Beside the road, Lanqi and Talia were still locked in their embrace.
"Tata, are you cold?" Lanqi asked, seemingly puzzled.
Talia took a deep breath and slowly loosened the hands pressed against his back, yet she remained in his arms, standing motionless like an exquisite doll.
In the past, she would have certainly threatened him, saying, *Keep holding me if you dare.*
Today, however, she had made up her mind to indulge him.
As long as she gave in completely, Lanqi would be helpless against her.
"Mm." Talia feigned vulnerability, pressing herself half an inch closer into his chest. "Your master is cold. Could you hold me a little longer?"
She looked up at him, her tone remarkably gentle.
"..."
Lanqi fell into a rare moment of silence.
Though his expression did not change, he paused, momentarily unable to savor the moment. Tata's bizarre transformation today was too overwhelming to handle—even Talia had lost her charm.
"Of course. But aren't you going to..."
Lanqi tried to parse Tata's behavior.
"I won't slip away first." Talia squinted with a smile, lowering her voice as she asked, "Even though my only experience over these past several centuries has been the shallow encounters of dating you alone, you are my first and only man. I won't get so embarrassed that I run away."
"..."
Confronted by Talia's words, Lanqi's mind returned error code after error code.
He continued holding her, but this time, he genuinely needed a moment to think.
Today's Talia felt completely foreign to him.
Was this really the demon princess who had remained unmarried for eight hundred years?
...
A moment later.
Rosalinda, clutching the cat, had crept behind a newsstand much closer to Lanqi and Talia, her eyes locked firmly on the couple in the distance.
"Heavens, little black cat, do you see that? They really aren't letting go! Right in the middle of a Palieu street!"
Countess Rosalinda gripped the cat's front paws excitedly, her voice trembling slightly with thrill. Her eyes sparkled, and an excited flush rose on her cheeks.
Even watching from afar made her feel a bit bashful, yet the two of them acted as though completely oblivious to the glances of passersby.
"I can hardly believe Tata could be so deeply affectionate! Look at the way she gazes at Lanqi, as if he were her entire world."
Rosalinda squeezed the little black cat a bit tighter.
This was the sweet romance of her dreams!
"Meow..."
Listening to Rosalinda, Boss Cat found it harder and harder to bear the thought of her shedding tears when the truth hit.
"They finally let go! Wait..."
Rosalinda continued to watch intently.
It was Lanqi who released Tata and wrapped his scarf around her neck. In return, Tata touched Lanqi's cheek with concern, asking if he was cold and offering her own body warmth if he needed it. Lanqi immediately shook his head, stepped forward, and walked ahead. Then, as if remembering something, he turned back, took Talia's hand, and resumed walking.
Hand in hand, they strolled along the streets of Palieu, amidst the quaint architecture of the old North Bank district, savoring this peaceful moment.
Rosalinda hurriedly ducked back behind the newsstand.
"By the way, Tata, is there anywhere you want to go?" Lanqi asked, turning his head toward Talia.
This was not their first date, and they were already familiar with each other's habits. Lanqi had not prepared an itinerary in advance, as any preparation outside of restaurants was usually futile anyway. Tata was not like ordinary girls; the more elaborately planned an outing was, the more thoroughly she would throw it into disarray.
"Let's head to Parkinson Palace first. Last time, we went to lunch before finishing our tour."
Talia gave it some thought. It was nearly eleven o'clock, but having eaten so many pastries at Countess Rosalinda's mansion, she was not hungry yet. Spending the hour before lunch browsing the palace seemed ideal.
Parkinson Palace was close to their meeting spot, only a short walk away. The main reason they had left early last time was that they had been busy competing and teasing each other, which ultimately led to a hasty, awkward exit. If possible, she truly wanted to calm her mind and properly appreciate this museum packed with epic masterworks alongside Lanqi.
"Then our itinerary will be just like last time. Do you want to have lunch at the Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant again?" Lanqi asked.
In fact, the Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant that Duke Mikhail had recommended to them that morning was the very place where they had spent an entire afternoon eating during their last visit to Palieu. That was precisely why the recommendation had been so awkward.
That day, Lanqi had fed Talia to his heart's content, and Talia had eaten her fill to the point where she was visibly heavier afterward—a detail Lanqi remembered with particular clarity.
"..."
In an instant, a vein twitched near Talia's temple.
She said nothing, but she could clearly hear what Lanqi was thinking.
