Chapter 193: Scene 18 (Inverted V) Summer Solstice, Sachets, Candied Haws...
"Hmmmm..." Lying on the small bed in the inn, He Yuezhe hummed a tune happily.
It's so interesting that Tang Xiqin in this world is not familiar with me and is scared by my behavior.
"Host, you're about to embark on a dangerous mission. Aren't you afraid at all?"
"..." He Yuezhe was feeling happy, but after hearing the system's words, he was silent for a moment, then casually changed the subject, "I suddenly realized something interesting. Do you want to hear about it?"
"Host!! Please don't joke with me. In this world, if you die, you're really dead. Even skills won't help. You better be careful and stay safe, okay?"
"I understand."
"Are you in a good mood today? What happened?"
"Seeing an old friend."
"...Host, although I hate to disturb you, I still do not recommend that you consider these people in this world as your friends."
"I hate the phrase 'although, but'. Don't use it anymore."
"All right."
"Are you unhappy today?"
"Well, there's a problem with the platform. I might not be able to stay with you for much longer."
"……oh."
"Host, she really wants to see you, so don't give up."
“…”
"I don't want to see her."
"Why? She's so powerful she can grant all wishes!"
"Because meeting her means I've finally made my decision, doesn't it?" He Yuezhe tucked the quilt in. "I don't want to be a savior, nor do I want to be a devil. Why can't I just be an ordinary person and be happy with my friends?"
"But host, you have already saved many worlds..."
"That was an accident."
"It's not an accident, is it?"
"It was just an accident."
"Then am I also surprised? Host, do you really like saving people?"
“…”
"Host, are you still awake? I'm worried about you."
"There are too many things left to be resolved, and I can't sleep."
"Tell me, I can help you!"
"Then can you help me find out who that 'head' is and where he is now?"
"...Host, why are you talking like this now?"
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Don't change the subject."
"Oh. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. That's good."
"Um."
"Isn't that right?"
"Um."
"Isn't it good?"
"……Um."
"Host, are you sleepy?"
“…”
"Host?"
“People usually have a lot to say before they die.”
"I won't die yet..."
"That's right. I don't even know if you're a digital being or a real person, so how can I know if you'll die after leaving me? So, I just want to kill you because you're too noisy."
"Host, I just want you to remember me."
"Then I'll remember it. You can go now and don't bother me anymore."
"...Okay, goodbye, host QAQ."
“…Don’t act pitiful.”
"I'm not pretending to be pitiful, I'm just like this."
“…”
"Okay, host, go to sleep, I won't disturb you anymore."
"……Um."
"You" and "you", these two systems seem to call themselves differently.
That fake system has been lurking around me ever since I came to the platform. First... it warned me, then it started to help me, but it never showed up. In addition, it appeared from time to time, so I had no idea about its identity.
However, "I was saved by myself", "can replace the system"... maybe it comes from the platform, no, to be precise, it may come from a mission world that I have been to before but can't remember?
Should I still be wary of it, or should I trust it completely?
I'm so tired, I'd better not think about it anymore. He Yuezhe closed his eyes and turned over. However, when he thought about waking up tomorrow and seeing his friends again, he felt full of strength...
…
…
“Whoosh—”
Early in the morning, He Yuezhe had just tried to tie her hair when an arrow pierced through her headband and nailed it to the mirror in the room. The mirror then shattered all over the table, and her hair fell down again.
“…” The hand holding the comb tightened.
She looked in the direction the arrow came from. The window swayed in the wind, making a creaking sound. There was no one outside.
"It seems that your forces are very powerful, and you can even enter Baiyujing." He Yuezhe put down the comb, pulled out the arrow, and took off the cloth strip on it.
——"I will come here to see you tonight. Don't even think about running away."
The date on the previous piece of cloth is only a few days away, so why would they ejaculate again at this time?
Did something happen that made them anxious, or was this not their work at all?
"..." He Yuezhe curled his lips and tied the cloth strip around his wrist, "What a boring threat."
"My hair, which I had managed to tie up, was messed up. What a shame."
Sighing, He Yuezhe had to tie her hair up again, picked up the mirror fragments, left the inn, and walked towards the guard's base.
But unlike yesterday, the streets were crowded today, with small shops lined up on the street and people queuing up in long lines.
Even if they were wearing expensive-looking clothes and covered in jingling jewels, they still lined up with ordinary people.
The city gates were wide open, and it seemed that quite a few people were rushing in from outside the city.
The sun has just risen, but there are already so many people on the streets. Is it a special day today?
He Yuezhe didn't want to be squeezed, so he had to find a small alley, climb onto the eaves, and jump along the eaves to the door of the stronghold.
"Hey, Miss He!" Ban Weile and his group were standing at the entrance of the stronghold. When they saw her coming, they immediately waved with a smile, "Come on, come on!"
