Each table in the restaurant had a starry lamp above it, complemented by a sea-blue background, resembling the night sky. At the same time, the partitions around the space had a warm light source, ensuring no shadows were cast from any angle.
Upon entering, this person seemed to have an effect of eclipsing the light sources, blocking out most of the illumination.
Qian Le opened his eyes wide and looked up, only seeing the person’s chin and nostrils.
Heya walked in and casually pulled up a chair to sit down. The originally appropriate-sized chair now appeared miniature when contrasted against his towering stature.
The previous seating arrangement of two people facing each other turned into three people at the same table, the once cozy atmosphere now replaced by a dangerous deal-like vibe.
“You don’t mind me sitting here, do you?” Heya asked with a smile, simultaneously placing his arms casually on the table, elbows bent slightly, the bronze-colored muscles of his upper arms bulging in blocks.
You’ve already sat down, haven’t you?
Qian Le silently snarked in his heart, regarding the strong and tall figure in front of him, not daring to speak. He turned to Zhou Zhou and asked in a low voice, “Do you know this person?”
Zhou Zhou shook his head, “No, I don’t.”
“Hahaha, I overheard you guys talking next door earlier. I just registered today, so I’m not quite sure how this game works yet. I was thinking of finding someone to guide me and earn some money along the way.”
As Heya spoke, he rubbed his thumb and index finger together, his manner carrying a hint of roguishness that made Qian Le feel as though they were being robbed.
“Sure, let’s exchange contact information then,” Zhou Zhou didn’t think too much of it. Hearing that the other party wanted to find someone to guide him, and since he himself hoped to meet more people, he could help the other out.
Unexpectedly, it went so smoothly. Heya added Zhou Zhou’s contact information, his mind going through several twists and turns, yet his expression remained a smiling, “friendly” look.
“Thanks a lot, guys. I’m Heya,” he said.
“I’m Zhou Zhou, and he’s Qian Le,” Zhou Zhou replied naturally, seeing his friend list gain another addition, without any abnormalities.
Qian Le forced a smile at the overpowering presence of Heya beside him, then turned to look at Zhou Zhou, who had stepped up opposite him, feeling a little uneasy.
He wasn’t a fool; don’t think he couldn’t see through it. The way this man sat down and flexed his muscles earlier was meant to threaten them.
Their two-person gathering had been crashed by a stranger. Although uncomfortable, the man’s muscular build and overall rogue-like demeanor suggested he was not someone to provoke easily. Momentary cowardice prevented Qian Le from speaking up.
Zhou Zhou probably noticed his fear, which is why he agreed to the other party’s request and even actively added his contact information, taking the trouble onto himself.
As for Qian Le, he could only sit there stiffly, unable to do anything.
The two slender youths and the exceptionally tall, muscular man sitting together looked strikingly uncoordinated.
Heya, on the other hand, found Zhou Zhou quite interesting. Most people, upon their first encounter with him, would react like the little chick beside him, cowering timidly without uttering a word.
Even vicious or cunning colleagues in the same line of work would reveal some peculiarity, no matter how slight.
Yet Zhou Zhou, who appeared to be a pampered noble’s son, showed not the slightest abnormality from the very first moment they met, as if he had simply encountered an ordinary person on the street, without even a hint of irregular breathing.
Whether he was trained from a young age or simply had such upbringing and perspective, Heya held him in higher regard.
Zhou Zhou noticed Qian Le’s dampened spirits, no longer as vibrant and lively as when they were chatting earlier. He then noticed the overly relaxed Heya, sitting there with his legs crossed as if in his own home.
“Qian Le, when do you have time? Let’s go do a dungeon together,” Zhou Zhou spoke up.
Qian Le looked at Heya, who responded with a sly smile. Originally intending to demonstrate his friendly and kind nature in front of the timid little chick, Qian Le instead felt that smile was mocking him.
He only wanted to go to the dungeon with just the two of them, Zhou Zhou and himself, without including this person.
What was going on here? This guy was so tall and built, he surely didn’t need anyone to guide him, right? And even if he did need someone to guide him, a person like him should find experienced or acquainted individuals, not two unfamiliar young people like them.
They didn’t have anything worth scheming over, did they?
As he thought about it, Qian Le felt a jolt. Something worth scheming over?
He didn’t have anything, but Zhou Zhou did!
Looking at Zhou Zhou’s exquisite features, porcelain-like complexion, elegant and upright posture, every move revealing a distinct air, Qian Le became unsettled. Could it be that this guy had taken a liking to Zhou Zhou?
No, no way, this was simply a flower inserted into… no, it was like beauty and the beast, absolutely unacceptable!
