Chapter 42
Chapter 42
After leaving the museum, Kakayan was in high spirits.
She twirled the red cord on her wrist, liking it more every time she looked at it. The colour suited her tastes perfectly, and the whole palette matched her style.
Jiang Li, on the other hand, was in a sour mood.
Those two cords, each threaded with a single bead, had cost him ninety-nine yuan. A blatant tourist trap—like they'd marked him as an easy sheep to shear.
"Where to next? The pier?" Kakayan asked, tilting her head.
"What pier?" Jiang Li was baffled.
"You said this morning we were heading to the pier for some fries." Kakayan lifted her chin, reciting the conversation verbatim. "Fries—those soft, golden sticks made from potatoes, right?"
"You've got a good memory."
Jiang Li thought back; he had tossed off the comment as a joke, never expecting Kakayan to remember it word for word. In the museum he'd told her, "Look, don't buy," and she'd ignored him completely. But "Let's go grab some fries" had apparently gone straight to long-term storage.
It felt deliberate—as if, now that they were on friendly terms, she'd started probing how far she could push him.
"I'm a little hungry." Kakayan tapped her chin with one finger, head cocked adorably, eyes asking, Isn't it about time we ate?
Jiang Li glanced at his phone; it was already afternoon. Kakayan wasn't the only one starving.
"Let's go."
He opened the map and started walking, leaving the quiet museum district behind for a freshly swept street. The area bustled—buildings sprouted in every style, and the wind carried a restless energy.
They'd been walking a while. Since sharing half a jianbing that morning, Kakayan hadn't eaten a thing. Stomach and heart alike were running on empty.
"Still a long way?" She looked up at Jiang Li.
He raised an arm and pointed. "Almost there—that shop, right ahead."
After two more traffic lights they stopped in front of a black-and-yellow façade. Kakayan had learned pinyin; she sounded out the letters above the door.
"Moo?"
"...Cows?"
The sudden lowing startled Jiang Li—until he noticed the giant golden M. Kakayan had read the English letter as pinyin.
"So this is the 'pier' you mentioned?" She jabbed a finger at the sign, gazing through the glass.
"It's called McDoor." Jiang Li explained. "Remember the hamburger you ate sitting on my doorstep? They make them here."
"Oh..." Kakayan licked her lips at the memory, eyes lighting up.
"Let's head in." She tugged his sleeve, practically bouncing.
Jiang Li had planned to pick any cheap restaurant, but prices downtown were brutal. McDoor, by comparison, was a bargain—fifty yuan could stuff two people with something balanced, tasty, and safe.
They ducked inside and grabbed the first open table. Jiang Li hunched over his phone to order. Kakayan swivelled her head; nearby, a children's play area buzzed with kids hurtling down slides and leaping across a foam pit.
"Sweetheart, stop playing and come eat—your ice-cream's melting."
"...Mom, just five more minutes!"
A little girl with twin ponytails crouched at the top of the slide, round eyes pleading with the woman outside.
"Fine, suit yourself." The mother sat back down, melted ice-cream dripping over her fingers, a headache brewing behind her eyes.
Left to herself, the girl finally slid down and scampered over. The mother shoved the soggy cone into her hand.
"Mom, it melted... waaah..."
"Who told you to keep playing? I said eat it quickly."
The woman stalked off to the restroom as if punishing the child, leaving the girl staring at the dripping cone. White rivulets ran over her fingers faster than she could wipe them.
"Mommy..."
Tears welled up in the child's eyes.
"Give that to me."
A pink-haired Older Sister knelt in front of her, holding out a hand.
The girl blinked, mesmerised by the stranger's cool, crystalline beauty.
"Ah... okay."
She handed over the melted mess. The pink-haired woman smiled sweetly, whispered a few words, and returned the cone.
"The ice-cream got cold again?"
The dripping had stopped; the swirl had re-frozen solid. The girl's lashes fluttered in disbelief.
Her mother returned, wiping her hands.
"Mommy, Mommy! The ice-cream got cold again!"
"What are you talking about? Ice-cream's supposed to be cold."
The woman gave a helpless laugh.
"But..."
The girl glanced back at the pink-haired Older Sister, who pressed a finger to her lips in a soft shh. The child obediently nodded and settled down to eat in silence.
...
Jiang Li returned with the tray. For some reason, Kakayan was watching the little girl demolish her cone with keen interest.
Kakayan had never seen ice-cream before. Jiang Li asked, "Want to try one?"
"What is it?"
"That thing the kid's eating." He tapped his phone. "Shall I order you one?"
He could already picture her reaction—perfect content for a short video.
"Sure."
He'd barely tapped "confirm" when the girl dashed over, now clutching a lollipop instead of a cone.
"Thank you, Older Sister! This is for you!"
She plopped the candy onto the table and skipped away.
"What good deed did you do?" Jiang Li asked, eyebrow raised.
Kakayan only turned away with a mischievous "not telling" grin.
After all, using magic in public was strictly off-limits—by Jiang Li's own rule.