Lucian nodded approvingly, his tone firm as he said, "That's right. Big brother here was genuinely drawn to Chixia's personality!"
Verina giggled in agreement. "Brother Lucian and Sister Chixia really do make a great pair!"
Hearing this, Lucian couldn't help but burst into laughter, a hint of smugness in his voice.
He glanced down at Chixia in his arms, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips as he agreed, "Big brother thinks so too."
As he spoke, he gazed suggestively at the bashful Chixia in his embrace, a sudden impulse surging within him.
Lucian leaned down and planted a light kiss on Chixia's cheek.
The unexpected move caught Chixia completely off guard. Her face instantly burned hot, her heartbeat racing.
Shyly, she lifted her head, her dazed eyes meeting Lucian's.
Their gazes locked, as if time itself had frozen.
The look in their eyes revealed their mutual feelings, as though they could read each other's thoughts.
Lucian felt the intensity of Chixia's gaze, and his own heart grew restless.
Their faces drew closer in each other's vision, the atmosphere growing increasingly heated.
Finally, their lips brushed together lightly, as delicate as a dragonfly skimming the water.
That brief contact sent an electric jolt through their entire bodies.
At the same time, a system notification chimed in Lucian's mind.
[Ding! Chixia's Affinity has reached 90! Skill Unlocked: Blazing Flames]
[Blazing Flames: A surge of heat flows through your body, enabling rapid fire at nearby targets, dealing Fusion.]
[New Resonance Attribute Unlocked: Fusion (Fire)]
[Ding! Achievement Unlocked: Lip Friendship]
[Weapon Acquired: Yamato]
[Yamato: Exceptionally sharp, capable of slaying demons as easily as cutting paper.]
[Yamato Skill: Dimension Slash. Warps the space around the target, delivering consecutive strikes.]
Just as Lucian was about to push his luck and go for a full French kiss, Verina, standing nearby, interrupted with an amused smile.
"Ahem!"
Verina teased, "Honestly, Verina is still just a child! How could you do such shameless things in front of a kid?"
Lucian turned to Verina and said, "Thank you for the flowers. I'll take good care of them."
Verina grinned. "Good! I'll keep track of when they bloom and come to check on them!"
Meanwhile, Chixia paid no attention to their conversation. Her gaze remained fixed on Lucian's face, as if she wanted to etch his image into her heart forever.
Lucian: "Alright, we should get going. There are still people waiting for us."
Verina: "Mhm! Verina should head back to the Antique Bonsai Shop too. Wishing you both the best!"
On the way to City Hall...
Lucian and Chixia walked hand in hand, fingers tightly interlaced.
She seemed to have returned to her usual fiery, enthusiastic self, greeting every familiar face they passed along the way.
The passersby responded with warm smiles, casting knowing glances their way.
Lucian, meanwhile, watched her with adoration.
"We're here."
Lucian looked ahead to see Rover and Yangyang already waiting for them.
Noticing their clasped hands from a distance, Rover narrowed her eyes.
As the two approached, Rover remarked with a hint of sarcasm, "Someone's flirting skills are truly impressive. To snag someone in just two days?"
Only after Rover's comment did Yangyang notice their intertwined fingers. She shot Chixia a questioning look, but Chixia simply grinned.
Before Lucian could respond, Chixia preened proudly, "Looks like Jinzhou's Blazing Dawn is still one step ahead, huh?"
Rover's fists clenched.
Hard.
Storming forward, Rover jabbed a finger at Lucian.
Chixia, now flustered, could talk big all she wanted, but in a real fight, she was no match for Rover!
"Hey, hey! Rover, don't do anything reckless!"
Chixia moved to shield Lucian, but Rover effortlessly shoved her aside with a sweep of her arm.
Then, she grabbed Lucian by the throat, lifting him slightly as her fingers traced his cheek.
"I recall someone saying in Qichi Village..."
Rover mimicked Lucian's voice: "Rover, I'll always stand by your side..."
"And now? Hmm?"
If looks could kill, Lucian would've died a thousand times over.
His mind raced.
I got careless!
Chixia's hands were just too soft, and Lucian had completely lost himself in the moment.
His handsome face flushed red, but he managed to force a strained smile.
"Rover, you've got it all wrong. There's really nothing between Chixia and me. We're just... lip friends!"
At first glance, the statement sounded like an attempt to distance himself.
But the hidden meaning was something only those involved could understand.
Rover's grip loosened slightly, allowing Lucian to catch his breath.
"Lip friends?" Rover scrutinized Lucian's face, searching for any trace of deception.
But Lucian, a master of acting, wasn't about to give anything away.
Chixia, having regained her composure, blushed faintly—clearly picking up on Lucian's coded message.
She hurriedly grabbed Rover's shoulders and shook them. "Yeah, Rover! Lucian and I are lip friends! Don't misunderstand!"
Chixia hadn't expected Rover's feelings for Lucian to run so deep—or for her possessiveness to be this intense.
If she wanted to claim Lucian for herself, she'd have to put in even more effort!
And until she succeeded, she couldn't let Rover catch on, or she'd definitely interfere!
But most importantly, she had to keep Lucian in check—after all, he was a notorious playboy!
She remembered her father once telling her: To win a man's heart, you must first win his stomach.
Hmm... Maybe next time, she'd make Lucian her award-winning maocai hotpot!
...Though Lucian didn't seem to handle spice well...
Meanwhile, Rover pondered for a moment before hoisting Lucian up again.
"Then explain why you two were holding hands."
Before Lucian could come up with an excuse, Chixia had already devised one.
In this moment, her IQ seemed to surpass even Newton and Einstein—reaching a staggering 250!
"Ahhh! It's just that we always see Rover so calm and composed, like nothing ever fazes you! We just wanted to see you flustered for once!"
"So we came up with this little plan to see how you'd react!"
Rover considered this before finally releasing Lucian.
But the suspicion in her eyes didn't fully fade.
"Fine. I'll believe you this time. But don't pull this kind of joke again."
Lucian exhaled in relief, sneaking a glance at Chixia. The two shared a knowing smile.
Yangyang, who had been silently observing the whole time, covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
With her keen sensitivity to frequencies, her perception of emotions was just as sharp.
She'd picked up on a few things—but chose not to expose them.
"Alright, enough jokes. Let's get back to business."
Rover nodded, twisting Lucian's ear to drag him to her side.
Then, she took out the final keepsake—the sundial.