Several black elongated vehicles rolled slowly across the grey bricks, coming to a halt before the venue's threshold.
Luo Shu glanced at the black-tinted car windows, noting they were one-way glass that prevented seeing inside, and waited briefly.
Before long, all five cars came to a gradual stop, positioning themselves close to Luo Shu.
With sharp eyes, Luo Shu observed the other four vehicles opening their doors as a group of black-suited direct action team members stepped out. Confirming Lacus was in the central car, he approached, reached out to open the door, and extended his hand.
Moments later, a hand clad in white silk gloves rested atop Luo Shu's palm.
The instant the hand emerged, Luo Shu sensed something amiss, but having already extended his own, he had no choice but to press on.
Then, he heard a young woman's voice, laced with faint amusement:
"Though this is our first meeting, you seem far more gentlemanly than I imagined."
Hearing this unfamiliar, smiling voice, Luo Shu's gaze sharpened as he took in the silver-haired girl inside the car, her eyes like the sky.
"Should I say 'nice to meet you'? Luo Shu-kun, who stole my dearest and left me heartbroken~" Inside the car, La Folia's angelic face bore a faint smile.
Hearing this, Luo Shu narrowed his eyes slightly before smiling and giving La Folia's hand a light tug:
"Your tone doesn't sound like something one would say to a first-time acquaintance, you know."
Under Luo Shu's gentle pull, La Folia placed a hand over her skirt before turning and stepping out of the car.
Once steady on her feet, she glanced at Luo Shu and chuckled softly:
"She really did pick an interesting man."
With that, she shifted her gaze to the pink-haired girl who had just alighted from the car ahead:
"Right, Lacus?"
Having just stepped out, Lacus smoothed her black skirt, letting the knee-length hem fall naturally, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she smiled at La Folia:
"Already in such a hurry to test Luo Shu for me, La Folia?"
"Hmph, just a little trial run, purely supportive."
La Folia sniffed, her mood seemingly quite cheerful:
"After all, if some incompetent fool snatched you away from me, wouldn't that make me look utterly useless?"
Lacus laughed softly at this, walking closer as she pressed: "And how did the test go?"
La Folia watched Luo Shu release her hand before turning back to Lacus with a radiant smile:
"Average. Let's just say... passable."
Meanwhile, subjected to the two women's unabashed exchange, Luo Shu couldn't help but mutter:
"Ladies, if you're going to evaluate me like this, could you at least do it somewhere more private?"
La Folia glanced at him, then raised a hand to cover her lips as she replied with a smile:
"Speaking behind someone's back isn't the Rihavein family's way."
Lacus chimed in from the side: "Flaws are meant to be pointed out directly—that's the only way to motivate improvement."
"Fine, you win."
Faced with their joint assault, Luo Shu shrugged in surrender before turning towards the entrance:
"But an even better idea would be to continue this conversation inside."
Hearing this, Lacus smiled and naturally extended her hand towards him.
Seeing this, Luo Shu took a slight step back, allowing Lacus to take his arm.
Noticing this, La Folia beside them rolled her eyes playfully before cheerfully walking up to Lacus and taking her other arm, saying:
"I read a lot of literature from Japan before coming here. In those books, 'sharing the love equally' seems to be a basic skill for protagonists~"
Hearing this, Luo Shu couldn't help but retort:
"You're talking about harem protagonists in novels, aren't you?"
At this, La Folia's eyes lit up: "Luo Shu, do you read Japanese light novels too?"
Luo Shu's expression turned slightly awkward. After all, in Japan's cultural circles, reading light novels wasn't much different from reading erotica.
But La Folia seemed genuinely interested?
Yet you, a foreign silver-haired princess, are exactly the type of character people fantasise about in those Japanese light novels...
How can you even stand reading that stuff...
Luo Shu mentally complained before giving a half-hearted reply:
"I've read some, but not much."
He hadn't read many light novels - because what he actually read was Chinese web novels... Luo Shu added silently in his mind. But La Folia seemed delighted by this:
"Ehh~~ In that case, it seems we share similar hobbies~"
As she spoke, La Folia let go of Lacus and instead moved to take Luo Shu's arm, then smiled at his guarded expression:
"Well?"
"Doesn't this feel like how it's described in the books? Your heart going thump-thump?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu immediately responded: "My heart is indeed beating, but I'm pretty sure everyone in this world has a beating heart?"
"Don't be shy~"
La Folia pulled Luo Shu along, smiling cheerfully while completely ignoring the awkward expressions of the princess's knights behind her:
"I know Luo Shu is nervous because Lacus is here, but when you think about it, wouldn't that make your heart beat even faster?"
"Doesn't it feel like love at first sight?"
Luo Shu raised an eyebrow before replying: "All love at first sight is just being attracted to looks."
La Folia blinked, then seized the opportunity to ask: "Then has Luo Shu been attracted to my looks?"
"..."
Luo Shu instantly fell silent, because this question was truly dangerous!
He turned his gaze towards Lacus, seeking help, only to find her still holding his arm and quietly giggling to herself.
'Oh great, enjoying my predicament, are you?'
Luo Shu thought helplessly, abandoning any hope of assistance. But as for how to extricate himself from La Folia's grasp, he had no idea, leaving him stuck in awkward silence.
Fortunately, they weren't far from the main gate. After just a few steps, the three entered the temple hall and soon arrived before the white floral sea where the coffin had been missing, without letting the atmosphere remain awkward for too long.
"Oh? Has it already been moved?"
La Folia showed slight surprise upon seeing the vacant spot where the coffin had been, then turned her gaze towards Luo Shu with a smile:
"It seems we won't need to pay respects to the deceased again."
With that, La Folia's smile turned mischievous, like a fox that had stolen a chicken, as she said:
"Shall we proceed directly to our discussion then?"
In response to La Folia's question, Lacus also smiled:
"Sure~"