Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Mid-September, the sky was cloudless and bright.
After nearly a week stretched out on the sofa, Kakayan's foot had finally healed.
With the morning sun at their backs, Jiang Li took her into the city to film the restaurant-collab video they'd promised the hotpot place.
Calling it a "collab" was generous—really, they were just getting a free all-you-can-eat meal.
Jiang Li had been fretting over a lack of new material; letting Kakayan experience hotpot for the first time seemed like an easy win.
Besides, restaurant collabs were the simplest gigs.
When you posted the clip, you could leave the "contains paid promotion" box unchecked.
Ticking it throttled your reach.
Sponsored videos were shunted into a different traffic pool from regular uploads.
If you didn't tick it and got caught, you were still throttled.
Bilibili was weird that way.
Food vloggers, though, didn't worry about it.
As long as you never said "collab" on camera, the site never noticed.
Everyone was hustling for free meals anyway—"I'm just eating at a different place."
So what's the big deal?
...
Standing at the mouth of the subway escalator, a gale-force wind howled up from the depths.
Kakayan spread her arms, letting the blast buffet her.
She hadn't expected humans to stack castles sky-high—and to build dwarf-style underground palaces beneath them.
"The place we're headed isn't bus-friendly. Perfect excuse to try the subway."
"But you said I can't ride without an ID card."
"Right. There are officers inside doing random checks." Jiang Li considered. "Still, the odds are low. I asked Officer Li—crime's down, they're barely checking."
"Oh."
Kakayan nodded, still uneasy. "What if they do check me?"
"Then I'll have hotpot all by myself."
Jiang Li lifted both hands in mock helplessness.
"Ah... don't be like that."
Kakayan muttered and inched closer.
Of course Jiang Li was just teasing her.
Before deciding to bring Kakayan on the subway, he'd done his homework.
"Uncle Policemen" singled you out for ID checks based on three things:
First, resemblance to a suspect's description.
Second, suspicious behavior.
Third, nondescript clothing.
And finally, pure facial intuition.
Unless a twenty-year-old pink-haired, drop-dead-gorgeous female fugitive was on the loose in Hangzhou, the chance they'd stop Kakayan was the same as hitting the lottery jackpot.
"I'm buying the tickets—stay put."
After warning her, Jiang Li stepped to the machine and started tapping.
Kakayan craned her neck, pink head bobbing curiously.
The tangled subway map looked like...
An underground labyrinth!
Deadly terrain—one wrong turn and you'd never find your way out.
She resolved to stick to Jiang Li like glue.
"This card is your key—keep it safe."
He pressed the rectangular subway pass into her palm.
Poor kid. No high-speed rail, no planes—Jiang Li could only offer her buses and subways.
And that cursed bicycle.
"Let's go."
He motioned with his chin toward the turnstiles. "Just copy me."
"Mm-hmm."
Kakayan clenched the card.
This being a retirement-zone station, security was almost nonexistent. With no luggage, they reached the gates unhindered.
Jiang Li tapped his phone on the reader and walked through—then spun around and bumped foreheads with Kakayan.
Good thing her bangs cushioned the blow; he'd nearly kissed her.
"Why are you glued to me?"
Then he noticed. "Did you swipe your card?"
"No."
Kakayan blinked innocently. "The gate opened, so I followed you in."
"Go back and swipe."
He rubbed his temples, already getting a headache.
"But we're already inside..."
"We can't go through together."
"Oh."
Bewildered, Kakayan turned and obeyed.
She chalked it up to some ancient subway ritual: two travelers, one gate.
"Um, Jiang Li... the gate closed."
The barrier snapped shut in front of her. She froze like a lost lamb.
"Honestly, hopeless."
He sighed and held out his hand. "Card."
Taking it, he walked up to the gate, executed a crisp Hong-Kong-style vault over the railing, and landed outside.
He swiped the card—beep—and stepped back through to Kakayan, returning the pass.
Just as she reached for it, he flicked it away and tapped her forehead lightly.
"Oww..."
"Remember next time."
"Okay..."
Kakayan rubbed her head, then mumbled, "Thanks, Jiang Li."
Without his help, she'd have tried crawling under the barrier.
"Don't mention it. Not the first time."
He shrugged.
After so long together, Jiang Li was used to rescuing her whenever her internal CPU crashed.
Sometimes he wondered if Kakayan was low-key PUA-ing him—why else would he jump to help before she even asked?
He should've let her wriggle under.
Yet Kakayan seemed to read his mind.
Hands clasped at her chest, she beamed. "Jiang Li, that vault looked amazing."
"When you compliment a guy, go with 'cool' or 'handsome.'"
"You're both cool and handsome."
Her eyes curved into crescents, smile radiant and sincere, gaze almost flirtatious.
...
Jiang Li averted his eyes, pulse quickening.
Damn it.
Her straightforward attacks were lethal.
He'd been ready to scold her more, but his mind had gone blank.
He cleared his throat, trying to break the awkward silence.
"Let's go."
"Mm-hmm."
They stepped onto the escalator again and descended to the subway's lowest level.
A long, rolling boom rumbled toward them.
Kakayan instinctively grabbed Jiang Li's forearm.
An instant later she saw a serpentine steel leviathan sweep past.
"That's the subway," Jiang Li shouted over the roar of the rails.
Kakayan clapped both hands over her ears, watching the metal serpent vanish down the tunnel.
Moments later, after a short, muffled screech of brakes, a section of the beast glided to a halt in front of her.
The doors slid open, exposing the train's pearly-white interior.
Kakayan froze, every muscle locked.
Seconds passed before Jiang Li's voice reached her.
"Get in."
He beckoned and started forward.
"Wait!"
Kakayan called out suddenly, edging closer to Jiang Li.
After a brief hesitation she curled her fingers around his arm again.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Li asked.
"Nothing..."
Her reply was barely a whisper. She lowered her head, hiding her gaze behind the soft fringe of her bangs.
"Just... don't lose me, okay?"