Chapter 257: Chapter 254 [A Family Should Be Complete and United]
Chapter 254: A Family Should Be Together
Inside the Oriental Pearl Tower, the young man sitting on the chair, smiling and crying simultaneously, seemed to have caught the staff’s attention.
However, as someone approached Chen Nuo, they appeared to understand something upon seeing the portrait he held. The young man, as if having completed his intended task, stood up and left.
「」
A few minutes later, the young man who emerged from the Oriental Pearl Tower stood once again on the streets of Lujiazui.
He saw a double-decker sightseeing bus parked nearby. A hint of a smile touched his lips as he slowly boarded, paid for a ticket, and went straight to the second level.
The second level was open-topped.
This type of sightseeing bus followed a fixed route, circling Lujiazui, while introductions of the various landmark buildings it passed were played on a loop through the speakers inside.
In 2001, it was still very popular.
Chen Nuo sat on the second level of the bus, cradling the picture frame, the evening breeze washing over him as he stared somewhat blankly at the buildings passing by.
A single loop took about fifteen to twenty minutes.
After the sightseeing bus completed its circuit, Chen Nuo disembarked at the stop beneath the Oriental Pearl Tower.
He descended to the first level of the bus and queued with the crowd to get off.
Ahead, a group of tourists seemed to be lining up to board.
Vaguely, the chattering voices of several girls could be heard.
Chen Nuo glanced back subconsciously and saw several excited, curious-looking girls looking around. Some wore baseball caps, and around their necks hung what was then a trendy digital product: a digital camera.
Some chatted excitedly, while others snapped pictures of the nearby Oriental Pearl Tower with their digital cameras.
As Chen Nuo alighted from the bus’s rear exit, he glanced subconsciously at the girls, then naturally turned his head away.
Uh... they don’t seem to be speaking the Huaxia language.
That was Chen Nuo’s first reaction.
His second reaction was: It has nothing to do with me.
As he walked down from the station platform, the bus ticket seller had already begun letting people board.
The girls, though excited, seemed well-behaved, queuing up obediently.
Suddenly, one of the girls casually turned her head and caught sight of Chen Nuo’s retreating figure in the crowd.
The girl’s previously narrowed eyes suddenly widened in astonishment, her mouth fell open, and she began to take quick, shallow breaths.
Too shocked and surprised to make a sound at first, it took her a full two seconds to finally squeeze a voice from her throat.
"Ah... Xiu?"
「」
Chen Nuo walked through the crowded streets, oblivious to everything happening behind him.
He faintly heard someone shout something in Japanese from behind, but naturally, he didn’t think it concerned him.
He had a clear goal. Dinnertime was approaching, and he planned to find a meal.
He recalled a classmate mentioning that Shanghai’s pan-fried buns were delicious and inexpensive. Since he was here, he certainly wanted to try them.
Well... mainly because they’re inexpensive.
As for other famous Shanghainese delicacies, anything too expensive was not part of Chen Nuo’s plan.
「」
"PLEASE WAIT!!!!"
With a shriek, the girl forcefully pushed through the passengers around her, determined to move.
The classmate beside her seemed startled and grabbed her arm, "Xicheng Xun, what are you doing?"
"Let go of me!" Xicheng Xun’s eyes blazed with eagerness as she shook off her classmate’s hand and ran against the flow of people.
"Hey! You can’t leave the group!" her classmate shouted after her, but Xicheng Xun had already sprinted into the crowd. The petite girl quickly vanished from sight among the pedestrians.
She left her classmate standing there, dumbfounded.
「」
The agile Japanese girl, with her outstanding physical abilities, quickly found her target in the crowd!
Chen Nuo walked casually, occasionally glancing at the shops lining the street, completely unaware that a girl was following him.
Xicheng Xun stared intently at Chen Nuo’s back, the eagerness in her eyes gradually transforming into immense excitement. Yet, she seemed to be desperately suppressing something, while also appearing to fear something.
Though the figure was merely three to five meters ahead, she didn’t dare run up and tap his shoulder. Biting her lip, tears welling in her eyes, she quietly followed.
Her gaze, however, greedily devoured Chen Nuo’s back, as if she wished to deeply etch his every movement into her heart.
「」
Chen Nuo stopped in front of a shop with a sign reading "Xiao Yang’s Pan-fried Buns," drawn by the boisterous sounds and the sight of a full house of diners.
In 2001, Xiao Yang’s Pan-fried Buns wasn’t as famous as it would become, and its outlets hadn’t yet spread across major cities.
Of course, the taste was also a bit better than it would be a decade later.
