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墨書 Inktalez
"Um... right." Zhang Qiu did not want to hide anything.
"Sister Xue." Lucia called out Jiang Xue's name in her not-so-fluent Chinese after hearing it.
Zhang Qiu sat on the edge of the bed with his phone, while Lucia got up and looked at Jiang Xue on the screen, smiling, "Sister Xue, once I finish my business in Africa, I will definitely come to visit you. I miss you so much."
"Sure, I miss you too. How are you doing over there? Zhang Qiu isn't bullying you, is he?"
"How could he? Zhang Qiu is really nice; he's been protecting me all the way. That's why we are sharing a room." Lucia wanted to explain for Zhang Qiu; she didn't want Jiang Xue to misunderstand him because of her.
"I trust Zhang Qiu." Jiang Xue smiled generously, "He can be impulsive when he acts. If there's any danger, you must help me keep him in check."
"Don't worry, I promise Zhang Qiu will return safely to see you. Alright, I won't disturb you two any longer; let Zhang Qiu talk to you." Lucia handed the phone back to Zhang Qiu, who smiled and said, "If you don't need someone to keep me in check, I won't do anything foolish. With a treasure like you waiting for me at home, how could I bear to get into trouble?"
"That's good to hear!"
"Why is it just you? Isn't Tao Ya there?"
As soon as Zhang Qiu asked, Tao Ya's head popped into the video frame, whispering, "Brother Qiu."
"How's it going? Are you getting used to staying at your sister-in-law's place?"
"I'm used to it; Sister Xue is really nice to me." Tao Ya nodded vigorously, "Brother Qiu, when are you coming back? Sister Xue misses you; she was calling your name in her dreams last night."
Zhang Qiu's heart sank: "Xue'er, I will handle things here as quickly as possible and return to see you soon."
"Don't listen to Tao Ya. You take care of your own business, and I'll wait for you."
"How are the Brothers doing? How's our place?"
"Everything is normal, especially Fire Cicada. Man manages it really well; she was born for this line of work. With Man around, I can completely be hands-off."
"Haha, don't even think about it. What if Man goes to school? I'm still waiting for you to help me set up Butterfly Hall."
"Aren't you afraid I'll get tired?"
"Of course I'm afraid, which is why I want to go back early and reward you." Zhang Qiu said with a mischievous smile.
"Tch, it's not like we're doing anything serious." Jiang Xue rolled her eyes at Zhang Qiu. "By the way, the police came by recently for a major inspection of entertainment venues across the county. I heard from Rui Rui that White Day Fire has been checked four times."
"There weren't any issues, right?"
"No."
Zhang Qiu nodded and reminded, "Make sure to keep the report about White Day Fire up. Also, put up my photo with Director Chen; it should stay up until this county chief's term ends."
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of things at home. You don't need to stress about this side."
"You truly are my capable assistant."
Jiang Xue chuckled, "Capable assistant sounds too old-fashioned."
"What should that be?"
"I haven't thought it through yet. I'll let you know when I do. I'm not going to keep you; it's midnight on your side, so hurry up and go to sleep!"
Zhang Qiu chuckled and said, "As you command, my lady."
After the video call ended, Jiang Xue held her phone to her chest and smiled happily. Tao Ya beside her said softly, "Sister Xue, I can see that Brother Qiu really cares about you."
"Of course," Jiang Xue replied, lightly biting her lip, her rosy cheeks glowing with a smile.
"Sometimes, I really envy you two," Lucia said, hugging a pillow as she looked at Zhang Qiu.
"Why?"
"Because of love. You might not have noticed, but I can see clearly that Sister Xue has a smile on her lips whenever she talks to you. It's a very natural smile that comes from the heart; it's happy and warm."
Zhang Qiu smiled, acknowledging that Lucia was quite perceptive.
"Maybe I should have hidden earlier; it wouldn't have been good for Sister Xue to see us sharing a room."
"There's no need for that. I won't deceive my woman. Likewise, Xue'er trusts me."
"Perhaps that's why I envy you both," Lucia said, looking at Zhang Qiu with longing in her golden eyes.
"Lucia," Zhang Qiu gazed into Lucia's eyes, "you will also find your own happiness."
"Thank you," Lucia said with a smile and a nod.
Zhang Qiu glanced at the antique clock, its hands pointing to midnight, and said, "Well then, let's take a break."
"I need to take a shower first."
"Me too."
Lucia went to shower first while Zhang Qiu lay on the bed, staring at the floral-patterned ceiling. Forty minutes later, Lucia emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a cream-colored bathrobe and smiled apologetically, "Did I take too long?"
"No, not at all. It feels like only a little time has passed."
Zhang Qiu got up and walked toward the bathroom, tossing aside his strange-smelling clothes and standing under the shower as the water cascaded down. After enjoying a refreshing shower that washed away days of fatigue, he returned to the room to find Lucia already asleep in bed.
