Chapter 369: The Designer and the Model

Yang Yichen did not give any answer to that remark.

He just stared out at the grayish sky, watching the ground far away approaching; the airship had already begun to descend.

He was on a diplomatic mission; originally he should have taken another airship straight back to the Dome Headquarters, but that airship was attacked by flying Aberrant Species en route, forcing him to circle around this large detour.

The airship's docking platform was bustling with people; staff were busy moving various cargoes and equipment, and because there was no transfer needed, Yang Yichen could lean by the window and enjoy the scenery for a while.

Though there wasn't much to enjoy.

Yang Yichen's gaze drifted aimlessly over the crowd; a young man in distinctive attire caught his eye, his jade ornaments looking especially round under the sun.

He even had a pair of horns on his head, seemingly carved from jade, which matched his exquisite, unique clothing.

Come to think of it, he seemed to have heard that Heavenly Dome City was planning some fashion show.

Heavenly Dome City is where the Dome Headquarters resides, but rather than say that, it's better to say the whole Heavenly Dome is built around the Dome.

Yang Yichen had no interest in these things, but because he worked at the diplomatic department and people around often talked about them, he listened in.

"You're Mr. Bai, right?"

Yang Yichen saw a familiar person, his superior from the diplomatic department, the guy who usually wore a stone‑cold expression, now greeting the few people with a full smile.

For someone to come out personally to welcome him, the source must be considerable.

Yang Yichen's eyes followed his superior's line of sight.

Leading the group was a man in refined attire, a dark coat cut just right, carrying a black suitcase, exuding an "I'm expensive" aura.

He walked calmly, his gaze indifferent, as if accustomed to such arrivals and departures.

Yang Yichen didn't know him, but the young man with the distinctive, jade‑laden accessories was right behind him.

So one is a designer, the other a model?

Yang Yichen's gaze lingered on the youth for a moment, then shifted to the person beside him.

That was a boy wearing Black-framed Glasses, his hair ordinary black, dressed in a slightly oversized coat, head down as if daydreaming.

Yang Yichen's eyes swept past him without lingering.

He saw his superior climbing up with a full smile, looking especially obsequious.

"I've heard of you for a long time; I've known you were coming, but I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."

Bai Mu Yun gave a slight nod, his tone neither cold nor warm, "You're being too polite."

The superior's gaze naturally fell on the two people behind him.

Luo Jinyou instinctively stepped back half a step, fingers tightening; his disguise was actually quite crude—those horns on his head were real, the "accessories" on his body were real stone, merely modified by Bai Mu Yun along the way.

Yet, in Bai Mu Yun's design philosophy, that's called "wildness."

Coincidentally, the fashion show Heavenly Dome City is about to hold has the theme "the fusion of nature and wildness."

The superior's eyes circled Luo Jinyou, his smile deepening.

"This must be the model you brought, right? That outfit… *tch tch*, no wonder you're the famous designer from Tianmian City; Mr. Bai's design philosophy truly stands out…"

He couldn't find words to describe it, but his attitude was clear: praise, and praise it hard.

Luo Jinyou: "…Thank you?"

He didn't know what to say, so he forced a reply.

The superior's gaze finally landed on the last person, his brows slightly furrowed.

He felt… somehow familiar?

But he couldn't pinpoint where the familiarity lay.

Ordinary black hair, ordinary Black-framed Glasses, ordinary stance, ordinary…

"This is my assistant," Bai Mu Yun suddenly said at that moment, "handling miscellaneous tasks."

Assistant?

The superior's suspicious gaze circled that boy again; if he's an assistant, why is Bai Mu Yun still carrying the suitcase?

If the reason he didn't hand it to staff is because it's valuable, shouldn't the assistant be the one handling it?

Though doubtful, he honestly withdrew his gaze and rebuilt his smile.

"Mr. Bai seems to value this assistant a lot. Come, come, the room is ready; you can go rest on the airship first."

Bai Mu Yun nodded, stepping toward the airship.

Luo Jinyou hurriedly followed; although his attire indeed attracted many glances, the gaze leaning on the porthole was a bit too concentrated.

But there seemed to be nothing special.

Luo Jinyou withdrew his gaze and kept walking forward.

The young man with Black-framed Glasses beside him seemed to sense something, lifted his head, and glanced over there as well.

Golden eyes peered through the lenses, scanning the crowd.

He saw nothing.

He lowered his head again, continuing to examine the object in his hand.

Greenish energy lines flickered at his fingertips, then vanished quickly.

Bai Mu Yun occasionally turned back to check the two's movements.

Honestly, he wasn't even worried Luo Jinyou would run away; he was more concerned that Ying Duo might turn around and cause trouble again.

Ying Duo this time being so obedient and even dyeing his hair black surprised him greatly; as the saying goes, "When the child is quiet, mischief is afoot," and Bai Mu Yun now felt something was off everywhere.

He truly wondered whether Ying Duo was planning to dismantle the airship as well.

No, he had to keep a tighter watch on people.

The interior of the airship was far more spacious than it appeared from outside.

Along the corridor, compartment doors were tightly shut; every few meters a warm yellow wall lamp glowed, the floor was covered with dark red carpet, soft and silent underfoot.

Bai Mu Yun walked at the front, steps steady, eyes unwavering.

Luo Jinyou kept close behind him, walking while unable to stop glancing around.

It was his first time riding a zeppelin; although he should be more worried about whether he'd be recognized, the novelty still made him unable to stop looking a few more times.

And Ying Duo walked at the rear, looking at the thing in his hand.

It was a palm‑sized metal device, its surface covered with intricate Rune circuits; at this moment faint Ying Guang Lu energy lines were threading from his fingertips into those Runes, as if performing some kind of calibration.

He walked very slowly.

So slowly that the distance between him and the two people ahead kept widening.

"Ying Duo," Bai Mu Yun's voice came from ahead.

Ying Duo didn't look up, "I'm walking."

The room was small but fully equipped: three single beds, a round porthole, and a gray‑hazy sky beyond the window.

Each person found a spot to sit and rest; Luo Jinyou even flopped onto the bed closest to him, his horn nearly striking the nightstand, and he fumbled to straighten the horn, confirming that the decorations on its surface hadn't fallen off before finally exhaling a breath of relief.