Door keys…
check.
Phone…
check.
Denia…
yep, check, obediently following right behind him.
“Go go go, let’s head out.” Xiao Ling was full of drive.
“Oh…” Denia looked a bit wilted, as if she hadn’t quite woken up yet.
After locking the apartment door, Xiao Ling led her all the way to the elevator and pressed the down button.
“Right, just a heads up — there’s no Resonance Power in this world, and no Tacet Discords or anything like that either.
So don’t use your Resonance abilities unless absolutely necessary.” Before setting off, Xiao Ling stated this with a slightly serious expression.
“Then what if it really does reach the point where I have no choice?” Denia asked.
“Then hide it well and don’t get discovered.
You know how it is — humans are always curious about the unknown, and that wouldn’t be a good thing for you.” Xiao Ling replied.
Denia nodded obediently, showing her agreement with his words.
Right at that moment, the elevator dinged and opened its doors.
Xiao Ling led her inside and pressed the ground floor button.
The elevator descended slowly and soon arrived at the first floor.
The moment they stepped out the main entrance, the midday heat wave slammed right into Denia, making her whole being feel terrible.
“Ugh…” Denia felt like she was about to turn into Denia jerky.
Xiao Ling smiled helplessly.
It looked like she still needed time to adapt to this city’s weather.
The weather here wasn’t just changeable — the temperature swings were huge.
To exaggerate a bit, you could experience all four seasons in a single day.
Right now it was noon, the time when old man Sun was flexing hardest.
The whole city was engulfed by the surging heat wave.
Even Xiao Ling, in his T-shirt, was starting to get a bit sweaty, let alone Denia in her thicker clothes.
Xiao Ling took out the umbrella he carried with him, opened it up, and handed it to her as she fanned herself with her hand.
“Take it.
At least you won’t be getting blasted by the sun nonstop.” Xiao Ling smiled.
“The weather here is very different from Lahai-Roi.
You’ll need to adjust.”
“I have a feeling it’ll be hard.” Though she said this with her mouth, her hand very honestly accepted the umbrella and held it over her head.
Gotta say, it really was a bit better than getting roasted by the sun just moments ago.
“Where are we going now?” Denia asked about the itinerary.
“To the biggest shopping mall in this city.” Xiao Ling answered.
“I’ve already called a car.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a new energy vehicle slowly approached from the distance and came to a stop right in front of the two of them.
Xiao Ling guided Denia, pulled open the rear door, and got in.
With a “thud,” the door closed, and the car whisked them away, speeding toward the mall.
…
“This is a mall?” Denia looked at the massive building before her, somewhat dumbstruck.
“This is a mall.” Xiao Ling confirmed.
“How come I feel like it’s even bigger than the Academy…” Denia came back to her senses a little from the shock and remarked with emotion.
“It’s normal for it to be big, because in this world, a mall’s function isn’t just shopping — it also encompasses entertainment, dining, and other functions.” Xiao Ling gave a bit of an educational overview.
“Come on, let’s go in.”
He didn’t give her a chance to object, taking hold of her smooth, soft little hand and heading straight into the mall.
Denia suddenly felt the warmth coming from his palm, and instinctively wanted to pull her hand back, but then suddenly realized she might get lost, so she simply let him hold it.
Mm, it definitely wasn’t because she didn’t want to let go.
Surprisingly, Xiao Ling’s hand was very rough, covered in calluses, like the bark of an old tree, but it won out in being sufficiently warm, making one feel very at ease.
‘How strange.
He clearly looks so young…’ Denia looked at his sharply defined profile, lost in thought.
The pace of their steps wouldn’t slow down just because of her musings, and in the blink of an eye, they had entered the mall’s interior.
“Hah…
so much better.” Feeling the powerful blast of the mall’s air conditioning, Denia felt that she had finally come back to life.
“Feel like eating something?” Xiao Ling asked for her opinion.
“I’ll follow the host’s lead.
I don’t know which restaurants are good either.” Denia shrugged.
“Then how about I take you to Haidilao?
Can you eat spicy food?” Xiao Ling suggested.
“What’s that?” She tilted her head and asked him.
“Have you heard of Huanglong’s hot pot?
It’s basically that.” He explained in a way she could understand.
“Do they have non-spicy?” Denia understood now.
She wasn’t too fond of spicy food — she had more of a preference for sweet things.
“Haidilao has a lot of broth base flavors.
Spicy, mild, sweet and sour, savory.” Xiao Ling continued his educational overview.
“If you don’t like spicy, you can try the other three flavors.”
Although it was never explicitly stated in the game’s text, Xiao Ling could roughly guess that Miss Deni had a bit of an aversion to spicy things.
After all, that sensation was more or less the same as the feeling of Tacetite burning inside the body.
(That damned Fractsidus Overseer, sooner or later I’ll ram a Bloodpact Pledge right through you!)
“Then let’s go with that.
Come on, time waits for no one.” This time, it was Denia who took the initiative to pull Xiao Ling’s hand.
Couldn’t be helped.
Just being out for a little while had made her feel a bit sleepy.
She really wanted to hurry home and get some good sleep.
Having finally escaped the Academy’s early 8 a.m.
life, of course she wanted to sleep however much she pleased.
“Walk a little slower, you don’t even know the way.” Xiao Ling was pulled forward by her, saying this with his mouth, but the corner of his mouth couldn’t help curving upward a little, and even his tone had lightened right along with it.
…
Inside the mall, there were eye-catching signs clearly marking which floor each location was on.
Haidilao was on the fifth floor.
After confirming the floor they needed to go to, Denia pulled Xiao Ling into the elevator.
And then this handsome man and beautiful woman were instantly surrounded by several lines of sight, looking for all the world like they were about to be lifted up by the crowd and debut in the center spotlight.
Xiao Ling said nothing.
He simply switched from holding her hand to linking arms with her, and his gaze turned a little colder.
It was a silent declaration of connection and a warning, making those big boys with their little schemes hesitate and back off.
Denia’s heart was slightly startled.
She had seen that look in Xiao Ling’s eyes before — it was the look the Rover would show when facing a potential enemy.
She suddenly felt very cheerful.
She naturally linked her arm back with his in turn, putting on the appearance of a loving couple.
The elevator soon reached the fifth floor.
Xiao Ling, with Denia on his arm, walked out, and she played along very composedly, even leaning her head slightly against his shoulder.
Denia was a good girl.
Her greatest wishes were nothing more than eating delicious food, getting good sleep, and being together with her friends.
But even such simple wishes were, in her eyes, extravagant hopes difficult to realize.
The two identities of Threnodian Resonator and Fractsidus mole had caused her to suffer greatly while also putting an insurmountable chasm between her and everyone at the Academy.
And now, she had the chance to shed those identities and live peacefully and happily, simply as Denia.
So he would like to protect her hard-won peace and happiness, even if it meant using some less-than-honorable methods.
Comment it and let me know.