Evening, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Center.
Inside the room, Annie closed the door and turned around with a bright smile. "Look, this is the temporary little nest I prepared for you. Do you like it?"
She enthusiastically pulled Wade's hand, introducing the place as they walked. "I've tested the mattress; it's especially soft. The hot water in the bathroom is hot enough, too. You can take a soak in a bit."
Wade put down her luggage and gave a silly smile. "You... this is too thoughtful."
"It's nothing." Annie pressed her hands on Wade's shoulders, her gaze sincere. "It's your first time traveling far from home, so of course I have to take good care of you... Put your things down first, and I'll take you to get something to eat."
Ten minutes later, the two of them drove to a dessert shop with vintage decor.
Wade sat by the table, taking small bites of a cream cupcake. "How long are you staying this time? Is it just an appearance, or?"
Annie sat to the side, forking a piece of waffle into her mouth. "Hmm... I'll be here for about two days. The first day is for interacting with believers and fans who've come from afar and participating in a seminar. The second day is for the group prayer and giving a speech on stage."
"Is there anything you want me to do?" Wade held her hand, her tone concerned. "You can tell me anything, okay?"
"It's fine." Annie's eyes misted over slightly as she shook her head. She pushed the straw of her strawberry milkshake toward Wade. "Try mine..."
Wade looked at the wet straw, steeled herself, and took a small sip. "Mmm?! It's delicious."
Annie placed her hand on Wade's thigh, her eyes curving into smiles. "I'm glad you like it... Line your stomach first; we're going to see a play later."
"Okay, you're the boss." Wade directly grasped her hand back, their fingers interlocking. 'Can't be a coward. It's normal for girls to hold hands like this.'
At seven o'clock sharp, the two of them strolled to the city's Paramount Theatre.
At the entrance, Annie pointed to the giant banners on both sides of the theater and introduced, "This theater was built in 1928. Before attending the expo every year, my mom would always bring me here to enjoy a play... Tonight's performance is the ballet 'the nutcracker,' which is one of my favorite programs."
Wade looked up at the poster with a face full of envy. "Your mom is so nice... I never got to see any plays when I was little."
Annie checked her watch and pulled Wade toward the theater entrance. "Let's go, time for ticket check."
The two passed through the ticket gate, followed the crowd into the venue, and took their seats in the second-floor balcony.
After waiting for over ten minutes, the stage lights came on, and the melodious music drew everyone's attention.
Ballet dancers in various costumes entered one by one, performing the vivid storyline.
The sleeping Clara was startled awake, just in time to see the seven-headed Mouse King leading a swarm of mice to take away the nutcracker.
the nutcracker commanded the puppets and the mouse army into a grand battle. Clara was so frightened by the scene that she fainted.
Annie pointed at the stage and whispered in Wade's ear, "Look at that puppet. Even though it's inconspicuous, it's Clara's favorite."
Wade watched the play intently and nodded. "I like Clara too."
He felt his fingers being constantly kneaded; his palm felt hot and itchy. He glanced at their overlapping, glowing palms. 'Is she too nervous watching the play? Why is her power leaking?'
[Superhuman gene sample analysis in progress... sweat, skin dander... progress 50.5%... 50.6%]
[Ability: Photoelectric Manipulation/Conversion...]
Wade looked back at the stage and continued enjoying the ballet.
Clara and the Prince arrived at the Kingdom of Sweets, a magnificent palace built from various treats. All sorts of spirits—chocolate, jelly beans, cream—danced to welcome them.
Clara and the Prince performed a pas de deux, which served as their wedding ceremony in the Kingdom of Sweets.
Two hours passed, the ballet concluded, and the two exited with the crowd.
Wade was still immersed in the plot, murmuring, "Clara is so brave, daring to fight the Mouse King for the nutcracker... She's a lot like you."
Annie linked arms with her, her cheeks slightly flushed. "We're partners in adventure too, right?"
Just then, two enthusiastic voices broke in. "Yo! Isn't this our big star?"
"Sister Annie, long time no see!"
Annie looked over at the sound, and the light instantly vanished from her face. "You have the wrong person. Let's go."
Wade turned to look and found a middle-aged man and woman in lavish clothing, wearing kind smiles on their faces.
The man's gaze lingered briefly on her before turning back to Annie. "What a coincidence. This is... a new friend?"
The woman covered her mouth and giggled. "What a cute little girl. Sister Annie has learned how to take care of people now."
"Are we that close?" Annie held Wade's arm tightly, about to bypass them.
"Don't be such a stranger," the man blocked her path, his smile undiminished. "We're sharing the stage tomorrow. Why don't we get together? After all, we were teammates..."
"No need," Annie interrupted coldly, stepping forward. "I have other plans."
The middle-aged pair simply watched with cold eyes, neither shouting nor chasing after them.
Wade was dragged along by her, asking repeatedly, "What's wrong? Can you tell me?"
Annie walked very fast, only stopping once they were far from the theater.
She lowered her head and covered her face. "I'm sorry, I lost my composure."