During their last date, she had just separated from Great Love Poet. Now, her Mad Love Demon King state had yet to dissipate, allowing her to hear Lanqi's inner thoughts in full.
She glanced sideways and met Lanqi's gaze, finding him observing her just as expected. Hidden within those naturally curious green eyes was a faint anticipation, as if waiting for her to snap and reveal her true colors.
Yet today, she did not care. No matter how presumptuous Lanqi acted, she would indulge him.
"That's right. I want you to keep holding me and feeding me—treat me like a ·big·gray·cat·you·can·hug·."
Talia rose on tiptoe, leaning close to Lanqi's ear, and whispered.
Lanqi's footsteps froze instantly, his confusion giving way to pure suspicion.
He felt as though he had plunged into a hallucinatory realm. From the origins of the universe to the emergence of life in primordial waters, from universal gravitation to mass-energy equivalence, all the knowledge of the mortal world flashed through his mind—yet none of it could parse this raving gray-haired girl before him.
...
"What are they saying? Are those sweet nothings? Are they going to do something scandalous?"
Rosalinda gripped the cat tightly again, her heart fluttering.
"Don't be fooled by appearances, meow. Those two..."
Boss Cat desperately wanted to tell Rosalinda that both of them possessed ten thousand conniving schemes and were undoubtedly scheming how to disgust each other. Once upon a time, it too had mistakenly thought this would be a romantic encounter between an icy beauty and a gentle youth, eagerly anticipating the sparks that would fly. Only after truly understanding them did it realize that the Lan-Ta pairing was an unorthodox path.
Yet on second thought, today's situation seemed slightly different from before.
It was getting hard to tell whether they were scheming against each other or simply going with the flow.
Before Boss Cat and Rosalinda could exchange another word, Lanqi and Talia had already walked farther away, hand in hand. Clutching the cat, Rosalinda followed closely behind, darting between cover on the streets, eager to witness the entire date unfold.
...
Over ten minutes later.
District 2, North Bank, Palieu, City of Flowers—Parkinson Palace.
Stalactite-like patterns adorned the vaulted ceiling, where bas-reliefs of dancing angels seemed so lifelike they might burst from the walls at any moment. At the center of the dome, magnificent stained-glass mosaics projected multicolored ribbons of light across the marble floor, over which Lanqi and Talia strolled.
Both had mentioned more than once that they wanted to visit this place—one of the largest and oldest art museums on the Southern Continent, and an iconic landmark of the Kingdom of Posen.
Although the venue for the third round of the Platinum-rank card maker exam had been a simulated projection of Parkinson Palace, ever since then, both had longed to explore the actual grounds in person. Moreover, Parkinson Palace was an essential must-see destination when traveling to the Kingdom of Posen.
Last time, because their hotel was so close to Parkinson Palace, they had frequently passed by without ever finding time to tour it. Much like local residents who rarely bother to visit the famous attractions in their own backyards, living nearby made it feel as though they could visit anytime. Consequently, without a specific occasion, one might easily miss out on such beauty.
The only time they had truly been free to wander together had been the day of the fireworks festival, and limited time had allowed them to cover only half of it.
"In the end, that afternoon date took up too much of their time," Rosalinda recalled, reflecting on the last time she had witnessed their date.
"What did they do that afternoon?" Boss Cat thought back, remembering that they hadn't visited many places that day.
"They ate from noon straight until evening," Rosalinda replied earnestly.
"..."
Indeed, that had swallowed up most of the day.
Boss Cat realized that Lanqi and Tata's dates were remarkably simple:
Eat, eat, eat, eat, play, eat, eat, eat.
The two they were tailing strolled through the spacious exhibition hall, flanked by a pair of seven-meter-tall sphinxes confronting each other with solemn majesty. Having arrived here, Lanqi and Tata needed no map to know how the surrounding galleries connected.
"To be honest, I think the Director would definitely love Parkinson Palace," Lanqi remarked, gazing around the familiar hall as he spoke to Talia.
Not only had they visited once before, but during the Platinum-rank card maker exam, they had also seen a partial projection of it within the artificial shadow world. The sphinxes marked the grand hall where the examiners had been stationed, familiar to all candidates and examiners alike.
"If Abigail weren't so busy with work, she probably would have followed us to the City of Flowers. Though what you really want is her raid-group navigation so we wouldn't need a map."
Talia knew that Abigail was currently busy preparing the sequel to the opera. In a few days, the Dimension Branch might lead the troupe directly to the South Vantina Territory, and during this final period in Brillda, the Crete capital, Abigail had been training Little Hube non-stop.
