A Timid Companion in the Bustling City

Observing Jiang Zilin before him.

Her dark, loose-fitting hoodie, unable to conceal the generous swell of her chest, combined with a black mask and sunglasses obscuring her face, and the brim of her hood deliberately pulled low, made her look, at first glance, like a criminal.

Even her slightly curly golden hair was haphazardly stuffed into her hood, with numerous strands escaping to frame her cheeks, contributing to her overall disheveled appearance.

This was further accentuated by her plain work pants and sneakers.

Her hands, mostly hidden in her sleeves with only a few fingers peeking out, nervously clutched at her own hem.

The sight made her resemble a timid, fluffy little animal.

Especially since he had cornered her, it felt akin to a scene from a pervert-on-a-train scenario (TL Note: ‘Densha Chikan’ refers to a pervert on a train, often groping women, a common trope in Japanese media).

In such a situation, to lay hands on a woman…

‘Damn it.’

Chen Ran realized his own thoughts were veering into strange territory.

In that moment, Jiang Zilin seemed particularly clumsy.

Huddled in the corner, she let out tiny, nervous gasps whenever the subway lurched into motion.

Having failed to grasp either a handrail or a pole, her trembling body swayed precariously, reminiscent of a small boat tossed aimlessly on a vast sea.

Even though her entire delicate face was almost completely obscured by the mask and sunglasses, Chen Ran could still discern from Jiang Zilin’s faint, fragmented whimpers that she was so tense, she was on the verge of tears.

Despite her evident discomfort, she was still determined to go out and buy a birthday gift for an online friend.

It was clear Jiang Zilin shared a remarkably close bond with this “succubus” girl.

With only one hand free, he gently drew her into his embrace.

Patting Jiang Zilin’s back as if soothing a child, Chen Ran whispered softly into her ear.

“It’s alright, Sister Lin, it’s alright. I’m right here.”

“Woo…”

Jiang Zilin could only manage cute whimpers, her large eyes, visible beneath the sunglasses, already glistening with unshed tears.

However, once she leaned fully into his arms, her trembling body, which had been swaying with the subway, noticeably calmed.

Chen Ran remained silent.

Gently holding this shy and somewhat clumsy person, he awkwardly gripped a pole with one hand while using the other to pull out his phone and message Cold, who was still at school.

He instructed her that he and her sister were heading to Xijing that evening, asking if she would go home after evening study or come to find them.

[Cold: Home.]

‘Hmm.’

So Chen Ran continued to instruct the girl, telling her that if he and Jiang Zilin weren’t back that night, she should check the convenience store first, then get herself some late-night snacks.

[Cold: Okay.]

The girl’s replies were always so concise and clear.

Not long after, Cold sent him another new message.

[You’ve worked hard.]

‘Hmm.’

‘She must be referring to taking her sister out.’

Previously, whenever Jiang Zilin needed to go out, Cold was always the one to accompany her.

Given her condition, walking around the house was manageable, but venturing far to places like Xijing was an entirely different matter.

For Jiang Zilin, it was an endeavor she absolutely could not undertake alone.

Chen Ran, however, found it quite alright; he even thought Jiang Zilin’s current social anxiety made her somewhat endearing.

‘Come to think of it.’

‘This was his first time accompanying Jiang Zilin out.’

For the first half-month or so that he had been staying with the Jiang family, he and Jiang Zilin hadn’t exchanged a single word.

According to her, that period was a “probationary phase,” and it was only because he was “too outstanding” that she had accepted him as a member of the family.

It was worth noting that, aside from her mother, Jiang Ruohua, Cold, and Granny Yang, who sold pastries, he was the fourth person capable of engaging in normal conversation with Jiang Zilin.

‘Hooray, Coca-Cola.’ (TL Note: A playful pun derived from the similar-sounding Chinese phrase ‘kexikehe,’ meaning ‘congratulations,’ and the brand name ‘Coca-Cola.’)

****

After disembarking from the subway, Chen Ran led Jiang Zilin to Xijing’s bustling Akihabara district, a place akin to a holy land for “two-dimensional” (TL Note: ‘Erciyuan’ or ‘two-dimensional’ refers to anime, manga, and related subcultures) enthusiasts.

Stepping out of the subway station, cute girls in maid outfits were ubiquitous, handing out flyers on the streets, inviting passersby to relax at their maid cafes.

Others wore an array of peculiar costumes: some were science fiction-themed, others classical, and some… well, they were grotesque, oversized mascot heads.

The streets teemed with shops selling figures, arcades, computer stores, and various gaming and anime merchandise.

On the giant screens of the department stores lining the streets, music videos of adorable anime girls played; banners for new anime seasons were strung everywhere, and young idol groups even performed street shows.

The bustling Xijing district on a Saturday night was terrifyingly crowded.

This seemed to make Jiang Zilin even more terrified of being separated from him.

Her hands gripped his clothes tightly, and every few seconds, she would nervously call his name, incessantly muttering, “Xiao Ran, Xiao Ran, Xiao Ran, where are you…” Then she would look at him.

Only after confirming he was looking back at her would she let out a soft sigh of relief.

Then, after ten or twenty seconds, the cycle would repeat.

Furthermore.

As they walked.

At nearly every intersection, Jiang Zilin would nervously look left and right for a long time.

Then, she would anxiously pull out her phone to re-verify the route on the navigation app, ensuring they hadn’t taken a wrong turn.

This continued for quite some time.

Chen Ran, in this manner, accompanied Jiang Zilin all the way to their destination: a shop that seemed to specialize in tarot cards, crystal balls, and other peculiar “occult items.”

The birthday gift they intended to purchase was a collaboration bracelet, recently released by this shop in partnership with a popular mobile game.

One had to win a qualification in the game to be able to buy it at the physical store.

‘Hmm.’

‘It certainly was the kind of birthday gift Jiang Zilin, an otaku (TL Note: A Japanese term for a person with an obsessive interest in anime, manga, or video games), would imagine.’

“Y-y-y-you… h-h-hello… I-I…”

“Hello, we’d like to buy this item.”

Chen Ran took Jiang Zilin’s phone.

He pulled his “useless” older sister, whose speech had devolved into stutters, closer and gestured for her to let him handle it.

Then.

He informed the young female shop assistant behind the counter of their purchase.

“The total comes to six hundred and ninety yuan.”

“Alright.”

“Would you like it gift-wrapped?”

“Yes, please. It’s a gift.”

“And would you like a greeting card written?”

“Uh…”

Chen Ran glanced at Jiang Zilin, who was visibly on edge beside him, and nodded.

“Just a blank one, please. We’ll write it ourselves when we get back.”

“Certainly.”

The young shop assistant swiftly tied a silver bracelet, nestled in an intricately designed golden box, with a colorful ribbon.

She then placed it into a larger red box, which she carefully positioned in the center of a gift bag.

The entire process took several minutes.

“Thank you for your patience.”

“It’s alright.”

“We look forward to your next visit.”

Stepping out of the store, only then did Chen Ran feel Jiang Zilin, who was pressed tightly against him.

Her entire body seemed to relax, softly leaning into him as if a great weight had been lifted.

Clearly.

The simple act of buying something had already drained a significant amount of her energy; even just being by his side had proven exhausting for her.

It was only at this moment that Chen Ran truly understood what Cold’s earlier message, [You’ve worked hard.], had truly meant.