Zhang Qiu quietly approached the bedside, turned off the light, and lay down. Before long, he fell into a deep sleep. They were both too exhausted; once their tense nerves relaxed, all the weariness came rushing in.
No one disturbed them as Zhang Qiu and Lucia slept soundly until noon. After waking up, Zhang Qiu felt sore all over while Lucia stretched beside him and sighed, "I might need to lie down a bit longer."
Zhang Qiu pulled back the curtains, and bright sunlight flooded in. He squinted his eyes until they adjusted and looked outside the palace. Under the clear blue sky, a sea of military green moved continuously; armored vehicles and tanks were densely scattered around, and a heavy atmosphere hung in the air.
"How's it outside?" Lucia asked.
"Same as usual," Zhang Qiu replied as he walked back. "But I feel like there are definitely more soldiers and armored vehicles than last night." He couldn't be sure if there were actually more soldiers outside the palace compared to last night or if he simply hadn't noticed due to the darkness.
"Zhang Qiu, I'm thinking about something," Lucia said with a frown, lazily leaning against the headboard while tugging at a corner of the blanket.
"What's wrong?"
"Our purpose for the trip to Africa was to contact Prince Banan, and now that we have achieved that, should we leave?"
"We shouldn't," Zhang Qiu shook his head. "The situation in Tanzania is far more complicated than we imagined. Prince Banan is going through one of the toughest times in his life. I believe that no matter how dangerous it is, we should stay and help him."
"As long as you think so. However, this means that your meeting with Sister Xue will be delayed again."
"That's fine. We applied to universities in the same city, so there will be plenty of opportunities to spend time together."
"That's wonderful!" Lucia sat up from the bed. "Shall we go find Prince Banan?"
"Of course, I still have some unfinished business."
"What else do you have to do?"
Zhang Qiu smiled and asked, "Don't you want to see the scene of the three jade pendants coming together?"
"Oh dear," Lucia suddenly slapped her forehead. "Look at me, I'm so excited to see Prince Banan that I forgot the most important thing."
"It's not too late now; let's go!"
Zhang Qiu and Lucia changed into the clothes prepared by the Servant. No longer wearing strange ethnic costumes, they donned thick coats, shirts, and jeans, along with a Victorian skirt specially prepared for Lucia. Once they were dressed appropriately, they headed out. The Servant at the door slightly bowed and extended his right hand, gloved in white, respectfully saying, "This way please, Your Highnesses. I was instructed not to wake you; I will take you both to the restaurant now, and Prince Banan will see you shortly."
"Is K awake?" Zhang Qiu asked, noticing that K's room door was tightly closed, unsure if anyone was inside.
"The guest has woken up and is waiting for you in the restaurant."
"Alright, let's go."
Led by the Servant, they made their way to the restaurant. The palace restaurant was incredibly luxurious, with a high dome adorned with an array of Gold and Silver Utensils that sparkled in the soft yellow candlelight. The Rectangular Dining Table was neatly arranged on a Red and White Striped Mat, with a Silver Candelabra in the center burning Red Candles, casting a warm glow.
K was already seated at the table and waved at them upon seeing Zhang Qiu. Zhang Qiu and Lucia walked over and took their seats. The servants stood with one hand behind their backs while gently placing large platters on the table, lifting the lids to reveal exquisite lunch dishes.
"Please enjoy your meal," the servant said as he removed the excess items and stepped back.
Lucia looked at K's empty plate and asked, "Did they not prepare anything for you?"
"I've already eaten."
"Oh, in that case, let's eat," Lucia said as she picked up her knife and fork to cut into a piece of Leg of Lamb.
In front of Zhang Qiu were Pan-Seared Steak, Almond Crisp, Potato Salad, and Pumpkin Soup. Zhang Qiu thought that the royal cuisine wouldn't taste too bad, but after taking a bite, he realized he was mistaken; all the dishes had the same flavor—salty. As he ate, Zhang Qiu lamented internally about his lack of fortune and how he couldn't get used to the palace food. While reminiscing about his mother's fried rice and winter melon soup, Zhang Qiu finished all his meals. Despite the less-than-ideal taste, it was still better than K's compressed rations.
A nearby servant approached and asked, "Sir, would you like anything else?"
"No, thank you," Zhang Qiu replied as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
K waited for Zhang Qiu and Lucia to finish before directly stating, "You've met Prince Banan; isn't it time for you to return to your country with me?"
Zhang Qiu and Lucia exchanged smiles and replied together, "No!"
"You have achieved your goal." K calmly looked at Zhang Qiu and Lucia, not surprised by their response.
"The plan cannot keep up with changes, and the times have given us a new mission."
"Do you want to stay?" K had already guessed what Zhang Qiu was thinking.
"Yes, we want to stay here and help Prince Banan through this crisis."
"What can the two of you do? Don't forget, this is Africa, and this country is in turmoil!" K's tone was heavy; he completely disagreed with Zhang Qiu's plan.
"We are fully aware of that."
The three survivors faced a serious disagreement once again.
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