Arcane: Let's Burn Down Runeterra!

Chapter 44: Chapter 44



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"Whew, your sister is already drunk after just half a glass," Caitlyn pointed at Jinx and laughed. "Haha, that's Powder for you, she's such a lightweight!" Vi was also quite tipsy by now. "Hearing you say that, are you feeling bold?" Caitlyn's gaze at Vi suddenly had a hint of something more. "Are you kidding? I'm super bold! I'm a great drinker!" Vi gave a thumbs-up to herself and laughed heartily. "Nice build there, pretty solid…" Caitlyn suddenly touched Vi's thigh. If she weren't drunk, the well-mannered Caitlyn wouldn't have acted so brazenly. But the atmosphere was just right, and it was only natural to get carried away in the moment. "You bet! I work out every day!" Oblivious, Vi hadn't caught onto Caitlyn's implication. "… You really don't get it, do you?" "Get what?" "If you want to know, come to the bedroom with me. I'll show you something interesting." Caitlyn blushed and took it a step further. "Something interesting? What's that?" Confused, Vi was led into the bedroom by Caitlyn.

It was late at night, and Granny Enya was about to fall asleep, mumbling about her past glories. "I'll take Granny back to rest first," Isaac supported Granny Enya and went with Black and White to the hotel next door. This left only Justin with Jinx in his arms.

Justin affectionately petted Jinx's head as if she were a cat, and Jinx seemed to enjoy it, a faint smile appearing on her face. It had been a long time since he had seen her smile so peacefully. The orange lighting was akin to a soothing lullaby, the air still tinged with a sweet scent.

Justin awkwardly turned on the recorder, playing a soft love song and raising the volume, hoping it would entertain them. He was feeling somewhat sleepy too, but he couldn't rest just yet—the dinner was enjoyable, but cleaning up the mess afterward was far less delightful.

Justin gently lifted Jinx into the bathtub, carefully withdrawing his arm. Without his support, the girl furrowed her brows slightly, curling herself into a ball as she lay in the empty tub, appearing so small. "I'll be back soon." Though Jinx couldn't hear him, Justin habitually said it before heading to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Cooking, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea… In his past life, Justin never imagined that even after transmigrating, he'd still worry about such things. Once a college student with little practical know-how, he had since learned to cook, garden, scrub pots, wash dishes, change light bulbs, and even fix electrical circuits.

Despite the fact he'd traversed into this world, meeting so many hero-ranked figures, Justin found that their lives were far from the carefree existence in Summoner's Rift. They were also ordinary, vulnerable, confused, and sorrowful individuals. Thus, he became ordinary too—a mundane traveler. Every day he had to think about what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; clean the house every three days, sweeping, mopping, doing laundry, taking out the trash; travel long distances to shop for everyday supplies; grow and harvest vegetables monthly; and regularly check and repair the aging circuits in the café.

Overwhelmed by countless trivial tasks, Justin's ambitions had long been eroded. Once finding brushing teeth and washing face a hassle, he now woke up daily to help Jinx comb her hair and braid it… How could he have time to think about anything else? Having a stable life for the two of them was enough of a challenge.

Moving to the upper city might really be a good choice. Maybe with some luck and earnings, we could even hire a competent maid or something.

"Why are you listening to love songs?" Isaac unexpectedly returned, yawning as he entered the kitchen. Justin pointed to the bedroom, and Isaac immediately got the hint, chuckling, "Tsk tsk tsk, young people these days, moving so fast. They've only known each other for a few days, right?"

"Well, you know, when two adults have mutual feelings, they naturally become closer. That's quite normal."

"And what about you and Jinx?" Isaac blinked, suddenly asking a rather sharp question. Justin quietly peeked out. Seeing that Jinx seemed to be soundly asleep, he breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was sure she couldn't hear through the music, he still felt a little uneasy.

"I'm asking you," Isaac approached and lightly pinched the soft flesh on Justin's waist, "Didn't you once say fourteen is the legal age? This kid must be about fifteen or sixteen now?"

"Shh, keep it down," Justin lowered his volume, "It's not time yet."

"So when do you plan to... 'sympathize and get closer'?"

"We'll see, we'll see. Definitely not now. Having a relationship with a mentally unstable person is illegal."

"Hmm... I thought you loved her."

"Love... what kind of love?"

"A caretaker's love for the young?"

"A strong one's compassion for the weak?"

"A bond slowly woven by time?"

"Feelings layered by shared stories?"

"A heart-pounding moment like fireworks?"

"A deep tenderness like the ocean?"

"All of these..."

"But love should be a connection between two healthy souls. And right now, Jinx isn't ready for that. She doesn't even have an independent personality."

"A broken soul might look for another broken soul for comfort, but that's not love; that's a survival need."

"So, you're saying you'll wait until her mental condition improves before making any decisions?"

"Or maybe until she goes completely crazy—after all, whom to call healthy is not for others to decide. Jinx is still very confused. She's too reliant on me to find her own path. I don't want to do anything extra to deepen this dependence."

"Hmm... exactly what I'd expect from you." Isaac laughed, eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky.

"I haven't asked, why are you here?"

"To help you with the dishes." Isaac picked up a cloth and nudged Justin aside with his hip, standing in front of the sink to tackle the grime on the plates. The sink could just about accommodate two people, though it was a bit cramped.

"I feel like I smell something strange..." Justin sniffed the air, then ended up sniffing Isaac. "Hey! You've got body odor!"

"That's not body odor; it's perfume!"

"What kind of perfume smells so bad...?"

"None of your business!" Isaac shoved him away playfully.

"Alright, alright, it doesn't smell bad." Justin squeezed back in, and they continued washing the dishes together.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Do you want to move to the upper city?"

"I don't want to."

"Oh..." Justin nodded, opting to say nothing more.

"Why'd you ask that?"

"No particular reason, just asking."


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