"When I was picking out sword tassels today, I happened to see this pair of gloves. Try them on."
That was what Jingliu said, but both Zero and Baiheng knew, it was nothing more than a little lie from the Swordmaster.
Following her words, Zero put on the black gloves. The size was just right.
'Hmm. The material is… kind of unusual. Looks… pretty sheer?'
Though he didn't really understand young people's taste these days, he decided he'd keep wearing them anyway.
Before he could thank her, Jingliu spoke again, her voice very soft, "Once you wear gloves, your hands won't get dirty."
At those words, Zero felt all the noise around him suddenly fade away like a receding tide, letting him hear that single line crystal clear.
A tangle of emotions filled his chest.
Even the nonsense he'd said while drunk, she remembered it?
And not only remembered, she'd even gone out of her way to give him a pair of gloves because of it?
That somehow made the trillion credits he'd spent on gifts feel less sincere in comparison.
All he'd really done was pick out some antique jewelry; everything after that was handed over to the company execs to deal with.
The only gifts that could be considered truly personal were the three hairpins he'd commissioned from Yingxing.
He'd chosen the moon pattern from the ribbon tied to Jingliu's left arm as the design element for them.
As for the night-blooming flower on her right arm…
Beautiful, yes, but that species had such a short blooming period, it just didn't feel like it carried the right meaning.
So Zero went with peach blossoms instead.
When she'd once found a peach tree on the battlefield, she'd seemed so happy, even breaking off a branch to bring to him.
…Right. He still had to send Yingxing more money to make sure he worked overtime to finish them.
Thinking about that, Zero smiled slightly and said to Jingliu, "Thank you. I really like them."
Jingliu gave a soft laugh. Her gaze lingered on his hands for a moment before she said, "They suit you."
Across from them, Baiheng was holding her breath so hard even her ears didn't dare twitch, afraid she might interrupt her best friend and Zero.
The fox woman, worried that the child they'd picked up might not understand the mood and cause trouble, carefully used the public chopsticks to keep feeding him until his cheeks were stuffed full.
Both the fox and the kid were quiet as could be. Tingyun stole glances at them again and again from the corner of her eye.
When Baiheng saw Zero wearing black gloves that matched Jingliu's, she finally relaxed.
Real-life drama was so much more entertaining than the romantic storybooks Dan Feng and Jing Yuan liked to read.
What Baiheng never expected, though, was that the "love strategy" her three romantically clueless friends had put together for Jingliu… actually worked.
Jingliu was really courting Zero using the same tricks used to woo young girls.
Oh, well, technically speaking, she hadn't won him over yet. But they were just one thin layer of paper away from it. Wonderful. She could practically taste the wedding wine already.
As her thoughts wandered, Baiheng grew happier and happier, sipping her tea in delight as she fed the child beside her.
Zero lowered his head slightly, studying the gloves on his palms before raising his gaze again, still watching Aha closely.
Although he'd already confirmed through the system panel that Aha hadn't done anything suspicious, he still didn't quite trust the Aeon.
But what could he do? Zero was just an ordinary diviner. If Baiheng didn't bring up her identity as the Messenger of "Elation," he couldn't really ask.
If he did, it'd expose him, because how could he possibly know if she hadn't told him first?
And even if he did ask, knowing Baiheng's personality, she'd just laugh and say, "Looks like I'm pretty lucky, huh? To be noticed by 'Lord of Joy' himself!"
Then she'd toss her Messenger identity out the window and go back to joking around with her other friends like always.
After all, this was Baiheng, social butterfly of the Xianzhou, no, of the entire universe. Having a god's favor was nothing surprising.
So Zero didn't plan to ask.
Besides, Aha was right there. If he said anything, Baiheng would just start complimenting Aha, and that would make the Aeon happy.
And there was no way Zero was letting that happen.
When Jingliu and Baiheng finally set down their chopsticks, Tingyun hurriedly paid the bill before Jingliu could even react.
As for whether Aha had eaten enough… well, gods don't starve. Who cares.
Naturally, Zero volunteered to handle the next part, he'd take the child to find his parents.
Baiheng's eyes flicked mischievously, and she pretended to take out her jade tablet, saying a friend needed her help. She happily handed the child over to Zero.
The fox woman ran off so fast she vanished in a blink.
Thinking back to Jingliu's eating habits, Zero figured she probably hadn't eaten enough again.
He didn't know why, but he knew he couldn't bring it up.
