Chapter 18: The Cast Lead Feather

Perhaps many have had this experience: waking in the morning with a sense of not knowing where one is; if one is in a foreign land, this feeling becomes even stronger.

I kept my eyes closed, savoring the sensation of gradually waking from confusion and chaos, then stretched my limbs and let out a huge yawn… then, then I touched a soft, hemispherical object.

I tried pinching it slightly; hmm, it seemed quite elastic… Suddenly, a wave of inexplicable cold sweat made me snap to awareness. This thing, could it be the legendary breast? And the only girl in this room seemed to be…

Before I could gather enough courage to open my eyes and confirm, a hot body threw itself into my arms, two soft arms wrapping around my neck, the deadly sensation of the two soft mounds on my chest rubbing continuously, plus the gentle breaths carrying a girl's body scent blowing into my ear, immediately sent my mind back into a state of chaos. I summoned my remaining sanity and quickly whispered into her ear: "Xue'er, I understand your feelings, but Ling Tian is lying right beside us…"

The arms around my neck tightened slightly, as if answering me.

My sanity finally gave out; if a girl isn't afraid, why should I be? So I boldly extended my arm and gently embraced the slender, elastic waist in my arms…

Thus, a cold sigh came from the doorway: "I really underestimated you before; I didn't expect you to be so bold…" That faint sentence scared me into sitting up, because the one speaking seemed to be Lei Xue herself!

I gave a sheepish smile. "Xue… Xue'er, when did you come in?"

"A while ago."

My mind instantly fell into confusion again: "This, this, I wasn't…"

"If not you, then who?" Xue'er remained expressionless.

I slumped my head dejectedly, suddenly remembering the culprit was still sitting on my lap. The girl had black hair and blue eyes, healthy wheat-colored skin, and wore a short dress; she was actually quite cute, and now she was even giggling! Then I unfortunately discovered someone's hand was still holding her waist in the same position…

As if burned, I hastily withdrew my hand, then, with a frown, negotiated with the girl in my arms: "Miss, could you please get off my legs? … I thank you!"

She blinked curiously at me but didn't move. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief: it seemed she didn't understand Chinese; otherwise, if Xue'er had heard that sentence I whispered in her ear just now, I'd be in serious trouble.

As I was pondering how to express "get off my legs" in English, KID pushed the door open and entered. Seeing the situation in the room, he clearly froze for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes flashing with understanding and friendliness. "She is my cousin, named Alice, but everyone just calls her Lily." Then he patted my shoulder. "It seems I misunderstood you; from now on, we are friends. Hehe."

I hurriedly explained: "Don't misunderstand; we didn't do anything…"

"Yes, Teacher Li was just touching her breasts while making lewd 'hmm' sounds…" I truly regretted not strangling Ling Tian to death before he woke up.

"Oh, so it seems I was the one disturbing you, Xiao Li?" Xue'er squinted slightly, glancing at me.

Lily suddenly jumped off my lap, hugged Xue'er, and said: "Sister, don't worry; I have a boyfriend, and besides, this guy just said he has someone he likes." She actually spoke flawless Chinese, looking at me thoughtfully as she spoke.

A chill ran down my back, as if I could already see the miserable scene of being exploited by her in the future.

Xue'er's face turned red, but she didn't break free from Lily's embrace: "Who's worried? I'm just afraid he'll cause trouble and we'll have to clean up the mess."

Lily looked at me innocently: "Do I look like trouble?"

I nodded vigorously.

KID, unable to understand Chinese, looked at us chatting for a while with a puzzled expression, then interjected: "Lily, then you take them out to stroll around the streets and take good care of Teacher Li; I'll go find my partner."

Lily immediately linked arms with me. "Let's go; the scenery here is very nice."

Ling Tian hesitated slightly: "What partner is KID looking for?"

Lily pouted: "The partner for that StarCraft 2v2 tournament, of course. This time he's found a big-name player, very famous."

Xue'er couldn't help asking: "Who is it?"

"Hehe, you'll know later." Damn! This girl is still keeping it a secret.

>>>>>>

"That is the famous Stockholm University, one of Sweden's highest institutions of learning; quite magnificent, isn't it?"

"This is the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences; two streets over is the National Museum; we can go in and take a look."

"The scenery around Lake Mälaren is the most beautiful… Look at that island; it is Birka Island, where silk fragments from China's Tang Dynasty were unearthed."

"This is Stockholm's most famous tourist attraction—the Royal Palace of Sweden. It is the masterpiece of the architectural master Thiel. Inside there are many reliefs, paintings, and other artworks; unfortunately, it's already past noon, otherwise we could have seen the traditional changing of the guard ceremony!"

"By the way, there is a Christmas market ahead; it is said to have a history of several hundred years and is quite famous. Although Christmas is still far away, everyone can buy some souvenirs here."

"Heading southeast out of the city center, there is a small town called Saltsjöbaden; on a small island there stands the former residence of Kang Youwei, called Beihai Caotang."

I was slightly surprised: "You even know Kang Youwei?"

Lily looked somewhat proud: "I lived in China for a full five years; I can be considered a China expert."

