Trafford Buyers Club

Chapter 4048 A Heart Fluttering with Desire

It's very lively inside, so it's naturally quiet outside.

Under the glittering stars and the fleeting yet ever-blooming brilliant fireworks, Long Xiruo sat alone in the courtyard outside the official residence... ostensibly to get some fresh air, but actually just spacing out.

[Xiang Feihu] can't stay with her for long before he has to deal with various matters... After all, she is a very pragmatic type of person, and before officially becoming a liaison officer on the ship, she will still do her job well.

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Ah Xiruo rested her chin on her hand and looked towards the banquet hall of the official residence... It was as if she could see the two people dancing happily in the crowd through the stained glass window.

Why……

Will there be a pang of heartache?
I know perfectly well that this is their relationship...

—This damn girlish heart!
The agitated Shenzhou Zhenlong suddenly frowned, a faint silver light flashed before his eyes, and then the figure emerged—Ah Xiruo looked completely unfazed.

【Ice Wheel】!
"Why are you looking at me like that, young master?"

"Don't you know?" Ah Xi Ruo couldn't help but sneer. "You're so smug, aren't you... Saying that [Purple Moon] has clues, I say this is a trap from beginning to end!"

Binglun said calmly, "Haven't you gained something? Since that's the case, there's naturally no deception involved."

"Tsk!" Ah Xiruo clicked her tongue in surprise, and said angrily, "Why should I deal with that old scumbag's messy love affairs? Even if I was his daughter in my past life, I'm not in this one! And... he even gave me... that kind of thing, it's infuriating!"

[Binglun] covered her mouth and laughed—a motherly laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Ah Xiruo's gaze suddenly turned hostile, clearly on the verge of exploding.

Do you know how she's been coping these past few days? For days, a whole few days, she's been like an ostrich!
“That’s not just any object, it’s the Heart.” Ice Wheel said softly, “Your true power comes from the Heart… Losing the Heart is equivalent to losing everything. The Heart that beats is very precious.”

Ah Xiruo frowned. "What do you mean? [You]?"

【Binglun】suddenly showed a look of confusion, blinked, and then revealed a playful expression, "Did I just say anything?"

"Stop pretending." The true dragon of Shenzhou couldn't help but roll his eyes.

【Binglun】occasionally crashes during chat... but whether it's truly crashed or not, only it knows.

"By the way, I have a question for you." Ah Xiruo suddenly pondered, "Have you heard of the name [Jin Bell]? I met this guy on [Purple Moon], and he also has [Holy Marks] similar to mine. What's going on?"

"【King Bell】..." Binglun looked thoughtful for a while before saying, "It's been a long time since I've heard this name. I didn't expect him to still be around."

Ah Xi Ruo stared intently at Bing Lun's expression, but couldn't discern anything—she always felt that Jin Bell wouldn't appear in Zi Yue for no reason, and even wondered if it was related to Bing Lun.

"Tell me about the situation," Ah Xiruo said calmly.

[Binglun] slowly said, "Kim Bell was a young nobleman of the old empire. When your father was researching the [Stigmata], Kim Bell was one of the first subjects to participate in the experiment... Back then, this child also did a lot of things behind the scenes. He was a very active little devil."

"Doing underhanded things behind people's backs?" Ah Xi Ruo frowned. "For example?"

【Binglun】smiled and said, "It's nothing much, just forming small cliques in private, or stealing your father's technology to support the 【Revolutionary Army】 or something like that."

"puff……"

This is just a minor trick?
The true dragon of Shenzhou widened his eyes in disbelief and said, "You don't even know that old scumbag?"

“I know.” [Ice Wheel] chuckled. “It’s precisely because we all knew that we let him steal the [Holy Mark] technology.”

"……Why?"

"The creation of the [Stigmata] requires a massive amount of data." [Ice Wheel] said casually, "Cicero just felt that perhaps secretly funding a batch of experimental [Stigmata] for the [Revolutionary Army] might yield unexpected results, hmm... that's probably the idea."

Holy crap?

Ah, what did Xi Ruo hear?
My father, that scumbag from my past life, was an imperial prince who was actually a financial backer of the Imperial Revolutionary Army?

Are you playing this crazy?
"What is he trying to do..." Ah Xiruo immediately covered her forehead. "Even if he is a royal prince, doing something like this... is treasonous, isn't it?"

"So what? His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire and the leader of the Revolutionary Army are still good friends." Ice Wheel said with a smile, "They just have different ideologies... they're not necessarily enemies."

"I don't understand you guys." Shenzhou's True Dragon couldn't help but sigh. She had a feeling that if they continued talking, [Ice Wheel] would crash again, followed by a series of catalytic reactions so that she could reclaim the final authority.

"Does the empire have any enemies?" Ah Xiruo asked casually.

That was just a casual question.

"Have."

