In the second-floor living room of Zoran's store, Linwin and Kai'Sa sat together, facing the now calmer old Zoran.
Zoran served two bowls of instant noodles and placed them on the table. Linwin didn't eat; he wasn't hungry. On the other hand, Kai'Sa, who had eaten a lot at Jayce's place earlier, eagerly slurped the noodles.
"Eat up, huh? Ya brat, why aren't you eating?" Zoran looked at Linwin, who was staring at him, got up, and gave a forceful pat on Linwin's head. Then he exclaimed, "It's late, what else do you want to eat? Just make do with the noodles. Eating noodles is a delightful thing, you know?"
"I'm not hungry, and I think you have something on your mind," Linwin pushed away the noodles.
Beside him, Kai'Sa's eyes immediately lit up.
However, she remembered what Linwin had told her – to speak less. So she continued eating her own noodles, occasionally glancing at Linwin's untouched bowl.
One bowl of noodles, how much is it?
With this small bowl, Kai'Sa could eat ten! She's a super-eater! As for Linwin, he had noticed that the old man's gaze had been strange since earlier, observing Kai'Sa from head to toe with a puzzled yet appreciative expression. What's the matter with old Zoran?
By the way, Kai'Sa's purple skin, in old Zoran's eyes, wasn't a big deal. Although her skin was purple and looked like a layer of armor, she was, after all, a girl—a very beautiful girl. In the ghostly place of Zaun, where people have mechanical hands, mechanical arms, mechanical legs, and even bodies entirely replaced by machinery, leaving only the brain, peculiar things are quite common. Due to constant pollution from waste gas and sewage, some children even appear as monsters from birth. Therefore, Zoran didn't mind Kai'Sa's purple skin.
Linwin pulled Zoran aside and whispered, "Her name is Kai'Sa, and I brought her from Shurima. Her situation is quite special. She's alone, so she'll be staying with us from now on."
Old Zoran nodded, watching Kai'Sa eating noodles. The more he looked, the more he liked her. Being able to eat is a blessing.
As if reminded of something, Zoran coughed, signaling Kai'Sa to continue eating. Then, he grabbed Linwin and pulled him aside near the stairs. In a hushed tone, Zoran asked, "What are you implying now?"
"What do you mean by 'implying'?" Linwin was momentarily puzzled, tilting his head in confusion.
Zoran first glanced at Kai'Sa, who was eating in front of him, and then said to Linwin, "Except for those two girls who used to follow you around, this is the first time you've brought a girl home."
"Is she...?"
"Is she what?"
Zoran chuckled and raised his eyebrows.
Linwin, looking at the lecherous Zoran, was speechless.
He understood what Zoran meant, but Kai'Sa didn't.
"Come on, tell me, is it? If so, I need to get prepared," Zoran insisted.
"What are you thinking? I'm just friends with her. It's not like... Do you mean you want to prepare a dowry or something?" Linwin looked at Zoran in disbelief.
Zoran smacked his lips, "You're already in your twenties, and you're doing such dangerous things. If anything happens to you, who will take care of me in my old age? So, prepare to bring a little Linwin back for me."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Linwin stared at Zoran in disbelief. "If there were a little Linwin, and I was gone, you think he'd take care of you for how many years?"
"That's fine, I'll take care of him. So, when are you bringing me a little Linwin?" Zoran opened his mouth, saying it seriously.
Linwin was left speechless, thinking, "You, old man!"
Living a good life makes people unstable, huh?
Linwin felt extremely helpless, looking at Zoran, and said, "Hold on, I heard the meaning in your words earlier. Kai'Sa, let's put that aside for now. I'm curious if you used to look at Vi and Powder the same way."
Linwin suddenly realized that Zoran was acting strange.
"What else? I didn't let you interact with Vander or play with his kids. But you kept going to his tavern. Wasn't it because of those two girls?" Zoran initially said it disdainfully but then chuckled, saying, "But you have a good eye, brat. Those two girls are now exceptionally beautiful, especially the younger one. In the past, she had a bit of buck teeth, but now she has grown to be quite beautiful."
"Buck teeth? Are you talking about Powder?"
Talking about Powder's childhood, she indeed had some protruding teeth during her tooth replacement phase. She had a habit of licking, causing her teeth to grow unevenly. After Linwin scolded her a few times, she became more obedient.
Once she got her permanent teeth, they became straight.
Powder wasn't a buck-toothed girl at all!
How adorable! Who cares about buck teeth?
"Anyway, don't overthink it. She and I are just friends," Linwin insisted. Zoran still wanted to say something, but Linwin had already returned.
When Linwin returned, he noticed his bowl was empty, with some soup left. He looked at Kai'Sa, who was using her arm to shield her bowl, trying to prevent Linwin from seeing.
Even so, Linwin saw it—Kai'Sa's now filled bowl.
"You..."
Kai'Sa immediately said, "Didn't you say you weren't eating?"
