The food wasn't luxurious, and the dishes weren't so extravagant that they would make your clothes burst with awe. They even looked a bit ordinary. No one who saw this scene could find anything special about it.
This was just an ordinary family dinner, so ordinary that millions of families around the world were likely doing the same thing at that very moment. If there was anything remarkable, it was that both Ryan and Sakura were equally skilled at cooking.
Judge Rin gave high praise, then, like a little adult, seriously asked that the two of them compete again at breakfast tomorrow.
No one objected to the childish request. Ryan and Sakura exchanged looks and, with a smile, agreed.
Later that evening, the night breeze blew gently.
While Rin washed the dishes and returned to her room to scratch her head over her homework, Ryan brought two rattan chairs to the balcony.
The balcony of the apartment was only a few square meters—barely enough to fit two rattan chairs and a small round table. Looking out at the lights of thousands of homes in Lion City, Ryan squinted his eyes comfortably.
Compared to the lavish lifestyle of the Fire-Chasing Senators, this was too ordinary, but for people like him, such an ordinary daily life was invaluable.
"It's so comfortable." He relished the present moment. Though he knew that Lion City's fate would eventually mirror Canghai's, sooner or later, it didn't affect his mood.
Constantly dwelling on the destruction of the world felt both hypocritical and insane. Even if a Herrscher showed up tomorrow and turned this place into ruins, at least tonight everything was normal.
This type of thinking applied to Sakura and Rin as well. Knowing that the final outcome for the two sisters was tragic, did he pity them and deliberately avoid them, or act like a self-righteous savior?
No need for that. Since Sakura was already his companion, he would just face it with a clear and calm mind.
No need to pretend, no need to act. Is this what Elysia calls the 'true self'?
Ryan chuckled at himself. While both he and Elysia shared the idea of being their true selves, he was more complicated than her. It was he who crushed the Cocoon, and it was also he who played games with Rin.
Therefore, Sakura's wild thoughts were unnecessary. For the right person, he didn't bother with pretenses.
Sitting there was getting a bit boring, so Ryan took out his phone and logged into Message—something he rarely did anymore.
Buzz buzz buzz.
His phone vibrated. Since joining the Fire Moth, Ryan had been so busy that he hadn't used social software for a long time, and his mailbox was filled with dense unread messages.
"Oh my god, this person is so boring. Has the collapse not affected her yet?"
Mei needed no introduction. Kevin hadn't sent a message in ages either. However, the flower-shaped avatar had more than two hundred unread messages.
[Why no updates yet?] [Author, don't pretend to be dead. I know you're alive.] [I said I'd finish it, so I must keep my word.] [Crying] [Poke, poke, poke] ...
It was all about "blooming like a flower," which made Ryan scratch his neck. He quickly opened the backstage to check, finding that the number of readers had dropped to only a fifth of what it used to be. His colleagues seemed like they had disappeared.
You don't need to ask to know—many people had probably gone offline or were busy escaping. How could they possibly have time to read novels now?
He was still urging me to update yesterday. This person must be from a big family, definitely not related to the Fire Moth, otherwise, they wouldn't be this idle.
Ryan thought for a moment and typed softly.
[I have some free time today, so I'll write a little.]
Yes, he said he would finish it, so he'd squeeze in the time.
As soon as Ryan sent the message, his phone vibrated.
[Really?] (starry eyes)
He replied instantly!
Ryan couldn't understand who in today's world would play on their phone so late at night.
[I said in my remarks when the game was released that I won't abandon it until I die, I will just update it more slowly.]
[Yeah, yeah, I won't rush you anymore. Just treat it as a greeting between old friends, okay?]
Hey, why is she being so considerate all of a sudden? It's like she knows I'm really busy.
Ryan was stunned for a moment but didn't think much of it. To be honest, he was quite touched by the unread messages. For example, the lost reading volume meant many people might never get to read novels again in their lifetime.