However, [Binglun] gave a truly decisive answer.

Ah Xi Ruo frowned, a thought flashing through her mind, and murmured to herself, "[The Origin]?"

【Binglun】 gently shook her head, “The Empire’s enemy has never been the 【Root】, but rather… itself, or the 【Fate】 that controls everything.”

Just as Ah Xi Ruo was about to ask further questions, [Bing Lun] came to a complete standstill.

Ah Xi Ruo breathed a sigh of relief, silently waiting for [Ice Wheel] to end this outage—for some reason, she felt that this outage was real.

Soon, [Ice Wheel] returned to normal. It was unclear how its data was connected, but it continued smoothly, "My lady, now that you have obtained the [Heart], you can go somewhere now."

"Where?" Ah Xi Ruo asked, resting her chin on her hand in annoyance.

【Binglun】smiled and said, “As a young girl, you should naturally have your own wardrobe! That place is your walk-in closet.”

"..." The true dragon of Shenzhou slammed his hand on the stone table and stood up angrily, "That kind of thing? Nobody wants it!! I'm not going!"

A dressing room and such... She, the True Dragon of China, is someone who likes to dress up?
"Oh dear, are you really not going?" [Binglun] narrowed her eyes. "That would be a pity... After all, there is a [bridal gown] that you, my lady, have been preparing for a long time and are looking forward to making."

Marry, marry, marry... marry what?!

The Shenzhou True Dragon, whose heart was instantly pounding with girlish excitement, transformed into a steam princess for the first time without Boss Luo by her side, spewing out a torrent of heat.

"Are you really not going?" [Ice Wheel] asked again.

The true dragon of China, breathing out hot air, lowered its head, clenched its fists, and trembled slightly... It also lowered its proud head and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"want……"

"My lord, what are you saying?"

"I said, I want..."

"My lord? The signal seems to be weak."

"I said, I'm going!!!"

"Hehehe..."

The once-dead-off Shenzhou Zhenlong plopped down, saying irritably, "Laugh all you want, then hurry up and get lost... Where are you?"

The light and shadow before my eyes had vanished.

Ah Xiruo frowned, but suddenly her heart skipped a beat, and her breath hitched. In the dim light, Luo Qiu was slowly walking towards her.

There were no maids by his side.

……

Shenzhou Zhenlong, who had turned around abruptly, was still propping his chin up to hide his current predicament—damn it, his face was still red, and getting hotter and hotter.

Has Binglun ever been here?

"Boss Luo said softly, and sat down directly next to Ah Xiruo."

"Ah."

She mumbled something in her throat, forcibly suppressing her racing heart, "I asked about that [King Bell]. [Ice Wheel] said that guy is actually..."

She recounted everything she had heard from Binglun, except for the last part about the wedding dress, without reservation.

"Is oneself the enemy?"

Boss Luo lowered his head in deep thought.

The true dragon of Shenzhou pondered for a moment and said, "Could it be because the empire is too bloated and corrupt? The essence of its demise often stems from its own decay. Aren't all the dynasties in Shenzhou the same?"

"Perhaps." Boss Luo shook his head slightly. "Actually, I'm not that curious about the truth behind the empire's demise."

"Why?" Ah Xi Ruo was greatly surprised.

Luo Qiu smiled and said, "It's not that I don't want to know, it's just that I know eventually, so it's enough to keep a sense of anticipation. The rest is just waiting."

Ah Xiruo subconsciously opened her mouth.

Again.

His sense of loneliness, of being alienated from everything in the end...

"...You, why aren't you inside? What are you doing out here?" Ah Xi Ruo sighed and said irritably, "What, are you treating everyone equally?"

Ah Xi Ruo's words are always sharp as thorns, practically death questions.

What she didn't know was how flushed her face was, how teary her eyes were, and how her heart was pounding so hard she couldn't even hide it.

"I……"

Dragon's Kiss.

Under the glittering stars and dazzling fireworks.

After a long while, the true dragon of Shenzhou finally left, panting, "...Stop talking, I don't want to know now."

She gracefully departed.

Boss Luo lightly touched his lips. Time seemed to stand still as the fireworks blazed brilliantly.

Everything was still.

The Purple Moon hovering in the sky, the entire city of Rogue, and even the entire Canyon of Freedom and Wildness—even, in the official residence, Bai Zhi and… the maid who was talking to Bai Zhi.

Boom-!
I don't know how much time has passed.

A heartbeat sounded.

Brilliant fireworks fell like a meteor shower, and the pirates' cheerful music continued to play... The maid's eyes regained their liveliness, then a look of doubt flashed across them as she looked thoughtfully outside.

In the pavilion in the courtyard outside, Luo Qiu let out a soft sigh, "Heartbeat..."

……

……

……

……

At the moment time restarted, in an inconspicuous little inn in the city of [Rogge].

