The black Rolls-Royce silently started, blending into the traffic.
Inside the car, isolated from the outside noise, it was so quiet that only the steady hum of the engine remained.
Ise Hinata sat upright, her body feeling a bit stiff in the unfamiliar dress.
She was not unaccustomed to such top-tier luxury cars; on the few occasions she had left the shrine in the past, they had provided similar vehicles for her.
But the feeling then was completely different from now.
Then, she was the Amaterasu Shrine Maiden, high above the clouds, receiving the worship of believers, and the world outside the car window was merely a fleeting landscape.
Now, she was a young girl abducted from her home by a 'bad guy,' about to taste the flavors of the 'human world.'
This car was no longer a vehicle representing status but had become a private space leading to an unknown world.
A 'date'?
This word, which had never appeared in her past life and she had only seen in books, uncontrollably surfaced from the depths of her heart.
The thought made her breath catch slightly.
Lu Cheng did not take her to any opulent Michelin restaurants, nor to exclusive top-tier clubs that required membership.
The car stopped beside a bustling commercial street.
It was filled with the laughter of young people, the music from shops, and the enticing aroma of food, brimming with the vibrant and chaotic 'mortal' atmosphere.
This aura, in stark contrast to the eternal coolness of the shrine, made Ise Hinata feel both novelty and a touch of awkwardness.
Lu Cheng, like a host familiar with the area, skillfully led her to a exquisitely decorated ice cream shop.
"Try this."
He quickly emerged, holding two ice cream cones, and offered one to Ise Hinata.
The light purple ice cream was adorned with plump blueberries and verdant mint leaves, emitting a sweet aroma mixed with milk and fruit.
Ise Hinata looked at the ice cream before her, a bit hesitant.
Her diet had always been managed by the shrine's top chefs, drinking sacred spring water and eating vegetarian meals, with 'purity' as the highest principle.
When was the last time she ate something so full of 'worldly' flavor?
Was it something Long Yi secretly brought back from outside?
She couldn't remember; that memory felt as distant as a past life.
Under Lu Cheng's gaze, which held both encouragement and playful amusement, she finally reached out and took the cone.
Cautiously, she extended the tip of her tongue and gently licked it.
A complex taste—icy, sweet, yet with a hint of tartness—instantly exploded on her taste buds!
It was a direct and overwhelming sensory impact she had never experienced before!
This flavor, existing purely for 'pleasure,' made her normally placid eyes light up with a glow called'surprise'!
Like a kitten discovering a new world, she forgot everything around her and began to savor this novel 'delicacy' in small bites.
Lu Cheng stood by, watching her with a smile.
He watched the high and mighty Amaterasu Shrine Maiden, her expression filled with a girlish satisfaction and focus, all because of a bite of ice cream.
This sight brought him more joy than conquering any kingdom.
"Ah..."
Ise Hinata ate a bit too quickly, and a small dollop of white cream accidentally smeared on the corner of her mouth.
She hadn't noticed it herself.
Lu Cheng, however, smiled.
He reached out very naturally, and before she could react, he gently wiped away the pure white cream from her lips with his warm fingertip.
Ise Hinata's body instantly froze!
Her mind went blank!
However, the next second, an action that made her soul tremble occurred.
Lu Cheng brought his index finger, still bearing the cream, to his own lips, extended his tongue, and gently licked it.
He narrowed his eyes, as if savoring the taste.
"Mmm, it's really sweet, as expected."
His low voice, with a hint of husky amusement, clearly entered her ears.
Boom--!
A never-before-felt heat surged from her tailbone straight to the top of her head!
For the first time in her life, Ise Hinata's exquisitely pure face flushed with a captivating, girlish blush!
Her heart pounded like a war drum, beating wildly, almost leaping from her throat!
What was this?!
This action... this feeling... her heart was utterly thrown into disarray at this moment!
The'shrine maiden's' rationality screamed frantically, reprimanding this disrespectful act that desecrated the divine!
A pure and vast Amaterasu Divine Power even flashed uncontrollably around her, making the surrounding air several degrees hotter!
But... the 'girl's' instinct made her body go soft, losing even the strength to lift her hand.
She just stood there blankly, feeling the scorching heat on her cheeks and the almost explosive heartbeat in her chest.
She didn't even dare to look into Lu Cheng's eyes.
Lu Cheng took in her adorable expression, a mix of shyness, anger, and bewilderment, and the smile on his lips deepened.
He didn't continue to tease but appropriately changed the subject.
"Let's go, next stop."
"I'll take you to see the joys and sorrows of others."
Without waiting for a reply, he took her slightly cool, boneless hand, still holding the ice cream cone, and led her towards the cinema nearby.
Pulled by him, Ise Hinata stumbled along behind, her mind still in a state of shutdown.
His hand... his hand was so warm... Lu Cheng had booked a VIP screening room.
A huge screen, comfortable sofas, and a completely private dark environment.
The movie was a cliché, yet highly effective, romantic tragedy.
When the lights went out and the vast light and shadow filled the space, Ise Hinata gradually recovered from the earlier shock.
She quickly became immersed in that world of interwoven light and shadow.
She watched the male and female protagonists in the movie, from meeting to falling in love, from sweetness to misunderstanding, from separation to death...
She experienced the joys and sorrows of mortals, which she had never felt before.
She would gently purse her lips at a comical scene.
And her eyes would redden at a tear-jerking plot.
She completely forgot she was the Amaterasu Shrine Maiden, forgot the man beside her, forgot the shrine that had imprisoned her for half her life.
At this moment, she was just an ordinary audience member.
The movie reached its climax.
The female protagonist, terminally ill, smiled in the male protagonist's arms, shedding her last tear.
Sad background music filled the entire screening room.
Ise Hinata could no longer hold back; glistening tears silently streamed down her perfect cheeks.
And at this very moment.
A warm and assertive large hand reached out, seemingly by accident, yet also as if it were perfectly natural.
Then, gently, it took her small, boneless hand, which rested on the armrest of the seat, slightly cool from tension and sadness.
Ise Hinata's body, once again, instantly froze!
Her tears even stopped in her eyes because of it.
All her senses were focused on their clasped hands.
His palm was dry, warm, and possessed a reassuring strength, completely enveloping her entire hand.
Reason told her she should pull it back immediately!
This was too rude!
This was too dangerous!
But... her body completely refused to obey.
That warmth, as if possessing an irresistible magic, offered a measure of comfort to her heart, which had been cold and sad because of the plot.
Finally, under the cover of darkness, she did not move.
She merely allowed the man to hold her hand, but her heart, in the darkness, pounded more thrillingly than any scene in the movie.