Chen Nuo had never actually heard of this brand.
However, one of his few pieces of social wisdom—a tip from his grandmother—was that if you weren’t sure where to eat, you should go to the busiest place.
Without hesitation, his feet already starting to ache, Chen Nuo quickly joined the queue.
After queuing for a few minutes and reaching the counter, Chen Nuo had already scanned the menu. He ordered a portion of pan-fried buns and a bowl of wontons.
But when it was time to pay, the young man reached into his trouser pocket, and his expression suddenly changed!
The zipper pocket of his shorts had been sliced open at some point, and the neatly folded banknotes that had been inside were gone!
Chen Nuo hadn’t brought a wallet—in fact, he didn’t even remember owning one.
The few banknotes had been in his pocket, zipped up, and he’d felt secure they wouldn’t be lost.
Now, standing before the counter with a fluctuating expression, his mind in turmoil, he vaguely remembered being bumped when leaving the Oriental Pearl Tower.
Probably... when I took money out to buy something earlier, the few hundred yuan in my pocket was targeted!
A wave of annoyance and anger washed over him, and his face changed color.
Just then, the diners queuing behind him started to complain impatiently, "Hurry up, you in front!"
Chen Nuo, filled with frustration and anger, knew it was futile but couldn’t resist patting down his pockets one last time before finally giving up.
As he was about to dejectedly leave the queue...
SLAP!
A delicate hand placed a crisp hundred-yuan note on the countertop.
Chen Nuo was taken aback.
He saw a cute and pretty girl standing before him, a sweet smile on her lips, telling the cashier, "Please, take the money."
Her speech was awkward and somewhat stiff.
Chen Nuo was momentarily at a loss. Have I encountered a kind soul?
But in the next instant, while the cashier was busy making change, the girl turned to face Chen Nuo.
Her beautiful eyes were quickly filling with tears.
Her face, however, was still beaming with an excited smile.
"Don’t have any money on you, Ah Xiu?"
Chen Nuo was speechless.
The truth was, he didn’t understand a word of Xicheng Xun’s Japanese.
Xicheng Xun, however, pondered for a moment and then, in a voice almost a whisper, said softly, "Ah Xiu, do you know how long I’ve been looking for you!"
「」
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! This is too much! It’s really too much!!!"
From behind the bushes on the other side of the road, the burly Davarishi and Brother Wu were each desperately pulling on an almost explosive Lu Xixi!
Lu Xixi’s eyes twitched, and she gritted her teeth as she tried to rush across the road, mumbling, "Another one! Yet another one! And another one!!!"
Vanel felt as though he were dragging a rampaging Tyrannosaurus, fearing he was about to be flung away by the Empress.
In urgency, he turned and shouted, "Selina! Help!!"
From behind the bushes, Selina was stepping on the head of a lean man—the very thief who had bumped into Chen Nuo at the exit of the Oriental Pearl Tower.
"Brother Wu! I’ll break his legs! They can be healed anyway, right?" Lu Xixi snarled at Wu Daodao, her face fierce.
Wu Daodao was startled.
What the heck? How am I supposed to answer this? I’m a Riverside Sorcerer, not an orthopedic doctor!
But Sun Keke, beside her, suddenly let out a soft sigh.
"Lu... let it go. What’s the use of getting angry now."
Sun Keke’s voice trembled slightly, yet her expression unexpectedly calmed. "There are already so many people involved; what difference does one more or one less make? If this girl can awaken Chen Nuo, then that would be good."
Sun Keke’s words suddenly calmed Lu Xixi.
The Empress fell silent, cold as ice, exuding a frigid aura. She glanced at the two companions still tugging at her arm.
Vanel and Wu Daodao quickly released their grips as if shocked by electricity.
「」
"What-what did you say?" Chen Nuo frowned at the Japanese-speaking girl before him.
Although he couldn’t understand her, he could tell it was Japanese.
Xicheng Xun paused, looking around as if she had misunderstood.
Is Ah Xiu pretending not to know me?
"Ah Xiu!"
Chen Nuo shook his head and turned to leave, but Xicheng Xun grabbed his arm.
"You?" Chen Nuo was stunned. "What are you grabbing me for?"
"Ah Xiu! Please don’t pretend you don’t know me, okay?" Xicheng Xun suddenly felt a surge of grievance.
She had come to Huaxia Country on a school trip, harboring the wild hope that, perhaps by a one-in-a-million chance, she might meet him in his own country.
For days, she had thought of him constantly, the image of the youth before her sketched countless times in her heart.
How could I possibly be mistaken?!
