novelraw Chapter 264
Chapter 264
Chapter 264: The Mysterious Meeting of Three People and a Cat
Xia Li quickly took a shower, changed his clothes, and went out with Lucia.
Worried about being seen by Mrs. Fang who might come back, he didn’t dare take too many things.
Thirty gold coins, a small bag of pure crystals, and a two-way teleportation scroll.
Xia Li packed the hiking bag he brought back from the other world as it was, and this time, in addition to the power bank, he also brought a charger.
As for the dirty clothes he changed out of, Xia Li gambled that Mrs. Fang wouldn’t enter his room and stuffed them all under the bed.
Passport, ID card, keys, wallet.
Well, everything is ready.
“The familiar smell of air pollution!”
Lucia stood downstairs, the sunlight falling on her ponytail, making her fluffy hair look furry. She stretched like a cat.
Early July had already passed the Minor Heat, and the daily highest temperature in Qingcheng City had climbed to thirty degrees.
The girl’s cute fleece jacket had long been pressed back to the bottom of the box. In this weather, even knitted sweaters and hoodies were out of commission. She could go out with just a thin short-sleeved shirt over her underwear.
Unfortunately, Lucia’s favorite white and black stockings were out of season.
This thing was a secret weapon for attracting brave heroes. As long as Lucia played a little trick and hooked her feet on the edge of the bed or sofa, a brave hero would immediately come to play with her feet.
Without the cute animal-style attire, the girl’s tall and slender figure looked particularly pure in a short-sleeved shirt and skirt.
A neat and clean pleated skirt, cotton ankle socks wrapped around her ankles, and a pair of light pink sneakers. This casual outfit brought out Lucia’s youthful and lively aura to the fullest.
Looking down, Lucia looked at her new outfit, then raised her head and took a deep breath of the PM2.5 in the air.
“A reassuring smell!” she sighed.
When she first came to Earth, Lucia hated the strange smell that permeated this world.
Exhaust fumes from cars, green belts sprayed with a lot of pesticides, a faint musty smell emanating from the walls…
These smells, mixed with organic compounds, constantly stimulated Lucia’s dragon nose.
But these were the prices to pay for enjoying modern society.
For the sake of rice and the internet, these prices were not worth mentioning at all.
“Shh, be quiet.”
Xia Li changed into a refreshing white T-shirt.
Because of the silver markings on his shoulders and arms, he deliberately chose a medium-long sleeve to cover them.
The fact that they had returned home could not be discovered by the neighbors in the apartment complex, so Xia Li could only sneak out with Lucia through the side door.
In the hot early summer, the afternoon was the best time to take a nap.
As the saying goes: Spring tired, summer sleepy, autumn dozy, winter hibernation.
Old Man Huang, the security guard at the gate of the apartment complex, was holding a palm-leaf fan and sleeping soundly in a rocking chair.
A milky white baseball cap couldn’t help but stop and peek inside as it passed the guard booth.
As soon as it poked its head out, Xia Li pulled it away.
“Don’t look, he’ll recognize you when he wakes up.”
“Oh, oh.” The evil dragon nodded vigorously and quickly followed.
Xia Li was wearing a mask and a pair of black sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, covering his entire face tightly.
Dressed up like this, it was easy for people to think he was a secret agent in black.
But with his crisp sportswear, coupled with his outstanding height and well-proportioned figure, he looked more like some kind of male celebrity out for a walk.
After all, how could a secret agent be so handsome?
If there was one, then that secret agent must be Xia Li.
Lucia stared blankly at Xia Li.
The afternoon sun shone lazily on Xia Li’s face, but it didn’t detract from the sharpness between his brows.
Well, Xia Li was cool and handsome.
As a sufficiently excellent male dragon… male human, getting Xia Li would give Lucia a great sense of accomplishment.
“Where are we going?”
Lucia held Xia Li’s hand and asked as they walked.
She could go out without thinking at all. Wherever Xia Li went, she would follow behind him. Whether it was sleeping under a bridge or in a presidential suite with Xia Li, she was happy.
“Let’s find a place to fill our stomachs first.”
Xia Li didn’t dare to stay around the apartment complex. Staying here for one more second would increase the risk of being recognized by the neighbors.
He hailed a car by the roadside and set the destination as the central district of the city.
