Chapter 40: Birthday Party: Who looks better, me or that guy? ...
Youan had a blast at the ski resort for two days. Except for the hunting forest area which was temporarily closed due to the arrival of some large snow apes, he explored the entire Quan family hot spring hotel.
Everyone who sees it will sigh, what an energetic and tireless little rabbit.
That afternoon, Quan Yi, the host, was having so much fun that he parked his skateboard under a green pine tree covered with snow.
He brushed off the snow foam on his body and suggested excitedly, "Hey, Youan! Although the hunting forest is closed, we can go ice fishing on the frozen lake. Or I know a place nearby where you can catch beautiful snow-feathered finches. Want to give it a try?"
Youan was looking up at the crystal icicles on the treetops when a large ball of snow suddenly rolled down and hit him on the head.
"No, thank you."
He let out a small cry of surprise, rubbed the tip of his nose, which had been hit red, and turned to look at Quan Yi. "But I want to ask...is there a training room here?"
Quan Yi was stunned for a moment: "Training room?"
"Yeah!" Youan nodded vigorously, his face filled with anticipation and a subtle seriousness. "The kind that can simulate actual combat and test weapon performance."
Quan Yi was a little surprised, but under the other person's gleaming gaze, he hesitantly said, "Of course there is. It's on the third basement floor of the hotel. Do you want me to go with you?"
He added automatically, "Or Lancelot?"
"No need." Youan immediately smiled with his eyes curved. He shook his head happily like a child, shaking off the snow stuck to his ear hair. He waved at the black-haired young man, "I'll go check it out myself! I'll come play with you later!"
After saying that, he stepped deep and shallow on the thick snow, and trotted towards the hotel with a clear goal, leaving a series of crooked footprints in the snow.
Quan Yi stopped where he was, curled his lips silently, and thought to himself that he was worthy of being a straight-A student, he was so successful even during the holidays.
Until the birthday party that night, the bright lights illuminated the snow as if it were daytime, the hotel's gorgeous banquet hall was filled with celebrities, and the air was filled with various rich aromas.
However, Euan was nowhere to be seen, and he only sent a message to Lancelot saying that he would be at the banquet hall on time.
Lancelot stood in front of the floor-length mirror, his fingertips running across the information on the light screen, and he sighed slightly with a hint of helplessness.
He really played with his mind.
"You say..." Enzo stood in front of the French window in the cloakroom, looking down at the endless stream of guests, "Has Quan Yi's brain suddenly become more active?"
He swirled his wine glass lazily, the ice cubes making a crisp sound as they collided. "Holding your birthday party here is so famous that we can even avoid advertising fees."
Lancelot didn't even turn his head and continued to concentrate on adjusting his well-tailored black suit in front of the mirror.
The deep dark lines were faintly visible under the light, perfectly outlining his tall figure. His red hair was carefully polished to be soft and shiny, making his already outstanding temperament even more noble and imposing.
He frowned slightly, looking at the mirror, and asked casually, "Who do you think is better looking today, me or the one Quan Yi called?"
Enzo: “…”
I am really impressed.
Enzo didn't even bother to look at it, and replied impatiently, "You, you, you."
"Of course." Lancelot seemed quite satisfied with this answer, his tense jawline relaxing a little. But the next second, he sighed, "...What a shame. You're my friend, so asking you doesn't seem to be very useful."
Enzo's already dwindling patience completely vanished, and he sneered sarcastically, "I think you're acting like a bitch. Just ask yourself in the mirror!"
Lancelot didn't care at all. He took out the fox brooch that had been repaired by Youan, put it on his chest and admired it in the mirror alone.
What happened to Foxy?
That’s not something that ordinary people can do!
The banquet hall gradually became lively. According to Lancelot's surname and title, occasions like this were no longer just birthday celebrations.
But children don't care about these troublesome social etiquette.
There was a shop selling bottle elves in the hotel, and Asaiah went on a shopping spree, placing all the cotton dolls he had bought on the table and showing off to the chestnut bunny squatting beside him: "Tuantuan, look, I've collected them all!"
You Tuantuan was wearing a little dress today with a gold-green ribbon tied around her neck. Although the little shirt barely covered her bulging belly, she was still a civilized rabbit after all.
