ushernet Chapter 192 Meeting Old Friends (1)
Chapter 192 Meeting Old Friends (1)
When Chenxi came out of Zhang Zhizhi's office, she didn't bring Marcus with her.
On the one hand, our little horse really needs to learn and train more under Hoffman's guidance; on the other hand, Chenxi is genuinely afraid that she won't be able to control her little hands and will pinch our cute little bird's face until it's broken.
However, whether it's going to Vienna or Apexlon Island, it's still some time before we can depart.
This is a good opportunity to visit some old friends I met at Walden Pond. They would probably be very happy to see me.
However, Chenxi stopped when passing through the central courtyard.
If it weren't for myself being the variable, this place would probably be a primeval forest by now.
Chenxi gently stroked the thick tree trunk that he imagined should be here. He felt very sorry for missing such an important scene in the game, and even began to consider whether he should go through a little "hard work" to recreate this base that existed for a short time in the game but was very important.
However, he quickly gave up on the idea because he saw a person sitting not far away, staring straight at him with a thoroughly pleased smile on his lips.
As I approached her, the faint smell of engine oil from the hangar wafted on me, along with... the smell of alcohol.
A half-empty bottle of vodka jingled in her hand, her goggles were pushed up to her high blonde ponytail, and the hem of her midriff-baring shirt was indeed stained with some hangar oil. However, these things didn't make her look disheveled; instead, they resembled casually adorned medals.
“Wilding’s friends are my friends.”
Hong Chuan raised his chin at Chen Xi, and twirled the wine bottle neatly between his fingers.
"Don't just stand there like a frozen fir tree, come and sit down."
As soon as they sat down, without waiting for Chenxi's question, Hongnujian put her arm around his shoulder. Her long legs swung casually as she unscrewed the bottle cap and took a big gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh as her Adam's apple bobbed.
A few drops of liquor trickled down his chin, emitting the characteristic aroma of strong spirits. However, Hong Chujian didn't wipe it away; instead, he raised his hand to wipe it, then, with his alcohol-scented fingertips, he picked up the bottle by the neck and handed it to Chen Xi:
"Want to try some? I had someone bring this from Moscow; it's much better than those cloyingly sweet fruit wines at school."
Chenxi glanced down at the wine bottle, which still seemed to bear the red crossbow lip print, but ultimately lacked the courage to continue. She gently pushed him away from where he was leaning, politely declining:
"Thank you, but I have to see a friend later, and I don't think she'd want me to go to see her reeking of alcohol."
"roar~"
Red Arrow smiled knowingly, took another sip of wine, and slammed the bottle to the ground.
"'Her'? Is she going to see your girlfriend? And judging from your tone, it doesn't seem like she's going to see Virtue."
"It seems the rumors circulating within the foundation about the new Si Chen being a playboy are indeed true."
"Well……"
Without making a sound, Chenxi pulled the red crossbow bolt off his shoulder and quietly moved away from it.
"Um, my friend is waiting for me, so please excuse me."
After leaving behind a sentence, without caring whether the red crossbow bolt heard her, Chenxi ran away quickly without looking back.
Although he really liked the forthright and carefree Lilia in the game, if the person approaching him was this drunkard, even if she were a wealthy and generous girl, Chenxi would instinctively want to refuse.
However, the moment Chenxi's figure disappeared into the courtyard, Hong Nujian, who had been drunk, changed his demeanor. He dangled the key to the flying machine in his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips, exuding confidence and a sly playfulness.
"Chenxi... Ha!"
He tilted his head back and gulped down another mouthful of wine.
"He seems to be a more interesting person than Virtue."
……
Without the foundation's role in confining people, everyone can work in their preferred location.
The greenhouse of the St. Love Foundation is always filled with the damp scent of grass and trees. Mistletoe is squatting next to the flower stand, her fingertips lightly touching a newly sprouted fern leaf—which she had coaxed into growth with her magic last night, the edges of the leaf still bearing the tender red of the past.
She lowered her eyelashes, her long hair slipped over her shoulders, and even her breathing was extremely soft, as if afraid of disturbing the plants' light slumber, completely unaware that someone was standing at the greenhouse entrance.
"The ferns here seem to grow more abundantly than those at Walden Pond."
The familiar voice brushed against her heart like a fallen leaf, and Mistletoe abruptly stopped moving.
