"Wow! It's so lively today!"
On the bustling street, Belle's eyes widened slightly as she looked at the endless flow of cars and the crowd moving along the riverbank in the distance.
"It's a holiday, plus the river fireworks festival is happening today. It's only natural things are this lively," Wise explained, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as he searched for a good viewing spot.
While they waited for the light to change, Qingyi was asking Zane about the upcoming meeting. They'd already talked about it before, but for someone like Qingyi, who cared deeply about Zane, such important matters always came up again and again—not out of curiosity, but for reassurance.
Zane, of course, understood. Seeing right through her worries, he patiently went over things again, his calm tone easing her mind.
"Still... you should be careful."
As the light turned green, Qingyi glanced across the street. With the group stepping forward, her soft voice drifted beside Zane's ear.
"Don't worry, Master."
"Just trust me."
Zane smiled as he replied, crossing the road. His gaze fell on the river under the night sky—wide, still, and shimmering faintly.
Looking at the water, he couldn't help but recall what had been said during that "real meeting" after the official one ended. His lips pressed together slightly, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes. He glanced at Qingyi, then at the others around him.
Exhaling quietly, Zane drew back his gaze. His expression steadied. He had asked others to trust him—he needed to trust them too.
"Hm? Zane, what's wrong?"
A voice sounded beside him. He turned to see Jane, hands behind her back, head tilted slightly as she studied him. She had been watching him and seemed to notice something off...
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Zane raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion as he asked back curiously.
"Ah—nothing. It's fine."
Jane frowned faintly, doubt flickering across her face before she answered. Had she misread him? No... her professional instinct for reading micro-expressions told her that Zane had definitely looked preoccupied just now...
"Let's go over there!"
Belle suddenly pointed to a two-story building nearby. It seemed to belong to the shop owner, so there weren't many people around. It was elevated and right by the river—perfect for watching the fireworks.
"Can we even go up there...?"
Wise sounded uncertain; he'd just seen someone get turned away.
"Let's talk to the owner! Maybe they'll give Hare's House a little favor..."
And these days, a favor from Hare's House was worth quite a lot!
Nicole stretched lazily, about to step forward, but Belle stopped her with a grin.
"Hehe, we've got someone!"
Phaethon's network—now spread all across New Eridu!
As they approached, Belle cupped her hands around her mouth and called out brightly,
"Sister Venus!"
At her call, a woman on the second floor turned her head. Her green bangs swayed slightly as her eyes widened in surprise—then softened with joy.
A short while later, under Venus's guidance, the group went upstairs. A few people were already seated, but the only open seats were around Venus. That was why others hadn't been allowed up—the group had essentially taken her reserved spot.
"Sister Venus, you came to see the fireworks too?"
Belle hooked her arm through Venus's with a bright smile.
"Yes, I didn't have much to do today. Luckily, I've come here often before, so I managed to get a nice spot."
Venus smiled gently, her tone warm as she chatted with Belle. Meanwhile, Nicole—leader of Hare's House—was busy responding to people who had recognized her.
Now that Hare's House' name had spread, fame naturally brought along a few "fans."
Under the night sky, the river was calm. Qingyi walked slowly to the railing, resting both hands on it as her eyes looked into the distance. A soft breeze stirred, lifting strands of her blue hair. From her view, the preparations on the river seemed almost finished—the fireworks were about to begin.
Movement beside her drew her attention—it was Zane.
"Say, why aren't we watching from a boat?"
"Wouldn't the view be better there? You don't exactly seem short on money..."
Qingyi asked curiously. She knew enough about him to be aware of his means.
She remembered Zhu Yuan once mentioning, back when they'd first met, that Zane had borrowed money from her. Now, who knew how many dennies he actually had? A yacht was hardly a problem.
Zane looked toward the boats gliding over the river and spoke softly,
"Fireworks are best enjoyed from just the right distance."
Qingyi nodded thoughtfully, though a small doubt lingered. Wasn't a yacht also the right distance...?
Zane's eyes stayed still, fixed on the dark river below—as if he could see through that depthless black and grasp everything hidden within it.
"The fireworks are starting!"
A shout rose from the crowd along the riverbank.
A streak of light shot skyward, bursting open in a brilliant bloom of color. The sudden start caught everyone off guard.
Nicole and the others, who had been chatting with admirers of Hare's House, hurried to the railing to watch as fireworks soared from the river and blossomed in the sky.
"Fireworks aren't rare, but ones on this scale don't happen often."
Qingyi could see the dense arrangement of launchers on the river and knew how much effort the New Eridu officials had put into this event.
After all, it was a time when relations between citizens and the administration were warming again—it made sense they'd go all out.
"Yeah, and this is only the beginning."
Zane nodded, the glow of the fireworks lighting his face, making his features gleam softly. His eyes shone—bright and clear.
A short distance away, while everyone's eyes were fixed on the sky, Jane turned slightly, her gaze falling on Zane.
Fireworks... they really were nice.
She smiled faintly, but just as she was about to look away, she noticed a subtle change in his expression.
After watching for a moment, Zane lowered his eyes, staring at the river below. His gaze was steady, as if waiting for something.
Jane noticed and blinked, puzzled.
And in the depths of the rippling water—where no one was looking—a flash of blackness flickered and vanished...