A beautiful girl had grabbed hold of another rather good-looking young man.
The scene immediately made the customers queuing behind them forget their line and watch with avid interest.
Being stared at, Chen Nuo instinctively grew nervous and resistant.
He suddenly gritted his teeth, forcefully wrenched his hand from Xicheng Xun’s grasp, and bolted out of the shop.
Xicheng Xun, who hadn’t been using much strength, was momentarily stunned. Ignoring the shop assistant calling out, "Your change," she dashed after him.
Chen Nuo hurried along the street but was soon overtaken by Xicheng Xun again.
Xicheng Xun rushed in front of Chen Nuo, blocking his path.
"Ah Xiu! Are you saying you don’t want to acknowledge me? You don’t want to see me again?"
Tears welled in the girl’s eyes as she spoke, and she bit her lip hard.
Looking at this girl with an aggrieved face, babbling at him in Japanese, Chen Nuo whispered nervously, "I don’t know you!!"
Xicheng Xun was taken aback.
She had learned some Huaxia language recently and managed to roughly understand what he said.
The Kendo girl quickly narrowed her eyes.
She suddenly stepped forward and hugged Chen Nuo!
「」
"Your Majesty! Calm down! Calm down! Please calm down!!"
"I’m going to break his legs!!!!!!"
「」
The girl’s fingers quickly plunged into Chen Nuo’s hair, forcefully parting the messy strands at his hairline.
"Here! On your forehead, at the hairline, there’s a faint mole! I’m not mistaken! And here..."
As she spoke, the girl suddenly yanked at the collar of Chen Nuo’s T-shirt!
Chen Nuo was startled!
This is the middle of the street!!
The boy tried to struggle, but he was horrified to find he had less strength than this seemingly frail and cute girl!
Xicheng Xun forcefully pulled open the collar of Chen Nuo’s T-shirt and quickly found what she was looking for at the base of his neck!
"Here! You have a mole on your neck too! I remember these clearly! Ah Xiu! People can look alike! But can moles on the forehead and neck be exactly the same too? Ah Xiu! Please don’t pretend you don’t know me, okay!!"
Chen Nuo was stunned!
The girl’s targeted search for moles on his forehead and neck instantly reminded Chen Nuo of all the strange encounters he’d had over the past couple of days!
He immediately realized this Japanese-speaking girl... obviously knew "him" too!
「」
"I-I don’t know you!"
Chen Nuo tried once again to break free from Xicheng Xun.
But this time, Xicheng Xun was prepared. In her emotional state, she reacted instinctively.
The moment Chen Nuo tried to pull his hand away, Xicheng Xun reacted subconsciously, twisting his wrist and locking the joint...
"AH!!"
Chen Nuo cried out in pain as his wrist was twisted, his body going limp as he was bent over.
Seeing Chen Nuo’s cry of pain and the cold sweat breaking out on his forehead from the agony, Xicheng Xun froze in shock and immediately let go.
"Ah Xiu, did I hurt you?"
After saying this, Xicheng Xun instantly realized something was wrong!
The Ah Xiu I know... how could he possibly be subdued by my simple grappling move? Ah Xiu could probably flick me away with a simple stretch of his fingers!
In that brief moment of distraction, Chen Nuo had already quickly regained his balance and shouted, "Stop following me!! I don’t know any of you!! Stop trying to catch me!!"
With that, Chen Nuo turned and fled frantically.
"You people"? Is Ah Xiu... being chased by many people?
Startled, Xicheng Xun quickly came to her senses and immediately dashed after Chen Nuo.
「」
In his panic, Chen Nuo ran blindly along the roadside, instinctively heading towards less crowded areas.
After running for a while and turning several corners, he found the road ahead growing increasingly narrow...
This time, Xicheng Xun was not in a hurry.
She carefully followed Chen Nuo, calm and composed, always maintaining a certain distance.
The Kendo girl was not inexperienced in the ways of the world!
In Tokyo, she was the cold-blooded hunter who had single-handedly hunted down the leader of the Truth Society!
Now, with doubts in her heart, she became less anxious and followed patiently.
The more she followed, the more puzzled she grew.
The desperately fleeing Chen Nuo in front of her—from his running gait to his body movements—seemed entirely like an ordinary person.
His muscles were loose as he ran, his steps disorganized and staggering.
How could Ah Xiu have become like this?!
Just then, a cold glint flashed in Xicheng Xun’s eyes!
She sensed several people closing in from behind!
The girl glanced back and saw several men and women on the other side of the road rapidly approaching!
The most conspicuous among them was a burly Caucasian man!
