The Date / Pain

"First of all, let me introduce my roommate. We've been living together for two years."

Oh, so that's the young lady.

The comments section was overwhelmingly in agreement that Lin was a woman.

Unfortunately, the very person they had placed their hopes on was about to shatter them.

"And then, he's male."

The comments section was silent for a second, then exploded.

The phone rang the next second. The super administrator in charge of Elysia was calling her like crazy, but Elysia just turned her head and smiled at Lin.

Chapter Fifteen: The Date

Are you happy now?

Lin sat on one end of the sofa, propping his head up and watching the pink-haired girl happily eating noodles on the other end.

After slurping up the noodles in her bowl, she put down the empty bowl, turned her head to the side, and let her tied-up long hair fall onto the back of Lin's hand. The faint oil stains on her lips looked like a delicious piece of jelly under the light, and her smiling eyes reflected Lin's face.

Elysia pinched Lin's fingers, her pretty face quietly approaching, her breath sweet as orchids. "Are you angry? More than two years of hard work have gone up in flames."

Lin shook his head. "No, I just don't understand why you did this."

"Hmm, maybe she doesn't want to play both sides anymore. Lin, didn't you say that it's normal to label yourself? What they see is Eri covered in labels, not Elysia. Isn't that unfair?"

"You'll get yelled at."

"That's normal. They've always only seen what they want to see, and they think I'll always be the way they expect me to be. When I show a completely different side of myself, they curse me, even if my intention is to let them know the truth." Elysia smiled indifferently. "What would Lin think if he discovered the opposite side of the people around him one day?"

Just as Lin was about to speak, Elysia raised her index finger and pressed it to his lips, a mysterious smile flashing across her face, "Let's save the answer to that question for later."

"... You'll be all alone from now on." So Lin changed the subject.

"Actually, the good friends I mentioned online are real; some of them are even world-renowned celebrities."

"Yeah..."

For some reason, Lin breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have so many things I want to do before you leave. I've been so busy with live streaming these past two years that I've almost forgotten what the outside world is like." Elysia excitedly picked up her little notebook, which was filled with things she wanted to do. "Let's go on a date, Lin."

"I want this, this, and this..."

Elysia spent money on the menu, handing the overflowing order to the dumbfounded waiter.

The waiter had never seen guests who could order almost everything on the menu before, especially since there were only two of them.

She looked at Lin and Elysia's faces and figures from left to right, then walked away with an expression of existential doubt.

Lin sat quietly opposite Elysia: "If you eat too much, be careful not to throw up when you ride a thrilling ride later."

"Just throw it up and come back to eat it."

"..."

The restaurant was very efficient at serving food; within minutes, dishes were brought out one by one like an assembly line. The exquisite dishes were like works of art. Elysia picked up her fork and put a sizzling piece of grilled meat on the hot plate into her mouth.

"Hmm..." Then her expression became somewhat subtle, "It's not as good as Lin's."

A very fair evaluation.

However, this did not affect their enjoyment of the feast. People at the next table watched in astonishment as the two of them leisurely ate the food piled on the table. The food disappeared at a rate that was completely out of sync with their slow movements, almost keeping pace with the speed at which the dishes were served.

While Elysia was taking small bites of her sundae, she saw Lin bent over, processing a large piece of roasted meat on the table. She glanced at the condiment bottle next to her, a mischievous smile spreading across her face, and quietly took the extra spicy dipping sauce.

She scooped a spoonful of sundae with strawberry jam, then spread a similarly colored dipping sauce on top, making it look just like a delicious sundae covered in strawberry jam.

"Lin, ah~"

Lin looked up and saw a smiling girl approaching him with a spoon. Caught off guard, he opened his mouth...

"Hmm."

Lin ate the entire super spicy dipping sauce, which was so hot it made you want to breathe fire, in one bite.

Elysia looked expectantly at Lin Wannian's unchanging icy face, holding a bottle of yogurt in one hand.

However, the expected scene did not appear. Lin only glanced at Elysia, whose face was full of anticipation, with a bit of a strange look, before lowering his head again to prepare the barbecue.