Conveniently, there was a snack street nearby. It'd be easy to get Jingliu properly fed there.
And since it was a crowded area, there'd definitely be staff from the Ten-Lords Commission around, perfect excuse to make Jingliu give up on helping Aha look for the kid's "parents."
Zero leisurely tugged at one of his gloves and said kindly,
"Kid, you're from beyond the stars, right? Want to try some Xianzhou snacks?"
The "child" version of Aha could only nod.
Zero picked up two bags with one hand and used his other, bare, hand to press lightly against the back of Aha's neck. He turned to Jingliu.
"Let's stop by the snack street first. We might run into Ten-Lords agents there, they can help find this kid's parents."
Jingliu nodded slightly, agreeing to the plan.
She walked beside him, reaching out as if to take some of what he was carrying.
Zero, "…"
A little helpless, he turned and said, "Even if I'm an office worker, I can still carry a few things, you know…"
Realizing her mistake, Jingliu's gaze wavered a little before she nodded again.
The two walked shoulder to shoulder toward the snack street.
From ten meters away, they could already see the bustling crowd gathered around the stalls, waiting for fresh snacks to come off the grill.
Jingliu glanced over and reminded the child, "Stay close to us."
Zero lowered his head, pinched the back of Aha's neck, and said, "Hear that? Stick with me. If you get lost, you'll end up sold off to another planet as a laborer."
Jingliu sighed helplessly. "Don't tease him."
Zero was fine in every way, except that he loved teasing people.
Didn't matter if it was someone close to him or just a random kid he'd just met, he'd still do it.
With a mock-innocent look, he winked at Jingliu, then said to Aha, pretending to be gentle, "Ah, just kidding. Don't worry, this is Luofu."
Aha, "…"
Of course, he understood his dear friend all too well, suspicious to the core, never trusting easily.
That line wasn't really for the kid's benefit. It was a warning.
A warning not to cause trouble on Luofu soil.
He wanted to protest, 'Not just Luofu! I wouldn't cause trouble on any Xianzhou! I just wanted to watch some fun! I just wanted to see you!'
But Zero would never believe that.
Pressed by the back of his neck, Aha had no choice but to follow obediently. He wasn't paying attention and soon found himself standing in front of a food stall.
Being in a child's body, Aha was too short to see what was on the counter.
Smiling, Zero ordered a snack, then crouched down. "Come, try one of our Xianzhou specialties."
Jingliu looked at the snack, and her expression froze for a moment. Her tone was unreadable. "You're sure you want to give him that?"
Zero put on a face of pure innocence, eyes clear and guileless, like a child untouched by knowledge.
He rarely used that look; he'd trained it specifically for slacking off at work.
Back at the Divination Commission, surrounded by overachievers, he'd never needed to act helpless like this.
But Jingliu might like it. She did have a thing for protecting others, after all.
Playing weak would definitely work, and it'd also drive Aha crazy.
Feigning innocence, Zero looked up and met Jingliu's gaze.
"But this is a Xianzhou specialty."
Aha, "…"
That tone, it made even a god's hair stand on end.
It felt like someone had just pressed an ice-cold soda can to the back of his neck on a freezing winter day.
Jingliu, "…"
'Why is Zero making that face?'
Even knowing the side of him that could be so infuriating, when faced with that expression, she simply couldn't bring herself to refuse.
Just like Jingyuan's cat, Jade, sweet and adorable on the outside, but full of mischief inside.
Last night, Jade had stayed at Dan Feng's place, while Jing Yuan, Yingxing, and Baiheng had each taken the three guest courtyards prepared by the Dragon Lord.
One moment of inattention and Jade had smashed a porcelain vase.
The poor Cloud Knight, barely making a living, spent the whole night counting his remaining patrol wages.
Dan Feng, on the other hand, didn't care at all. He just patted the cat's head and moved on.
And when the cat rolled over, showing its soft belly for pets, everyone immediately forgot about the seven-figure vase.
After all, could you really say the vase wasn't at fault too?
Jingliu sighed inwardly.
Like master, like pet, equal parts infuriating and endearing.
Perhaps Zero only ever showed this uncertain, unstable side of himself to her.
And what could she do about it? Of course she could only accept it.
Folding her arms, Jingliu looked away, her thoughts a jumble.
Sure, the snack was made of insects, but it was a Xianzhou specialty. It was suitable for offworlders to try. So why couldn't this "child" eat it?
As she thought this, she suddenly remembered all those ancient tales about foolish rulers…
…and found herself, unexpectedly, empathizing with them.
