Xia Xi finished the meal feeling utterly helpless, as if every inch of her body had been violated.
The reason, of course, was that Luo Xinyu—even while claiming to be focused on eating—hadn’t taken his eyes off her for a single moment. It was as though she were coated in glue, firmly sticking his gaze to her.
“So, where should we go next?”
Xia Xi glanced lightly at her hand, which was being held tightly by the other, then turned her head away to look around.
The architecture in Sakura Province was quite different from back home, with the most noticeable distinction being the ubiquitous presence of anime culture.
Especially that thing called Pokémon—it seemed incredibly popular here.
“Let me think…”
Luo Xinyu rubbed his chin, looking deep in thought.
“Got it! Let’s go to the Sky Tree. We can’t come to Sakura Province without visiting the Sky Tree!”
Though its name suggested a tree, the Sky Tree was actually a modern structure, as famous as Tokyo Tower and one of the tallest buildings in Sakura Province.
Of course, Luo Xinyu hadn’t chosen this place because of its fame in Sakura Province or because some travel guide listed it as a must-see. Instead, it was because in Xia Xi’s novel Dragon Tribe, she had described the Sky Tree as the warmest place in the world.
The warmest place in the world—how could he not want to see for himself why she had given it such high praise?
If Xia Xi, with her memories restored, knew what he was thinking, she’d probably retort, “How should I know what that old trickster Jiang Nan was thinking? And who knows—maybe in the world of Dragon Tribe, in Hera’s heart, anywhere Lu Mingfei was felt like the warmest place.”
…
Unlike the era depicted in the world of Dragon Tribe, in this age of technological advancement, visiting the Sky Tree was quite convenient.
You could buy tickets online, pick them up from a self-service kiosk, take an elevator, and effortlessly reach the so-called observation deck.
The convenience of online booking and self-service ticketing meant almost no one bought tickets on-site anymore.
At least from what Xia Xi could see, the line for on-site ticket purchases was practically empty.
“The taxis in Sakura Province are really expensive!”
Although Luo Xinyu was a young master in the real world, he didn’t have much experience with travel arrangements. Tasks like buying tickets were usually handled by his bodyguards, so he wasn’t very familiar with prices either. Compared to the affordable ride-hailing services back home, taxis in Sakura Province were indeed quite pricey.
“Expensive? Not really, just average.”
Xia Xi didn’t feel the same way. In her eyes, money was nothing more than a string of numbers.
Just as someone like Ma Yun once said, she had no interest in money.
“Alright, alright.”
Faced with her indifferent attitude, Luo Xinyu gave a light hum, deciding not to argue.
He regretted erasing Xia Xi’s memories now. If he hadn’t, he could’ve seen the contrast of her adjusting from being a boy to a girl. Instead, she now fully embraced her identity as a young lady, with such a cold personality.
The Sky Tree was packed with visitors in Sakura Province. The elevator Xia Xi and Luo Xinyu took was crammed with people. Fortunately, the staff’s service was excellent, with smiles all around—otherwise, it would’ve been quite frustrating.
Once they reached the Sky Tree’s observation deck, the two held hands and looked down at everything below.
The Sky Tree was incredibly tall. Gazing down from here gave you the feeling of standing above the world.
“What’s this? It doesn’t feel particularly warm.”
Luo Xinyu seemed a little disappointed.
“Who told you it was warm? Aren’t modern buildings usually cool and sleek?”
Xia Xi shot him a glare, wondering why her senior would think such a thing.
At the same time, she realized why he’d wanted to come to the Sky Tree—to verify whether it was truly warm or not.
“Forget it. At least I’ve fulfilled a wish.”
Luo Xinyu’s disappointment didn’t last long. Soon, he was smiling again.
“Xia Xi, look—there are wishing plaques over there. Let’s make one too!”
Hand in hand, they wandered around and eventually stopped by a small tree adorned with wishing plaques.
In Sakura Province, there were many places like this for hanging wishing plaques. In fact, even back home, such spots were popular in many temples.
Everyone knew these things were mostly symbolic and unlikely to make wishes come true, but people are like that—they need something to believe in. With a little hope, they find more motivation to keep going.
Xia Xi didn’t refuse.
She and Luo Xinyu each took a small wooden plaque and turned their backs to each other, using pens to write down their wishes.
“I hope life becomes more interesting.”
As mentioned before, Xia Xi often found her life as a young lady boring, so her wish was simply for life to become more interesting.
Of course, judging by the past two days of “dates,” her life had indeed become much more entertaining.
“What did you write?”
She tied a red string to the plaque bearing her wish and gently hung it on a branch. Then, she turned to look at Luo Xinyu.
“I’m not telling you.”
Seeing her approach to peek at his plaque, Luo Xinyu quickly covered it against his chest, hiding it completely as if guarding a secret.
“Hmph, I don’t even care.”
With a cold snort, Xia Xi turned away to read the wishes others had left on the tree.
Fine, don’t show me—as if I even wanted to see it!
Though she was busy reading other people’s wishes, she was still curious about what Luo Xinyu had written. But she couldn’t bring herself to beg him.
She stole a glance at him as he hung his plaque on a branch and noticed his face was full of joy, as if his wish had already come true.
“Heh, silly.”
Xia Xi lowered her head and muttered softly.
“What are you mumbling? Are you talking bad about me?”
When she looked up, Luo Xinyu was already standing in front of her, his warm hand taking hers naturally and familiarly.
This guy really thinks I’m his girlfriend, huh!
He never even asks before holding my hand.
Xia Xi recalled all those creepy men who’d tried to touch her, only to be dealt with by her bodyguards later. Yet, she found she didn’t mind the physical contact with Luo Xinyu.
“Let’s go. I heard there’s a big mall downstairs. We still have time—let’s check it out!”
Looking at his cheerful expression, Xia Xi felt a strange emotion stirring inside her.
“Maybe having someone like him around isn’t so bad…”
She tilted her head slightly, stealing a glance at the plaque he’d hung on the tree.
“I hope to stay by Xia Xi’s side forever.”
The corners of her lips curved upward ever so slightly.
Maybe what he said earlier wasn’t entirely wrong—the Sky Tree really was a warm place after all…
Could this be what they call a perfect match, two hearts beating as one?
