Gun of Ashes

”Ah... the rain is really heavy.”

Shao Liangxi stood under the eaves, sheltering from the heavy rain with Rod.

The two of them had been moving along the shadow of the Iron Whale, but who would have thought the rain would get heavier and heavier? Even the Iron Whale couldn’t shelter them anymore, and suddenly at a moment, the Iron Whale rose up, leaving them completely exposed to the downpour. So, both of them were thoroughly drenched, in a very sorry state.

”Yeah... this weather is a bit strange. It’s supposed to be close to the snow season, yet it’s raining so much.”

Rod spoke softly. He had lived in Old Dunling for a long time, and although he was aware of Old Dunling’s unusual weather patterns, he had never seen anything this odd before.

”Where is this place anyway?”

Rod shifted his attention away from the rain and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, feeling a bit troubled.

Rod was completely pulled into Shao Liangxi’s somewhat crazy channel, dragged along as she ran wildly without any destination, just following the Iron Whale, advancing under its protection, turning, and then moving on.

As the Iron Whale departed, this aimless journey ended as well. The surroundings were foggy, and the roadsigns were unclear. Rod had no idea where he was.

The sky became even darker, with beams of light piercing through, as if night had fallen. Street lamps lit up, their glow dispersed by the rainy mist into a hazy blur.

Suddenly, laughter rang out. Shao Liangxi burst into a fit of laughter and then slowly sat down against the wall. Since she was drenched, she left a deep watermark on the wall.

She looked like a child tired out from play, sitting by Rod’s feet, tugging at his pants with force, indicating for him to sit down too.

Rod had no choice but to sit down obediently. In their brief time together, he had already figured out what kind of person Shao Liangxi was.

Perhaps among the Anonymous, she had no one to mess with. Seeing a lower-ranked office worker like himself, she treated him like a new toy, endlessly teasing him.

Rod guessed that her status was such that others weren’t comfortable leaving things to her either.

In his mind, he recalled several familiar Anonymous individuals, thinking that it made sense. In front of them, Shao Liangxi was always so well-behaved.

”Ah...”

Rod sighed, already regretting saying yes to Shao Liangxi this morning. He should have firmly refused her using the Purification Mechanism’s regulations and stayed in the safe and warm Perpetual Motion Pump, rather than running around in the rain with her.

But he had a feeling that even if he did that, Shao Liangxi wouldn’t have let him off. After all, as her ”guide,” she never seemed embarrassed when troubling him.

Thinking this, Rod turned his head to look at Shao Liangxi. This restless person suddenly quieted down, making him feel uneasy instead.

Shao Liangxi sat there dazed, gazing at the gloomy sky and listening to the sound of the rain. Her gaze was vacant.

Looking at the scene before him, Rod’s eyes also grew slightly lost. In the silence, Shao Liangxi looked like a wet cat, curled up in a corner waiting for the rain to stop, looking lovely.

The side of his vision fell on Shao Liangxi, observing that most of her body was soaked. Her clothes clung tightly to her, outlining beautiful curves, up towards her throat, where strands of hair clung with raindrops, over her fair skin...

Rod could hear her steady breathing, filled with curiosity about Old Dunling, running wild in the rain like a wild child.

Then more emotions rose up. Rod had a strange feeling as if he was getting to know Shao Liangxi all over again.

Not in any Anonymous capacity, nor as some visitor from Jiuxia, just a simple word.

He realized that looking at her this way, Shao Liangxi was also just an ordinary person.

An ordinary person.

Rod pondered more, only to meet a pair of bright black eyes reflecting his face.

Their gazes locked, and Rod’s breath caught for a moment, but before he could savor the warmth under the rain, a rain-soaked hand smacked him back to reality.

”Hey? What are you looking at?”

Shao Liangxi reached out and playfully smacked Rod’s face, not hard, just pushing his face away, directing his gaze elsewhere.

It was then that Rod suddenly realized his rudeness, becoming extremely flustered, not knowing where to place his hands, so he just clutched his knees, curling up into a ball.

”I... I’m so...

In his panic, Rod couldn’t even find the words to say, extremely embarrassed.

Under the rain curtain, Rod looked as if he had been beaten up and abandoned on the roadside, appearing very comical. Then those bright black eyes appeared again in front of him. Shao Liangxi tried to look at Rod, while Rod turned his head away to avoid the awkward gaze.

With every step Shao Liangxi took forward, Rod turned his head slightly more to the side, until he was entirely facing the wall, as if in introverted retreat.

After a brief calm, Shao Liangxi couldn’t help but laugh loudly, then she vigorously patted Rod’s back.

”Hey? What are you apologizing for?”

She stood up, with a mischievous smile, leaned close to Rod’s ear, and softly asked.

”I...”

The voice so close, as Rod tried hard to speak, a warm breath broke his concentration, jumbling his words again.

”What’s going on! Can’t even speak anymore?”