If one were to ask about the most beautiful scenery in Tianzhou City, everyone’s first answer would be: Su Lake.
Xia Henao had always wanted to visit Su Lake. This time, he finally found an opportunity and was determined to go.
Taking a Bidoof taxi specifically for trainers, Xia Henao arrived at the Su Lake scenic area, shrouded in winter rain.
The view Xia Henao most wanted to see at Su Lake was the Broken Bridge. Upon reaching the bridge, all he saw through the rain curtain was a blurry figure holding an umbrella, standing there indistinctly.
Xia Henao chuckled, "I didn't expect there to be someone else enjoying Su Lake in the rain like me. It's fate to meet, I should go say hello."
Xia Henao walked onto the bridge with his umbrella. As he got closer to the figure, his heart involuntarily beat faster.
A girl holding an oil-paper umbrella was standing on the bridge, gazing at the lake, looking quite lonely. Xia Henao approached her, turned his head, and looked:
She was a very demure girl, standing in the cold wind and rain. The raindrops, blown by the wind, dampened the tips of her hair.
Though it might seem like an attempt to strike up a conversation, Xia Henao leaned in and asked, "Excuse me, young lady, why are you here alone enjoying the view?"
The girl turned her head, her face and demeanor were truly heart-wrenching. "I am waiting for someone here. Do you need anything?"
Xia Henao shook his head, "Nothing. Since you're waiting for someone, I won't bother you."
Just as he was about to turn away, Xia Henao felt a strong gust of wind hit him, directly snatching the umbrella from the girl's hand and sending it flying into the lake.
Although Xia Henao found the wind’s arrival strange, he couldn't just stand by and watch the girl get drenched.
Xia Henao moved closer to the girl and tilted his umbrella towards her. The girl glanced at Xia Henao, then with a slight blush, smiled at him, "Thank you."
In Xia Henao's mind, the system, relishing the drama, played a bizarre tune: "Su Lake beauty~ Winter month’s sky, winter rain like knives, scraping your face..."
Listening to the song remixed by the system, Xia Henao cursed internally, "Can't you play some normal music?"
After waiting with the girl for a while longer, she moved closer to Xia Henao. "Thank you for keeping me company. Could you trouble yourself to escort me home?"
Xia Henao wasn't good at refusing girls and so, holding his umbrella, he accompanied her home.
Xia Henao was surprised to find that the girl's family was extremely wealthy. The area of their villa was probably larger than that of Tianzhou No. 77 Middle School.
Seeing the girl arrive home, a maid who had been waiting at the entrance hurried to take her belongings. "Miss, where have you been? We were so worried!"
The young lady pointed at Xia Henao. "Just went for a walk by Su Lake and met a friend."
After taking off her shoes, the young lady looked at Xia Henao. "Could you please wait in the reception room for a moment?"
Xia Henao nodded and followed the maid to the reception room on the second floor.
Xia Henao sat in the reception room, feeling a prickle on his scalp as the maid stared at him expressionlessly. "Um, is there something wrong with me?"
"No, sir, you haven't done anything improper."
"Then why the expression?"
"You are not the young lady's friend, so I don't need to put on too many expressions."
Xia Henao put down his teacup. "Then may I ask, what is your young lady doing?"
"The young lady is bathing. It's best if you don't have any improper thoughts about her."
...
After enduring half an hour with the maid in the reception room, the door finally creaked open, and the girl, dressed in a long white dress, entered. She approached Xia Henao and bowed slightly. "Thank you for escorting me back."
Xia Henao was flustered. "Don't, don't mention it. You're a girl, after all."
Seeing Xia Henao's awkwardness, the girl extended her hand. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bai Susu, and I am a second-year student at Tianzhou Municipal Elite Pokémon High School."
Xia Henao, feigning gentlemanliness, gently shook Bai Susu's hand. "My name is Xia Henao, and I'm a traveler at the moment."
Upon hearing Xia Henao's name, Bai Susu let out a chuckle. "Your name is very interesting."
Xia Henao sighed helplessly, "There's nothing I can do. My parents named me this."
Xia Henao and Bai Susu were about to chat for a bit when it was time for lunch. Looking at the meal on the table, Xia Henao released Froakie and Rotom to eat with Bai Susu's Serperior.
During lunch, Xia Henao couldn't help but think, "I really didn't expect Bai Susu's Pokémon to be a Serperior. We're the same age."
The system helpfully displayed Serperior's data for Xia Henao:
Name: Serperior ♀
Level: Lv47
Ability: Contrary
Effect: +Special Attack -Attack
Stats: HP 150, Attack 90, Defense 117, Special Attack 116, Special Defense 110, Speed 136
Moves: Giga Drain, Sunny Day, Grassy Terrain, Leech Seed
Regardless of this Serperior's actual stats, the mere fact that Bai Susu owned a green snake was enough to make Xia Henao's imagination run wild.