Where are you now?
He typed a few words and quickly deleted them. He decided to keep some anticipation and see if this person could survive until the day when the world's internet got shut down.
[Wait, I'll write it now.]
[Great, I won't sleep tonight!] (Looking forward)
Ryan pursed his lips and smiled. It felt good to be expected by others. He opened the typing software on his phone, tilted his head slightly to recall the plot, and, fortunately, his memory was sharp enough to connect it with the previous plot.
The last time he was at the Mobius Institute, he updated a chapter, finishing the part about the Sixth Angel.
"Just write a love story, let the male lead come to his senses, and give some benefits. The censors definitely won't be strict with GHS now."
Ryan found his rhythm and began typing, his fingers moving swiftly across the screen. Even on a phone, he could write more than 5,000 words per hour, but he got stuck when it came to the bonus plot.
How can I make this more... sexy?
Ryan scratched his head and instinctively opened the second moderator, but saw the dreaded 404 error. He gritted his teeth.
Damn it, this website has to be down. Wasn't it said that good people have peaceful lives?
Da da da...
Just then, the sound of slippers echoed. Ryan turned his head to see Sakura slowly walking toward him with a teapot.
Her long pink hair was wet, clearly from a shower. She wore a large T-shirt, exposing her smooth, slender legs. Combined with her cool expression, she resembled a lotus emerging from water.
Ryan's nose twitched as he caught a faint scent, something like wintersweet. It was subtle, yet refreshing, and sparked an idea.
Isn't there a real model here? Well, let's start from when the second female lead finishes her shower.
"Sakura, do me a favor and lean over the table a bit. Yes, yes, half-cover your collar."
The girl was puzzled and thought Ryan was doing something important, so she complied, placing her hands on the table and leaning slightly.
"So?" she asked.
Ryan looked up, and through her wide neckline, he could just about make out the shape of her curves, though they were partially covered by her hands. The confused look on her face gave the impression that she was reluctant, yet still a bit unaware.
"Yes, yes, that's the perfect angle. This is what inspires my art."
Art? Shouldn't it be science?
Sakura was even more confused now. Her cheeks flushed from the way Ryan was looking at her, and the smile on his lips seemed mischievous.
"Ryan, what exactly are you doing?"
"I was writing a novel and got stuck when you came. You've really helped me a lot."
"You can write novels too?" Sakura leaned in closer. Her keen eyes caught a glimpse of the screen before it went off.
[Gray feet slipped, and he pushed Zhen to the ground. He immediately felt the softness and wetness of her hair. He looked up and saw the deep grooves, and the two bright red spots on top...]
Sakura's face turned bright red as she recalled the incident with the stockings.
"You—you—you—what did you write? And I have clothes on!"
"Ahem, I saw it, and this is called divergent thinking in art," Ryan replied smoothly, already crafting an excuse. "You've seen those nude paintings, right? I just used words to describe your beauty, which transcends animal desires."
"But you wrote it based on me."
Tsk, she actually got smarter.
Ryan smirked, licking his lips. He crossed his hands behind his head, his gaze steady and deep. "No, you represent the beauty of countless women. Like those legendary sculptures, you've transcended the original model and become a symbol of the concept of 'beauty.'"
"And you also turned into light in that moment, beautiful light. What I want to do is capture that beauty with words until the end of human civilization."
Sakura blinked. It seemed a bit over the top, but it also felt... somehow powerful.
After a long silence, the blush on her face began to fade. "I think I learned something again."
Phew, luckily, I'm not that smart. By the way, what was I just talking about?
Ryan couldn't remember and felt it wasn't important. He was about to make a fuss about it when—
Bite.
The phone vibrated, and both of them instinctively turned.
Blooming like a flower: [Hehe, your GHS is pretty good, but you can't be shy! ] (dog head)
Sakura blinked again and pointed at her phone, tilting her head slightly.
"Art???"