Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
In a stone-built pool, steam was rising, and the October air was still a bit chilly. At this moment, the sky had darkened, and Bai Yujing and Li Hao were soaking in this small pool.
Aside from this one, there were several other stone-built Hot Spring Pools of various sizes, with many people enjoying the hot springs. Most of them were local guests who did not stay here but came to soak at night. It seemed that the hot springs were indeed quite good, at least gaining the approval of the locals, which was reassuring.
From the other side of the wall, sounds of splashing and laughter could be heard, along with the shrieks of little girls. Neon Uncle, soaking in the hot spring, began to tell some risqué jokes, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
Bai Yujing picked up a wooden bucket and poured a basin of water over his head. The hot steam combined with the elements contained in the hot spring made his skin feel warm and slightly dizzy, which was very comfortable.
The temperatures of the various hot springs were different; Bai Yujing's side was relatively hotter because he had followed the Innkeeper's recommendation to soak from one pool to another.
Li Hao draped a towel over his forehead and lay down on the other side of the Hot Spring Pool in a relaxed manner. "Old Bai, do you have any goals for coming here?"
Bai Yujing closed his eyes and nodded before shaking his head. "I have a rough target, but I still need to search for it. I only know part of its characteristics; it should be a very ancient shrine with a huge black pine at its entrance. However, after so many years, it may have changed."
"Is it within Kobin City?"
"Not necessarily. The area of ancient Kobin Domain is much larger than that of present-day Kobin City. Moreover, all of Fukui Prefecture is lined up along the coast, so these coastal areas are all possibilities. The workload is still quite significant!"
The two chatted casually while soaking in the hot spring, which indeed gave a lazy feeling that made it hard to muster any energy.
"That kind of ancient shrine you mentioned must have some local legends associated with it. Even if it has been abandoned, it should still have some fame. Once you narrow it down like that, it should be easy to find—at most just ask some locals!"
"Why did you bring Nana along?" Bai Yujing suddenly changed the subject.
Li Hao was momentarily taken aback but quickly perked up. "Ah! Oh! You mean Meili! I mentioned your situation to her; she was very interested and insisted that I bring her along. You know me; I'm very resolute, but when a girl keeps asking, I had no choice. To embody our Chinese nation's high moral standards, I could only agree to her request."
"Nonsense! You're clearly a spy sent by the enemy infiltrating our ranks. A single sweet talker has led you to betray information! Li Hao, oh Li Hao! If this were the old society, you'd definitely be labeled as a traitor!" Bai Yujing also took off the towel from his forehead and criticized Li Hao!
"Is it really okay for us to talk about this here?" Li Hao pointed to the nearby Neon Uncles who were chatting.
"What are you afraid of? Anyway, those Little Devils won't understand what we're saying!" Bai Yujing said as she wrapped a towel around herself and stood up from the Hot Spring Pool. "Alright, it's about time for Dinner. Let's get up!"
The inn was lit with lanterns in the evening, not the brightest lights, but a dim yellow glow with a hint of red. The corridors were adorned with oil paintings depicting Japanese scenery, and at the entrance of the restaurant, there was a large frame holding a Scenic Painting that contrasted a distant city with a foreground of flower fields, a structure and layout that Bai Yujing really liked.
However, what left Bai Yujing somewhat speechless was that next to it hung a framed picture of Aoki Kuro, with an American Flag in the background. Indeed, Sam Uncle's influence in Neon was undeniable.
While Bai Yujing and Li Hao emerged from the Hot Spring Pool with reddened skin, Amiya Miri had already changed into her clothes and was helping the inn's owners prepare dinner. As Bai Yujing and Li Hao sat in the living room, they saw Amiya Miri run out, bringing each of them a cup of coffee.
"After running in the hot spring, this is really nice to drink!" Amiya Miri still dared not look at Bai Yujing, seemingly feeling a bit guilty for causing trouble for them by coming here.
"Thank you!" Bai Yujing accepted the coffee.
Li Hao then shouted from the side, "Meili-chan, what are we having for dinner?"
Bai Yujing translated for him, and Meili seriously said to Bai Yujing, "For dinner, we have sushi, Salmon Sashimi, and Tempura. We also have rice and ramen. What do you want to eat?"
Bai Yujing asked Li Hao and then told Meili, "I want rice; Li Hao wants ramen!"