The system teased Xia Henao, "I say, if this young lady has thoughts of taking you as a son-in-law, why don't you just go for it?"
Xia Henao's cutlery paused, and he mentally cursed, "What do you mean by that? Go for it?"
"Haven't you heard of the Legend of the White Snake? The White Snake and Green Snake met Xu Xian at the Broken Bridge. And you even lent her an umbrella. Although I'm not sure how it differs from the White Snake Legend you've seen, I think it wouldn't be bad for you to play the part of Xu Xian, would it?"
Looking at the beautiful and wealthy young lady Bai Susu before him, and then thinking of his childhood sweetheart Shen Yu, Xia Henao fell silent. Perhaps the system was right?
Bai Susu noticed Xia Henao's lack of movement, only chewing. "Henao, what's wrong? Are you preoccupied?"
Xia Henao snapped back to attention. "Nothing."
Bai Susu, being understanding, didn't press further, and the three of them continued their lunch.
After lunch, Xia Henao watched Froakie playing with Serperior and asked, "This Serperior..."
"You mean Xiao Qing? This is the Pokémon my parents left me."
"Xiao, Xiao Qing? This Serperior is called Xiao Qing?"
"Yes, my mother named her."
The more Xia Henao heard, the more he felt he was entangled with the Legend of the White Snake. Was he destined to be Xu Xian?
Xia Henao didn't ask about his parents. From Bai Susu's words, it was likely her parents had already...
"They left Xiao Qing to accompany me and then went to work in the capital. I barely see them a few times a year."
Xia Henao felt a bit awkward, thinking, "Sorry, uncle and aunt, I accidentally thought you were both dead."
"Bai..."
"Just call me Susu. All my friends call me that."
"Okay, Susu, why aren't you attending classes? Aren't you a student at Tianzhou Municipal Middle School?"
Bai Susu flashed a beautiful smile. "I've already been admitted early."
Hearing Bai Susu's humblebrag, Xia Henao's mouth twitched slightly. People really couldn't be compared. It was only the first semester of sophomore year, and she had already been admitted early. Unlike him, who was still agonizing over how to pass his final exams... Wait, I don't need to worry about final exams anymore, I dropped out!
He couldn't let Bai Susu continue on this topic, it was too much pressure on his heart.
"Can you tell me who you were waiting for on the bridge?"
"You," Bai Susu winked playfully and smiled at Xia Henao.
Xia Henao absolutely didn't believe this. If she had really been waiting for him, it wouldn't be a city story, it would be a supernatural legend.
"Just kidding, when you walked onto the bridge, I was already planning to leave, but since you came over, I decided to stay a bit longer."
"Then thank you very much for that. You made it less awkward for me."
...
Happy times pass quickly. Xia Henao barely noticed, and it was already past six in the evening.
Looking at the clock on the wall, Xia Henao stood up to leave. "It's this late already. I should be going now. We'll meet again someday."
Bai Susu stood up and escorted Xia Henao to the door. "Yes, we'll meet again. I believe it."
Xia Henao, turning away from Bai Susu's villa, walked back to the Pokémon Center, reminiscing about the day's events with the system.
"System, did you find out who this Bai Susu is?"
"I checked, but I couldn't find anything."
"Hmm? There's something even you, a system, can't find?"
"Yes. I can only check within the bounds of not triggering any alarms. Like your information, typically, it only shows you as a beginner trainer. Do you understand what I mean?"
With this answer, Xia Henao was immediately relieved. Information that even the system couldn't access without triggering alarms must belong to someone extraordinary. And on the Spirit Monster Star, only the Pokémon Alliance had such authority.
As he walked towards the Tianzhou branch, Xia Henao checked his phone. The Trainer app was reminding him that he had less than thirty hours left to stay at the Tianzhou branch.
Depending on the trainer's level, the permissions granted by each Pokémon Center to trainers were different. For beginner trainers like Xia Henao, they could only stay at a branch for a maximum of forty-eight hours. The gap between stays at two branches had to be at least twenty-four hours.
Locking his phone and putting it in his pocket, he said, "Tomorrow morning I'll train Froakie, and in the afternoon I'll have to leave Tianzhou."
The system looked at Xia Henao, who had his hands behind his head. "Actually, you don't necessarily have to leave Tianzhou. You could choose to live at Bai Susu's house. If you work hard, becoming a live-in son-in-law isn't impossible."
"Stop messing around. I'm devoted to my Yu!"
As soon as he said that, Xia Henao froze. "I didn't go to class today, why didn't Yu call me?"
The system rolled its eyes at him impatiently. "You changed your phone number yesterday without even telling your parents. What right do you have to blame her for not calling you?"