"Hyperion really learns from everyone."
Lanqi had unlocked plenty of roles along the way, and Hyperion was just the same, learning wherever she went.
"By the way, did you know Hyperion has been feeling slightly unwell lately?"
Talia did not mind Lanqi bringing up another woman on their date, because that was her precious daughter. Mentioning Little Hube was entirely fine; in fact, caring for Little Hube was Talia's basic requirement for Lanqi.
"I noticed a bit, but she didn't want to tell me, so I asked Antanas," Lanqi recalled thoughtfully.
At first, he had assumed Hyperion was simply exhausted from Director Abigail's rigorous professional acting drills. Only later did he discover that she was suffering from periodic, severe bodily pain.
The diagnosis from the demon physician Antanas was that when Hyperion forcibly conquered Melogas's toxin in Blood Moon City, she had unleashed her demon nature to achieve perfect compatibility, and her body had begun shifting toward a demon constitution, awakening the dormant power in her bloodline. Now that she had returned to daily life, she had subconsciously begun repressing her demon traits again, resulting in a physiological conflict.
On one hand, her body was transforming into a demon's and producing enhanced toxins similar to those of her ancestor; on the other, her physical self was attempting to reject these toxins, causing an allergic reaction. From time to time, this produced minor side effects akin to invoking Melogas's Sacrilegious Sovereignty.
"You care quite a bit about her. Good," Talia said with an approving glance.
"Antanas mentioned it isn't a serious issue. It's partially linked to her emotions and mindset. As long as she rests well when the symptoms flare up intermittently, she'll be fine. Plus, her constitution purges toxins very quickly, so she should fully adapt to the new physical changes before long."
Lanqi estimated that Hyperion was already nearing Ikerite, accompanied by Antanas and Sinnola. As a demon of Melogas's kind, it was virtually impossible for her to be harmed by poison; Melogas herself was practically immune to all toxins.
"Hm?"
Talia suddenly furrowed her brows, leaning in with a dissatisfied glare.
"What's wrong?"
Just when Lanqi felt Talia was finally speaking normally, she pressed close to him again.
"You are not allowed to mention Melogas," Talia said, sounding somewhat piqued.
"I didn't mention her."
Lanqi pondered for a long moment before realizing the source of her irritation.
"You thought of her name in your mind."
Talia continued to press against Lanqi, as if intending to collapse onto his chest and push him over.
"My mistake, my mistake. That was an oversight on my part."
Lanqi shook his head repeatedly. If this continued, Talia would likely wrap her arms around him again and resume their contest of wills inside Parkinson Palace. Embracing blatantly in a place like this was improper; first and foremost, this was a sanctuary steeped in artistic atmosphere, and basic civility demanded respecting the occasion. Moreover, he had noticed a Palieu Broadcasting Company reporter conducting an interview before a demon portrait today.
Lately, demon-related topics had been the hottest subject in the Kingdom of Posen, even spilling over into the realm of culture. Ending up on camera would be particularly troublesome.
*"Nearly a thousand years ago, Parkinson Palace was initially constructed as a military fortress to repel foreign invasions. Later, during an era of peace, it was converted into a royal palace, whereupon it began accumulating vast collections of artistic treasures, gradually incorporating sacred and even epic-grade exhibits. With the passage of time, successive kings expanded and embellished the palace multiple times, turning it into the cultural and artistic heart of the Kingdom of Posen."*
The docent's voice echoed through the vast gallery Lanqi and Talia had just entered.
The two strolled through the grand hall, occasionally pausing to admire a piece and exchanging remarks.
It was only about a century ago that Parkinson Palace was converted into a public museum. After multiple expansions and renovations, it opened to the public, allowing everyone the opportunity to glimpse its rich and varied collections.
In the central hall they now entered, dome sculptures traced the dynamic imagery of soaring eagles and galloping horses, giving anyone who looked up the impression of standing within a heaven of the mythological age.
"Tata, do you remember these paintings?" Lanqi asked Talia beside him, standing on one side of the central hall.
The two often shared similar tastes, though they rarely discussed art appreciation in daily life, focusing instead on magic card making, magical engineering, and good food. Last time, they had walked past without lingering; today, they finally had the leisure to stop and appreciate the works.
