Baizhu wrapped up the prepared medicinal herbs and handed them to Zhongli.
"Mr. Zhongli, the medicine is ready. It costs five thousand Mora in total."
Zhongli took the medicine packet, took a sip of tea unhurriedly, and spoke in a calm tone.
"Record it in the account of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Baizhu paused in flipping through the ledger, looked up, his face full of black lines, but his tone remained polite.
"Mr. Zhongli, the account of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor already has 80,000 Mora, and it hasn't been paid off yet."
Zhongli's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air. She glanced at Baizhu, then slowly shifted her gaze to Lin En.
Lin En took a half-step back after being glanced at by him. Zhongli's gaze lingered on him for two seconds before turning to Ronava and asking.
Do you have any money with you?
No! No!
Lin En answered loudly before Ronava could speak, grabbing her hand and running towards the door.
"Mr. Zhongli, we'll be going now. Let's talk again next time!"
He ran incredibly fast, pulling Ronava along from the east side of the city all the way to the west, turning two corners and disappearing into the alley in front of the inn before finally stopping.
It was completely dark, and there were hardly any people on the street. Only the warm yellow light of the lanterns shone on the stone pavement, illuminating the surroundings.
Lin En let go, bent over, and took a couple of breaths.
"That was close, that was close! Five thousand Mora! If I had paid that, I would have worked for nothing today."
He caught his breath and straightened up. Turning his head, Ronava standing at the alley entrance, two steps away from him, motionless.
She stood quietly, her silver hair glowing a warm yellow in the lantern light.
Lin En didn't see her face clearly at first, but after taking two steps closer, he noticed a tear at the corner of her eye that slid down her cheek and dripped onto her clothes.
She reached out and wiped it quickly, as if she didn't want him to see.
Why are you crying?
Lin En panicked, unsure what to do with his hands; he had never learned how to comfort someone.
"Don't cry, don't cry, I'll keep everything I earned today for you!"
Is what you're saying true?
Ronava's voice was so soft that Lin En almost didn't hear it.
He paused for a moment, what? Then, after a quick thought, he suddenly understood. She was asking about what he had said earlier in the Bubu Pharmacy— "She's my person, what kind of Heavenly Principles? If she dares to come, I'll be the first to blow her up."
But why did she cry after I said a few honest words?
Lin En looked at her. Ronava stood under the lantern, her silver hair falling over her shoulders, her golden eyes reflecting the warm light, her eyes still a little wet, her expression completely different from her usual indifference, making her look somewhat pitiful. She looked at him as if confirming something.
He took two steps forward, reached out and pulled her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her back and placing his palms on her back.
Ronava didn't move, her forehead resting against his collarbone. She froze for a moment, then slowly relaxed.
"Of course it's true."
He turned his head, leaned close to her ear, and lowered his voice.
"Okay, stop crying, you won't look pretty if you keep crying."
Ronava her fingers clenched tightly on his lapel.
Lin En reached out and wiped away the tears on her face, gently wiping the corner of her eye with his thumb. Ronava tilted her head, as if she wanted to dodge, but didn't actually do so.
"Shameful."
She said something in a muffled voice.
"It's not shameful."
Lin En patted her head with his hand.
You look beautiful even when you cry, it just breaks my heart to see you like that.
Ronava raised her hand and poked him in the waist. The force wasn't great, but Lin En still hissed in response.
She stepped back half a step from his embrace, raised her hand to tidy her disheveled silver hair, and her expression returned to its usual indifference, but the corners of her eyes were still a little red.
"They're gone."
She turned and walked towards the hotel.
"Etc."
Lin En followed.
"I haven't eaten yet. I told you I'd treat you to dinner."
"What shops are still open now?"
"Keep looking, you'll find it."
Lin En led her through two alleys and sat down at a stall that was still lit up.
The stall owner, a plump auntie, was packing up to close her stall when she saw customers arrive and greeted them warmly.
