67. Trivial Matters The two humans and kitten were comfortably sleeping while Poor_Man stumbled out of Egg_Tart"s home with two dark circles under his eyes. He just knew this brat with a big tendency for tunnel vision would be majorly affected by this incident. Egg_Tart actually told him he wanted to quit his role as a subsidiary Guild Leader. He was so p.i.s.sed he immediately logged off. He rushed over to Egg_Tart"s home in real life and started banging on his door.
After a long, long night of counselling, Egg_Tart finally stopped trying to run away. He decided to review all that happened and present it before the meeting that"ll happen in a few days. It would be QiYao"s decision whether to sack him or not.
Poor_Man wondered how things were going between Chief and Xiao-Yu. Still, that was a problem for a version of him that wasn"t dead tired and in need of immediate sleep. If he"d known how long this journey would be, he wouldn"t have tried to be gallant and insist on sleeping in his own home. It wouldn"t be his first time staying over at Eggy"s place. Ugh.
Life went on as usual. Nothing was really changed by QiYao"s and XiaoYu"s new relationship status as a couple. XiaoYu stayed on in his guild, partying up and grinding as per normal.
During the day, the two would do their own thing. After dinner, they"d commit the common silly act all couples would do - roam aimlessly. Hand in hand, they would walk through the streets of various cities. Browsing roadside stalls, discussing about the value of items and equipment materials. Even though QiYao didn"t quite understand the equipment healers needed, he had a fabulous almighty a.s.sistant in Poor_Man. A simple message can resolve any issues being debated upon.
Therefore, XiaoYu soon had a brand-new set of gear. Decked out from head to toe, he was one of the top healers in his level band now. Of course, these were all bought with his own gold. True, QiYao really wanted to pay for them. However, QiYao knew just how much XiaoYu disliked it. He"d witnessed it first-hand already. So, QiYao just let XiaoYu did as he pleased. Still, he would be slightly upset about it. He"d then drag XiaoYu into a deserted alley for a fervent session of hugs and kisses. XiaoYu really found it strange. Why would QiYao keep wanting to kiss him whenever he bought something?
About kisses, something must be said. XiaoYu was a little kid new to love. He didn"t know what this French kissing thing was. Every time QiYao kissed him, he"d pursed his lips tight. Hence, these two were still at the first "pecking" stage. The other man didn"t want to rush XiaoYu either. He wanted to wait until XiaoYu got used to the affectionate gestures between lovers before slowly delving deeper.
If there was something that XiaoYu had definitely gotten used to, it"d be sleeping together. Ever since that Sat.u.r.day, they"d sleep in the same bed every night. In just a few days, he could already seek out the most comfortable position in QiYao"s embrace and instantly fall asleep. Occasionally, the other man would tease him about it, making XiaoYu hide his flushing face under the blanket. QiYao would let out a laugh and pulled him out and into his embrace once more.
Days went by in gentle warmth. Soon, it was weekend again. Every restaurant, tea shop, cafe and food stall were packed to the brim. When XiaoYu saw how many shops hung out their "full" signs, his mood would dip. They reminded him of his long-forgotten Profession, which was still non-existent. Perhaps the chef was back from his hometown now. Thus, XiaoYu decided to head over to Serica.
Since XiaoYu started grinding in the Pyramids, he never really stopped by Serica for long anymore. There were quite a few bad memories a.s.sociate with it, after all.
The moment XiaoYu stepped out of a portal in Serica, he received a message from QiYao.
"XiaoYu, where are you now?"
"The south portal in Serica."
"Wait for me. I"ll be there soon."
"Okay."
QiYao had gone for a war meeting about tomorrow"s battle. He was also given the report on how Prole-4 was lost. After the initial investigations, they found out that strange summoning skill was a type of item. It only allowed party leaders to summon their members to them. It was created by a secret Profession, the Seals Master. As for what was needed to create one, no one knew for sure. As it can"t be found on the Market and the I Die For Riches guild didn"t use it en ma.s.se, so it should be a rare item.
Fortunately for the Heretic Demons, Prole-3"s surroundings made it easy to defend and hard to invade. It"d be hard to take over Prole-3 with just a party trick. Rather smart of this guild. They picked the easiest target, Prole-4. As long as the main guild"s guards paid more attention and their troops had subst.i.tutes, it wasn"t a big issue. As for Egg_Tart"s punishment, QiYao didn"t say much. He merely mentioned the conditions for a real-life gathering still held, shifting everyone"s attention to tomorrow"s battle instead.
In a flash, QiYao"s figure could be seen walking out of the blinding light of the teleportation portal.
"Meeting"s over?" XiaoYu asked.
"Yes. XiaoYu, why are you here in Serica?" Because Serica was the Wings" main battlefield, QiYao rarely ever came here. After all, it"d attract a lot of attention if the rival Guild Leader was seen strutting about their territory.
"I wanted to see if I could apply to be a chef."
"I"ll go with you. Have you had dinner?"
"No."
"Then, let"s head to Sakura for dinner afterwards. I heard there"s a festival this weekend."
