Song Qianqian looked up at the sky, her brows slightly furrowed, her tone filled with confusion.
"Strange, the sky seems to have darkened much faster than usual today? It was bright just a moment ago, so why has it turned gloomy in the blink of an eye? And there's dampness in the wind; it feels like it's about to rain."
Acheron slowly raised her eyes, her purple gaze calmly fixed on the sky, the churning dark clouds reflected in the depths of her eyes.
Beneath her feet was the brightly lit main street, neon lights flickering, voices clamoring, and the warm yellow glow stretching the pedestrians' shadows long; overhead, however, was an unpredictable sky, layers upon layers of lead-gray clouds pressing down so heavily that it made one breathless.
She gazed at the clouds, made gray by the lights, and then looked at the laughing crowds on the street.
Two completely different scenes...
At this moment, a vague thought in Acheron's heart suddenly became clear for an instant, as if a thread had finally been gently pulled amidst the chaotic thoughts.
Just then, Little Yao's cheerful voice came from afar.
"Sister Song! Sister Acheron! This is so delicious!"
Little Yao was seen holding several candied hawthorns, running quickly toward the two with her short little legs, the bright red sugar coating looking exceptionally tempting under the lights.
"I bought a few extra, you guys should try some too!"
As she spoke, she handed a candied hawthorn to each of them, her little face filled with the joy of sharing, even the tip of her nose radiating sweetness.
Seeing this, Acheron and Song Qianqian naturally did not refuse Little Yao's kindness.
Song Qianqian took the candied hawthorn and couldn't wait to bite into one; the sugar coating cracked with a "crunch" in her mouth, and the sweet and sour juice instantly flooded her mouth, causing her to squint her eyes in delight.
Acheron also took a gentle bite, though she could only faintly taste it's sweetness.
Looking at Little Yao's bright, expectant eyes, the two did not hesitate to offer their praise.
"So sweet! The hawthorn is just the right amount of sour, and the sugar coating is crispy. Little Yao, you have great taste!"
"...The taste is not bad."
Receiving praise from the two sisters, Little Yao felt as if she had a piece of candy in her heart; she was so happy that the tips of her ears twitched involuntarily, and the Tail behind her was held high, almost reaching the sky.
Fortunately, people were coming and going, everyone busy rushing around or shopping, and no one noticed her unusual little movements.
Song Qianqian looked at Little Yao's adorable and silly appearance, and her heart melted. She couldn't help but open her arms, scoop up the Little Loli, and deliberately rubbed her chin against her little cheek.
"I can't take it, I can't take it, Little Yao is just too cute! Sister wants to eat you up in one bite!"
Little Yao, held in her arms, was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly waved her little hands, her eyes wide open.
"Ah? Sister, don't eat Little Yao! Little Yao has no meat on her, I don't taste good at all!"
"Hehehe, it's too late, it's too late!" Song Qianqian deliberately lowered her voice, imitating a villain with a weird laugh, and reached out to pinch Little Yao's soft cheeks. "A Little Loli as cute as you, Little Yao, won't escape from my clutches today no matter what!"
Little Yao's cheeks were puffed up from being pinched, and she pitifully shook her arm.
"Wuwuwu, Sister Song, don't! Little Yao is still young and doesn't have much meat on her. How about you wait until Little Yao grows up to eat me? I promise to eat more in the future and grow chubby for you to eat!"
Acheron's lips curled slightly, helplessly watching the scene of the two playing.
She couldn't help but sigh in her heart: Why didn't I notice before that Qianqian had such a lively side?
And Little Yao's appearance was like a brisk wind, instantly dispelling the dull atmosphere from just a moment ago.
She hopped over, chattering about the new things she had just seen, instantly breaking the stagnant atmosphere, and no one brought up that unpleasant topic again.
Song Qianqian: "Sister Acheron, come and take a look! How is it, does it look good?"
Little Yao: "Sister Acheron~"
Song Qianqian pulled Little Yao and walked quickly to Acheron.
Acheron looked closely, and seeing the scene in front of her, she couldn't help but chuckle.