Lucia was not used to riding in other people’s cars. The unpleasant mixed smell in the taxi made her uncomfortable all the way.
When Xia Li pulled her out of the car, her legs touched the ground, and she was instantly revived.
The two went to the pedestrian street.
This pedestrian street, where vehicles were not allowed, had everything from shopping malls to snack stalls.
Xia Li looked around and found that this dragon wanted to eat everything, so he simply rolled up his sleeves and decided to take the dragon to eat everything.
What was it like to be back on Earth?
This was what it felt like to be back on Earth!
The collision of cultures and the change of environment didn’t bring any real feeling.
The greatest feeling was still in the matter of ‘eating’.
No wonder people say food is the most important thing.
Stinky tofu, fried potatoes, tofu pudding… spicy rabbit heads, takoyaki, teppanyaki squid, hand-grabbed pancakes.
Plus a cup of sweet and sour, appetizing fruit milk tea and fried yogurt.
One person and one dragon almost ate their way through the snack street, strolling and eating for a full three hours before they were satisfied.
If Lucia had said ‘Food is the greatest invention on Earth!’ at this time, Xia Li would definitely have agreed with both hands.
“Auntie said street snacks are all junk food.”
Lucia, full and satisfied, rubbed her slightly bulging belly and sat on the wrought iron chair by the roadside, a happy smile on her face.
=w=
“But junk food is invincible!”
The evil dragon added loudly.
Whether it was junk or not, Lucia didn’t know. What elements from the periodic table she ate, Lucia didn’t care.
As long as she decided to eat, she would eat with peace of mind. This was the only way to maximize happiness!
“It’s not the food that’s junk, it’s the unreliable hygiene conditions of mobile snacks. It’s okay to eat it occasionally.” Xia Li said.
They rested on the spot for a while.
When it was almost evening, Xia Li took Lucia to a McDonald’s.
Looking at the screen full of fries and burgers, Lucia felt hungry again.
“Xia Li, I want to eat a double beef pineapple burger.” The evil dragon pointed at the sign and said.
“…”
Xia Li had no choice but to take out his phone, scan the code, and place an order.
Dragons were so gluttonous now. When they had to feed two dragons, three dragons, wouldn’t they be super big eaters?
Putting aside those random thoughts, Xia Li’s purpose in coming here was actually to meet Qin Chuan after work.
He still had some things to talk to Qin Chuan about.
Xia Li sat on a round high stool. This stool was about the same height as Xia Li’s waist. Lucia had to use both hands to climb up.
Looking at her struggling, Xia Li remembered that he was in the same state when he climbed onto the dragon’s back.
“You can step on the footrest and sit right up.”
Xia Li propped his chin on his hand, enjoying the dragon’s clumsy appearance.
“Oh…”
Only then did Lucia see the leg ring under the high stool. After stepping on it and moving her little butt, she easily sat on the stool.
The view from the high stool instantly widened, and the spotlights overhead made the food look even more delicious.
The human world, there were indeed many small details waiting for her to explore.
Lucia’s eyes sparkled.
Xia Li had once said that even if she only read the written works of humans in this world, it would take thousands of years without eating or drinking to be able to read them all. It could be seen how rich this world was.
“Come on, choose a place.”
As he was eating his big burger, Xia Li held out his phone to Lucia.
Lucia grabbed the burger that was bigger than her hand, stuffed a mouthful into her mouth, and tilted her head, staring at Xia Li’s phone screen.
She didn’t seem to understand what this string of unfamiliar terms meant.
“What is this?”
“Pick a place, and I’ll buy you citizenship. Of course, this identity is only temporary. You’ll eventually settle down here with me through marriage.”
“Oh, oh… I’ll take a look.”
Xia Li had explained this to Lucia many times.
Lucia was not from this society and naturally couldn’t understand those complicated procedures, but she knew that this matter could not be taken lightly.
Moving her little finger, Lucia swiped left and right on Xia Li’s screen and then said decisively.
“Let’s go with this ‘Dominica’!”
Lucia casually chose a name that sounded catchy.
Xia Li looked at her in surprise: “You made a decision so quickly?”
It was considered immigration, after all. She should at least learn about the culture, scenery, language, and living environment…
“I saw that you were researching these places a long time ago,” Lucia said.
