Today was Saturday, and for Ling Zui'er Cold Cup, it was another golden day.
Over the past few days, that mysterious Sister Tan who had appeared hadn't shown up again. Instead, there were many more young customers who didn't belong to this neighborhood.
The Snacks & Cold Drinks shop run by the naturally beautiful sister duo had already gained quite a reputation in the surrounding neighborhoods. The number of single young men had surged dramatically, while middle-aged and elderly customers gradually found it harder to secure tables.
The hot operating environment forced Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao to choose cooler outfits. Both wore matching denim shorts and sleeveless tops, though the detailed styling remained somewhat conservative—refreshingly pretty with the dignified demeanor unique to young girls from respectable families.
Sister Tan's sudden visit last time made Jiang Yan reconsider the issue of carrying concealed weapons. Since she spent most of her time in the kitchen, having a dagger tucked under her T-shirt at the small of her back was fine, but Jiang Yao handled customer service, and jeans with a T-shirt obviously made it difficult to hide a concealed dagger.
Jiang Yao had once suggested simply wearing skirts—under the hem, strapped to her thigh, she could carry not just a dagger but even a circle of grenades without problem. However, Jiang Yan vetoed this on grounds that it would be inconvenient for customer service.
In the end, both Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao added small waist pouches hanging from their waists, with their respective daggers hidden inside. These cute-style little waist pouches not only ensured they could handle emergencies but also enhanced their appearance considerably.
...
"Sorry, there are no outdoor tables available. How about inside the shop?"
Time had flowed to past nine PM. Having just seen off one table of customers, Jiang Yao walked over to a group of men with a bright smile, feeling that today's business would definitely be booming. After all, a bunch of men who never considered their figures or dietary health were major consumers of cold drinks.
Gradually, Jiang Yao's steps slowed to a stop. The leader of this group of men was actually an old acquaintance she'd once crossed hands with—the bearded Huang Gu!
"Hehe, little sister Yao, it's been a month and a half since we last met! Knowing you've opened this shop and that it's gotten some fame online, I came to show my support. It's my birthday today, and these are all my old friends—some from D City, and some former colleagues from C City."
Huang Gu still had that typical image of a grassroots worker combining honesty and cunning. The men behind him, both young and middle-aged, were all dressed simply.
The Jiang Yao before Huang Gu's eyes had also undergone considerable changes compared to over a month ago.
Her gaze, expressions, and mannerisms all better matched the image of a youthfully innocent and pretty girl. With outstanding looks and figure, plus that dreamlike pale golden long hair, even bare-faced as she was now, she'd be quite competitive even among the cloud of beauties on the internet.
If he hadn't accidentally glimpsed a Shadow Arrow Force combat uniform in the corner of that rural villa's living room back then, the current Huang Gu would really have trouble connecting this girl-next-door before him with those secret killing gods he'd once fought life-and-death battles with.
"The indoor space is small and close to the stove, so the air conditioning might not be effective. Let me talk to Sister Chen at the hair salon next door about borrowing some of her outdoor space to set up two more tables."
Jiang Yan walked out from behind the kitchen counter, greeting Huang Gu politely and calmly while heading outside. In just one minute, she gracefully returned, making an "all set" gesture.
Huang Gu didn't stand on ceremony and personally moved tables and chairs. The group of men worked together enthusiastically, quickly getting everything arranged. Whether Huang Gu was really celebrating his birthday was unclear, but he was indeed generous with his spending, ordering plenty of food and beer, earning praise from all his friends and colleagues.
"Not bad, Brother Huang! You actually know such beautiful women! Why didn't you bring us here earlier?!"
A younger man stared somewhat entranced at the pale golden-haired girl moving busily between the tables, his eyes gleaming with what looked like love at first sight.
"Don't get any ideas about her. This kind of beauty is destined to have no social interaction with us. Just eat and drink what you want, don't think too much..."
An older man forcefully patted the young man's shoulder, speaking with casual self-mockery.
...
Huang Gu's group was boisterous and lively, becoming the Snacks shop's final customers of the day. They kept eating until past two AM, finally dispersing in twos and threes amid the chaos of alcohol fumes and sour stomach-filled burps, leaving only Huang Gu silently helping the two sisters clean up the stall.
