Can You Take a Walk With Me?

Bai Luoming, wrapped in a bath towel, quickly slipped back to his room, closed the door behind him, and let out a long breath as his back pressed against the cold door panel.

He walked along the corridor just now, and it was completely empty; thankfully, there was no one there.

Bai Luoming glanced down at the crookedly tied bath towel around his waist. The towel belonged to March 7th and carried a faint floral scent.

A thought flashed through his mind: what if he had bumped into anyone from the Astral Express Crew on the way, like Dan Heng or Mr. Welt...

Thinking of this, Bai Luoming couldn't help but shudder and dared not think any further.

He shook his head, clearing his mind of the strange thoughts, and walked to his suitcase, opening the lid.

The scene inside made him frown more and more. The various events that had occurred in the past few days had severely damaged his clothes; they had even been burned during the last battle with the Stellaron.

Even the formal attire he wore last night, specially prepared for the banquet, tragically perished in his room on March 7th, beyond any hope of recovery.

Most of the remaining items in the box were abstract styles that he had specifically searched for to wear as pajamas.

He picked up a yellow dragon robe and then pulled out a pair of loose shorts, just like the ones Patrick Star. He then placed the two garments side by side on the bed and examined them for a while.

"Forget it," he said, folding the clothes neatly and stuffing them back into the corner of the suitcase. "These kinds of things are best enjoyed alone."

Bai Luoming rummaged through the bottom of the box for a long time before finally finding an outfit that was barely wearable: a simple black T-shirt, a white jacket, and dark gray cargo pants.

As he changed his clothes, he made up his mind that the first thing he would do after leaving Jarilo-VI was to replenish his wardrobe.

After changing his clothes, he stood in front of the full-length mirror and straightened his collar, but his gaze involuntarily fell on his neck.

Looking at myself in the mirror, my neck and collarbone were covered with red marks of varying shades, and in some places I could even see tiny teeth marks.

He tried to pull up the collar of his T-shirt, but there were too many marks; a regular crew neck wouldn't cover them at all. There was no scarf or anything like that in the room, so this was the best he could do. He sighed and gave up trying.

He comforted himself, thinking that as long as he acted naturally enough, others might not notice.

As long as you're not embarrassed, it's others who will feel awkward.

He opened the door and went out.

Outside the Goethe Hotel, the morning sun dispelled the chill of early morning, and pedestrians were already on the streets, with children chasing after the dappled sunlight on the ground.

As Bai Luoming stepped out of the hotel, he saw Bronya right in front of him.

She stood alone in the square outside the hotel, the morning light outlining her slender figure, but the dark circles under her eyes were unusually prominent, and she exuded a lingering weariness, a stark contrast to her radiant appearance at the banquet the night before.

What Bai Luoming didn't know was that Bronya had barely slept a wink all night after returning home.

She summoned the Silvermane Guards responsible for the escort that very night, but he insisted that his orders were to safely escort Mr. Bai Luoming back to his room at the Goethe Hotel.

Even his Remembrance, logic, and subconscious reactions were completely self-consistent. Clearly, this Iron Guard's cognition had been interfered with, forcing Bronya to admit that she had been outmaneuvered.

"Bronya?" Bai Luoming raised his hand to greet her.

Upon hearing Bai Luoming's voice, Bronya's previously unfocused gaze instantly sharpened, and a glimmer of light appeared in her tired eyes. She instinctively quickened her pace and walked towards him.

Good morning, Luo Ming. I thought you...

She stopped mid-sentence.

As the distance between them closed, she immediately noticed the mark on Bai Luoming's neck that couldn't be covered by his collar.

Clearly, this is not a trace that could have been left by a battle.

Bronya paused very slightly, and the light in her eyes quickly dimmed.

Her gaze lingered on the marks on Bai Luoming's neck for a moment, but the questions she had intended to ask remained unspoken. The last shred of hope in her heart vanished.

Bronya maintained a polite smile, but her hands, hidden behind her back, were clenched into tight fists.

Who is it?

According to her investigation, neither Seele nor any other woman in Belobog made any other moves last night, and they had no ability to change the perception of a Silvermane Guards.

After ruling out these possibilities, the only suspects left are the Astral Express Crew who stayed at the same hotel as him.

With this in mind, Bronya quickly ruled out anyone in the Astral Express Crew who could have done such a thing. Based on the behavior of everyone on the train, she then swiftly identified the suspect.

Thinking about March 7th's usual appearance, Bronya began to doubt her own judgment of people for the first time.

Bai Luoming completely failed to grasp the storm brewing behind her brief silence; his attention was entirely drawn to her heavy dark circles.

"Didn't you sleep last night?" he asked, his tone tinged with concern. "Why do you look so tired?"

Bronya suppressed all her turbulent emotions, looked up at him and gave him a slightly apologetic smile, lying that she had been dealing with the backlog of post-war official business until too late and hadn't gotten enough rest.

"I see," Bai Luoming said without suspicion, but instead earnestly advised her, "But take it easy, don't overexert yourself. The biggest disaster in Belobog has just been resolved, don't let the Supreme Guardian collapse from exhaustion in the blink of an eye."

He paused, then continued, "Besides, you're not the only one working in Belobog; you can ask others for help."

Then, as if remembering something, he winked at Bronya and said, "I think Cocolia is quite good. She's been the Supreme Guardian for so long. Why don't you bring her along to handle government affairs? It'll definitely be better than you doing it all by yourself."

Cocolia: I finally got to retire, how could you be so selfish, pshaw!

Bronya listened quietly.

She could tell, of course, that he wasn't just offering empty words of comfort, but genuinely caring about her.

The resentment and disappointment that had been building up in the empty room all night were surprisingly dispelled by his sincere words.

Her eyes curved into a smile, this time a genuine one, and the weariness in her eyes seemed to fade somewhat.

"I understand," she said softly. "Thank you for reminding me."

"As payment for reminding me," Bronya extended an invitation, her eyes rekindling with anticipation, "Would you like to walk with me? I'd like to show you Belobog after the Eternal Freeze snap."

She added, "This is both a personal invitation from me and an invitation from the Supreme Guardian to the heroes who saved this city. I want you to see for yourselves what your battle yesterday brought to this city."

Upon hearing this, Bai Luoming subconsciously glanced back in the direction of the Goethe Hotel.

Bronya interpreted this momentary hesitation as something else entirely.

Is he considering how that person felt last night?

The bitterness that had just subsided in her heart quietly resurfaced.

Bai Luoming finally turned back and nodded to her. "Okay."

Give March 7th some time, and give yourself some time too. Even if he goes back now, he might not be able to handle it well.

"Let's go then." Bronya's smile remained perfect, but the bitterness welling up inside her continued to spread.