……

"Phew, this is our final stop, Sergels Torg. This is one of Stockholm's busiest commercial streets; let's have a good look around."

"Tired, exhausted." I wiped the sweat from my forehead and plopped down onto a bench by the street. Stockholm's famous attractions were all visited in a single day; I didn't know whether to praise Lily or scold her.

I boredly gazed at the street scene, truly unable to understand why girls always have so much energy when shopping in malls. I was already this tired, and Ling Tian sitting beside me was almost asleep, yet those two were still cheerfully picking things over there; sweat.

"Xiao Li!"

I frowned; before I could speak, Lily had already grabbed my hand and shoved a hard object into it.

"This is a gift for you."

I opened my palm; it was actually a ring! But we had only known each other for less than a day! Besides, such things should be given by the male side, right?

Before I could figure it out, she grabbed Ling Tian's hand. "Come, this is for you." Seeing Ling Tian's confused face, I leaned over to look; it was also a ring.

"Lily, do Swedes like to use rings as gifts?" I finally couldn't help but ask.

Lily rotated the ring on her hand and answered seriously: "For Swedes, a ring is both an ornament and a symbol of profession. Rings with oak leaf patterns are mostly for middle school teachers; those with acacia leaf patterns are mostly for carpenters; those adorned with a laurel wreath pattern might be window cleaners. Additionally, family rings and trade rings mostly use leaf shapes as symbols."

I looked down; the ring given to me indeed had an oak leaf pattern. Just as I was about to put it on, Lily stopped me: "Rings symbolizing a profession should be worn on the index finger, unlike wedding rings which are worn on the ring finger."

Hearing this, I glanced over and couldn't help exclaiming: "Lily, why is your ring worn on the ring finger?"

Lily blushed for the first time: "Hehe, this is the engagement ring my boyfriend gave me."

"You're engaged?!" Xue'er and Ling Tian were also surprised.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about that; I'll take you to a fun place." This little girl actually had a shy moment.

Xue'er still wouldn't let it go: "Hehehe, if I tell your boyfriend about what happened this morning, will he beat this guy up?" As she spoke, she glanced at me with her eyes.

Lily sighed: "That's probably unlikely; how would he dare to hit Xiao Li…"

"?" How did I not look like a muscular man good at fighting?

"We're almost there; see the sculpture ahead? After passing it, there's an internet cafe; that's the venue for your match the day after tomorrow." Although I always felt Lily was deliberately changing the subject, unfortunately, upon hearing "internet cafe," Ling Tian and Xue'er couldn't care about anything else. (Note 1)

>>>>>>

A spacious area, an elegant environment; the faint aroma of coffee drifting indoors made this place feel more like a café. In the main hall, numerous players were holding their breath, watching a StarCraft 2v2 match on the central screen. I glanced briefly; the advantage and disadvantage of both sides were obvious, and the outcome should already be decided. Ling Tian and Xue'er were still watching happily, but I, bored, walked out of the internet cafe.

The sculpture in front of the internet cafe had actually been seen many times on various media before, but the feeling of seeing the real thing was ultimately different. A massive revolver stood upright, its long barrel twisted into a dead knot, and words were inscribed on the sculpture's base: No Violence.

"Violence is always a human act; the gun itself is actually innocent." Lily didn't know when she had followed out. "But if one has a good gun yet never gives oneself the chance to shoot, then it is merely a piece of trash."

My body shuddered. What was this girl talking about?

"Not firing the gun may have many reasons: is it inability? Or unwillingness? Or perhaps fear?"

I opened my mouth, yet nothing came out.

"Regardless of the reason, a gun that cannot shoot is just like this sculpture; it is merely trash."

I finally turned around.

Lily's eyes were already filled with tears: "I am very disappointed in you. Li Lin."

In that instant, I clearly knew I could no longer hide it; although I didn't know where the problem lay, one thing was certain: I had been recognized.

I sighed and said in a low voice: "Have you ever dreamed of flying?"

"Flying?"

"Yes, flying." I said lightly, "I once thought so, and for a time I believed I already possessed wings capable of flight."

"And now?"

"Now every feather of these wings is filled with lead; they can no longer fly."

Lily was about to ask again, but Ling Tian's call came through: "Come look quickly, it's too amazing!"

I reached out and wiped the tears from Lily's face, sighed, and walked into the internet cafe.

The match on the screen was still continuing, but it was already in its final stages. The side that had been in absolute disadvantage had miraculously turned the situation around and forced the opponent into a desperate position.

With the match's conclusion, the names of the four players appeared; among the two on the winning side, Joan. of. Arc|KID was prominently visible. So it was him, no wonder...

But his partner's ID truly made both me and Xue'er greatly surprised. As Lily had said, this was indeed a top-tier player; not only did he hold the title of World Champion and had defeated the Human Race Heavenly King Slayers_Boxer, he was also one of the world's top CS players... Yes, you guessed correctly, his ID is precisely:

=LOST=Lucifer

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Note 1: The "No Violence" sculpture is indeed located on Seger Street in the center of Stockholm, Sweden, though whether there is an internet cafe nearby is unknown:) This was written to add interest to the novel; dear readers, please do not scrutinize it deeply.

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