He was surrounded by these dolls and was touching and rubbing each one of them curiously.
Athea looked around and poked his soft bunny cheek: "By the way, where is Brother Youan?"
"Brother has gone to prepare birthday presents and will be here soon." You Tuantuan said, pricking up his little ears, always listening for any familiar voices.
Euan was indeed on his way.
He changed into a proper suit, the fluffy rabbit ears on his head gleaming under the bright landscape lights, and he was carrying a small, ordinary-looking box in his hand as he walked briskly through the corridor connecting the main building and the banquet hall.
However, while walking through a carefully landscaped garden path, he ran into Lorion Winters.
Although the feud between the two families is undercurrent, it has not yet been completely exposed.
Hearing that the Vansels would also be present in person, the Winters family, who were on vacation nearby, naturally attended the event with valuable gifts in order to maintain appearances and avoid gossip from gossipers.
At this time, this nobleman, who was in the limelight in his family, had no intention of entering the social circle.
Lorion stood alone under a dwarf pine tree covered with glittering hoarfrost, his short silver-gray hair neatly combed behind his head. His profile looked a little stern in the dim light, as if the hustle and bustle around him had nothing to do with him.
Youan paused slightly, nodded slightly as a greeting, and prepared to walk past him without looking at him.
He didn't want to deal with the Winters family, especially on Lancelot's birthday.
Unfortunately, the other person didn't think so. When the two were about to pass by each other, Lorion suddenly spoke.
"sorry."
Lorion slowly turned around, his almost calm gaze fixed on Youan. His tone was emotionless, as if he was stating something that had nothing to do with him. "No matter what, I should apologize to you in person on behalf of my sister Ava."
"For your sister..." You An smiled suddenly.
He stopped and turned sideways, his obsidian-like pupils looking up and down at the nobleman in front of him whose expression was originally indifferent.
"Master Lorion." After a long time, Youan's faint voice fell like snowflakes, "Perhaps you don't know, a long time ago, I worked as a doorman in a high-end hotel."
"Although this profession is completely unnecessary, commanding people is much more interesting than commanding inanimate objects like machines. That's why I met many wealthy people and nobles there."
"Friendly, arrogant, hypocritical... all kinds." You An paused, looked directly into the other person's eyes and asked very frankly, "Do you know which one impressed me the most... or, in other words, disgusted me the most?"
Lorion's eyebrows moved slightly, and a hint of interest seemed to flash across his eyes.
He cooperated and asked, "Which kind?"
You An raised his lips in a cold smile, speaking in a clear and slow voice: "Of course it's you who appear polite and friendly on the surface, but deep down you treat everyone as ignorant ants."
The sharp and somewhat harsh words coming out of the dwarf rabbit's mouth seemed inexplicably out of place. Lorion chuckled lightly, not caring much: "You seem to have a deep misunderstanding of me. It must be because of Lancelot."
"No, it's not because of anyone. You can't treat everyone as a fool." Youan's dark pupils seemed to have the power to see through everything. "For example, are you really not aware that Ava damaged my harp?"
Lorion's expression remained unchanged, but the warmth in his eyes gradually disappeared.
Youan wasn't worried about the other party getting angry and beating him up. He simply said, "Compared to Ava, whose evil intentions are written all over her face, you're even more disgusting, a scoundrel who exploits her stupidity to achieve your own goals."
The night wind blew up tiny snowflakes, which swirled down between the two of them. The already chilly air seemed to be about to freeze in the next second.
A light snort escaped from Lorion's throat, and he took a step towards Youan.
At this moment, a voice filled with vigilance, even with a hint of imperceptible anger, came crashing down from above like a hammer breaking through the ice.
"What are you talking about?"
They both looked up at the same time.
Lancelot leaned half his body out from the railing of the second-floor terrace with his hands on it. The warm light outlined his taut jawline.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze like a solid icicle, piercing Lorion's body sinisterly.
As if nothing had happened, Lorient nodded slightly to Lancelot on the terrace.
When the person next to him brushed past his shoulder and ran quickly into the banquet hall, he returned to his aloof and cold appearance and turned away alone.