“The places you gave me to choose from are all places you’ve picked out and think are suitable. I definitely trust you.”
Lucia finished speaking vaguely, eating her big burger.
Xia Li glanced at her with a smile and took a sip of the iced Coke in his hand.
It was a pity that this dragon didn’t like Coke, otherwise she could experience the ultimate happiness that only adults could experience.
The flight to Dominica was four days later.
If Xia Li applied for an expedited visa now, he should be able to make it in four working days.
Dominica itself was a very small island nation. It had been a colony many times. After independence, it had been developing tourism. Later, in order to attract talent, it even publicly sold its own citizenship. Now that its economy had improved, it occasionally took in refugees from neighboring countries.
“Judging from its deeds, it’s quite friendly, and its relationship with our side is also very good. Such a small country even built an embassy with us.”
Xia Li said as he drank his Coke.
◈◈◈
Lucia wasn’t listening to what he was saying at all. After asking ‘Do you want fries?’, she started stuffing fries into her mouth.
An insatiable dragon…
“Meow.”
『Bro, haven’t seen you for half a month, miss me?』
『Hey, Dragon Sister seems to have gained weight. 』
As Xia Li was pondering, a black and white cow cat quietly slipped in through the crack in the door.
He was agile and leaped lightly onto the high round stool that Lucia needed to climb up to.
Just as he was about to sniff the box on the table, Xia Li was quick-witted and picked up the cat, placing it on his lap.
Pets were not allowed in fast food restaurants, and this damn cat even wanted to get on the table.
“Baka cat!”
Lucia’s eyes lit up when she saw the familiar figure.
She didn’t expect that the first person （cat） to talk to her after returning to Earth would be Wuqi.
And this cat wasn’t even on her ‘Otherworldly Specialty’ list.
“Meow!”
『What kind of nickname is that??』
Wuqi huddled in Xia Li’s lap and raised his head, asking Xia Li in confusion.
Xia Li just smiled and didn’t say anything until he saw Lucia take a fry from his fry box, then throw it at Wuqi’s face.
Xia Li was caught off guard, raised his hand to catch the fry, and then ate it at lightning speed.
He looked at Lucia in confusion.
Lucia: “…”
She had wanted to throw it to Wuqi.
Lucia had always felt guilty about returning to Earth empty-handed and not bringing any special products for her friends.
Wuqi was considered half a friend, so it was reasonable to treat him to a fry.
But Xia Li didn’t seem to want to.
He glanced at Lucia, and the cow cat on his lap looked up with him.
“Meow??”
『Dragon Sister wouldn’t have wanted to treat me to something just now, would she?』
『That’s scary!』
The cow cat meowed repeatedly, and Lucia tilted her head.
“What is he saying?”
Xia Li explained: “He said he appreciates your kindness, but he doesn’t need any souvenirs or special products from the other world. After all, a cat can’t use them.”
“Oh, okay.” Lucia was relieved.
“Meow!”
『Hey, I didn’t say I didn’t want them! Of course I want otherworldly special products. Can you bring back a catgirl for me to play with?!』
Wuqi raised his paw and patted Xia Li angrily.
This cat’s paw pads were soft and weak. Patting his thigh was just like a massage.
The three of them, one person, one dragon, and one cat, fooled around for a while.
Another figure appeared in the fast food restaurant.
The person was wearing a black hoodie, all dark clothes from head to toe, with a hood and a mask. From the looks of it, he was another secret agent.
Qin Chuan worked in a restaurant, and dinner time was the busiest time.
Xia Li waited until he got off work, and it was already dark.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
Seeing the two people sitting by the window, Qin Chuan walked over quickly, a hint of apology on his face.
“It’s okay, we agreed to meet in the evening.” Xia Li waved his hand and ordered with his phone.
“Coke and burgers?”
“Okay.” Qin Chuan nodded.
Xia Li added two more sets and ate a little more with Qin Chuan.
The best thing about meeting at a fast food restaurant was that you could sit there all day without affecting their business. Not only did they provide tables, chairs, and sockets, but they also had uninterrupted air conditioning.
Xia Li could leave the dragon here for a whole day, and the evil dragon wouldn’t get bored.
Xia Li spent an hour briefly telling Qin Chuan about his trip to the other world.
