"Pfft."
Lucifer, who had just returned and witnessed the entire process, couldn't help but let out a laugh at Bai Cha's stunned expression. Bai Cha was truly amusing at the moment, her hand still suspended in mid-air, trying to call out to the person, looking somewhat at a loss.
The tattooed man probably saw Bai Cha, a frail woman, sitting alone in a wheelchair and mistook her for a sickly commoner out to enjoy the snow. Fearing Bai Cha's pride, he quickly shoved the umbrella into her arms and then darted away.
Bai Cha silently retracted her hand, unsure of what to say.
Lucifer coughed lightly and stepped forward, opening the umbrella and placing the roasted corn into Bai Cha's hand, continuing to walk.
Bai Cha said helplessly, "Lucifer, that's someone else's umbrella. Let's return it."
The umbrella was even floral. Bai Cha had reason to suspect that the tattooed man's floral shirt wasn't for style, but simply because he liked such things.
Seeing the slightly overweight man and another equally plump person huddled under one umbrella, Bai Cha didn't know what to say. She guessed that when those two got home, they would be equally covered in snow as unfortunate companions.
"It was a kind gesture. I believe warmth and kindness are passed on," Lucifer said with a smile. "If we return the umbrella, it might only make him feel awkward. Rather than that, let's help others more next time. We can be the mediums of propagation."
The scenery slowly shifted behind them. Bai Cha turned and looked at Lucifer intently. Lucifer's smile had softened considerably. Even when interacting with outsiders, he no longer had the previous aloofness and annoyance. Even when facing ordinary people, he was more patient and gentle.
"Lucifer, you've changed," Bai Cha smiled, her expression one of relief. "It seems taking you out wasn't in vain."
"Yes, my master," Lucifer replied with a smile, pushing Bai Cha towards the tallest building in the capital.
Before, they would always fly up, which was fast, efficient, and less likely to attract attention. This time, however, the two did not use their abilities. Instead, they went to the front desk and registered formally.
Since they were experiencing normal life, they had to go all out. Normal people naturally took the elevator.
The receptionist smiled as she greeted them. However, when the two registered their names, her smile almost broke, and her hand trembled, nearly making her write the wrong characters.
Bai Cha didn't pay it any mind and naturally let Lucifer take her onto the elevator.
The elevator doors had just closed when they were pressed open again. Someone rushed over and pressed the button for the ascending elevator. However, as soon as they peered inside, they froze.
Inside the elevator, the girl sitting in the wheelchair was breathtakingly beautiful, her frailness more charming than any beauty. She had skin like jade and bones like fine ivory, with eyes like paintings and a delicate, weak demeanor. Behind her, someone pushed her wheelchair. The person was well-proportioned, dressed in a well-tailored suit, but not appearing to be a burly brute, and seemed to pose no threat.
"What's wrong, old brother? Come on in." The footsteps of a group of people approached noisily from behind. Their speech was a bit slurred, sounding like they had been drinking at a gathering. They also froze when they looked into the elevator.
The burly man from the front reacted first. He quickly stepped back, waved his hands erratically, and spoke somewhat incoherently.
"No, it's fine. Miss, you go ahead," the burly man waved his hands erratically, appearing somewhat flustered upon seeing such a beautiful person for the first time. "You go up first."
"It's alright, sir. The elevator can accommodate us," Lucifer said with a smile, moving Bai Cha to the side. "If we wait for another elevator, it might be troublesome."
"No, no, no, it's not troublesome at all."
The burly man's companions also reacted, their faces flushing as they were taken in by the handsome pair in the elevator. They quickly waved their hands one after another.
"You go ahead, you go ahead. We have too many people."
"Exactly, exactly. Don't get yourselves fumigated after drinking."
"The elevator next door will be here soon. You go ahead, you go ahead."
"..."
The elevator next door will be here soon?
Bai Cha raised an eyebrow. She had just checked; the elevator opposite had only reached the thirty-second floor. It wouldn't be down anytime soon.
However, Bai Cha said nothing. She simply smiled, nodded, and watched as the elevator doors closed and ascended.
"Lucifer, do you understand now?"
"Of course, my master."
A lifeless planet gains vitality from its people, and due to their gathering, it develops the myriad aspects of human life.
And the world flourishes because of these human experiences.
The mortal world is filled with sin and goodness, but it is these two different attitudes that make this world richer.
They traveled the world and saw people meticulously counting every cent when buying groceries, yet generously giving to stray cats on the street corner. They saw people who worked day and night at stalls to earn living expenses for their university students, but who skimped on the quality of their goods. They witnessed good brothers fighting over benefits and becoming estranged, yet still extending a helping hand during a crisis.
One night, they encountered a boy walking alone on the street, who wanted to go to the cemetery to see his mother because he heard ghosts could be seen at night. They also met two eighty-year-old people who rushed into an internet cafe to drag out a sixty-year-old man, chasing him for two blocks with a rolling pin.
They saw a stranger, a grandmother, who was also alone but placed her late husband's leather shoes in front of her neighbor's door, hoping to deter strangers from prying with malicious intent. They also saw a stranger persuade a despondent teenager, who had lost his job and whose parents had divorced, to come down from the overpass and take him for a satisfying meal.
Once, Bai Cha remembered very clearly. She had asked Lucifer to buy her an ice cream. She operated her wheelchair and curiously looked at the menu of a shop by the roadside, wondering how its flavors would differ from those made by Lucifer. But before she could even look at a few items, she was welcomed inside by the shop owner.
