After finishing their desserts, the small group continued their casual stroll, eventually coming to a halt along the stone bank of a wide artificial lake.
"Wait, I've been meaning to ask about this for a while now," Hong Meiling said, resting her hands on her hips as she stared across the shimmering water. "Isn't real estate inside a Mobile City supposed to be at a extreme premium? I let that massive central park earlier slide, but why is there an entire lake built right in the middle of a commercial district?!"
In Meiling's mind, since every square foot of steel plating in Lungmen was practically worth its weight in gold, shouldn't the city planners be stacking high-rises to house more citizens? Why on Terra would anyone choose to construct a massive body of water right on top of a moving slab of metal?
What boggled her mind even further was her realization that the water was actively flowing, connected to external subterranean conduits—meaning the city literally possessed its own artificial river system!
What kind of engineering logic was that?
"What else would you prefer, Sister Meiling?" Exusiai retorted, leaning back against the lakeside railing. "If there were no trees, no open blue skies, and no running water—just end-to-end concrete blocks everywhere you looked... that wouldn't be a city anymore. That'd just be a giant, mobile prison."
"Uh... when you put it like that, it actually makes sense!" Meiling rubbed her chin. If a city were truly stripped down to pure utility and cramped housing blocks, it really wouldn't feel much different from a high-tech fortress prison. Still, seeing a lake this grand riding on top of a Mobile City felt utterly wild.
"You haven't seen anything yet!" Exusiai continued, adopting the smug expression of a seasoned traveler. "When you get some free time, you should definitely visit Shangshu. Now that's what you call an absolute miracle of engineering!"
"Ha! What's the deal with Shangshu?" Meiling's curiosity was instantly sparked.
"That place... tsk, tsk, tsk," Exusiai said, her eyes drifting upward in fond memory. "I've only been there twice while delivering high-priority packages for Penguin Logistics. But the sight of those lush green mountains and clear, flowing streams riding right on top of a Mobile City's deck plates is something I'll never forget."
Recalling the sheer, jaw-dropping awe she had felt when her delivery van first rolled past Shangshu's city gates, Exusiai began eagerly recounting the local lore.
When Meiling heard that in order to recreate a pristine natural landscape, the Grand Celestial Master who designed Shangshu had literally utilized high-tier Arts to move mountains and alter geography—dragging three massive mountain ranges and eighteen entire peaks directly onto the mobile city plates—she was left entirely speechlessly stunned.
She had never imagined anyone could play around with Mobile City construction on such a ridiculous scale! Packing entire alpine mountain ranges onto a steel chassis!
"Flandre," Meiling turned around, her eyes gleaming with sudden excitement. "Shall we find some time to go check out that Shangshu place?"
Hearing Meiling take the initiative, Flandre looked up, her red eyes wide with absolute, exaggerated shock, as if questioning whether the person standing in front of her was truly Hong Meiling.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Meiling shifted uncomfortably under Flandre's deadpan stare.
"It's nothing," Flandre remarked, a rare dry note in her voice. "It's just that hearing you take the initiative to ask about going somewhere instead of finding a bench to nap on gives me a total surreal feeling."
Meiling immediately leaned down and pinched both of Flandre's cheeks, tugging them gently. "Hey! I'm not just someone who likes to slack off all day, okay!"
Flandre stared back at Meiling with complete dead-fish eyes, her expression silently asking if Meiling even believed her own defense.
"Fine! Even if I do like to slack off a tiny bit, that doesn't mean I can't be curious about floating mountains, right?!" Meiling grumbled, completely defeated.
"That's true!" This time, Flandre didn't continue teasing her gatekeeper. "Then after Sister and the others arrive in Lungmen, let's all go visit together! I'm super curious about moving mountains into a city, too!"
Truthfully, let alone Meiling, even Flandre herself was filled with intense fascination regarding Shangshu. What kind of magnificent, boundless imagination could construct a city that carried literal mountain ranges across the wilderness? Besides, Flandre had never seen traveling mountains before, so she genuinely wanted to experience it firsthand.
The group continued strolling along the waterside promenade, chatting idly until near noon, when a sharp phone call from Emperor summoned Exusiai and Texas back to the Penguin Logistics office for an urgent delivery run.
