Although Clo had teased that her casual clothes made her look like a lazy and decadent young lady, Li Yue didn’t feel much of anything about it. She had always preferred this style, wearing white shirts and black suit pants, and sometimes she would even wear very loose black coats.
Actually, she had intended to dress that way at first, but Clo had complained that those clothes didn’t highlight Li Yue’s perfect figure and lacked a youthful, girly aura. So, she had no choice but to change into her current outfit, yet she was still being teased.
Perhaps Clo preferred Li Yue to wear clothes with more of a “girlfriend vibe.” Clo herself always wore slim-fitting dresses or outfits that carried a hint of a clerical atmosphere.
It was because of this that Li Yue realized the other girl had been peeking at her while she changed...
“This is the outskirts of the academy, and it’s also a place everyone visits frequently. The surrounding buildings can be thought of as a massive city-state,” Clo introduced as they walked, even though she didn’t come here often herself.
“I see. So if I need to buy things or magic potions in the future, I have to come here?” Li Yue looked at the diagrams Clo gave her, which showed the architectural styles of various other departments. Although each had its own flair, most followed the major categories of Georgian, Baroque, Rococo, or Neoclassical styles.
It seemed these few styles dominated the architecture of different sections within this city-state.
The East Academy area was mostly Rococo. The designs were asymmetrical and ornately decorated, often using shell or swirl elements to create an elegant atmosphere. Light colors were predominantly used, giving a sense of lightness and softness. Most buildings utilized marble to emphasize luxury, and the interiors were filled with exquisite murals, Sini furniture, and elaborate curtains and carpets, showing an extreme pursuit of detail.
“What do you think of these buildings?” Clo leaned in close to Li Yue. They were currently passing a residential area where twelve small castle-like buildings were distributed around a large neighborhood, each surrounded by its own vast woods and private gardens.
The area covered roughly 50,000 square meters. To Li Yue, it looked like a massive forbidden zone, making her feel a bit suffocated.
“I feel like... it’s not somewhere I could ever afford to live in this lifetime.” Li Yue pouted and looked away, letting out a sigh.
“These are just luxurious houses. You’re a demigod, after all...” Clo trailed off, looking at Li Yue and finding her reaction quite adorable.
“A demigod... what rank is that in the academy?”
“The level of the various academy directors and the Five Staves. Once you reach those realms, turning this entire area into your personal palace wouldn’t be a problem.” Clo thought for a moment. Between the Tower of Time, the Time Casket, and the affiliated Time Palace, her properties were likely much larger than this entire residential area.
Though she preferred staying in her own small room, those places technically belonged to her... Clo pondered for a while. No... those places weren’t exactly her residence... they were more like her company.
“That’s good... I’m not a demigod anymore, and I don’t like manors that big anyway.” Li Yue glanced at the grand buildings. “These are already at the limit of what I can accept.”
Clo didn’t say anything, simply holding Li Yue’s hand as they continued walking. One of those castles actually belonged to her. She had originally planned to have Li Yue live with her, but considering Li Yue’s personality and attitude, she needed to test the waters first.
After all... it had been a long time. Clo didn’t know what Li Yue’s current feelings for her were... if she truly remembered nothing, then they were really just slightly familiar friends.
A flash of dejection crossed Clo’s mind. Fortunately, Li Yue’s Death Abyss was currently calm and didn’t notice it, and Clo quickly pulled herself together.
“Want some tea?” Clo pointed to a shop nearby. There were some seats outside where several young men and women of similar age were sitting—likely senior students who had arrived at the academy early.
“Sure,” Li Yue nodded.
“And snacks?”
“Whatever you like.”
Clo skillfully called over a waiter and ordered two cups of black tea and two different styles of cake. One was a small blueberry cake filled with fresh blueberries and accompanied by jam and cream. The other had distinct layers, with a strawberry jelly base topped with strawberry mousse.
Clo paid with one magic silver, and the waiter gave back eight copper coins as change. Li Yue’s lips couldn't help but twitch. Below copper coins were tin coins, which were milky-white coins; a single tin coin could buy a loaf of bread.
So expensive... Li Yue glanced at Clo’s expression, noting that she seemed to have absolutely no concept of money.
“Which one do you want to eat?” Clo asked with a beaming smile, clearly in a good mood. She added some milk to her tea and looked over the two cakes; as a lover of sweets, she wanted both.
“You choose.”
“Then I’ll go first!” Clo took the blueberry cake and pushed the strawberry mousse toward Li Yue.
Li Yue took a bite. The flavor was very delicate—finer than ordinary mousse, with a smooth, melting texture that wasn't cloying at all. She took another bite and noticed a hint of rose salt, which brought out the freshness of the dessert, making it even better than typical sweets.
It was delicious.
Li Yue looked up and realized Clo had already finished the cake on her plate.
“That was so good! I thought it was just jam, but that light blue layer was actually pudding.” Clo seemed to be reminiscing about the taste as she looked at the cake on Li Yue’s plate.
“Do you want to try some?” Li Yue pushed the cake back toward her. Clo giggled and took small bites, her face radiating happiness.
Watching her, Li Yue’s mood improved significantly. The fatigue from last night’s nightmare was swept away. Even though they had come out to see the academy’s architecture, somehow they had ended up eating desserts together. It felt a bit like a date...
And she was the one being treated...
Li Yue sipped her hot tea and looked out the window. It was a cloudy day with little wind. Everything was quiet, just like the night they had reunited, when they held hands and could hear each other’s heartbeats.
Clo glanced at Li Yue. In a split second, the cake on the plate was almost gone. She scraped the bottom with her spoon, looking like she hadn't had enough.
The mousse was red and white, exactly like A Yue’s colors. It looked cool, but it tasted delicate and full of happiness... just like A Yue.
“Is it good?” Li Yue asked, propping her chin on one hand with a smile. Watching Clo lick her lips in satisfaction, she felt a strange flutter in her heart.
“It’s delicious. It tastes like A Yue,” Clo said without thinking, a happy smile on her face.
“Huh?”
Rate on N.U.
