Knowing that she had a date with Lucian today, Chixia specifically swapped shifts with the other Outriders at the Patrol Station.
A man and an Echo approached Chixia, and Abby was the first to exclaim in surprise.
"Well, well, Lucian! Sneaking out on a date behind Rover's back, huh?"
Hearing this, Lucian exchanged a delicious compressed biscuit from the System Shop and stuffed it into Abby's mouth.
Go on, eat it. One bite, and you won't make a peep.
[Delicious Compressed Biscuit: Regenerates a new biscuit every 24 hours.]
Abby immediately grinned and started munching away.
"Don't worry, Lucian, I won't tell Rover."
Chixia, blushing shyly, hugged Lucian, who lowered his head and gently kissed her cheek.
"Let's go. Do you have any plans for today?"
Chixia puffed her chest confidently. "Of course! I've been preparing for this date for a long time."
Feeling the softness of Chixia's chest against him, Lucian relaxed entirely.
"In that case, you'll be our tour guide."
Though Lucian had been in this world for some time now, he still wasn't very familiar with Jinzhou—after all, he had gotten lost in the commercial district before.
But to ensure a perfect date with Chixia, he had done some research.
Chixia snapped her fingers.
"No problem!"
Abby, still munching on the biscuit, chimed in, "Y'know, this Echo has never wandered outside so comfortably for this long before."
"And I've never really explored Jinzhou City properly either."
Chixia walked side by side with Lucian, taking Abby into her arms.
"In that case, this Patroller will give you both a proper tour of Jinzhou!"
Chixia was a native of Jinzhou and a Patroller, so she knew every street and alley like the back of her hand.
"First stop on today's date—Jinzhou Theater!"
"But before that, let's grab some snacks! Watching a show is always better with good food!"
The trio arrived at the famous Treasure Sweet Soup shop in Jinzhou.
Treasure Sweet Soup was located right across from the Patrol Station, practically serving as the exclusive dessert and tea spot for the Outriders.
On a scorching summer day like this, a refreshing cup of sweet soup was just the thing.
"One cup of mung bean sweet soup, please."
The young and pretty shop assistant, noticing that Lucian was a new face, replied, "We don't sell mung bean sweet soup here."
Lucian: "?"
I literally see mung beans right there, and you're telling me you don't sell it?
Beside him, Chixia stayed silent, her lips curled in amusement.
Lucian pointed at the mung beans nearby. "But you have mung beans, right?"
"Oh, we do."
Lucian: "And sweet soup?"
The assistant smiled. "We have that too."
"Then… mung bean sweet soup?"
The assistant shook her head with a smile. "We don't sell mung bean sweet soup here."
Lucian reminded her, "If you have mung beans and sweet soup, just mix them together."
The assistant seemed to finally understand.
"Oh—you mean the 'Pupu Miemie So Delicious Wow—Mung Bean Sweet Soup'?"
Lucian: "?"
"So… your mung bean sweet soup is called that?"
The assistant shook her head slightly. "We don't sell mung bean sweet soup here."
Lucian sighed. "Anyway, the one you just mentioned has mung beans and sweet soup, right?"
The assistant nodded. "Yes."
Lucian: "Then give me one of those."
The assistant looked puzzled. "One of what?"
Lucian clicked his tongue. "That… Pupu… Miemie thing you just said…"
The assistant stared at him expectantly. "Say it."
Lucian immediately smirked, snatched the megaphone from the assistant's hand, and—
The entire commercial street heard Lucian's voice:
"ONE CUP OF PUPU MIEMIE SO DELICIOUS WOW—MUNG BEAN SWEET SOUP, PLEASE!!"
The crowd on the street burst into laughter, having all been pranked by this assistant before. Some even cheered. The assistant, horrified, covered her face.
"Alright, alright… I'll make it for you right away…"
Chixia clutched her stomach, laughing. "Lucian, how did you even come up with that?"
Lucian snorted. "This is what they call—if I don't feel embarrassed, they will!"
Abby looked at him in awe. "This Echo has learned! Next time I fail to demonstrate my abilities, I'll just pretend I succeeded—that way, others will feel awkward!"
Lucian: "No, they'll just think you're an idiot."
Abby: "…"
With three cups of sweet soup in hand, the trio leisurely made their way to Jinzhou Theater.
Meanwhile, at the residence…
Rover, fast asleep, was abruptly awakened by the 'Rover's Speaker' on her nightstand.
"The love I gave was always so quiet~
Just to exchange for your occasional care~
Clearly, it's a movie for three~
Yet I can never have a name~"
Still groggy, Rover sat up in bed, dazed from just waking up.
But after listening to the song, she quickly snapped to her senses, rushed to Lucian's room next door—and sure enough, it was empty.
Her expression darkened. Grabbing the Rover's Speaker and wielding Emerald of Genesis, she stormed out.
The entertainment of Jinzhou's people was simple and unpretentious, primarily centered around theater performances.
After a day's work, listening to storytelling or watching a play at Jinzhou Theater was the most enjoyable pastime for a traditional Jinzhou resident.
Right now, it happened to be the lion dance segment.
Chixia, leaning against Lucian's shoulder, explained, "The word 'lion' sounds like 'victorious army returning home', symbolizing prayers for soldiers' triumphant return."
"The lion dance is also one of the most popular performances in Jinzhou."
As the drums and gongs sounded, the lion dance began.
Two colorful lions—one red, one gold—leaped into the audience's view from either side of the stage.
Their bodies were made of vibrant silk and shimmering metal pieces, their eyes bright and lively, almost lifelike.
Chixia, sipping her sweet soup, chuckled. "The smaller lion must be Lingyang…"
"Lingyang?"
"Lingyang is part of the Auspicious Lion Troupe, and he's the 'Lion Head', too."
On stage, the performers worked in pairs—one controlling the lion's head, the other the tail.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, imitating every gesture of a lion, from shaking its head to leaping and rolling, each detail executed flawlessly.
They even pulled off difficult stunts, like jumping from one table to another.
The lions' eyes and mouths blinked and opened in rhythm with the music, appearing vivid and expressive.
Lucian clapped along with the crowd and praised, "Impressive."
Chixia lifted her head and planted a kiss on Lucian's neck. "I knew you'd like it."
As the performance ended, the audience erupted in applause.
The lion's head lifted, revealing a smiling white-haired boy beneath.
Lucian noticed the Tacet Mark on his arm. "So he's a Resonator, too."
Chixia nodded slightly. "Yep! He helped us eliminate Tacet Discords outside the city before, but I guess you didn't notice him then."