The Road Movie Is Over
When Lu Yan opened his eyes, the only sounds in the living room were the faint glow from the computer screen and the sound of the laptop's cooling fan.
The light shone on Aemeath's profile, her long eyelashes casting two focused shadows beneath her eyelids.
She remained in that cross-legged sitting position.
Lu Yan lay on the sofa, quietly gazing at her profile through the edge of the thin blanket.
On the screen, the image is currently set to the Black Shores.
Aemeath watched as the character stood at the end of her wanderings, looking at the Shorekeeper, and remained motionless for a long time.
As Lu Yan watched her retreating figure, his heart inexplicably softened.
For Aemeath, these scenes might not just be about playing a game.
She originally came from that world, that place filled with Frequency.
What was she thinking as she looked at the Shorekeeper on the screen?
"The end of wandering... so this is what it looks like." Aemeath murmured softly, as if speaking to herself.
Lu Yan moved slightly, and the thin blanket made a rustling sound.
Aemeath immediately noticed the movement behind her.
She turned her head instantly, a glint of light flashing in her eyes in the dim light. When she saw that Lu Yan had opened his eyes, her previously expressionless face instantly transformed into a gentle smile.
"A-Yan, you're awake!"
Like a light butterfly, she slid down from the sofa, sat on the carpet, placed her hands on either side of Lu Yan, and tilted her head to look at him.
"You slept for a long time. You were sleeping very soundly; even your breathing slowed down."
Lu Yan reached up and rubbed his temples, his voice dry from just waking up. "It's probably because the sound of the rain is so soothing. How did we get to this point in the plot this afternoon?"
"Skip this if you're not interested," Aemeath, pointing to the notebook behind her.
Lu Yan sat up, the thin blanket sliding down his shoulders. He pulled Aemeath into his arms, letting her lean comfortably against him.
Aemeath leaned back, giving him all her weight, and rested her head naturally on Lu Yan's chest.
The faint, sweet fragrance emanating from her hair instantly filled Lu Yan's nostrils.
The two embraced quietly, their gazes both fixed on the computer screen on the coffee table.
The spring rain outside the window was still drizzling, the raindrops hitting the glass with a soft, rhythmic sound.
In this courtyard enveloped in spring rain, the light and shadow on the screen reflected in Aemeath's golden eyes.
"Shorekeeper sister,"
Aemeath extended a slender finger and pointed vaguely at the Shorekeeper on the screen, a barely perceptible sigh in her voice, "Waiting so long in this place, just to wait for Rover to reappear."
"Time in a game may be just a fleeting moment, but in reality, it's an eternity that's almost suffocating," Aemeath said with some emotion.
Lu Yan's arm encircled her waist, his chin gently resting on the top of her head, as he softly replied, "That's why it truly matters when the Rover return to the Black Shores."
Aemeath didn't respond immediately, but simply looked at the female Rover on the screen, standing quietly beside the Shorekeeper.
After a while, Aemeath gently shook her head.
"I just followed the main storyline all the way here."
"From waking up in Gorges of Spirits, to Jinzhou City, to Mt. Firmament, and then riding the waves to the Black Shores," Aemeath said softly, her voice exceptionally clear in the quiet living room.
"I watched the Rover overcome one crisis after another, make one companion after another... and then part ways..."
She paused, as if organizing her thoughts.
"This story is definitely a road movie."
Aemeath leaned against Lu Yan, tilting her head slightly. Although her gaze was fixed on the screen, her thoughts had clearly drifted far away.
"Don't you think this is a long road trip?"
"You go to a strange place, meet a group of people, build deep bonds with them, and become an indispensable light in their lives."
"But once the crisis is over, once the mission here is complete, we will have to set off again and leave them..."
Aemeath's tone became somewhat distant and melancholic, carrying a girlish sentimentality. "And then on that endless road, at the next stop, we met a new group of people."
"Although the journey is wonderful and you're always surrounded by lively people, if you step back and look at it from a different perspective, this state of always being passing through is actually quite lonely."
Lu Yan listened quietly to her poetic and sentimental remark, "There's nothing we can do; Solaris has had so many misfortunes."
Lu Yan out, his fingertips gently stroking her exposed shoulder, his voice soft and gentle, "If the Rover were to stop here in Jinzhou, the journey to save the world would also end."
"As viewers of the story, we also want to see the end, so passing by is an inevitable price to pay."
Aemeath did not immediately refute, but quietly leaned against Lu Yan's chest, her chest trembling slightly as he spoke.
