An Awkward Meeting
In July, the sunlight outside was a bit dazzling. Momo Yaoyorozu took out the parasol she had prepared beforehand and walked towards the bookstore, which was about ten minutes away from her home.
It was just past noon, and with the sun blazing, not many people were out. As far as the eye could see, Yaoyorozu that could be seen was one's own shadow folding in the scorching air.
"Fran, do you feel it?"
A familiar voice rang out from around the corner ahead.
"No! With Dad's Hamon around me, I feel as cool and comfortable as if I were in Mom's house with the air conditioning on!" a clear, cheerful voice replied.
Around the corner, there seemed to be a father and daughter, and they appeared to get along well. Yaoyorozu thought this to herself, and smiled at the sight of them.
However, when the owner of the voice walked around the corner, Yaoyorozu's smile froze when she saw the dazzling blonde hair reflected in the sun.
"... Jilan?"
Standing in front of her at this moment is Jilan Jiyu, the top student in the entrance exam for U.A. High School, the runner-up in the Sports Festival, and the class representative of Class A the Hero Course!
Beside him was a blonde girl with perfect skin and an exquisite face that made Yaoyorozu feel inferior, like an angel untouched by the world!
Jilan Jiyu held the girl's hand, seemingly very comfortable in her presence. He wore the gentle smile that Yaoyorozu often saw on his face, chatting and laughing with the girl, just like... lovers.
Wait a minute, in their conversation just now, this girl seemed to call Jilan "Dad"... Yaoyorozu suddenly remembered the review session she organized at her home, and the "fashion magazine" that peeked out of Jilan's bag back then. This made Yaoyorozu's gaze towards Jilan seem strange. Could it be that this was Jilan's special "goodness"?
When Jilan Jiyu heard someone call his name, he turned around and saw Momo Yaoyorozu, dressed in casual clothes, looking dazed. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
Well, he actually ran into an acquaintance on the street, even though he deliberately chose to go out at midday when not many people would be out.
"Yaoyorozu? What a coincidence. Where are you going?" Jilan asked, feigning ignorance.
"I'm going..." Yaoyorozu was about to answer when she immediately realized what she was doing and looked at Jilan scrutinizingly. "My affairs are not important at all! But Jilan, you haven't been heard from for the past few days. You just left a message saying you had something to do and then disappeared. Where have you been these past few days? Who is this child next to you? What is your relationship with her!?"
This girl seems very close to Jilan. Could it be that Jilan is providing sexual assistance...? But this child looks like she's underage!
Copper smelting was strictly controlled in every era.
Yaoyorozu's barrage of questions gave Jilan a headache, but he had actually prepared an explanation for this moment, so he wasn't nervous. Just as he was about to say something he had made up, Fran tugged at Jilan's hand, looking at Yaoyorozu: "Dad, who is this woman? Why is she concerned about Fran's questions? Mom said that strangers who want to ask Fran questions are bad people!"
"Not only a father? But also a mother!?" Yaoyorozu immediately conjured up an image of a mature, well-built blonde older sister in her mind, her face automatically matching that of the Pro Hero she had previously interned with at work, the Snake Woman. In her opinion, a woman who could give birth to such a lovely child must have a face so beautiful that it would make one feel ashamed of oneself.
Yaoyorozu thought to herself, "Could it be that the mother this child is talking about is the Snake Woman?" But she immediately dismissed the idea. The Snake Woman had been active all these years and had no time to retire and have children. Moreover, this child looked like a middle school student. At that time, Jilan was just an elementary school student. How could she be the child's biological father!
Yaoyorozu thought of the Records of the Three Kingdoms series he had read, in which the ruler of State of Wei, Cao Cao, had a peculiar hobby—a fondness for other men's wives. A classic line from the series was widely circulated. "I will take care of your wife and children, so you need not worry." Could it be that Jilan also had this hobby? In an instant, countless unpleasant images flashed through Yaoyorozu's mind.
Seeing Yaoyorozu's face suddenly turn red and her gaze become increasingly strange, Jilan had no doubt that her thinking had gone astray.
"Fran, don't be nervous. This older sister is Daddy's friend, she won't hurt you." Jilan stroked Fran's soft blonde hair to comfort her, then smiled wryly at Yaoyorozu, "Yaoyorozu, although I don't know what you're thinking right now, I know your thinking must be a little off. Anyway... if you don't mind, let's find a cold drink shop to sit down and talk."
"Fran, would you like some ice cream?" Jilan asked Fran gently.
Her eyes lit up, and she raised Jilan's hand, cheering, "Yes! I want ice cream!"
Yaoyorozu noticed that there was no hint of malice in Jilan's eyes when she looked at Fran, and the two didn't seem to have that kind of relationship. She also began to doubt her own series of chaotic thoughts.
However, the fact that Jilan was called "Dad" by this girl named "Fran" really bothered Yaoyorozu.
So, Yaoyorozu temporarily put aside their plan to go to the bookstore and led Jilan to a nearby ice cream shop.
The air conditioning in the cold drink shop was blasting, making it feel like you were instantly transported from summer to winter. When Yaoyorozu pushed open the door and walked in, she shivered. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Jilan and Fran's hands were still clasped together, and the two seemed perfectly at ease, as if they didn't feel uncomfortable at all.
After the I-Island incident, Jilan discovered that the amount of Hamon stored in his body had increased by half, and the Hamon energy generated with each breath was also much greater, which could support him to use Hamon for a longer period of time. If it only wrapped around the surface of his body without dissipating outwards, it could even achieve a balance between consumption and recovery. Even if he used Hamon for a whole day, the Hamon in his body would still be plentiful.
To prepare for the upcoming battle, Jilan uses Hamon all day long, even unconsciously letting it flow through his body while Hamon sleeps. Protected by Hamon, Jilan feels neither cold nor heat. The hand he holds Fran's is constantly transmitting Hamon into Fran body, protecting her from the scorching sun or the cold air conditioning.
However, it seems that Jilan's efforts were in vain. Although Fran could feel the cold outside, she did not have sweat glands on her body and would not sweat. However, she was in very good health and would not feel uncomfortable even in extreme environments. She could adapt to this kind of cold alternation.
Arriving at a booth, Jilan patted Fran's head and smiled at the waitress who approached them, saying, "Fran, go to the front desk with this young lady. Tell her what you'd like to eat, and Dad will pay."
Jilan's previous bank card was left on the ship and sank into the sea with the Voyager. He has already replaced it in the past few days. His bank card contains a huge sum of money in eight figures, enough to support his extravagant spending.