A Sticky Encounter in the City

Although they had a rough plan, they were essentially wandering without purpose.

Since they had exited at a subway station in the city center and the summer break had released a surge of energetic teenagers, even the streets were bustling despite the scorching heat.

‘Wow, so many people…’

The three of them had been walking for over an hour, exhausted, and sought refuge under a tree, licking ice cream cones.

While hotpot left a bad impression on Alezno, the ice cream was surprisingly agreeable, though her slightly flushed face and the awkward way she stretched out her tongue to lick it made the scene a bit sensual.

Li Yue, on the other hand, didn’t lick hers at all. She bit straight into the cone, finishing it in a few bites, despite its modest size.

As for Mo Linyu…

She ate slowly, and by the time she started to lick the melting ice cream, her composure was gone, and she looked a bit disheveled.

‘How’s it going?’

Mo Linyu squeezed her sticky hands, replying, ‘No good, I haven’t sensed anything…’

She stood up, looking around for a place to wash her hands.

Li Yue, sensing her thoughts, pointed to a nearby Waxer’s.

‘Over there. It doesn’t have a restroom, but there’s a sink.’

Mo Linyu shook her head.

[It’s a bit dirty.]

She resolutely walked toward a McDonald’s farther away.

[I’ll go over there instead.]

‘You’re being so picky. Doesn’t cheap fast food lower your standards?’

Li Yue teased, but neither she nor Alezno followed. They stayed put, with Alezno yawning and rubbing her eyes.

The fast pace of modern city life was overwhelming for an elf, and the warm atmosphere was almost hypnotic.

To stay awake, Alezno found a topic.

‘Moon, this world has so many people. Even the capital of our kingdom doesn’t have this many.’

‘Well, Tianyuan City is a first-tier metropolis after all.’

Li Yue pondered the situation in the other world, ‘It’s about at this world’s medieval level. It’s normal for there to be a population difference, and it will take thousands of years for it to develop further.’

‘As long as there aren’t any more wars,’ Alezno added.

‘That might be a bit challenging.’

Li Yue recalled what the Demon Lord had said. After her departure, the magical race’s territory would decline, and the human kingdom would enjoy a period of peace. But eventually, a new Demon Lord would rise to challenge the humans again.

Then…

The Goddess would select a new unlucky Hero to accept the king’s summons and embark on a quest to defeat the Demon Lord.

Such a world would never know peace, and the Goddess herself was the source of the chaos.

Not wanting to think about it, Li Yue said, ‘Forget it, that world is no longer our concern.’

Even if all the scattered souls from the other world were gathered, the Goddess would only make them official residents, erasing all traces of their original world and turning them into souls of this world.

A large population was actually a good sign, increasing the chances of encountering souls from the other world.

However, Tianyuan City was vast, making it as difficult to find an otherworldly soul as searching for a needle in a haystack…

Looking at it that way, finding Alezno so quickly seemed like a miracle of fate?

Li Yue turned to Alezno, who said, ‘Moon, those two people are acting strangely.’

‘Hmm?’

Li Yue looked in the direction Alezno was pointing, which happened to be where Mo Linyu had gone.

Two men in black suits were peeking suspiciously from the entrance of the McDonald’s, but their attire made them stand out rather than hide them.

Li Yue hadn’t seen them before, but their clothing suggested something.

‘Sigh, are these Mo Changhong’s bodyguards?’

With a teenage daughter just out of school, Mo Changhong wouldn’t be able to relax knowing she was out all day without any contact. It was understandable that he would have his bodyguards keep an eye on her.

Li Yue sighed, ‘I told her not to leave so early in the morning. It would be best if she stayed home in the afternoon too.’

When Mo Linyu was with them, she would turn off her previous phone, so she shouldn’t have been tracked…

It seemed the big girl’s anti-tracking skills were lacking?

Li Yue took out her phone and took two photos from a distance.

Then, she sent the photos to Mo Linyu’s trifold.

Li Yue: [Someone is watching you from outside.]

Mo Linyu: [I don’t recognize these people. Their suits are different from my father’s bodyguards.]

Li Yue: [Should we come get you?]

Mo Linyu: [Not necessary. They might be new hires from my father. In any case, I don’t plan to approach them.]

Li Yue: [What are you going to do?]

Mo Linyu: [I’ve washed my hands. I plan to leave through the back door.]

At this point, the advantage of McDonald’s became apparent.

McDonald’s back door led to the mall behind it;

while Waxer’s was usually located in a street-side shop with no back door.

Confirming Mo Linyu’s plan, Li Yue led Alezno into the mall to meet up with her.

However, as they moved, the two men in black suits simply turned and left the McDonald’s entrance—too far to read their thoughts.

They were definitely tailing them, and they realized they had been discovered.

‘…It feels a bit suspicious.’

Li Yue said, but she didn’t think much of it, as they had already faced off with Mo Changhong’s bodyguards before, and these men in suits were nothing new.

****

Taking a detour through the side door, Li Yue and Alezno found Mo Linyu in the mall.

She was standing under an air vent, enjoying the cool breeze that ruffled her long hair, seemingly unconcerned.

‘So, were those two men after you?’ Li Yue asked.

Mo Linyu tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, replying, ‘Who else could they be waiting for besides me?’

‘You have quite the high opinion of yourself.’

‘They’re either my father’s men or thieves after me. Either way, we should avoid them.’

‘Thieves?’

That wasn’t a comforting word, and Li Yue’s nerves tightened. Alezno subtly tensed as well, her sharp gaze scanning the area.

It was a reflexive reaction for them.

Mo Linyu sighed wearily, ‘Relax, ladies. Usually, no one targets me. My identity is kept secret.’

Mo Changhong rarely interacted with his daughter, the high walls of the estate, and sending her to a regular school were all protective measures to keep her low-profile and avoid unwanted attention.

Mo Linyu added reassuringly, ‘Don’t worry too much. This world isn’t that dangerous.’

Li Yue wasn’t sure why she needed reassuring, so she asked, ‘So, as long as we shake them off, we’re good?’

Mo Linyu checked the time and sighed, ‘Although it’s still early, you two probably don’t want to go out again, right?’

Li Yue and Alezno nodded.

As the temperature outside approached forty degrees Celsius, staying inside the mall was more comfortable than venturing out.

Mo Linyu shrugged, ‘Okay, then let’s eat lunch?’