A Trio's Journey

Gu Yue cleared her throat, forcibly suppressing that inexplicable softness in her heart.

Although she kept her face stern, her tone lost its earlier edge, unconsciously softening into a mix of helplessness and compromise.

"...Just this once, no dawdling."

As she spoke, she released her grip on the back of Xie Xie's collar and gave the top of his head a light, casual tap.

"You got it!"

Having received permission, Xie Xie bolted toward the small stall.

He bought thirty soul-guided frisbees and hit every single one.

The stall owner stared in stunned silence while Xie Xie happily walked away with the largest mecha figurine from the prize pile.

Gu Yue stopped at an accessory shop, picked up a headband inlaid with a purple gemstone, and held it up to the mirror to compare.

Xie Xie walked over, clutching the figurine, and teased with a grin: "That headband is actually quite nice. The purple gemstone on it is the same color as your eyes!"

Gu Yue's cheeks flushed slightly; she put the headband down and turned to leave: "It's just average."

"Boss, I'll take this!"

Xie Xie was quick-witted; he pulled out Federal Coins to pay and shoved the headband into her hand: "Take it, consider it a thank you for helping me pick out clothes today."

Gu Yue lowered her eyes to look at the headband in her palm, her fingertips gently tracing the cool, smooth gemstone.

After a few seconds of silence, she finally let down her long, dark hair and secured the purple gemstone headband firmly in place.

The amethyst-like stone set off her cascading tresses, making her look even more elegant and moving, her features as delicate as a painting.

Tang Wulin watched from the side and said with a smile: "It looks very good."

Xie Xie immediately gave a thumbs up: "Not just good, it's incredibly good! How does that saying go..."

He scratched his cheek with his index finger, thinking hard for a moment, before suddenly snapping his fingers.

"Right! I remember now!"

Xie Xie cleared his throat, his gaze landing on Gu Yue with unusual seriousness as he said, word for word:

"The gemstone has become the imitation, while your eyes are the true masterpiece."

The tips of Gu Yue's ears turned a faint red. Her fingers tightened around the headband.

She jerked her head away, avoiding Xie Xie's gaze, her cold, clear voice hiding a trace of imperceptible panic.

"Smooth talker."

She muttered a soft rebuke and unconsciously quickened her pace.

Her long, dark hair, held by the purple gemstone headband, swayed gently with her movements.

Tang Wulin watched this scene from the side, the smile on his lips fading slightly as his fingertips unconsciously rubbed his cuffs.

Xie Xie didn't seem to notice anything; he held the mecha figurine in his left hand and pulled Tang Wulin with his right, continuing to chatter away to Gu Yue about how he had managed to win the prize.

"Tang Wulin, don't you think so?" Xie Xie turned back to look at Tang Wulin with a cheerful expression.

Tang Wulin, however, slightly averted his gaze, his eyes landing on a shop not far away with a sign that read "Seafood Food Stall."

"I'm a bit hungry, let's go get something to eat. I want grilled fish and two bowls of seafood noodles."

"No problem!"

Xie Xie tucked the figurine into his soul-guided storage device and waved his hand grandly: "Eat whatever you want, my treat!"

The three of them soon took their seats at the outdoor tables of the food stall.

Shortly after ordering, a large platter of sizzling grilled fish was brought out, followed by braised shrimp, garlic scallops, and Tang Wulin's large bowls of seafood noodles.

"Mmm... this crawfish tastes incredible!"

Xie Xie said with his mouth full, his cheeks bulging as he peeled the shrimp.

Gu Yue handed him a napkin with a look of disdain.

"Eat slowly, no one is going to steal it from you."

Despite her words, her own chopsticks didn't hesitate to reach for the plate of crawfish.

Tang Wulin focused on finishing his seafood noodles; after one bowl, he started on a second, eating until he was drenched in sweat but looking completely satisfied.

As the night deepened, the lights of Eastsea City all flickered to life, like a galaxy falling into the mortal realm.

The three of them had eaten their fill and expected to have a wild time, but to their surprise, within half an hour, their stomachs were grumbling ungratefully again, their appetites stirred by the aromas wafting from the street.

Suddenly, a rich, mellow scent of meat drifted by on the breeze.

Xie Xie's nose twitched, and as he followed the source of the fragrance, a sign he knew all too well appeared before his eyes.

--Braised Beef Pot Shop.

He froze in his tracks.

He had deliberately steered clear of this place when they came out, choosing the snack street next door instead.

Yet, after wandering around for most of the day, they had ended up right back here.

Was it a coincidence? Or...

A trace of inexplicable unease crept silently into his heart.

"Xie Xie? Xie Xie?"

"Ah?!"

He snapped back to reality, and as he looked up, he met the gazes of Tang Wulin and Gu Yue.

Tang Wulin reached out to press a hand on his shoulder, his tone filled with a hint of concern: "What's wrong? Are you tired?"

Xie Xie hurriedly shook his head, trying to shake off that sense of unease in his heart.

"It's nothing, I just zoned out!" As he spoke, he pointed his thumb toward the Braised Beef Pot Shop and smiled: "Come on, I'll take you to try that braised beef! It's exceptionally delicious, let me tell you."

"Sounds good!" Tang Wulin laughed; he was already hungry.

There were only five small rectangular tables inside the shop, enough to seat twenty-something people at most, and it was already more than half full.

Gu Yue looked a bit surprised: "You actually eat at street stalls?"

"Naturally." Xie Xie smiled nonchalantly: "True delicacies are always hidden in the most inconspicuous places deep within the alleys. This shop, actually... my mother brought me here to find it."

As he spoke, he sat down on the bench first and tapped the seat beside him.

"What are you standing there for? Sit down!"

Once Tang Wulin and Gu Yue had both taken their seats, Xie Xie immediately stood up and called out toward the kitchen: "Uncle Li, I've brought friends over for a meal!"

"Yo, it's little Xie Xie!"

A hearty voice rang out in response, and a middle-aged man pushed aside the kitchen curtain and walked out.

His hands were stained with a bit of grease, which he wiped casually on the apron around his waist before opening his arms wide to steadily catch the Xie Xie who had rushed over.

Xie Xie gave Uncle Li a firm hug before smiling and saying: "Uncle Li, the usual, please."

"Alright, no problem!"

Uncle Li said with a beaming smile, then reached out to pat Xie Xie on the head, just as if he were his own nephew.

"Alright then, I'll be waiting to eat!"

"Go on, go on." Uncle Li gave Xie Xie a thumbs-up: "Leave everything here to Uncle Li."

"You got it!"

Watching Uncle Li's busy back, a familiar figure kept surfacing in his mind.

It was a woman whose gentle features could melt the winter snow.

Her figure was slender but not frail, and her soft, pink hair was loosely tied into a low bun, with a few wisps of hair hanging by her temples, making her oval face appear even more gentle and elegant.

Her eyes were the same gentle, ink-green as Xie Xie's, and when she smiled, shallow dimples rippled at the corners of her eyes.

That was his—no, that was Xie Xie's mother—

Lin Wanqing.