All That Happened Before...
(These two chapters are a bit crazy, don't read them if you're King Crimson reader)
At sunset, in the town of Jinzhou.
"Oh dear... how come someone sprained their ankle while walking in a huff, and ended up having to be carried the whole way..."
Yangyang blushed, gently punched Lu Guan's shoulder, and muttered, "You talk too much!"
Her words were devoid of any aggression, her fists were soft and weak; it was more like flirting than anger. Lu Guan wanted to laugh, but he knew that Yangyang's current state didn't allow him to act recklessly.
After Lu Guan playfully took her place, Yangyang's thoughts underwent a complete transformation. Her previous sulking and anger stemmed from a clash between her inner motives and a sense of transgression; the lingering kisses caused a powerful unease, a mixture of excitement and shame...
Under the influence of these two extreme conflicts, Yangyang became somewhat embarrassed and angry. She was also thin-skinned and would carefully consider her words before speaking. The series of events, combined with her chaotic thoughts at the time, led to her anger and embarrassment.
When someone is extremely ashamed and angry, she will unconsciously start to shift the blame, even if she knows that she was the one who caused all the trouble, she will choose to pile all the blame on Lu Guan who is standing by...
Unfortunately, the person didn't think of this and assumed that Yangyang had gone crazy. Therefore, after Yangyang twisted her ankle, instead of going to her aid, he spoke in a sleazy tone.
Beg me... beg me and I'll heal you...
In the end, Lu Guan successfully earned a beating from his cousin and was forced to carry her all the way back to Jinzhou...
In fact, if Lu Guan hadn't noticed Yangyang's unusual mood, he would have gone even further and provoked her with his words. Fortunately, his previous interactions with Dania had significantly improved his emotional intelligence, which allowed him to successfully avoid this potentially fatal option.
Back to the present, after Yangyang had vented her emotions on Lu Guan's back, the two arrived at the city gate.
Upon seeing the two, members of the Security Division guarding the gate stepped forward and stopped them. "Halt! Please undergo entry inspection!"
"Sigh..." Lu Guan sighed. To avoid trouble, he directly took out the token Jinhsi had given him. "With this, can you let us through directly?"
"This is... the magistrate's token!" The gatekeeper recognized the token in Lu Guan's hand at a glance and quickly bowed, saying, "So you are the magistrate's distinguished guest, please come in..."
Yangyang suddenly looked up and asked in surprise, "The Prime Minister actually gave you a token in advance? You two are that close?"
"It's alright..." Lu Guan recalled his previous interactions with Jinhsi, "We could be considered friends..."
Upon hearing this, Yangyang, who was perched on Lu Guan's back, inexplicably curled up a barely perceptible smile, "So you're just friends after all..."
Lu Guan shook his head and added, "We're not that close. Calling them friends would be a stretch; we're more like peers who recognize each other."
At that moment, a mature female voice came from beside them.
"Heh~ If we're just barely friends... Jinhsi wouldn't give you such a precious keepsake."
The guard quickly bowed and said, "Changli!"
"Hmm~" Changli nodded in acknowledgment, then her long, narrow golden phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the two siblings beside her.
"What happened? Is Yangyang injured?"
"Changli..."
"Um--??"
Lu Guan immediately changed his tune. "Changli! It's been months since I last saw you, and you've become even more beautiful!"
"Hmm~ You still have such a sweet tongue, continue..."
"Here's what happened—" Lu Guan explained, "Yangyang was wounded at the front lines, and I happened to be heading back to Jinzhou, so I brought her back on the way..."
A meaningful smile appeared on Changli's face, "I see... I thought there would be a more interesting answer~"
More interesting answers?
After hearing Changli's seemingly casual but actually meaningful teasing remark, Yangyang quickly understood the hidden meaning Changli...
My mother must... no... my aunt must have already spread the word about this among their elders...
Otherwise, it's impossible to explain why Councilor Changli would say such a thing...
Thinking of this, Yangyang couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, partly because she resented her aunt for spreading the news everywhere, and partly because she was ashamed and annoyed that her little secret had been exposed.
