Alice in the Land of Steam

laugh?
This long-lost word made the young man dazed for a moment.

This strange feeling may not come from a wrong perception of others, but from a sense of alienation from one's own emotions. In fact, in real life, smiling is often more common than crying. Not everyone is willing to cry in front of others and show their vulnerability; but there are definitely many people who are willing to smile in front of others and use this simplest way to gain a cheap sense of superiority. Whether the smile is hypocritical or sincere; contemptuous or honest; calm or complacent; false or just a show... but it's always right to smile.

Even this kind of smile is meaningless if it is not shown in front of others, so when the nobles show a reserved and complacent smile to the common people, it is by no means etiquette, but rather a deep-rooted contempt; the rich show a greedy and complacent smile to the poor, and the way they look at their own kind is no different from looking at livestock; the middle class shows a contemptuous but decent smile to the dirty dock workers and butchers, thinking that they have fallen to this point because they have not worked hard enough; even those who are struggling at the bottom of society will show a sarcastic and arrogant smile to the homeless and beggars on the street. They get some psychological comfort from it and think that they are not the most miserable people in the world.

When everyone has a smile on their face, a person who doesn't smile becomes an outlier. People will wonder if he is born that way, or if he is so cold that he has no emotions. The reason is simple. A smile is a cheap sense of superiority, a friendliness that relaxes others' vigilance, a kindness that can be spread without paying a price, and a manifestation of social status. Showing it has only benefits and no harm. So, if it is not a person with congenital emotional defects, who would be willing to hide their smile and leave an image of indifference, rigidity, and difficulty in getting close to others in the minds of others?
But Lingge knew that there was nothing wrong with his emotions. It wasn't that he didn't like to laugh, or that he couldn't laugh. If he had to explain it, it could only be understood as... the young man had never thought that he still had the option of smiling.

In his memory, the feeling of smiling has become so unfamiliar that the young man can't even remember when he last smiled.

The only thing that is certain is that it must have been before Mr. Yang Ke passed away.

"I remember Metien said that you used to love to laugh, Lingge."

When the young man was lost in thought and recollection, Saint Shallia slowly lowered her head, and her lake green eyes got closer and closer to her clear golden eyes, and finally stopped at a dangerous distance, perhaps less than ten centimeters away. In the inverted perspective, the two looked at each other, and each other's appearance was reflected in their eyes. The magical thing was that neither of them felt the slightest bit of romance, only a faint feeling of warmth.

Saint Xia Liya said: "She described you to me in the past. You were cheerful, gentle, kind, calm and positive. You were good in both character and study and were willing to interact with people around you. You were just like Shino in Su Miya University. At that time, you had a beautiful smile, so it was said that you had many suitors, but you rejected them one by one."

It is not even a direct rejection, but various euphemistic, implicit and poetic expressions: breaking off a snowy white flower, nailing it to the confession letter, and then sending it back to the original owner. In its hometown in the North, the flower language of this flower is "flawless friendship"; or sending a book as a return gift. The Northland Publishing House reprinted "A Journey to the Isle of Gliss" in 1788. In the title page of that edition alone, the author Martin Hughes wrote a short fable and pointed out the theme of the story with a motto: love is not everything in life.

But if it were a young person today, perhaps he would just respond coldly with something like, "I'm sorry, you're a good person," right?

Although their original intentions were all good, the young man would never trample on the feelings of others in a sinister way, but the way of rejection was different, and the image he showed was also different. When will he be able to regain the ability to smile at others? If there is such a possibility, Saint Shalia hopes it is now.

"..."

Lingge was silent for a while before he said, "It's amazing that she still remembered."

The tone is a little complicated.

The young man himself had forgotten these old events, and he had to search his mind for a while before he could find the corresponding memories. However, most of them were vague impressions, and he might have even forgotten the names and appearances of the people involved, but Metien still remembered them so clearly.

So she must still remember what her brother looked like when he smiled.

"Actually, I remember it too." Saint Xia Liya suddenly said, "I remember when Ling Ge smiled, he was really pretty."

"How do you...know?"

Lingge felt a little awkward because he had never smiled at Saint Shallia in his memory - to be precise, at everyone.

Saint Xia Liya blinked her eyes. At such a close distance, Ling Ge even felt that her long eyelashes were almost scratching his eyes: "In a dream."

"In a dream?"

"Well, I dreamed of Lingge smiling." And he was smiling at me, she added silently in her heart.

Ling Ge pondered for a moment and couldn't help but say, "That was a really strange dream."

"Not at all." Saint Shalia seriously corrected his point of view: "I think it's good, better than any dream I've ever had before."

"That's why it's so strange." Ling Ge said, "Dreams are a reflection of reality. You've never seen me smile, but you could dream about such a scene. I think this is unreasonable - even if you really dreamed about it, it should be vague and you should forget it quickly after waking up."

Sometimes people can remember their dreams very clearly, but sometimes they forget them faster. This difference is the difference in the reflection of reality. Dreams that can correspond to reality will always stay in their minds for a longer time, while dreams that do not correspond to reality are just dew in the early morning, and once the sun rises to the zenith, they will evaporate without a trace.

After hearing his words, Saint Xia Liya thought for a moment, and then replied in an uncertain tone: "But, Bai Ye also said that dreams are the echoes of past lives. So, maybe-"

She blinked her big, flawless green eyes: "I have seen your smile in my previous life?"

