Girls' Frontline: My Apocalypse with Dolls

Page 215

The bartender, of course, noticed the contents of the photo. It was probably another person searching for relatives; after all, there were quite a few like that in White Eagle, each carrying their own story, some fantasies, some delusions...

Is he family to you?

Ying Que was stunned for a moment. A plate of strawberries had appeared on the bar in front of her. It was her favorite fruit, but her family was poor, so she only had the opportunity to eat it a few times after she went to university.

She accepted the offer, which would then be given to the storyteller as travel expenses...

291. The waxing and waning of the moon.

"Yes, he... is my family, my most important family member, so important that without him, my life would be terrible. And I haven't seen him for over ten years. I wonder if he's forgotten me..."

More than ten years—life is but a few decades, a time for revelry and strategic planning. How many decades do we have left to wait for? And she entrusted those ten years to someone who might not even remember her anymore...

The bartender didn't doubt the story's authenticity, nor did he disbelieve in love; however, this young girl's story might be enough to move him...

He whispered, "So many years have passed, are you like this every day, missing him?"

"Yes, I've always thought about him in the past. If we were to meet again, I really want to tell him what I've been through in the past ten years, what kind of people I've met, and what kind of life I've led. Then I want to tell this strong-willed boy, 'I've grown up too...'"

Perhaps she had let her guard down, or perhaps after so long, the girl really needed someone to confide in, and she slowly began to tell this less-than-perfect story.

She was like a pitiful person about to freeze to death in the cold wind, seeing a false illusion in the biting wind, and then dying with a smile on her face. But although the smile was lonely, he could not see even a trace of regret. It was as if she was happy to drown in such an illusory bubble.

"More than a decade later, do you regret it?"

"No, if life is a game of chess, and I have walked through this life alone, step by step, making moves to form a game, then meeting him and now searching for him alone are the two best moves I have made. From now on, I will have no regrets."

Feeling both lonely and devoted, she dressed in plain clothes and came to a foreign land, just to find someone to hold hands with and grow old together.

"Out of seven billion people, I will only search for one. I will start with the White Eagle. If I fail, I will go to Gaul. I will continue in this way until I find him or find nothing at all."

He didn't know where such a delicate body got the strength to travel the world to find a grain of sand in the vast ocean, but he wouldn't question this precious courage and would silently wish it well.

But... the bartender worriedly said, "If he finds you, aren't you worried that he'll have found someone new and forgotten about you?"

She shook her head: "No, it doesn't matter if he forgets, it doesn't matter if he finds someone new. That fleeting glimpse of him was just a dream, and I only hope that this dream hasn't shattered. If he has his own life now, I won't bother him. I'll turn away peacefully, and years later, when I look back, I'll still feel that it was truly wonderful to have met him..."

Her smile grew even happier, as if she were now immersed in the gentle embrace of the person she was talking about.

"As for me, I have already met the one I love in this life, and I will not meet her again in the next half of the year, nor do I want to..."

Her words were unwavering, as if she were prepared to go all in, to succeed or die trying; if she found the person, all would be well; and if the person already had their own life, she would sincerely wish them well, so that they would have no more sorrow in this life.

This is a true story that happened right before the bartender's eyes, yet he had no doubts whatsoever, only feeling moved and envious that such a man had such a devoted young woman willing to follow in his footsteps for over a decade.

Of course, his family will probably feel the same way...

The bartender paused for a moment, then said seriously, "Miss, I don't know your name or your past, but I sincerely wish you can achieve your wish and find the love you speak of in your limited life, to hold hands and grow old together."

He didn't know what kind of help his identity could offer the other party, but he was willing to be a witness to this story.

"Thank you, sir. I also hope that I can find him in my limited life..."

Ying Que finished the rest of her coffee and gave the other person a gentle smile, as if confiding her sorrows had brought her some comfort.

However, she was only temporarily sheltering from the snowstorm here; her journey was not over yet, and she should continue her search...

Then, Ying Que stood up, dragged his suitcase, and prepared to leave: "Thank you for your hospitality tonight, sir, but it is already late, and I should not disturb you any further. If there is an opportunity, I hope I can come and sit here again next time."

After saying that, she prepared to leave. She felt bad about bothering her any longer, having already troubled her by listening to her story late at night.

But at that moment, the bartender also stood up and came to her.