When the boiled black-backed sea bass was served, the soup was still bubbling, with a thick layer of red oil floating on top.
Ronava picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks, blew on it, and put it in her mouth.
"How about it?"
Lin En asked.
"Well enough."
"This meal is more expensive than Zhongli's medicine."
Lin En counted on her fingers and realized that a day's wages were only enough for one meal, so she couldn't be so extravagant with her money anymore.
"After this meal, I only have three thousand Mora left in my wages for today. I need to take on more commissions tomorrow."
"Um."
Ronava placed a piece of fish into his bowl.
I'll go with you tomorrow.
"Didn't you say you couldn't register?"
"It'll be faster to accept combat quests if the two of you are together."
"Alright."
The Adventurers' Guild doesn't have a rule against non-adventurers participating in quests, Ronava accompanying her.
"Then let's take on cases together tomorrow."
Ronava didn't reply, and lowered her head to eat the fish.
The light from the lanterns seeped through the gaps in the stall's awning and fell on her face. Her expression was serene, but Lin En felt it was much gentler than before.
After finishing their late-night snack, the two walked back along the stone path. Lin En walked beside Ronava, her hand hanging at her side. Her fingertips touched the back of his hand, and Lin En's fingers parted slightly, allowing her fingers to interlock.
" Ronava."
"What's wrong?"
When you were crying just now, were you wondering if what I said was true or false?
"No."
"Then why are you crying?"
Ronava took two steps in silence, then turned her head to look at him.
"I was thinking, if you were ever really killed by Heavenly Principles one day, I might actually go after Heavenly Principles and fight him to the death."
Lin En paused for a moment, then gripped her hand tightly.
"What will you do if I'm gone?"
You'd better not be absent.
Ronava withdrew her gaze and quickened her pace.
"Let's go back to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow."
When they got back to the hotel, the plump auntie from the night market stall called out from behind, "Come again next time!" Lin En waved to her and pulled Ronava upstairs.
The room was the same cheap one, with a bed, a window, and barely enough room to turn around.
Lin En took off his coat and draped it over the back of the chair, then flopped onto the bed. Just as he was about to sigh, "Today is finally over," he saw Ronava standing by the bed, looking down at him with a somewhat complicated expression.
You sleep inside.
"Ah?"
You sleep inside.
She repeated it.
"I'll sleep outside."
Lin En was stunned for a moment. Usually, he slept on the outside Ronava slept on the inside, against the wall. It was a habit, but today it was suddenly changed, and he didn't react for a moment.
"Why?"
Ronava didn't answer, she just pushed him further in, and then lay down on the outside herself.
Lin En was pressed against the wall, facing it, with Ronava's back behind him, less than a fist's distance between them.
"Today..."
"Sleep."
Are you still thinking about what just happened?
"No."
"You're definitely thinking about it."
Ronava turned over to face him. Moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, casting a silvery-gray glow on her face. She looked at Lin En and remained silent for a few seconds.
"I'm thinking, what will I do if you're gone?"
Why did you come back to this again?
Because there is no answer to this question.
Ronava said.
"You've said so many times you won't be gone, but what if? What if you get hit by a car on the street one day? What if you get food poisoning one day? What if..."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'eating something bad'?"
Lin En interrupted her, "What does having a bad stomach have to do with dying?"
"You ate that unripe fruit in Sumeru last time, and you had diarrhea for ages."
"That's because that fruit is poisonous!"
Lin En panicked. He didn't know the fruit was poisonous before he ate it. Ronava was fine after eating it, but he had diarrhea for a long time and was completely exhausted.
"Besides, it's just diarrhea, it won't kill you."
What if?
Lin En was taken aback by her "What if?" He looked at Ronava's face; in the moonlight, her expression was serious. She wasn't joking, nor was she her usual cold and stubborn self; she was genuinely worried.
He reached out and tucked her silver hair, which was hanging down beside her face, behind her ear, and gently brushed his fingers against her earlobe.
"I'll be more careful next time."