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How should I start?
Fern slightly raised her lowered eyebrows and looked at the red-haired young man beside her.
The good news was that she knew it was Stark's birthday today.
The bad news was that she knew too late, and she didn't know what Stark liked...
She could only try asking!
After hesitating for a moment, Fern took a deep breath and prepared to speak.
"Fern, wait!"
Stark suddenly stopped, said something to Fern, then turned and slowly approached a cart loaded with fruits.
What?
Fern looked over with confusion.
She saw Stark grit his teeth and push hard to help the cart out of a deep, uneven pit in the road.
So he met someone who needed help!
Fern's slightly annoyed eyes brightened slightly.
"Thank you, young man!"
A woman's voice filled with a smile sounded. Stark waved his hand behind him without looking back, then came to Fern's side.
"Mr. Stark is really a good person."
Fern curved her eyebrows, smiling, and spoke sweetly.
"It's alright..."
Stark scratched his head and said with an embarrassed smile.
"I just happened to want to buy some fruit, and then I saw she seemed to be in trouble, so I lent a hand."
Uh...
Fern stared blankly at the half watermelon and two apples Stark was holding.
Her mouth was slightly open, unsure what to say.
"Here."
Stark chuckled and stuffed an apple from his hand into Fern's hand.
There was a moment of silence, and the two continued forward.
Just as Fern finally recovered and was about to speak again, a spherical object of unknown material interrupted her again.
"Watch out!"
Fern had just turned to look at Stark and happened to witness a "ball" quickly hitting Stark on the head!
"Sorry!"
Along with it came a fast-running little boy.
"What?"
Stark looked down at the "ball" at his feet.
"Sorry, big brother!"
The little boy was scared stiff looking at Stark, who had a gloomy face and didn't speak!
This is a bad guy!
He even had a ferocious scar on his head!
It's over, he's definitely going to beat me up badly!
"Hey, this is—"
"Help!"
Before Stark could finish speaking, the little boy ran away quickly without even picking up the ball.
"Mr. Stark..."
Fern pursed her lips.
She seemed to understand Stark's mood, but getting so angry at a child might not be good...
Look how scared the child is...
"This is really troublesome!"
Stark gently placed the watermelon in Fern's hands, then scratched his head and picked up the ball.
"Hey!"
Stark shouted at the several children hiding in the corner and secretly watching him in the distance, and walked towards them.
"Mr. Stark!"
Fern was slightly worried about what would happen next and followed without hesitation.
"Mr. Stark, please don't—"
Fern came to their side and was about to speak but froze.
"So this thing is called a wooden ball?"
Stark scratched his head curiously and talked to the children.
Then he laughed foolishly again.
"No wonder it didn't hurt much even though it hit my head quickly!"
"What?!"
"You ask if I'll be angry?"
"Just kidding, how could I not be angry!"
"So as compensation, let me play with you for a while!"
Uh... huh?
Fern's eyes went blank as she looked at Stark, who was getting along well with the children in front of her.
Did she miss some important part?
"Oh, Fern!"
"Did you have something you wanted to say just now?"
Seeing Fern standing there blankly, Stark suddenly remembered that Fern seemed to want to say something!
"No, it's nothing."
Fern shook her head mechanically.
I was going to tell you not to take advantage of these children...
But looking at you, you're almost best friends with them...
"Is that so? Then do you want to play together?"
Stark nodded, although he felt that Fern's words were strange.
But Stark roughly ignored it.
The important thing now is playing ball, okay!
"Play... together?"
Fern looked at the black dress and small leather boots she was wearing and decisively shook her head.
Not to mention, she was also holding the half-eaten watermelon that Stark had given her...
"Then please wait for me for a while!"
Stark smiled slightly, took the ball, and started running with the many children in an open space.
The game with the ball was similar to soccer, but the only difference was there were no goals.
It was just a simple scramble for the wooden ball at their feet.
Stark was in his element in the open space with his strong body, leading the children in circles.
Meanwhile, Fern sat blankly on a large stone beside the open space, holding the watermelon in her arms, her whole person in a daze.
She suddenly didn't understand why she had come out...
It wasn't until a long while later, when Stark came to her side with a gust of warm wind, that Fern reacted!
It seemed it was time to set off again.
But set off, to where?
Fern's eyes still held a momentary confusion.
For a while, she just followed Stark blankly.
Rescuing a cat stuck in a tree...
Subduing a mad bull on the farm...
Jumping into the river to save a fisherman's drowning carp...
For a moment, Fern felt that her experiences this single day were richer than her entire life!
I am Fern, and my original plan was to go shopping with Mistress Frieren!
But later I learned that today was Mr. Stark's birthday, so I changed my mind temporarily!
Go out—buy a birthday present!
That should be my goal for coming out today!
Sitting blankly by the river with Stark, watching the clouds drifting in the sunset, the light in Fern's eyes gradually returned.
"Fern..."
Stark's voice held a hint of surprise but also calmness.
"Look at the clouds in the sky."
Fern smiled slightly, then followed Stark's gaze to the clouds.
"That cloud looks like a woman's body..."
"Oh! And that cloud!"
"It looks like dog poop!"
Stark said with astonishment, then suddenly noticed that Fern was abnormally quiet, so he turned curiously to look at Fern.
"Fern, you..."
Stark stared blankly at Fern's poker face, his smile frozen on his lips.
Her expression was exactly the same as when she had just heard Stark's astonishing statement!
Did I say something wrong...
Stark's mind raced, then he lowered his head and said with a tearful face.
"Sorry, I didn't say anything."
Phew—
Fern sighed in relief. After all, she didn't know how to respond to those... strange words.
"Let's go, Mr. Stark."
"I'll take you to buy something."
Fern finished speaking calmly, then turned and walked towards the market.
"So, you..."
Lying on the bed after listening to Stark's recollection of going out with Fern today, Mr. Yulian was utterly shocked and exclaimed how outrageous it was.
"So Mr. Yulian~"
"Did I do something wrong to make Fern dislike me!"
"But she even gave me a gift and pulled up a chair for me afterwards!"
Stark said gloomily, looking at the silver bracelet on his left hand.
Mr. Yulian just quietly turned over and started sleeping.
Nothing else, you can't carve rotten wood...
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