In the direct center hung the ancient imperial painter Stephen Martin's massive oil painting *The Rise of the Evernight Kingdom*. Though aged and weathered, it remained magnificent, recreating a fierce battle of thrusting spears and roaring dragons, where the blood of countless warriors bloomed into undying glory amidst the dark.
To the left hung Isaac Claire's tender, resplendent painting *The Gift of the Earth Mother*. A graceful woman draped in white gauze carried an urn brimming with celestial nectar, walking lightly through misty clouds while tenderly leading an innocent, flawless lamb.
On the other side of the central hall, the Grimm Brothers' *Three Questions of the Magic Mirror* reflected the hazy, mystical face of a woman gazing into the mirrored world. Her eyes held both the wisdom of weathered ages and the innocence of a newborn child, as though posing life's three greatest mysteries to the viewer.
All of these were renowned masterpieces throughout the Southern Continent. Lanqi, however, kept his own critiques and preferences to himself.
"..."
Talia simply turned her head slowly, gazing at the entire back wall.
Revisiting an old place brought fresh impressions every time.
There lay the ancient imperial painter Tolkien's epic grand mural *The Demon Lord's Judgment*. Across a canvas stretching hundreds of meters, it depicted the magnificent spectacle of tens of millions of valiant soldiers locked in bloody combat, making their desperate final stand against the Demon Lord.
She stared at the mural in silence.
Yet that silence was her answer.
"What a coincidence. That's my favorite one too," Lanqi said with a smile.
"I don't like this painting," Talia answered decisively.
"..."
Lanqi remembered Talia explicitly saying last time that this was her favorite.
"Looking at this painting reminds me of everything you went through in the shadow world. So I don't like it," Talia said, staring at the surprised Lanqi.
Lanqi remained silent for a long while, uttering not a word.
"Is that so..."
Lanqi lowered his eyes, his straight-set lips gradually curving into a relieved smile.
He stood motionless before the painting for several moments, while Talia stood beside him, watching him quietly.
"Let's go."
Lanqi took Talia's hand tightly once more and walked forward. There were plenty of other paintings waiting for them; there was no need to linger before ones they had already seen.
"Lanqi, why did you suddenly squeeze my hand so tight? Does being in my arms bring you peace of mind? Does my warmth matter so much to you? Do you really need my company that badly?"
Talia followed behind him, a smug tone lacing her quiet whisper.
"Yes."
Lanqi, as though having acquired the right training dataset, knew exactly how to counter Talia's ploys and readily agreed with her words.
"Eh?"
Talia's eyes widened in an instant at his response, and her cheeks quickly grew hot.
She had expected Lanqi to flatly deny it, never imagining he would agree so suddenly. Caught off guard, she felt flustered.
*No, no, I can't let him fool me. He's definitely about to say something outrageous any second now!*
Her wavering thoughts made her worry even more that Lanqi would spot her weakness. She slowed her pace, choosing not to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and let him lead her by the hand from behind.
Lanqi must absolutely not see her current expression.
Yet after waiting for what felt like ages, Lanqi never said another word, leaving Talia at a loss for what to say to him.
She shielded her flushed cheeks with the back of her left hand and sleeve, averting her eyes while replaying what Lanqi could have meant just now.
The two climbed the stairs, and before them unfurled the Gallery of Reason and the Gallery of Prosperity.
Down below, behind a distant corner, one human head and one feline head poked out.
With so many obstacles for cover inside the gallery, Rosalinda and Boss Cat dared to follow Lanqi and Talia a bit closer.
"Wow... what they just said... wow, just wow," Rosalinda breathed, at a loss for words to express her inner thoughts.
"Where on earth did I end up, meow? Is this still Lan-Ta?"
Questioning the reality of its feline existence, Boss Cat raised a paw to cover its ears.
...
Parkinson Palace, Gallery of Reason.
As the two toured and discussed the exhibits, Talia stopped beneath a painting. Lanqi paused as well, looking in the same direction.
In the painting, a beautiful maiden in a flowing gown lay peacefully on an Ikerite-style four-poster bed. Her brows were gently closed and her lips carried a faint smile, her expression serene and gentle, like a sleeping angel. Long silver hair spread across the pristine white pillow, and pure white silk sheets set off her skin, radiant as jade.
Outside the window lay a lush forest, with dense foliage and dappled sunlight filtering through the windowpanes, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the maiden.
"Lanqi, thank you... for helping me find my sister."
Talia looked up, gazing at the sleeping beauty in the painting, lost in thought for a long time.
