Lin Gui picked up the letter.
The paper was of ordinary quality, but the handwriting on it was delicate and neat, conveying a sense of cautious earnestness.
However...
As he looked at the recipient's address written on it, his brow furrowed slightly.
"Blackwater City, West District Three, Bluestone Alley, Seventh House, bronze mailbox on the right side of the door."
The address was excessively specific, even indicating the mailbox's location.
If it had been any other place, Lin Gui wouldn't have found it so strange.
The problem was... the delivery location was Blackwater City.
Aside from those bounty hunters who had fled long ago, not a single living soul remained there.
And below the address, there was a line of small text:
"I humbly ask the messenger not to open this; it contains private matters."
"..."
"If you open it, I will find out."
"So, please do not do so."
Lin Gui narrowed his eyes.
Find out?
His mana perception penetrated the envelope, but he felt no traces of any alarm wards.
His fingertips unconsciously brushed the edge of the envelope.
Originally, he hadn't intended to pry, but since the sender mentioned it...
He actually had a fleeting moment where he... wanted to open it and take a look.
What kind of "family letter" required such a secretive delivery?
And who was it that, at the very moment he was about to depart, sent a letter that triggered a system mission?
However, Eve's gaze fell silently upon his hands, carrying a bit of understanding and quiet observation.
Lin Gui's movements paused.
Eve's silent watchfulness awakened his few remaining professional ethics.
Immediately, he cleared his throat and carefully tucked the letter into an inner breast pocket.
"That... I was just confirming if the address format was correct."
Eve smiled without a word, a faint glint of amusement passing through her purple eyes.
Just then, Theia came down the stairs carrying a small wooden box.
With a "thud," she placed it on the counter.
Lin Gui and Eve both looked over.
Lin Gui was somewhat surprised. "Isn't this your... small vault?"
Theia's lips curled upward, her smile carrying a hint of smugness. "Now it's your small vault too!"
"When your own man is about to head out on a long journey, his pockets can't be empty, right?"
As she spoke, she pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from her bosom like a magic trick and waved it in front of Lin Gui.
It was the IOU Lin Gui had written to her before.
Theia looked at him, her eyes curving into crescents.
Then, right in front of him—
Rip.
"Now, I am your woman, and you are my man, so..."
She gently tore the IOU in half.
"The debt is cleared!"
Her voice was lighthearted as she casually tossed the fragments into a nearby wastebasket.
"Use this for your journey." She patted the lid of the wooden box. "If it's not enough..."
She paused, her blood-red eyes shining as she looked at him. "Remember to come back to me for more."
Lin Gui gazed at her, momentarily speechless.
Lin Gui had long since witnessed Theia's money-grubbing nature throughout this journey.
Looting corpses for gold coins in the forest, scavenging treasure from deep-sea shipwrecks—she could always find every cent of "spoils" with her eyes glowing.
Though she loved money, she was never stingy; she never hesitated when it came time to spend it.
Lin Gui did not refuse.
Being broke was indeed quite a hassle.
He took the heavy little wooden box and opened the lid.
Inside were various coins piled together, casting a messy but warm luster under the magic lamp.
He reached in and sifted through them, his movements very light.
Finally, from the pile of assorted gold coins, he picked out three Stellar Coins, ten ordinary gold coins, and about ten silver coins.
Then he closed the wooden box and pushed it back to Theia.
"This is enough."
"The rest... most of them have commemorative value. You should keep them."
He was referring to those ancient coins minted during the Golden Age that they had salvaged from the deep-sea shipwreck.
The chances of them appreciating in value might not be high, but at the very least... they were a witness to them crossing the Silent Sea together.
In Avalon, Theia could take these gold coins and brag to others about her story of crossing the Silent Sea.
Hearing Lin Gui's words, Eve's eyes beside him lit up slightly.
She leaned over and gently pinched a deep-sea gold coin from the box; its edges were somewhat corroded, but the pattern was still faintly discernible.
"Theia," she turned to the elf, her voice gentle, "can I have one? As a... memento."
