Collapse? No, this is just everyday life.

More than half an hour later, Mei and Kaguya had already arrived at the gathering place ahead of time.

It was the same spot that Mei had reserved before. They had just sat down when they saw Airi and Gretchen walking over.

"Where's Xi'er?"

Kaguya couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Seele had something on her mind, so she asked me and Greta to come back first~"

During the hour-long outing, Seele, with her mind preoccupied, couldn't possibly hide anything from Alicia. In just a few words, Seele shyly confessed everything.

Hearing that it was a date with Ayu alone, Ai Li was a little concerned, but in order not to hurt the cute girl's feelings, she naturally agreed to keep it a secret and also came back to help her find an excuse.

"Really? Hopefully she can get back in time."

Kaguya nodded, not thinking too much about it.

Just then, two more sets of footsteps approached.

"Ah Yu~"

At the entrance, Bronya held Nangong Yu's arm, her face full of a sweet and satisfied smile.

After Gretchen was put down, Ellie immediately snuggled up to him and hugged his other side affectionately.

After spending some time being affectionate with Ellie, he looked around and asked, feigning confusion, "Where's Seele?"

Hearing this, Bronya wanted to roll her eyes at him, but her tender eyes made it impossible for her to be angry. She could only let go of his arm and sit lazily in the chair.

Well, she's had her fun, so let's leave the rest of the time to Seele.

"There are some things that Seele cares about that she hasn't returned yet."

Ellie leaned closer to him, smiling as she looked into his eyes. Her all-knowing gaze made Nangong Yu's eyes wander.

"Ahem... Well, since that's the case, I'd better go look for her, lest Seele misses out."

Standing up, Nangong Yu hurriedly walked outside.

"Hmm~ Ah Yu, you must find Xi'er~"

He paused for a moment, then waved in response.

Not long after Nangong Yu disappeared, Kiana and Sirin walked in, carrying bags of snacks and holding hands.

This time, apart from eating, Kiana held Sirin's hand the whole time and never let go.

Wow, this food is so delicious!

Smiling happily, Kiana placed some snacks on the table: "These are the best things that Sirin and I found, we brought them back for everyone to try~"

Upon arriving at their destination, Kiana finally let go of Sirin's hand and happily opened the snacks she had brought back, as if presenting a treasure.

Her bright eyes scanned her surroundings, but she couldn't find the figure she was looking forward to.

"Bronya, where did Ayu go?"

"Hey?"

Bronya, still feeling the afterglow of her previous encounter, turned her gaze away and said lazily, "Seele hasn't come back yet. He went to look for Seele."

"Huh? There are only five minutes left before the fireworks start! Will they make it in time?!"

These snacks were all carefully selected by her for Ayu, and she was disappointed to find that the person in question was not there.

"Who knows? We should be able to make it in time."

Of course, it's too late.

Bronya thought to herself, then leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and began to enjoy the moment.

"I hope he can come back."

Kiana muttered something, but quickly composed herself: "Never mind, let's eat first. Come on, everyone, try this. This skewer is absolutely delicious. Sirin and I waited in line for ages, right Sirin!"

Excitedly boasting about her achievement, she called out but received no response from Xilin. Puzzled, she turned around and asked, "Xilin?"

Behind it, there was nothing.

Kiana, no longer caring about eating, quickly stood up and looked around.

still none!

"Where did Celine go?!"

At this moment, Kaguya spoke up: "I just saw her run out in a bit of a hurry, and it seemed like she said she forgot something?"

"Huh? But we've been together the whole way, how could we have forgotten something... Never mind, I'll call her!"

With that, Kiana hurriedly took out her phone and dialed Sirin's number.

buzz~

The vibration sound came from Kiana's side. Turning her gaze, she immediately saw a purple-cased phone vibrating back and forth, with Kiana's name displayed on the screen.

"She didn't bring her phone!"

Kiana hung up the phone with some distress, pacing anxiously.

“Isn’t there also communication via AR glasses?” Mei said.

"Yes!"

Kiana's eyes lit up, and she immediately used her AR glasses to make the call again.

This time, Sirin answered very quickly.

