NOVEL NEXT 89. Three Years Well Spent...
“Ye Ye, do you want anything to eat or drink?”
Ling Ning smiled at her daughter, who was brimming with excitement. She thought about it for a moment—this was probably the first time she’d taken Ling Ye to a movie theater. No wonder Ling Ye was so curious about everything around her.
“Um… I want popcorn and cola!” Ling Ye had seen it in movies and anime—everyone always had a big tub of popcorn and a drink when watching a movie. She had long been curious about what popcorn tasted like.
Ling Ning smiled and ruffled her daughter’s soft hair before heading to the counter to buy two cups of cola and a small portion of popcorn. It wasn’t that she was stingy; she just didn’t like popcorn that much—it could make you feel parched, and having too much could cause discomfort. A small portion was enough for her daughter to try.
Ling Ye eyed the enticing popcorn eagerly, carefully picking up a piece and putting it in her mouth. It wasn’t as amazing as she’d imagined—not bad, but not as good as she’d hoped.
Since there was still a little time before the movie started, Ling Ning looked around. Besides the usual parents with their children, she noticed quite a few elderly folks—even two grandpas dressed as magical girls. That almost made her eyes pop out.
After waiting for a while, they were finally allowed into the theater.
The movie began.
Ling Ning hadn’t really watched much of “Magical Girl Xiao Ai,” so she didn’t know much about this spin-off, “Magical Girl Sae.” Overall, it seemed like a typical story of an ordinary girl becoming an ordinary magical girl, then fighting an ordinary tentacle monster to protect her ordinary daily life.
The entire movie was filled with grand, flashy sequences, but the plot was abysmal. All Ling Ning could remember was magical girls firing their magic cannons at the tentacle monsters, and the tentacle monsters countering with destructive white beams. The magical girls would then block with their magic shields—and that was basically it.
While Ling Ning found the movie incredibly dull, Ling Ye was thoroughly engrossed. She watched the entire film with unwavering focus, not wanting to miss a second.
The movie wasn’t particularly long, but it wasn’t short either. Finally, after the protagonist unleashed her “Ordinary Magic Cannon Ten-Strike,” the ordinary tentacle monster was defeated, allowing the protagonist to protect her ordinary life. The movie ended with the protagonist and her “gal pal” sharing an emotional kiss.
The moment the two kissed, the entire theater erupted in cheers—even Ling Ye joined in the excitement. Ling Ning also saw those two elderly men dressed as magical girls hugging each other in tears of joy.
“Seriously, isn’t it a bit much to have such explicit yuri elements in a kids’ anime?” Ling Ning silently complained to herself.
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After leaving the theater, Ling Ning pulled out her phone to check the time. Lunchtime had long passed, so she decided they should grab something to eat before going for a little shopping.
“Ye Ye, where do you want to go for lunch?”
Ling Ye was still caught up in the movie, and it wasn’t until Ling Ning asked her several times that she snapped out of it. She pointed to a shop not far away and said, “I want to eat chicken at ‘Blue and Blue’!”
“Sure thing~”
Ling Ning actually liked junk food, particularly fried chicken, though not to the extent that she could eat it endlessly. In her previous life, there was a fried chicken place right below her apartment, so whenever she felt too lazy to cook, she’d eat there. It eventually made her sick of fried food.
All she ordered for herself was a pack of fries, since Ling Ye hadn’t eaten much of the popcorn in the theater, and Ling Ning had ended up eating most of it. She worried that she might break out in pimples later—something she’d never had to deal with before.
“Mom, you have to eat too!”
Ling Ye, munching on her chicken leg, noticed that her mom wasn’t eating and promptly pushed her half-eaten drumstick towards Ling Ning.
“You want Mom to eat what you’ve already bitten?” Ling Ning said with a hint of teasing.
Despite her words, she wasn’t really bothered. She took a small bite, smiled, and said, “Alright, Mom’s eaten.”
“Eat a bit more~”
“Mom’s already full. Ye Ye, you go ahead.” Ling Ning wanted to pat her daughter’s head but remembered her hands were greasy from the fries, so she refrained.
Ling Ye gave Ling Ning a look, took a bite of the drumstick, and then held it out again, her expression clearly saying, “If you don’t eat it, neither will I.”
Ling Ning sighed and took another small bite. Ling Ye then took another bite herself, before offering it again, and they continued like that.
Ling Ning and her daughter already attracted plenty of attention, and their actions drew even more. Some passersby couldn’t help but comment:
“Three years well spent, no regrets even for a death sentence.”
“Madam, I love you!”
“I want to join this mother-daughter combo meal!”
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Ling Ning rubbed her slightly bloated stomach. She’d eaten way too much, and now she didn’t want to move. Ling Ye was in the same state; she didn’t get to eat at places like “Blue and Blue” often, so she’d eaten her fill, leaving her sprawled in her chair, just like Ling Ning.
After a while, once that heavy, full feeling had subsided, Ling Ning took Ling Ye’s hand and left “Blue and Blue.” She decided that a nice walk would help with digestion.
Mother and daughter strolled down the street. Unlike the scorching heat of the past few days, today’s sky was covered with thick clouds, and the air felt stuffy. Ling Ning remembered seeing a weather report that said there was a chance of rain today.
But rain or no rain, it didn’t really matter—she had already brought an umbrella, and she was wearing low-heeled sandals that wouldn’t be damaged by water. Plus, her black dress wasn’t likely to cause any wardrobe malfunctions, so all was well.
“Wow, Mom, look at that cute dog!” Ling Ye suddenly pulled on Ling Ning’s hand, stopping her in front of a pet shop.
Ling Ning followed her daughter’s gaze and saw a husky staring at them with an adorably dopey expression.
“Ye Ye, you know we can’t keep pets in our apartment,” Ling Ning said, glancing at the price tag. They could afford it, but their apartment complex didn’t allow pets, so there was nothing she could do, even if her daughter wanted one.
“Aww…” Ling Ye’s face fell, her excitement vanishing in an instant. Just as she was about to leave the shop, something in a nearby fish tank caught her eye—a tiny fish that bore an uncanny resemblance to a salted fish, with small tentacles on its body. Upon closer inspection, it exuded a kind of majestic, overbearing aura—a unique charm that could only be described as magnificently dashing, unparalleled, attractive to all… (description continues for two thousand words).
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Author’s Note:
Regarding the reference in the last chapter’s title, all I can say is—bring back my Alice. It seems quite a few people got it!
By the way, does anyone here play Hanzo Rogue 6?