"Neko, you're right, but have you considered that our plane takes off at nine-thirty, and it's only eight-thirty?"
"Uh... Don't we have to board early?"
"An hour early, right?"
"Hehehe~~" Clearly realizing she had made a basic mistake, Neko awkwardly scratched her head, trying to remain polite. It couldn't be helped... It was my first time flying, and I was a little excited.
There were roughly a dozen people in the group.
Himeko glanced over—and nearly swore. Every single one of them was stunning! Their overall quality was frighteningly high!
And the person walking at the very front, with a catlike girl beside him—wasn't that Xu Qi?!
Himeko hurriedly checked her ticket: 9:30, Guangcheng.
Exactly the same!
Were they going to Guangcheng too?
Himeko's gaze toward Xu Qi changed at once. No way... Isn't this feeling of fate a little too intense?
It was as if an invisible pair of hands had forcibly pushed the two of them together.
Oh, no... Not "pushed together." They were a match made in heaven!
Thirty-year-old Big Sister Himeko felt as if hope for something called love had been rekindled within her!
It was just that the catlike girl beside him was a little irritating...
But now that she thought about it, were all ten or so of them traveling together?
Himeko curiously took a few more glances.
A handsome white-haired man. Good quality, but too cold. Pass.
A handsome squinting man with no sense of presence. Pass.
Someone wearing a mask... Too strange. Pass.
And a high-school student. Never mind. Pass.
After admiring the men, Himeko finally began appreciating the women.
After one look, she felt that the hope she had just ignited was probably about to go out again. Seriously...? What is this? Can such beautiful girls really gather in one place?
A pink fairy was chatting with a gentle girl who resembled a traditional Japanese beauty. From the way they interacted, they seemed quite close.
Behind them followed a mother-and-daughter pair. The mother in the white dress had a bust almost comparable to mine! This was the first time in Himeko's life she had seen a woman who could face her head-on in that department.
And the little girl was so adorable it was almost unfair.
After that came two women still wearing white lab coats despite the weather. Walking together, they seemed to be discussing something, like a pair of mad scientists strolling down the street and debating whether to perform a live experiment today or something else.
And they were beautiful mad scientists at that. I get it. These are what people call... crazy beauties?
At the very back were what looked like a university student and a working woman. How should Himeko describe them? The two of them were practically the pinnacle of Eastern beauty.
What was this? Wasn't this going too far...?
Xu Qi and his group naturally failed to notice Auntie Himeko, who had deliberately disguised herself.
Having sent away the extremely curious Neko, Xu Qi resumed typing furiously on his phone.
Sparkling Qiqi: Where's the picture? Where's the picture? Where's my Freedom?
Theresa: Stop yelling! I'm drawing it, I'm drawing it!
Sparkling Qiqi: So you made a new folder?
Theresa: ? Get lost.
Theresa: Don't talk about that. You... you're really coming to Guangcheng?
Sparkling Qiqi: Yeah? I'm about to board the plane.
Theresa: ...
After waiting a long time without receiving a reply, Xu Qi asked Kosma, who had sat down beside him, for a bottle of water. Don't ask why he didn't ask Mei; she was busy asking Alysia about skincare tips and had no time to deal with Xu Qi.
Theresa: ...I'm not ready yet.
"Pfft!!"
Without the slightest warning, the message appeared out of nowhere. Xu Qi was caught completely off guard, and the mouthful of water he had just drunk sprayed all over Kosma's face.
Kosma: ...
Kosma wiped his face, put away his Switch, and silently found a corner to sit in.
He had a strange feeling that a scene like this had already happened once before.
"Ahem! Cough! Damn... Shit... Theresa, what are you even saying?"
Sparkling Qiqi: You damn homunculus! What are you talking about!? What the hell are you preparing for?!
Theresa: W-what!? Can't I!? I'm socially anxious!
Fine...
Theresa: Have you decided where you want to go?
Sparkling Qiqi: I'll stay in Nansha for a few days first. I have a friend with a private beach there. I'll spend a few days by the sea, then visit some other places.
Theresa: Rich.
Theresa: There isn't much to do in Guangcheng. A week should be about enough. You can visit some nearby places too, like Foshan or Dongguan.
Sparkling Qiqi: You're only saying that because you're from Guangcheng, right?
Theresa: You'll know once you come. Not saying anything else. Didn't you want the design for the Freedom aircraft? I'll draw it for you now.
Sparkling Qiqi: Love you.
Theresa: Get lost! You damn homunculus!
Xu Qi happily shut off his phone and stretched, his heart filled with anticipation.