Tourists flowed by in an endless stream, yet the two remained standing before the painting for a long while. Lanqi did not disturb Talia, choosing instead to stay quietly by her side.
No matter how many times Talia looked upon it, she still found the sleeping beauty breathtaking. Yet her feelings when viewing the painting this time were completely different from before—nostalgia and melancholy had transformed entirely into peace and joy.
All of this was thanks to Lanqi. No matter how many times it took, she always wanted to thank him.
"When I look at this painting now, it feels completely different too."
Last time, Lanqi had been seriously appreciating it as a work of art, sharing his insights with Talia. Now, looking at it, she simply felt like the girl next door.
"My sister really is lovely."
Talia reluctantly pulled her gaze away from the canvas.
The two made another round through the gallery. Compared to the bustling streets outside, the atmosphere here was considerably quieter. Perhaps influenced by the surroundings, neither felt like stirring up trouble.
Passing through the main exhibition hall, they reached Palieu Square in the left wing. Walking past the fountain adorned with the statue of the deity of will and affection, they had completed half of Parkinson Palace.
"By the way, that *Mysterious Beauty* you painted is still kept in Parkinson Palace. Don't you care about it at all?"
Strolling along the corridor of the auxiliary exhibition hall near the exit, Talia suddenly glanced toward a direction she remembered and asked.
An epic-grade artwork born from the Platinum-rank card maker exam should originally have been brought back to the Hutton Kingdom by the mysterious examiner who painted it. However, the subsequent outbreak of war on the Southern Continent led to it being temporarily stored at Countess Rosalinda's Asturias Count's Mansion. Under Rosalinda's arrangements, it was moved into the safer Parkinson Palace for a limited-time exhibition.
Who would have thought it had now become nearly a permanent part of the collection?
"The mysterious beauty has been by my side all along," Lanqi replied, looking down at Talia.
"..."
Talia's calm expression gradually grew uneasy, and she averted her eyes.
Lanqi was starting to say strange things too. If this continued, she didn't know whether she would be the first to break.
As they talked, the lively crowd in a nearby gallery caught their attention.
A large audience had gathered around a permanent exhibition area, listening intently to a docent's explanation.
When Lanqi and Talia looked toward the artwork, they recognized it at once.
Upon the canvas lay a deep, shadowy night. Under the faint lantern light of a temple, a gray-haired woman draped in a tattered cloak stood quietly, like a sliver of moonlight piercing the dark.
Her face was completely obscured by a dove whose pristine white wings spread across the center of the frame, delivering an abrupt yet stunning visual impact.
*"When you look closely, you can catch a glimpse of the woman's eyes through the gaps in the night dove's wings. They are a pair of golden eyes, clear as crystal and dazzling as refined gold."*
The Parkinson Palace docent explained to the visitors.
*"Her gaze pierces through the dove's cover, falling directly upon the viewer. You cannot help but lean closer to the painting, yearning to uncover the truth and behold the true countenance of this mysterious beauty.*
*"When you stand merely a foot away, those golden eyes of the mysterious beauty are locked onto your face."*
The two gazed at the painting from a distance while listening to the docent's voice.
"It seems the whole story started from that scene in the painting," Talia murmured, finding her first encounter with Lanqi in the South Vantina Territory wondrous whenever she recalled it.
"Perhaps that was a promise left behind a hundred thousand years ago," Lanqi whispered to himself.
Having witnessed the story of Lancrosse and Tamisha, he found it hard to dismiss the idea that some karmic bond might have been recorded by the Goddess of Fate.
After an unknown amount of time.
On the other side of the exhibition hall.
*"Aside from this *Sleeping Beauty*, we must mention another masterpiece that shares equal fame—*Mysterious Beauty*. Although it depicts a beautiful young human woman, its hazy allure has frequently led residents of the Posen Demon Realm to associate her with the Silver Demon King songstress who appeared in the Crete Empire. Could the connection between *Mysterious Beauty* and *Sleeping Beauty* be more than a mere coincidence?"*
Holding a microphone and camera equipment, a reporter from the Palieu Broadcasting Company followed the route after concluding an interview before the demon portrait *Sleeping Beauty*, arriving at the gallery housing *Mysterious Beauty*.
The reporter spoke to the camera while the lens captured the artwork in the gallery.
Scanning the audience, the reporter noticed that most visitors were patiently queuing to admire the painting; only a young man and woman stood chatting idly in the distance, showing no intention of pushing closer.
