Watching Numby's mouth open and close nonstop as it stormed through the pet food, Topaz chuckled lightly and said, "Well? Tasty, right? Pikachu saved this especially for you."
"Huh!" Numby was startled.
Something this delicious—and it didn't eat it all by itself?
"Pika, pika." Pikachu patted its little chest proudly.
Respecting seniors is part of my survival wisdom.
Though Numby didn't stop eating, its opinion of Pikachu improved dramatically in its heart.
Before long, the remaining pet food had been swept clean in a whirlwind.
After downing another cup of water, Numby sprawled flat on the floor, hugging its round little belly and letting out a satisfied burp.
Topaz looked at its comical figure and laughed. "So? You're not sulking anymore, right?"
Numby flailed its limbs around energetically and replied, "Jili-gulu."
Don't worry—Pikachu is now my Numby's sworn brother from another father and mother!
At the IPC, I'll fucking do it!
Seeing Numby get bought over by nothing more than a single meal, Topaz laughed helplessly.
Still, the two little ones had finally made up.
It hadn't been a big conflict to begin with, but if the two of them were to bicker and dislike each other every day, she really would have gotten a headache.
Thankfully, it was resolved.
She bent down, wrapped each arm around one squishy ball, and walked back to the resting area.
Topaz politely said to her colleagues, as well as to Feixiao and Jingliu, "Sorry to have made you laugh."
Feixiao replied openly, "It's fine. Bickering like that is just everyday life. Watching it feels pretty heartwarming, actually."
Jade gestured toward a seat beside her and smiled. "Little Jelena, next you can take the two little ones and rest properly."
Topaz answered, "Then I'll leave the rest to you."
There were still four trash cans left on the shelves, but she had no interest in opening them anymore. All she wanted was a quiet place to play with Numby and Pikachu.
As for whether they could obtain any powerful Curios, that would depend entirely on whether the decision-maker of their group could display extraordinary luck.
Jade straightened her clothes and stepped forward with long legs, her high heels tapping out a rhythmic cadence against the floor.
Her posture was elegant and dignified, radiating the unique charm of an intellectual mature woman.
Just like her name—Jade—gentle, lustrous, and irresistibly covetable.
She folded her hands over her lower abdomen. Though her smile was not particularly broad, it instead gave rise to an inexplicable sense of closeness.
Jade spoke softly, "Shopkeeper Sylvester. The Xianzhou has an old saying—one day apart feels like three autumns. For us, it has been several years since we last met."
Sylvester didn't dislike receiving special attention from a beautiful woman.
But he wasn't particularly fond of this kind of polite banter.
He believed more in affection built over time. One day apart was far too short to give rise to any real bond.
"After so many years, we can be considered old friends."
There was nostalgia and a hint of sighing in Sylvester's tone, as if he were reuniting with a long-lost companion.
Then he waved a hand, pointed at the scanning terminal, and said calmly, "The bill is settled over there."
"Alright." Jade smiled helplessly at his limited cooperation, then handed over her phone and said, "I'm very interested in those gold-and-purple Curios with extraordinary power."
At this point, she shook her head lightly and continued, "Heh, I suppose no one wouldn't be interested. But for me, being able to obtain one or two items related to you would be the highest honor—just like last time."
She pressed her lips together, not concealing her intentions in the slightest. Her smile was sweet, yet carried an unmistakable aggressiveness. "To put it plainly, the mystery you conceal holds immense attraction for me."
"Uh…"
Sylvester froze for a moment. He roughly understood what Jade meant.
But this topic was one of the very few things that genuinely made him uncomfortable.
Because the last time Jade came here, she had opened a Curio called [Queen's Little Whip].
He had exhausted every ounce of eloquence to trade that damned thing back.
Only then had he barely preserved both of their reputations—otherwise…
Jade leaving his shop with an item used only at the closest possible distance between men and women—
In the eyes of outsiders, what exactly would that imply had happened between Jade and him?
I absolutely cannot be seen as an M!
So, he had fabricated a lie—that it was a keepsake tied to memories of his master.
But he hadn't expected Jade not only to believe it, but to believe it deeply—and now she was even bringing it up again!
If it were dug up once more…
"Eh? What's going on? Did you two have something before?" Feixiao asked, her imagination already running wild at the suggestive undertones in Jade's words.
Her fox ears trembled slightly, and the gaze she cast at the two was full of scrutiny.
Even Jingliu's expression changed, her sakura-colored eyes fixing on them. Though she said nothing, her stance was unmistakable.
Facing their gazes, Jade showed not the slightest hint of timidity and smiled. "Oh, Shopkeeper Sylvester once had a master. Last time, I even opened a Curio related to him here."
With that, she sighed and shook her head. "But unfortunately, it was exchanged back by Shopkeeper Sylvester. These past few days, no matter how much I turn it over in my mind, I still can't forget it."
Why are you obsessing over that?!
You can't even use that kind of thing!
Though he was furiously complaining inwardly, Sylvester's outward expression remained flawless.
His face displayed four parts reminiscence, three parts warmth, two parts melancholy, and one part open-mindedness.
He spoke gently, "Amid drifting winds and rains, seeing an object stirs thoughts of home. A wanderer as rootless as duckweed always needs something tangible—something that can be seen and touched—to serve as spiritual sustenance."
"That's true." Feixiao nodded. Those words struck a chord with her.
Even beneath her banners, countless great victories had been won—but war could never avoid death.
And though people may die like lamps going out, no one could bear to abandon the belongings of former comrades.
Not to mention that her own past contained a chapter more intense than anyone else's.
Sincere emotion stirred her curiosity. Could Sylvester's current carefree, game-of-life attitude also stem from a similar past?
Feixiao's mindset began to shift, and she felt an unexpected sense of mutual understanding with Sylvester.
She stood up, walked to the counter, and stood beside Jade, looking at Sylvester with anticipation. "That Curio Jade mentioned—could you let us take a look at it?"
"Tsk~~"
Hearing this request, Sylvester sucked in air through his teeth.
Seriously, are you all that curious about that kind of thing?
If I really show it to you, do you even dare to look?
Of course, looking wouldn't be the problem.
The problem was—would you spread it around afterward?
There were quite a few people in this room.
His gaze swept over Jade, Feixiao, Jingliu, and Topaz.
Worst of all, there was Aventurine—and a rat, and a pig.
If I actually bundled this entire group together with [Queen's Little Whip]…
My god!
What kind of bizarre rumors would come out—I don't even dare imagine…
The livability rating of the Xianzhou Luofu would drop off a cliff!
For everyone present!
===BREAK===
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