"How did you get over the eaves? That's too dangerous." Tang Xiqin frowned, looking a little strange.
"Ms. He, please be careful." Chen Shu looked at her worriedly.
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm fine." He Yuezhe lightly slid down from the eaves, patted the dust off his hands and body, and looked at the few people, "Why are you here so early today?"
"Today is the summer solstice." Yuan Yang answered, standing behind a group of people.
"Summer Solstice?" He Yuezhe wondered.
"It's just a solar term, Miss He. People here go out early during the solar terms, just to take advantage of the time to cure their illnesses!" said Ban Weile.
"Watch your mouth!" Tang Xiqin quickly covered Ban Weile's mouth.
Then the next second, a person passing by turned his head and looked at Ban Weile with a very serious expression: "Young man, what did you just say? Did you say that thing?"
"We are members of the guard team, and our words and actions are of course in compliance with the rules. Mr. Lin, please don't have any unnecessary suspicions about us." Tang Xiqin blocked Ban Weile behind her and bowed slightly to the man.
"Oh, so that's it. It seems I heard it wrong. I'm so sorry, so sorry..." The man called Mr. Lin smiled awkwardly, bowed slightly, and then ran away quickly.
“…”
"...Sorry, I haven't been back for so long that I forgot." Ban Wei Le scratched his head embarrassedly, "But I will definitely be careful with my words and actions in the future, and I promise that this situation will never happen again!"
"Of course we trust you, but as members of the guard team, you should know what our responsibilities are. If something like this happens again, we will not be able to continue to guarantee the safety here." Tang Xiqin was helpless.
"That, that word, can't I say it?" He Yuezhe asked.
Tang Xiqin nodded: "At least you can't say it in front of other people, because the people of Baiyujing are very taboo about this word. Once it is said, it will cause panic."
"But, aren't they... today?"
"Tsk, how should I explain this to you?" Tang Xiqin looked around, then leaned close to He Yuezhe's ear, "Maybe it's because the name of this place suits it. The people of Baiyujing believe they are immortals living in heaven. Although I don't know why they think so, since they are immortals, they don't think they can get sick. They go out during the solar terms and get medicine and treat patients with people outside the city. It's just a show for those who they think are mortals."
"That's it, you should understand?"
"Yes." He Yuezhe nodded, "But isn't Miss Tang from here?"
"Sister Tang, it's time. I'll follow them to the south to check out the situation. You stay in the north with Miss He, right? I'll come to find you soon." Chen Shuo interrupted their conversation and said.
"Okay. Be safe."
"Um!"
Yuan Yang and Ban Weile also greeted each other, and the two followed Chen Shuo and ran quickly towards the south side of the street market.
"It's getting late, let's talk while we walk." Tang Xiqin gestured to He Yuezhe to follow her.
"Um."
He Yuezhe followed Tang Xiqin, bypassing the crowd. They both climbed onto the roof at the same time. After looking at each other, they chuckled and walked towards the city gate.
"Miss He is quite skilled?" Tang Xiqin walked in front, the tiles under her feet never making any sound.
"Miss Tang is also very capable." He Yuezhe replied with brisk steps.
"Hmph, sweet talk."
"I really mean it!"
"Oh, really."
"real!"
"snort."
"Miss Tang."
“…”
"Miss Tang?"
“…”
"Aunt Tang——"
"Are you okay?!!"
“…”
"Ha, He Yuezhe, I've been fooled by you. You've always tricked me!" Tang Xiqin angrily released He Yuezhe's hand and walked forward. "You always use this method. Do you really think anyone will feel sorry for you?"
"Miss Tang, where is your home?" He Yuezhe climbed out from under the eaves again, put his hands behind his back, and asked with a smile.
“…Why are you asking that?”
"Curious."
"My home is right here."
"real?"
"real."
"Hey, where is your home? I can visit..."
"Ms. He, sometimes I really suspect that you are pretending to be ignorant even though you know the truth." Tang Xiqin turned her head.
"Hmm?" He Yuezhe smiled again, "No."
"You're not stupid, how could you not hear that I didn't want to tell you the answer to your question? You keep asking me over and over again. I really don't know what you're trying to do."
"Aren't we friends? Since we are friends, we should actively care about each other."
"...Well, let me tell you, my home is indeed here."
Tang Xiqin's expression was calm, but He Yuezhe could see the sadness beneath her calm expression at a glance.
Yes, since we are friends and I am not stupid, how could I not have heard the answer to the question she didn't want to tell me?
"I am an orphan, abandoned by my mother in this city. At that time, this place was still a ruin, affected by the war, and the people were living in poverty."
"I hid here and there in this city that seemed so beautiful before the war, until I watched everyone here die one by one."
