Chapter 1256 Pufferfish
The evening of Xilin's birthday party had not yet arrived, but an unexpected invitation came during the day.
Ying gently knocked on Zijing's door, and in front of his slightly surprised look, she made an invitation: "The weather is nice today, do you want to go out for a walk together?" Her tone was still as cold as usual, but there was a hint of imperceptible expectation hidden in her bright eyes.
Zijing pondered for a moment, thinking that this was a good opportunity to pick out a birthday present for Xilin, and also to thank Ying for her help in the "water gun battle" before, so she nodded and agreed: "Okay, I also want to go out for a walk."
However, when Ying took him directly to the airport and boarded a flight to a distant tourist city, Zijing realized that this "walk" seemed a bit far.
"Are we going...?" Zijing looked at the Far East Branch building outside the window, which was gradually getting smaller, and was a little surprised.
"It's a small town famous for its mountain scenery and hot springs," Ying replied calmly, looking out the window. "I heard the sunrise and sea of clouds there are beautiful." She paused and added, "It won't take too long. I should be back before evening."
Zijing calculated the time and felt a little nervous, but looking at Ying's calm profile, he swallowed his words. "Never mind, if I really don't have time, I can use some of my power to speed things along," he thought to himself.
The plane landed smoothly. As I stepped onto the land of this unfamiliar little town, the air was fresh and the distant mountains were dark blue.
Sakura had clearly dressed up for the day. She wore a light-colored, easy-to-move-in outfit, a fitted sweater and a knee-length pleated skirt, giving her a youthful and energetic look. The most striking feature was the adorable wide-brimmed sunhat on her head. Her signature pair of pink fox ears, cleverly poked out from two holes strategically placed in the hat, stood fluffy beneath the brim, trembling slightly with her breathing. They looked like a truly lifelike decoration, concealing her identity while adding a touch of playfulness.
Instead of the bustling commercial streets, they headed straight for the famous sightseeing mountain on the outskirts of the city. Ascending the winding mountain path, they were surrounded by lush trees, birdsong, and the fragrance of flowers, a truly refreshing experience.
As they walked, Ying's arm naturally slipped through Zijing's. Her movement was gentle, yet it carried an undeniable intimacy. Zijing paused slightly, tilting her head to look at her. Ying, however, seemed oblivious, her gaze fixed on the stream beside the mountain path or the distant peaks, as if this were just a perfectly normal gesture, a way of avoiding getting lost.
The mountain breeze blew by, bringing a faint fragrance from her hair. Zijing wanted to say something several times, like asking why she came here specifically, or chatting about recent trivial matters, but every time he turned his head, Ying would just turn slightly to the side, looking at a certain scenery below the mountain, and whispering "Look over there" or "It's so beautiful", cleverly blocking his unspoken words.
After a few times, Zijing no longer tried to break the tacit silence. The two of them just sat there, arm in arm, quietly enjoying the tranquility of the mountains and each other's company. Only the warmth of their intertwined arms conveyed, and a faint, vague, lingering ambiguity filled the air.
Finally reaching the summit, the view suddenly opened up. A magnificent sea of clouds billowed beneath my feet, and distant mountains loomed in the mist, resembling a fairyland. Sunlight pierced the clouds, casting a thousand golden rays. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.
"It's so beautiful," Zijing exclaimed sincerely. The subtle atmosphere along the way seemed to dissipate a lot in front of this vast scenery.
Ying stood beside him and hummed softly. Her eyes were also attracted by this masterpiece of nature, and there was a faint, satisfied curve at the corner of her mouth.
After admiring the beautiful scenery for a while, Zijing seemed to remember something. She took out her personal terminal from her pocket and suggested, "This is a rare opportunity. Let's take a picture as a souvenir."
Ying turned her head and looked at him, a glint flashed in her eyes, and she nodded gently: "Okay."
Zijing adjusted the angle and prepared to take a simple selfie. However, the moment he raised the terminal, Ying took a step closer to him, then slightly turned sideways and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
A more distinct scent than before, belonging to Sakura, reached her nose, and she could feel the soft touch and slight weight of her head on her shoulder. Amethyst paused.
Ying seemed unaware of it, and faced the camera with a faint but genuine smile on her face. With her free hand, she playfully made a classic "V" sign.
Click.
The shutter clicked softly, capturing this moment—a vast sea of clouds in the background, two people leaning on each other in the foreground. Amethyst's face held a hint of lingering astonishment, yet a subtle softening. Sakura leaned against his shoulder, a smile as beautiful as a flower, her fox ears looking particularly adorable beneath the brim of her hat.
After the photo was taken, Ying straightened up naturally, as if the intimate gesture just now was nothing special. She took the terminal from Zijing's hand and looked at the photo on the screen, her eyes showing obvious satisfaction.
"Great shot," she said softly, handing the terminal back to Amethyst, the tips of her ears seeming to blush slightly.
Zijing looked at the photo, then looked at Ying who was pretending to appreciate the scenery but was actually stealing glances at the photo out of the corner of her eye, and let out a breath.
"Since we're here, let's take a few more pictures."
"Well, what position should we use next?"
Sakura seemed very happy about Zijing's initiative.
"What do you think of a solo photo?"
"Only one person?"
"Didn't we just take a photo of us together..."
“Not enough. No one travels just to take a photo.”
Sakura said seriously.
Zijing gave up arguing and instead took photos with Ying from several angles on the top of the mountain.
During every photoshoot, Ying would lean against Zijing, hugging her arms or shoulders, and then she would use various excuses to ask Zijing to hold her and take a few more photos.
It wasn't until dusk that Zijing finally pulled the still-unsatisfied Sakura down the mountain. Having wasted so much time, Zijing had no choice but to urgently use her power to transfer to the nearest store and try to discuss Xilin's birthday present with Sakura.
However, Sakura didn't pay any attention to this. She casually pointed at a pufferfish doll and then tried to plan her next trip with Amethyst.
Zijing could only agree with a wry smile, but when she glanced at the pufferfish doll in her hand, she felt that it was surprisingly suitable for Xilin.
In my mind, is Xilin actually related to a creature like pufferfish?
Amethyst thought back to how Xilin looked when she was angry... well, it was somewhat similar.