Song Qianqian and Little Yao each got a kitten mask; Song Qianqian's was pure black, and Little Yao's was snow-white.
Little Yao put on the snow-white kitten mask, revealing only her pair of big, red eyes, with lingering smiles at the corners of her eyes. Her petite and cute appearance fit perfectly with the soft and adorable cat mask.
Song Qianqian herself had a relaxed figure, with a refreshing and neat air between her brows. After putting on the pure black kitten mask, only her softly lined jaw and smiling lips were revealed. Her cool, aloof temperament collided with the playful cat mask, creating a wonderful spark, with a rather pure and cute sense of contrast.
"It looks very good."
Her tone was cold and flat, without a hint of fluctuation.
If it were anyone else, they might have thought this was perfunctory politeness or carried a bit of sarcastic alienation.
After hearing this, Song Qianqian couldn't help but curve her lips beneath the mask, her eyes filled with smiles.
She leaned in front of Acheron, deliberately shaking the mask in her hand, her tone carrying a little complaint.
"Thanks for the compliment, Sister Acheron, but your tone is too flat. Can you add a little more inflection?"
Acheron nodded slightly.
"I will next time."
Hearing this, Song Qianqian couldn't help but roll her eyes, but unfortunately, the mask blocked her expression, and the other party didn't know.
At this moment, Little Yao, who was on the side, suddenly held up another mask cautiously.
Acheron looked down and saw a pink fox mask, the pink and white patterns exquisite and cute.
Little Yao herself didn't say anything, just held up the pink fox mask, her big red eyes filled with anticipation, as if she had already written "put it on" on her face.
Acheron looked at the exquisite mask, then at Little Yao's expectant look. Just as she was hesitating whether to wear it, Song Qianqian on the side smiled secretly and deliberately spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Oh, this was specially chosen for you by Little Yao. It's her heartfelt intention. Sister Acheron, you wouldn't be so heartless as to refuse, right?"
"..."
Immediately after.
Little Yao clapped her little hands excitedly, her eyes sparkling.
"Sister Acheron looks so good!"
The pink fox mask was exquisite and cunning, colliding with her cold and ascetic temperament to create a wonderful spark—it wasn't quite a full-blown contrast, but it had a unique charm.
Sure enough, having good natural features is willful; no matter what she wears, she looks good.
"Wow—" Song Qianqian couldn't help covering her lips with her little hand, her eyes looking like they were filled with stars, shining amazingly.
It must be said that Sister Acheron's cold, mysterious, and sharp temperament, combined with this fox mask, not only had no sense of incongruity but instead collided to create a unique charm.
"Tsk tsk tsk, as expected, once you grow up, no one loves you. This is the first time I've seen Sister Acheron like this."
Unfortunately, Acheron didn't seem used to wearing a mask, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
However, when she caught sight of Little Yao's pitiful gaze looking at her, she ultimately didn't take it off. Instead, she raised her hand and pushed the mask up to the top of her head like Sparkle, revealing that cold and stunningly beautiful face.
Gazing at the gradually spreading dark clouds, Acheron ignored the curious gazes of passersby, raised her hand, took out a red Oil-paper umbrella from her sleeve, and slowly opened it.
That splash of gorgeous red was exceptionally conspicuous under the gray sky. She held the umbrella handle and stood calmly on the street, as if the surrounding hustle and bustle had nothing to do with her.
As for Song Qianqian and Little Yao—
"That smells so good! Sister Song, I want to buy that!" Little Yao sniffed, her eyes fixed straight on the stall opposite, pulling on Song Qianqian's arm and shaking it, her voice full of urgency.
"Alright! Sister Song is treating today, just tell me whatever you want to buy!"
Song Qianqian smiled and rubbed Little Yao's head, agreeing readily, then took her delicate little hand and walked quickly toward the fragrant stall opposite.
Acheron held the red Oil-paper umbrella as if no one else were around, standing quietly in place, her gaze following the backs of Song Qianqian and Little Yao.
Until their figures merged into the crowd.
Bang!