"I have something to do, you guys go ahead and look at it, no need to wait for me!"

After saying that, Sirin hung up the phone without waiting for Kiana to say a word.

"......"

Kiana was a little annoyed. She clenched her glasses and said fiercely, "When I get home tomorrow, I'm definitely going to tell my sister all about Sirin!!!"

Chapter 238 Why Play ***

As the fireworks show approached its start, the crowds on the street began to surge toward better vantage points. Within minutes, the entire street was nearly deserted, with only vendors tending their stalls and hardly any tourists in sight.

Therefore, Nangong Yu's journey to find Xi'er after leaving the party venue was completely unimpeded.

He quickened his pace, passing by vendors along the way, but when his gaze swept over a stall where people were shooting prizes with toy guns, he suddenly paused and stood in front of the vendor.

He remembered this place as...

"Hey buddy, wanna play a round?"

Seeing Nangong Yu stop, the boss, who had been a little bored because there was no one around, immediately put on a smile and asked.

Nangong Yu shook her head, her gaze shifting to a guitar on the wall. Memories flooded her mind, and a hint of nostalgia welled up in her eyes.

Seeing Nangong Yu shake her head, the shopkeeper immediately lost interest, but soon he heard Nangong Yu say, "Shopkeeper, may I take a look at that guitar?"

"Guitar?"

The boss immediately waved his hand: "No, no, that's not a prize, it's for my own use."

"For your own use?"

Nangong Yu blinked and asked curiously, "But I remember this guitar was a prize your family won three years ago, wasn't it?"

"Three years ago? How did you know!"

Upon hearing this, the boss's eyes widened, and he looked seriously at Nangong Yu's face.

Compared to back then, Nangong Yu hadn't changed much. The boss thought for a moment and quickly remembered, exclaiming with delight, "Oh, it's you, young man!"

"Hmm, it's been three years. I didn't expect you to still be here."

"Hey~ The businesses on this street have been passed down from generation to generation. Even if it's thirty years, let alone three years, this street won't change much."

Upon recognizing Nangong Yu, the shop owner became much more talkative: "Your guitar playing back then really impressed me. Ever since then, I've wanted to try it myself, and now, the guitar has become a part of my life!"

"Congratulations, indeed."

As he spoke, the owner slowly stood up and took the guitar down from the shelf.

"I wouldn't let anyone else touch my treasure, but if it's you, buddy..."

The shop owner smiled happily and handed over the guitar: "Here, take it. I haven't heard you play in ages!"

"Thank you, boss. But my friend is waiting for me by the river. Is it really okay for me to take it?"

"Hey, no problem, no problem. It's a bit of a shame that I can't hear the performance, but the infamous old scoundrel Nangong wouldn't covet my little guitar, right?"

Upon being recognized, Nangong Yu was momentarily speechless.

The boss isn't particularly old, so it's normal for someone who likes playing games to recognize him.

"It's getting late, boss, I'll head over now."

"Oh! Can I get your autograph when you get back?"

"rest assured."

Smiling and giving him a no-questions-asked gesture, Nangong Yu quickly picked up her guitar and headed towards the agreed-upon spot by the river.

Watching Nangong Yu's figure disappear into the distance, the boss sat back down, his heart filled with joy.

Just as he was pondering how to get Nangong Yu to sign his guitar and how to properly show it off to his friends, a petite figure with purple hair appeared on the road.

Xilin had run all the way here, and her stamina, which had been depleted from years of staying at home, quickly left her panting and leaning on her legs.

He slowed his pace, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings, searching for that familiar figure.

The shopkeeper had just recognized Nangong Yu, his mind still filled with memories from a few years ago. Now, seeing Xilin, he quickly felt a sense of familiarity, paused for a moment, and then recognized her, asking in confusion, "Little girl, what are you still doing here?"

"what?"

Startled when the stall owner suddenly greeted her, Xilin took a few steps back and looked at the owner with some wariness.

"Your boyfriend has already left, why are you still here?"

“Boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend!!” Xilin frowned and said coldly.

What is this boss talking about? It's so nonsensical. Could he be a scammer...?