"What about your shop?" Doro asked.
"I can manage it remotely." Jiang Lan pulled a booklet from beneath his pillow. "Honey Snow Ice City Operations Manual" was written crookedly on the cover. "I've written everything down. I'll only need to check the accounts each month."
Doro leaned over to look. The pages were densely covered in handwriting. Crooked as it was, it was fairly well organized. She thought for a moment, then asked, "What about Yanyan and Lingling? Aren't you going to tell them?"
Jiang Lan paused.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were a problem. Dugu Yan had been nothing but good to him. If she found out he had slipped away without a word, she would pin him to the ground and beat him up the next time they met.
Ye Lingling rarely spoke, but all she had to do was stare at him silently with those green eyes, and his conscience would start to trouble him.
"Then I'll say goodbye to everyone tomorrow, give them some things, and leave," Jiang Lan said after some thought.
Doro considered it, then nodded in agreement.
Early the next morning, before dawn had fully broken, Jiang Lan climbed out of bed.
He got himself ready, put on his penguin onesie, straightened the hood, and tucked a few orange candies into his pocket.
Doro was already waiting by the door with a small bundle on her back. It held her belongings: a few spare oranges, a small jar of orange candies, and a miniature towel Jiang Lan had bought her.
They had a Storage Soul Tool, of course, but carrying a bundle made it feel like a proper departure.
"Have you called everyone?" Jiang Lan asked.
Guga One stood by the door, light flickering in his eye sockets. "Eight Guga robots have been