……

Lingge was a little stiff, trying to avoid her sight, but at this distance, the young man's every move, even the slightest change in his eyes, were all contained in the girl's bright pupils. She just slightly increased the strength of her hands, and then fixed the young man's head firmly on her thighs, forcing him to face her, and no longer giving him any chance to escape.

"Of course this is impossible," Ling Ge had to say. When he saw the disappointment flashing across Saint Shallia's eyes, he subconsciously changed the subject: "But there is a tiny chance that this is possible."

Saint Shallia then asked, "How small is it?" Lingge thought for a moment and replied, "It's as small as the probability that Tiantis suddenly changes his mind and decides to work with everyone to create a new future for civilization."

Saint Xia Liya couldn't help but laugh, and said with a smile: "According to that, there is indeed a probability."

She relaxed her grip, and Ling Ge breathed a sigh of relief. However, his little trick could only amuse Saint Xia Liya, and could not help him escape from this dilemma. So after laughing, Saint Xia Liya did not forget her original purpose. Her eyes were bright and bright: "But you haven't agreed to my request yet, Ling Ge."

"Can you smile at me?"

Her perseverance reminded Lingge of the teachings of his adoptive father, Mr. Yang Ke. He once told the young brother and sister about the past of Linville City in a storytelling tone. When the order of the united sect had not yet penetrated deeply into the city, there were often stories of young girls traveling alone at night and being harassed by some rogue hooligans. Those uneducated and unstable elements in society often liked to use similar excuses when chatting them up: "Beautiful girl, can you smile at me?"

Of course, these were words that Mr. Yanke had modified. The original words were certainly more rude and vulgar, which left a deep impression on the brother and sister, but their respective focuses were different. Metien thought that if I was forced to smile by others, I would definitely not be very happy; while Lingge vowed to protect his sister and prevent those undisciplined little hooligans from appearing within thirty feet of her.

But when he said this, he never thought that one day he would be the victim!

Should this be considered social progress or the regression of civilization?

Recalling the past, the scenes of that day seemed to reappear in front of the young man's eyes: the adoptive father who was nagging at the dinner table, constantly reminding the two children to be extra careful when going out in the future; the pink-haired girl who secretly put all the onions on the brother's plate when he was not paying attention, and ate the stewed lamb by herself, mumbling vaguely "I won't go out alone" while chewing; and the boy who waved the knife and fork with shining eyes, who was obviously just a child but always pretended to be mature, and said in an adult tone that he would protect his sister... The memories have never been so clear, it is better to say that they came out of themselves rather than recalled, as if these memories actually have their own emotions, and know how to hide deep in the mind when the owner does not need them, and when he needs them, they swarm out and rush to show themselves.

It’s just like the time when I wanted to appear brave in front of my adoptive father and sister.

When he thought about how he had been so green in the past, the young man couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth, and then maintained a very shallow arc without disappearing.

"what."

Saint Charitya opened her mouth slightly, and her emerald eyes were filled with excitement, joy, and excitement. She said happily, "You smiled, Lingge."

The young man then reached out his hand and touched the corner of his mouth. In fact, at this distance, he could already see his smile in Saint Shalia's eyes, but there were some things that he had to confirm with his own hands before he could feel at ease. He thought that his facial muscles would be very stiff after not smiling for many years, but in fact, he smiled very naturally, and even felt relieved. This may mean that some emotions and skills are actually deeply hidden in human instincts, and can be understood and practiced without learning.

Saint Shallia held the young man's cheeks with both hands, and then moved her thighs to adjust the position, so that he was closer to her, so that she could see the faint smile more clearly. She did not notice that she had lowered her head to a very dangerous distance, and if she got a little closer, their foreheads would have an intimate collision. She just stared at the young man's slightly outlined mouth very attentively, seriously, and at the same time, she couldn't help but have a strange thought in her mind:

Ling'er's lips are very thin, like a straight line when pursed, and look a little pale, so not only do they look good when he smiles, they should also be suitable for kissing, right?
Then came an impulse.

At this distance, even if he said it was an accidental collision... Ling Ge should believe it, right?

However, after thinking it over again and again, Saint Xia Liya gave up this dangerous idea. Ling Ge finally let down his guard and was willing to smile. How could she use the excuse of accident and impulse to ruin his good mood at the moment, just to satisfy her own selfish little wish? Moreover, she did not think that this was her last chance. The road ahead was still long, and Ling Ge would always accompany her until the moment when everything came to fruition.

It is often mentioned in human love stories that the first kiss is a very sacred, serious, and important thing, just as important as concluding an eternal contract. Then, she will also wait patiently for that moment to come, and before that, she will be pious and expectant. As for whether Lingge is willing to give up his first kiss... Saint Xia Liya thinks there is no such worry. Look, he is willing to accept her lap pillow and show her a sincere smile, so a more intimate contact is just a matter of course.

However, Ling'er is introverted and often shy, so I have to give him more time; in return, when I reap the fruits of my labor, no one can stop me for any reason, including Ling'er.

and so--

She suddenly said, "Lingge."

"Ok?"

"Can you please agree to one more small request of mine?"

"This..." Saint Shallia's request today seemed a bit too much, Lingge hesitated.

The shepherdess immediately emphasized, "This is my final request."

"Well... okay, what kind of request?"

"That is, if one day I must do something," Saint Xia Liya said seriously with a stern face, "I hope you won't stop me."

Ling Ge was shocked by her strong aura that she rarely showed. After a while, he asked hesitantly, "So, what's the matter?"

"Keep it a secret." Saint Xia Liya curved her eyebrows and smiled gently: "You will know when the time comes."

"Ah this..." (End of this chapter)