As Youan entered the banquet hall, a warm atmosphere hit him in the face. Before he had time to enjoy the exquisite and delicious cakes, someone grabbed his wrist and pulled him to sit on the sofa by the window.
"Stay away from Lorion. Their family's training of younger generations is no different from raising a Gu. He, in particular, is full of evil."
Lancelot leaned back, put his hand on the back of Youan's chair beside him, and muttered bad things, not thinking that there was anything wrong with gossiping about others behind their backs.
Because he dared to say it again in front of the other party.
Youan listened carefully, ate the small cake brought by the servant, nodded and said, "I remember it."
Lancelot hummed in satisfaction, lowered his eyes slightly, and watched the other party open his rabbit-shaped mouth wide to devour the small cake. Suddenly, he pinched his chin and turned to face him.
Youan blinked in confusion: "Huh?"
The familiar scent of perfume lingered at the tip of his nose. Before Youan could ponder this somewhat sudden action for long, Lancelot's calm voice rang in his ears: "What if a wealthy, handsome, humorous nobleman, who is willing to give you all his property, approaches you, uh... and proposes to you?"
Youan pricked up his ears and listened, wow, this is outrageous.
He wiped the cream off his fingers and quickly said, "Don't worry, I won't believe it. It's all a rabbit-killing dish!"
There was a gleam of utmost seriousness in his dark eyes, as if he had just answered a question that tested his ability to apply what he had learned to other situations, and he proudly puffed out his chest, waiting for praise.
"That may not be the case..." Lancelot murmured softly, and collapsed weakly into the sofa. When he moved his feet, he inevitably hit a hard object.
Lancelot sat up and saw the small box at his feet. He lowered his head and asked in confusion, "What is this?"
"A gift!" Youan wagged his tail, happy that the other party had finally discovered the small box. He picked it up and handed it to him with great courtesy. "Happy birthday, Lancelot!"
Lancelot's tail stopped wagging. "You gave it to me?"
In fact, the statue in the center of the banquet hall was filled with valuable gifts from the guests, and the gift boxes were almost piled up into a small mountain, but at the moment, Lancelot had no time to care.
Youan nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes! It's for you!"
The moment he finished speaking, Lancelot's tail began to swing again. He still maintained a decent smile and said thank you to Youan, but his slender fingers eagerly unfastened the buckle.
The box was opened, and lying on the dark velvet padding was a super-crystal steel mechanical crossbow with a cold luster.
The quantum circuits throughout the crossbow were engraved by Youan himself and equipped with a good-quality B-grade crystal core. Unlike the crossbows on the market that can penetrate mechas, the crossbow body is extremely light and can be disassembled and folded. The arrows are slender and sharp, with spiral patterns, which are obviously more inclined towards penetration and speed.
This is exactly the style that Lancelot prefers in actual combat: agile, precise, and fatal.
Lancelot's fingers gently brushed across the cold crossbow body, and he couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips, as if he could feel the focused expression and the warmth of his fingertips when Youan was making it.
This was made by Youan, made for him!
The bright red fox tail transformed into a large loaf of bread, making the leather sofa cushions crackle.
Looking at Lancelot's expression, Youan breathed a sigh of relief.
He actually wanted to give a mecha, but the procedures were too complicated and the funds were even more stretched. The worst thing was that there was no time left, so he had to settle for mechanical weapons.
Now it seems that Lancelot should... like it, right?
The two of them gave and received gifts as if no one was around, especially the noise made by Lancelot's tail, which soon attracted the attention of some guests around.
A guest with considerable knowledge of mechanics leaned closer and asked curiously, "Master Lancelot, which studio's new product is this? Or is it a custom piece by a master mechanic? The hand-engraving of this quantum circuit is quite impressive."
Just as Youan was about to speak, Lancelot beat him to the punch.
He looked around, his eyes sweeping with undisguised arrogance and superiority: "This is a birthday gift that Youan made for me."
"You made it yourself?!"
A low cry of surprise was heard all around.
More eyes filled with inquiry and surprise focused on Youan.
Being stared at by so many people, Youan pursed his lips nervously and habitually wanted to touch the black hood that used to cover his head. It was not until someone grabbed his wrist that he realized that the robe that represented the past no longer existed.