The other person was significantly taller than her and was of the opposite sex, so Yingque subconsciously took a step back.

The bartender maintained a polite distance, saying, "Uh, miss, I think you should take a look at the situation on the street right now, or perhaps you already have..."

"Um......"

The two walked side by side to the front of the bar. The bartender wiped the glass on the wooden door with his hand and then made way for Yingque.

Yingque then looked through the glass towards the area outside the bar.

The land was covered in ice and snow, and the weather was freezing cold...

"As you can see, in this kind of weather, it's really difficult for you to walk around. And given the current state of this neighborhood, it's likely that the neighbors and snowplows won't start clearing the snow until tomorrow. Before that, the hotels probably won't be open anymore, because they might not even have a place to hang their precious carpets to dry."

The bartender stated the fact in a flat tone, which greatly troubled Yingque.

Indeed, it's probably impossible for her to go out now. She would have to pull her feet out of the snow with every step she took, and getting the hotels to open their doors would definitely cause a lot of trouble. After all, having snow covering one's carpet is a very infuriating thing.

"What should we do now...?"

As she pondered, the bartender cleared his throat and said, "Well...actually, I think you could stay here for a few days. There are guest rooms upstairs. You can also use this place as a base to start looking for something in the Turington area. If you really can't find anything, then you can consider leaving."

Perhaps this is one of the ways he can offer help...

Yingque smiled, but seemed somewhat lost.

"I can't accept this. It's so late, and I feel really bad troubling you like this..."

Actually, Yingque's biggest concern was that the other person was of the opposite sex. After all, she was a traditional Eastern woman and not as open-minded as the people from the White Eagles...

Yingque has always been a person of integrity. Although there are guest rooms, she has never experienced living under the same roof as a member of the opposite sex.

The bartender naturally understood what she was worried about and smiled, "I understand, miss. Actually, I'm not the only one in this bar. On the contrary, it's much livelier here than you think."

"Ok?"

Yingque didn't quite understand what the other person meant.

The bartender continued, "There are quite a few people living in this bar. They are all my friends, all women, and all kind and easy-going people. You don't need to worry about it."

But Yingque still couldn't put her mind at ease: "But, this still isn't quite right... Won't your friends be unhappy about troubling you at this time?"

"Don't worry, they're not all resting, and I have no reason to lie to you. I'm just offering a better option. After all, given the situation outside, if you insist on leaving, I won't stop you."

Following the other person's words, Yingque looked back at the white "forest" again. For a southerner like her, it still gave her goosebumps.

"Then, may I stay here for a while and use this place as a base to start my search from Torrington?"

"Yes, the White Eagle appears peaceful on the surface, but it's actually rife with chaos, especially in New York. If you're thinking of leaving, they can accompany you to ensure your safety. If you get tired, you can come back here to rest. I can provide any drinks you want until you've searched the whole place and decide to leave. After all... I hope I can be a witness to this story. I haven't seen someone as devoted as you in a long time. I hope such a beautiful flower won't be broken by the undercurrents of the White Eagle."

The bartender was genuinely concerned; he hoped to do his part to help the girl fulfill her wish, even though it was neither his obligation nor his responsibility.

It's just that everyone has a sweet fairy tale in their heart...

He can't compose it himself, but he can help others compose it.

Yingque wavered somewhat. After all, the outside world was really not suitable for her to continue, and there were indeed undercurrents in the White Eagle. Having a fellow villager to take care of her was indeed much safer than going it alone.

Most importantly, she really has no other choice right now...

"Well, thank you for your help?"

"No need to use honorifics with me, we're about the same age; come on, I'll take you to the guest room."

The bartender waved his hand and then led the girl toward the stairs behind the bar.

Here in White Eagle, New York, the story of a young girl searching for her true love is about to begin...

I need to take a short break; I'll update tomorrow.

As the title suggests, the school is having a big event at the end of the month, and there will be a school-wide nucleic acid test tomorrow. I'll be quite busy these two days, and I'll update everyone again when I get back tomorrow.

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Room 292

Although the plan was to let the other party stay here temporarily, Luo Fan was actually still somewhat troubled.

Around 2 a.m., most of the girls were already asleep. The only ones still awake at this hour were probably MDR and Pascal...