But in her bright gray eyes, she subtly observed Lu Guan's reaction, a hint of barely concealed anticipation flickering within them...
How would he... respond to Councilor Changli's question?
Lu Guan's reaction, however, greatly disappointed her.
"If I had to pick something funny... it would be that a Midnight Rangers Pioneer twisted his ankle... Isn't that hilarious enough?"
"Uh...?" Changli's lips twitched as he shifted his gaze to Yangyang, whose expression was already somewhat off.
The soul of the joyful man began to burn fiercely, Changli suddenly felt that the fire in his body was not so hot anymore. After all, compared to the temperature of Yangyang's face, her body temperature was nothing.
Quack! Changli originally wanted to watch a family drama, changed her mind in an instant; she wanted to see bloodshed and carnage!
"Is it funny...?" Yangyang's voice rang in Lu Guan's ear, her expression a half-smile. "Bringing this up in front of the person involved, I don't find it funny at all..."
"Cousin, that's not right of you..."
Lu Guan nonchalantly lifted Yangyang's body up a little to make sure she wouldn't fall because of the ensuing argument.
"Putting aside any so-called emotional issues, does your sprained ankle have anything to do with me? As an elite Resonator of the Midnight Rangers, you get injured over something so trivial... On the battlefield, this kind of mistake could be fatal!"
"I..."
Yangyang was about to say something when Lu Guan interrupted her.
"Can't you even accept the slightest mistake?"
"Now that the Jinzhou is in turmoil, you, as a member of the Midnight Rangers, are so insistent on refuting the insightful opinions of others, and you don't even dare to face your own mistakes..."
I think you've got the most basic thinking wrong!
Lu Guan's righteous and awe-inspiring speech made Yangyang's face stiffen. Her original intention to argue with him vanished after hearing his words. The difference in their intellectual levels made her feel ashamed.
"No... I'm sorry... it's my fault..." Yangyang lowered her head, her arms tightening unconsciously around Lu Guan's neck. "Please take me home first... I... I'll reflect on my actions..."
"Ahem... that's a bit much." Changli quickly stepped in to smooth things over. If his words caused the two kids to start arguing, he'd probably have to go to Sister Yu Lan to explain later...
"Sister Changli, don't speak up for her." Lu Guan waved his hand, "Choosing to shift the blame to others when faced with a problem is itself an extremely despicable act of escapism..."
"Uh...?" Changli opened her mouth slightly, but she, who was usually eloquent, was speechless at this moment. Lu Guan's words did not give her any chance to respond.
"Shut up, don't say another word..."
Yangyang's voice trembled, and both her body language and the emotional fluctuations in her words indicated that she was very emotionally unstable at the moment.
"Put me down..."
"I won't let you go..." Lu Guan refused, "I will take you home no matter what, it's what I promised you..."
"You promised me..." Yangyang said in a trembling voice, "Do you still remember... what you promised me when we were little... all those things from the past... have you forgotten them all... or... did you not care about that promise at all back then?"
"A promise?" Now it was Lu Guan's turn to be confused. "What are you talking about? What promise? This is so nonsensical..."
"Good..."
There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart. At this moment, Yangyang didn't want to explain anything anymore. Her emotions unexpectedly calmed down, and her mind became much clearer...
It turns out he never took it to heart from the beginning.
I was so stupid, so very stupid...
A childhood joke has stuck with me to this day, to the point that I stare at that fan every day like a silly keepsake, fantasizing about some unrealistic future...
"..."
Lu Guan remained silent for a while. His intuition told him that Yangyang was definitely hiding something from him, but that was not the most important thing at the moment.
"Since things have come to this, after sending Yangyang home, I'll go see Jinhsi..." He shook his head, deciding not to think about it too much.
Because of his presence, Lu Guan couldn't be certain that the Sentinel's situation would be like the original storyline in the game, so he had to personally check the situation, otherwise he would always have a sense of unease.
Since that Overclocking encounter with Aleph-1, he has become much more cautious in his actions. To avoid Sora, he avoids taking risks without a firm grasp of the situation...