Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 894: Return to the past temporarily?

The setting sun dyed the sea of ​​trees in Cleveland Forest Park into a magnificent dusk color. The huge fireball cooled down and slowly moved westward, gradually sinking below the horizon. Night began to fall, and the street lights on the park streets illuminated the figures returning home. Most of them were still discussing the game that had just passed. There were too many things worth talking about, and the serve in the final game that combined power, speed and beauty was already recognized by them as the best serve of the entire qualifying stage.

Sitting in the pavilion, Xinuo listened to these discussions and couldn't help feeling proud, as if the person being praised was actually her. The girl looked up at the sky and stood up from her seat again. Her snow-white ponytail swayed in the evening breeze, bouncing with her steps, looking quite cute.

“Still watching?” Alice lay on the stone table and complained, “You’ve watched it seven times, Xino, can you be more patient and learn from me?”

Counting all the trash cans on the street, you are the least qualified to say this.

Linger glanced at the guy inconspicuously as a warning, while Xino smiled and was about to say something when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking towards here in the sunset. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she threw all the damn Alice behind her. She waved at the other party vigorously and shouted, "Here, Leila! We are here!"

"Shino!"

Leila's eyes also lit up, and she subconsciously quickened her pace, changing from walking to running. She trotted all the way to her friend, stopped and stood still, looking up her little face. She was excited and happy, but there was still a flush on her face. She didn't know if she ran too fast to catch her breath, or if she was still immersed in the passion of the game and didn't break free.

Seeing this, Xinuo couldn't help but smile, and helped her straighten the wobbly racket behind her, saying, "Don't be so anxious, Leila, I won't run away."

"Haha, because I don't want you to wait too long." Leila had a silly smile on her face. She didn't look like a popular player who had just won the last spot in the main tournament. "Those reporters blocked me in the stadium and insisted on interviewing me. I dealt with them for more than half an hour before I found a chance to escape."

Last time, when the group and Xino went to Sumya State University to visit her old classmates, the two sides got to know each other. Apart from Lingge, Gloria was undoubtedly the most popular person. After all, as a fan of poker, who could resist the temptation of a professional player?

These words, which sounded like both a complaint and a boast, made Xino laugh out loud. He reached out and pinched her slightly chubby cheeks, teasing her, "You are a big star now. There were so many people cheering your name in the stands just now. What's a few reporters interviewing you? When you become a professional player, even if you go out to eat or drink a cup of coffee, you will have to worry about being followed by reporters, just like Caesar."

"Hehe, I dare not compare myself with Mr. Gulide." Leila scratched her head embarrassedly. Although she has proved her strength and is not inferior to those professional players on the list, she is still far behind those well-known players such as Caesar, Moon Goddess or Heavy Gunner.

"what!"

Shino touched her hair, then looked back at the others and asked, "So, Mr. Ling, are you going to come with us?"

“Then what are you waiting for?” Alice perked up, completely losing the depressed look she had when she was lying on the stone table complaining about Xino. “Hurry up, hurry up, don’t let those who are waiting for the genius player to appear wait too long, okay?”

"Sure." Leila welcomed him: "Let's go together. We are all Xino's friends. And Miss Gloria is here. Phyllis and the others will definitely be very happy!"

This is true.

Leila had a bright smile on her face and looked very happy.

"Great!"

Ah, you ask me why I excluded Lingge?
Because there were the most people around him that day, but it didn't mean that the young man was popular. It was just that everyone suspected that he had some kind of improper relationship with Miss Xino, the school's heartthrob, the idol of many younger students, and the pride of Sumya University, so they asked him indirectly.

Ling Ge originally wanted to say that since you guys are having a class reunion, there's no need for us outsiders to go with you. However, some shameless people didn't understand this. When they heard what Xinuo said, they nodded repeatedly and shouted impatiently, "We have to go, we have to go!"

She has not yet recovered from the loss of the game and needs a dinner to relieve stress - of course, if you insist on finding fault and say that I can't see any signs of you being under any pressure, then Ai-chan will only tell you that psychological pressure is also a kind of pressure, and true geniuses are often not understood by the world.

"Dinner party..."

Xinuo pondered. Due to some unspeakable reasons, she was actually quite busy during this period. She had to train with Brandi almost every day to regain her old feelings. Even the time to watch the game was squeezed out. However, looking at the expectant expressions on her good friends' faces, the faces of Phyllis and George appeared in her mind again. It was a little difficult to say no for a while. After a brief silence, she finally nodded: "Okay."

After she said that, Leila remembered, "Phyllis said she wanted to book the Azure Arc Restaurant for a dinner party to celebrate my winning the last spot in the finals, so she and George left first. It seems that the president and the seniors who have graduated will also be there. Shino, let's go there quickly and don't make them wait too long!"

Of course, the young people were fully prepared for their suspicions and hints. Saint Xia Liya played a key role. If she had not emphasized in a firm tone that "Ling Ge and Xino are just ordinary friends", everyone's suspicion of them might have continued for some time.

Seeing that she didn't lose her mind because of the momentary complacency, Xinuo nodded slightly and said, "Although it's not possible now, it may not be possible in the future. By the way, where are Phyllis and the others? Didn't they go to the players' lounge to look for you? Why didn't they come out with you?"

No one expects you at all.

Linger asked for other people's opinions. Not everyone was interested in Xinuo's class reunion. For example, Countess Nevill only wanted to go back and have a cup of black tea after watching the game. Her tea reserves were almost empty, but she took the opportunity to go to the city and bought a new batch of tea at the big department store in Sumiya. She almost emptied the store's stock, causing the saleswoman to look at her with a strange look, as if she was looking at money. If it weren't for her own little hobby, the Countess would not have come to watch the so-called polo match. She preferred polo or fencing, which were elegant sports with aristocratic style.