Pascal's dark circles are obvious without even looking at them. As for MDR, her equipment only arrived a couple of days ago, and she probably won't be tired until she's been fiddling with it for three days and three nights.

I secretly checked my purchase history and found that MDR had bought more than a dozen games using my account within an hour...

Pascal is alright, but with MDR, this lady probably won't get any rest all night. All you'll hear is her frantically typing away on the keyboard, and she'll probably have to put up with it out of politeness if she wants to change rooms...

"Um......"

Despite her limited abilities, Yingque noticed the bartender's condition and couldn't help but feel somewhat apprehensive.

"Um, sir, is this a little inconvenient?"

The girl slowed her pace slightly, as if she would stop soon, or even turn back.

Luo Fan shook his head: "No, it's just that you and another lady might need to rest together. The rooms upstairs haven't been cleaned yet, and the furniture is still unused, so..."

"Oh, it's alright. I'm already very grateful to have a place to rest."

Although she was smiling, it would be a lie to say that Yingque wasn't nervous. What if the lady the bartender mentioned had a problem with her? Or what if she was just a difficult person to get along with? Would the atmosphere become extremely awkward if they didn't exchange a single word for the next few days?

She was ultimately not a good social person. Although she had many friends during her student days, it was only because they took the initiative to get to know her that they had the opportunity to meet.

She's always on the passive side in social situations, which frustrates her but she feels helpless about it...

"Let's go then, I hope you can adapt well..."

Pascal's character is still trustworthy; at least he can make her life relatively comfortable during this period.

Living with MDR is torture... Before, she was just sick, so she was relatively well-behaved. Now, she's probably still fighting with Gundyr...

The distance wasn't far; in just one minute, Yingque was delivered to Pascal's door.

To be honest, with so many rooms here, Yingque almost thought this bar also offered accommodation...

But judging from what the man said, the people living in these rooms all seem to be his friends, and it seems that there are more women than men, or even all of them are women...

She didn't want to question his conduct, but why were so many women living with him?

Before she could think any further...

"This is the place. Don't worry, your roommate is very friendly. If you need anything, feel free to ask me. I'll go tidy up the bar first."

After delivering Yingque, the bartender turned to leave, seemingly having something else to attend to.

Ying Que quickly called out to the other person, "Uh, wait, sir!"

He turned around: "Is there anything else?"

She hesitated, unsure if it was appropriate to ask such a question, even though it was very important to the people of Donghuang...

"Sir, don't you... need to ask my name? I don't know your name either..."

She finally mustered up the courage to ask...

......

The bartender simply stared at her as if she were a kitten stealing dried fish.

A moment later, he burst out laughing.

Yingque suddenly felt puzzled: "Uh, is this question funny?"

"No, no, I'm sorry... Oh, Miss, after hearing your story, I truly believe that I need to give you the utmost respect and not ask your name. This is not only out of respect for you, but also for the people you love. I don't want anyone to influence the direction and ending of this story, not even myself... But if you insist, you can call me 'Mr. Luo'."

The moment the word "Luo" was uttered, his whole body trembled as if he had been electrocuted.

"...Mr. Luo?"

"Well, I'm here."

Is it a coincidence? Did he just happen to meet someone with the same surname? Isn't that a bit...?

That's impossible, isn't it? No, there's absolutely no reason for it. They're not even from the same world. If you could find it just by setting foot on American soil, that would be far too easy...

This is the contradiction in human nature: when we desperately crave something or someone, we want it to come to us immediately; but when we actually get it, we think it's too easy and probably fake...

Yingque not only didn't believe it, but she also lacked any evidence to support her belief...

However, even as she tried to convince herself, Yingque was still wavering and wanted to ask the gentleman, "What is your full name?"

But from the beginning, the other person seemed to have a distant feeling, as if they could be friends but deliberately kept a polite distance from me.

Perhaps this is what he meant by respecting oneself: giving oneself space, not getting too close, and always maintaining a polite demeanor.

"Miss, are you feeling unwell?"

He was indeed worried about the girl's occasional blank stares. He wondered if she would fall into the same state when she went out to look for clues.

She paused again, her smile slightly awkward: "Uh, perhaps. I'll go in and rest now. Goodnight, see you tomorrow, sir. Thank you again!"

"Yes, you're welcome. Good night."

Luo Fan nodded slightly and watched the other person enter the room.

......