"When did I say I'm not eating?"
"I saw you leave."
"Forget it. Eat, eat." Linwin sighed and sat down next to her.
This was the reality of having money. Otherwise, he really couldn't afford it. Kai'Sa was just too good at eating.
Being able to eat was not the only issue; the problem was she enjoyed eating.
After Kai'Sa finished two bowls of noodles and went to brush her teeth with the toothpaste and toothbrush Linwin gave her, Zoran also came out of his room.
"The bed is made." Zoran, holding a cup of tea, sat in front of Linwin.
"Is it a soft bed?"
"When are you going to sleep in that thing again?"
"It's not me; it's her."
"I don't have that kind of thing here, but adding some extra padding should be soft enough."
"Is the bed big enough?"
"What do you mean? Do you want to sleep with her?"
Linwin was speechless. "No, Zoran, what's wrong with you now?" Linwin looked at the disrespectful old man and said, "It's her who wants to sleep in a big and soft bed because she has never slept in one before. So, I promised to let her sleep in a good, big bed. Understand?"
"Understood."
Zoran nodded and then said, "Big enough, it's a bed that's a meter and a half wide, quite big, right?"
Linwin nodded. "Got it."
In the midst of the conversation, Linwin asked, "By the way, where does Powder live now?"
"That girl is living in the middle layer of the city," Zoran replied after taking a sip of tea. Then he added, "By the way, brat, what are your plans?"
"What plans?"
"Powder and Vi, I can tell, the younger one is easily jealous."
"They're both my sisters, Zoran."
Linwin was genuinely annoyed.
He didn't want to continue the conversation with Zoran.
Seeing Linwin heading towards his room, Zoran clicked his tongue.
Then he muttered, "I don't know about the older one, but the younger one doesn't see you as a real brother, you brat, you might be in for it tomorrow."
After guiding Kai'Sa to her dedicated room, Zoran finally returned to his own room.
Sitting on the bed, Zoran grinned.
His son was back.
And he brought a beautiful girl, albeit a bit peculiar. Zoran could accept that.
But... thinking about what would happen to Linwin tomorrow, Zoran couldn't help but chuckle.
Love, it's something easy to recognize.
The girl with blue hair likes him.
Yes, Powder likes Linwin.
The third day of Progress Day.
In the early morning, in a room in the middle layer of Zaun, Vi rubbed her pink disheveled hair and opened her eyes with displeasure.
Lying on her side, she noticed several long strands of hair, clearly not her own in color or length.
This was Powder's hair.
Her hair had grown to over a meter in length, imagining what it felt like to sleep with someone like that.
Every time Vi moved slightly at night, she felt her face itching. A bunch of fragrant hair covered her face, like a silky blanket.
Vi's expression suddenly became impatient, with a hint of irritation in her eyes.
This impatience stemmed from being woken up.
She just wanted to sleep! The sound of punching sandbags not far away was annoying. Vi was already frustrated because it is her rare day off.
Checking the time, her frustration increased.
It was only six in the morning!
Vi covered her face with a pillow, making buzzing noises. "Powder, it's only six in the morning."
"Thud! Thud!"
The barefoot girl tied her hair into a messy bundle. Viewed from behind, her head seemed unusually large, like she was wearing a blue-green hat. She answered loudly, "I know!"
"Powder, Progress Day hasn't ended yet, he'll be back."
"I know!"
Despite saying that, the sound of punching sandbags continued unabated.
Vi, for the first time, regretted having the sandbag in the bedroom.
Finally, Vi couldn't take it anymore. She sat up, walked towards Powder, and shouted loudly, "I want to sleep! Sleep! Powder, today is your sister's day off!"
"You sleep, I didn't say you couldn't."
Powder punched the sandbag relentlessly.
She, was, angry!
The last day of Progress Day.
But why hasn't he come back yet?
He said he would be back on Progress Day!
She was dissatisfied, very dissatisfied!
However, when Vi couldn't take it anymore, got up from bed cracking her knuckles, and walked towards her, Powder wisely chose to stop.
She timidly took two steps back, her hands previously pounding the sandbag now behind her back, twisting and turning. Powder looked at Vi, anxious. "Uh, I'm done. You sleep or, do you want breakfast? I can make it!"
It seemed like Powder really got on Vi's nerves.
"I don't want breakfast. I also want to punch."
"I don't want to punch the sandbag. Powder."
"Vi...."
"Punching sandbags doesn't give the same satisfaction as punching a person, right?"
"You agree, right?" Grabbing the trying-to-slip-away Powder, Vi pressed her down forcefully, closing in. Smirking, she said, "Powder?"
"!"
——————————
"Hey, Powder, why the long face?"
In the afternoon, Powder wandered around the Undercity, and those who knew her greeted her from a distance.
Under the duckbill cap, Powder snorted through her nose in response.
Her mood was indeed not good.
Entering a tavern that was open during the day, playing soothing music, the short and chubby owner, Benzo, greeted her with a cheerful smile.
