hidden dagger. Just as the man is about to stab A-Huan, someone blocks the dagger with a fan, causing the controlled man to collapse. Their savior turns out to be the actor Qinyi.

4-4: Qinyi's Distress
Nikki and A-Huan thank Qinyi for his help. They find out that Qinyi is also trying to discover the source of the strange snow and decide to share any clues they find. Qinyi invites them to his play later that afternoon.
 * Attribute: Elegant
 * Suggested Styling Power: 4085
 * Style Theme: outfit suitable for watching a show

When Nikki, A-Huan, and Momo arrive at the Curtain Never Falls Theater, they spot a large crowd of Qinyi's fans lined up outside, waving signs that declare their devotion to the actor. As they enter the theater, Nikki wonders if Qinyi is the decoder of Lierlide's manuscript.

4-5: Winter Hotpot
When the show begins, Qinyi sits dispiritedly in the center of the stage with design sketches scattered all about him. Suddenly, a butterfly flits onto the stage. When Qinyi lifts his head, Nikki finds that he looks younger, and the sign next to the stage now reads Dream of the Old Years. Confused, Nikki is pulled back to the present once the show ends. When the group exits the theater, they quickly realize that they have nowhere to stay. They head to Yexiao's house, where she invites them to eat hotpot, although her secret broth ends up being unbearably spicy.
 * Attribute: Cool
 * Suggested Styling Power: 4843
 * Style Theme: stain-resistant clothing

4-6: Magnolia's Secret
The next day, the group heads to the market again, hoping to find clues about the magnolia flower. They run into Qinyi again, who had coincidentally been heading to Yexiao's place. When Nikki asks Qinyi about the magnolia flowers, he magically causes a nearby magnolia flower to briefly bloom. Suddenly, Qinyi warns that they are being followed and invites them to take a backstage tour of the theater.
 * Attribute: Sexy
 * Tag: Casual
 * Suggested Styling Power: 4843
 * Style Theme: outfit easy to move in

Qinyi shows them around the theater, explaining how props move around, when the lights suddenly go out. When the lights turn on again, the Black Vulture is standing on the stage, holding Nikki.

4-7
The Black Vulture, holding Nikki at knifepoint, demands that Qinyi, the decoder of Lierlide's manuscript, exchange himself for Nikki. Qinyi slowly walks toward him, then abruptly causes the stage's moving props to roll towards the Black Vulture and trap him. Nikki takes the opportunity to escape, and the Black Vulture sets off an explosive, claiming that he'll be back on the day of the Flower Festival. Nikki, marveling at the realization that Qinyi is the deocder, shows him the real Lierlide's Excerpt and asks him to decode it for her.
 * Story Stage

4-8: Purple Flowers and Spring
Qinyi declines to decode the manuscript, explaining that it is not yet the right time. Since the Black Vulture is planning on stationing puppets throughout the Flower Festival, Qinyi asks Nikki to play the part of a young girl bringing spring to Qingyun City, so that Nikki can use her styling power to awaken the controlled puppets as she travels around the city on her parade float. A-Huan offers to help Qinyi lure the Black Vulture onto the stage. Once they've agreed to the plan, Qinyi takes Nikki to do a photoshoot for the Flower Festival posters. As he does her makeup, he speaks about his past in the acting troupe.
 * Attribute: Sweet
 * Tag: Cloud
 * Style Theme: Flower Festival poster

4-9: The Performance Begins
On the day of the Flower Festival, Qinyi prepares Nikki for the parade float, encouraging her to trust in him and in herself. As they set off through the streets, Nikki spots a controlled puppet and uses her styling power to awaken him.
 * Attribute: Pure
 * Suggested Styling Power: 4415
 * Opponent: Controlled Person
 * Style Theme: blossoming flowers and spring

After the styling battle, Nikki briefly sees a vision of herself standing on the stage wearing Qinyi's first suit Dream of the Old Years, as a young Qinyi crushes a butterfly in his hands. Startled, Nikki returns to the present and finds that the snow has begun to melt, revealing the blossoms hidden underneath. As the parade float moves along, they suddenly see the unawakened puppets begin to move toward the stage, right as a red-clothed Qinyi is about to take the stage.

4-10: New Designer's Shadow
As Nikki's float reaches the stage, a sudden gust of snow surrounds Qinyi. The Black Vulture appears, controlling his puppets as the snow hinders Qinyi's movements. Qinyi assures Nikki that she is the only one who can beat the Black Vulture.
 * Attribute: Cool
 * Suggested Styling Power: 4487
 * Opponent: Black Vulture
 * Style Theme: darkness and light

Nikki defeats the Black Vulture, but somehow her power isn't enough to release the puppets and stop the blizzard of snow. She suddenly sees a young Qinyi's shadow, dressed in red, appear on the stage, causing the snow to rise. The present Qinyi walks to center stage. As the snow melts and the flowers bloom, his icy gaze stays trained on Nikki. As he says that the real performance is about to begin, A-Huan walks out from behind the curtain.