Watching the two couriers rush off in a flurry of feathers and gear, Flandre let out a soft sigh, thoroughly appreciating how wonderful it was not having a real job.
"Don't you technically have an official title at the Lungmen Guard Department?" Meiling pointed out with a grin.
"Having a title is one thing, but I only drop by when I'm in the mood!" Flandre declared, tossing her head back with absolute pride.
Whether it was Sister Beatrice or Wei Yenwu, unless the Guard Department ran into a crisis so thorny and bizarre that no ordinary squad could resolve it, nobody ever actively forced her to report for duty. The only reason Flandre ever wandered into the LGD building on her own was simply because she felt happy and wanted to hang out. So her logic was entirely sound!
With the couriers gone, the two turned back, casually retracing their steps toward the central administrative sector.
"You really have to admit, the everyday atmosphere in Lungmen is so warm and lively," Meiling noted, watching the bustling street vendors and happy families passing by. "It's a really lovely place to settle down."
"Mhm! That's exactly why Flandre likes it here so much," Flandre agreed earnestly. There were so many people, and almost nobody was afraid of her. Occasionally, local shopkeepers or guards who recognized her would wave and hand her small treats, which brought her endless joy.
"Where are we heading next?" Meiling asked as they crossed a vibrant pedestrian bridge.
"Hmm~~ Let's head over to the Governor's Mansion first!" Flandre tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Didn't Texas say it would be best to inform Lady Fumizuki about the medical breakthroughs on Rhodes Island? Lungmen is so vast, and Lady Fumizuki is such an influential figure; she must know plenty of wealthy Infected who need help! We can just treat it as helping Rhodes Island drum up some high-end business!"
Holding the cheerful conviction that since she had nothing better to do anyway, she might as well take a leisurely stroll to the mansion and maybe score a free gourmet lunch, Flandre took Meiling's hand and set off toward the upper district.
The two played and dawdled along the way, stopping whenever a novel gadget caught their eye or a street food vendor smelled too delicious to pass up. Consequently, a journey that should have taken an hour stretched into more than two.
By the time they finally reached the quiet estate grounds outside the Governor's Mansion, the clocks had already struck past twelve.
Navigating the grounds with total familiarity, Flandre led Meiling around to the side entrance and gave the wooden door a quick knock.
The door opened almost immediately. Flandre looked up—it wasn't the ninja Shirayuki who usually answered, but a polite household attendant. Flandre offered a cheerful word of thanks before guiding Meiling straight into the peaceful inner courtyard.
As soon as they settled down inside the garden pavilion, a server brought out a tray of freshly brewed hot tea and delicate, warm pastries.
"Lady Fumizuki will be joining you shortly. Please rest here for a moment," the server bowed respectfully before quietly stepping back.
The moment the server departed, Hong Meiling reached out, popped a golden pastry straight into her mouth, and took a bite. The melt-in-your-mouth, sweet texture made her instantly give an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "These pastries are amazing! Flandre, you have to try one!"
Flandre picked one up, took a small bite, chewed thoughtfully, and then looked at the filling. "Sister Meiling, mine has salted egg yolk!"
Meiling looked up from her plate. "Oh, they're actually different fillings! The one I just ate was sweet osmanthus."
Delighted, the two began splitting each pastry in half, eagerly sampling every distinct flavor on the tray. By the time Lady Fumizuki stepped into the courtyard garden, the entire plate had been swept completely clean.
Looking at the empty porcelain dish, Fumizuki couldn't help but let out a warm, gentle laugh. "It seems you two thoroughly enjoyed the kitchen's snack today!"
Flandre nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling. "I really love them! They're super delicious!"
Fumizuki's expression softened into a sweet, affectionate smile. "As long as you like them, that's all that matters. When you're ready to head back later, I'll have the chefs package two full boxes for you to take home."
Flandre's eyes lit up like bright rubies. "Really?!"
"Of course. They're just simple homemade treats, nothing grand," Lady Fumizuki said gently. She walked over, lifted Flandre up with practiced ease, and placed the little girl comfortably onto her lap before reaching out to tenderly poke her cheek. "If my little Flandre enjoys them, I wouldn't mind giving you the entire kitchen's yield!"
"Hehehe! Thank you so much, Auntie Fumizuki!" Flandre giggled, leaning happily into the warm embrace.