Seeing Powder's pouting mouth, the pressed-down hat, and hands in her pockets, Benzo immediately sensed that Powder wasn't in a good mood.
He had seen this little girl grow up.
"What's wrong today? You look so unhappy."
The owner of the White Dove Tavern greeted his little customer.
Yes, Benzo changed careers. He went from being a grocery store owner to a tavern owner.
Well, since Zoran became the biggest shop owner now.
But Benzo enjoyed this new venture. He had always envied Vander.
Now, there was no more Last Drop Tavern, but the White Dove Tavern had emerged.
"Yeah, I want a glass of iced black tea, add two lemons, please." Powder sat on a stool at the bar. There weren't many customers in the tavern in the afternoon, so Benzo walked over to Powder. He leaned on the bar, looking at her.
Powder raised her hand listlessly, paused, and said, "By the way, make the lemons sour."
"Did you have another fight with Vi?"
Benzo prepared the iced black tea, a sweet and sour beverage, while asking Powder.
"Heh, she hit me today, she hit me!" Powder took off her hat, turned her little face, and pointed at her slightly reddened chin. She said loudly to Benzo, "Look here."
"What did you do to provoke her again?"
Benzo took a quick glance. It wasn't too serious, but there were indeed red marks. Well, it looked more like pinching than hitting.
"Well, she hit me anyway."
Powder shifted away from this topic.
"Moreover, Linwin clearly said he would be back on Progress Day, I told everyone he was coming back, but he hasn't come back today."
"Did you try calling him on his Hextech phone?"
Powder nodded, "I did."
"Did he say where he went?"
Benzo asked Powder. In fact, the news of Linwin coming back wasn't just something Powder was talking about.
The old folks in the alley also knew about it.
Vander was a big mouth too, and Powder resembled Vander in that aspect.
Putting the iced black tea in front of Powder, Benzo looked at her.
Taking a sip with the straw, Powder sucked in the ice-cold red tea. Her eyes squinted due to the sourness. After getting used to it, Powder let out a satisfying burp. Then she spoke, "He didn't pick up the call, Benzo. He never picked up."
"What about today?"
"I haven't called today."
"Try calling him now. Maybe he was in a place with no signal from Piltover and Zaun. There's a stretch over the sea with no signal." Benzo suggested.
"Right!"
Powder immediately took out her Hextech phone.
Benzo was right. He didn't ignore her calls; he simply couldn't receive them.
Not answering the call and being unable to answer the call had different meanings!
Biting the straw, Powder dialed the number.
Then she placed it on the bar, covering her hands with her sleeves, and held the cold iced tea with both hands. She looked at Benzo, big eyes staring at him.
"Doo...Doo."
"Doo...Doo...Doo..."
Facing each other, one big and one small, the beautiful blue Hextech phone lay between them.
"Hello? Powder?"
Just when Powder was about to be disappointed again, the call went through!
"Y-Y-You, where are you now?!"
Powder quickly stood up, bending down and leaning close to the phone.
Seeing this scene, Benzo found it both amusing and helpless.
Amusing because seeing Powder's excited face, the frustration and anger from being bullied by her sister earlier, and Linwin not answering the calls, all dissipated in this moment.
Her emotions came and went quickly.
Helpless because Benzo felt there was really no hope for the one from his family.
As Ekko's foster father, Benzo knew Ekko had feelings for Powder.
But clearly, Powder had really liked him since she was little.
This feeling hadn't changed for six years.
"Hahaha, take it easy, take it easy," the voice on the other end, that little scoundrel Linwin, said cheerfully.
"No laughing! Linwin, you tell me quickly, where are you right now?! Why haven't you come back? It's already the third day! The third afternoon!" Powder's face was practically against the Hextech phone.
Her beautiful blue braids were almost touching the floor.
But the voice that echoed from the Hextech phone wasn't Linwin's; it was a very familiar voice to Powder.
"Whose call is this? We're in a meeting right now, Linwin, stop laughing, be serious."
"Hang up quickly."
The person spoke discontentedly.
Powder knew this voice too well.
"Okay, okay, Vander, I'll hang up."
"What's the rush? I told you I would check. I'm already back; of course, I'll handle those things. You really..."
Linwin's voice, full of helplessness, interrupted.
Listening to the voice on the phone, Powder blinked her beautiful blue eyes with force.
So much information! And Vander, Vander?!
"Powder, I'm a bit busy right now. Wait for me, and later in the evening, I'll come find you and Vi."
After saying this, Linwin hung up without waiting for Powder to respond.
"Bang!"
The door of the White Dove Tavern was forcefully pushed open from the inside, then it slammed into the wall, making a loud noise.
"Dong!"
It bounced back.
Benzo watched Powder, who had already rushed out, shaking his head and chuckled softly.
"Wait? She's waited long enough for you, you scoundrel."
"She can't wait any longer."
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