Instead...
A clean black luxury sedan.
Still expensive.
But significantly less ridiculous.
He stepped out.
The restaurant was open.
Several customers ate outside.
Meng Lan noticed him first.
Her eyes widened.
Then...
A smile appeared.
"Oh?"
Shen Tian immediately became suspicious.
"Hello, Aunt Meng."
"Hello."
She wiped her hands.
"Looking for Lingxi?"
"Yes."
Meng Lan’s smile widened.
"I wonder why."
Shen Tian laughed.
"You know."
"I do."
Before she could continue...
The old man appeared.
Alive.
Healthy.
And drinking.
Of course.
He saw Shen Tian.
His eyes immediately lit up.
"SON-IN-LAW!"
Every customer turned.
Shen Tian froze.
Meng Lan covered her face.
"Dad."
The old man walked over.
"You’re here!"
"Apparently."
He looked toward the car.
Then Shen Tian.
Then...
His eyes narrowed.
"Date?"
Shen Tian sighed.
"Yes."
The old man slapped his shoulder.
"GOOD!"
The customers stared.
He proudly looked around.
"This boy brought me back from the dead!"
Silence.
Shen Tian slowly closed his eyes.
Meng Lan grabbed her father.
"Dad."
"What?"
"Inside."
"But..."
"Inside."
"I’m helping!"
"No."
She dragged him away.
The old man pointed toward Shen Tian.
"BRING HER BACK LATE!"
Meng Lan smacked him.
"OW!"
Shen Tian couldn’t stop laughing.
Then...
The restaurant door opened.
He looked up.
And stopped.
Chi Lingxi stepped outside.
She wasn’t wearing anything extravagant.
A soft cream-colored dress.
White shoes.
A light cardigan.
Her dark hair fell naturally over her shoulders.
Simple.
Pretty.
Young.
Normal.
Exactly what Shen Tian wanted for tonight.
No cultivation.
No Fate.
No protagonist.
No death.
No resurrection.
Just...
A date.
Chi Lingxi saw him.
Her nervousness immediately increased.
Shen Tian smiled.
"You look beautiful."
Her face became red instantly.
"T-Thank you."
She walked closer.
Then...
Looked at his outfit.
Black trousers.
White shirt.
Dark jacket.
She stared.
Shen Tian noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You were staring."
"No."
"You absolutely were."
Chi Lingxi looked away.
"...You look handsome."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Thanks."
The old man’s voice came from inside.
"KISS HIM!"
Chi Lingxi’s face exploded red.
"GRANDPA!"
Meng Lan shouted something incomprehensible.
Then a loud smack echoed.
"OW!"
Shen Tian laughed.
Chi Lingxi covered her face.
"Can we leave?"
"Please."
He opened the passenger door.
She climbed inside.
Shen Tian walked around.
Then...
They left.
Their first destination wasn’t expensive.
That surprised Chi Lingxi.
A quiet outdoor shopping district.
Small stores.
Food stalls.
A movie theater.
An arcade.
A park nearby.
People everywhere.
Normal people.
Normal couples.
Normal families.
Chi Lingxi looked around.
Then toward Shen Tian.
"I thought..."
"What?"
She became embarrassed.
"Nothing."
Shen Tian smiled.
"You thought I’d take you somewhere ridiculously expensive."
"...Maybe."
He laughed.
"I can."
"No!"
She answered too quickly.
Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.
Chi Lingxi smiled.
"I like this."
"Good."
They started walking.
At first...
There was a strange awkwardness.
Not bad.
Just...
New.
They’d spent plenty of time together.
Mini golf.
Restaurants.
The street race.
At the mansion.
But this was different.
Now...
They both knew.
This was a date.
Chi Lingxi walked beside him.
Their hands occasionally brushed.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Neither said anything.
Then...
Shen Tian simply took her hand.
Chi Lingxi froze.
She looked down.
Their fingers intertwined.
Then up.
Shen Tian continued walking naturally.
Like it wasn’t a huge deal.
For him...
Maybe it wasn’t.
For her...
Her heartbeat went insane.
She squeezed his hand.
Shen Tian looked over.
Chi Lingxi smiled.
He smiled back.
And...
The awkwardness disappeared.
They stopped at a food stall.
Chi Lingxi ordered strawberry crepes.
Shen Tian got chocolate.
She stared at his.
"You want mine."
"No."
"You’re staring."
"I’m not."
Shen Tian smiled.
Then held his crepe toward her.
"Try it."
Chi Lingxi hesitated.
Then took a bite.
Her eyes brightened.
"...That’s better."
"I knew it."
She looked at her strawberry one.
Then toward him.
"Want some?"
"Sure."
She held it toward him.
Shen Tian leaned forward.
Took a bite.
Chi Lingxi stared.
For some reason...
That felt incredibly intimate.
Then she realized...
They’d effectively shared food.
Her face warmed.
Shen Tian noticed.
"You’re red again."
"It’s hot."
"It’s seventy degrees."
"Shut up."
He laughed.
They entered the arcade next.
Chi Lingxi immediately saw a racing game.
Then...
Looked toward Shen Tian.
He looked toward her.
Both remembered the street race.
Chi Lingxi smiled.
"No."
Shen Tian laughed.
"Scared?"
"Absolutely not."
"Then..."
"No."
"One race."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You’re going to cheat."
"How?"
"By being good."
Shen Tian stared.
"That’s not cheating."
"It is against me."
Eventually...
She agreed.
Two seats.
Two steering wheels.
The countdown began.
3
Chi Lingxi gripped the wheel.
2
Shen Tian smiled.
1
GO!
Chi Lingxi accelerated.
Shen Tian did too.
For the first thirty seconds...
He stayed behind.
Chi Lingxi smiled.
"I’m winning!"
"Yep."
"You aren’t as good without your real car!"
"Apparently."
She laughed.
Then...
Shen Tian passed her.
Her smile disappeared.
He passed another car.
Then another.
Chi Lingxi stared.
"Hey."
Shen Tian smiled.
"What’s wrong?"
"Come back."
"No."
"SHEN TIAN!"
He crossed the finish line.
1ST PLACE
Chi Lingxi finished fourth.
She stared.
Shen Tian slowly looked toward her.
"...Good race."
She smacked his arm.
"You let me think I was winning!"
"I wanted you to have hope."
"That’s worse!"
He laughed.
She tried not to.
Failed.
Then laughed too.
They played everything.
Basketball.
Air hockey.
Rhythm games.
A claw machine.
Chi Lingxi desperately wanted a small wolf plush.
Shen Tian tried.
Missed.
Again.
Missed.
Chi Lingxi stared.
Shen Tian stared at the machine.
"...Rigged."
She laughed.
"The great Shen Tian defeated by a claw machine."
"It’s cheating."
"You sound like Yun..."
She stopped.
The name died.
Silence.
Her smile faded.
Shen Tian’s did too.
Yun Wanhe.
Her grandfather’s killer.
The person Shen Tian had allowed to grow.
For rewards.
Chi Lingxi looked away.
"Sorry."
Shen Tian shook his head.
"Don’t apologize."
He became quiet.
Then...
"I owe you an apology."
Chi Lingxi looked toward him.
"For what?"
Shen Tian stared at the claw machine.
(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!

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