He avoided talking about his private affairs with Lucia, mainly about time travel, the fact that he had obtained a new artifact, and that he had repaired the wrong timeline.
Xia Li felt that professional matters should be left to professionals.
Qin Chuan had traveled through time thousands of times, so he would definitely understand if he told him about it.
“Is this something I can listen to without paying?”
Qin Chuan listened quietly, and his first words surprised Xia Li.
“I don’t think I said anything that needs to be paid for.”
“No, I just feel like I’ve been spoiled… How can I follow your book in the future?” Qin Chuan said half-jokingly.
Soon, the smile on his face faded.
Qin Chuan said seriously: “You should have been affected by my power.”
“After all, the magic power you used to go back was extracted from the Heart of Stone… The minotaur took away the power of my artifact and changed the past.”
“Minotaur” Xia Li said: “That’s what I thought too…”
“However, my time travel is different from yours. Every time you go back to the past, it’s to change the future. But this time, I didn’t dare to change the future… Because my future is ‘right’ for me, so I followed the steps and put everything back in order.”
“That’s the right thing to do.”
Qin Chuan fully agreed with Xia Li’s statement and nodded.
“To be honest, when you said you were going back to the past, I was worried for you… Because if you went back to the past and did anything to change the future, you wouldn’t be able to come back.”
“Can’t come back?”
Lucia was biting on a straw and blowing bubbles in her juice.
She played with her phone while listening to their conversation.
When they talked about this, she looked up with the straw in her mouth.
“Well, it’s like a parallel universe branching out into a new path, and you’re stuck in that timeline to continue. Even if you use teleportation magic to return to Earth, you’ll be returning to the Earth of the wrong timeline.”
Qin Chuan replied.
“That’s scary.” Lucia shuddered.
“We’re back on Earth two weeks later now. Does that count as being affected?” Xia Li asked with some concern.
“No, you spent two weeks there, right?” Qin Chuan emphasized.
“And as long as you don’t go back to a timeline in the ‘past’, it’s the right one for you.”
After Qin Chuan finished speaking, there was silence for a long time.
The cow cat widened his eyes and tried to understand what they were saying.
Lucia, who couldn’t understand at all, chose to play with her phone.
After understanding for a while, Xia Li also understood the meaning of these words.
He reached behind him, but instead of drawing the Demon Repelling Sword, he picked up the scabbard and placed it on the table.
“In order for my future self to be able to draw this sword, I left it in Azure Continent, but it appeared in front of me again.” Xia Li said.
This was the point he was struggling with.
Qin Chuan picked up the sword and weighed it in his hand.
“The teleportation magic you left inside has been exhausted.”
“Yes.”
“That’s right.”
“Huh?”
“Think about it, after you successfully drew the Demon Repelling Sword, you left Azure Continent. So where should the Demon Repelling Sword be at this time?”
“Forget it if it’s an inanimate object, but artifacts have spirituality.”
“So, when you jumped out of the time loop, it also appeared here and returned to the correct timeline with you.”
Qin Chuan finished speaking slowly, and everyone fell silent again.
“Meow…”
Wuqi let out a meaningful sigh.
“Actually, as long as you understand that it should be in your hands no matter which timeline you’re in, that’s enough.”
Seeing that Xia Li’s eyes seemed to understand, Qin Chuan added.
“However, I can be sure that the next time you return to Azure Continent, you won’t be in the wrong time again. You will definitely be back on the same timeline as when you first left Azure Continent.
But since the flow of time in the two worlds is different, and it was affected by me last time, I’m not sure how many years later it will be when you go back.”
“We have magic crystals this time when we go back!”
Finally, something Lucia could understand appeared. She leaned forward excitedly and said.
“Indeed, we can’t use my power again…”
Qin Chuan nodded and said with lingering fear.
He used the power of fate to change the countless desperate endings he had experienced in the past.
And Xia Li and Lucia were happy, so the power to change fate was the wrong choice for them.
But this accidental mistake had created another kind of perfection.
No wonder he had never been able to see Xia Li’s fate…
With Xia Li’s fate loop, even the Goddess of Fate would be frightened.
All regions, countries, visas, and citizenships in this book are fictional, without any insinuations. Please do not take them seriously! （）