Yes, he is no longer the ghost lingering in the dungeon and hiding from the light.
Youan nodded: "Yes, I did it."
"This crossbow has a draw force of 140 star yards, a mental power conversion rate of 90%, an effective range of 0.7 star miles, and a single-shot energy consumption of 285 hectares. The red dot sight is an old model I purchased from Eh Company and modified, with features like automatic calculation of arrow drop parameters..."
He clearly read out the key parameters, paused, and recalled the countless calibrations and adjustments in the training room. His tone tinged with confidence, "After actual testing, the intelligent correction index can reach up to 93%."
As soon as these parameters were reported, the surroundings fell silent for a few seconds, and then a burst of suppressed discussion arose, leaving even Quan Yi dumbfounded.
Such impressive data is totally incompatible with the lightweight structure of this crossbow.
"Ha!" A slightly shrill laugh came from a young nobleman who was dressed in gorgeous clothes and surrounded by several companions.
He looked up and down at Youan's plain-looking crossbow, his face showing undisguised contempt. "There's a limit to bragging. Do you know what it means to have a mechanical crossbow with these parameters?"
His companions around him also laughed in agreement, with a hint of watching the fun.
"The thought is what matters most. We can discuss technical matters in private." A gentle voice sounded. You An turned his head and saw that it was Xu Qingzhou.
He walked forward and tried to smooth things over, signaling to Youan with his eyes that he didn't need to worry about it.
But a small flame ignited in Youan's black eyes. No one should be questioned for no reason.
He looked at the noble young man seriously: "Sir, the data are all measured in real time. It really works!"
This is an astonishing number, especially with such a short preparation time. I'm afraid even the A-level mechanics of the Machinists Association would not dare to guarantee it so confidently.
Therefore, in the eyes of most people, it is nothing short of a fantasy for a student to create a weapon of this level.
His earnest defense only attracted more good-natured laughter from the crowd and even more exaggerated ridicule from the noble young man.
“Click.”
Sharp arrows are assembled into mechanical crossbows.
Lancelot slowly stood up and walked to the noble young man who was still laughing.
Although he still had that smiling expression, his green eyes revealed an invisible sense of oppression. Amidst the exclamations, he placed the arrow at the young man's forehead.
Enzo frowned slightly.
"Don't be nervous, it's just a joke." Lancelot's voice sounded slowly.
Having seen how Lancelot fought in actual combat, the noble young man secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Lancelot had no intention of letting it go. He raised the corners of his lips slightly, revealing a provocative smile, "Hey, how about a competition?"
The young nobleman was also an old noble from a distinguished family. Being provoked by Lancelot in public, he felt a little embarrassed and said with his neck stiff, "Let's compete!"
Therefore, a group of young masters immediately shifted the highlight of the evening's banquet and gathered noisily at the edge of the hunting forest area.
More elders, including the late-arriving Vansel couple, did not object after hearing the news. They just said "Let the children play" and kept the rest of the guests in the banquet hall.
No matter how excited others were, Quan Yi was about to cry.
Although the guest lists were confirmed by Lancelot himself, they were mostly for family social purposes, and there were always some incompatible people present.
After trying to smooth things over to no avail, Quan Yi made a bitter face and ordered the hunting forest area to be opened.
This was originally a place provided for guests to go hunting. At this time, the cold wind was howling, the light was dim in the deep snow forest, the ground was covered with thick snow, and the roar of snow apes could be heard faintly along with the sound of the wind.
Lancelot assembled the mechanical crossbow given by Youan easily and smoothly, then weighed it in his hand.
Their rules are simple: whoever hunts down the snow ape first wins. However, this snow beast is extremely fast and destructive. If you encounter it while hunting, you either avoid it or use a particle gun instead. Few people use a crossbow to fight it head-on.
Asaiah, wearing a plush hat, stuffed You Tuantuan into the pocket of his chest. He grabbed his uncle's clothes, climbed onto his shoulders and sat firmly, and chose a position with the best view with great satisfaction.
Enzo acted like he was carrying two bags of rice on his back, baring his teeth as he warned people not to pull his ears. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and caught a glimpse of Youan standing quietly beside him.
