Zane was grabbed by the collar and dragged all the way to the flower house by Rover. Looking at the delicate, blooming flowers inside, his throat bobbed and he couldn't help but shiver.
"Hey, Rover, it's not that big a deal, right? You're not actually going to bury me in the dirt, are you… or are you planning to carve me up and use me as fertilizer for the flowers?"
Seeing how nervous he looked, Rover couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
"Thank you."
"Huh?" Zane froze when he saw the warmth in her eyes.
'Could it be that Rover's k*nk is stealing stockings?'
'Honestly, that's a pretty weird system of preferences.'
Zane raised a hand and scratched the back of his head, feeling like his brain was about to grow a bit.
Seeing his slightly dumbfounded look, Rover gently took his hand and led him step by step up the pure white stairs deeper into the flower house.
"You protected the flowers here, didn't you?"
From the surveillance footage, Rover had seen the moment Zane was attacked by the black hole.
"You clearly had the ability to resist it, but in the end you gave up and let yourself get pulled in. Wasn't it to protect these flowers?"
As she spoke, the two of them walked together into the sea of flowers. A faint fragrance lingered around them like drifting mist. Petals layered the ground into a soft path, guiding them forward.
"Because you knew the flowers here come from the hometowns of the Flower Bearers. These flowers might be the only things left from their homes."
"They're what those people hold onto."
Rover's voice grew softer. A hint of a smile showed in her amber eyes, and her expression bloomed like a flower.
"So I won't pursue the matter of you stealing my stockings. But merits and faults cancel each other out, so your reward is gone."
Zane paused. Looking at the curve of her lips, he felt like he had just missed out on something big.
A man and a woman alone, a flower house, a female boss, a reward… no matter how you think about it, what should come next would definitely be 18+.
Passing the stairs, a white piano appeared in front of him, cutting off his thoughts.
In the next moment, Rover was already seated at the piano bench. She turned her head and glanced at him. "What are you standing there for? Come here."
Zane went along with it and sat down close beside her. Before she could say anything, his restless hand had already slipped around her slender waist.
They sat pressed together, and in that moment, their heartbeats quietly fell into sync.
Feeling his hand at her waist, Rover's ears turned slightly red, but she didn't push him away. She just smiled softly.
Her long fingers pressed lightly on the keys, and a gentle melody flowed out, like a quiet stream beneath a starry sky, carrying dreams of stars and travelers.
Familiar yet unfamiliar notes surrounded Zane, leaving him dazed.
'I feel like I've heard this song before…'
When he came back to his senses, he suddenly realized the surroundings had changed.
On land made of black stone, pale blue flowers and black flowers shimmered together. In the distance, a rising sun lit up the night sky, illuminating the aurora above.
The sea gently lapped against the shore, glowing with hints of blue under the sunlight. Black flowers floated in the air, drifting toward the rising sun, forming a path that stretched into the future.
Seeing the surprise on his face, the gold in Rover's eyes deepened. Her lips curved.
"It's beautiful, right?"
Zane turned his head, and his gaze met her smiling eyes without warning. In his eyes, the sunlight draped her in a layer of golden light. And this noble, pure girl was smiling at him.
His throat moved, but this time, it wasn't from fear.
"Yes… it's beautiful."
It was unclear whether he meant the scenery, the person, or both.
Rover laughed lightly, her ears flushing red.
"This is the virtual shore at the deepest part of the Tethys system. The tides will carry lost travelers to their destination. From now on, there will be no more wandering."
Zane smacked his lips, thinking it over, then looked around.
"So basically, we'll be living rough from now on? No house or anything?"
"..."
A vein twitched on Rover's forehead. She almost lost her composure.
After a moment of hesitation, she didn't explode. She just silently swore that if they ever had kids, she would never let this idiot raise them.
She took a deep breath and resumed the piece she hadn't finished.
Four notes sounded in sequence. In that moment, Zane saw starlight, new life, and being together with Rover…
He slowly closed his eyes and greedily enjoyed the brief peace. The rising sun stretched their shadows long, until eventually, the two shadows merged into one.
After a long while, the music ended. Zane opened his eyes again and looked at the girl beside him.
"I really didn't expect you to know how to play the piano. And this well." He looked at her in surprise, disbelief in his eyes.
Rover's lips curled slightly, but the smile quickly turned into a hint of dissatisfaction.
She looked at him with a bit of mock annoyance. "What, do you think all I can do is fight?"
Zane quickly explained, "Of course not. I just think the way you play the piano is really special. It's not quite like your usual image."
Her dissatisfaction eased a little. She raised her hand and lightly punched him, then said with a soft huff, "Hmph, I'll let that pass. But what do you mean 'not quite like usual'?"
At that moment, she seemed like a completely different person. No longer a wandering traveler, no longer the leader of Black Coast, no longer the tuner who controlled the stars.
Right now, she was just an ordinary girl. A girl who could be happy or upset because of a single sentence.
Zane hurriedly waved his hands. He had no doubt that if he said the wrong thing, he'd end up like Shang Yang on the spot.
"No, what I mean is you're very cool normally, and you're still very cool now, it's just that compared to before, there's a bit more…"
He scratched the back of his head, unable to find the right word.
Seeing his awkward expression, Rover smiled and gently placed a finger over his lips.
"Alright, I was just teasing you."
Then, all of a sudden, she showed a sly, almost devilish smile. With a flick of her wrist, the hand covering his mouth hooked under his chin.
Zane felt a sudden force from his jaw, and in the next instant, a faint sweetness touched his lips.
But it vanished just as quickly. When he came back to his senses, all he saw was the girl licking her lips teasingly.
"Hehe, since you've been working so hard, take that as a little extra reward. If you want more, then…"
Before she could finish, Zane wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her in, pressing a kiss onto her lips. It was intense, burning, enough to make her heart tremble.
The girl instinctively placed both hands on his shoulders to support herself. Only like this could she barely keep from melting completely.
He lowered his head, she tilted hers up. In this world, they were more beautiful than any scenery.
But the two of them forgot that not far away, there was still a diligent student watching them closely.
The Shorekeeper blinked and quietly recorded her question, "Does touching mouths make people feel good?"