“Gentlemen, please have a seat. I’ll go make some preparations,” the shopkeeper greeted as he welcomed Felyn and Zervanie into the store.
And so, they went in after all.
Felyn just couldn’t resist. With that pan, he could finally make Mapo tofu.
What could possibly be more healing after a long day’s work than coming home to a hot bowl of Mapo tofu rice?
Under the watchful eyes of a massive plush toy hanging on the wall, Felyn and Zervanie walked past several couples seated on low stools, playing seal-based games together.
The shop was filled with couples—except for one girl wearing a hat, standing alone at a shelf lined with stuffed animals and souvenirs, carefully browsing.
The store was surprisingly spacious, and unlike the noisy arcades from before Felyn crossed into this world, it was actually quiet.
“Felyn, let’s sit here.”
Zervanie subtly blocked Felyn’s view of a large, comfortable couch nearby, instead pointing him toward a slightly smaller one.
Felyn, lost in thoughts of the frying pan, didn’t even notice her little scheme.
They sat very close. So close that if Felyn moved even slightly, his hand would brush against Zervanie’s cool, soft knee. If he turned just a little, his chest would touch hers.
Their hair, their clothes, their warmth—it all mingled together. Her fragrant silver-white hair lightly brushed against his shoulder.
But the restlessness in her heart wasn’t so easily satisfied.
“Felyn, shouldn’t we act a bit more... affectionate? Not that I want to! I just think if we don’t, the shopkeeper might notice something. We’ve already paid, so if he figures it out and disqualifies us, wouldn’t that be a waste?”
Zervanie had perfectly targeted Felyn’s frugal mindset.
If they wasted money over something like this, Felyn would definitely be upset.
“Yeah, we don’t really look like a couple right now,” Felyn nodded, glancing around at all the lovebirds whispering sweet nothings.
“So… should we do something, maybe…”
Felyn caught the implication and said, “Like making crafts together, and while we work, our heads bump, and we gaze into each other’s eyes with a smile?”
“Yes, yes!” Zervanie’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Or when we try the claw machine, and one of us catches a doll, the other has to say, ‘Wow, you’re amazing!’ with total admiration?”
“Mm-hmm! That’s good too!”
“Or when we play board games, one of us pretends to be an expert, guides the other, and slowly places their hand on top of the other’s hand, teaching them directly?”
“Yes! Are we really going to act like that?!”
Zervanie couldn’t hide her giddiness. Just thinking about Felyn’s suggestions made her heart flutter.
She’d do all of them—no hesitation.
…
“Uh… no. I was just talking about things I did with a client. You’re not one of my clients, so we don’t need to do any of that stuff, right?”
…
The smile at the corner of Zervanie’s eyes froze.
The scenes she’d imagined in her head—he had really done them… but with another girl.
And Felyn, why would you tell me that?! You’re just making me more jealous, you dummy!
Zervanie was completely thrown. In just a few seconds, she rode an emotional rollercoaster.
But… maybe it was still okay.
At least Felyn was willing to tell her these things.
At least he wasn’t hiding anything from her.
Still, she really didn’t want to hear him talk about being close to other girls anymore… sob.
Felyn wasn’t clueless. He knew talking about things like that in front of a girl would make her uncomfortable.
This was just his way of setting boundaries, making sure Zervanie wouldn’t start having feelings for him again.
When it came to love, Felyn was always cautious.
“Let’s look around the shop,” Felyn offered. “That’ll probably make us look more like a couple anyway.”
It was his first time in a place like this.
He’d always been too busy before.
It wasn’t a bad idea to check out what kind of games people enjoyed nowadays—just in case one of his clients turned out to be a gamer.
“Do you like games, Felyn?”
Zervanie was feeling a bit hot,, so she unzipped her jacket.
With carefully measured motion, the side of her coat closest to Felyn slipped off her shoulder, revealing smooth, round skin and a beautifully shaped collarbone, gleaming like white jade under the shop lights.
“Not really…”
Felyn’s eyes briefly passed over her exposed shoulder, and for a moment, he completely forgot what he was going to say.
He didn’t notice Zervanie’s little victorious smirk.
“This game looks interesting,” Felyn said, reaching for a seal on the shelf. Unexpectedly, Zervanie reached at the same time, and their hands touched “by accident.”
“Oops, sorry, Felyn. I didn’t mean to.”
