Na'er

"Hey, it's so late. Why are you sitting here alone? Aren't you scared?"

Luo Ze crouched down and looked up at the girl, keeping his voice as gentle as possible so he would not frighten her with his sudden approach.

"I don't know." The girl shook her head.

"You don't know?" Clearly, that answer had not been what Luo Ze expected. After thinking for a moment, he continued, "Then what's your name? Where is your family?"

"My name is Na'er. I don't have any family."

At the mention of family, the girl's gaze became noticeably lonelier. Her small figure sat alone on the bench, looking utterly isolated.

"My name is Luo Ze. I'm really sorry, I didn't know you had no family. I didn't mean to bring it up!" Luo Ze realized he had said the wrong thing, and immediately panicked, trying to make up for it.

Fortunately, Na'er did not seem to mind.

She slowly raised her head, and a pair of clear eyes like purple crystals appeared before Luo Ze.

Her eyes were large, and even from a distance, he could see his own reflection in them.

"Na'er? So beautiful..."

Luo Ze was stunned. Na'er's purple eyes were even more dazzling than those of the boy he had met that morning. Like a vortex in a black hole, they drew him in deeply.

"What's wrong?"

Na'er tilted her head in confusion, looking at the boy staring at her.

"N-Nothing. Since you can't find your home, do you want to come with me? I'll take you home!" Luo Ze's voice was incomparably firm. Even he did not know why he had said such a thing.

"No. I'm waiting for someone here. I can't go with you!"

Na'er's voice was stubborn, but she immediately gave herself away the next second. Her stomach growled loudly and very inappropriately from hunger.

Her face flushed red at once, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Haha, looks like you're hungry. If you don't mind, how about I take you to eat? Even if you're waiting for someone, you can't do it on an empty stomach!" Luo Ze laughed twice and made the suggestion sincerely.

Na'er looked at the boy before her and, for a moment, could find no reason to refuse.

Besides, she could sense that the boy held no hostility toward her. There was even an inexplicable sense of familiarity between them that kept her from feeling guarded at all.

Na'er nodded, then suddenly hugged Luo Ze and buried her head in his chest.

The action instantly left Luo Ze at a loss. He had grown up with Grandfather, and the things he usually faced were either Soul Beasts or Grandfather's devilish training.

Normally, he did not even see the shadow of a girl, much less hug such a cute and beautiful girl like the one before him.

What should I do? What should I do?

What am I supposed to do next?

Should I pat her back and comfort her?

Should I pick her up?

Or what? No one ever taught me this!

Luo Ze's thoughts were already a complete mess. Having no experience with something like this, he had no idea what to do.

"What's wrong?" Na'er asked in confusion as she looked at Luo Ze, whose hands were hanging awkwardly in the air.

"Ahem, nothing! Hold on tight!" Luo Ze gathered Na'er into his arms and quickly ran toward the city.

After returning to the city, Luo Ze brought Na'er to a noodle shop called Little Noodle Shop.

The owner was a kind middle-aged man. His Big Meat Noodles were considered the best in the city. Aside from being a little expensive, they had no flaws at all.

"Big Meat Noodles coming up!"

Uncle Zhang placed a steaming bowl of Big Meat Noodles before Na'er and told her to eat while it was hot. Once it cooled, it would lose its best flavor!

Looking at the noodles before her—perfect in color, aroma, and taste, with large chunks of braised pork—she could not help but drool.

"Eat up. Uncle Zhang said it won't taste as good once it gets cold!" Luo Ze placed the prepared chopsticks into Na'er's hand.

"Mm-hmm!"

Na'er nodded excitedly and began eating in huge bites without the slightest restraint. The fragrant noodles paired with the fatty and lean braised pork were simply a perfect match!

Na'er had no idea how long she had been starving outside. She devoured the food ravenously, as if she wished she could swallow the entire large bowl of noodles in one bite.