"Okay," XiaoYu replied. He immediately thought of Takoyaki. The tiny cat would surely love them. And so, he eagerly pulled QiYao along by the hand towards Yang"s. He wanted to resolve this matter fast.
When XiaoYu made the first move to pull QiYao along by his hand, his lips opened in a slight smile. It seemed like the past few days of being together were a success. He gently swapped their fingers around until they crossed and clasped around each other, letting XiaoYu lead them to wherever he wanted to.
Perhaps QiYao"s looks were too unique. Perhaps the Wings had a really good information network. Either way, when the two reached Yang"s Restaurant, they reached a dead end once more. When they dejectedly walked out of the restaurant, they "coincidentally" b.u.mped into GloryOfTheWorld who appeared to be pa.s.sing by on the way to his dinner.
"What a coincidence to see Heretic and XiaoYu here," Glory remarked.
"Ah. h.e.l.lo," XiaoYu said.
As for QiYao, he merely nodded in agreement. He knew full well this was no chance encounter. He just didn"t think information would be pa.s.sed on in such a short time. The Wings really did have a good information network.
"Are you two here to dine? Why don"t I show you around the best dishes of Serica? My treat," Glory said.
"Thanks, but I"m just here to change Professions." XiaoYu"s mind was set on his little cat"s Takoyaki b.a.l.l.s.
"Hehe. As always, you love to say no to me. Do you really hate having me as your friend that much?" Glory asked.
"N-No. It"s just…" XiaoYu was never good at explanations. Glory"s tone also made him feel self-conscious.
"We"ve made plans already," QiYao said, stepping up to help XiaoYu out of his awkwardness.
"I see. I won"t keep you two from your date then," Glory replied with a long glance at their entwined fingers.
"Excuse us." QiYao pulled XiaoYu forward and past Glory.
"So you really are lovers…" In the brief moment as the two brushed shoulders with Glory, XiaoYu heard the other"s voice. It sounded like a mumble to Glory himself, yet it also seemed to be for XiaoYu"s ears.
Those words made XiaoYu recall the last time he encountered GloryOfTheWorld in Serica. Back then, the other thought he and QiYao were a couple too. Glory even said a few strange statements he didn"t quite get. He remembered denying it back then because this relationship with QiYao was recent development. Would Glory think he was trying to bluff back then? Should he explain it to Glory?
While XiaoYu was occupied with the celestial fight going on in his mind, he was pulled into a tiny alcove by QiYao.
"What is it? What did Glory say to you?" QiYao asked as he pulled the other into an embrace. While he didn"t hear what Glory mumbled, his instincts told him XiaoYu"s s.p.a.cing out had to do with that fellow. Any man would be jealous if the person they"re on a date with was thinking about another man, let alone someone as possessive as QiYao.
"Mn…There might have been a tiny misunderstanding." XiaoYu never even realised he"d never lied to or dismissed a question from QiYao. It was that deep trust and dependency that made him give QiYao a chance. From the very beginning, Glory was denied.
"What misunderstanding?"
"It"s…" XiaoYu briefly explained what happened during his last encounter. "Could it be he thinks I lied to him?"
"There"s a chance, but you don"t have to go and explain things to him just because."
"Why?"
"Because people who trust you would believe you without any further explanation. If they don"t trust you, the more you explain, the more they"ll think you"re lying."
"Mn." XiaoYu nodded. That sounded logical.
"If he had any questions, just answer them when he asks you directly. I don"t like his method of circling and weaving around the topic."
"Yes. Me too." Every time XiaoYu talked to Glory, it was an exhausting experience. It always felt like every word that came out of Glory"s mouth had some implied meaning trying to drag some secret out of him. It made him uncomfortable. That"s why XiaoYu would never want to talk to Glory about his personal thoughts. There was no need to actively explain himself either. After all, they didn"t know each other well.
"But, XiaoYu, if anything happens, you must come to me right away. If I"m not around, you can seek help from Poor_Man, Below_The_Moon and the others. Do not ever face trouble alone. Got it?" QiYao said as he tilted XiaoYu"s head up. If possible, QiYao never want XiaoYu interacting with Glory at all in the future. Still, he may be very possessive, but he would never overstep his boundaries when it came to XiaoYu"s personal life. He knew XiaoYu was someone who could think for himself. XiaoYu wasn"t just a mindless thing.
"Mn. I know." Being respected and loved was something very heart-warming. It made XiaoYu instinctively tighten his arms around QiYao. What should he do? He"s beginning to like QiYao more and more.
After a few days, the tiny cat had gotten used to the couple"s spontaneous affectionate gestures. It now merely sat quietly to a side with its head tilted at them. Just when will you guys bring me somewhere with yummy food? >w
Translator"s Note:
1. Festival: The proper term would be a temple celebration/fair. Changed to festival as the proper term would sound awkward.
2. Takoyaki: Microsoft Word and the internet seems to think takoyaki requires capitalisation. I feel like that"s an outdated thinking. What"s your opinion on that?
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