The snowfield at the entrance to the Land of Eternal Night was tranquil and vast, like an untouched corner of the world.
The horns of the Snowfield Nether Deer were erect and lustrous, crystal clear like ice carvings, radiating a faint luminescence.
"Hey, are you really rich?"
Xigelei suddenly asked after jotting down Lanqi's requirements, putting away her pen and notepad with one hand.
The sled left a clear trail across the snow, accompanied by the pounding strides of the nether deer and the soft swish of the runners gliding over the ice.
Resting one hand on the seatback, she turned around to size Lanqi up.
It was rare to see an important figure who commanded such absolute deference from their attendants; the person who seemed to be his secretary earlier had looked practically terrified and reverent.
Though she knew little of high society in Hersalem, she could tell this client was a dignitary she would not normally encounter.
"I do alright. It's just that if I want to make money, I can usually do it fairly quickly," Lanqi replied.
He didn't mind having someone to chat with on the road, much like how traveling with Side was far more cheerful than traveling with Tata.
Of course, spending time with Tata nowadays had its own unique charm.
"Still, could I ask you to keep both hands on the reins and watch the road ahead?"
He raised a finger and pointed forward.
Hearing this, Xigelei turned her head back for the moment, but only halfway.
"What do you do?" Xigelei asked again.
"I'm a painter, and I know a bit of sculpting and landscape design."
Lanqi felt a bit helpless. Seeing that this seemed to be Xigelei's habitual driving style and couldn't be corrected overnight, he figured he would just have to remind her often. For now, answering her questions was probably the best way to get her to focus on driving.
Her attitude was standoffish, yet she seemed quite talkative—hardly a quiet girl.
"No wonder you're rich."
Xigelei nodded, looking as though she had figured out a great deal.
"I'm actually pretty interested in paintings. Like that one in your study earlier, the one with a bunch of little kids gathered around a bonfire. I didn't look too closely, but I remember it seemed like one kid's hair accidentally caught fire, and all his friends around him were trying to save him."
Still not keeping her eyes on the road ahead, she went on talking to Lanqi.
"Well..."
Lanqi pondered for a moment, sensing something was off with Xigelei's description. Or rather, it took him a second to realize which painting she meant.
"That painting comes from a Demon Realm opera. It's not children sitting around a bonfire, but a horde of demons cheering and dancing in purgatory," Lanqi explained.
He actually enjoyed discussing art with people.
Even though it wasn't his painting, he understood it well.
"Oh, so there's a backstory. Everyone got burned to death, so of course the demons would cheer and dance."
Xigelei gave a regretful shrug.
"..."
Lanqi choked up, rendered speechless for a long while.
In the shadows, Boss Cat could barely hold it together.
That was way too hellish.
Even Lanqi didn't know how to follow that up.
"Hey," Xigelei called out to Lanqi again. "I noticed on the itinerary that you need to be back in Hersalem within four weeks at the latest. Can you wrap it up a bit earlier? I don't want to be away for a whole month."
After several seconds of silence, Lanqi nodded.
"Is it because your family will worry about you?"
Lanqi considered it; for a child so young to be away from home for a month, parents would surely worry, no matter how strong she was.
"..."
Xigelei didn't answer right away.
"Something like that," she said.
Though she no longer needed to live in the orphanage and could support herself, she always returned to the church orphanage in town to help the nuns and priests who had taken care of her, sending most of her money back.
The children younger than her would certainly cry their eyes out if they didn't see her for a month.
Now, panic gripped the entire Polant Empire, and the Church of the Sacred Rites was a thorn in the side of the Horning Empire. If peace talks with the Horning Empire truly went through, those noble lords would undoubtedly uproot the church completely as a gesture of goodwill to curry favor with Horning.
In truth, she hadn't wanted to leave the orphanage during this period, but she desperately needed money. Everything cost money, and this client's offer happened to be incredibly generous, so she had agreed in the end.
However, she could never tell a client these things, or they would definitely haggle her down.
"Then I'll try to head back as early as possible. I'd prefer to return sooner as well," Lanqi replied.
Xigelei nodded and finally turned around, keeping her eyes on the road ahead.
After driving for a short while, she picked up a leather wineskin from the seat, uncapped it with one hand, and poured a small sip into her mouth.
Lanqi's eyes widened.
"Are you really old enough to drink? And you're driving!"
He immediately leaned forward and spoke to Xigelei in the front seat.
"I'm not drinking alcohol," Xigelei answered with utter composure.
"..."
Lanqi said nothing, only feeling that Xigelei was treating him like an idiot. He could smell the alcohol wafting from the wineskin across the open air.
If this kept up, he was going to get dizzy.
Xigelei glanced back at Lanqi and read his expression.
"Damn it, caught."
She clicked her tongue.
"Why can't I drink? The Polant Empire doesn't set a legal drinking age, and I'm not operating a mana-driven vehicle. Besides, we're not even within the borders of the Polant Empire," she retorted.
"I suggest you have some too. It's goat milk liquor—it warms you up on the snowfield."
Xigelei passed the skin back, gesturing for Lanqi to take a swig.
"No need. Even if it isn't illegal, I have an obligation to instruct minors to refrain from drinking and prevent alcoholism. Drinking too young not only adversely affects the body, but also harms mental and physical well-being and academic learning. Therefore, I must guide minors in cultivating healthy life values," Lanqi lectured, waving his hand.
"Tch, busybody."
Holding the wineskin, Xigelei hesitated reluctantly for a long time.
Though no one had ever taught her things like this, truth be told, she envied kids with parents who nagged them all day long.
Hearing such words made her feel profoundly awkward.
In the end, she screwed the cap back on and tossed it aside.
The front and back seats of the sled fell quiet for a long while.
As the sled forged ahead, the landscape of the snowfield gradually shifted. Distant snow-capped peaks drifted in and out of view, and soft beams of sunset broke through the clouds from time to time, lending a touch of warmth to this world of ice and snow.
"By the way, Xigelei, how strong are you?"
Lanqi had wanted to ask for a while, mainly to see if she aligned with his assessment.
Asking right off the bat might have made her feel like he was doubting her abilities.
Now that they were slightly acquainted, asking such a question shouldn't seem rude.
"As long as we don't run into a really strong sixth-tier, I can get you away with no problem," Xigelei said without looking back.
She didn't want to disclose the full extent of her strength to a client; providing a general baseline and telling the truth was enough.
"Then I'm relieved."
Lanqi estimated that she was somewhat stronger than his fifth-tier teammates from the Banquet of Sanctuary Villains back then.
"Miss Xigelei, I heard you're an expert at handling trouble?" he asked with a light chuckle.
According to his secretary, Miss Xigelei had been recommended not only because she was reliable in strength, but also because her operational competence was outstanding.
If that was truly the case, he might be able to hire her for further assistance with affairs once they returned to the Polant Empire.
"I know very well how to handle public relations in lawless territories, and I'm good at persuading people," Xigelei said with supreme confidence as she drove the sled.
"Then I'll be counting on you. You have to protect me well," Lanqi requested with an innocent, natural smile.
In the shadows, Boss Cat shivered with distaste.
Why did this guy always act like he was handed the female lead's script?
"Remember: keep trouble to a minimum. If you go out of your way to stir up trouble and cause issues that shouldn't be covered by our contract, making me do extra work will cost extra money—and I might not even be willing to step in."
Xigelei neither agreed nor declined, simply issuing another warning.
"Under what circumstances would you step in?" Lanqi asked curiously.
"Depends on my mood," Xigelei replied tersely.
Chapter 544