Boonie Bears: Another World Fantasy

The gas station was just outside town, at the end of a long concrete road, surrounded by several acres of cornfields. On the surface, this place once seemed to have a good life, but now it looked somewhat dilapidated.

"This Salta probably already planned that I would pay for his gas—" Zhao Lin muttered, reluctantly taking the bill and then patting the exterior of the black sedan.

"I still have some of my saved-up daily wages here, how about I pay for it first?" Sharp looked at the bill in Zhao Lin's hand and felt bad, so he reached into his pocket for the only three hundred yuan he had.

"Keep it, you might need it on the road." Zhao Lin pressed his hand, signaling him to take it back.

"Are you really alright?" Seeing how much money she had spent, Sharp couldn't help but wonder if Zhao Lin was trying to hide something.

"Hey, uncle, you don't think I don't earn as much as you, do you?" Zhao Lin suddenly leaned close to Sharp, staring down at him as if trying to read something from his face.

“I never said that—” Sharp replied expressionlessly.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin's face revealed a barely perceptible smile. She then pulled Sharp to a building not far from the gas station. The building looked quite old, surrounded by lush aloe vera. As Zhao Lin stepped onto the wooden porch, her feet creaked.

"Don't bother staying at a hotel, let's just make do here tonight." Zhao Lin gently knocked on the front door. The wooden door creaked.

Looking at this place that could definitely be called an antique, Sharp couldn't help but wonder, "Is this your house?" He asked Zhao Lin with a puzzled expression, while also taking in the clumps of aloe vera growing in front of the porch. These aloe vera plants were growing exceptionally lushly.

Why grow so many aloe vera plants?

Just as Sharp was lost in thought, an elderly man slowly opened the door. He looked at Sharp and Zhao Lin with a surprised expression.

“Uncle, this is a friend of mine from work—” Zhao Lin quickly explained, afraid that Old Zhao would misunderstand. However, before she could finish speaking, Old Zhao had already warmly welcomed Sharp into the door, completely ignoring Zhao Lin standing to the side.

"Ah, we have a guest! Xiaolinzi didn't even tell me beforehand!" Old Zhao's face lit up with a delighted smile, his eyes scanning Sharp up and down, his affection practically overflowing.

Seeing this, Zhao Lin couldn't help but sigh helplessly. She knew very well that Old Zhao was definitely overthinking things.

"What should I call you, handsome young man?" Old Zhao asked affectionately, putting his arm around Sharp.

"Ah... Uncle, just call me Sharp." Sharp, flattered, paused for a moment, then stammered in response. A rare blush appeared on his face, and he kept winking at Zhao Lin, as if seeking her help.

"Come on, Uncle, just let them go." Zhao Lin couldn't stand it anymore. She leaned against the doorway and pouted.

"I never expected my little Zhao Lin to bring a handsome guy home." Old Zhao said with a smile, directly expressing what he was thinking.

"No—I..." Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin panicked instantly. She tried to explain, but found she couldn't find a suitable reason to refute it.

"Sharp, don't listen to my uncle!" Zhao Lin blushed with embarrassment, her hands unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes.

"Xia, let me tell you, she just refuses to admit to her completely inexperienced romantic history—" Old Zhao said with a smile, looking at Zhao Lin.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin's face turned pale, and she wished she could disappear into the ground.

She glanced at Sharp, who was scratching his head awkwardly, seemingly unsure of who to believe.

"Just kidding. You young people have time. I'm going to the backyard to pick some vegetables." After saying that, Old Zhao immediately winked at Zhao Lin. "And Xia, if she lays a hand on you, tell me, and I'll definitely teach her a lesson!"

With a mere wave of his fist and a few words, he had Zhao Lin completely under his control.

After hearing this, Zhao Lin rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Uncle, can you please stop talking nonsense?"

Old Zhao laughed heartily, then turned and walked towards the backyard.

Sure enough, experience counts. Sharp couldn't help but sigh as he watched Old Zhao's departing figure.

"Oh, Uncle, don't mind him, my uncle has always been like this," Zhao Lin said somewhat embarrassedly.

The two sat side by side on the sofa. A blush still lingered on Zhao Lin's cheeks. She turned slightly to the side, trying to hide her shyness.

"Haha, it's rare to see you so embarrassed," Sharp teased with a laugh. This was the first time in days that he had experienced such a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Zhao Lin smiled gently after hearing Sharp's words, a look of relief on her face.

“Yes, everyone has their own side that's hard to deal with, right?” she replied softly.

"I originally thought that a journalist like you should be very knowledgeable about the feelings between men and women."

After accidentally learning the true face behind Zhao Lin's veil, Sharp gradually realized that even the seemingly omnipotent Zhao Lin had her own unspeakable sorrows and troubles.

"Huh? What does this mean? Do you want to hear my story too, Uncle?" Zhao Lin's gaze remained fixed on the distance, but her tone revealed a sense of helplessness.

"Hehe, it won't be easy to hear a story from me!" she said mischievously.

However, when the topic turned to personal feelings, Zhao Lin's voice became noticeably lower, as if she had been running away from some kind of deep inner pain.

Or trauma...

How much do I really know about you? Sharp thought subconsciously.

......

As large, dark clouds gathered over the Enchanted Forest, another thunderstorm was brewing.

The girl, now with a new name, seemed to take an interest in the tall man. She followed behind Mus, secretly observing his every move.

"I don't understand why you seem to know me so well... Also, I'm so confused..." she asked softly, her hands trembling unnaturally, waiting to see how Mu Si would react.

“Of course I know you.” Mus’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword at his waist, as if he were ready to draw it at any moment.

"Am I her replacement?" Under the shade of a tree, she lowered her head, her keen mind discerning some changes that were different from usual.

"Why do you ask that? Do you want me to tell you about her?" He turned around, his sharp eyes fixed on the girl. "I've said it before, you are unique, there's no need to be bothered by these identities."

“I’m not Naya, you know that better than anyone!” Mus’s dismissive answer infuriated the girl, and she argued back. “I have the exact same face as her, but we are completely different people… Are you trying to use me to fill that void of guilt in your heart?”

The next second, the girl's throat was gripped, and she stood on tiptoe, her hands gripping Mus's outstretched right arm tightly.

"Who do you think created you?" There was no pity in his tone. He didn't give the girl a chance to breathe and lifted her up like a puppet.

"You don't need to know all that. All I need is for you to obey my orders and shut your mouth." He loosened his grip, and the girl slumped to the ground.

“Don’t listen to Anar Lefèvre’s nonsense. Until I complete my plan, I want you to play the role of Naya well.” Mus tried to suppress the smile that he was touched by her.

"Next, Sharp, let me see what other tricks you've been up to—"