The temperatures in Beijiang were extremely low in November.
At 10:50 PM, the cold wind blew the leaves up and made a rustling sound in the alley as they rubbed against the ground.
In the dark alley, a small, dilapidated storefront was lit up and warm like spring.
The old and run-down glass door was misted, evidence of the stark difference in temperatures between the interior and exterior of the shop.
One large and one small figure stood in front of the door, looking at the small shop that did not have a signboard.
“Here?” Jiang Xiao asked Second Last.
“Yes.” Second Last pushed the door and strode in.
Jiang Xiao followed and entered. Compared to the shabby exterior, the interior of the shop was notably clean and tidy, although it was rather cramped and narrow too.
Apart from the kitchen at the back which could not be seen, the store only had a floor area of less than 30 square meters, with six small empty tables. Jiang Xiao reckoned that the store should have been closed.
A chubby middle-aged woman in her fifties with short curly hair was seated behind the wooden bar counter and counting the money she had earned today.
Upon hearing the crisp and melodious sound of the doorbell, the middle-aged woman raised her head and smiled kindly. “We’re closed…”
Her face stiffened and she glanced at the slender body with a sincere smile as her glassy eyes glistened. “Kid, are you on holiday?”
Second Last nodded gently as a smile graced her sullen and aloof face. “Auntie Yu.”
It was… a warm smile.
Jiang Xiao had long known that Second Last had an erratic temper, but he had never seen her smiling so warmly before.
It was as if her cold and menacing aura had been dispelled by the shabby and warm store.
Her temperament and vibe would scare others into retreating and no one would see her as an ordinary person.
However, Jiang Xiao saw the ordinary and humane side of her now.
“Old Yu, time to work.” Auntie Yu hurried towards the kitchen and muttered, “Do we still have any codfish at home? Hongying is here.”
“Do you come here whenever you’re on a break?” Jiang Xiao asked.
“Yeah.” Second Last removed her dark crimson windbreaker and hung it on the rack.
After she performed the simple movement, an elderly man with slightly white hair walked over with an induction cooker and a shabu-shabu pot, after which he placed them on the small table they were sitting at.
“Good that you’re here,” he said with a smile as he squatted down while holding the plug.
“Let me,” said Jiang Xiao, grabbing the plug and bending down.
“Have you been fine?” the man asked while glancing at Second Last and wiping his hands on his apron.
“Yeah,” Second Last said with a smile that made her narrow eyes curve into crescent shapes.
“That’s good, that’s good. Hurry and turn it on. It’ll be ready soon.” The man then turned around and hurried into the kitchen.
More than ten minutes later, steam began to waft up from the shabu-shabu pot and gurgling sounds could be heard.
A plate of salted peanuts, a plate of preserved Century eggs with vinegar, and a plate of stir-fried spinach with nuts were placed on the table.
Second Last looked at Jiang Xiao and said, “Have some alcohol.”
Jiang Xiao grabbed the peanuts with one hand, seemingly influenced by her style. “Car.”
Second Last nodded and didn’t respond. Instead, she simply flipped the meat slice in the pot.
Ever since they entered the old and warm shop, Jiang Xiao never once brought up the matter, for fear that he would disrupt Second Last’s rare relaxed state.
“You’re going to the Arsenal the day after tomorrow,” said Second Last.
“Yes, the province seems to be dissatisfied with the results that the students achieved in the national league and so increased the difficulty of the training,” Jiang Xiao said as he ate a peanut.
“Oh.” Second Last smiled in disdain without making other comments.
“Here, kid. What would you like to drink?” Auntie Yu said as she walked towards them with two cups, one empty and one filled with alcohol. She placed them in front of Second Last and said to Jiang Xiao, “This is our house wine. You… are still young, right?”
Jiang Xiao waved his hands and said, “Plain water will do.”
“You’re a good kid. You must stay away from drinks,” Auntie Yu muttered as she turned around to get the kettle.
Second Last picked up the glass in front of her and took a small sip of alcohol, which slid down her throat and caused her to feel a burning sensation that seemed to spread to her chest too.
Second Last slowly put the glass of wine down and spit out a cold breath of air while the burning sensation continued to fill her chest. “The Star Techniques that belong to the creatures of other dimensions in the Arsenal are not suitable for you.”
“It’s okay,” Jiang Xiao said nonchalantly. “I’ve analyzed it carefully. Some of the Star Techniques are quite interesting.”
Second Last looked at Jiang Xiao quietly and said, “You only have nine star slots. You shouldn’t waste your empty ones on those Star Techniques.”
“Are you giving me advice? Why do you care about what I have in my star slots?” Jiang Xiao remarked smilingly.
Second Last said, “Yes, I will intervene with every step of your growth in the future.”
Jiang Xiao panicked and quickly changed the topic. “The Star Technique, Hatred, is not too bad.”
Second Last disagreed. “It’s of Brass Quality. Nah.”
Jiang Xiao picked up a pork belly skewer and said, “‘Nostalgia’ is not bad too.”
Second Last shook her head and said, “It’s of Silver Quality. But the range is too small, and the effects are too poor.”
Jiang Xiao pursed his lips and thought, Ah, this is already terrible enough, brother.
Staring at Jiang Xiao, Second Last said in a hoarse voice, “Don’t pin your hopes on using high-level Star Beads to upgrade the quality of your low-level Star Techniques in the future. No one in this world will love you as much as they do, nor risk their lives for you as they do.”
Jiang Xiao was slightly stunned and thought, Uh… seems like she and Hai Tianqing have spoken about this before and they both think the same.