Wade gently patted her back and asked softly, "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
Annie stomped her feet a few times and said indignantly, "They were my teammates when I was little. Under the arrangement of the Church and Vought Corporation, we formed a group to spread the Christian gospel called the 'Young Americans Alliance.'"
"Don't be fooled by their polite and seemingly perfect exterior. When we were young, they used their age to bully me and the other members constantly."
"Seeing them reminds me of bad things, so..."
Wade helped her straighten her messy clothes. "Don't think about those unhappy things. Weren't you going to take me to the market?"
Annie tightened her grip on Wade's arm, a smile reappearing on her face. "The night market has food from so many countries. I'll let you eat your fill."
The two crossed the street and headed toward a distant parking lot.
Wade looked at the crowd flowing from the theater entrance toward the parking lot and stopped. "So many people. Should we take a detour?"
"Okay, we're faster than them anyway!" Annie pulled her into a run, bypassing the theater and entering a slightly secluded side path.
As they passed an alleyway, they heard a heated argument.
A simply dressed red-haired girl was cornered against a wall by two burly men. She said in a trembling voice, "I told you I don't have the money. Please... I'll have it in a couple of days once I sell my goods. Just give me a few more days."
"The boss's rule is today." A thug dragged her toward a car. "If you can't produce the money, come have some fun with us!"
Annie's pace faltered, her pupils lighting up with yellow light. "Wait for me here a moment."
Wade quickly followed and stopped her, saying urgently, "You have to watch your image... Let me handle it."
He rushed forward, picking up a wooden plank at random. "Stop right there!"
The two thugs didn't take the suddenly appearing little girl seriously at all. They sneered, "Kid, stay out of this! Or else we'll take you too..."
Before he could finish, one of them was sent flying by a suddenly glowing car headlight, rolling twice on the ground.
The other hadn't even seen what happened before he was already kneeling on the ground in pain.
Wade tossed aside the broken wooden plank and asked the terrified red-haired girl, "How much do you owe?"
The red-haired girl hugged her arms and stammered, "Including interest, five... over five hundred..."
Annie walked over, pulled a dozen bills from her wallet, and threw them at the two grimacing thugs. "I've paid her debt. The extra is for medical bills... Now, get lost."
The two picked up the money, gave them a suspicious and uncertain look, and didn't dare linger, driving away sullenly.
"Th-thank you... The Lord will bless you!" The red-haired girl clutched the silver cross on her chest and bowed repeatedly. "I-I... I'll earn the money tomorrow and will definitely pay you back!"
"No need, just go home." Annie waved her hand, grabbed Wade's hand, and ran off.
Wade patted the dust off her back and teased as they ran, "Our Excellency really can't forget her chivalry wherever she goes."
"You dare mock me? You're the same!" Annie swung their arms and chuckled softly. "We can't just ignore something like that... Luckily there are no cameras nearby, so no one should recognize us."
A few minutes later, the two of them arrived by car at the brightly lit Boxin Market.
Though called a market, it looked like a large plaza filled with various stalls, teeming with people.
Starting from the entrance, they browsed the stalls on the perimeter.
"Look at this!" Annie stopped at a handicraft stall, picked up a bracelet woven with local colored beads, and put it on Wade's wrist without taking no for an answer. "It really suits you! Boss, we'll take this one."
She then took a fancy to an earring made of feathers and carefully clipped it to the side of Wade's ear, looking at it from both sides. "Beautiful!"
Wade let her have her way, but seeing her constantly stuffing strange things onto her, she couldn't help but whisper, "Stop buying, I'm not used to wearing these..."
"Alright then. But you have to keep this bracelet; we'll have one each." Annie pulled her toward the food area. "Come on, let's go fill your stomach!"
The two navigated through the fragrant stalls with familiarity.
"This Turkish kebab wrap is super delicious! Here, one bite for you, one for me."
"Quick, try this Spanish churro. It's amazing dipped in chocolate sauce!"
"Ah—open wide, this is Thai sticky rice."
Like any inseparable best friends, they shared every portion of food and drink, their laughter drowned out by the noise.
As the night deepened, the two left the market leaning against each other, talking and laughing.
Annie leaned her shoulder against Wade's. "Are you happy today?"
Wade wiped her mouth with a tissue and replied immediately, "Anyone would be happy to be treated by a super big star and a rich lady!"
Annie snatched the tissue, wiped her own mouth, and lowered her head with a beaming smile. "That's good. After I finish my work tomorrow, I'll take you to even more fun places."
"Then, are we going back to the hotel?" Wade asked suspiciously. "If the company people can't find you tomorrow, won't they go crazy?"
Annie rested her head on Wade's shoulder as they walked. "It's fine, I've already told the person in charge. I just need to report to Redwood Lake Park on time tomorrow... We're sleeping together tonight!"
"Alright then." Wade blinked, not daring to say a word of protest. 'It's just girls sleeping together. Luckily my transformation is a complete form; nothing will go wrong.'
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