I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

"Aren't you all happy now...?"

"嘤——"

"You're still saying you can't communicate with them?"

Eden watched with a smile as he interacted with the orcas, then slowly approached Xiwang and stood beside him.

"No, but...maybe they can understand our language?"

"Really? As expected... Orcas are very intelligent animals, hmm... I have a feeling I might get some new inspiration."

As Eden spoke, she, like Xiwang, clung to the railing, trying to reach out and touch the orcas that were poking out of the water... but she didn't seem to attract the orcas much; they always seemed to touch Xiwang's hand instead.

This caused Eden a little distress, so she kept shifting her body and reaching out as far as she could to touch them... and then, without realizing it, she and Xiwang were pressed tightly together.

...?

Eden and Xiwang were both taken aback for a moment, but then smiled without paying too much attention.

Xi Wang stepped back slightly, making room for Eden, who then squeezed in, allowing Xi Wang to approach and press against him from behind. They then reached out, one in front and one behind, to beckon to the orcas still swimming around them, trying to touch them.

"嘤——"

This time, another orca emerged from the sea and gently touched Xiwang's palm with its beak. Eden also touched its smooth skin and could feel the coolness and dampness of the seawater.

"Well--"

The sudden action startled Eden slightly, as orcas are quite large. However, she then heard the orcas' cheerful calls and laughed along with them, like a child, happy to have touched one of the orcas. She even reached out several times to try and touch them.

"It's you again... Do you like us that much?"

After several such exchanges, Xi Wang looked at the orca that had once again stretched out its body and said with some helplessness... He noticed that it was the same orca that had stretched out its body to touch them several times in a row, and judging from its dorsal fin, it seemed to be a female.

"嘤——"

Another clear chirp rang out, and Eden wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt she could hear a sense of grievance in that chirp.

Then the orca emerged from the sea again, and before touching Xiwang and Eden's hands, it slightly opened its mouth, stuck out its pink tongue, and gently licked their palms, as if apologizing.

"You've made her sound so wronged, Xiwang."

"No...no, right?"

"It came to apologize to you, right? I heard that orcas stick out their tongues so their companions can gently nibble on them as a sign of apology... So what we just did counts as forgiving it?"

"Really? Hmm... that seems to be the case."

"嘤——"

"It seems like it understood again?"

Eden spoke with great pleasure, explaining the orca's actions to himself.

"Hmm... but I didn't complain about it... I just thought it seemed to really like us, and... it was so well-behaved."

Xi Wang reached out and touched the orca that had poked its body out again... It seemed to really like Xi Wang, and several times when other orcas tried to get close, it pushed them away... What a strange possessiveness.

"So cute, like a clingy pet."

"Xi Wang, do you want to keep it? That won't do! Orcas are the darlings of the ocean, you can't keep it by your side, you might hurt it."

"No, I was just feeling a little sentimental... Eden, you're joking with me again!"

"Ha ha……"

Eden smiled happily, withdrew his hand, leaned slightly into Xi Wang's arms, and said softly with a slight upturn of his lips.

"Since it likes you so much, and you like it so much too, hmm... why don't you give it a name? Maybe it will recognize you in the future?"

"Okay!"

Xi Wang's eyes lit up, and after a moment's thought, a name flashed through her mind as she looked at the orca swimming happily around her.

He felt that this orca should be named that.

"Then... let's call her Skadi!"

"Skadi...? Indeed, it's a very nice name~"

Eden paused for a moment, pondered the name for a moment, and then laughed again. He leaned his head back slightly, feeling Xi Wang's warmth, and then tilted it to the side so that he could lean against Xi Wang's arm.

"嘤——"

A cheerful chirping sound came from above, seemingly symbolizing joy; it seems it also likes the name.

Chapter 18 Side by Side Under the Umbrella (6078)

Soon, as the sun began to set and dusk fell, the orcas swiftly departed amidst cheerful calls. Before leaving, the orca you called "Skadi" circled the boat a few more times, reluctant to part, before finally joining the group and departing. You were then able to set sail again and return to shore.

