Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 322: Ghost of Black Swan Bay (7)

Dragon Raja 3

“Yeah, she’s a bit of a wild one.”

Chu Zihang felt a pang in his heart. It sounded like Caesar and Nono had shared truly wonderful times. Perhaps breaking the axle wouldn’t have changed anything. Even if the axle broke, Nono could still jump on a horse and race to the wedding. Why didn’t she marry Caesar? She should have married Caesar.

You love someone so deeply that you’re willing to sacrifice everything, burning like a torch until you’re reduced to ashes. But so what? You might conquer the world, slay dragons, and return bloodied but victorious—impressive, sure. But so what? What kind of life can you offer her? Just because you’re strong, does that mean you deserve her love?

Your love is heavy, but does she even want it?

The sound of an engine echoed from the end of the long street. Both men rushed to the window, which was a small round porthole barely a foot in diameter, like on a ship. Since they both wanted to look out, they ended up awkwardly pressing their heads together, resembling two bears in a cramped cabin fighting to catch a glimpse of the waves splashing against the hull. Chu Zihang’s curiosity was always strong, which explained his close bond with Lu Mingfei. As for Caesar, his reason for interest was more subtle. As a seasoned charmer, he felt it was his duty to mock Lu Mingfei’s awkwardness with girls and then impart some of his well-earned wisdom.

A taxi with its yellow light on stopped at the corner, unable to proceed due to the floodwaters. Lu Mingfei jumped out, opened a large umbrella, and the back door opened as a girl’s slender leg extended out. The leg was beautifully long, pale and striking, with a white high-heeled boot on her foot. The moment her foot touched the water, she recoiled it, then stepped out barefoot, splashing into the water. The girl, wearing a taffeta off-shoulder white dress, squeezed under the umbrella, cradling her new boots protectively in her arms. The two of them ran toward the hotel, with Lu Mingfei carrying a pile of boxes of various sizes. The rainwater surged down the street, splashing around their calves. The girl moved gracefully, like a white deer crossing a river, the golden anklet around her ankle jingling as she ran.

In the space between her flowing dress and bare feet, it suddenly felt as if summer had finally arrived. Thunder rumbled away in the distance, and the rain-soaked street seemed to stretch out endlessly in slow motion.

Caesar felt there was nothing left to teach, while the tension in Chu Zihang’s heart unexpectedly eased.

They both realized this wasn’t a bad season at all. Late spring was ending, and early summer was arriving—Japan’s most beautiful time, with cherry blossoms in bloom and the bluefin tuna at its finest. Despite the violent yakuza wars, the lurking threat of a creature called a “god,” and the nightly torrential rains and volcanic eruptions, to tourists, Tokyo remained a stunning city. Its attractions and restaurants were wide open, welcoming visitors. Sushi chefs eagerly offered seasonal tuna belly and exquisite abalone sashimi, while post-rain crowds thronged the streets of Aoyama and Ginza, shopping for clothes or visiting shrines for omamori.

Maybe the world wasn’t quite ending after all, and this crisis could be resolved. They were lucky to have arrived in Japan during this beautiful season, with plenty of time to linger in this Eastern city, free from assignments, papers, or exam worries.

Summer had just arrived—a perfect season, with plenty of time for wonderful stories to unfold.

Lu Mingfei and Uesugi Erii ran through the entrance of the love hotel, where the friendly owner handed them towels to dry their hair. They went upstairs, and the light in a fifth-floor window flickered on.

Ten minutes later, Lu Mingfei snuck out, crossed the street, and slipped through the back door of the capsule hotel.

As soon as he opened the door, a bundle of cash hit him square in the forehead—thick stacks of 10,000-yen bills. Each bundle contained 100 bills, and Caesar had thrown several million yen at him.

“Thank God you guys managed to get some cash. Being broke is a killer!” Lu Mingfei exclaimed with joy, quickly stuffing the money into his jacket.

“We completely understand how hard it is to go on a date with no money, so Chu Zihang and I each sold a kidney to help fund your romance!” Caesar said with a deadpan expression.

“So touching! Did you tell them it was a Gattuso kidney to drive up the price?” Lu Mingfei sat down on the bed, rummaging through a plastic bag for food and drinks.

“That desperate?” Caesar feigned shock.

“Wrong—just hungry!”

“Coming back from a date this hungry? What, was your date at a construction site reclaiming land in Tokyo Bay? Was bricklaying part of your date activities?” Caesar tossed him a beer.

“Didn’t I tell you? Today’s plan was Disneyland! But I barely had time to eat, I was too busy serving the princess. You have no idea how much she can eat—three pizzas, two supersized cups of cola, countless fried onion rings, fries, and chicken wings.”

“How did it go?” Chu Zihang asked.

“It was alright, the mall manager gave us VIP tickets, so we didn’t have to pay extra for anything. Tokyo Disneyland is pretty fun; we went on Cinderella’s Castle, Pirates of the Caribbean…”

“I’m not interested in your rides. I’m asking if the Uesugi Clan head is satisfied? Is she still acting normal?” Chu Zihang corrected him, exasperated.

“She’s getting more normal… hic!” Lu Mingfei choked on his food. “She’s not like how she was at the beginning, with that icy face, ready to destroy anyone she saw. She even got scared by one of the staff dressed as a monster while we were playing in Cinderella’s Castle.”

“Did you take the chance to hold the girl in your arms?” Caesar chuckled.

“Am I that much of a beast? Even if I were, I wouldn’t have the guts! The monsters the staff were dressed as were fake, but she’s the real deal!”

“Come on, even if she’s a monster, as long as the monster maintains a cute girl form, we noble gentlemen should be gallant and play along with her. You need to handle her with the mindset of dealing with a girl.”

“Youcanyouup!” 【If you think you can, you do it】

“What’s the plan for tomorrow? Don’t keep taking her out. Even with a change of clothes and hairstyle, there’s still a chance she could be recognized on the street,” Chu Zihang said.

“But her whole point of running away from home was to go out and play. If I don’t take her out, how could she be satisfied?” Lu Mingfei argued. “On the way back, she already requested to visit the Palette Town amusement park in Odaiba tomorrow.”

“How does she even know about a place like that? Wasn’t she supposed to have never left home?”

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