The Second Time She Was Left Speechless

Gu Yue stood outside the glass doors of "Yijiu Grilled Fish," watching Tang Wulin's back disappear around the corner at the end of the alley before quietly letting out a breath.

The evening breeze drifted through the narrow alleys of East Sea City, carrying the cumin scent of barbecue stalls and the dampness of distant water. She lowered her head to look at her communicator—the screen had already gone dark, and Tang Wulin's last message read: "Just treat me to a flatbread next time."

Gu Yue: "..."

She touched her pocket. Beneath a tear in the fabric, her fingertips found a crumpled twenty-federation-coin bill and several one-coin pieces. Tonight's grilled fish, plus the fried steamed-bread slices and second bowl of rice Tang Wulin had casually added, had scraped her balance cleaner than the peeling walls of the alley.

"Just treat me to a flatbread next time."

Gu Yue repeated the words. Her violet eyes blinked beneath the streetlamp, then she turned and walked back.

At the mouth of the alley, an old man sold flatbreads from a cart. His stove fire was nearly out, and two golden-brown flatbreads remained on the iron griddle. Gu Yue stepped over and handed him the bill. He gave her eighteen coins in change, which landed in her palm. She took the flatbread, its heat making her fingertips recoil, then lowered her head and took a bite.

The crust was crisp, the inside soft, and sesame salt brushed against the corner of her lips. She chewed as she walked, violet eyes fixed on the bluestone path beneath her feet. The line of thanks she had rehearsed seven times in her heart had been marinated in grilled-fish sauce, shredded by Tang Wulin's hand snatching dishes, and finally blocked in her throat by a flatbread—it could neither come out nor go down, so she could only keep carrying it with her.

The streets at night were not especially quiet. Gu Yue shut all those sounds outside her eyes, leaving only the wheat fragrance of the flatbread and Tang Wulin's words—"You can just eat the wood ear mushrooms. They're spicy"—lightly scraping against her eardrums.

As she walked, the alley suddenly narrowed.

The fork ahead, which should have led to the girls' dormitory, was blocked tonight by a streak of crimson light. Gu Yue froze mid-bite—a Phantom Crystal Flame-Reaver Spear, about six feet long, lay horizontally across the road. Icy blue and crimson-gold patterns flowed along its shaft, and wisps of residual spiritual energy steamed less than three inches from her nose.

Someone stood behind the spear with her head tilted. Yun Ying rested the weapon on her shoulder, chin slightly raised, her brows curved as if she had just discovered something amusing.

"Hey, Miss Gu Yue—"

Gu Yue stopped. The flatbread remained in her right hand, while her left instinctively gathered the silver-threaded fabric of her plain dress. She raised her eyes, violet gaze calm and level.

Yun Ying flicked the spear shaft with her fingertip, making the phantom crystal chime. "Didn't you invite Tang Wulin to dinner? Why are you secretly eating flatbread too? Give me a bite."

Gu Yue looked down at the flatbread in her hand, then at Yun Ying.

"...No."

Her voice was as flat as the alley wall.

Yun Ying froze for a moment, even her high ponytail stiffening for half a second. Then she burst out laughing and lowered the spear tip to the ground. "Wait, you really said no? I was joking. It's not like I came to steal your food—"

She slung the Flame-Reaver Spear over her back and stepped closer, carrying a faint scent of rouge from her sleeves. "Forget it, keep it then. Want some water? I've got iced sour plum juice, freshly mixed."

Gu Yue took half a step back, switched the flatbread to her left hand, and unconsciously rubbed the edge of her communicator with her right fingertips—this was the fourth time she had made that motion tonight.

"I don't drink water from strangers."

Yun Ying blinked and pointed at her own nose. "A stranger? I'm Yun Ying. We've met in the arena."

Gu Yue remained expressionless. "We're not familiar."

"..." Yun Ying choked on her words for a moment, then laughed again. She unhooked the water bottle from her waist and gave it a shake. "Fine, fine, stranger. But you drank Tang Wulin's water too."

Gu Yue took a bite of the flatbread and chewed very slowly.

"You're acquainted, huh." Yun Ying drew out the words as though she had caught some leverage, her brows rising high. "You can drink his water if you know him, but not mine if you don't? Miss Gu Yue, Xie Xie taught you that logic, didn't he?"

Gu Yue did not answer. She merely took another bite of the flatbread. Sesame crumbs fell onto her plain dress, but she did not brush them away.

Yun Ying waited for three breaths without receiving a response, then gave up first and hung the bottle back at her waist. "Fine, I talk too much. But say something, will you?"

Gu Yue raised her eyes. "Are you done talking?"

Yun Ying pointed at her, the butt of her spear knocking against the alley wall behind her. "Fine, fine, I talk too much. Go on, then. I won't block your way."

Gu Yue gave a quiet "Mm" and walked around Yun Ying's spear sheath, continuing onward. Only a small half of the flatbread remained in her hand.

Behind her, Yun Ying suddenly raised her voice. Her bright laughter echoed off the narrow alley walls.

"Then go! This young lady is going to eat tripe! Tripe with sesame paste and garlic sauce, a double serving, hahaha!"

Her footsteps receded.

Gu Yue did not turn around.

She stopped and looked down at the small half-flatbread in her hand—the edges had already gone cold, and the bite marks were neat.

She opened her mouth, as if to rehearse once more the words, "The trouble with Xie Xie and the others in the alley during the day was caused by me. You helped block them for me, so I treated you to dinner," but there were only flatbread crumbs at her lips.

Her violet eyes looked toward the warm yellow windows of the dormitory building, their light reflecting off her skirt.

—Once again, she was left speechless.

The wind cooled the last lingering warmth of the flatbread.

Gu Yue stood there without taking another bite or another step.