Free Web NovelChapter 162: Chapter 162: A Night Out as a Pair
The night city was nothing like what Yue Yue had imagined.
Golden buildings stood on both sides of the wide road. Their walls were decorated with delicate carvings and shining patterns that reflected the moonlight.
Some buildings had tall arches. Others had rounded domes. The windows were shaped like petals or stars, and soft light glowed from inside.
The whole place looked ancient and grand, but at the same time, there were many strange glowing devices floating in the air. Some were like small lanterns, but they moved on their own. Others looked like thin crystal panels, showing moving images and symbols.
It was like two different worlds had mixed together... ancient human aesthetics and advanced interstellar technology.
Yue Yue blinked a few times, completely amazed. freёwebnovel.com
"This... this place is beautiful," she whispered.
Xing Luoguang stood beside her quietly. He watched her expression more than the city.
"You like it?" he asked.
She nodded quickly. "Very much."
As they started walking down the street, Yue Yue noticed something else.
There were many orcs walking around. The streets were lively even though it was deep into the night. Shops were still open, and street vendors were calling out to customers. Children were running around, laughing and playing.
But something felt strange.
She looked at the people carefully.
They all looked... very much human.
In other empires, she had seen many orcs with partial beast forms... some had tails swaying behind them, some had animal ears on their heads, and others even had wings.
But here, everyone looked completely human.
Yue Yue couldn’t help asking, "Why do the orcs here look... different?"
Xing Luoguang glanced at the crowd.
"This place values stability of bloodlines," he said calmly. "Most families here have controlled their transformations for generations and are high ranking orcs. They prefer human like forms. It is seen as more... refined."
Yue Yue nodded slowly. So that was the reason.
They continued walking.
A nearby fruit vendor, an elderly man with a gentle smile, overheard them.
"You two are visitors, aren’t you?" he said while arranging glowing fruits into a neat pyramid. "First time in the capital?"
Yue Yue blinked. "Yes. Is it that obvious?"
The old man chuckled. "Your eyes. New couples and newcomers always look around like that, like everything is shining just for them."
Yue Yue nearly dropped the fruit she was holding. "We’re not..."
But the vendor had already turned to Xing Luoguang. "Take good care of her, young man. Night markets can be crowded."
Xing Luoguang nodded politely. "I will."
Yue Yue’s face turned slightly red.
The streets were wide and clean. Golden lamps floated above them like stars. Some small vehicles hovered silently in the air, carrying passengers from one place to another.
But despite the advanced technology, the people were dressed in long robes, veils, and scarves. Many buildings looked like ancient palaces or desert temples.
It really felt like a city from an old Arabian tale... but in space. But Yue Yue did not know because she was from a very primitive world.
Suddenly, a group of children ran past them, laughing loudly.
One of the children accidentally bumped into Yue Yue’s leg. He looked up at her with wide eyes.
"Sorry, big sister!" he said quickly.
Yue Yue smiled. "It’s okay."
The child stared at her for a moment, then at Xing Luoguang. His eyes suddenly sparkled.
"Are you two newly paired?" he asked.
Yue Yue choked on her breath. "What?"
But before she could say anything, the other children pulled him away.
"Stop bothering them!"
"Let’s go!"
"Come on!"
The children ran off, still laughing.
A young woman passing by giggled softly. "Ignore them. They love guessing who just formed a pair."
Yue Yue forced a smile. "I see..."
The woman gave them a friendly nod. "You two look very good together."
Then she walked away before Yue Yue could respond.
Yue Yue stood there awkwardly. Why did everyone think that they were a newly formed pair, and most importantly, why were they so enthusiastic about it?
Now she was happy that her face was actually covered, or everyone would have seen just how red she was.
Xing Luoguang said nothing. He simply continued walking as if nothing had happened.
They passed by many street stalls.
One stall was selling glowing crystals. The crystals looked like small balls that were imitating a galaxy, and soft light shone from inside them.
Another stall was selling skewers of strange meat that smelled very rich and spicy.
Yue Yue’s eyes lit up at everything she saw.
"What is that?"
"And that?"
"And that one too?"
She pointed at almost every stall.
The skewer vendor, a middle aged man with a loud voice, laughed.
"Your mate must be rich. You’re pointing at everything on my stall."
Yue Yue coughed. "He’s not..."
But Xing Luoguang had already stepped forward. "One of each."
The vendor grinned widely. "That’s the spirit! A male should never let his partner leave hungry."
He leaned closer and whispered loudly, "If you want, I can prepare a special lover’s spice mix. Very popular tonight."
Xing Luoguang calmly replied, "The normal one is fine."
Yue Yue almost buried herself behind Xing Luoguang. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Soon, Yue Yue was holding a skewer in one hand and a small glowing fruit in the other.
She took a bite of the skewer first.
Her eyes widened. "This is so good!"
Then she bit into the glowing fruit. A cool, sweet juice filled her mouth.
"Wow... this is amazing."
A couple standing nearby smiled at her reaction.
"The first time always feels like that," the woman said. "My husband bought me one on our pairing night too."
The man beside her nodded proudly. "Best decision I ever made."
Yue Yue did not know how to respond, so she just nodded politely and kept eating.
Xing Luoguang watched her quietly.
He felt a strange warmth in his chest seeing her enjoy such simple things.
Yue Yue also felt a strange calmness in her heart.
She had come to this strange world not long ago. Everything had felt dangerous and uncertain.
But at this moment, walking through the lively night city, eating street food, and looking at the glowing buildings...
She felt... safe.
Without realizing it, she walked a little closer to Xing Luoguang.
He noticed the small movement.
His hand, which was hanging at his side, slowly moved closer to hers. Their fingers almost touched.
But in the end, he did not hold her hand.
He simply kept walking beside her.
