Chapter 1416: Mechanical Castle
"Hey!" Yan Jiayu jumped over to Xu Huo's side. "You could still recognize me even dressed like that?"
"Didn't you give me the signal?" Xu Huo patted the dried fruit in his pocket.
Yan Jiayu's face, flushed from being stuffed inside the plush costume, was rosy red. She cracked open a walnut and ate it as she said, "I recognized you the moment you walked over. I'm just not used to seeing that face."
Xu Huo took off his mask, revealing his original appearance. "Perfect timing. I need some air too."
Yan Jiayu patted her wallet. "Come on, my treat today. I'll take you to the best restaurant on this street."
Xu Huo followed her lead and blended into the crowd, sampling the "most recommended delicacies for out-of-town guests" along the way.
"I've basically tried all the good food on this street," Yan Jiayu said, carrying large and small bags of food as she found a seat in a restaurant. She expertly called the waiter over to first bring her a set of Rainbow Juice.
A dozen or so bottles of juice in various colors were lined up on the table. Yan Jiayu enthusiastically introduced them to Xu Huo. "These juices are really fun. Whatever color you drink, your whole body will turn that color—from head to toe, except for your hair and nails. Even your lips change color. Want to give it a try?"
Xu Huo waved his hand, indicating he wasn't interested, and watched her down five bottles before asking what she wanted to order.
"Just pick whatever you like," Yan Jiayu said. "I usually eat more vegetarian."
After estimating the portions for two people and ordering, she asked when he had arrived at Platinum Eye. Learning that he wasn't there for an instance, she invited him to visit the Mechanical Castle together that evening.
"The Mechanical Castle showcases Platinum Eye's new inventions over the years, along with lots of interesting mechanical dolls," Yan Jiayu said. "I already went to see it a couple of days ago, but the place is too big—I didn't finish touring it. It's open day and night, so let's go together. I've been thinking about making a set of mechanical armor for Da Mao recently. Buying it is too expensive, so I plan to make it myself."
Da Mao was the name she'd given her stone lion. Although that stone lion was an A-grade item, it possessed a certain level of intelligence.
"That's quite a technical job," Xu Huo said. "Besides, does a stone lion need armor?"
The stone lion itself was an A-grade item; wearing armor on it was meaningless.
Yan Jiayu disagreed. "Da Mao can't talk. If it could, it would probably want to wear pretty clothes and nice accessories too. It helps me fight, so of course I should take good care of it in daily life."
Seeing how serious she was, Xu Huo didn't argue further. If that item could really speak, it probably had more important things to say.
Still, meeting an old friend in a foreign land made the meal very enjoyable, even if Yan Jiayu turned completely yellow halfway through.
Xu Huo had been invited on the spur of the moment. Yan Jiayu had already arranged to go to the Mechanical Castle with the Magic Eye Goddess, so after the meal, the two returned to the fortune-telling shop.
The Magic Eye Goddess didn't look pleased to see him, but Yan Jiayu smoothed things over. "Xiao Xiao doesn't like it when people say her fortune-telling is inaccurate."
"Your Jiayu's friend is my friend too. I won't hold a grudge against a friend." Tu Xiaoxiao nodded at Xu Huo, letting bygones be bygones.
Both sides were easygoing, and after a brief exchange, they started chatting.
Tu Xiaoxiao and Yan Jiayu had met in an instance. Coincidentally, they ran into each other again two months later in another instance, and their personalities clicked. Since Yan Jiayu wanted to buy some equipment for Da Mao, Tu Xiaoxiao recommended Platinum Eye.
Tu Xiaoxiao was a B-grade player from Zone 005. She now lived in Zone 002, though not in Platinum Eye. However, she frequently visited Platinum Eye and had some reputation, especially after the city government announced her engagement news a while back.
"Did you really predict that last year?" Yan Jiayu voiced Xu Huo's curiosity.
"If anyone else asked that, I'd flip out," Tu Xiaoxiao said, pinching her cheek. "It just so happened that I had a new trait around that time, so I did a fortune-telling for the mayor on the side. The result was that he had happy news coming."
"The mayor and his wife are famously devoted. I heard they haven't had a single fight in twenty years of marriage. Every year on the mayor's wife's birthday, the mayor prepares surprises in advance, and it always boosts the local economy. Plus, I've seen them in public before. I can't say for sure about the mayor's wife, but the mayor absolutely adores his wife. The chance of a relationship breakdown is slim. So the remaining happy news was probably about their daughter."
After hearing this, Xu Huo said, "Could the happy news be about having a second child?"
Beside him, Yan Jiayu nodded like a chick pecking rice.
Facing two pairs of equally sincere, questioning eyes, Tu Xiaoxiao nearly rolled her eyes back. "Anyway, my fortune-telling result was about marriage. Believe it or not."
Yan Jiayu giggled and took her hand. "You're the most accurate! Do one for Da Mao—can it find a mate?"
Before she finished, Tu Xiaoxiao pulled out both hands and pinched her face from both sides. "Didn't I tell you? Trait-based fortune-telling only works on living people."
Yan Jiayu didn't mind her features being distorted. After being released, she rubbed her face. "Then did you do a fortune-telling for our operation tonight?"
Tu Xiaoxiao gave her a "do I even need to say it" look.
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow slightly. "What operation do you have tonight?"
Tu Xiaoxiao stared in surprise at the person gradually turning from yellow to blue. "You two didn't discuss this beforehand?"
"Haha, I forgot." Yan Jiayu laughed it off, flashing a row of white teeth. "But it won't interfere. We can visit the Mechanical Museum first and then handle the business."
Although he didn't know what they were planning, it definitely wouldn't be as easy as she made it sound.
"Old Xu, just enjoy the tour. We'll absolutely get it done without drawing anyone's attention," Yan Jiayu said, patting her chest.
Xu Huo looked at her sapphire-blue face and said slowly, "I don't think it'll be that simple."
In fact, even before they started anything, just standing at the entrance of the Mechanical Castle, the three of them attracted the attention of many passersby. Yan Jiayu, in particular, drew a crowd of children clamoring to take photos with her.
In the end, Tu Xiaoxiao couldn't take it anymore and threw a protective suit over her before they successfully entered the castle.
At the castle entrance, a staff member explained to the guests, "The Mechanical Castle is still the mayor's private residence. The outer castle serves as a venue displaying the history of mechanics and is open 24 hours a day. The inner castle is the mayor's living quarters. Please be careful not to accidentally enter the inner castle during your visit."
"The robots inside the castle are responsible for guiding you and explaining the operating principles and invention history of various machines. If you encounter any difficulties, you can also find a nearby robot for assistance."