[After this wonderful experience, you and Eden have grown even closer. Unconsciously, you both tend to do things that are overly intimate, but you don't seem to think there's anything wrong with it... This makes Eden's parents, who are watching all of this, feel both happy and helpless.]

[I'm happy that things are finally moving between you two, and it's clearly developing in a positive direction; but I'm also frustrated by your attitudes...it seems too bland, unbelievably bland, without any of that feeling of being in love, completely different from how they were when they first fell in love.]

[However, there is one thing that can put Eden's parents' minds at ease for now... that is, from this day forward, you will go out and play from time to time, at least you won't just stay in the room playing music all the time, or go out to sing on the street... Hmm, very good, this is a big improvement, at least you will go out on dates.]

Wait a minute, don't you two even realize this is a "date"?

[Eden's parents, suddenly realizing the problem, paused for a moment, then fell into distress and helplessness... After a fierce internal struggle, they finally decided not to interfere in your relationship, letting you develop freely, lest they make things worse.]

In the following days, you and Eden began to allocate your time wisely, going out and having fun as much as possible while also scheduling your free time for playing music and street performances, managing to do both without neglecting either... Of course, this was all just the two of you; Eden's parents wouldn't get involved, after all, they also had their own "world of two" to enjoy, didn't they?

And so, amidst joyful laughter, you welcomed the end of your holiday... This seaside trip was very enjoyable for you, and you promised each other that you would definitely come again if you had the chance.

[Next, it's time for your university life at Eden.]

[In this world-class art academy, you've encountered various equally talented geniuses, but compared to you and Eden, they're all slightly less gifted... If we had to use a metaphor, Eden is the sun, her talent so dazzling that it's hard to feel any envy; while you are the moon, reflecting the sun's brilliance. Although not as dazzling as her, you are already dazzling enough compared to the others who are like stars in the night.]

However, at this stage, you and Eden have a slight "disagreement"... Eden, due to his family background and personal inclinations, loves classical music and opera, while you, influenced by Li and the others, have explored various types of songs, but mostly lean towards pop music.

However, the "disagreement" over music choices won't affect your relationship. On the contrary, you can get more "advice" from it, allowing each other to evaluate your music from different perspectives, which makes you quite happy.

[Besides, it's not that you completely stop playing the music the other person chooses; it's just that you have different preferences... Moreover, there are times when you'll specially play a piece the other person likes, which is kind of... um... a little "fun" between you two?]

[It's just that in your free time, you make different choices based on the paths you've chosen... Because of your high school habits, you often take your instruments out to play on the street and record videos to upload online for more people to listen to; while Eden mostly follows the school's opera club.]

Although it's strange that a music student from a top music academy would go out and perform on the street all the time, making him look like a street performer... no, like a "bard," it seems rather odd, and at one point people even wondered if it was a joke, but everyone at the school quickly accepted this somewhat peculiar hobby of yours.

It's normal for artists to have some strange "quirks" and persistence; what art student isn't a little crazy? You know, there was this painting student who even did it twice on his art exams... Ah, I'm referring to doing it twice on his art exams, nothing more.

However, there are still some people who are dissatisfied with you, or rather... who are unconvinced by your talent.

[After all, everyone here is a prodigy, so it's normal for them to think their music is the best... There's one person you really remember; he first challenged Eden to a performance contest, but after just one piece, he admitted defeat, acknowledging that he couldn't compare to Eden.]

Then he turned around and started challenging you, harshly criticizing you... saying that you clearly have such high talent, so why do you always insist on doing the "harmony" part when performing at school? Your emotional expression is so clear, so hurry up and do the "main melody"! Damn it!

[...It's hard to say, but I always feel there's a sense of disappointment or frustration in his words.]

In the subsequent performance competition, he also frantically reduced the importance of his own melody in the music, almost as if he was forcing you to the "front of the stage"... You were somewhat helpless and could only perform an extremely strong "dominant key" in front of him, to the point that anyone else could only be a "secondary key". As a result, the emotions in the music were completely and "domineeringly" absorbed by you, to the point that nothing else could be mixed in.