Apart from her, the boss lady had to go back to prepare dinner for a disabled angel lady, Shelia was too focused on her bartending career to care for other things, Lorena was going back to the alchemy workshop to test out new recipes, and Sister Livia had become a devout believer of the goddess, praying for an hour in Tianxin Church every day before dinner... So in the end, only three children followed Lingge and the others to attend the party. The three children were Metien, Leticia, Shemi, and Alice... Hey, something strange seemed to have sneaked in?

Ahem, don't worry about these details. Anyway, everyone split into two groups. One group went back to Yunjingkong Island first, and the other group, led by Leila and Xino, came to the most famous restaurant in the San Pareto area where the Sumiya State University is located: Blue Arc. The reason why this restaurant is famous is mainly due to its geographical advantage. Because it is adjacent to the Sumiya State University, it has become a daily gathering place for energetic college students. Teachers and professors from the school often come and discuss various academic problems at the table. The cultural atmosphere was once so strong that ordinary people were daunted.

It is said that the "Lessen's Theorem", which is regarded as the greatest scientific discovery in the 18th century, the "Analysis of Human Emotions", which pioneered psychiatry, and the famous work "Mist and Mist" by the great writer Piraceno were all born in this seemingly ordinary little restaurant... Of course, it's just gossip.

Today, to celebrate her good friend Leila's qualification for the main tournament, Phyllis, who has the best family background in the club, generously booked the entire restaurant and even used her personal connections to invite several professional chefs. Expensive delicacies and various desserts were placed on the table as if they were free. If students were not fond of drinking, Phyllis would have almost asked the butler to fetch the wine that she had collected for many years in her private estate. It was obviously just a class reunion, but she made it so grand, like a noble dinner, which made Leila, the person involved, laugh and feel a little touched.

"This is too extravagant, Phyllis." After receiving waves of congratulations, Leila, the protagonist of the party, finally couldn't hold it anymore. She stepped back and complained to her friend in a low voice: "I thought it was just a private room for everyone to have a meal together. Why are you making such a fuss? People who don't know would think I won the championship."

"Oh, you don't understand, Leila." Phyllis had guessed her reaction long ago and had already thought of the words to respond: "Getting a place in the finals is more exciting than winning the qualifying championship! Besides, this is not only a celebration party, but also a party to cheer you on. I wish you good results in the finals in advance!"

"this--"

Leila was speechless and looked at her friends for help, but Shino just looked at her with a smile. George and Vincent simply turned their heads away. Only Craig, the current president of the club, who had already started an internship at a large company and had taken a special leave today, chuckled and said, "Listen to her, Leila. Even I have to listen to her on this matter. If you don't accept it, Phyllis will come to me in a few days to complain that I, as the president, don't pay any attention to the club at all."

"Isn't that the truth?" Phyllis glanced at him provocatively. Her tone showed no respect for the current president, but a hint of anger: "President Craig has participated in so many competitions, but he hasn't won a single championship. Leila has won the Four Schools Cup and now has a place in the main tournament. I think her contribution to the club as the acting president is much greater than yours!"

"That's right!" Alice, who had come along to eat and drink for free, casually took out a piece of paper, wiped the grease from the corners of her mouth, and said seriously: "Leila is the pride of our Sumya University! If she wants to be the president, I, Alice, will be the first to support her!"

"..." Everyone looked at her with strange eyes, probably surprised that she could shamelessly say "our Sumiya University". But Phyllis was proud to see that someone supported her: "Look, even Miss Alice, an outsider, said so. It shows that everyone has an idea in mind."

"Okay." Craig raised his hands in surrender: "I admit that Leila, the acting president, is indeed better than me as the president, but - I am sure that she is far inferior to me in one aspect."

He changed the subject, and Phyllis asked unconvincedly, "Which point?"

"The discovery and cultivation of talents." Craig showed a proud look on his face: "Don't forget who brought Xino and Claire into the club."

There was a sudden silence, and then everyone, including the seniors who had already graduated, booed in disdain: "Tsk~"

"Even without you, Xino and Claire would have joined the club." Phyllis said in an unmistakable tone, because this was a fact recognized by everyone and had nothing to do with assumptions: "Even if Vincent was the president instead of you, they would not change their choice, so don't flatter yourself, my dear President Craig!"

She put emphasis on the word "dear", deliberately emphasizing something.

Vincent, who was innocently affected, was unhappy: "Phyllis, what does this have to do with me? I know that when you first joined the club, you were scolded and cried by President Craig, so you still hate him, but I shouldn't have offended you, right?"

George, who was standing next to him, laughed out loud. "Who said you didn't offend anyone? You and Phyllis were in the same class at the time and you had a good relationship. So, in order to vent Phyllis's anger, you went to argue with the president. Didn't you offend her?"

"Ah?" Vincent looked confused: "I was venting her anger, how did I offend her?"

George said in a deep voice: "So women are very complicated, Vincent, you don't understand at all?"

"Hahaha!!!"

Phyllis blushed and spat, and the crowd burst into laughter. The students' vigor and vitality were fully displayed in the laughter. Perhaps many years later they will go their separate ways and have different prospects and futures, but at least today, the lights of the Blue Arc Restaurant recorded the moment when these young people laughed and talked for friendship and dreams.

All the memories of my youth will be the most precious treasure in my life.

Xino watched this scene quietly. After a long time, she exhaled softly and said to Leila beside her: "Thank you, Leila."

"Huh?" Leila asked in confusion: "Why are you thanking me, Xino? I didn't do anything."

"Do not."

Xinuo said: "You helped me go back to the past."

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)