'The Marshal is always so busy, it's impossible she would personally come to the Luofu…'
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Although Lingsha was certain that the person before her was not the Marshal, the resemblance in appearance still made her subconsciously ask, "What is your relationship with the Marshal...?"
Fu Lin replied, "We have no relation to the Xianzhou Marshal. We're merely travelers attending the martial arts ceremony."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Shi hurried over to Lingsha, her eyes blatantly falling on Lingsha's chest. After a brief pause, she muttered softly, "Bigger than Dan Zhu, the one I know."
Lingsha took a deep breath and silently recited to herself, "Don't get angry, don't get angry..."
After calming her emotions and confirming that the two before her were indeed not the Marshal, Lingsha turned her gaze back to Scott, explained her own origins, and then skillfully used a rhetorical ploy to get him to agree to an inspection.
But the moment the cargo crate was opened, a tall wolf-shaped mech appeared before everyone.
Lingsha stepped forward, gently running her hand along the mech's shell before tapping it twice,
In an instant, dazzling electric light surged across the mech's body. It suddenly moved, slowly standing up from the crate and stepping out!
Yanqing reacted quickly, instantly drawing his sword to shield Lingsha. Lingsha also summoned her weapon and shouted, "Turn it off!"
On the other side, Scott had already fallen to the ground in fright, completely useless.
Fortunately, the Astral Express crew and Yanqing were all skilled fighters. Working together seamlessly, they quickly subdued the mech before any major damage was done.
Scott and his company members, however, weren't so lucky, they were taken away by the Sky-Faring Commission for investigation.
Afterward, Lingsha and the others briefly inspected the mech, and the strange machine was soon taken away to be confined in the Shackling Prison.
With the incident resolved, everyone dispersed, and Lingsha invited Yanqing and the Express crew to the Alchemy Commission for tea.
March 7th turned to Fu Lin and his group with a smile, "Do you guys want to come too?"
Aha stomped his foot and said, "There was no fun at all this time! Aha got tricked!"
Seeing his figure begin to fade, Fu Shi quickly shouted, "Hey, wait!"
But by the time her words fell, he was already gone.
March 7th looked at Fu Shi in amazement, "Wow, he just disappeared without a word? Who is that guy anyway?"
Fu Shi shrugged, "No idea. But he said he used to be a Nameless, guess that makes him your senior."
Later, the Express crew and Yanqing followed Lingsha to the Alchemy Commission for tea, while Fu Lin, Kiana☆, and the others returned early to the inn that Jing Yuan had arranged.
As soon as Fu Lin entered his room, Fu Shi flopped straight onto the bed, stretching out lazily before patting the empty spot beside her, "Fu Lin~ come on, the bed's big enough for two."
Fu Lin's temple twitched, his tone full of helplessness, "Fu Shi, this is my room. Yours is next door."
Fu Shi immediately puffed her cheeks, "No way! I gave in last night, tonight I'm making up for it!"
...
The next morning came with a gentle knock at the door.
Fu Lin rubbed his head, yawning tiredly as he opened it, only to see Elysia standing outside.
"Hi~ good morning! Aren't you happy to see me~?"
Fu Lin rubbed his still-sleepy eyes, his yawn stretching into a soft drawl as he stepped aside to let her in, his voice still rough from sleep, "Morning... Elysia, "
Elysia stepped lightly into the room, her gaze landing on Fu Shi still asleep on the bed. She blinked mischievously and teased, "Fu Lin, were you and Fu Shi up late last night~? You two don't look like you went to bed early~"
Fu Lin had just reached for the cup on the table when his fingers froze at the rim. A faint blush crept up his ears, and he hurriedly changed the subject, speaking a bit faster, "Are the others awake?"
"Kiana☆, Mei☆, and Sirin are already downstairs, and the three little ones are there too."
As she spoke, Elysia stepped closer. While Fu Lin wasn't paying attention, she suddenly slipped her arms around his waist from behind, resting softly against him.
"I was worried you two would miss breakfast, so I came to wake you up. But before that, just let me stay like this for a little while, okay?"
From behind came Elysia's warmth, along with the faint fragrance of her hair.
Fu Lin's body stiffened for a moment; even his breathing instinctively softened. His voice carried a subtle tension as he murmured, "Elysia..."
"Just for a little while~"
Her voice brushed against his back, gentle as a feather's touch, carrying tenderness and a trace of long-buried sorrow.
"I've waited fifty thousand years, dreaming every moment of seeing you again, Fu Lin. And when that day finally came, I just wanted a quiet moment like this, to lean against you properly."
Fu Lin opened his mouth, but the words "This isn't proper" died on his tongue when he heard the softness in her tone.
He slowly relaxed his shoulders, his fingers still unconsciously gripping the cup, and whispered, "...Alright."
A few seconds later, a soft sound came from the bed, Fu Shi had woken up, rubbing her eyes and looking over sleepily, "Fu Lin, Elysia? ...What are you doing?"
Elysia smiled, released Fu Lin, and stepped aside, winking playfully as she spoke in her usual bright tone, "Nothing at all~ just waiting for you to wake up! If you don't hurry, breakfast will be gone~"
Fu Shi yawned, pulled off the blanket, and as her clothes appeared over her body, she glanced curiously at Fu Lin's flushed ears while passing him, "Fu Lin, why are your ears red?"
Fu Lin quickly raised his cup and took a sip to cover his fluster, coughing lightly, "Don't ask nonsense, go wash up and come downstairs."
Fu Shi pouted, still full of questions, but with Elysia nudging her arm playfully, she shuffled off toward the washroom.
Once Fu Shi was ready, the three went downstairs together.
At the stairs, they met Mei☆ coming up. Seeing Fu Lin, Fu Shi, and Elysia, she paused and asked naturally, "Elysia, what took you so long? I was just about to come get you."
Elysia blinked and replied cheerfully, "Because Fu Shi wouldn't wake up, I stayed upstairs waiting for her a bit longer~"
"I see."
Mei☆ nodded in understanding, stepped aside, and said, "Go on down, Kiana☆ and Sirin are already having breakfast."
As soon as they reached the first floor, Stelle came over, handing Fu Lin a drink with a proud grin,
"Dad, I bought this super-popular Xianzhou drink just for you, it's refreshing and energizing! Try it, it'll wake you right up!"
Fu Lin didn't take it immediately. Instead, he eyed Stelle suspiciously from head to toe, "Why do I feel like you're up to something, Stelle? This isn't... awful, is it?"