Tianzhu sighed softly, interrupting her. "It's a long story," he said, not offering much more but clearly implying to her not to ask anything.
Vera, sensing the shift in mood, quickly changed the topic. "Umm… Noa, when are you going back to Edo?"
Noa blinked at the sudden shift. "Tonight."
Vera seemed to grow more curious. "Do you come to Hangzhou often?"
Noa took a moment before answering, "Hmm… Not really. This is just a one-time visit. But I frequently visit Lin'an (Southern Wu's capital city)." Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "But lately, I'm thinking of moving to Cheongju in the Goryeo Islands. My mother lives there with my grandparents after her separation from my father. I guess once I shift there, I will be leaving the field and confined to an office. Then, I guess I might not come here."
Vera's eyes widened at the mention of family. "Eh? Why did your parents separate?"
Noa hesitated, the question catching her off guard. It wasn't something she often spoke about.
Just as she was about to respond, Tianzhu raised his voice, his tone stern. "Vera, it's not polite to ask that." He turned to Noa, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry."
Noa smiled softly, her gaze kind. "It's alright," she said, waving it off. Then, she glanced back at Vera. "In the adult world of relationships, separations happen for many reasons. Sometimes, it's complicated, even for the children who have seen their parents up close. Some things are just difficult to explain."
Vera tilted her head, digesting Noa's answer. Then, after a while, she glanced between the two adults beside her.
"And what about you, Miss Noa?" she asked, her tone lighter now, clearly trying to shift the mood. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Noa blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. She awkwardly smiled. "Hmm… No." She paused before adding, "It's been a few years since I dated anyone."
Vera's curiosity was piqued. "So, what's your ideal type then?"
Noa thought for a moment, a slight frown appearing on her face as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Hmm… I don't know. Never really thought about it much, actually…"
"What about my uncle, then?" Vera suddenly interjected, pointing at Tianzhu with a teasing grin.
Tianzhu nearly spat out his food in surprise, his eyes widening. "Vera…"
Vera continued. "He's handsome, young, and quite successful. He's sometimes a little too caring, though... and a bit stingy."
Tianzhu's face darkened slightly, and his voice turned a bit serious. "Okay, Vera, that's enough." His tone was firm, and Vera flinched slightly, her eyes flickering to her father's expression.
Seeing the change in his demeanor, Vera immediately apologized. "Sorry, Miss Noa. I guess that was too insensitive of me." She then let out a quiet sigh, realizing she had gone a little too far. "I was just frustrated, you know? I hate seeing my uncle all alone while everyone else around me seems so happy."
Noa, already taken aback by the question, softened and offered a forced smile. "It's okay," she said, though her tone was a little awkward. She glanced at Tianzhu and, for a moment, seemed to hesitate. "I... uh… think it's best if adult matters stay in the adult world," she said, a touch of awkwardness creeping into her voice.
She then looked at Tianzhu with a slightly more playful tone. "As for your uncle, Vera, like you said, he's handsome, young, successful... and strong. So, as long as he's interested, he'll find someone sooner or later."
When she said that, a figure appeared in her head, and she clenched her fist, growling in her head. "Damn you, Alexander. Did you think I was trying to flirt with you or something? How dare you use such a cheap trick to escape?"
Meanwhile, Vera looked between Noa and her uncle, seemingly satisfied with the answer. She quietly picked up another skewer of stinky tofu, her mind momentarily distracted, while Tianzhu, feeling a tinge of discomfort, returned to his food, trying to ignore the lingering tension in the air.
Theo, watching all of this from behind like a silent spectator, muttered under his breath. "Oh, please. Who are you kidding, Vera? You just wanted to keep Uncle busy so that you could date a boy."
*
By the time late afternoon arrived, they had finished their informal food tour, and Noa bid her farewell because of an urgent meeting that had come up before the flight.
Meanwhile, Tianzhu made one last stop.
A church.
Vera and Theo followed, glancing around curiously at the high ceilings and stained glass windows.
Though they had traveled plenty, visiting churches wasn't something they did often.
"Uncle," she whispered, "do you come to places like this a lot?"
Tianzhu exhaled, resting his forearms on his knees. "Sometimes." Looking at the statue of Christ, he added. "When I have things to think about, you know, making a big decision, I visit the church. Here, you can think better and might find out what your heart really wants. And right now, I have a big decision to make."
"About moving on?" Vera blinked. "You don't need to ponder it too much and find a woman you like, Uncle. Earlier, I brought up the topic because I found you took out your wedding ring after a long time, and then back in the mall, you looked like you were interested in Miss Noa."
"Vera," Tianzhu sighed at her words. He then looked straight into her eyes and said in a serious tone. "You are no longer a child. So, I think you will understand when I say she is attractive enough to date, but I'm not interested in her. Liking someone based on their looks is different from loving someone. Just because I date doesn't mean I love her, alright? The same goes for you, if any boy who you don't know or have less interaction with you tells you that he likes you. And if he is a bad guy whom you were attracted to, trust me, that relationship will never last long, and you will only be left with distrust and pain. In my life, there won't be another woman who can replace my late wife. So, I don't plan on dating anyone, and if I really found a woman I like, with whom I can picture my future, you will be the first to know before even her. Alright? Right now, I'm more worried about the career opportunities here."
Vera didn't ask for anything more and simply nodded. "I understand." She sat beside him, letting the quiet settle between them.
As for Theo, he was a silent spectator all along. Without being involved in their conversation, he just stared at the statue as if he were thinking about something.
Not long after, Tianzhu let out a heavy sigh and called. "Theo…" His tone stayed softer as he broke the silence between them, at last.
"Yes?"
"Why do you have to do that?" He asked.
Vera glanced to her right, to her twin.
As Theo hesitated a bit, Tianzhu replied. "We are in the House of the Worship. Don't lie in front of the Lord."
Taking a breath, Theo replied. "I want to help. I want to prove that I have what it takes to become a hunter."
Tianzhu sighed at that. "And did you think you proved it?"