-"Is that so...?"
I replied to her softly, my voice dropping with exhaustion. Then, the small room quickly sank back into its familiar silence.
After finishing the cleaning, Yashu stood up and stretched her shoulders to relieve the stiffness, then looked at me with an empathetic gaze:
-"Back when we were in the mission world, I noticed a few times that you would just stand there dazed, staring into Butler Li's kitchen. Surely... something terrible must have happened back then, right?"
Seeing me keeping silent with my head bowed, she sighed softly and continued in a gentle tone to reassure me:
-"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I know it was probably a huge shock to you. But I still hope you can stay strong and move forward. At least try to live well for your own sake, alright?"
I didn't look up, only staring intently at the floor cloth in my hands. At this moment, even I didn't know how chaotic my own emotions were. Facing the harsh truth that had been buried for two years, I seemed to also be learning how to confront a weak version of myself that was hiding in the past.
I could only give a heavy "Uh-huh" from the back of my throat. Perhaps... I really needed a little more time to gather enough courage to keep walking on this path of life and death.
Yashu offered a gentle smile, then fixed her eyes on the old teddy bear in my hand:
-"By the way... where did this bear come from?"
-"The demon girl from the previous mission gave it to me. It's like a hidden treasure that has the ability to heal wounds." - I answered her honestly.
Watching the bloodstain on my hand completely recede and my skin return to its intact state, Yashu looked intrigued. She stepped closer and gave my shoulder a hard, painful slap:
-"There you go, that's more like it! Take care of your wounds and heal up so you'll have the energy to keep fighting. Looking like this is much more interesting and pleasing to the eye than that terrifying, scowling face of yours earlier!"
I took a deep breath to regain my composure, gently brushing off her hand from my shoulder. A sense of shyness made both of my cheeks flush slightly red. To hide my awkwardness, I quickly deflected the conversation to another topic:
-"By the way, just now... what did Manager Ming say to you when he passed by?"
Hearing my question, Yashu's eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. She immediately replied:
-"Ah, were you wondering why there isn't a single waiter to be seen in the coffee shop today, while the people out on the street suddenly got so surprisingly crowded? It sounds a bit strange and funny, but today is actually International Quit Your Job Day! This whole world gets to unwind, and we also get the entire day off today!"
-"Then what are we going to do today? Go over to Xi Yong'an's house to hang out?" - I asked curiously.
-"Going there at this hour seems a bit too early." - Yashu shook her head slightly, then leaned closer to me, lowering her voice mysteriously: "Are you curious about this world? Before, when I was by myself, I didn't dare to risk going out for a stroll on the streets, but now I have you with me. How about we take a risk today?"
Looking at her face full of anticipation, I felt my heart lighten up a bit as well, giving a slight, gentle nod:
-"Not a bad idea."
As soon as the words left my mouth, Yashu suddenly held out her hand right in front of my eyes. In her palm was a thick stack of demon currency:
-"See this? I was quick enough to ask Manager Ming for a week's advance on my salary! This time out on the streets, if there's any delicious or interesting food, I'm going to risk it all and eat it clean, you just watch!"
Together, we stepped outside of the coffee shop, ready to experience a once-in-a-lifetime feeling. Looking up, in the vast high sky, a giant, bizarre demon eye was staring intently down at the ground. Such a terrifying sight, yet the two of us were leisurely strolling through the heart of the streets.
To be completely honest... this world wasn't as bad as I had imagined. Except for always being watched by that giant entity above, the demon residents living here looked quite normal and gentle. Some vendors even friendly waved, inviting us to buy fresh fruits.
At first, both of us were still a bit timid and on guard. However, just a few minutes later, that fear completely vanished into thin air, and the two of us started running wildly through all the streets. Yashu was like a child unleashed from a leash; she constantly stopped by the milk tea shops along the road, and whenever she saw any cake that looked appetizing, she would pull out money to buy it all up. In no time, both of my hands were carrying heavy bags. I shook my head slightly and smiled to myself, not expecting that with just one week of advanced salary, she could buy this many things.
Standing in the middle of the bustling street, I suddenly recalled the image of Chen Feng from before. He used to sit majestically, leisurely enjoying a cup of bitter coffee in an extremely carefree manner [ If you guys don't remember this detail, you can check chapters 11-12 again! ]. Now, after experiencing it firsthand, perhaps I could somewhat understand why he could be so unhurried. This feeling of letting go of all worries, strolling around so freely... was indeed very comfortable.
Afterward, the two of us stopped by a roadside eatery to "feast" on the entire pile of food and drinks we had just plundered. I looked down at the cool peach tea cup in my hand, still feeling a bit hesitant to put my lips to it for a taste. Seeing my cautious expression, Yashu sniffed her own drink, then burst out laughing mockingly:
-"Don't worry, old timer, I saw some other players buying and drinking it on the way here. It should be fine."
Saying that, to give me some courage, she made a show of taking a huge gulp of milk tea right in front of me, blinking playfully while chewing the boba pearls:
-"And if this turns out to be poisoned and I really die... then let me go get buried first for you to see!"