Richard spoke Chinese with Uncle Wang the entire time, and Gwen, following behind him, did not understand a single word. She only felt that it sounded sophisticated and impressive, a bit like hearing English or Japanese while watching a show or anime.
Gwen truly followed behind him the entire time, watching and learning earnestly, as though she were trying hard to master the skill so she could run errands on her own next time.
After they finished shopping, Gwen volunteered to carry the things for Richard, but he flatly refused. What a joke. He was a grown man taking a little girl grocery shopping. If she ended up carrying all the bags while he went home empty-handed, how was he supposed to keep his standing around here afterward?
On the way back, Gwen did not say another word. She quietly followed behind Richard, seeming lost in thought. Richard glanced at her from the side and asked, "What's wrong? You look bored."
"I... it's nothing." She shook her head. "I just didn't rest well, so I'm not feeling very energetic."
Following where she had been looking, Richard saw a blond little girl of four or five across the street tugging on her father's pants and crying for ice cream.
He immediately understood. She must have been reminded of home and missed her family.
"Missing home?" he asked.
"No, I just... well, a little." Gwen sighed softly. "But it doesn't matter. My home is very far away... I mean, farther away than any foreign country. I don't think I'll ever be able to go back in this lifetime."
"Not necessarily." Richard shrugged. "Who knows? Anything is possible."
Gwen gave a bitter smile. Yes, anything was possible, but some things were simply unlikely. This involved traveling between parallel universes. As far as she