Shocked by his own wild imagination of the “truth,” Qian Le abruptly stood up. “Absolutely not!”
Zhou Zhou looked up at the indignant Qian Le in bewilderment. “Not possible? You don’t have time recently?”
Qian Le anxiously looked at the oblivious Zhou Zhou, wanting to expose this person’s malicious intentions to him. But upon meeting Heya’s slightly probing gaze even through his smile, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and he suddenly calmed down.
If he said it now, the other party might use force to coerce Zhou Zhou. He probably wanted to gradually scheme against Zhou Zhou since he agreed to do the dungeon together.
Earlier, Zhou Zhou had been protecting him, now it was his turn to protect Zhou Zhou!
“I’m available anytime,” Qian Le said while warily eyeing Heya. Since he couldn’t shake off this person, he would stick by Zhou Zhou’s side the entire time, absolutely not giving this guy any opportunity to harm Zhou Zhou.
Zhou Zhou nodded. “Heya, what about you, when are you free?”
“If you ask me, earning money isn’t something that needs to be rushed or delayed. How about we go tomorrow?” Heya disliked dragging things out. Since he had agreed to Ryan’s request to complete the mission, he couldn’t let the target person idle around on dates every day. It was better to get straight to the point, start with the dungeon to get closer to the other party, and perhaps discover more clues when in close proximity.
Of course, Zhou Zhou was delighted that two newfound friends were willing to join him for a dungeon quest.
The three had different thoughts in mind as they agreed on a time to tackle the dungeon quest together the next day.
Zhou Zhou also sent messages to Ke Li and Xue Li, but they both had work the next day and couldn’t make it.
On the other side, in the imperial palace of the capital, Alvia also received the message about their plan to do a dungeon quest the following day.
Zeus still hadn’t figured out who Zhou Zhou was or where he came from, unable to uncover any information about the forces behind him.
It seemed Alvia would have to personally act as bait to lure the snake out of its hole.
“Zeus, get ready. I’ll be joining them for the dungeon tomorrow.”
A child’s voice suddenly emerged from the luxurious palace, “Got it, don’t worry, I’ve already picked out a dungeon for you guys.”
Alvia frowned slightly, wanting to say something but stopping himself. The specifics of the dungeon didn’t matter, the main concern was how the other party would make their move.
He looked forward to their performance.
Each table in the restaurant had a starry lamp above it, complemented by a sea-blue background, resembling the night sky. At the same time, the partitions around the space had a warm light source, ensuring no shadows were cast from any angle.
Upon entering, this person seemed to have an effect of eclipsing the light sources, blocking out most of the illumination.
Qian Le opened his eyes wide and looked up, only seeing the person’s chin and nostrils.
Heya walked in and casually pulled up a chair to sit down. The originally appropriate-sized chair now appeared miniature when contrasted against his towering stature.
The previous seating arrangement of two people facing each other turned into three people at the same table, the once cozy atmosphere now replaced by a dangerous deal-like vibe.
“You don’t mind me sitting here, do you?” Heya asked with a smile, simultaneously placing his arms casually on the table, elbows bent slightly, the bronze-colored muscles of his upper arms bulging in blocks.
You’ve already sat down, haven’t you?
Qian Le silently snarked in his heart, regarding the strong and tall figure in front of him, not daring to speak. He turned to Zhou Zhou and asked in a low voice, “Do you know this person?”
Zhou Zhou shook his head, “No, I don’t.”
“Hahaha, I overheard you guys talking next door earlier. I just registered today, so I’m not quite sure how this game works yet. I was thinking of finding someone to guide me and earn some money along the way.”
As Heya spoke, he rubbed his thumb and index finger together, his manner carrying a hint of roguishness that made Qian Le feel as though they were being robbed.
“Sure, let’s exchange contact information then,” Zhou Zhou didn’t think too much of it. Hearing that the other party wanted to find someone to guide him, and since he himself hoped to meet more people, he could help the other out.
Unexpectedly, it went so smoothly. Heya added Zhou Zhou’s contact information, his mind going through several twists and turns, yet his expression remained a smiling, “friendly” look.
“Thanks a lot, guys. I’m Heya,” he said.
“I’m Zhou Zhou, and he’s Qian Le,” Zhou Zhou replied naturally, seeing his friend list gain another addition, without any abnormalities.
Qian Le forced a smile at the overpowering presence of Heya beside him, then turned to look at Zhou Zhou, who had stepped up opposite him, feeling a little uneasy.
He wasn’t a fool; don’t think he couldn’t see through it. The way this man sat down and flexed his muscles earlier was meant to threaten them.
