Sparkle Strikes Again

Lin Hai stepped forward and gently drew Seele into his arms.

She offered no resistance. Instead, as if she had found someone to lean on, she relaxed against him, her cheek pressed to his chest as his heart beat beneath it.

Suddenly, she rose on tiptoe and kissed him.

Lin Hai froze for a moment, then returned her kiss.

A warmer, deeper feeling, as though they meant to pour every promise they had made to each other into that kiss.

After a long while, they slowly parted, but neither spoke. They simply smiled at each other, their fingers intertwining as they strolled side by side through the streets of the Underworld, like any ordinary couple.

The sights along the way gradually came into view.

Narrow alleys.

Ramshackle huts.

People with tired faces who were still hard at work...

The hardships of survival and the aging surroundings spoke everywhere of the difficulties here.

Resources were desperately scarce, like an invisible, unyielding cocoon that bound the entire Underworld tight. No amount of determination or effort could easily break it open.

"Because things are so hard to change," Seele said softly, her gaze passing over those hunched figures, "your arrival is like the only light we can hold on to."

Lin Hai tightened his grip on her hand. "Next, I'll find a way to bring over a shipment of building materials and improve the living conditions."

Seele's eyes lit up at once. She rose on tiptoe again and planted a quick kiss on his lips, as if rewarding him, before asking with some concern:

"But transporting so much... won't that cause a shortage of resources in your world?"

"No." Lin Hai shook his head. "In my time, the construction industry is shrinking, and many material suppliers are struggling, even on the verge of bankruptcy. By buying these materials, I'll actually be helping them through a difficult time and keeping people employed. It's good for both worlds."

Only then did Seele truly set her worries aside, her smile growing even brighter.

"When I go back this time," Lin Hai continued, laying out his plans, "I'll also buy a large shipment of seasonings, so everyone can have more than the same monotonous flavors at their tables."

As they talked, the two arrived at Seele's home.

She went into the room ahead of him and opened a heavy suitcase. Inside, blocks of gold were neatly stacked.

"This is from Wildfire," she said solemnly. "Oleg told me to make sure it reached your hands."

Then she took a small but weighty cloth pouch from her bedside and placed it in Lin Hai's palm, her voice suddenly dropping a little. "And this... is from me."

Lin Hai did not refuse. He carefully put both gifts away, then bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Seele's forehead.

"I've received both Wildfire's gift and yours."

He gripped the Lucky Star, its surface shimmering faintly, and the scenery around him began to blur and fade.

His familiar living room appeared before him.

Lin Hai sat on the living room sofa, and everything around him suddenly fell quiet.

The smells, sounds, and signs of daily life in the Underworld had all vanished.

Yet Lin Hai's thoughts drifted involuntarily to that clever, unpredictable girl.

Sparkle.

The sly and bold brat was like an enticing riddle he could not resist exploring.

Lin Hai took out the Contract Lucky Star corresponding to Sparkle, his fingers tightening slightly around it.

In an instant, a soft, strange light flowed through the room. The air seemed to tremble, and the pages of the books on his desk began to flutter.

The next moment, Sparkle appeared beside him.

She made herself at home on the sofa, deliberately sitting so close that the hem of her skirt nearly touched his trouser leg.

Sparkle had clearly come prepared.

During their last meeting, she felt she had failed to gain the upper hand completely, so this time she had made up her mind to seize back control.

She wore a short skirt that was both breezy and pretty. Her skin looked fair and luminous under the light, and she gave off a lively air.

Lin Hai's gaze was drawn to her involuntarily.

Sparkle caught him looking at once. Rather than shy away, she lifted her chin and smiled like a smug little cat.

"If you want to look, go right ahead. Sneaking glances... isn't very nice, you know?"

"That's exactly what I had in mind." Lin Hai readily took her advice and openly regarded her with appreciation.

"Do I look good?" She blinked, her tone saccharine and provocative.

"Very good."

"Then... do you want to kiss me? Do you want to hold me?"

She leaned closer, her breath nearly brushing his chin.

"Very much." His answer was straightforward.

To his surprise, Sparkle suddenly leaned back with a sly smile. "I won't let you kiss me~ Or hold me either~"

Lin Hai did not press the matter. He simply smiled, leaned back with his hands behind his head, then picked up the remote and turned on the television.

A special-effects blockbuster was playing on the screen.

He looked perfectly at ease, as if to say, "Suit yourself."

Seeing how calm he was, Sparkle blinked, then suddenly leaned over. "I'm hungry. I want something tasty!"

Lin Hai opened a food delivery app, scrolled through the screen, and picked out several dishes before handing it to her. "Are these to your taste?"

She gave them a cursory glance and nodded in satisfaction. Then she reached into her skirt pocket, pulled out a small, gleaming piece of gold, and set it on the glass coffee table with a smack.

"Like we agreed, I'm paying."

Just as Lin Hai reached for the gold, Sparkle darted forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek with her soft lips.

She pulled away as soon as their lips touched.

She sat up straight again, her face full of smug delight at having pulled off her scheme, as though she were announcing the rules of a game.

"I'm not like those little girls. When it comes to kissing, I'm the one in charge."

Lin Hai touched the cheek she had just kissed and suddenly smiled, meeting her eyes.

"Since you're in charge, if you've got the nerve, how about kissing me here?" He pointed to his lips.

Sparkle's eyes widened slightly. Then she huffed, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

"Of course I dare! You... just you wait!"

Sparkle took a deep breath, as if making some kind of decision, then took the initiative and kissed Lin Hai on the lips.

But the kiss, originally meant to show how effortlessly she could handle him, gradually grew longer as Lin Hai turned the tables and took charge.

He gave a low chuckle and wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her whole body into his embrace.

Sparkle felt as though the strength had quietly drained from her entire body.

When she opened her eyes slightly, a hazy mist had gathered in those eyes that were usually so sly and lively.

Lin Hai looked down at her and said with a smile, "It seems... Miss Sparkle, you can't be the one in charge just yet."

Sparkle opened her mouth, intending to argue, but found her heart was beating absurdly fast. In the end, she merely gave a soft huff and turned her face away, while the tips of her ears quietly reddened.

Lin Hai stopped teasing her and simply slipped an arm around her waist, letting her lean against his shoulder as he switched to a space war movie.

Enormous starships traded fire in the depths of space, energy beams and the light of explosions filling the screen. They soon caught Sparkle's attention.

She gradually relaxed, resting her head on Lin Hai's shoulder as she carefully assessed the plot and performances from an actress's professional perspective.

"The emotional progression in this part is pretty straightforward... but the setup for that villain's motive for making a move was still too simple..."

Lin Hai's gaze, however, had long since left the screen.

He turned his head slightly, the sweet, fresh scent of her hair lingering around his nose, and quietly began to admire the woman before him, more vivid and captivating than the movie.