Chapter 366: A Precious Gift
At 8 p.m., the team's celebration party came to an end.
Anno didn't let himself drink too much, lest he go back and cause a drunken scene with Sitar.
They've only met a few times in the last two years, so she needs to cherish every moment.
"I'll take you."
Xi Mo picked up the coat she had placed behind the chair and handed it to her.
Anno took the coat and put it on, then politely declined, saying, "No need, my family is waiting for me on the tarmac."
"Then I'll escort you this short distance." Xi Mo gazed intently at her, his tone calm yet carrying an irresistible tenderness.
"Is there something you want to say to me?" Anuo can sense people's emotions subtly. She usually doesn't pay much attention to them, but since Xi Mo is a friend, she spoke directly to him.
Xi Mo was taken aback by her blunt words, then couldn't help but chuckle. A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes as he sighed, "Yes."
A gentle night breeze blew as Anuo and Ximo walked side by side on the beach.
This is the busiest time of day, with shops lining the streets and colorful lights stretching out in a dazzling display, adorning the night.
Some people were running barefoot on the beach, their cheerful laughter conveying a joyful mood.
Anuo felt a warmth in his chest; it was the core energy of Feixing flowing slowly. He liked it here, or perhaps, Fengling liked it too.
In the past two years, whenever she went somewhere, Feixing would express her feelings through her core if she liked it.
Now, Anunu is the eyes through which he and Fengling see the world. One of them has almost never left the Zerg race in hundreds of years, while the other died on the battlefield just after reaching adulthood. Now, Anunu goes to places that they have never seen before.
Anunu wanted to join the Starfleet in order to see if she could sense and summon the consciousness of the Wind Spirits in the star systems within the Tianyun range.
She could sense that Feng Ling's consciousness was slightly stronger than before, and occasionally, she could even dream of Feng Ling talking to her.
In the years before she ascended to the throne, she still had the opportunity to travel throughout the universe with the core of the flying star.
“Anno”.
Xi Mo's voice pulled Anuo back to reality.
She turned to look at him and saw him holding a delicate, antique-looking little box, which he handed to her.
Her gaze shifted from the small box to Xi Mo's face, her eyes questioning.
"It's just a small gift, not worth much, but I've been meaning to give it to you." He smiled, his expression casual.
Anno took it and opened it in front of him.
Inside the box was a necklace made of feathers. The pure white feathers shimmered under the light, clearly well-maintained. The feathers were adorned with crystals and gemstones, and the pendant at the bottom was a deep blue gemstone, as deep as the ocean, exquisitely beautiful.
Anno had seen many treasures and was already immune to these pretty but useless valuables, but she was still amazed by this highly ornamental necklace.
Do you like it?
Xi Mo watched as Anuo held the necklace up to her eyes. The deep blue gemstones complemented her delicate face, like the perfect embellishment, making him momentarily lose his composure.
"It's a very beautiful necklace." Anuo didn't respond to his comment, but smiled slightly at her. "You said you'd been wanting to give it to me for a while? Why are you only giving it to me now?"
Xi Mo paused for a moment, then said, "If we don't send it now, I'm afraid we won't have the chance to do so again."
I didn't send it before because I wanted to wait until Anuo could gradually accept him.
Now... he feels that Anno is getting further and further away from him.
Perhaps he still has a chance; the future is long, isn't it?
Xi Mo lowered his eyes, concealing that hint of anticipation.
“You have bird genes.” Anno stared at his face and said, “I used to have a friend who also had bird genes, and he liked my second sister.”
Xi Mo's eyes flickered slightly as he looked up at her.
The girl's soft features were outlined by the light emanating from the shop, making her look like a delicate work of art. She spoke to him in a calm tone.
In my memory, Anno was always like this in front of them: calm and composed, without much emotional fluctuation. Most of the time, he was either seriously repairing and modifying the aircraft or lost in thought.
She always kept her presence to a minimum, but she probably didn't know how dazzling her radiance was. Even if she tried to hide it, her unique and incongruous aura couldn't conceal her brilliance.
She was nothing like a Tianyun person. Because of the various mixed genes in their bodies, Tianyun people are somewhat irritable and have a generally enthusiastic and cheerful personality. He had never even seen her genetic form.
She wasn't introverted; sometimes he saw her volatile side. For example, when assembling mechanical parts or upgrading aircraft, if things went wrong and didn't meet her expectations, she would punch them, piercing through the aircraft's hard outer shell, or violently crushing alloy parts.
Even her irritability seemed calm, unlike the people of Tianyun. After her outburst, she quickly returned to her usual gentle demeanor, a transformation that was astonishing.
He had known her for two years, and he realized that there were still many things he didn't know about her.
“He also gave my second sister a necklace like this, but my second sister didn’t like him and didn’t accept it,” Anuo said, looking at Xi Mo.
Xi Mo smiled and was about to reply when An Nuo added, "The feather necklace I gave to my second sister was made from the most beautiful feathers from my friend's body; it's his most precious gift."
Anuo's eyes held a gentle look. She knew that Xi Mo liked her. He had expressed his feelings to her a long time ago, and the family members around her were a testament to his feelings.
Xi Mo has always maintained a comfortable distance from her. They are teammates, classmates, and friends. She can't accept his feelings for her, but this precious relationship should be cherished.
Xi Mo is a good person.
She took Xi Mo's hand and placed the feather necklace in his palm.
"This is not worthless; it is precious and should be given to the right person who deserves it."
A cool breeze blew by, dispelling the heat rising in Xi Mo's heart. A bittersweet emotion surged up, like waves crashing on the beach. The gentle force was irresistible, and he let the waves gradually engulf him.
She rejected him.
He felt a bitter taste in his mouth; the lingering alcohol brought out the most bitter flavor of the liquor on his tongue, amplifying it countless times.
He lost his voice, suddenly unsure of what he wanted to say.
Her hand quickly withdrew from his; such a warm hand, yet it didn't belong to him.
“I should go home,” Anno said.
"Ah... okay." Xi Mo came back to his senses, looking somewhat at a loss.
"You guys have training tomorrow, so go back and get some sleep. I'll try to get there early. Molly should get up earlier than me; she's much more diligent than me." Anno spoke casually about tomorrow's arrangements, as if what had just happened was just a trivial little incident.
Xi Mo was stunned for a moment, and the bitterness in his heart seemed to fade a little at that moment.
Anuo muttered to herself as she walked forward, with Xi Mo following beside her.
He knew that she would become more talkative after drinking.
After a while, his brows and eyes relaxed, and he realized that he had been narrow-minded.
She treated his feelings with such tenderness. Even though her confession failed, she still treated him as a friend and it didn't affect other relationships.
Anuo and Ximo said goodbye on the shore. Not far ahead, under the streetlights, a tall figure stood there, seemingly waiting for a long time.
Xi Mo watched as An Nuo ran towards that figure, her steps light and her heart leaping with joy, unlike the calm she usually felt when she was with them.
It was at this moment that she truly revealed her original nature.
He watched for a while, then turned and walked into the night.
Anno said there's training tomorrow, so they'll see each other again.
They remain teammates and friends.
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