His face, full of fierce muscle, clearly marked him as unfriendly.
These... are these the enemies pursuing Ah Xiu?!
「」
Chen Nuo blindly ran into a narrow alley.
He found the path getting narrower, the houses on either side pitch black.
At the end, he was met by the wall of a construction site.
Only then did Chen Nuo realize that many of the surrounding houses had white lime circles and large "Demolish" characters painted on their walls. This was clearly an area of old Lujiazui houses slated for demolition and redevelopment.
After running for a while, Chen Nuo was breathless, his lungs starved for oxygen, and his body felt weak.
Looking back, he saw a group of people rushing over from the alley entrance.
Chen Nuo’s heart pounded with panic and fear...
Suddenly!
A figure leaped swiftly down from an adjacent wall, landing in front of Chen Nuo!
Xicheng Xun stood with her back to Chen Nuo!
In the darkness, Tokyo’s cold-blooded hunter quickly moved to the side and, from a pile of half-demolished building rubble, pulled out a broken piece of rebar!
Hmm, it’s a bit shorter than a Tachi, but it’ll have to do!
"Ah Xiu! Are you seriously injured and out of strength?"
Xicheng Xun gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, "Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you! I won’t let these people hurt you!"
「」
When Lu Xixi led her people into the alley, she saw Xicheng Xun blocking the way in front of Chen Nuo.
The Empress naturally wore an unpleasant expression.
Xicheng Xun took a deep breath, slowly stepped forward seven or eight meters, and positioned herself squarely in the middle of the narrow path.
WHOOSH!
Xicheng Xun held the rebar in a Kendo opening stance.
"No matter who you are, none of you will take Ah Xiu while I’m here!"
Lu Xixi frowned, raising an eyebrow.
The Japanese girl before her moved with agility, and her opening stance looked very practiced.
Lu Xixi shook her head. "First, get Chen Nuo back... We can’t let anything happen to him."
Selina and Vanel immediately rushed forward, rapidly closing in on Xicheng Xun from both sides of the path.
Xicheng Xun took a deep breath and suddenly slid towards the female mercenary on her left!
Judging by physique, Vanel was undoubtedly more intimidating than Selina.
With her exceptional combat experience, Xicheng Xun instinctively chose to break through the opponent who seemed easiest to handle!
Selina felt a gust of wind and had just dodged the rebar’s thrust when Xicheng Xun was already upon her!
The Japanese girl landed an elbow strike on Selina’s waist, which the female mercenary partially blocked with her palm.
Feeling the force, Selina surprisingly attempted an Israeli martial arts grab on Xicheng Xun’s arm.
But Xicheng Xun twisted her body in a peculiar way and then suddenly ducked!
Selina immediately felt a sharp pain in her leg as the rebar struck her calf, sending the female mercenary flying!
Seeing Selina hurtling towards him, Vanel quickly caught her. Just then, a cold glint flashed before his eyes. Frowning, Vanel reached out and grabbed the incoming rebar!
Also a powerful Body Technique expert, Vanel’s strength was far beyond what Xicheng Xun could match.
Xicheng Xun instantly felt the rebar immobilized and, without hesitation, let go! Her petite frame leaped up, knee aimed at Vanel’s face.
Vanel sidestepped. Xicheng Xun’s knee slammed into the wall of a nearby house, smashing a hole in the red bricks!
Vanel stepped back two paces. "An Ability User?"
Xicheng Xun, without a word, twisted and pressed forward again! Simultaneously, in the darkness, she grabbed a brick in each hand and threw them.
Vanel swiftly moved Selina behind him, then punched out, shattering the bricks flying towards him.
But Xicheng Xun had once again crashed into Vanel’s guard, this time her elbow striking his chest.
BANG!!
A muffled thud!
Xicheng Xun felt a jolt in her elbow, and the pain sent alarm bells ringing in her head; she quickly retreated. Vanel, however, sneered, his muscles hard as steel, and lunged forward in a reckless bear hug, attempting to grab Xicheng Xun.
Xicheng Xun snorted, suddenly raised her hand, her fingers slashing towards Vanel’s eyes.
Vanel narrowed his eyes and rapidly retreated...
He saw that Xicheng Xun’s two fingers held a thin blade, which swept past his eyelids...
But Vanel had already kicked out, his foot connecting with Xicheng Xun in mid-air. With no other choice, Xicheng Xun raised an arm to block the blow.
With a THUD, Xicheng Xun was kicked away. But as she landed, she deftly stabilized herself on one knee, then quickly stood up and increased the distance between them. Squinting like a small, fierce animal, she stared intently at Vanel.