In exchange, she reached toward the hem of her inner skirt.
After groping for a moment, her fingertips tugged with force.
Rip.
A small piece of deep purple fabric sewn inside the skirt was torn away.
Wrapped inside was a pure and warm-colored amethyst the size of a pigeon egg.
Even in the dim light, it still shimmered with a hazy and noble halo.
Its value was clearly exorbitant.
Eve gently placed it in Theia's hand. "This is for you."
Theia's eyes lit up as she took it. After playing with it for a while, she turned to look at Lin Gui with a suggestive look in her eyes.
Lin Gui: "...???"
Half an hour later...
Lin Gui looked at the item in Theia's arms with a pained expression.
It wasn't some precious demi-artifact, nor was it even a valuable object.
Instead...
It was the oak staff that he had held so often that its surface was smooth and rounded, its wood grain permeated with the warmth of his palm.
It was the old companion that had been with him since he first stepped onto the path of a mage.
"About that..." Lin Gui rubbed his nose, trying to negotiate. "How about... I trade this one with you?"
With a wave of his hand, the Staff of the Windwhisperer appeared in his grasp.
"That staff has at least been with me for many years..."
Theia looked down at the plain and simple staff in her arms, then up at the demi-artifact in Lin Gui's hand.
Her blood-red eyes blinked.
Immediately, she hugged the staff tightly and shook her head firmly.
"No. This will be the object of my longings while you're gone."
"I'm going to sleep with it in my arms every night."
Lin Gui was helpless and had to change his phrasing. "Then... when I come back this time, I'll buy you a ring."
As soon as he said that, the tenderness on Theia's face vanished instantly, replaced by a nearly solemn seriousness.
Without hesitation, she threw the oak staff back to Lin Gui.
"If it's a proposal ring, you have to remember..."
She cleared her throat and gave instructions with absolute earnestness. "You have to hide it from me and sneak it into a gift."
"Like in a rose, or a Cecilia flower..."
"I'll pretend I don't know, and then I'll accept it with a face full of excitement and happiness."
She thought for a moment and added, "By the way, I like emerald rings."
"Remember to buy a matching set—one for you, one for me."
Lin Gui's mouth twitched slightly.
"...Fine."
He took the staff, the familiar warm sensation traveling from his palm.
His gaze passed over Theia's shoulder and looked out the post office window.
Morpheus was walking quickly toward them, leading several warriors with formidable auras.
His expression was grave; he had clearly been waiting for a long time.
"It's time to say goodbye," Lin Gui said softly.
Theia's eyes dimmed, and her voice took on an imperceptible hint of loneliness. "Can't you... stay one more night before leaving?"
"Our home... we finally just got it settled."
Lin Gui shook his head.
"The matter on Lord Morpheus's side is very urgent."
"Furthermore, helping him complete this..." He looked at Theia, his tone softening. "...will also help you live more stably and for a longer time in Avalon."
"So..."
He paused and took a proactive step forward.
He reached out and gently pulled Theia into his arms.
Her body stiffened slightly at first, but then she relaxed completely, leaning softly against his chest.
Lin Gui lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "In a while, I'll come back to see you."
"Be a good girl and wait for me in Avalon. Spend every day happily."
With that, his arms loosened, intending to end this brief embrace.
However—
Theia's hands, wrapped behind his waist, suddenly tightened.
Before Lin Gui could react...
Theia stood on her tiptoes and tilted her face up.
Her warm, slightly cool lips gently pressed against the corner of his mouth.
This tentative kiss seemed to ignite something.
She was no longer satisfied with a simple touch.
She began to leave dense marks along the side of his neck.
Her body pressed tightly against him, and the two of them fell to the ground together.
Beside them, Eve watched in a daze. She looked to the left, then to the right.
Finally, she walked to the post office window and pulled the curtains shut.
Then she covered her eyes with her hands, yet she couldn't help but peek through the gaps between her fingers at the slightly erotic scene before her—a scene they weren't bothering to hide from her at all.
Rate on N.U.