Their two-person gathering had been crashed by a stranger. Although uncomfortable, the man’s muscular build and overall rogue-like demeanor suggested he was not someone to provoke easily. Momentary cowardice prevented Qian Le from speaking up.
Zhou Zhou probably noticed his fear, which is why he agreed to the other party’s request and even actively added his contact information, taking the trouble onto himself.
As for Qian Le, he could only sit there stiffly, unable to do anything.
The two slender youths and the exceptionally tall, muscular man sitting together looked strikingly uncoordinated.
Heya, on the other hand, found Zhou Zhou quite interesting. Most people, upon their first encounter with him, would react like the little chick beside him, cowering timidly without uttering a word.
Even vicious or cunning colleagues in the same line of work would reveal some peculiarity, no matter how slight.
Yet Zhou Zhou, who appeared to be a pampered noble’s son, showed not the slightest abnormality from the very first moment they met, as if he had simply encountered an ordinary person on the street, without even a hint of irregular breathing.
Whether he was trained from a young age or simply had such upbringing and perspective, Heya held him in higher regard.
Zhou Zhou noticed Qian Le’s dampened spirits, no longer as vibrant and lively as when they were chatting earlier. He then noticed the overly relaxed Heya, sitting there with his legs crossed as if in his own home.
“Qian Le, when do you have time? Let’s go do a dungeon together,” Zhou Zhou spoke up.
Qian Le looked at Heya, who responded with a sly smile. Originally intending to demonstrate his friendly and kind nature in front of the timid little chick, Qian Le instead felt that smile was mocking him.
He only wanted to go to the dungeon with just the two of them, Zhou Zhou and himself, without including this person.
What was going on here? This guy was so tall and built, he surely didn’t need anyone to guide him, right? And even if he did need someone to guide him, a person like him should find experienced or acquainted individuals, not two unfamiliar young people like them.
They didn’t have anything worth scheming over, did they?
As he thought about it, Qian Le felt a jolt. Something worth scheming over?
He didn’t have anything, but Zhou Zhou did!
Looking at Zhou Zhou’s exquisite features, porcelain-like complexion, elegant and upright posture, every move revealing a distinct air, Qian Le became unsettled. Could it be that this guy had taken a liking to Zhou Zhou?
No, no way, this was simply a flower inserted into… no, it was like beauty and the beast, absolutely unacceptable!
Shocked by his own wild imagination of the “truth,” Qian Le abruptly stood up. “Absolutely not!”
Zhou Zhou looked up at the indignant Qian Le in bewilderment. “Not possible? You don’t have time recently?”
Qian Le anxiously looked at the oblivious Zhou Zhou, wanting to expose this person’s malicious intentions to him. But upon meeting Heya’s slightly probing gaze even through his smile, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and he suddenly calmed down.
If he said it now, the other party might use force to coerce Zhou Zhou. He probably wanted to gradually scheme against Zhou Zhou since he agreed to do the dungeon together.
Earlier, Zhou Zhou had been protecting him, now it was his turn to protect Zhou Zhou!
“I’m available anytime,” Qian Le said while warily eyeing Heya. Since he couldn’t shake off this person, he would stick by Zhou Zhou’s side the entire time, absolutely not giving this guy any opportunity to harm Zhou Zhou.
Zhou Zhou nodded. “Heya, what about you, when are you free?”
“If you ask me, earning money isn’t something that needs to be rushed or delayed. How about we go tomorrow?” Heya disliked dragging things out. Since he had agreed to Ryan’s request to complete the mission, he couldn’t let the target person idle around on dates every day. It was better to get straight to the point, start with the dungeon to get closer to the other party, and perhaps discover more clues when in close proximity.
Of course, Zhou Zhou was delighted that two newfound friends were willing to join him for a dungeon quest.
The three had different thoughts in mind as they agreed on a time to tackle the dungeon quest together the next day.
Zhou Zhou also sent messages to Ke Li and Xue Li, but they both had work the next day and couldn’t make it.
On the other side, in the imperial palace of the capital, Alvia also received the message about their plan to do a dungeon quest the following day.
Zeus still hadn’t figured out who Zhou Zhou was or where he came from, unable to uncover any information about the forces behind him.
It seemed Alvia would have to personally act as bait to lure the snake out of its hole.
“Zeus, get ready. I’ll be joining them for the dungeon tomorrow.”
A child’s voice suddenly emerged from the luxurious palace, “Got it, don’t worry, I’ve already picked out a dungeon for you guys.”
Alvia frowned slightly, wanting to say something but stopping himself. The specifics of the dungeon didn’t matter, the main concern was how the other party would make their move.
He looked forward to their performance.
