The brightly lit streets were bustling with people.
After a day of work, people shed the weight of their duties, choosing to relax with a drink at the tavern or sit at a ramen stall to enjoy a steaming bowl of delicious noodles.
Children gathered at street corners, playing insect-fighting games, their faces full of joy.
The air was filled with the vibrancy of everyday life, scenes that were rarely seen by Raiden Makoto.
Normally, when she walked through the streets, even if the people weren't gathered in groups, they would respectfully bow to her, making the atmosphere feel stiff and awkward.
Of course, sometimes she would use a small spell like tonight to conceal her identity and walk through the streets, but due to her busy official duties, such opportunities were still rare.
Tonight was a rare opportunity. Wearing the dress she had prepared specifically to show to Yu Xie, Makoto had carefully made herself up, determined to create a beautiful memory.
Like a young girl experiencing love for the first time, she held her beloved's hand, walking shoulder to shoulder with him down the street under the night sky.
Perhaps it was her striking beauty that caught the attention of many passersby, one girl couldn't help but whisper in awe to her friend:
"Look, look, that girl over there, she's so beautiful... her makeup and dress are so lovely, she looks like she's stepped out of a painting!"
"She is pretty, but compared to Shogun, she still falls a bit short. Shogun is the most beautiful," the other girl nodded as she spoke.
These words drifted on the wind and reached Yu Xie and Makoto's ears. They exchanged a glance and, without a word, both smiled.
"Excuse me, Yu Xie, who do you think is more beautiful, me or Shogun?" Makoto asked, holding Yu Xie's hand tightly and looking into his eyes.
Yu Xie thought for a moment and smiled, replying:
"Tonight, you're the most beautiful. But if we're talking about usually, then Shogun is more beautiful."
Upon hearing this response, Makoto didn't say anything further but smiled, her smile lingering on her lips. She tightened her grip on Yu Xie's hand, almost as if afraid they might get separated in the crowd.
Good times always pass quickly, and time silently slipped away.
It seemed like they hadn't been walking for long, but the streetlights were no longer as bright as before, and the pedestrians were no longer as numerous.
Makoto knew very well that tonight would eventually come to an end.
However, even if it was just for a little longer, she was content to spend a bit more time with Yu Xie, enjoying the moment as an ordinary girl, walking beside him.
They passed by a stall, displaying various kinds of jewelry and ornaments. None of them were particularly expensive, but they were all finely crafted.
The stall owner was a plump middle-aged woman who was packing up, seemingly preparing to close for the night.
"Would you two like to buy something? Although my items aren't expensive, I guarantee they're all quite exquisite," the stall owner said as she noticed Yu Xie and Makoto passing by, quickly halting her actions in an attempt to make one last sale before closing.
Upon hearing the stall owner's words, Makoto stopped, and naturally, Yu Xie followed suit.
It was then that the stall owner had a chance to take a good look at her two customers.
After getting a good look at them, the stall owner couldn't help but feel a slight sense of admiration and quietly muttered to herself:
"Such a perfect couple, truly a match made in heaven... It even reminds me of when I was madly in love with my husband."
This statement made both Yu Xie and Makoto pause for a moment, surprised by the unexpected remark from the stall owner.
The stall owner immediately realized her slip of the tongue and quickly apologized with a smile:
"My apologies, seeing such a perfect couple made me reminisce about the past, and I accidentally said it out loud. I hope you two don't mind. How about this, if you're interested in buying any of these trinkets, I'll give you a 30% discount."
The word "couple" made Makoto's heart suddenly race.
Tonight, although to the other passersby, she and Yu Xie were clearly a couple, it was the first time someone had openly said it to their faces.
Since they were a couple, holding hands and strolling through the streets must be a completely normal thing, right?
Thinking this, Makoto tightened her grip on Yu Xie's hand a little more.
Yu Xie noticed the subtle change and smiled, turning to the stall owner and saying, "It's fine."
Then, Yu Xie's gaze wandered across the stall, searching for something. After a moment, he picked up a hair accessory in the shape of a folding fan and held it up next to Makoto's hair.
"I'll take this one."
"No problem, I'll wrap it up for you."
Soon, the stall owner carefully wrapped the accessory and handed it to Yu Xie, then proceeded to pack up the stall for the night.
The street was quieter now, with one fewer stall and fewer people around.
"Here." Yu Xie handed the wrapped fan-shaped hair accessory to Makoto. "This one is simple, but next time, I'll make a better one for you with higher quality materials."
"Mm." Makoto blushed slightly and nodded, carefully accepting the accessory and tucking it away.
Of course, she didn't lack for hair ornaments or any kind of accessory. Every item she owned was far more precious and rare than this one.
But this one was different. It was picked out by Yu Xie himself.
Whether it was valuable or not didn't matter at all. What truly mattered to Makoto was never the price or rarity.
Time continued to pass, and the number of people on the street grew even fewer.
The two of them arrived at a dimly lit street. Fortunately, the night sky was clear, and the moonlight was bright.
"Yu Xie, will we be able to do this again like tonight?" Makoto couldn't help but ask softly.
"Of course," Yu Xie replied without hesitation.
A happy smile appeared at the corner of Makoto's lips. She stopped walking, stood on tiptoe, and gently kissed Yu Xie's cheek.
"Then tonight..."
Makoto was about to say, "Then it's getting late, we should head back and rest," but halfway through, she suddenly thought of something.
After spending the evening together, do couples just part ways and go back to their own homes?
Though Makoto didn't have experience in these matters, she wasn't entirely unaware either.
"…Yu Xie, what do you think? After a couple spends the whole evening together like this, what should they do next?" Makoto's face turned bright red, her ears and neck flushed as well, and even her breathing seemed a little quicker.
The sudden change in atmosphere made Yu Xie feel a bit unsure.
"Makoto... we..."
"Yu Xie... would you... be willing to come back to the Tenshukaku with me now?" Makoto gathered her courage, her face still red, and she looked up at Yu Xie with shy eyes, asking softly.
--------------
Exclusive access : All novel on paetron
Genshin impact 270+ch, Naruto birdcage 370+ch, Overlord Complete novel
From the apocalypse 100+ch, Fairy tail Destiny 150+ch
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz