Chapter 219: The Third Promotion Task
The next morning, Bai Ya woke up before dawn, just as she always did.
After buying groceries for the day at the morning market, she ran over to the small clinic to invite Aryan to join them for breakfast.
But by the time the two of them returned to the cabin, Lu Wei wasn’t even out of bed.
“Is Lu Wei just too tired?”
Aryan tiptoed over and peeked through a crack in the window before turning back to whisper:
“Why is he still sleeping so late?”
“He’s always like this.”
Bai Ya pouted, muttering as she sliced some ham, “He insists on waiting until sunrise to get up. Says it’s healthier.”
“Oh, really.”
Aryan gently closed the window, her eyes curving into crescent moons. “Sounds like the schedule of a nobleman, doesn’t it?”
Bai Ya agreed offhandedly. “Right? …Could you pass me that plate?”
“Oh, sure.”
Aryan handed her a wooden plate from the side of the stove and naturally rolled up her sleeves.
“Bai Ya, let me help you.”
“Okay—ah, no! You’re a guest. I can’t have you helping out!”
Bai Ya suddenly grew wary, waving her hands in refusal.
After all, the memory of Lu Wei asking Aryan if she knew how to cook was still vivid in her mind. She had no intention of giving the other girl any opportunity to replace her.
“Why don’t you go rest inside? I’ll be done in a minute!”
“…Alright, then.”
Aryan paused for a moment, likely guessing Bai Ya’s thoughts. She didn’t press the issue and walked into the cabin.
Come to think of it, this was her first time here.
Lu Wei had invited Elder to Mr. Undead’s funeral before.
But the clinic was very busy at the time, so Aryan hadn’t come along.
Besides, back then, Lu Wei was just an Ordinary “boy next door” in her eyes.
Not until that one night, when Lu Wei suddenly burst through the clinic doors carrying a barely conscious Bai Ya on his back…
“…”
As the thought crossed her mind, Aryan couldn’t help but glance back at Bai Ya, who was busy at the stove, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes.
But it passed as quickly as it came. She looked away, her gaze shifting to Hess, who was hiding behind the bedroom door.
The little creature was acting like a Thief, most of its body hidden behind the door with only its big eyes peeking out. Its blank gaze held a hint of wariness, as if it were trying to figure out who this short human girl was.
Nobody dislikes fluffy little animals.
And nobody dislikes perfectly round spheres that are wonderful to the touch.
Therefore, everyone loves a Fur Ball.
Aryan, of course, was no exception.
“You must be Hess~”
Lu Wei had told her about Hess, so she wasn’t surprised. She crouched down and greeted him softly.
Hess, having apparently decided she posed no threat, waddled out from behind the door on its stubby legs and let out a soft hum.
“Prrr~”
“Hello there. I’m Aryan.”
Aryan tentatively reached out and stroked its head.
Not only did Hess not resist, it even nudged forward into her hand.
“Rrrr~”
“What are you saying?”
“Prrr~”
“I don’t understand. Are you hungry?”
Aryan smiled sweetly, two faint dimples appearing on her cheeks.
Hess simply leaped into her lap, continuing its “rrrr” humming, and didn’t open its mouth to say something terrifying like, “It’s Meituan.”
Clearly, even though Aryan didn’t understand Beast Language, that didn’t stop her from earning Hess’s trust in a remarkably short time.
Just then, Lu Wei emerged from the bedroom, pushing the door open with a yawn.
“Hm?”
He paused when he saw Aryan. “What are you doing here?”
“Bai Ya invited me. She said there was something she wanted my help with later.”
Aryan was still crouched on the floor, holding Hess in her lap as she looked back at him.
Just then, the soft morning light spilled through the doorway, illuminating her. The hem of her linen skirt fanned out on the floor, and her pale gray shirt made her neck seem even fairer. Paired with the fluffy, white, cotton-candy-like Hess in her arms… in that instant, it seemed as if even the dust motes floating in the light had slowed down.
Looking at the beautiful scene, Lu Wei inexplicably felt that Aryan had somehow become even cuter.
‘Jeez,’ he thought, ‘if they made a figurine of this scene, the otaku from my past life would fight over it.’
‘A top-tier “healing-type” collectible, for sure.’
‘Then again, Hess probably adds bonus points to the scene.’
‘No wonder all the cute characters in the games from my past life had pets.’
“Oh, she wants you to help her sell blind boxes.”
After admiring the sight for a few moments, Lu Wei walked over, attempting to join the cozy scene.
“Blind boxes?”
Aryan blinked in confusion, gently stroking Hess’s head. “What are those?”
“They’re… wait, you didn’t hear about them yesterday?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Alright, I’ll let Bai Ya explain them to you later. In short, it’s a product I invented.”
Lu Wei crouched down, vigorously “petting the ball” as he answered, “I have to head into the forest this afternoon, so I was originally going to have her sell them by herself tomorrow.”
“But she was worried she couldn’t handle it on her own, so she thought to ask you for help.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t take up too much of your time. They’ll be sold out within half an hour, tops.”
“Oh, I see. That’s no problem at all.”
Aryan nodded, her gaze shifting to Lu Wei’s collar.
“Lu Wei, your shirt is buttoned wrong.”
“Huh? Is it?”
“Yes, let me help you~”
Aryan naturally set Hess down on her lap, then leaned forward slightly. She reached out, unfastened the top three buttons of Lu Wei’s shirt, and then carefully re-buttoned them one by one from the top down.
Her movements were gentle and focused, with the meticulous care unique to a healthcare professional.