Chapter 12: Little Su Has a Girlfriend?

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“Stay calm. I’ll say it again: tuck the dagger in your pocket so no one sees it. Watch your step; the ground is slippery.”
“When they check your ID, don’t panic. If anyone asks who you are, just say you’re my second aunt’s cousin, staying here for a couple of days.”
“If they ask how old you are, say you’re in sixth grade. Don’t worry about what sixth grade means; just say that.”

Su Yi walked down the hallway, repeating the few concerns he could think of at the moment.
People from Daxia, especially the elders, have ingrained the habit of checking IDs and asking ages deep in their bones. These inquiries come second only to the classic question, “Have you eaten yet?”
If you answer incorrectly, an old lady or granny might get suspicious and quickly spread rumors throughout the village, sparking all kinds of gossip.
Things aren’t peaceful now. Yesterday’s news reported an increasing frequency of radiation discoveries. This collision between the Wasteland and Blue Star is far more impactful than the two previous events he had experienced.
The worst-case scenario would be other Wastelanders teleporting over, forcing Daxia to conduct an urgent population census. But based on Su Yi’s experience, such a situation is unlikely.

At noon, the sun hung high in the sky, its blazing rays slanting across the earth, casting long shadows of the snow-capped poplars. The blizzard had completely ceased, yet the cold wind still cut sharply like invisible blades across one’s face, causing a slight sting.

Su Yi stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath, the icy cold filling his lungs, invigorating him. He turned to look at Loli Xi beside him. Walking the streets of Blue Star with this girl who looked like she stepped out of an anime felt quite nice.

“This area is residential. These rows of small buildings, just like our base, are private property. Don’t wander around without permission.”
“You don’t need me to remind you to use the gate when leaving the neighborhood, right? Like the Wasteland, you can think of those short, useless iron fences as titanium-alloy steel walls. Try not to climb over them.”
“Also, keep to the right side of the road as much as possible; it’s safer.”

Su Yi whispered these basic tips. He wasn’t too worried about these things but felt the need to emphasize them. After all, Blue Star’s buildings seemed far too fragile to Wastelanders and hard to understand in purpose.

“Got it?”
“Got it.” Loli Xi answered crisply, though her head remained slightly lowered, lips pressed together, eyes alertly scanning around, and her body always lagging half a step behind.

Seeing this, Su Yi pulled his hands out of his pockets, slowed his pace, then put his hands back in and quickened his steps again. Without any reminders, Loli Xi maintained perfect distance beside him.
They moved as steadily as a precision instrument, strictly following the instructions he had just given.

“Forget it, slow and steady wins the race. It’s good she listens the first time she goes out.”

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Su Yi sighed softly. The two of them ambled toward the gate, where Old Zhang was on duty, wrapped in a black cotton coat, wearing a dark green ushanka hat, stooped over sweeping snow into the corners.
The big yellow dog that had caused such tension between Su Yi and Loli Xi last night lay quietly on the snowy patch, basking in the sun, its fluffy tail wagging leisurely—utterly content.

“Hey, Little Su’s got a girlfriend now?” Old Zhang paused, propping himself on his broom, smiling and glancing sideways at Loli Xi. Soon, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened like old tree bark. “And it’s a foreign girl, huh...”

So it really was a foreigner... Su Yi had expected that Loli Xi, with her silver hair and blue eyes, would raise questions. But he had prepared an explanation. He stepped half a pace closer to Old Zhang, smiling, “Not a foreigner, she’s from the Russians’ side—a friend, a friend!”

“Oh, Russian, then it’s nothing.” Old Zhang nodded repeatedly, bending down kindly to look at Loli Xi.
“Little girl, what’s your name?”

The old man was not very familiar with worldly complexities and was somewhat exclusionary, but due to historical reasons and influence from TV dramas, he was friendly toward Russians.

“Second aunt’s cousin!”

“Ahem—” Su Yi coughed twice and tapped the girl lightly on the head. “He’s asking for your name.”

“Reporting! My name is Loli Xi.” The silver-haired girl instinctively saluted the elder—a respected second-in-command—with perfect posture and a clear tone, causing Old Zhang to look suspiciously at Su Yi.

Su Yi’s heart skipped a beat but kept smiling as he gently lowered Loli Xi’s saluting hand.
“They’re all like that over in Russia. That was a greeting.”

“Oh, I see now!” Old Zhang suddenly understood. “So that’s the ‘fighting nation’ they talk about on the radio, fierce folk.”

The old man’s doubts disappeared. He wobbled a few steps, straightened up with support from his cane. The big yellow dog dutifully rubbed against his legs. Then he spoke earnestly, “These days aren’t peaceful. The news keeps reporting dangerous radioactive weapons. Rumors say Luocheng is cracking down on terrorists lately. Make sure to lock your doors tight at night.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” Su Yi nodded. Any stirrings in Luocheng would be known first by the residents of this old neighborhood, so they had to stay vigilant.

“Ah, really. Yesterday my wife said she saw a female ghost draped in white cloth hanging on the wall, getting whipped by the wind and snow.” Old Zhang brandished his broom to illustrate.

Su Yi was momentarily stunned.
“Did your wife see clearly where it was hanging?”
“No, it was too dark last night,” Old Zhang replied.

Su Yi laughed heartily and scratched the back of his head. “That must be a mistake. There are no ghosts these days, haha.”

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“My wife insists there is. Well, maybe I’ll go to the temple and get a couple of peace talismans in a few days.”

Old Zhang looked resigned and took a sip from his thermos cup filled with wolfberries.

“Hey, Little Su, you free today? Come play a couple of chess games with me. I’ve thought up some new moves.”

“Next time for sure!”

“Today I’m accompanying my cousin to shop.”

Su Yi quickly changed the subject, pushing Loli Xi outside. Only after they walked far beyond the neighborhood’s shadow did he finally relax.

Passing through the gatehouse was unavoidable. Old Zhang was always chatty and asked lots of questions every day.
Su Yi decided next time he’d just play shy, smile, and keep quiet.
A high schooler should be as introverted as possible.

“Better hide in the closet next time; hanging outside the window isn’t safe.”

Su Yi glanced down at Loli Xi, who had no idea what was going on, and whispered the reminder.
The neighborhood was full of eccentric old folks; they couldn’t scare them.

“Yes!” Loli Xi responded softly but soon got distracted by the lively scene outside. After the snow stopped, the street had become full of life.

Suddenly, the girl’s eyes lit up. Excitedly, she shouted, “Officer, someone dropped half a bottle of No. 37 engine oil over there! Loli Xi can go pick it up.”

Before she could move, her collar was grabbed and tugged backward.

Su Yi’s face darkened. Embarrassed, he turned his head away and said,
“Remember, no rummaging through trash bins! We’re not that poor yet...”