After all, this was probably the first time the people of the Golden Courtyard had all managed to make time for a trip.
He wondered whether, in that distant foreign land, there might be a brand-new encounter waiting for him.
"Lieutenant Himeko, are you listening?"
"I am."
"Good. We'll contact each other after we reach Guangcheng. Remember to keep this confidential."
"Understood."
After ending the call, Himeko glanced at Xu Qi, who was chatting and laughing with his companions, and frowned slightly.
This wasn't a good time to visit Guangcheng...
She hoped they wouldn't be caught up in it.
But speaking of Guangcheng...
Behind her sunglasses, Himeko's eyes revealed a trace of reminiscence. I wonder... whether I'll get to see that friend of mine again.
Departure.
67. Griseo, You Saved Kosma
Guangcheng, Nansha Beach.
An unremarkable yacht was slowly sailing along the coast.
Aside from the captain and helmsman, the only people aboard were the ship's owner, her secretary, and a group of accompanying maids. They wore maid uniforms, and most of them were fair-skinned Westerners with blond hair and blue eyes.
It couldn't be helped. Both they and the ship had been gifts from someone else, so Eden, the yacht's current owner, couldn't be too picky.
"Boss." A young woman with chestnut-brown hair emerged from the cabin and walked over to Eden. "We're almost at our destination. When we get there..."
"Take the Golden Annie back. Don't worry. They're all my friends, Anna."
"Understood."
Since Eden had said so, her secretary, Anna Schariac, did not say anything else. After all, the reason she had been able to become Eden's secretary was that she always knew where to draw the line.
Some people, after being secretaries for long enough, began to believe they could make decisions for their bosses in certain matters, or that they had the right to communicate with their bosses as equals...
Perhaps some bosses liked that kind of secretary...
But Anna knew that although Eden appeared quite easygoing on the surface, as if nothing anyone said would bother her, she absolutely did not like subordinates questioning her decisions.
Therefore, since Eden had said there was no need to worry about her safety and that no one else needed to stay behind, Anna had to follow those instructions strictly.
At times like this, any unnecessary action would only make matters worse.
"Hmm? Boss, look. We're here."
······
Beyond the empty golden beach stretched a blue sea beneath a clear sky. On the beach stood a Nordic-style villa backed by a dense forest...
Riding in a business van through the long forest road, the people of the Golden Courtyard finally saw the scene before them...
Well, no one seemed particularly surprised.
Even so, everyone was quite excited by the rare sight.
Only Mei... She had looked dazed the entire journey, and seeing the private beach had left her even more stunned.
She couldn't help tugging at Xu Qi's sleeve. "Xu Qi... Is all this Eden's?"
"Hm? Oh, probably. She should have many places like this around the world. Either people gave them to her, or she bought them herself."
Then how much land does she own?
No, asking that made Eden sound like some kind of landlord.
Damn capitalists...
"You'll get used to Eden's wealth. How should I put it?"
Xu Qi rubbed his chin and thought for a long while before finally figuring out how to answer Mei.
"Eden of Gold naturally isn't the richest person in the world, but when it comes to anything involving money, she can solve it all.
"For her, the phrase 'money isn't a problem' is absolutely not a joke."
Mei suddenly became a little tense. This... and you still say she isn't the richest person in the world!?
Apparently sensing what Mei was thinking, Xu Qi burst out laughing. The commotion attracted the attention of their companions, and Alysia couldn't help asking, "What are you laughing at, Xu Qi?"
"Nothing. Aren't we about to meet Eden? Mei's a little nervous."
Nervous?
Everyone was confused for a moment, then quickly understood.
Kevin, walking at the very front, nodded and said, "According to generally accepted theory, she probably should be nervous."
"Oh my?~~ You should have said so sooner. It's fine, Mei. Eden's also a very beautiful girl. You'll like her."
Are you sure the question is whether I'll like her?
"Don't worry." Xu Qi patted Mei's shoulder. "You'll understand once you meet her. Don't forget, Eden is also a member of the Golden Courtyard. We're family."
Family.
Indeed.
After crossing a wooden bridge, the only villa within several miles stood straight ahead.
When the group entered the living room on the first floor, carrying large and small bags, they all felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
Alysia's reaction was the most direct. She placed her suitcase by the door, tossed aside the bag in her hand, and collapsed onto the living-room sofa.
"Ah... I can't go on... I'm dying..."
Everyone else put down their bags as well. Pardofelis, who seemed to have endless energy, charged straight up to the second floor, shouting something about going to choose a room.
Kosma wore an expression that said he wanted to go, but didn't want to lose face.
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