"I watched the enemy leave, and this barren city was ruthlessly occupied by them. I escaped alone, then joined their forces and entered the city. I struggled hard here, trying to survive. To me, this place is both my homeland and a perilous abyss that could take my life at any moment."
"Later, this place was developed into Baiyujing, and thanks to Captain Meng's kindness in taking me in, I finally got a job in the Guard Corps."
"Then, my mother arrived. She was dressed in luxurious attire, and I personally received her. She looked the same as before, except that she looked much older, with more scars and wrinkles on her face."
"She didn't recognize me and, when registering her family situation, told me she had no children."
"I originally thought she had forgotten me, so I hysterically poured out my heart to her, telling her that since she didn't remember me, we might as well break up."
"But she just opened her eyes wide, looked at me in shock, and then shed two lines of tears and hugged me."
“…”
"Ms. He, I think I hate her because all my suffering stems from her abandonment. But I also love her because she said she'd been looking for me for a long time and had imagined what I would look like when I grew up countless times in her mind. She also said she wanted to take me away."
"I can understand why she abandoned me because she couldn't even protect herself. I can also understand that her belated love was an attempt to make up for me."
"So I went with her."
“…”
"Miss He, am I weak and timid?" Tang Xiqin continued walking forward, her black hair swirling and fluttering in the wind, with a few strands of wool tangled in it. "Just because of that little bit of love, did you forget the pain of the past? Did you forget that I was already covered in scars by the time I reached that point, and that I could no longer return to that gentle embrace?"
"Miss Tang, there are some wool strands in your hair." He Yuezhe reached out and took out the strands. "Also, you're not wearing your team uniform today?"
"..." Tang Xiqin froze in place, and after a while she replied, "Well, today is my mother's death anniversary, and this is the clothes she knitted for me a long time ago."
“…”
Death anniversary? He Yuezhe’s mind went blank.
"She's very good at handicrafts. She made all our clothes and furniture herself." Tang Xiqin held up a corner of her clothes. "So after escaping from here, she was noticed by the Tang family and became their tailor. Her life improved, but she spent all her savings on expensive clothes and came to Baiyujing to find me."
“…” He Yuezhe was speechless.
"Okay, I've told you everything you want to know." Tang Xiqin jumped off the eaves and stretched out her hand towards He Yuezhe, "Miss He, we've arrived. Come down."
"...Oh, okay." He Yuezhe supported her hand and jumped down.
The girl is young, but her hands have many calluses and scars that have not yet fallen off.
"Miss He, don't worry, I'm not that fragile. It's just that talking about this with a friend I've only just met makes me feel a little distressed."
Tang Xiqin smiled at her reassuringly: "But from now on, can we be considered close friends?"
"But you want to kill me." He Yuezhe blinked innocently.
“There’s no conflict.”
"Really? That's great."
"Guards, you're finally here!" The man in the short hat He Yuezhe had seen near the city gate saw them and hurried over, bowing deeply. "Not many people have come from outside the city today, so we've been able to maintain order. Our work is progressing very smoothly."
His attitude was completely different from what He Yuezhe had seen when he entered the city gate before. Back then he was high and mighty, but now he could only bow down to his superiors.
It seems that power is indeed a good thing.
"Yeah, not bad." Tang Xiqin glanced at the queues and registrations at the city gate and nodded. "I'll report the situation truthfully when I get back. The higher-ups should give you some rewards."
"Thank you, Guard!"
"No, it's what we should do. Help each other. Next time..."
"I know! I know!"
"That's good, that's it, we'll be leaving first."
"Guards, take care!"
"No need to send it."
"yes!"
“…”
The situation at the city gate was indeed very orderly. There were no disruptors and everything was proceeding normally.
He Yuezhe followed Tang Xiqin into the city.
"We've finished inspecting the city gate. Now we need to maintain order along this street. Any fights or arguments must be stopped immediately." Tang Xiqin explained to He Yuezhe, "You don't have to say anything. The guards have great power, and no one dares to resist."
"Okay." He Yuezhe nodded.
"Hmm. Do you like this?"
"Hmm, hmm?" He Yuezhe then noticed that Tang Xiqin was standing in front of a shop, picking up a sachet from the shop and showing it to him.
"Uh, ah..." The owner of the shop didn't dare to speak at all, and shrank back trembling.
"Is it okay for us like this?" He Yuezhe took the sachet, smelled it, and asked.
"Of course it's okay. The guards only deal with major incidents. Maintaining order is handled by others, and they're very capable too. You don't have to worry."
“Sister Tang!!!”
"Ms. Tang, Miss He, we bought some candied haws, come and have some!"
"Why."
Looking at Chen Shuo and Ban Weile happily holding many different kinds of candied haws and rushing over past Yuan Yang who was waving like a robot, He Yuezhe put down the sachet in his hand and waved at them.
