Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Prelude to the Great Storm

  Thank you for Zhangxuan's 1 coin reward!

  ～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

  "But doesn't the sandworm look disgusting?" Xiao Yu said with a face of disgust.

  "Last time we went to that Thai restaurant and had fried tarantulas, why didn't you say it was disgusting?" A-Qian didn't even look at her, taking out his phone and fiddling with it on his own.

  "It's all fried and can't be seen in its original shape!"

  "Don't worry, after being deep-fried, the sandworms won't look like their original shape anymore. They actually look quite appetizing."

  "Can you still stimulate appetite with that? You might as well say chop this table into firewood and eat it, I won't believe your one-sided words, don't even think about deceiving me."

  "Well, there's a picture as proof." A Qing handed over her phone for Xiao Yu to see.

  "This... is so cool! The sandworms are crunching and crackling! Alright, it's settled then, we're going to the beach to encounter some sandworms!" Xiaoyu excitedly shook my hand, "Yao Yao, when do you have time to go?"

  I was stunned for a moment: "Are you really going?"

  She nodded with sparkling eyes.

  "But I..."

  "Or don't you want to go to the seaside?" Ah Qian interrupted me, raising an eyebrow. "Then let's change places."

  "Change places? Why don't we go rafting instead," Xiaoyu immediately chimed in, "My dad's company has an event, he can help us add a few more spots!"

  "Rafting? But I don't like the environment there. If it's a straight shot, that's fine, but sometimes you get stuck in places where the water isn't flowing fast, and next to you is a muddy layer of soil that looks just like a swamp. Just looking at it makes my nerves weak, and Yaoyao can't take it either." Ah Qian snapped her fingers decisively, "Let's change to a drier spot!"

  "Do you want to go somewhere dry? Go to an amusement park? And ride a roller coaster again? I'm so bored." Xiao Yu said with a bitter face.

  "Otherwise," Ash said with a pause, "go to the botanical garden... feel the warmth of the sunflower field?"

  "Sorry, even if you can tolerate sunflowers, this place is also unbearable for people who are allergic to its pollen."

  "How about DIY? Go learn how to make a cake?"

  "What's the difference between making cakes and making desserts?"

  "Barbecue?"

  "Nobody is doing anything!"

  Nongjiale?

  "Never mind, that big pot dish doesn't have any flavor at all. Are you used to eating it, A Qian?" Xiao Yu shook her head, "I think it's still best to go crazy shopping, this is the ultimate cure for women."

  Ah, shallow stunned for a moment, the narrow and long eyes suddenly lit up: "Right! How come I didn't think of this at first?! Let's go to that newly built six-story shopping mall, brand new specialty stores and facilities, no animals, no plants, not humid, not crowded, from noon till night, without getting tired or sore feet, swipe credit cards wildly and don't stop until the gold is collected!"

  "Is there a haunted house on the top floor? Oh my god! I can say," Little Yu's voice trembled, "just thinking about how much loot we'll get and how thrilling the haunted house will be makes me so excited that I want to flip the table! We haven't gone shopping in ages, have we?"

  "How's it going? Yaoyao, has your feminine nature been awakened?" Ah Qian was also a bit unsettled.

  "So you're saying that if I don't want to go, then I'm not the same sex as all of you?" My mouth twitched.

  "Clever." Ah Qian chuckled lightly.

  "Okay, as a female, my nature is indeed stimulated, and I really want to go crazy shopping too. But...” I lowered my head and said with distress, “You guys also see it, the dessert shop has been so busy lately, I don't even have time to relax. So, you two can go crazy first, and I'll drag you along when the dessert shop's business is in the off-season."

  They fell silent for a moment, and just as I was about to add a few more words, Xiaoyu suddenly spoke up with a smile: "I've talked so much, I'm thirsty. I'll go dig out some ice cream to eat."

  "By the way, help me dig some," Ah Qian called out to her with a normal expression, "Vanilla rose tea, remember not to..."

  "Don't want jam, got it." Xiao Yu clicked her tongue, "Obviously the best-tasting thing is jam, but you think it's disgusting. What a weirdo, really has some weird tastes."

  "Do you want me to tell you the specific reason? If you don't dare eat it again in the future, don't blame me."

  "Wait, wait, wait!" Xiao Yu hastily said, raising her hands in surrender, "Just by looking at your expression, I know it's not going to be anything good. I'll go get you a big bowl of plain... ice cream right away! And Xiao Qiao, senior, as soon as I came in, I saw you looking so down and out, do you want some peppermint-flavored fire-quenching tea?"

  "No need," Qiao Cheng shook her head. "I don't need to reduce the fire, it's just that some things are not moist enough."

  "Oh, okay, it seems like you need some nourishment of love." Xiao Yu teased with a sly smile.

  Cheng Qiao adorably curved her eyes and remained noncommittal.

  I'm extremely surprised that they gave up on this topic so quickly, and I'm even a bit anxious: "A Qian, I really didn't mean to ruin the mood for you guys, but I really can't get away from this right now."

  "I know." Ah Qian said lightly.

  "Huh? You know? Oh, it's good that you know. It's good that you know." I nodded and hesitated for a moment before speaking up again, "But how come you're all so quick today? Usually, don't you guys drag things out for half the day?"

  "You don't want to go, then just don't go. Do we have to hold a knife to your throat and force you? It's not like there won't be another chance in the future." Ah Qian smiled leisurely, "What? Aren't you used to us being so easy-going?"

  I shuddered: "No..."

  "That's settled then." She rested her chin on her hand and turned to look at Cheng Qiao, "Senior, the weather is nice today, huh?"