The door to the room creaked and groaned as it slowly opened.

"Aunt Meng, what's wrong?" [N] asked, observing her expression.

"Hmm..." Xiaomeng lightly pressed her finger to her lips, "How should I put it, it feels like I'm frozen in place, it's such a strange feeling!"

"You two seem to be thinking about something naughty," Xiaomeng said with a smile.

[Number N] and [King Kong], who were instantly drenched in sweat, shook their heads frantically. "In our hearts, Aunt Meng is the most sacred and inviolable person. We would never have any blasphemous thoughts! If we did, we would pray that Aunt Meng would die a horrible death!"

"So filial." Xiao Meng chuckled softly and gently patted the two little cuties on the head.

"...By the way, Aunt Meng, what brings you back here?" [N] quickly changed the subject.

Xiao Meng casually said, "I remember that my older sister seemed to have left something here... Oh, I've got it! It's here!"

She walked briskly into the inner room and then lifted a black cloth!

Inside a cage was a monkey wearing a red vest, seemingly starving and dizzy.

The two fellow "Star Creation" alumni looked at each other in bewilderment.

[King Kong] asked, "Aunt Meng, is there anything special about this monkey?"

Xiao Meng thought for a moment and said, "Didn't someone offer a reward for finding it? We were supposed to collect the reward that day! I've never collected a reward before, and repairing the ghost ship will cost a lot of money!"

[N] asked in surprise, "Aunt Meng, you're still short of money?"

As a listening device that a certain witch had always placed by Xiaomeng's side, it was well aware of this "Aunt Meng's" terrifying money-making ability.

Xiao Meng looked helpless and said, "There's nothing I can do. Who told us to have such a terrible butler come to our house... Besides, that money wasn't originally mine. I wonder how much the reward will be. I'm so looking forward to it!"

...N, who didn't understand, had a face full of question marks.

However, this is probably the world of true big shots, unfathomable and profound.

……

……

The revelry continued until late at night before gradually coming to a halt.

The various pirate leaders at the Alliance residence also dispersed. Now that the [Holy Covenant] had been signed and no one had backed out, there was plenty of work to be done.

After all, this is indeed the largest operation launched by the Pirate Alliance since its establishment, and it will shock the entire Void Circle and be recorded in history!
"Boss! They've all left."

After handling the aftermath responsibly, [Xiang Feihu] immediately went to Zhang Bolu's study to report on his work.

"...Actually, these things can be left to the people below."

"It's nothing, I'm just killing time anyway," Li Huamei shook her head.

Zhang Bolu smiled slightly, "Since you're here, you can take this document as well."

She took it, opened it, and asked, "What's this?"

"It's about some institutional reforms within the alliance," Zhang Bolu said calmly. "I've added some assessment criteria, and pirates who violate the rules will be punished more severely... There will also be some tax reforms in the [Freedom and Unbridled] Gorge later."

[Xiang Feihu] was taken aback for a moment, looking at Zhang Bolu with a complicated expression.

She knew very well that this was actually Zhang Bolu's alternative "compromise" to her regarding the [Purple Moon] matter... because the plans in these documents were all ones she had proposed, but they were directly rejected by the other team leaders.

“If the alliance wants to continue to grow stronger, some growing pains are necessary.” Zhang Bolu shook his head. “You don’t need to be too surprised. In the past, Falgaro and the others had their reasons for opposing. There is no right or wrong between you, you are all for the sake of the alliance’s growth… However, you must understand that sometimes, the alliance also needs a dirty mind.”

"I understand." [Xiang Feihu] took a deep breath. "I'll get it done as soon as possible!"

Zhang Bolu replied, "Just give the orders. You have more important things to do next. Have you forgotten the task I gave you?"

[Xiang Feihu] asked in surprise, "Boss, you want me to board the [Black Pearl] right now?"

Zhang Bolu's expression immediately turned solemn, and he said seriously, "Hua Mei, as the Alliance's liaison officer, I have a few requests for you after we board the Black Pearl, and I hope you can fulfill them."

[Xiang Feihu] immediately pounded his chest with his fist, "You tell me!"

"First, be obedient." Zhang Bolu still had that serious look on his face. "Second, be obedient! Third, still be obedient!"

"??"

Zhang Bolu waved his hand, "In short, once you're on the Black Pearl, don't think of yourself as one of my men, but rather as one of Captain Luo's men. Everything must be done according to his orders! Even if I and Captain Luo appear at the same time, you must prioritize him! Even if he orders you to attack me, you cannot hesitate in the slightest! Remember, this concerns me, the Alliance, and even this operation... It's extremely important, do you understand!"

“This…” Li Huamei thought for a moment and said, “I understand, boss, you want me to completely gain Luo’s trust, right? To exchange sincerity for sincerity!”

"...Let's just say that?"

—Let's just say that...

—Ugh, this is too difficult…