"This is hawthorn, this is strawberry, this is, hey, Xiaoshu, what is this?" Ban Weile spoke unclearly with a candied haws in his mouth.
"These are melon seeds, Brother Ban. Why did you buy this flavor?" Chen Shuo placed two strings of hawthorn candied haws in Tang Xiqin's He Yuezhe's hands. He looked at the strange-looking candied haws and said with a smile, "You didn't mistake it for some other fruit, did you?"
"Oh..." Ban Wei Le said sadly, "How could this happen! Then I have no choice but to eat it reluctantly..."
"Thank you, you've come just in time. See if there's anything you like? I'll pay." Tang Xiqin took the candied haws and took a bite. Her face immediately wrinkled from the sour taste. "What the hell is this? It's too sour."
"..." He Yuezhe had already taken a bite before she spoke. In order to prevent her from noticing anything unusual, he had to turn his head away and try hard not to let her see the deformation of his face due to the soreness.
"Hahahahaha, you fell into its trap!!" Ban Weile laughed arrogantly, "The three of us have all been plotted against by it. We're all friends, how could we possibly let you two go? Hahahaha!"
“Ban Wei Le!!!”
"Hey, but of course, we also bought you lip balm. We had to wait in line for ages to get it!"
"Chinese herbal lip balm, right?" Tang Xiqin glared at Ban Weile.
"How did you know?!" Ban Weile was surprised.
"You'll know the difference as soon as you smell it, idiot. It's bitter as hell."
"Oh, Brother Yuan, where's that thing you brought? Why haven't you taken it out yet?"
"Uh." Yuan Yang stood at attention.
"Brother Yuan?"
"Uh." Yuan Yang stiffly took out two small swords that were about the size of a normal person's fingers, "Here."
"Brother Yuan, didn't you say you wanted to buy that drink at first? Why did you change it to this?"
“This, this…”
"Oh my god!!! How did this sword change, change..."
"Oh my god, is this magic? It's so powerful!"
"I'm so sorry, I accidentally spilled the two drinks I bought earlier, so I had to replace them with the little gadgets I made myself."
He Yuezhe looked at the small sword in his hand that was getting bigger and smaller, turning into mugwort and wheat ears, and waved it in surprise. Although he only used a small amount of force, a clear sound of breaking through the air was heard in the air.
"How amazing." She couldn't help but sigh.
"It's really amazing." Tang Xiqin also said.
"What?! Brother Yuan, I want it too, I want it too!!" Ban Weile pestered Yuan Yang.
"Brother Yuan, can I, can I trade you something else? This sword is so powerful!" Chen Shu's eyes were starry.
"This was originally the summer solstice gift for you. Naturally, you all have it, you all have it." Yuan Yang took out two small swords and handed them to the two of them respectively.
"Thank you, Brother Yuan!"
"Thank you, Brother Yuan!"
“No need.”
"Okay, come and choose the sachets, or someone will say I didn't give them gifts."
“Here it comes!”
"Thank you, Sister Tang!"
"Thank you very much."
"Okay, Miss He, you can choose one too," Tang Xiqin waved a sachet in her hand and raised her chin towards He Yuezhe. "After you choose, let's see what the situation is like on the street. When most people have dispersed, we can go eat."
"I'll take this. Luckily we have candied haws, otherwise I would have fainted from hunger if lunch were so late today!"
"Sister Tang, I've made my choice too. I'll treat you to dinner later."
"Okay, Xiaoshu has always had good taste, and I've made my choice."
"Well, I've made my choice, and I'm going to..."
"Wait, how come all of you chose the same thing?!"
"What?!"
"Why!"
"ah."
"Wait, no, why did all five of us choose this bird?!"
“It looks delicious.”
“It’s very cute.”
“It looks very smart.”
“I like this bird.”
"ha?!!"
So the five of them left the store with identical sachets but different scents, looking at each other in bewilderment.
"..." Tang Xiqin held her forehead with her hand, "I need to find a place to check on myself first. I really don't feel well. You guys go shopping. I'll see you at Weizhenxiu later."
"good."
What a ghost!
Not long after Tang Xiqin left, the four of them looked at the people who were arguing in front of them for no apparent reason because they didn't understand why the other party was so old.
Ban Weile tried to dissuade him cheerfully, but to no avail.
Chen Shuo went up to persuade them, but because what he said was so right, he was slapped in the face by one of them, and it was ineffective.
Yuan Yang's words sounded too robotic and ineffective.
then……
"I can make you older, do you believe me?"
He Yuezhe held up the dagger and looked at the man with a smile: "As long as..."
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The author has something to say: The first day of Saturday [poor][poor][poor][poor][poor][poor][poor][poor][poor][poor]
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