"What a vicious girl," Vanel said, cracking his knuckles with a KACHA KACHA sound. "Body Technique Department? Your talent is quite good."
Xicheng Xun secretly shook her left hand, where Vanel’s kick had landed, a dull ache throbbing there.
The young girl bit her lip and once again shifted her stance, positioning herself between Vanel and Chen Nuo.
"I told you, as long as I’m here today, you’re not laying a finger on Ah Xiu!"
Vanel frowned, about to speak, when Lu Xixi sighed, "Let’s stop for now."
Davarishi hurried over to help Selina up from the ground, and then both of them retreated quickly.
"So... how did you come to know Chen Nuo?" The Empress spoke in Japanese.
The Empress slowly took two steps forward, simultaneously sizing up Xicheng Xun with narrowed eyes.
Xicheng Xun, aided by the dim light, saw Lu Xixi’s gaze clearly and was momentarily stunned. However, she quickly narrowed her eyes again, her own gaze filled with murderous intent. "What Chen Nuo!"
"The guy right behind you."
"You mean... Ah Xiu?"
Xicheng Xun paused, then suddenly understood.
The name Zichuan Xiu—she had always known it was the fake name the young man had given her.
So... his real name is Chen Nuo?
"Yes, that’s him." Lu Xixi sighed. "So, how do you know him?"
"...He saved my life," Xicheng Xun shook her head. "You won’t take him while I’m still standing!"
Lu Xixi suddenly smiled. "Oh? Really?"
"Of course, it’s true!" Xicheng Xun gritted her teeth.
The young girl quickly assessed her opponents.
The woman just now was easy to deal with. That burly man... he’s really strong, an Ability User, and his strength is probably even greater than mine. The woman talking to me now, so beautiful she seems unreal, has an even more extraordinary aura. These opponents are far beyond what I can handle.
"Ah Xiu! Hurry, climb over the wall and run! I’ll hold them off!" the girl shouted without looking back.
While speaking, Xicheng Xun also waved the blade at her fingertips fiercely at Lu Xixi. "Don’t come any closer!!"
Looking at the girl’s resolute expression, Lu Xixi felt a pang of softness in her heart and sighed quietly.
"You said he gave you your life..."
"Ah Xiu, run now!!" Xicheng Xun yelled, then growled at Lu Xixi, "I am determined to protect Ah Xiu! You can try!"
"Sigh..."
Lu Xixi sighed deeply.
Suddenly, the Empress gently waved her hand.
Silently, from the ruins of the surrounding buildings, more than a dozen rebars flew out, hovering in the air around Xicheng Xun, all pointed directly at her.
Xicheng Xun’s eyes widened. Then, in the next second, she felt an invisible force slam her entire body against the wall!
Rebars shot towards her, accurately embedding themselves into the wall next to her arms and thighs, then bending automatically, pinning her securely.
Xicheng Xun was terrified!
With my knowledge, this level of ability is something I’ve never encountered! Perhaps... even Ah Xiu isn’t this formidable, is he? No wonder someone as powerful as Ah Xiu is being hunted by these people!
Lu Xixi walked up to Xicheng Xun and studied her for a moment.
"Hmm, you do look quite cute."
With a hint of self-mockery in her voice, Lu Xixi’s next words completely deflated the still-struggling Xicheng Xun.
"This Ah Xiu you mentioned... he’s my husband."
"...What?!"
「」
THUMP!
Chen Nuo, who had been standing there, suddenly went limp for no apparent reason. He knelt, then fell sideways onto the cold concrete floor, his face pressed against it.
Lu Xixi’s expression changed. In a flash, she was beside Chen Nuo, pulling him up.
Chen Nuo’s eyes were tightly closed, blood streaming from his nose...
"Chen Nuo!!"
"Chen Nuo!!"
"Ah Xiu!!!!"
Three girls screamed simultaneously. Xicheng Xun struggled frantically, while Sun Keke and Li Yingwan rushed over.
Lu Xixi, however, suppressed the panic in her heart and looked directly at Wu Daodao.
"Brother Wu!! Quick, see what’s wrong with him!!?"
Wu Daodao was speechless.
Damn it! Asking, always asking! Every single one of them asks me! I am the leader of Qingyun! A Metaphysics Scholar! But damn it, I’m not a doctor!!! Vomiting blood and you ask me? See a doctor!!! How the hell would I know! Are my eyes X-rays or something?!
After a two-second pause, Wu Daodao faced Lu Xixi’s frantic gaze, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, "Hurry to the hospital!"
「」