Elysia blinked her bright eyes and gazed at the silent man.

"Waaaaaah!"

Lin Mo sat silently on the drop tower, listening to the howling wind and screams around him. His face was frozen like an ice sculpture, unmoved even by the wind.

The drop tower was too slow for him. Even though this amusement park's drop tower was touted as the second tallest in the world, he didn't feel any thrill during the weightless fall, let alone the adrenaline-pumping screams that others experienced.

Even Elysia cried out in surprise. After sitting down, she leaned heavily on Lin and was helped out of the facility.

"Waaah..." Elysia clung limply to Lin's arm, looking at her distorted face in the camera's snapshot from afar, and then at Lin's calm face as if he were riding a go-kart. She immediately pouted and pulled Lin inside, "Let's go ride it again."

"..."

Lin had heard her screams seven or eight times, and her eardrums were almost ruptured, but she still didn't give up.

"Lin, is your face made of iron?" Elysia, whose legs were still shaking, reached out and pinched Lin's face, pulling it to both sides and making his expressionless face look ridiculous. "It's obviously soft. Can't you make a little more expression? I've never seen your facial features change."

"... What kind of expression do you want?"

"Smile."

"..."

Lin's facial muscles twitched rapidly.

"... Did you laugh?" The question was so fast that Elysia didn't even have time to react. She looked at Lin suspiciously. "Laugh again?"

The muscles twitched a few times as if in spasms.

"..." This time it was Elysia's turn to be silent. She stared at Lin Yue, getting angrier and angrier. Suddenly, she pointed at Lin's face and shouted, "Let's go sit there again! This time you have to call out after me!"

What could Lin do? He could only continue queuing with Elysia, boarding the drop tower for the tenth time under the extremely puzzled gaze of the ticket inspector, and then this time...

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh."

Lin shouted, devoid of any emotion.

As if his vocal organs were operating independently of his body, the emotionless screams even affected other passengers on the drop tower. They listened strangely to the unchanging frequency of the screams and stopped screaming in unison.

Then, the onlookers below witnessed the quietest drop tower in history, with only one man shouting in a monotone, business-like voice...

"Ha ha ha ha..."

The midday sun shone brightly as the girl joyfully shouted and laughed at the unchanging face of the man on the screen and his incongruously open mouth, leaving behind a lighthearted laugh that lingered in the air of the amusement park.

Chapter Sixteen Pain

"Wow, Lin, look at that pink plush toy!"

Lin looked up and saw a dragon doll, about the size of two people, displayed in the highest prize showcase. Such a large size and exquisite workmanship are quite rare.

And it's pink? Lin couldn't see the color, but judging from Elysia's excited expression, it was definitely her favorite color.

This is a Balloon Shooting stall. The stall owner is clearly very confident, occupying the most bustling spot. There are many types of guns, and the quantity and quality of the prizes are outstanding. His stall is the most lively in the crowded night market.

"Don't miss out! A globally limited edition pink Bella plush toy can be taken home by simply hitting one hundred pink balloons in one go!"

Upon seeing the stunningly beautiful Elysia bathed in the glow of the nightlight, the vendor raised his voice even higher, then smiled at Lin, who was staring longingly at Elysia, and said, "Young man, why not try giving your beautiful girlfriend a big gift?"

Lin Mo silently looked down at Elysia, whose eyes were shining, sighed, and nodded to the stall owner.

"We want to play."

"Okay!"

After paying, the two each picked out a gun that suited them and started Balloon Shooting.

In fact, for games like shooting, target shooting, and bottle shooting, the vendors definitely tamper with the guns from the start. The bullets will deviate from the aim, and with the influence of wind direction and bullet drop, it is basically impossible to hit the target every time. You would be lucky to hit the target once out of five shots.

Of course, this kind of thing will definitely be discovered, but there's a line of small print below his price list clearly stating that the toy guns aren't accurate enough, and paying for it means you agree to this condition.

After all, it's business; you can't do something that loses money.

However, the stall owner did not expect to encounter a tough opponent today, and one that he had personally invited—a super tough opponent at that.