"The price...?" Aemeath repeated the word softly, then suddenly turned around in Lu Yan.
Because they were so close, her turning her head brought their noses almost touching.
Before Lu Yan could back away, he bumped into those bright, sparkling eyes.
At this moment, Aemeath's eyes no longer held the detachment she had when watching the plot; instead, they were filled with a burning, almost melting emotion.
"But A-Yan, I don't like that feeling of being on the road." Aemeath reached out and wrapped her arms around Lu Yan's neck.
Her voice was resolute. "Rover wants to save the world, to pursue the past, so she continues down that path called destiny."
Aemeath moved closer, their breaths mingling, and the air in the living room seemed to become thick and hot because of the close proximity.
Her gaze was fixed on Lu Yan's eyes, as if she wanted to see directly into the depths of his soul.
"A-Yan, do you know? For me, my long road movie officially ended the moment I met you again."
A slight upturn at the corners of her lips revealed a smile that was both innocent and aggressive, "I've found my final destination."
Aemeath tilted her head and said, enunciating each word clearly, "So, when do you plan to... fully accept your Little Aemeath?"
Lu Yan's heart skipped a beat.
He looked at the girl in front of him, at her golden, starry eyes that seemed to see through everything, and his logic froze in that instant.
Before he could even give a response, Aemeath had already answered with her actions.
She suddenly exerted her strength, arching her body slightly upwards, and forcefully kissed Lu Yan's lips.
Lu Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.
The moment their lips touched, he smelled Aemeath's sweet fragrance.
Her movements were very awkward and still somewhat clumsy, but they carried a reckless and impulsive energy.
But these awkward movements did nothing to diminish the rapidly escalating tension between them.
Aemeath doesn't seem satisfied with just a simple touch.
Driven by instinct, she tentatively tried to take it a step further.
Lu Yan's hand, which had been resting on her waist, tightened unconsciously.
As a man, he should have taken the initiative in this kind of situation, but at this moment, faced with Aemeath's frenzied attack, he felt his mind go blank.
It was a very clumsy, downright awkward kiss.
Their tongues touched cautiously in the narrow space.
Breathing began to quicken and become disordered; the subtle sounds of saliva mingling against the backdrop of spring rain created a private melody that made one blush and their heart race.
Lu Yan felt as if he had been thrown into a bottomless sea.
The seawater was warm and had a sweet taste that made it hard for him to breathe, yet he was willing to drown in it.
Aemeath's kiss was urgent, filled with the determination to devour him completely.
He didn't know how much time had passed, until his lungs were issuing warnings of oxygen deprivation, before this somewhat absurd yet passionate kiss finally came to an end.
Aemeath slowly released her grip and stepped back a small distance, but remained straddling Lu Yan's lap.
Her lips were unusually moist from the kiss, glistening with a sheen.
Her long pink hair was now completely loose, making her look exceptionally beautiful.
"Hoo~ A-Yan's lips are even sweeter now." She panted, wiping her lips with her thumb while mischievously observing Lu Yan's physical reaction.
At this moment, Lu Yan's mind was completely blank.
His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest, his ears and cheeks were burning red, and he couldn't even look at Aemeath's face.
He had always thought he could remain expressionless in the face of this sudden situation, but now...
"I... I need to use the restroom." Lu Yan managed to squeeze out this sentence after holding it in for a long time.
He hastily removed Aemeath from his body, his movements tinged with an unusual panic.
He stood up from the sofa looking somewhat disheveled, not even bothering to pick up the thin blanket that had fallen to the floor, and hurriedly fled the living room.
The bathroom door was slammed shut, making a locking sound.
Aemeath sat on the sofa, staring at the closed door, and paused for a second.
She recalled the sensation beneath her, and as if she couldn't hold it in any longer, she sank into the soft cushions, letting out a clear and melodious laugh.
"Pfft hahaha... A-Yan, what are you afraid of?" Aemeath shouted loudly towards the bathroom, her voice full of the joy of a successful prank.
Meanwhile, inside the restroom.
Lu Yan braced his hands on the edge of the sink, breathing in the cool air in large gulps.
He looked up at himself in the mirror.
The reflection in the mirror showed a flushed face and unfocused eyes. The usual aloofness had vanished, replaced by a shriveled, overcooked appearance.
He turned on the tap, filled his cup with cold water, and splashed it hard on his face.
The cool touch brought him slightly more awake, but as soon as he closed his eyes, the memory of that clumsy yet passionate kiss kept replaying in his mind.
And the phrase "receive your Little Aemeath" echoed in his mind like a gentle breeze.