"Eat slowly. No one's going to steal it from you." Luo Ze looked at Na'er fondly as he thoughtfully poured her a cup of water.

At that moment, the two of them looked just like a couple who had only recently gotten together.

Seeing this, Uncle Zhang could not help teasing him. "Not bad, little Luo Ze. Found yourself a girlfriend?"

Although Na'er wore worn-out clothes and had some dust on her face, it still could not conceal her peerless beauty or those unique purple crystal eyes.

"Uncle Zhang, what nonsense are you guessing? I'm only six. How could I have a girlfriend?" Luo Ze said excitedly, his cheeks slightly red.

"What are you embarrassed about? Don't worry, I get it, I get it!" Uncle Zhang said with a mischievous grin.

"Don't get the wrong idea! I found Na'er by the seaside. She was too hungry, so I brought her here to eat first, and to look for her family while I'm at it!" Luo Ze deliberately emphasized the words "while I'm at it," making it clear that he had no other intentions!

"Oh~ while you're at it~"

Uncle Zhang's expression said that he understood everything, leaving the blushing Luo Ze speechless.

"But this girl can really eat. She's already had five bowls. My Big Meat Noodles are packed with nutrients now—even a Soul Master couldn't manage more than five bowls. Just what kind of monster is this girl?"

Since opening his shop, aside from Luo Ze, this was the first time he had seen such a ravenous little girl. Luo Ze could eat so much only because he did heavy physical labor every day.

Yet this silver-haired little girl showed no strong Soul Power fluctuations. How could she possibly eat this much?

"Maybe she's been hungry for too long?" Luo Ze speculated seriously.

Na'er's clothes were terribly worn, and her little face was grimy. She had clearly been wandering outside for a long time. In a state of extreme hunger, it was perfectly normal to eat more than usual.

Half an hour later, Na'er finally put down her chopsticks after eating a full fifteen bowls of noodles. She patted her stomach contentedly and let out a blissful burp.

"I'm full."

"F-Fifteen bowls?! She ate fifteen bowls? What monster? She's a freak!" Uncle Zhang's eyes widened as he incredulously pointed at the ceramic bowls piled higher than himself.

"Pfft! What? Fifteen bowls?!"

Luo Ze was so shocked that he spat out the water in his mouth.

Fifteen bowls?! An ordinary Soul Master could manage at most seven or eight bowls. Even he could only eat ten bowls at the absolute limit, yet Na'er had eaten fifteen! What a freak! What a monster!

"Luo Ze, what's wrong with you two? Why are you staring at me like that?" Na'er asked in confusion as she looked at their wide eyes.

"Nothing. Uncle Zhang, the bill!"

"One thousand Federal currency in total. Just transfer it to me through your communicator."

After dinner, it was already late at night. The lively atmosphere of Aolai City had completely vanished by then.

The streets were quiet, with only one large and one small figure slowly walking along the road.

"I'm so full. I can't walk anymore." Na'er rubbed her belly contentedly. She had eaten too much just now and did not want to walk at all. She only wanted to find somewhere warm and comfortable to fall asleep.

"If you don't mind, I can carry you."

Luo Ze's cheeks reddened slightly as he walked in front of Na'er and crouched down.

"Thank you!" Na'er smiled happily and climbed onto Luo Ze's back without the slightest hesitation.

That peculiar sense of familiarity Luo Ze gave off made it impossible for her to feel any wariness toward him.

"It's nothing." Luo Ze smiled back and quickly stood up.

But to his surprise, Na'er's body was not as heavy as he had imagined. Instead, she was exceptionally light—not the weight an ordinary person should have.

However, compared to such trivial matters, the pleasant fragrance coming from Na'er made Luo Ze's heart race even more...

"Luo Ze, your face is so red. Did you catch a cold?" Na'er pressed her face close in concern, feeling the warmth radiating from Luo Ze's body.

"No, I'm fine! It's just that summer is too hot. I'm a little warm, that's all..."