4-11: Reversal
A-Huan walks onto the stage, clearly a controlled puppet. Mocking, Qinyi reveals that he has the power to sink others into an illusion. He also reveals that he was never the decoder, and demands that Nikki hand over Lierlide's Excerpt. Nikki refuses and decides to use styling power to wake up A-Huan.
 * Attribute: Elegant
 * Suggested Styling Power: 4640
 * Opponent: Puppet A-Huan
 * Style Theme: first encounter in memories

Nikki wins the styling battle, but A-Huan doesn't regain her consciousness. A-Huan blames Nikki for the excruciating pain, as A-Huan's blood spills onto the stage like vibrant flower petals.

4-12
Qinyi once more demands the manuscript. Nikki stares at the bright blood that covers the stage, knowing that Lierlide's Excerpt is crucial to the future of Miraland, but also knowing that this is the only way to save A-Huan. Nikki hands over the manuscript, begging A-Huan to wake up, but Qinyi coldly tells her that Nikki has taken so much time that A-Huan cannot be awakened anymore. Qinyi leaves them, walking towards the audience that is still under his illusion.
 * Story Stage

4-13
Nikki tries to lift up A-Huan to take her to the hospital, trying her best to suppress her sobs. Momo loudly blames the villain Qinyi, but a defeated Nikki replies that everything is her own fault. Nikki collapses under A-Huan's weight, fainting in the street as flower petals gently land upon her body.
 * Story Stage

4-14
Nikki dreams of her mother's voice. Her mother wakes her up to go to school and comforts her, reassuring Nikki that nightmares aren't real, and that her parents will always be by her side. Nikki wakes up in Yexiao's house. Momo tells her that Yexiao had appeared out of nowhere after Nikki fainted. Nikki walks over to A-Huan's room, where A-Huan is still in a deep coma. Nikki thinks of her own family, wishing that Miraland is just a dream, but A-Huan's bright blood reminds her that this is her reality. Momo tries to encourage Nikki, but she is utterly defeated, believing herself incapable of accomplishing anything.
 * Story Stage

4-S1: Self-Discipline
Since Vivian is busy in Wasteland, Nikki decides to ask the local Cloud residents about the most talented designers in Cloud. The passerby that she asks claims to be one of Qingyun City's top designers and challenges Nikki to a styling battle. After Nikki wins, the passerby admits that they aren't a talented designer, but gives them the name of a talented designer.
 * Attribute: Sexy
 * Tag: Formal
 * Suggested Styling Power: 5821
 * Opponent: Passerby
 * Style Theme: designer's self discipline

4-S2: Chief of Publicity
Nikki and Momo head to the Qingyun City Square to meet with the Chief of Publicity, Qing Yumo. As they wait, they discover some of Chief Qing's fans hidden in a nearby bush, gushing over Chief Qing's beauty and etherealness. When Nikki meets Chief Qing and asks to interview her, Chief Qing complains about the neverending work and wishes she could relax at home, but agrees to a styling battle. After the battle, Nikki writes down notes about her style, but a passing maiden argues that Qingyun City's most talented designer isn't Qing Yumo at all.
 * Attribute: Pure
 * Tag: Cloud
 * Suggested Styling Power: 6391
 * Opponent: Qing Yumo
 * Style Theme: spring and blossoming flowers

4-S3: Descendant of the Royal Tailor
Nikki and Momo head to Qingyun City's National Museum, where an elder on duty tells them how to find Jiang Xitong. Jiang Xitong introduces herself as a specialist at the museum and a descendant of the Cloud Royal Tailor, aiming to preserve the traditional beauty of Cloud. Nikki notes down Jiang Xitong's style.
 * Attribute: Elegant
 * Tag: Casual
 * Suggested Styling Power: 6609
 * Opponent: Jiang Xitong
 * Style Theme: traditional classic ideology

4-S4: So Who Really is the Most Talented?
As they leave the museum, Nikki and Momo complain about Jiang Xitong's boring lectures. A young girl overhears them and introduces herself as Chi Xiaoyu, a university student. When Nikki tells her who they've interviewed so far, Chi Xiaoyu claims that neither Qing Yumo nor Jiang Xitong truly represent the spirit of Cloud and challenges Nikki to a styling battle. After the battle, Chi Xiaoyu rushes off to class.
 * Attribute: Cool
 * Suggested Styling Power: 6823
 * Opponent: Chi Xiaoyu
 * Style Theme: modern Cloud style

4-S5: Conclusion
Vivan calls to check up on Nikki's progress, but has to quickly hang up because a lion has woken up. After encountering so many conflicting opinions on Cloud style, Nikki decides to style her own version of the Cloud style.
 * Attribute: Sweet
 * Suggested Styling Power: 9210
 * Style Theme: Cloud style in your eyes

Target Suits

 * Dream of the Old Years: 4-4 (Hair), 4-9 (Shoes), 4-11 (Dress)
 * Jiang Beixi and Vivian Intel Quest item: 4-5 (Bracelet)