Chapter 6: Winter Roses (Part 2)
Being with Alice, Linley felt a surge of joy rising from the depths of his heart. Without even realizing it, an entire night had passed. Neither Linley nor Alice felt the least bit tired from staying up all night.
A faint fish-belly white appeared on the horizon, and a hazy, pale light began to spread across the world.
“It’s dawn, Alice. I should go now.” Linley stood up.
“Mm.” Alice responded.
Alice also stood up, looking at Linley with reluctant attachment. Linley smiled, then with both hands bracing himself, his entire body was wrapped in flowing air currents, and he drifted down to the street like a falling leaf.
When Linley returned to Azure Heaven, after his good brothers had woken up, he was thoroughly “interrogated” by Yale and the other two.
Back at Ernst Academy, Linley still trained diligently as before, but during his breaks, he often found himself thinking of Alice. Linley had a feeling that he had been struck by the arrow of the God of Love.
Yulan Calendar 9997, evening of November 29th.
Alice had been waiting early at her doorstep. After waiting for a while, she saw Linley’s figure at the end of Ganmo Street and immediately ran over.
“Brother Linley!” Alice called out excitedly. Having not seen each other for a month, she couldn’t suppress the excitement in her heart upon meeting him.
Linley’s heart was also stirred with excitement, since they hadn’t seen each other for a month. But at this moment, Linley felt a surge of elation: “Even though I didn’t tell Alice when we’d meet again, she’s waiting for me here today.”
From their last conversation, Linley knew that the holidays at Weilun Magic Academy were on the first and second of every month. Alice was skipping class to meet him now, and Linley understood what that meant.
“Linley, go for it. Be brave this time.” Delin Kevort’s voice also rang out in Linley’s mind.
Linley silently made up his mind. He didn’t want to endure another month.
“Alice, why are you outside today instead of on the balcony?” Linley and Alice walked side by side down the street. Alice laughed and said, “We can’t just hide in the balcony forever, can we?”
Linley thought back to the scene of the two of them hiding in the balcony and couldn’t help but smile.
“By the way, you didn’t go home to sleep last night. Doesn’t your father care?” Linley asked.
“Him?” Alice curled her lip. “My father is a drunkard and a gambler. He probably doesn’t even know when he’ll come home himself, let alone care about me.”
“Brother Linley, I grew up in Fenlai City. Fenlai City is huge, and I’m sure there are plenty of places you haven’t been. Come on, I’ll take you.” Alice said with a smile.
Linley and Alice walked side by side down the street. It was already winter now; in the Yulan Continent, December and January were the coldest months. The evening wind was also chilly, and there weren’t many pedestrians on the streets.
But Linley and Alice chatted as they walked, completely ignoring everyone else.
“Oh, it’s snowing?” Alice looked up at the night sky, watching as snowflakes drifted down slowly. “I love snow. This is the first snow of this winter.”
“I like snow too.” Linley looked up at the night sky, feeling the snowflakes land on his face and then melt away.
Walking through the snowy night with the girl he loved was truly romantic. The two of them strolled leisurely through the streets of Fenlai City.
“Brother Linley, do you have a girlfriend?” Alice suddenly asked, then pretended to be casual. “A powerful guy like you must have one.”
“No, absolutely not.” Linley immediately said.
After hearing this, Alice fell silent for a moment, thinking.
“Alice, do you have a boyfriend?” Linley deliberated for a long time before finally asking.
Alice’s face instantly turned red, even the skin on her neck flushed, though it was impossible to see clearly in the dim night. “How could I have a boyfriend? Who would want me as their girlfriend?”
“Oh.”
Linley took a deep breath and suddenly said, “Well then, how about you be my girlfriend?”
“Uh—” Alice looked up at Linley in surprise, as if stunned. Linley had just been chatting with her, and now he suddenly blurted this out so directly, catching Alice off guard.
In the Sacred Alliance, it was very normal for young men and women to get together. Many of Alice’s female classmates already had boyfriends, and she had thought about having one herself.
But she never expected Linley to ask so directly.
“You want me to be your girlfriend?” Alice pressed.
At this moment, Linley felt his heart pounding faster than ever before. Even when facing life and death in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he hadn’t been this nervous. “Yes. Are you willing?”
Alice’s face was bright red, and her big eyes stared at Linley. “Brother Linley, actually, I might not be as good as you imagine.”
“I trust my judgment. Alice, I’m asking you: do you agree?” Linley was almost going crazy with anxiety. He just wanted to hear Alice’s answer right now, and his voice involuntarily trembled.
Alice hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and nodded gently.
“Whoosh.”
Linley’s heart surged with excitement, and he couldn’t help but embrace Alice. Alice shyly buried her face in Linley’s chest. At that moment, Linley noticed a flower shop nearby.
Just a moment later—
“Alice, here.” Alice looked up and saw a bright rose appear before her eyes.
Alice blushed slightly as she took the rose. Linley looked at her; the vivid red of the rose complemented Alice’s flushed cheeks, creating an indescribably moving sight. This scene was etched into Linley’s memory.
Linley took Alice’s hand, and the two of them walked down the street like that.
Snowflakes fluttered in the air as this young couple strolled through the nighttime streets of Fenlai City. The rose in Alice’s hand was as vibrant as ever.
In the private room of Azure Heaven, there were seven people: Yale, Reynolds, George, and four beautiful young women.
“I don’t know what’s up with Third Brother. Last time he didn’t come all night, and now he still hasn’t shown up.” Yale shook his head helplessly.
“Hey, isn’t that Third Brother?” Reynolds, who was leaning by the window, suddenly shouted in shock. “He’s holding hands with a girl! Damn, Third Brother has been sneaking around and hooking up with a beauty behind our backs!”
“Shwoosh.” Yale and George also rushed to the window, staring intently down at the street.
At this moment, Linley was completely immersed in the wonderful feeling of first love, not even noticing that he was right next to Azure Heaven! Linley and Alice walked right past Azure Heaven and continued further down the Champs Elysees Avenue.
“Hey, when did Third Brother get so smooth?” Yale’s eyes lit up.
George and Reynolds were also excited. Reynolds even suggested, “Haha, when Third Brother comes over in the morning, we’ll give him a good grilling!”
……
The next morning, Linley arrived at the private room of Azure Heaven in high spirits. According to routine, Reynolds and Yale should have been sleeping with the girls in their rooms, but—
Pushing open the door to the private room, Linley looked at the scene inside in surprise: “Big Brother Yale, what are you three all doing here?”
“You’re asking us what we’re all doing here?” Reynolds snickered. George and Yale also wore mischievous grins as they closed in.
“Spill it!” Reynolds glared. “Who was that beauty you were with last night?”
“Talk fast.” Yale and George also stared at him menacingly.
“Uh, you guys—” Linley was completely dumbfounded.