The reporter instantly recognized the ideal interview subjects and walked toward the relaxed bystanders standing away from the crowd.
Lanqi and Talia, still chatting, noticed the Palieu Broadcasting Company crew approaching them.
Yet at this moment, neither instinctively fled. Neither wanted to be the first to act secretive and pull the other away. Furthermore, fleeing would make them look guilty, carrying that sneaky air Toliado always had.
They had only ended up with a criminal record in the City of Flowers once; they were hardly actual fugitives.
"Excuse me, you two, are you here to see *Mysterious Beauty*? Do you have any thoughts on the recent debates in the Kingdom of Posen regarding the mysterious beauty's race?"
The reporter raised the microphone, posing the question enthusiastically to Lanqi and Talia.
"He cares more about demon-related matters," Talia said, gesturing sideways at Lanqi.
If their identities were ever exposed in the future, who knew how this interview would be written down? As a historical figure and a public demon, she preferred not to say much.
"Whatever race she is hardly matters. Whatever you see her as, that's what she is," Lanqi answered on Talia's behalf.
"Heehee."
Talia chuckled silently.
Although she had long been certain of Lanqi's friendliness and impartiality toward demons and herself, whenever she heard his most genuine thoughts, she was reminded of the moment her view of him had truly shifted. Back then, watching the recording from the Purgatory Corridor Academy in the shadow world and hearing the conversation between Lanqi and Little Hube, she had perhaps decided from that point on to lower her guard against him.
"May I ask what you think of the recent demon activities in the Crete Empire? And are you aware of the demon restoration rumors that have recently gained traction in the Kingdom of Posen?"
The reporter pointed the microphone at this ordinary passing citizen, continuing the questions.
Between the two, the black-haired, green-eyed youth was clearly more adept at answering and comfortable accepting an interview.
"I don't know." Lanqi shook his head, waving a hand dismissively. "But I am quite certain that under her leadership, there is absolutely no possibility of the demon race restoring their nation."
He spoke with total conviction.
Flustered and irritated, Talia felt an urge to lightly kick Lanqi's heel. She knew he was mocking her inability to restore her nation in this lifetime. But what if she couldn't? She wouldn't bother trying; she would just eat Lanqi out of house and home instead.
"What makes you arrive at such a judgment?"
Though somewhat taken aback, the reporter quickly followed up.
"At first glance, she clearly looks like a pretty, gluttonous, elderly, useless demon," Lanqi remarked, suppressing a smirk as he described the Silver Songstress.
The reporter pondered for a moment. This was the first time he had heard such an assessment.
Pretty was universally acknowledged.
Gluttonous... considering her health, she likely did eat well.
Elderly went without saying; becoming a demon king naturally required a long lifespan.
As for useless—a dignified demon king turning into a songstress already spoke volumes.
"..."
Talia stamped her feet in frustration, unable to tackle and pummel Lanqi before the camera, forced to maintain a demure facade.
"Do you think that Silver Demon King was influenced by humans to turn out this way?"
The reporter raised the microphone once more.
Truth be told, a demon king singing was something that would have baffled demons a century ago.
"She was a demon to begin with. How could she possibly be influenced by humans? If anything, it's humans who were influenced by her," Lanqi replied, sounding both natural and relieved.
"Thank you for your answers. What a fascinating perspective! I believe the modern demon king's transformation could not have happened without interacting with and understanding humans. Over the past few decades of development in the Posen Demon Realm, we have also seen the possibility of humans and demons reconciling and coexisting harmoniously."
Smiling at the camera, the reporter concluded, "Wishing you two a wonderful time today."
Once the camera turned away, he thanked them and quietly bid them farewell.
Lanqi waved in return, seeing the reporter off. Then, he and Talia resumed quietly gazing at the painting in the distance.
He sensed that Talia wanted to linger a bit longer, as her small hand tightened its grip on his.
Several minutes passed until the Palieu Broadcasting Company crew had completely vanished from the hall, and the crowd queuing before *Mysterious Beauty* had largely dispersed.
"What do you mean you were influenced by me? Could you really be influenced by me..." Talia mumbled, pulling him forward.
Could she have accomplished effortlessly what Great Love Poet had failed to do across an entire lifetime?
"..."
Lanqi answered her using the very words Talia had spoken earlier:
"The whole story started from the moment I met that wandering gray-haired princess."
They came to a stop before *Mysterious Beauty*, quietly admiring the painting.
Chapter 870