Suo Tuo City felt alive in a way the forest never did.
The moment Luo Feng and Zhu Zhuqing stepped through the gates, the noise wrapped around them—vendors shouting, children running past, the smell of food drifting from every direction. It wasn't overwhelming,it was just there.
Zhu Zhuqing slowed slightly, her eyes moving from one place to another—not staring at everything around her
"It's…so loud," she complained after a moment .
Luo Feng glanced around, then back at her. "You'll get used to it."
She turned around gave him a flat look and moved forward.
They found an inn without much trouble. It was not anything special, but clean enough. After settling in, Zhu Zhuqing paused near the door, as if deciding something.
"I'll go out for a bit," she said.
Luo Feng looked up from where he was setting his things down. "Alright."
She hesitated—just for a second—then added, "I won't be long."
"…Okay."
He didn't ask where she was going.
She didn't explain.
And just like that, she left.
When she came back, the sun had already started to dip.
Luo Feng was sitting downstairs, near the entrance, idly turning a cup in his hand. He looked up when the door opened , she looked Even colder than normal
"You're back."luo feng tried to initiate a conversation
"…Yeah." she replied, not adding anything more.
Her voice sounded the same.
But not really.
She walked past him without stopping, heading toward the stairs.
For a moment, Luo Feng just watched her go.
He didn't call out.
Didn't ask anything.
But after a few seconds, he set the cup down and stood up.
The streets hadn't changed much.
It was still noisy and bustling
Still full of people going about doing different things
Luo Feng moved through them quietly, just following a guess.
It didn't take long.
A burst of laughter caught his attention.
Bright. Easy. Carefree.
He stopped across the street.
There, under a hanging lantern, stood a man who looked like he belonged in the center of attention.
Blond hair. Relaxed posture. A grin that didn't seem to fade.
Two girls leaned against him, laughing at something he said, while he spoke as if the world naturally revolved around him.
Luo Feng watched for a few seconds.
Then looked away.
"…I see."
He didn't stay longer.
Back at the inn, Zhu Zhuqing was sitting by the window.
Not looking outside seemingly lost in her thoughts.
Luo Feng stepped in, brushing a bit of dust off his sleeve. He didn't go upstairs. Instead, he walked over and stopped a short distance away.
"The city's bigger than I thought," he said casually.
She neither looked up or gave any reply
"There's a night market a few streets down. Looked crowded."
Still nothing.
He paused, then added, "Also found a place selling food that smells suspiciously good."
That got a reaction.
Not much—but enough.
"…Suspiciously?" she repeated.
"…Yes."
She finally looked at him, her expression still a little distant. "That's not a good description."
"well when I was looking for words to describe it came to my mind."
"…You're bad at convincing people."
"well , it's not like someone taught me how to convince a brooding girl"
A small silence followed.
Then he shrugged lightly. "We've got two days. Sitting here seems like a waste."
She held his gaze for a moment.
"…You're not good at cheering people up, are you?"
"…Nope ."
"…At least you're honest."
"…It helps."
Another pause.
Then, slowly, she stood up.
"…Fine," she said, brushing her sleeve lightly. "Let's go see this 'suspicious' food."
The night market was louder than the rest of the city.
Lights hung everywhere, casting warm colors across the street. People moved shoulder to shoulder, voices blending into a constant hum.
Zhu Zhuqing walked beside him, a little quieter than usual , but not withdrawn.
After a while, Luo Feng stopped at a stall and handed her something on a stick.
"Try this."
She looked at it, then at him. "what is this?"
"You will find out after eating"
"…You're definitely doing this on purpose."
"…Yes."
She hesitated, then took a bite.
For a second, she didn't react.
Then her brows furrowed slightly.
"It's sweet…"
"…Yes."
"…and spicy."
"…Also yes."
She looked at the food again, then back at him.
"You knew that."
"…Yes."
She stared at him for another second—
Then let out a small breath that almost turned into a laugh.
"You're actually annoying."
"…That's new."
"No, it's not. I just didn't say it before."
"…I see."
They walked through the market a bit longer after that.
Not talking much—but not silent either.
Small comments ,occasional remarks just about random things
The next day felt easier.
They stepped out of the inn and started to explore the city
They wandered through quieter streets this time, stopping occasionally without needing a reason.
By evening, they found themselves walking back toward the inn.
"So, tomorrow we depart for the academy"
"Yes, go rest now we will depart in the morning, the academy is a little while away from the city"
Now they had no awkward distance.
Somewhere along the way—
Without either of them pointing it out—
Things had changed but neither of them rejected it.