She slowly raised her head and saw Chenxi standing in the sunlight that was faintly shining into the greenhouse. He was wearing the foundation's standard shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his forearms, and he was carrying a small wicker basket with several bunches of four-leaf clovers covered in dew.
As she stood up, the hem of her skirt brushed against the edge of the flowerpot, making a soft rustling sound. She wasn't overly enthusiastic towards the person who approached, merely nodding slightly, her voice as soft as the breeze in the forest.
"Chenxi... what are you doing here?"
Her tone was flat, revealing little emotion, except that her fingertips unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt—a small gesture she only made when nervous, one she herself didn't even realize.
Chenxi took a few steps closer and handed the wicker basket to her.
“I read in a book before that the juice of four-leaf clovers can soothe restless plants. I picked some when I passed by the garden, thinking that you might be able to use it.”
Mistletoe's gaze fell on the four-leaf clover in the basket, the morning dew rolling on the leaves, crystal clear. She recalled Walden Pond, and the rowan tree blooming before her.
And then, carried by the sound of the wind, I stumbled into the strong, muscular chest of that man. The sound of our heartbeats then, the sound of both of our heartbeats, still echoes in my ears every night.
But she hadn't yet become familiar with this feeling, so she simply accepted the wicker basket quietly.
However, when her fingertips touched the cool leaves, her eyes softened a little, and she said softly.
"Thank you."
She paused, then looked at Chenxi and nodded slightly, adding a sentence.
"...They are very fresh."
She wasn't good at expressing gratitude; only simple words came out of her mouth, but a faint blush quietly rose on her cheeks.
He quickly turned around, took out the four-leaf clover, and carefully placed it into the earthenware jar next to him, his movements meticulous and gentle, as if he were treating a rare treasure.
Chenxi watched her retreating figure and smiled.
"You have officially become a member of the Foundation and have been assigned to the Sichen Squad under the jurisdiction of Veltin. Therefore, we will have many more opportunities to work together in the future."
The mistletoe paused slightly as she arranged the leaves, but without turning around, she asked softly:
"Vildin's Hour Squad? Aren't you also an Hour of the Foundation?"
"Yes, that's the principle, but the principle is in my hands, so even the Foundation can't control me."
Watching the mistletoe constantly stroking the leaves of the few four-leaf clovers, with a hint of melancholy in her expression, Chenxi smiled softly, but didn't laugh out loud. Instead, she coughed lightly and then slowly spoke:
"However, when I returned to the wasteland last time, I found a cleaned room with the name 'Mistletoe' already on the wall."
"So, I wonder if Miss Mistletoe would be willing to stay at the Chenxi Hotel for the rest of her life?"
She finally turned her head to the side, her eyes carrying a hint of barely perceptible brightness.
She didn't answer Chenxi's question, but instead asked another question with a smile on her lips:
"Chenxi, what is your secret technique?"
But the wicked Chenxi gave the same irrelevant answer, simply pointing to the water tank in the corner of the greenhouse:
"She is very happy now because someone has changed the water in that pot of water lilies, a pot of warm and clean water."
Mistletoe looked in the direction he pointed, and saw that the water lilies in the water tank were in full bloom, their pink and white petals unfurled.
She stared for a moment, and the corners of her mouth seemed to turn up slightly, so quickly it was like an illusion.
“It was indeed gently shaking its leaves just now,” she said softly, with a seriousness that only those who understand nature could comprehend. “I thought it was the wind.”
"It's not the wind, it's her thanking you."
Chenxi's voice was very gentle.
Mistletoe didn't reply, but simply squatted down again to continue tending to the ferns. Sunlight streamed through the greenhouse glass, illuminating her long hair with a golden edge.
She remained taciturn, as reserved as a quietly growing mistletoe. But when she occasionally glanced at Chenxi, her eyes no longer held the initial tension and aloofness, but instead held a subtle warmth—like the plants she cared for, seemingly silent, yet quietly stretching their branches and leaves and displaying their gentlest beauty when they sensed kindness.
Chenxi didn't disturb her. He simply found a small stool next to her and sat down, quietly watching her whisper to the plants. The only sounds in the greenhouse were the soft rustling of leaves and the unspoken understanding between the two, just like the warm, clean water in the tank.