At that time, Bai Cha was a bit hesitant because her appetite had been poor due to her weakness, and she wasn't hungry at all now. However, the owner was too enthusiastic and didn't give her any room to refuse.
Bai Cha was helpless. Since it was already mealtime, she and Lucifer might as well eat something casually here, saving Lucifer the trouble of finding another place to cook. Thus, she ordered a bowl of plain noodles.
It was peak mealtime, and the restaurant was crowded. When Lucifer arrived, Bai Cha, completely bewildered, had already been invited to share a table by a group of enthusiastic people. Upon seeing Lucifer, they warmly made a space for him.
"Ah, um, did you make a mistake?"
Bai Cha, in the crowd, was a bit confused. She was used to peace and quiet, and the sudden noise made her a little uncomfortable. However, she still managed to see the bowl of noodles placed in front of her. It was clearly a bowl of beef noodles.
And there was so much beef!
Bai Cha felt like crying and laughing. She really didn't have an appetite lately, and she also had no appetite for meat. Perhaps it was because her and Lucifer's attire was a bit simple, but people around seemed to have misunderstood something. Even Lucifer inexplicably received a bowl of lamb noodles, even though he hadn't ordered anything yet.
This table of people was truly very enthusiastic. They naturally included Bai Cha and Lucifer in their conversations, pulling them in to chat and brag, insisting they share a table of food.
Lucifer tried to explain several times without success and could only silently accept their kindness.
That day, the atmosphere between them was particularly different. Later, on a bridge, Lucifer and Bai Cha saw a large group of motorcyclists in gleaming racing suits speeding past. After asking for a long time, they finally understood. It turned out that a boy had late-stage cancer, and his dying wish was to have a motorcyclist wave to him at his door and invite him to race on the track together in the next life.
As a result, almost half the motorcyclists in the country had come from afar. Judging by the scene, there weren't just a few, but thousands. Everyone was afraid of being left out, so they all came.
"Humans are truly strange."
That day, Lucifer remained silent for a long time.
Humans were truly strange. Some showed kindness and warmth to strangers, while others treated those who silently contributed with disdain. However, from then on, Lucifer's aloofness and distance when facing humans decreased significantly.
There was another time that Bai Cha remembered vividly.
That day, Bai Cha said she wanted a more ordinary gift, so Lucifer took her to a supermarket.
However, there was some embarrassment. The country they had come to was a bit remote, and it didn't have the widespread iris and facial recognition automatic payment functions of Country Z. In this small country, they were still using cash. Helplessly, Lucifer had to go to the bank opposite to withdraw a significant amount of cash.
As soon as he returned, he saw Bai Cha already making a payment.
Bai Cha has money?
Lucifer was a bit surprised but saw Bai Cha smiling and walking out of the checkout counter with a plump woman with chocolate-colored skin. Upon seeing Lucifer, Bai Cha raised her hand, smiled at the woman, and said, "Thank you, my family is here. I'll return the money to you now."
"This is?" Lucifer was a bit confused.
"Because she saw me holding a gift set and waiting for a long time, and after asking, she learned it was a birthday present and wanted to give it to me," Bai Cha smiled, took the cash from Lucifer's hand, and handed it to the woman. Then, in universal language, she said to the woman, "Thank you for giving me a birthday gift. This is my token of gratitude... Oh, please don't refuse. This is the reward you deserve. Thank you for your kindness."
"You, you're serious?" The woman was astonished for a while, her chocolate complexion even flushing slightly. "This, this is just a small gift."
The gift Lucifer had chosen for Bai Cha was only a few hundred M coins, as it was a "more ordinary gift." However, the banknotes in Bai Cha's hand were ten thousand M coins, a full ten thousand M coins. This was undoubtedly a fortune for a struggling commoner in a small country.
"Of course, I'm serious," Lucifer also said with a smile. "Thank you for your help. This is what you deserve. I hope you will accept it."
Their attitudes were very gentle, but the woman couldn't hold back. She suddenly started crying, which momentarily left Bai Cha at a loss.
"You don't know what I've been through today. I've been struggling for months. I tried to give my soul to God. My parents couldn't understand that I like women," the woman said, covering her face and weeping. "I tried so hard, but I lost my job. My mother passed away. I don't know how to face my father who is ill in bed. I hope God will forgive me."
"Of course, God will forgive you for everything, because of your kindness," Bai Cha said, exerting effort to stand up, and hugged the woman. "Thank you for the birthday gift."
That night, as a group of strangers worked together to lift a bus that had rolled a little girl under its wheels, Bai Cha turned and saw that Lucifer's eyes were a little red.
Now, Lucifer stood with Bai Cha on the rooftop. Above them were the stars, and below was the bustling sea of lights.
"Actually, I've overlooked something. You've never truly experienced human society, so it's natural for you to have no sense of trust towards humans," Bai Cha said. "And I didn't pay attention to this, so it's no wonder that even though you obey me, you often don't understand my actions."
"Now I understand, my master," Lucifer's voice was very gentle, with less hostility than before. "At least I admit that this world is not entirely worthless."
Bai Cha smiled, looking at the tenderness in Lucifer's eyes, and didn't point out his stubbornness.
"Every Shadow was very independent from a young age because their fathers and daughters either died in accidents or were too busy to care for them. Most of the time, everyone was raised collectively by the Shadow leaders," Bai Cha said. "Becoming a leader meant taking on the responsibility of guiding the younger generation, and one of the crucial aspects was integrating into society."