After the disaster

Lin Qing returned to the Main Store and found Chen Xuan lost in thought again.

He sat at the bar, his hands folded beneath his chin, staring ahead with unfocused eyes. He looked utterly caught between hope and fear.

Wait, hope and fear? Lin Qing frowned. Wasn't that the expression people wore when they first fell in love? Remembering how much less frequently Liu Shuyue had been visiting lately, she wondered... Had they not argued at all? Had Chen Xuan been dumped?!

As for why she didn't think Liu Shuyue had been dumped... well, Lin Qing had a hard time imagining her confessing first. People from ancient times... tended to be a little reserved.

The more she thought about it, the more sense it made.

Liu Shuyue would surely be too embarrassed to talk about it, too. So if asked whether they'd argued, she would only shake her head, rather than explain the real problem.

This couldn't go on.

Chen Xuan's heartbreak didn't matter. What mattered was that the Ability Store couldn't lose Liu Shuyue. Lin Qing was still counting on arming the villagers of Mala Village to face a direct assault from the Dimensional Limit Organization someday!

Lin Qing walked over to the bar and cleared her throat. "Um... just because she rejected you doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't like you."

"Huh?" Chen Xuan looked up blankly. Once he saw it was her, he slumped back down. "You're back. Did the ammunition deal go smoothly?"

"Of course. He even gave us a hotel. Once the acquisition process on their end is complete, he'll hand me the gift agreement. Then we can open the Branch Store right inside the hotel."

"He gave us a hotel? Why?" Chen Xuan asked in surprise.

"He was afraid of being left behind, so he