"This dish is absolutely delicious!"
"Mmm, you're right. It's so much better than anything I had in Europe, and the price is great too."
"See? I told you coming here was a great idea!"
"Are there any other good spots around here? Let's check them out after we finish eating."
A remarkably cute silver-haired young girl and a bizarrely bundled-up figure were eating together, engaging in a seemingly cheerful conversation.
Aside from the second person's odd habit of wearing sunglasses and a hat while dining, they appeared to be ordinary friends enjoying a meal together.
But that was merely the impression they gave to others. For Firefly and Robin themselves, this exchange was excruciatingly awkward.
Imagine if the dialogue above wasn't between two people, but rather a single person loudly talking to themselves while eating.
Without exaggeration, both Firefly and Robin had already curled their toes tightly, digging into the soles of their shoes.
Firefly considered it a major accomplishment that she hadn't fled in embarrassment. She attributed this newfound resilience to her recent experiences as Robin. Hosting that concert had made her slightly more socially adept.
Regardless, the initial experiment had gone well. It seemed that once she overcame her initial awkwardness, talking to herself wasn't too difficult. And this was just between two people; with three or more participants, the conversation would likely flow even more naturally.
However, if a third party were to join their chat, they would quickly notice the striking similarities in Firefly and Robin's perspectives and ideas, as well as their remarkable synchronicity.
This wasn't necessarily a bad thing; it would only serve to perfectly demonstrate their close "bestie" relationship.
Despite their earlier talk about exploring Longcheng after dinner, Firefly and Robin parted ways immediately after their meal, each returning to their respective homes.
After all, she wasn't a tourist. She had already experienced all the best food and entertainment Longcheng had to offer, so there was no need to revisit them.
Time flew by, and the next day arrived—the day the group had planned their in-person meetup.
At nine in the morning, Firefly left home for the agreed-upon meeting place: a popular park in Longcheng. Despite thinking she was arriving early, she immediately spotted Shu Cat, Invincible Bro, and Lü Heng chatting on a park bench.
Firefly reasoned that the three of them probably knew each other well and might have even grabbed breakfast together before the appointed time, making their joint appearance unsurprising.
However, since the character "Firefly" didn't know them, she didn't approach them directly. Instead, she pulled out her phone, opened the group chat, and typed:
Peace Dove: "I'm here. Where are you guys?"
Today I Want to Eat Soup Dumplings: "I'm here. Where are you guys?"
Almost simultaneously, the Group Owner sent the exact same message. Though the words were identical, Firefly was certain it wasn't a copy-paste.
She immediately put down her phone and curiously scanned her surroundings. Less than five meters to her left, she noticed a girl with red-rimmed glasses and a single ponytail staring back at her. The moment their eyes met, both showed expressions of surprise.
"You're Soup Dumpling?!"
"You're Peace Dove?!"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Firefly stared in disbelief. No way... the artist who draws lewd drawings, the owner of the Lewd Drawings Group, is a girl? How is that even possible?!
Soup Dumpling was equally stunned. No way... the guy who always speaks so maturely in the group, who calmly critiques lewd drawings with such composure, is such a beautiful young girl? How is that even possible?!
An awkward silence hung between them until their phones simultaneously buzzed.
Shu Cat: "Where are you guys? I can't see you!"
Red Cape Hero: "We're all together on the bench by the park entrance. We should be pretty conspicuous. @Invincible Bro, stand up and let out a few monkey calls to help them pinpoint our location."
Invincible Bro: "?"
Glancing at her phone, Firefly looked toward the bench. She spotted Invincible Bro and Lü Heng craning their necks, clearly searching for someone. It was obvious they wouldn't find the mythical Captain Zhong.
Peace Dove: "I think I see you! I'm standing at the park entrance, the one with silver hair. I should be pretty noticeable."
Today I Want to Eat Soup Dumplings: "When we're together, I'm the plain one with glasses standing next to the super cute silver-haired beauty."
Peace Dove: "Huh?"
Finally, after this exchange, the three on the bench turned their gazes toward Firefly. She clearly saw their mouths drop open simultaneously, their eyes widening into ovals of astonishment. Their expressions shifted in perfect sync, like mirrored reflections moving as one.
Truth be told, the Shu Cat trio had spotted Firefly the moment she entered the park. After all, how could anyone miss such an adorable beauty with silver hair (close enough to white)?
Yet none of them had considered the possibility that she might be the group member they were meeting up with. Or rather, no normal person would think that!
The friend you chat and banter with every day, the one you get along with so well, is actually a super-beautiful girl? That's something straight out of a light novel! How could that ever happen in real life?
And unbelievably, it actually happened.
Shu Cat, Invincible Bro, and Lü Heng stood up, scratching the backs of their heads as they slowly approached Firefly and Soup Dumpling.
Just moments before, Shu Cat had been fantasizing about throwing an arm around Peace Bro's shoulder and giving him a hearty thanks. Invincible Bro and Lü Heng had planned their roles perfectly: one would record a video from behind while the other stepped forward, feigning surprise, and exclaim:
"Captain Zhong? What are you doing here?"
"I never expected you to be this kind of person!"
"Ahem, I'm sure Robin wouldn't want her grandfather to find out you're hanging out in a group like this, would she?"
But as the saying goes, plans rarely survive first contact. The moment they actually met, the three guys froze in place, utterly awkward. The one on the left kept glancing to the left, the one on the right to the right, and the one in the middle stared fixedly at his shoes.