Facts proved that Xu Chuyao’s question last night about whether Peng Tian went to play with Tang’er was completely pointless.
Because they only flew in at midnight and arrived late, by the time they got up the next day, it was already afternoon.
The girl yawned and woke up from her dreams, looking left and right in a daze, and realized she was no longer in Center City.
“Yes, you came to Freiden Free City with Rui Li last night to take a vacation and participate in the Qingyi Festival.”
Broken Shadow was as reliable as ever, speaking pleasantly and without any of that strange, repressed aggression.
Shen Ning pushed herself up from the bed. Thanks to the curtains, there wasn’t much sunlight in the room, and it was hard to see clearly without turning on the light.
“Xu Chuyao.” She called her girlfriend’s name, “Did you get up?”
“She went out early.” Broken Shadow replied, “Leaving you alone here, no one to disturb your dreams.”
Some things don’t have a definite result; if there’s a spark, you have to hold on to it. Don’t push, don’t press.
Not long after, Xu Chuyao came back, still carrying the lunch she’d brought from the cafeteria.
“Lazybones, if you don’t get up soon I’ll eat your portion. Get up and eat.”
It was still the usual—black pepper steak, cheese burgers, barbecue pizza, and spaghetti—but as long as there was food, it was enough. When you’re out and about, you can’t be picky.
They sat down to eat their belated lunch together. After a brief hesitation, Shen Ning said to her girlfriend, “We don’t have any real plans for these few days, right?”
Xu Chuyao was slightly taken aback. “What experiment plan?”
“The Soulstone experiment.”
“Oh, no, we’re out on vacation, what experiment would we be doing? Why are you asking about that all of a sudden?”
Shen Ning brushed the crumbs off her fingers and pointed at her own head, “I had a weird dream the night before. But from past experience, I usually only have those kinds of dreams when I’m about to come into contact with Soulstone.”
It was only after she woke up just now that she remembered it. Yesterday morning, she hadn’t really thought much of it, just assumed it was some experiment Xu Chuyao had arranged.
But in the blink of an eye, the two of them had flown to an ancient city, and only now did the girl begin to feel a little suspicious.
“I don’t know.” Xu Chuyao finished her last bite of salad, “But we could go take a look.”
“Go take a look at what?”
Half an hour later, Xu Chuyao borrowed a scooter from a teacher at Freiden Academy and drove Shen Ning into the city.
Freiden Free City’s population wasn’t as large as Center City, about the same as Ya Ha City. The main city district’s streets weren’t crowded, and there were no traffic jams along the way. They soon arrived at their destination.
“No unauthorized entry allowed. For your safety, please keep your distance.”
“Just one photo, just one photo…!”
In front of the dark yellow police tape, a group of young men and women dressed in hip outfits crowded at the very edge, snapping photos of themselves and their friends, then leaving in satisfaction.
The security officer standing by the police line peeked out helplessly, unable to do anything about this situation.
This was a commercial construction site—the place where the last Soulstone explosion occurred. Beyond the police line were the ruins of buildings, battered by wind and rain over time, now looking even more dilapidated, green moss crawling over the surfaces.
It hadn’t been long since the Soulstone explosion, and for now, there weren’t enough people or energy to clear out the ruins. They could only cordon off the area, send people to watch it, and stop curious onlookers from getting themselves killed by wandering in.
As for rescue efforts, those hadn’t been considered. Even if anyone inside the buildings had survived without being crushed, they would have long since been transformed by the radiation.
“This is it, a graveyard abandoned by the world.”
Seeing two young women from out of town walking over, the security guard didn’t care much at first. Outsiders came here all the time for sightseeing; you could tell at a glance that they were tourists. Besides, they looked bright and beautiful. Let them take a few pictures, and they’d leave on their own.
But in the next moment, the one with the bigger chest stepped right over the police line. The guard quickly called out:
“Hey! No unauthorized entry! Please follow the rules!”
Xu Chuyao turned around, fished around in her jacket pocket, and pulled out her own golden three-star badge, “On official business. Please don’t interfere.”
Sure enough, the guard didn’t stop them anymore, but as they walked further in, he called out after them:
“Excuse me, are you from Center City? Are you that department chief, Xu Chuyao?”
Before she could answer, the other party mumbled to himself, “It has to be, it must be… looks just like the rumors, even more radiant in person than in the photos… It really is Miss Xu Chuyao!”
Xu Chuyao glanced at Shen Ning and asked her, “I’m really that famous?”
“Super famous! Everyone in our department knows you. Who hasn’t heard of your—your big… big name!” the guard said excitedly.
Shen Ning thought he originally wanted to say something else. After all, “name” is something you hear, not see.
But Xu Chuyao, beautiful and kind as always, didn’t expose him, and instead satisfied his little wish by giving him an autograph.
“Thank you, Miss Xu Chuyao! You two go ahead, I promise no one will bother you while you’re inside!”
His words were passionate, but Xu Chuyao calmed him down, saying, “It’s just a ruin. We’re only going to take a look, not do anything dangerous. If anyone tries to sneak in, just give us a shout.”
With that, the two girls walked into the ruined area, one in front, one behind.
As a land of Free City’s pain, this place was the tomb of countless lives. Some people died crushed in the first wave of collapse, while those who survived soon realized that survival was just another misfortune. The Soulstone’s radiation stripped their souls, trapping them in this place forever.
“The barrier is still outside, but there should be space inside.”
Xu Chuyao walked around outside, found a broken window, and saw that it could be used as an entrance. She was just about to call out to her girlfriend, but found that Shen Ning was already trying to pry up a piece of board.
“Shen Ning, what are you doing?”
The girl turned her head, “Didn’t you say the barrier was holding?”
If it’s blocking, then just move it aside.
“…There’s a window here.”
Half a minute later, Xu Chuyao slipped into the ruins through the broken window, with Shen Ning following behind. She didn’t say a word, but her slender neck looked strained, as if she was feeling a bit embarrassed.
This was a great chance to tease her, but Xu Chuyao hesitated, then reached out and stroked her girlfriend’s hair, smoothing it down.
“You’re very thoughtful. Windows aren’t always guaranteed. If I hadn’t found this entrance, you’d have found a way in and scored some points.”
This time, in the face of a bit of mischief, Xu Chuyao chose kindness.
Her girlfriend’s gentle response left even her own Reflections stunned for a moment.
Broken Shadow’s face reddened slightly, “Wow, Xu Chuyao is always this gentle. If so, I wouldn’t have to hold back so much anymore. Enough, I’ll be serious for the next 24 hours.”
Broken Shadow’s eyes nearly teared up, “Xu Chuyao’s always this gentle. In my heart…”
Gravel Reflection pulled out a little red flower from her shorts, looked around mischievously, and stuck it at the entrance, “Xu Chuyao says you scored some points, so here’s a flower for you—recognition from the whole school!”