Chapter 136 | After Maxing Out, I Became a Landlord in Another World

After a moment, still hearing no other sounds, she slowly and with some difficulty raised her head to look around, only to find that their surroundings had already changed.

Before her eyes was a deep blue sky that had completely darkened. The evening breeze gently brushed against her cheeks, while the scattered rooftops of the academy and a few flickering lights stretched out in the distance.

Everything around her was familiar—it was the tower of the magic academy she used to climb so often.

Loviki blinked, looking up at Chen Mian with a hint of daze in her voice. “When did we...”

“Just now,” Chen Mian said naturally, looking down at her. “Right before the locker door was opened.”

Hearing his words, Loviki's face flushed even redder at a visible speed, and even her neck was dyed a faint shade of pink. Then, with a touch of embarrassed annoyance, she said, “Y-You... If you could teleport, why didn't you do it sooner?”

“You said we should wait for them to leave,” Chen Mian replied, his expression unchanging. “I thought that made sense.”

“I—I didn't know you could teleport!”

“Next time, for sure,” Chen Mian said with a smile.

“...Don't laugh!”

“Alright, I won't laugh.” Chen Mian gently tightened his hand on her waist.

Loviki froze for a moment, then looked up at him.

“You held onto me for so long,” Chen Mian said in all seriousness. “Isn't it my turn to hold you?”

She blinked, then lowered her head in silence, though her arms around him didn't loosen.

“...You're playing unfair.”

“I learned it from you.”

“We need to buy the desserts and fruit wine and head back to the apartment. If we're any later, they'll be sold out,” Loviki said softly.

“Alright, let's go then,” Chen Mian said with a smile, gently releasing his embrace.

“W-Wait a little longer.” Loviki froze for a moment at her own words, then quickly let go of him and added, “I mean, since we're already up here, it would be a pity to leave without taking a look.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhm! Exactly.”

Just as Loviki finished speaking, Chen Mian reached out and gently hugged her again. Her body was very soft, carrying a fragrance different from Flora's, which smelled incredibly nice.

Her hands returned to his back, her fingers lightly clutching his clothes with very little force.

The top of the tower fell quiet for a moment.

She gently turned her head to look at the distant buildings and lights, the corners of her lips curving up in a clear smile as her voice softened. “...Chen Mian, thank you for coming to the magic academy with me.”

“You're welcome.”

After a long while, Loviki finally let go of his clothes and took half a step back from his embrace. She reached up to smooth her wind-blown hair, her face still carrying a lingering blush. “Alright, let's go buy our things,” she said softly. “Flora and the others must be waiting anxiously.”

She turned and walked toward the tower's stairs, taking two steps before looking back. “Keep up! The landlord is taking you to buy delicious food.”

After saying that, she couldn't help but chuckle. She was about to keep walking down, but before she could take another step, her wrist was gently grabbed.

Loviki was startled. Before she could turn around, she was pulled toward the edge of the tower by a sudden force. Her vision flipped in an instant, the wind howling in her ears as the surrounding scenery flashed past. She realized she was falling.

The sensation of weightlessness made her heart skip a beat, though she didn't cry out. Her fingers instinctively gripped Chen Mian's clothes, and then her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

Soon, their descent slowed, and the tips of her boots gently touched the ground.

Chen Mian let go of her wrist and looked down at her. “Let's go, Miss Landlord.”

She was still pressed against him, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist. Her breathing was slightly faster than usual. Only after a few seconds did she slowly look up, speaking with a touch of embarrassed anger, “Jumping off the tower like that—do you have any idea how high it is?!

“Mhm, taking the stairs is too slow.”

“You did that on purpose!” Loviki glared at him, but her hands around his waist still didn't let go. Only after several seconds did she speak again, her voice carrying a softness she herself hadn't noticed. “...Give me a heads-up next time.”

“Alright.”

Only then did she pretend nothing had happened, slowly releasing her hold on him. She stepped back, adjusted her hair, and turned to the side, feigning casualness. “It's all your fault. I've done so many silly things today!”

She started walking forward, but stopped again after two steps. Turning her head, a bright glint shone in her eyes. “Hurry up! Otherwise, the dessert shop will close!”

...

By the time they returned to Loviki's small house, the warm yellow light of the magic lamps was already shining through the windows.

Pushing the door open, a rich, savory aroma filled the air.

Flora was sitting on the sofa with a book in her hands, while hot, steaming dishes sat on the table.

Hearing the door open, she looked up. Her gaze lingered on Loviki for a moment, and then a gentle smile graced her lips. “Did you two go out to have fun?”

Loviki, still holding the fruit wine and desserts, walked over quickly and placed them on the table. Her voice carried a hint of softness that she tried her best to hide. “I bought some desserts and fruit wine for everyone, but Flora, you can't drink too much.”

Louise happened to be coming down the stairs. “Loviki, just how much wine did you buy that you had to warn Flora in advance not to drink too much?”

“Not that much,” Loviki said, looking up as she took the bottles of fruit wine out of the bag one by one and arranged them on the table. “I just saw a few bottles that looked good, so I bought them on a whim.”

“I smell desserts!” Velyan followed closely behind.

Outside, the night had completely darkened. Occasionally, the distant barking of dogs and the low whistle of the evening wind passing through the alleys could be heard.

After finishing her meal, Velyan leaned back in her chair with a look of pure satisfaction. “Hot pot, grilled fish, grilled lamb chops, fruit wine, desserts... every single one of them must be written into the survival guide.”

“You've just mixed a tiny bit of survival guide into your recipe book,” Loviki teased with a laugh.

“Then let's add the part about Loviki's ears being all red when she got back.”

Loviki, who had just taken a sip of soup, nearly choked. She decided to simply pretend she hadn't heard a thing.

As the night grew deeper, the food on the dining table was mostly finished.

Flora rested her chin in her hands, looking at Chen Mian with a smile. “Have we completed our goals for this trip to the Royal Capital?”

“Not yet,” Chen Mian said to Flora in a relaxed tone. “The engagement is broken, and the matter with the Shadow Cult has been dealt with. If we don't take this opportunity to look around, who knows when we'll visit the Royal Capital next.”

“Starting tomorrow, we'll have Loviki be our tour guide and show us around the Royal Capital properly, and then we'll head back to the apartment together,” Chen Mian said, pointing at Loviki with a smile.

“Hey! I'm not a tour guide! I'm the landlord!” Loviki set down her cup, placed her hands on her hips, and curved her lips slightly upward. “There's no rule that says a landlord has to act as a tour guide!”

Chen Mian leaned back in his chair and said casually, “Well, in that case, we might as well head back to the apartment.”

“No way! I haven't even taken you guys to try all the delicious food in the Royal Capital yet!”

“Loviki, I want to visit the magic academy too,” Flora said with a smile.

“The landlord will take you there tomorrow.”

“I want to eat delicious food!”

“Alright!”

“I need to buy some alchemy materials.”

“I know just the place.”

...

In the early hours of the morning,

Chen Mian once again dreamed of that pure white space.

The white-haired goddess with long, silver-white hair appeared once more. She looked to be in her early twenties, her appearance so perfect it seemed unreal. Her silver-white hair reached her waist, and she wore a loose, flowing nightgown.

Yes, the exact same nightgown he had seen her in several times in his dreams.

Currently, the goddess was crouching in midair, hugging a soft pillow she had produced from who-knows-where, her expression hovering somewhere between annoyance and feeling wronged.