Around this old street area, ninety-nine percent of the shops had gone dark by this time. In front of the Snacks shop, except for that large lamp surrounded by moths, everything was already empty and quiet.
"Thank you for your patronage, Uncle Huang. Today's bill gets a twenty percent discount. Cash or mobile payment?"
Jiang Yan, having finished cleaning the stove area, walked over and handed him the bill.
"Why thank me? We're all wanderers in this world... Business is business, friendship is friendship. Skip the discount—you two aren't having it easy either."
Huang Gu just glanced at the bill, then scanned the QR code posted on the table with his phone and entered a four-digit amount.
"I still need to thank you. Fortunately we know you—Sister Wan and Zhong Jing have both helped us tremendously."
Jiang Yan waved behind her, and Jiang Yao came over carrying two packs of expensive cigarettes.
Huang Gu stopped being polite, tore open the packaging, lit one of the cigarettes that cost over ten yuan each, took a deep drag, and showed a satisfied smile.
"Miss Jiang, after these days of observation, I'm representing Sister Wan in inviting you and Xiao Yao to join us."
After smoking for a few puffs, once the brief nicotine pleasure passed, Huang Gu's expression became very serious.
Join them? It seemed Sister Wan was their leader—not orthodox Blood Clan, but more like an organization that united some decent or trustworthy wandering Blood Clan members to stick together for mutual support.
Looking at Huang Gu's face full of sincerity, Jiang Yan just shook her head gently: "Thank you for Uncle Huang's trust, but Xiao Yao and I are living quite peacefully now. We don't have any reason to change the status quo."
"You could truly live normal lives." Huang Gu chuckled.
"Don't we look normal now?" Jiang Yan smiled back.
"There's strength in numbers—you'd be safer!" Huang Gu emphasized each word heavily.
"And the price? Would it make Xiao Yao and me freer than we are now?" Jiang Yan became even calmer.
"You could grow faster! With your potential, Sister Wan would definitely invest heavily in cultivating you!"
Huang Gu glanced at Jiang Yao, who remained silent beside them, and lowered his voice further.
"Why do we need to grow? Challenge knights, then challenge barons? Then viscounts, earls... An organization won't let us gain too many benefits for no reason."
Jiang Yan shook her head, her tone flat with a trace of helplessness: "There's a feudal knight here who's remained at the knight level for many years. She has her own family, isn't competitive, and doesn't engage in dark battles or killings. I'd rather accept this kind of life."
"I think when Uncle Huang drove us to this area that day, you considered this point. You definitely investigated that feudal knight's background and knew she wouldn't make things difficult for Xiao Yao and me."
"..." Huang Gu suddenly didn't know how to answer this question.
"Uncle Huang, Xiao Yao and I are truly satisfied with our current lives. I'll consider what you've said. Feel free to drop by anytime—next visit is on the house!"
Jiang Yan put her smile back on and extended her hand, waiting for his response.
"Mm, Miss Jiang, you can think it over some more..."
Gently shaking hands with the girl, his rough fingers picking up a few strands of water-like tenderness, Huang Gu turned and walked toward the dim depths of the street.
"Bro..." Jiang Yao moved slightly closer at this moment.
"Can't you change that habit? Call me sister. If you get it wrong again next time, I'm really going to hit someone."
A taxi flashed past the street corner, and Jiang Yan sighed irritably.
"Oh, sister. Why did you refuse him... That old witch looks pretty fierce. Wouldn't it be good to have a big backer? When the sky falls, it wouldn't be our turn as two small fries to hold it up..."
Jiang Yao played with a strand of her long hair, looking completely puzzled.
"The higher the price they offer, the more dangerous it means—it's just a matter of when it gets cashed in. A group of wandering Blood Clan members sticking together is fine, but once you become an organization, you can't escape competing with the outside world, or even fighting..."
Turning around, Jiang Yan watched Jiang Yao playing with her hair, smiled slightly, and placed her hand on the other's shoulder: "Xiao Yao, from the moment I became a member of the Shadow Arrow Force, I knew I might never escape from one circle for my entire life. I don't want to jump into another circle again in the future. That's all."
The last light went out, the rolling door came down and was locked.
The black-haired girl and the golden-haired girl, one after the other, slowly disappeared into the night.