After finishing his song, the young man thanked the crowd, who responded with generous applause.
He scanned the surroundings and suddenly spotted a familiar silver-haired figure among the crowd—a girl holding hands with a slightly older black-haired girl.
The young man recognized Ning Yu and waved at her with a smile, surprised that she had come to listen to his impromptu performance.
Ning Yu noticed his gesture and returned a polite smile and a wave.
"Xiaoyu... do you know each other?"
Shen Yiyue noticed Ning Yu's reaction and asked curiously.
"Yes, I bought that electric piano from him," Ning Yu casually explained, then asked,
"Do you want to listen to another song or go somewhere else?"
The young man seemed to be preparing for his next song, and after a moment's hesitation, Shen Yiyue replied,
"Let's listen to one more!"
Ning Yu seemed lost in thought but nodded silently before suggesting to Shen Yiyue,
"Shall we go there afterward?"
She pointed to a towering building outside the Ark Base, one of the tallest skyscrapers in City A.
Shen Yiyue followed Ning Yu's finger and saw the building, its top hidden from view through the Ark's windows.
"Are we going outside?"
She was a bit puzzled about what Ning Yu had in mind.
Seeing her puzzled expression, Ning Yu gently held her soft hand and said with a warm smile,
"I want to take you to the highest place to watch the sunset."
Shen Yiyue's eyes widened, and she thought the idea was wonderful.
"Alright!"
She immediately agreed, feeling a growing anticipation.
The young man's second song soon began, and the two girls resumed their enjoyment.
......
"Xiaoyu... I feel like you're sneaking in some personal agenda."
Standing at the base of the towering building, Shen Yiyue and Ning Yu looked up at its astonishing height.
They each held a strange tool, and Ning Yu was helping Shen Yiyue strap it on—a special grappling tool she had exchanged from her system space.
"There's no electricity, and climbing stairs would be too slow. It's a good chance to learn this..."
Ning Yu reassured her, though she could have easily climbed up using Blood Kite due to her incredible physical prowess.
But since they were already here, she figured it would be a good opportunity to teach Shen Yiyue a new skill.
"Hmph... you said it was a date, but it's turned into training again..."
Shen Yiyue pouted in a wronged manner, until Ning Yu kissed her on the cheek, which made her smile happily.
"I feel like you're getting better at acting cute."
Ning Yu looked at Shen Yiyue and smiled, as if saying, 'I really can't help you.'
"What, you don't like it, Xiaoyu?"
Shen Yiyue had already fired her grappling hook, securing it to the first obstacle she and Ning Yu had planned to use.
"I like it."
Ning Yu was always straightforward, firing her own grappling hook to get closer to Shen Yiyue's position.
In this way, after multiple climbs, the two girls quickly reached the top of the skyscraper.
"Wow, this thing is so useful!"
By the end, Shen Yiyue's playful nature had taken over, and she found the grappling hook incredibly convenient for moving around.
Ning Yu agreed, having felt during her tests that it was perfect for urban traversal, which would also be very helpful in future battles.
The rooftop of the building was empty, and Ning Yu walked straight to the edge and sat down by the railing.
Shen Yiyue followed closely and sat beside Ning Yu.
From up here, they could look down at the entire city, with its tall and short buildings bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun.
The distant sun was nestled between layers of clouds, radiating its final light before sinking below the horizon.
Around them, fluffy clouds like cotton candy were painted in delightful colors, tightly arranged along the horizon.
They had arrived just in time, at the boundary between day and night, the most beautiful moment.
"It's so beautiful..."
Shen Yiyue gazed into the distance, sincerely amazed, while Ning Yu remained silent beside her, her eyes reflecting the light.
The evening breeze was a bit chilly, and the high altitude made Shen Yiyue instinctively move closer to Ning Yu.
"Cold?"
Ning Yu noticed her small movements.
"Yes, a little, but it's okay..."
Before Shen Yiyue could say it was fine, Ning Yu reached around her back and pulled her closer, trying to share more warmth.
Feeling Ning Yu's thoughtful gesture, Shen Yiyue's heart warmed, and she leaned comfortably against Ning Yu's shoulder, their silver and black hair intertwining.
The two girls sat close together, enjoying the city's twilight.
"Look over there."
Ning Yu pointed to another direction, and Shen Yiyue turned to look.
"Oh, the moon is already out, but the sun hasn't set yet..."
Half of the sun had already disappeared below the horizon, while the faint moon had already emerged in the sky.
The sky seemed to darken a bit more.
"Xiaoyu..."
Shen Yiyue softly called out.
"Hmm?"
Ning Yu responded but didn't look at her.
"What do you plan to do in the future, Xiaoyu?"
Shen Yiyue followed up.
She could never read what Ning Yu wanted from her eyes; she always seemed so calm, with deep loneliness hidden in her gaze.
She wanted to understand Ning Yu more, to dispel that loneliness.
"Hmm... probably to become stronger..."
"And to uncover the secrets of the T-virus..."
"And to be with you."
After a moment of thought, Ning Yu gave these answers.
The existence of the T-virus and mutated zombies always made her feel insecure, not to mention the inevitable mission and fate mentioned by the Moon Princess.
There would surely be more troubles in the future, whether they found her or she found them.
But now, there was an even more important reason.
"I'll be by your side."
Shen Yiyue wrapped her arm around Ning Yu's and softly agreed.
As the last rays of the sun faded from their bodies, their hearts grew warmer.
This feeling of mutual reliance in a lonely world gave them the courage to face any difficulty.
"I feel like we've forgotten something..."
Ning Yu took out a prepared bento from her system space, divided it into two boxes, and handed one to Shen Yiyue.
"Wow! A bento made by Xiaoyu herself! Next time, let me make one for you~"
Shen Yiyue happily accepted it but then began to think:
"Yes, I feel like we've forgotten something... oh well, never mind!"
She had already taken out her chopsticks and picked up a piece of meat from her box, offering it to Ning Yu.
Ning Yu saw Shen Yiyue suddenly stop and stare at her after feeding her.
"What's wrong? Why are you spacing out all of a sudden?"
"It's nothing... I just feel like this scene is familiar somehow..."
Shen Yiyue shook her head, thinking it was probably just déjà vu.
"Maybe it's what they call déjà vu?"
Ning Yu replied, also feeding Shen Yiyue a piece of meat.
In the small apartment.
"I'm starving! I'm starving! Why isn't sister back yet?!"
Shen Qianqian rolled around on the sofa with a comic book in her arms.
"Waaah, you're mistreating me..."
"Are we going to have instant hot pot again tonight?"