mtl008 Chapter 307 Did You See Ajin?
Chapter 307 Did You See Ajin?
The next day, Tiger Lion City welcomed an unexpected guest.
At that time, Yuan Xiao was teaching several females how to braid a new hairstyle in the garden when she suddenly heard a commotion at the castle gate.
She looked up and saw a familiar black figure striding towards her.
"Ye Shang?" Yuan Xiao was both surprised and delighted. She put down the hair tie in her hand and went to greet him. "Why are you here?"
Ye Shang was still the same as before, dressed in black, with his long hair casually tied behind his head. He looked travel-worn, but that couldn't hide his handsome, almost otherworldly face.
When he saw Yuan Xiao, his originally cold expression softened instantly, and a smile appeared on his lips.
"miss you."
He walked up to Yuan Xiao and said naturally, "I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about you, so I came to see you."
These words were so blunt that several females nearby couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh.
Yuan Xiao's face flushed, and she turned her face away from him, actually because she was too shy to know how to respond.
Ye Shang didn't mind. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he continued, "I just came to see you. I'll leave after a while."
"So urgent?" Yuan Xiao turned her head, her eyes showing concern. "Is something the matter?"
“Yeah,” Ye Shang sighed, his tone a little exaggerated, “We’ve been unconscious for so long, and the Abyss of Hope is in complete chaos. There’s a ton of stuff waiting for us to deal with, it’s so annoying.”
His complaining tone and expression made Yuan Xiao momentarily think that Shang Wan was sitting next to her and talking.
She couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the shyness in her heart dissipated considerably.
"Thank you for your hard work," she said.
"It's not hard work." Ye Shang looked at her and smiled, his eyes growing increasingly serious, and his voice lowering. "Seeing you makes it all worthwhile."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but move closer to her again.
The two were already close, and after moving, they were almost touching.
Just as he was about to touch her, Ye Shang stopped.
He looked down at Yuan Xiao's slightly flushed cheeks, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was a little hoarse: "Have you had anything happy happen lately? You look great."
Yuan Xiao nodded, her eyes brightening as she remembered the Dust Flower Fruit: "Yes, a small seed I planted has borne fruit, a particularly beautiful yellow fruit. I'll take you to see it."
As she spoke, she turned and walked into the castle, with Ye Shang following behind her.
The two entered Yuan Xiao's room one after the other.
On the windowsill, the golden dust flower fruit gleamed in the sunlight.
Ye Shang's gaze fell on the fruit. He paused for a moment, then his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Where did you get this?"
Yuan Xiao was stumped by the question.
She can't exactly say she got it from a treasure chest in the system, can she?
For a moment, she opened her mouth, but hadn't yet decided on an answer.
Seeing her tense expression, Ye Shang suddenly smiled.
That smile was captivating, with slightly upturned eyes and a hint of mockery.
He reached out and gently hooked Yuan Xiao's chin, the gesture intimate and natural.
"What's there to be nervous about?" he softened his voice. "I'm not going to eat you."
Yuan Xiao blushed even more at his action, took a small step back, and whispered, "You recognize this too?"
“Of course.” Ye Shang withdrew his hand and looked at the fruit again. “This is a Dust Flower Fruit. It’s useful for some special magical beasts, but for ordinary orcs, it’s not only useless, it’s also poisonous. You absolutely must not eat it.”
Yuan Xiao nodded.
Ye Shang paused, as if asking casually, "But you said, 'I know them too,' are there any other people who know them?"
“It’s Ajin. He said he’s traveled to many places and heard about it from others along the way,” Yuan Xiao said. “He’s quite pitiful, wandering around everywhere, but he’s quite knowledgeable.”
Ye Shang had never heard of A Jin.
“No wonder,” Ye Shang nodded, his tone becoming more relaxed, “that explains it.”
He gave Yuan Xiao a few more instructions, telling her to be careful not to touch the fruit or let anyone else touch it.
The two talked for a while longer before Ye Shang prepared to leave.
Yuan Xiao escorted him to the castle gate, watching him transform into a black shadow and disappear into the distance. For some reason, she felt a little empty inside.
Back in her room, Yuan Xiao looked at the Dust Flower Fruit on the windowsill, the words of Ye Shang and A Jin echoing in her mind.
Both of them said the fruit was poisonous and that it shouldn't be eaten.
This means that Ah Jin wasn't lying to her; it seems this thing really is useless.
Yuan Xiao stared at the bright yellow fruit, hesitating for a long time.
Finally, she took a deep breath and carefully picked the fruit.
The stem is very brittle and breaks easily with a gentle snap.
The fruit landed in my palm, heavy and with a warm, smooth feel.
Yuan Xiao found a clean, soft cloth, carefully wrapped the fruit, and then went out to find A Jin.
She found Ajin in the garden, who was helping Qianqian paint.
"A Jin."
Yuan Xiao walked over and handed him the wrapped fruit: "I've thought about it, and it's not safe for me to keep this. I'd better let you handle it."
Ah Jin took the cloth bag, her fingertips inadvertently touching the fruit inside, her eyes flickering slightly.
"Okay." He nodded, his tone calm. "Don't worry, I will handle it well."
"Then I'll have to trouble you," Yuan Xiao said.
"It's no trouble at all." Ah Jin put the cloth bag into her bosom, paused, and then said, "Thank you for your trust."
Yuan Xiao smiled, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Ah Jin stood there, watching her figure disappear around the corner of the castle, before lowering her head and taking out the cloth bag from her bosom.
He gently opened a corner, revealing the golden fruit inside.
“Dust Flower Fruit…” he murmured softly, his fingertips gently stroking the fruit, “Finally found it.”
The next morning, as usual, Qianqian carried Xiaobai to play with Ajin.
She searched the garden but couldn't find him, and then went to the small castle next door, but still couldn't find him.
"Strange, where did Ajin go?" Qianqian muttered to herself as she carried Xiaobai around the castle, asking everyone she met if they had seen Ajin.
After asking around, everyone said they hadn't seen him since yesterday afternoon.
Qianqian felt a little uneasy. She had long regarded Ajin as family, and she felt at ease when he was around.
But now that A-Jin is missing, she felt a little panicked and ran to ask Yuan-Xiao, "Mother, have you seen A-Jin? I've been looking for him since this morning and I still can't find him."
Yuan Xiao was sorting through a new batch of marinades when she heard this and looked up: "A-Jin? Could it be that she went hunting?"
“But Ah Jin always tells me when he goes hunting.” Qianqian frowned, her little face full of worry. “And all his things are gone. I just went to his room and the long spear he usually uses, and the little leather bag I gave him, are both gone.”
Yuan Xiao stopped what she was doing.
She put down the jar in her hand and wiped her hands: "Let's go, let's go to his room and take a look."