“What do you know? This is what they call ‘tough love’! The harder my darling Peishan hits me, the deeper her love for me is! Peishan, my darling...”
Having said that, he tightly closed his eyes as if fantasizing about something, puckered his lips, and began kissing the air.
This guy's tongue must have a really thick coat.
Xia De silently watched this ridiculous scene, his lips twitching with a hint of helplessness, before he teased him.
“You said earlier that you had a lot of female fans, so how come I haven't seen a single one since we got here?”
“That's because I'm completely devoted to Peishan, so I had no choice but to break those fans' hearts and leave them in tears. Ah, I really am a deeply sinful man.”
Xia De: ...
“Can I ask why she's so wary of me?”
“Because of the recent commotion at Bezerlati Lake, the town mayor was worried it would affect the Windmill Festival. So, he ordered the town guard to tighten security and question every unfamiliar face. Peishan is the vice-captain of the town guard. Although her cultivation is only a tiny bit weaker than mine, being at Tier Three, Rank Five is more than enough to be a vice-captain.”
Xia De nodded, then asked again, “What about you, then? Since your cultivation is higher than hers, shouldn't you be the captain or something? That way, you two could work together and have a workplace romance.”
However, upon hearing Xia De's words, Finn shook his head. With a gentle smile on his face and a firm gaze, he said, “Protecting the town is Peishan's job. I only want to protect her and Master.”
Damn, that was smooth.
Then, as if realizing something, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a playful, mischievous grin spread across his face as he teased, “So everything you told me earlier about protecting the town was a lie, huh? You actually went on patrol just to make sure no dangerous people showed up to hurt Miss Peishan.”
“So what if it was? I love Peishan, and I just don't want anyone to hurt her.”
After Xia De exposed his intentions, Finn didn't feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he proudly shoved another mouthful of dog food down Xia De's throat.
Looking at the unashamed Finn, Xia De laughed and began to tease him further. “You really do love Miss Peishan, don't you?”
“I just love Peishan. We grew up together, and I've seen every side of her. I love when she's happy, I love when she's sad, I love when she's troubled, and I love when she's serious. I love everything about her!”
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a profound firmness, laced with boundless affection.
Looking at Finn, Xia De's body stiffened imperceptibly for a moment, his eyes flickering slightly.
Like? Particularly like?
It had been a very long time since he had felt that way. For a moment, he actually felt a touch of sentimentality toward these childhood friends.
At this moment, Finn's expression changed. He reached out, slung his arm around Xia De's shoulders, and teased, “Alright, let's not talk about me anymore. You're just as handsome as I am, so there must be plenty of girls who like you. Come on, tell me, is there anyone you particularly like?”
Like? Particularly like?
An elven figure flashed through Xia De's mind.
In truth, from childhood to adulthood, Xia De had been confessed to by many girls, but he had never cared about any of them.
The core reason was that his experiences in his past life made him distrust human relationships, coupled with his lack of a sense of belonging to this world.
Aside from that, looking back at the women who had claimed to like him...
First there were those in the village, then those he met during his month in Adewang Town, and finally those he encountered during his year and a half in Toka City.
In the village, because he was still very weak and the girls his age were just little brats, he had absolutely no thoughts about them.
Later, in Adewang Town, due to his reputation as the Grim Reaper and the fact that he was constantly doing quests, he barely had any contact with anyone.
Finally, during his year and a half in Toka City, after his strength grew, he was no longer as hard-pressed as before. Occasionally, when taking on quests, he would encounter one or two women who expressed their affection for him.
However, Xia De could sense the hidden calculations behind those women.
It was the kind of calculation he despised, which often left him feeling disgusted.
Looking back, Xia De was surprised to find that the time he spent with Hilia was actually the most comfortable period he had ever experienced with a female peer.
Across both his past and present lives, those short two weeks had actually been his most comfortable days.
Although their first meeting had been rather messy, she had frequently shown him her strong side afterward.
In Riri Village, she had fought against the Demon God Cult, who were much stronger than her, just to protect the village, nearly losing her life in the process.
Afterward, she hadn't felt afraid; instead, she had enthusiastically participated in the banquet.
On the way back to Adewang Town with him, she had gritted her teeth through gravity training. Even though it was extremely painful, she still kept a smile on her face, quickly adapting to the gravity and proactively asking him to increase it.
That night, after sensing that something was off with his mood, she had proactively shared her own pain to comfort him.
After returning to Adewang Town, she would join him in playing pranks on those who spoke ill of him, even though he hadn't taken those words to heart himself.
During the days they lived together, she was very mindful of giving him space, never clinging to him or disturbing him.
Seeing his love for good food at home, after tasting his cooking, she had proactively asked him to teach her.
She was also unmerciful when facing enemies who provoked her.
And when it was time to part, she had held back her reluctance to fulfill her duty as the elven princess.
Scene after scene of his time with Hilia flashed through Xia De's mind, and he suddenly realized something.
Without even realizing it, so much had happened in the short ten-odd days since he met Hilia, yet he hadn't felt the slightest bit of discomfort.
Brave, optimistic, gentle, considerate, with a hint of playfulness in her personality, rational, and not a bleeding heart.
Xia De was no relationship idiot; he could sense that during the time they lived together, most of her actions were done with him in mind.
And it wasn't the kind of “doing it for his own good” that actually ended up interfering with him.
Thinking of this, a faint, genuine smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of Xia De's lips, carrying a warmth he had never shown before in this world.
Unknowingly, a seed of anticipation had been planted in his heart.
At this moment, he actually found himself looking forward to meeting Hilia again.
“Oho! Brother Xia De, look at that lovesick grin on your face. Which girl is it? Come on, tell your big brother Finn.”
Finn's sharp eyes caught the warmth on the corner of Xia De's lips. He hooked his arm even tighter around Xia De's shoulder, pressing for answers with a teasing look.
Xia De immediately wiped the expression from his face, gently pushing Finn's hand away, and said, “Let's not talk about me. You'd better work hard yourself. From Miss Peishan's attitude, I don't think she likes you at all.”
Finn cried out in protest, starting an argument with Xia De. “No way! ...”
Just like that, Hilia's progress bar in capturing Xia De rose significantly, thanks to Finn's unintentional assist.
Rate on N.U.