After finishing the same piece, he nodded in satisfaction, then readily conceded defeat and went to challenge someone else...

[Walking around, it seems the people here really do have their own strange "quirks" and insistences, but everyone is a good kid, and there aren't any overly "neurotic" people around.]

Of course, you and Eden have an excellent reputation at school, and given your close relationship, many people have given you the nickname "Good Couple" to indicate that you two are a particularly easy-going pair.

However, whenever someone asks if you two are "lovers," you always just smile and remain silent, neither admitting nor denying it, leaving many gossips itching with curiosity.

Of course, there were some bad things that happened after I came to university. The most obvious one was that... Eden became addicted to drinking.

It's not that drinking is bad, and besides, Eden has a certain charm when she's drunk, but you're still reluctant to drink because of that... After all, if even you get drunk, who will take care of Eden here?

The only thing that bothers you a little is... Eden sometimes pretends to be drunk, which is a bit frustrating for you.

But that doesn't matter, after all, as mentioned before, even a drunken Eden has its own unique beauty.

--------

tick-

At night, rain falls from the sky, casting a light white veil over the world. In the distance, the lights and scenery are blurred by the rain, giving a hazy, mirage-like feeling.

pat-

Xi Wang held an umbrella and strolled in the rain, stepping through the puddles and letting the water droplets splash and fall.

Today was team building day for the Eden Opera Club. They had just finished a perfect performance and were celebrating, and then... well, unsurprisingly, they started drinking, and unsurprisingly, Eden got drunk.

In addition, it started raining at night, so Eden's companions called Xiwang, hoping he could come and pick Eden up.

As for why Eden's companions didn't escort her back directly... well, that's because they had another event to attend! They might even have to spend the night with their respective boyfriends.

Furthermore, they advised others not to be ungrateful, saying that Eden and Xiwang were a match made in heaven, and it was none of your place, you demons and monsters, to object, and let them enjoy their "world of two."

Hmm... it's hard to say. I always feel like they're shipping a couple, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence.

However, Xi Wang didn't mind at all, after all... she was Eden!

????~

Xi Wang hummed a lighthearted tune as he strolled through the rain, holding a spare umbrella in one hand and his regular umbrella in the other... He gently twirled the handle, watching the raindrops swirl along the umbrella's surface, then be flung off at the support points, flying diagonally to the ground and merging into the puddles. His steps were light and quick, making it seem as if he might break into a dance at any moment.

As mentioned before, Xi Wang likes water and rainy days. On these days, his mood always improves unconsciously.

"……Um?"

However, as they were walking, Xi Wang suddenly noticed a figure squatting by the roadside.

He appeared to be a food delivery driver, with his delivery cart parked next to him. He was wearing a brightly colored delivery uniform with rain protection, but he looked rather disheveled as he squatted by the roadside, eating his rain-soaked boxed lunch while getting soaked in the rain.

If you get a little closer, you can see the takeout order slip stuck to the boxed meal packaging, soaked by the rain... Clearly, this was a takeout order that he was supposed to deliver, but for some reason, the customer didn't want it and left it for him to handle.

If you get closer, you can hear faint sobs, muffled by the noise of the rain... very soft, but you can clearly tell he's trying hard to hold them back.

Xi Wang tilted her head, then stepped forward, opened the spare umbrella, grasped the handle, and leaned forward slightly to shield him and the lunchbox in his hand from the rain.

"Huh? Ah... I'm sorry, did I bother you? I'm just having dinner, the car will be leaving soon..."

He was stunned for a moment, then quickly wiped his face with his rain-soaked clothes, making his tears mingle with the rain, making them indistinguishable. At the same time, he apologized in a rapid but intermittent manner, and even quickened his pace in eating his rice.

He seemed very worried that he was causing trouble for others.

"No, I'm just a student, I'm not here to kick you out... Besides, the food will get cold after being soaked by the rain, right? Let me cover it up a bit~"

As she spoke, Xi Wang lowered the umbrella down his arm, allowing it to cover his figure.

"……Thanks."