Second Last glanced at Jiang Xiao coldly and said without sounding frustrated, “You only have six star slots left, and your Star Techniques are superb enough for you to grow prematurely. Once you’re in the Galaxy Stage, you can choose from a range of Gold Quality Star Techniques.”
“You’re being a little too demanding and tyrannical,” Jiang Xiao said helplessly.
Second Last picked up the glass of wine and glanced at Jiang Xiao while taking a sip out of it.
“Spicy ribs, mutton skewers, and your favorite grilled cod,” Auntie Yu said as she walked towards them with a tray. She then placed a teapot on Jiang Xiao’s table.
Although she did not get a response from Second Last, Auntie Yu remained silent and watched as she sipped on the wine. She then glanced at Jiang Xiao who was picking at the peanuts. She then left quietly.
White mist began to waft up from the boiling shabu-shabu pot.
Through the mist, Jiang Xiao looked at Second Last’s pair of narrow eyes and decided to muster up the courage to break the news to her. “I don’t want to join the army, I want to go to school.”
Second Last stared at Jiang Xiao with a menacing gaze and remained silent.
Jiang Xiao pulled down the collar of his hoodie because he was feeling warm, but his heart was cold.
In this warm shop, the humane Second Last gave Jiang Xiao some courage.
Jiang Xiao tried to calm himself down and said, “I want to be with my sister. When we were in the snowfield previously, I witnessed real danger and I found out what kind of battles she would participate in in the future since she’s an excellent Awakened. I want to do my best to protect her.”
Second Last’s eyes turned gloomy and she picked up the wine glass that she had just put down, after which she slowly moved it to her lips.
The shop was empty since it was already closed. Although the white lights were still on, Jiang Xiao’s table was the only one that was occupied.
There were no bustling noises and only the ticking of the wall clock.
There was no noise or commotion, only the boiling sounds from the shabu-shabu pot.
Finally, Second Last broke the silence and said in a hoarse voice, “In that case… let’s eat.”
“Nah.” Jiang Xiao quickly stood up and said, “I still have class tomorrow and she’s waiting for me too. She’ll be worried if I get home too late.”
Second Last nodded silently. Then, she took out a rolled-up map from the pocket of her windbreaker that was hanging on the wall and handed it to Jiang Xiao.
Jiang Xiao asked curiously, “What’s this?”
With stiff movements, Second Last said in a hoarse voice, “Take it.”
Jiang Xiao looked at the map before glancing at Second Last, only to realize that she was looking down and no longer looked as aggressive as before.
Jiang Xiao was not confused by her gaze, but he could tell that she was moving stiffly. After giving it some thought, Jiang Xiao grabbed the map and said softly, “Go home early.”
Jiang Xiao turned around and walked out of the warm and brightly lit shop. He then pushed open the glass door that had turned misty, only to be greeted with a gust of cold wind. He lifted his collar, turned around, and looked back at the shop.
Second Last was seated alone behind the table in a lonely manner while the mist of the pot seemed to have concealed her face.
He could only see her picking up the glass again and taking another sip.
When she put the glass down again, it was already half empty.
Jiang Xiao shook his head and closed the door before walking in the dark and quiet alley.
He looked in the distance and noticed that plenty of houses were lit up with warm lights.
He remembered Hai Tianqing’s instructions. Perhaps, she’s not as radical as Hai Tianqing made her out to be, he thought.
Or maybe, the special environment had increased Jiang Xiao’s survival rate.
Jiang Xiao walked out of the dark alley and saw the black car that was parked at the alley.
He placed a hand on his forehead helplessly, with his other hand in his pocket. Indeed, the car key was still with him.
Regardless of what Second Last’s personality was like, Jiang Xiao didn’t think it would be right for him to go back and return the car key to her.
At a complete loss for what to do, Jiang Xiao sat on the steps and wondered, Should I place the key on the tire? Or go back to the shop and place it by the door? Or should I knock on the door? Under normal circumstances, the lady should come out, right?
Sitting on the stone steps, Jiang Xiao sunk deep into thought. He was holding the map in his left hand and the car key in his right hand. Feeling rather upset and frustrated, he opened the map and glanced at it under the dim light from the streetlamp.
This is…
Topographic map of the Arsenal?
Hand-drawn?
The map included various symbols, annotations of restricted areas, the distribution of monsters, locations of supply points, guards, and Guardians Of The Night…
It was dense and extremely detailed.
The words annotated at the top were in sharp fonts that seemed menacing like knives.
They were like knives and sharp hooks.
Just like her, her handwriting was unkind, shrewd, bad at conversation, unfeeling, and stiff.
The supposedly heartwarming move that was full of care and love had become overbearing and even clumsy.
Jiang Xiao looked at the detailed hand-drawn map in his hand and Second Last’s cold and aloof look popped up in his mind. Her appearance seemed to have become sullen and stubborn too.
After thinking about how melancholic she looked, Jiang Xiao stood up, unable to contain his emotions.
“Hey…” Jiang Xiao took a deep breath and turned around to leave.
Ring-ring-ring.
The doorbell began to ring.
The middle-aged woman said from inside, “We’re closed…”
Jiang Xiao entered and arrived in front of the table.
He saw the untouched crockery in front of her and the empty glass.
“You’re back.”
There was finally some emotion in her hoarse voice.
Through the layer of mist from the boiling soup, Jiang Xiao seemed to have noticed a look of surprise on her cold and austere face.
Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him.