Lin's first two shots, like everyone else's, were off target as if he were aiming with a third eye. The stall owner watched with a smile. However, what followed was a series of sounds like firecrackers exploding and balloons bursting.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Amidst the blank stares of all the onlookers and stall owners, the man skillfully pulled the bolt and fired the target. He didn't even need to aim; row after row of balloons burst as if they had lined up and were exploding in sequence when he pulled the trigger.

After firing the plastic bullets, he changed to the next magazine and then popped the balloons one by one.

After one person popped all the balloons off an entire wall, Lin put down his gun, reached out, and said to the shopkeeper in a calm voice, "The prize."

Elysia was still huffing and puffing as she tested the bullet trajectory of her gun when she saw that Lin had already quickly finished the fight. She cheered and hugged Lin's neck, and together they stared at the stall owner, signaling him to hurry up and take the prize.

"Oh... oh, okay." The stall owner finally came to his senses. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and took out a finely crafted decorative sword from the second shelf of the prize cabinet next to him. "Young man, you're amazing! Are you a professional soldier?"

Lin didn't pay attention to what the stall owner said. He looked at the decorative sword in the stall owner's hand and after a long while said, "This is not what I want."

"Ah?"

"That dragon doll."

"Oh, that means you have to pop one hundred pink balloons in a row, without popping any other colored balloons in between."

The stall owner, drenched in sweat, explained that this condition was impossible for an ordinary person to meet, but after witnessing Lin's marksmanship, he felt he would probably lose everything today.

He now only feels regret. He initially wanted Elysia to play in front of his stall for a while longer, as an eye-catching beautiful girl is very attractive. He never expected the price to be so high. The limited edition plush toy he had acquired and displayed for a whole year was about to be given away. He was so regretful that he could die.

However, after listening, Lin silently looked at the wall where other people were replenishing the balloons, and did not immediately start the second round of shooting.

Elysia was initially looking at Lin's profile with great pleasure, but after a long silence, she seemed to realize something, and the smile on her face faded a little.

After a while, Lin picked up the gun again, turned his head and asked softly, "Elysia, which ones are pink balloons?"

Elysia's smile vanished completely. She stared blankly at Lin in the moonlight and lamplight, gazing into his deep, dark green eyes.

Lin walked through the night market carrying a huge dragon-shaped doll, attracting a lot of attention.

With Elysia's help, Lin successfully completed the challenge of collecting one hundred pink balloons. Under the vendor's tearful gaze, Lin quietly took out the money and handed it to the vendor.

"I bought it."

Lin and Elysia could both see that the doll was precious, a true prized possession of the shop, and that they had won it was a considerable loss for the stall owner.

The stall owner was stunned at first looking at the money in front of him, then he gritted his teeth and told his employees to bring the doll over and hand it to Lin: "This is the reward you won."

The stall owner refused to accept the money, stating that since it was a rule he himself had set, he would definitely abide by it. He also asked Lin if he needed their help to transport the goods to his home, but of course, he would still charge for the delivery.

After refusing, Lin left with the doll and Elysia.

They strolled through the bustling night market, the bright lights illuminating the girl's beautiful face. Her long pink hair danced gently in the evening breeze. Walking beside Lin, she lowered her head and remained silent.

"Smack!"

A burst of fireworks exploded in the night sky, and colorful bouquets bloomed under the deepest sky.

"Lin, you don't have a sense of taste, right?"

"..."

"You couldn't taste the sundae I fed you before." Elysia's knuckles turned white under her clenched fist. "You also have no color vision, and no sense of touch either..."

In the past two years, even though Lin occasionally did some strange things, Elysia didn't think much of it. He was just like an ordinary person. But today, Elysia discovered something... sadness in him.

Then, recalling some of the strange behaviors he had inadvertently revealed before, she suddenly understood why.

"Moreover, these are not innate."

People who are born without color vision, touch, and taste are different from people who lose these senses later in life.

The fact that Lin can cook such good dishes already shows that he originally had a sense of taste.

"Is this also because of the place you want to go back to?"

"...Um."

Does it hurt?