As evening approached, Herta and Ruan Mei stepped out of The Sleepless Earl. A gentle evening breeze brushed their faces, and soon a drizzling rain began to fall.
Meng Ming handed Ruan Mei an oil-paper umbrella embroidered with plum blossoms and violets. "Madam Ruan Mei, please take this umbrella."
Ruan Mei accepted it, her mind drifting to a scene of her and Herta walking together under this same umbrella through the celestial streets in the pattering rain—a moment of ancient charm and quiet intimacy.
She looked up at the sky and murmured, "According to the traditional Xianzhou calendar, the Qingming rains should be starting soon."
Herta crossed her arms and immediately retorted, "Traditional calendar? The entire Luofu has artificial weather now. This rain is man-made."
A flicker of helplessness and reproach crossed Ruan Mei's cool eyes. Did I ask you to explain the science behind the rain? I was inviting you to walk with me under the umbrella!
Sigh. As expected of Herta. Even after confessing, her emotional intelligence is still in the negatives. She doesn't understand romance or tact.
Ruan Mei took the umbrella and walked alone into the rain.
Herta blinked, then quickly followed.
Ruan Mei closed her eyes and asked coolly, "Herta, do you know anything about the Xianzhou's traditional calendar?"
Herta shook her head, confused. "Well... I'm not familiar with it. Why? Does it mean something?"
Ruan Mei sighed. "Legend has it that the Xianzhou people originally came from an ancient, long-lost star. That planet's emperor sent them out as navigators seeking immortality."
Herta nodded, half-understanding. "So the calendar comes from that ancient star?"
Ruan Mei said nothing. She simply walked beside Herta under the oil-paper umbrella, from Starskiff Haven to Changle—close enough that the scents of violets and cold plum blossoms mingled.
Yet along the way, Herta kept talking about the Simulated Universe and Aeon research. Normally, Ruan Mei might have been interested, but in this setting, it was frankly giving her a headache.
She turned and fixed Herta with a cold, distant stare. "Herta, the Qingming rain falling, the ancient charm of the celestial streets, walking together under an oil-paper umbrella—what do you feel?"
Herta froze. Truth be told, walking with Ruan Mei in the rain—even with the noise outside—there was a sense of serenity, of peace, as if she wished time could stop right here. Yet, despite having those feelings, she averted her gaze with her usual proud aloofness.
"Feel? Well... walking in the rain and discussing Simulated Universe research... I'd say it's been very educational."
Ruan Mei's stare hardened. "Oh? Educational? Then tell me, what have you learned?"
Herta took a deep breath. "It's just... beneficial. I can't put it into words. Oh, speaking of which, we need to buy a house as our new home. Who should we contact?"
Seeing that Herta had changed the subject—but at least it was about buying a new home—Ruan Mei let it slide. "For buying and selling, we should probably contact the Sky-Faring Commission. Tingyun should know about this. I'll call her to meet us."
Herta thought of Tingyun's perpetually sorrowful, pitiful appearance and was about to refuse when Ruan Mei took her magic key. "This is Tingyun's spatial anchor. Just open a [Mirror] and bring her over."