  Chao Qiao smiled: "Right."

  "It should actually be raining now, then a rainbow will appear, and we'll know that hope is for tomorrow." Ah Qian spread out her hands.

  I was stunned for a moment, and my first reaction was that she had just told a cold joke, but her expression was extremely serious, not looking like she was joking at all.

  "Right! I hope that by tomorrow, Ah Qian you will truly be a highly philosophical thinker!" Xiao Yu's voice came from afar within the ice cabinet.

  "Thank you for the compliment, but this idea has been brought up too many times and is almost worn out," Ah Qian said helplessly. "Unfortunately, the speaker has intention, but the listener has no thought."

  I opened my mouth, but I didn't know how to respond because I wasn't even sure if she was talking to me.

  "It's not that serious," Qiao Cheng said, looking up with a hint of shyness, "it's just that the original benign situation was disrupted by an unexpected hand, and for a moment, I couldn't accept it, and felt a bit at a loss."

  "Ahh... this situation is indeed a bit... unpredictable."

  "It's all unpredictable, I won't be easily scared away."

  "You're indeed a senior, and you really have a heroic spirit. I just like you this way!" A-Qian said with a flirtatious glance at me.

  My shoulders shuddered involuntarily.

  Xiao Yu walked over with an ice cream, and Cheng Qiao stood up: "Alright, you guys chat first, now is the peak hour for guests, I'll go help out." He went to another table to serve a freshly made dessert, and when he passed by me, he lowered his head and smiled at me again, "A Yao, I'm leaving."

  I nodded silently at him.

  "Xiao Qiao, you should be happy!" Xiao Yu said with a big smile, then put the plate on the table and shouted loudly, "The cold and refreshing ice cream is out, open your stomach and eat!"

  "How come you have so many roses and I only have a few?" Ah Qian looked at the two plates of ice cream with obviously different colors, narrowing her eyes.

  "Because of the rose..." Xiaoyu quickly scooped a large spoonful of pink ice cream from her bowl into her mouth, "Only this much is left wah wah wah, so cold!"

  Ah shallowly stared at her: "Serves you right." After that, she also started eating slowly.

  "Yao Yao, do you want some too? The roses are all here." Xiao Yu fanned her mouth with one hand while holding out a spoonful of food with the other.

  "She's lost her appetite, it's better to give it to me." Ah Qian said and went to snatch the small bowl from Xiao Yu.

  "How did you know I wasn't hungry?" I was taken aback, and suddenly realized that something was off. I replayed their conversation and behavior from the moment they entered the door in my mind, and finally reacted, forcing a bitter smile: "You... had already figured it out, right?"

  "Right." Aoi continued eating her ice cream calmly.

  I didn't expect her to admit it so naturally, and for a moment I was at a loss for what to say next.

  Xiaoyu unexpectedly calmly said, "You don't have to worry about being struggled by us. People are not objects, who can be without feelings? After all, you had poured your emotions into him so deeply back then. So, temporary loss of composure, we can understand."

  "Yes, we not only understand you, but also believe in you. Yaoyao, since you were able to say those words so boldly in front of us back then, it means you've really moved on. It's just that a little more time is needed, that's all." A shallow smile appeared on Ah Qian's face, "And what we need to do isn't to force you to let go, but rather accompany you like this, and be good company for you."

  "Ah ah!" Xiao Yu nodded desperately, "I know, as long as you give me a little more time, you will thoroughly forget the past and won't be stuck with the old lamp and ancient Buddha, but instead have an even more fragrant future!"

  It wasn't until halfway through that I scratched my hair and pulled the corner of my mouth to say: "Xiao Qiao, you really are a big mouth!"

  "He's concerned about you, that's why he told us. Poor guy, I don't know what he saw last night... A student in school, and yet, Strong-willed Little Prince Wang has fallen to this state today?" Ah Qian paused for a moment, shook her head as she looked at my face, and sighed, "But anyway, the fact that you can come up with such an astonishing makeup look means He Mo Tian still has some skills."

  "That's right, I also think that He Mochen is indeed the pinnacle of scum men! Admiration!" Xiao Yu burst out laughing loudly, startling Lan Jie and Xi Jie who were making desserts to turn their heads back at us.

  "Yes, yes, he's the pinnacle of trash men, and you're a loser among evil women. If you don't want to be a loser, quickly give me the remaining roses!" Ah Qian reached out to grab Xiao Yu's plate.

  Xiaoyu suddenly buried her face deep, Aqian's movements stiffened abruptly, and after a few seconds, Xiaoyu finally lifted her head. Her forehead, nose bridge, and mouth were all covered with pink and purple ice cream. She grinned ferociously: "Little girl, come and grab it!"

  "Ah!" A-Qian glared at her, "Afraid of you?" After that, she actually reached out and slapped Xiao Yu's face.

  "Ahhh! You perverted woman!" Xiaoyu shrieked as she jumped up, "Just you wait and see if I don't mess your face into a pulp!"

  "Hmph, come on, think you're so great with your long legs? I'm the short-distance running champion, you know!" A-Qian taunted while dodging.

  "If you're capable, don't move!"

  "If you've got what it takes, don't run away!"

  ……

  As I watched these two beauties, who were both top students in their respective schools, play-fighting and laughing without any reserve in front of me, the corners of my mouth slowly curled up. The haze and dust at the bottom of my heart suddenly dispersed, and a warm golden light poured in, gently dispelling the darkness from every corner. That small world that was once buried under layers of shadows now only remained a tranquil and satisfying serenity.

  Asha is right, hopefully it will be tomorrow.