Lin Ran found himself somewhat speechless, caught between amusement and exasperation by Luo Qingyan's sudden bout of chuunibyou:
"Uh... let's hurry up and go. Your imagination is running wild..."
"This chuunibyou is making it hard for me to even respond..."
Luo Qingyan tilted her head, making a throat-slitting gesture at Lin Ran with fierce determination, then grabbed his hand and pulled him along:
"You've ruined the perfect emotional atmosphere!"
"Let's go, let's go! Honestly, what a blockhead!"
Watching Luo Qingyan pull him forward, Lin Ran found himself lost in thought for a moment.
He couldn't help but recall the first time he met Luo Qingyan.
...
It was a relatively cool evening. Lin Ran, who had only transmigrated to this world a little over ten days prior, was feeling a profound sense of loss at suddenly becoming a child again.
At this hour, he usually liked to sit alone by the gate of the orphanage, gazing out at the world and contemplating his future path.
As he was lost in thought that day, he heard an urgent barking of dogs and a girl's scream.
Although Lin Ran's body had regressed to that of a child, his mind and courage remained unchanged. He immediately rushed out to see what was happening.
And then, he saw a large dog relentlessly chasing a girl, and a girl as cute as a porcelain doll, but covered in mud and fleeing in blind panic.
The girl was now close to him. In a flash, Lin Ran made his decision.
He pulled the girl into the orphanage with one hand and reached for the orphanage's iron gate with the other, intending to shut the dog out.
Unfortunately, his unfamiliarity with his new body became an obstacle.
After all, his strength at the time was far too little to move the heavy iron gate.
Seeing the ferocious dog about to pounce, Lin Ran could only embrace the girl and execute a sideways roll, managing to narrowly dodge the initial attack.
But having fallen to the ground, he truly had no strength left to stand up.
Fortunately, the gatekeeper, who had heard the commotion, kicked the dog away at that moment, saving the two of them from almost being bitten.
This girl, of course, was Luo Qingyan.
Stimulated by her previous panicked distress and the joy of survival, Luo Qingyan hugged Lin Ran and cried uncontrollably until the matron arrived to comfort her, after which she fell asleep in exhaustion and drowsiness.
Later, Luo Qingyan ended up staying at the orphanage, becoming Lin Ran's companion.
She said she was also orphaned and had been wandering for a long time.
The only thing that proved her identity was a jade pendant she carried, inscribed with the characters "Luo Qingyan."
At her age, Luo Qingyan was already exceptionally precocious, her intellect far surpassing that of her peers.
She often habitually told white lies for protection.
Yet, Lin Ran seemed to exhibit an even deeper reserve.
They both usually appeared to be troubled, and every evening as the moon rose, they would gaze at it in silence together.
But with unspoken agreement, Lin Ran never asked Luo Qingyan why she had appeared there so unreasonably.
And Luo Qingyan never asked about Lin Ran's origins.
They even spoke very little, their interactions often relying on glances.
Lin Ran only remembered that after that incident, Luo Qingyan never shed another tear.
During these days, everything in the orphanage seemed to continue as usual, with no ripple effect from Luo Qingyan's arrival.
Except for the gatekeeper who had kicked the dog, who, after offering a fawning apology to the dog's esteemed owner, was eventually forced out of the orphanage under pressure.
Later, when they were sent to different schools for compulsory education, their contact gradually lessened.
Until their third year of high school, when Luo Qingyan transferred back.
...
By the time Lin Ran had finished his reverie, the excited Luo Qingyan had already led him to the flying vehicle she had rented. She patted it proudly and asked:
"So, what do you think? Isn't it cool?"
Lin Ran blinked:
"It's alright, I guess... passable."
In truth, if he hadn't just recalled some rather melancholic memories and hadn't fully recovered from them, he would have commented on how ugly it was.
Luo Qingyan beamed:
"Heh, at least your taste isn't completely abysmal this time."
"Come on, let's get in! Miss me will take you for a spin!"
...
Watching the flying vehicle soar freely through the air, Lin Ran could only marvel at the power of technology.
The Blue Star of this world was tens of thousands of times larger in surface area than his previous world.
However, the areas inhabited by humans only comprised about one percent of it.
The rest was dominated by fierce beasts and alien races, occupying natural secret realms and forbidden zones.
Furthermore, human settlements were not as closely spaced as in his previous world.
Except for a few exceptions, the distances between cities were quite considerable.
This was because, constrained by the threat of wild beasts, expanding settlements too broadly would place an immense strain on defense.
Therefore, the primary focus for humanity was to establish connections between settlements and construct relatively safe transportation routes.
Underground tunnels were generally considered the safest.
Flying was also viable, provided one did not traverse the no-fly zones of dangerous forbidden areas.
The surface, with its abundance of fierce beasts, was rarely chosen for such traditional modes of travel.
Lin Ran smiled as he watched Luo Qingyan, who wasn't even sitting down, excitedly looking around, pointing out anything strange or peculiar and chattering away.
She was different from himself, a transmigrator who had lived a past life. Despite experiencing many things at an early age, she still couldn't shake her childlike nature.
Her choice of a flying vehicle was likely related to this as well.
Lin Ran first checked the flight path and estimated time.
The distance between Jianggu City and Qingjing was not very far.
According to the artificial intelligence's calculations, they should arrive in about two to three hours.
After all, the flying vehicle was truly fast and incredibly stable, with no hint of turbulence.
Moreover, it allowed them to enjoy the scenery along the way and observe the surrounding terrain.
He had to admit that the rental fee of 100,000 Dragon Coins was not a waste.
Just then, a system notification sounded in Lin Ran's mind.
[Ding!]
[The Myriad Worlds Fishing System reminds you: A catch has been hooked. Please return to the pond for processing and initiate the next fishing session.]
Oh? A new ability was coming?
Lin Ran's spirits lifted.
With only Luo Qingyan nearby, and her attention mostly focused below, this was the perfect time to enter his spiritual consciousness space.
Although the timing of this Myriad Worlds Fishing System was entirely random, casting the empty hook earlier might also expedite the time of a catch.