After briefly checking the basic information of the snow ape, Youan did not show any nervousness until Lancelot entered the forest area.
Enzo raised an eyebrow: "Not nervous?"
"That's not necessary." Youan stared at the suspended surveillance screen and suddenly laughed softly, "I believe in Lancelot, and I believe in myself."
Just as Euan said, Lancelot tracked the traces of the snow ape shortly after entering the hunting forest area.
It was a sturdy male snow ape with exposed fangs and fur that looked dark gray in the shadows. It seemed to have sensed the pursuer and let out a threatening growl from its throat.
Just as Lancelot was about to take action, an energy arrow suddenly shot out from another direction with a sound of breaking through the air!
When nobles go hunting, of course they rely on their servants to drive the prey to them, so they don't really track it, especially on a snowy night. So he cleverly followed Lancelot, ready to wait for an opportunity to act.
Anyway, the contest is about who can hunt down the snow ape first.
However, things did not develop as smoothly as the young man had imagined. The wind and snow affected his vision and trajectory. The arrow grazed the snow ape's back and penetrated deeply into the snow!
This time, he was not hurt at all, but instead angered the snow ape so much that it ran around in all directions.
Enzo scoffed and rolled his eyes: "Even being this stupid can be considered an improvement."
Lancelot thought so too. Fortunately, this change was nothing to him.
When the other party was fleeing and dodging, he brushed his hair back, his green eyes couldn't hide his excitement, he even lowered his body and rushed out!
The snow ape didn't expect that someone would ambush him, so he immediately changed direction and chased the flames jumping in the forest.
After hiding for a long time, the noble young man finally found an opportunity and kept pulling the trigger of his exquisite mechanical crossbow.
Everyone in the safe zone held their breath. Almost at the same time as the noble youth shot the crossbow, Lancelot also raised his mechanical crossbow.
His mental power extended like a silk thread, sensing the whistling wind and snow and the falling ice shards. The red dot sight instantly captured the subtle trajectory of the snow ape's movements as it prepared to leap, and simultaneously calculated the optimal sniping point.
"call out--!"
A ray of light flashed by, faster, thinner, and more concentrated than the energy arrow shot by the noble youth!
It was like a meteor tearing through the night sky, leaving a stunning trail in the air. With terrifying penetrating power, it hit the exposed neck of the snow ape precisely at the moment it leaped up to avoid it.
“Puff!”
With a dull piercing sound, the arrow almost penetrated completely, and suddenly came out with blood and flesh dripping!
Youan clapped his hands to attract the attention of the two children in time, and signaled them to cover their eyes.
At this moment, the snow ape's huge body suddenly stiffened in the air, and it let out a hoarse howl, and the fierce light in its eyes gradually faded.
The heavy body shook twice and fell to the snow, splashing a cloud of snow mist.
Kill with one strike! Clean and neat!
The crossbow arrow shot by the noble young man just grazed the snow ape's hind legs and was nailed to the ice wall behind it.
The entire safe zone was in dead silence, and everyone was shocked by this stunning and extremely accurate arrow!
The next second, earth-shaking exclamations and admiration broke out!
"Oh my God! One arrow! Just one arrow!"
"A snow ape of this level! Kill instantly!"
"Oh my god, the speed and penetration are amazing! Even the wind and snow have almost no effect!"
"A 93% correction rate... is what he said actually true?!"
Lancelot dug out the crystal core of the snow ape, ignored the noble young man who was standing there with a deathly pale face, and walked straight out of the hunting forest area.
"Boss Fox! Boss Fox!" You Tuantuan held up the small paper stick and twisted his butt. Even Asaiah looked up at him with starry eyes.
Lancelot's face still showed excitement after the intense activity. He took a deep breath and couldn't help but quicken his pace when he met those black eyes that couldn't hide the smile of surprise.
"The crossbow I made is useful, right?" Youan raised his chin proudly.
“It works.”
Lancelot licked the corner of his lips, picked the person up with one hand, and happily spun around twice!
Youan exclaimed, then couldn't help but giggle.
Perhaps he himself did not even realize how violently his heart was beating at this moment!
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