Meili nodded while adjusting her apron. "Okay, please wait a moment; I'll get it ready right away!"
A head popped out from the kitchen; it was the male owner of the inn who also served as the chef. "Meili-chan, I'm really sorry; my daughter has disappeared somewhere. I need your help!"
Amiya Miri immediately pulled aside the curtain and walked in. "It's no problem; I often help my mom with chores at home!"
"Ah, Meili-chan's apron looks so cute!" Li Hao exclaimed as he looked into the kitchen, his eyes nearly popping out.
Bai Yujing nodded, "Not bad, she's a good girl, but it still doesn't change your tendency for lolis!"
"What about being a lolicon? I'm proud of it. Isn't your girlfriend almost three years younger than you? You have no right to criticize me!" Li Hao was well aware of Bai Yujing's background.
The two looked towards Amiya Miri, who was busy in the semi-open kitchen, wearing a white apron. The serious expression on her delicate face was indeed captivating. Bai Yujing nudged Li Hao, "I have to say, she really is a good girl. You actually have good taste for once!"
"Of course!" After saying this, Li Hao immediately shot a hostile glare at Bai Yujing, "Hey, you're already a married man. Don't get any ideas about Meili!"
"Please, I'm almost a whole generation older than her. I’m not as shameless as you!"
"Shameless or not, for Meili, I'm going all out. I've already arranged online Japanese language classes and bought several Japanese textbooks to start learning from scratch. After I go back, I’ll even have a private Japanese teacher to teach me. This time I'm serious!" Li Hao gathered his courage again.
"Wow, I'm not afraid of a cultured rogue; I'm afraid of a patient rogue! By the way, I suddenly remembered you went to Scotland because of a romantic setback. Tell me about your love history; someone like you would have moments of frustration too?" Bai Yujing suddenly recalled something and looked at Li Hao with a playful expression.
Li Hao's expression changed immediately, "Hey, hey, don’t bring up old wounds! That’s all in the past. And this absolutely cannot be told to Meili-chan!"
"Don't worry, I understand. By the way, didn't you say that a tourbillon is the romance of men? Oh dear, this watch on my hand doesn't feel quite right!" Bai Yujing pretended to rub her Patek Philippe watch.
"You’re just taking advantage of the situation..." Li Hao gritted his teeth and said. However, before he could finish his sentence, Bai Yujing stood up and pretended to shout towards the kitchen.
"No problem!"
"On it!"
At that moment, Meili brought out the dishes slowly while wearing gloves. Bai Yujing and Li Hao helped as well; with three people serving six dishes, it was quite a feast. The Neon People usually sat on their knees while eating, which was something Bai Yujing and Li Hao weren't quite used to.
Once Meili-chan had taken off her apron and gloves and tidied up, the two could hardly wait any longer. After running around in the hot springs, they felt even hungrier. However, while Meili was kneeling down, she turned to face Bai Yujing and said with a bow, "I'm really sorry about this time; I asked Mr. Li Hao to come over and caused you trouble!"
"That's okay, but what I want to tell you is that coming here doesn't necessarily guarantee you'll get the results you want. Just treat it as a trip!" Bai Yujing nodded and said.
"Thank you!" Meili bent down again. Bai Yujing wasn't very comfortable with how formal the Neon People were.
"Arigato, I'm going to dig in now!" The aroma of the food filled the air, and Bai Yujing and Li Hao couldn't hold back any longer. After Meili finished speaking, they immediately picked up their chopsticks.
After devouring a few bites of Teppanyaki beef and Tempura to fill their stomachs, Meili ate more slowly. Bai Yujing asked, "Meili, aren't you going to school these two days? Won't it affect your studies?"
"The sports festival is happening for three days, so we have a break. I asked my mom for permission to come here!" Amiya Miri said after putting down her chopsticks.
"What? Your mom agreed?" Bai Yujing was quite surprised.
"Yes, because Mr. Li Hao went with me to explain it to my mom. She was very happy that I could make foreign friends!" Meili nodded.
Well, going out to travel with two foreign men is really hard to feel at ease about, right? What kind of mother is that? Especially with Li Hao; it’s obvious he has ulterior motives!
"By the way, if Li Hao does anything inappropriate, let me know and I'll take care of him for you."
"Eh? Mr. Li Hao should be a good person, right?"
".........."
Comment 0 Comment Count