Her gaze turned blank as she stared at the vendor's tray of snacks, determined to burn a hole through them.
Aha glanced between Zero and Jingliu, who turned her head away sharply the instant their eyes met, and a bad premonition rose in his chest.
When the vendor handed over the food, Zero, uncharacteristically, took it himself and even brought it right up to Aha's face.
Aha tensed immediately. On the skewer, the translucent jelly-like snack looked suspiciously innocent.
Zero frowned slightly and raised it to his lips.
Aha, "…"
Something was definitely wrong.
He inspected it carefully, there were some strips inside, looked like bamboo shoots, but he couldn't be sure.
This borrowed body gave nothing away. And faced with his friend's increasingly pleasant smile, he could only bite the bullet and take a bite.
Smooth and jelly-like in texture, salty with a hint of garlic sauce.
Chewing it, he found it surprisingly springy and quite tasty.
A shock ran through him. 'Has Zero finally become a decent person? Impossible!'
Smiling, Zero fed him another bite. After Aha had finished the whole portion, he said casually, "It's made from bugs."
Aha, "…"
'Ah. So you really haven't changed at all, my dear friend.'
'Even with amnesia, you still love feeding me insects.'
Utterly defeated, Aha decided that once they left, he'd buy out the entire stall and feed everything to his followers.
Zero tossed the empty box and skewer into a nearby trash bin, stood up, and with his ungloved hand once again pressed lightly against the back of Aha's neck, looking down at him. "You like it?"
Jingliu sighed and gently patted Zero's arm to stop him. "Don't tease him."
Aha couldn't help glancing up at the woman being toyed with by Zero, admiration in his eyes.
For a moment, he wasn't even sure anymore, who was teasing whom? If the roles were reversed, this would be quite the show.
Seeing Jingliu intervene, Zero finally shifted his gaze away from Aha, then calmly continued walking, the child and bags in tow, buying more snacks as they went.
Now he started paying attention to Jingliu, whenever her gaze lingered on a stall, he'd stop and buy something from it.
He bought several servings in a row, all handed to Jingliu.
Jingliu found herself holding far too many snacks, puzzled.
Zero tilted his chin subtly toward Aha.
Looking at the silent child, Jingliu understood immediately.
He'd teased the poor thing so much it didn't even want to eat anymore.
She sighed. "See? You went too far."
Kneeling down, she took out a few skewers and desserts, handed them to Aha, and said gently, "No bugs. You can eat these safely."
The child quietly accepted them.
Then Zero spoke, suddenly serious, "Jingliu, could you find the Ten-Lords agents? I'll hold onto the snacks for now."
She nodded, passed the food to him, and turned to look for the nearby officers.
As soon as she left, Aha grumbled, "My dear friend, feeding me bugs, that's too much, even for you."
The innocence Zero wore before Jingliu vanished. His eyes deepened, and he gave a small, derisive laugh. "It's a Xianzhou specialty."
Aha, "…"
Honestly, that was too much. Fighting insect plagues was one thing, but eating them? Turning them into snacks?
Aha flared with indignation.
Zero noticed instantly and said calmly, "I'll give you some patrol pay. Go buy out the whole stall and feed it to your followers."
Aha's anger vanished at once. His tone turned warm, even touched. "Ah, my friend, only you truly understand me. No wonder we get along so well."
Feigning confusion, Zero said, "Get along? Since when? Aren't we just plastic best friends? The kind where if I were dying, you'd come finish the job yourself?"
For some reason, Aha fell silent.
Man and god, neither spoke for a long while.
Zero squatted down, leaning in closer on purpose.
"Am I wrong? What, did you even shed tears at my funeral?"
He said it just to annoy Aha, but ended up laughing himself. Before he could continue tormenting him, a strange, familiar noise cut through the air.
Something seemed to grow out from under flesh.
Zero slowly lifted his head, looking past Aha, at the Xianzhou citizen behind him, from whose chest golden leaves were sprouting.
The vendors around them screamed and scattered, but Zero and Aha stayed frozen in place.
For a heartbeat, Zero just stared, then calmly turned away, stuffing the remaining snacks into the biggest bag.
He said to Aha, "Handle it?"
Aha looked past him toward the approaching figure and shook his head lightly.
Then, the mixed scent of all the street food faded, replaced by a cool, familiar fragrance.
A gloved hand covered Zero's eyes.
He heard Jingliu's voice, "Close your eyes."
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