Though she apologized, Zervanie didn’t pull her hand away.
The soft pads of her fingers slowly traced across the back of his hand, leaving behind a tingle of lingering warmth.
“It’s fine,” Felyn replied.
He felt something was off, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Shrugging it off, he focused on reading the instructions for the seal in his hand.
In this world, games weren’t digital. They were powered by divine energy that activated the movement of seal patterns.
For example, in board games, the pieces would seem to move on their own.
But these games constantly consumed energy, requiring new seals to keep playing. Felyn had never been able to justify the cost.
“Felyn, do you like this kind of game?”
Zervanie walked toward Felyn.
Accidentally, her shoelace came undone.
Accidentally, her left foot stepped on it.
Accidentally, she fell forward.
Felyn’s first thought was: Why is Zervanie always tripping?!
But he instinctively reached out to catch her.
The soft cushion of her chest helped absorb the fall, but the sensation made its way straight to Felyn’s brain.
He held her in his arms, her warmth seeping through the thin layers of their clothes.
Zervanie’s gentle breath brushed against his neck, carrying the sweet scent of fruit, tickling his senses with each exhale.
Her arms rested naturally on his shoulders. She looked up from his chest, her icy blue eyes now radiating heat—conveying the fire in her heart.
“Sorry, Felyn… I don’t know what happened…”
Zervanie slowly pulled away from him.
But this combo move wasn’t over.
“Your collar got crooked. Let me fix it.”
Before Felyn could respond, Zervanie leaned in. So close that he could smell the faint floral fragrance in her hair, and see the smallest flickers in her eyes beneath her lashes.
She bit her lip, purposefully slowing her movements as her fingertips grazed against his skin.
He could feel her breath warming his chin—gentle, soft, intimate.
“There. All done.”
Zervanie reluctantly let go of his collar, patting his shoulder with a satisfied smile.
She just wanted him to notice her a little more.
And sure enough, her efforts were quickly rewarded.
“Zervanie, they even have a handcrafting station here.”
Felyn sat at a small table, surprised to see carving tools laid out before him.
“Yeah! I love crafts!”
Zervanie eagerly sat down. Hand-carved items were rarely thrown away—usually, they were gifted.
Which meant Felyn would definitely give his to her! No matter what it was, she’d treasure it.
Someday, when she and Felyn had a child, she’d tell them: “This is the gift your dad gave me on our very first date.”
Felyn, of course, had no idea she’d already planned out their kid’s future.
He was just wondering what he should make.
Since he was already here, he figured he’d make one for each of his clients. That way, he could save some time.
So, while Zervanie watched with sparkling eyes full of hope, Felyn made four little sculptures.
One for Adeline, one for Daiyi, one for Princess Dorothy, and one for the rich woman.
“Felyn… are all of these for me?”
Zervanie was now convinced Felyn wanted to have four kids with her.
Four was a lot… but if Felyn wanted them, then so be it.
“They’re for clients,” Felyn replied, without even looking up.
Zervanie didn’t look up either.
What the heck am I even hoping for?!
Clients. Again?!
She slumped across the table, hands propping up her face, dazing off at Felyn. Even all the sculptures in the room couldn’t compare to her icy blue eyes.
She was a former client too. Couldn’t she at least get a little special treatment?
“All done.”
Felyn exhaled and finished his last one. In just a few minutes, he’d completed all four.
They were small—just simple little pendants, and with the help of the seals, it hadn’t taken long at all.
Even if they were tiny, the important part was that they carried heartfelt intentions.
“Felyn, do you make gifts for every client?”
“Of course.”
“You know… you’re really good at winning over girls. There’s always so many around you.”
Felyn washed his hands and dried them with a handkerchief.
“Well, I do know a few tricks. I even picked up some acting skills from you. But that’s all for work. In private, I don’t have girls flocking around me or anything.”
Zervanie’s mouth twitched.
So you’re using the tricks you learned from me… to charm other girls?
This really was starting to feel like an ex-girlfriend moment.
“But I don’t think tricks are the most important thing,” Felyn added, looking at her.
“What matters most is sincerity. If you treat clients sincerely, they can feel it. And that’s what satisfies them.”
Zervanie, already zoning out, suddenly asked without thinking:
“Then… were you sincere when you were serving me too?”
(End of Chapter)