28. A Successful Deal

Cen Jiu was still some distance from the meeting point when she suddenly saw a short, thin figure emerge from the bushes at the side of the road.

The creature’s messy, long hair stuck out in every direction, topped with a few green leaves, making him look like a disheveled black broom head.

"Edible."

He showed Cen Jiu the fruits bundled in his tattered rag cloak—a pile of plants he had hand-picked, varying in red, green, purple, and yellow, and of all different sizes.

"Waiting for you... eat now!" Aliku’s eyes were fixed intently on the bamboo basket in her hand.

Cen Jiu looked at the fruit and plants he was cradling in his ragged clothes, and her mouth twitched. "Wait a moment."

The bamboo basket came with a sizeable piece of linen, perfect for spreading on the grass for a picnic.

Cen Jiu found a relatively clean patch of grass under the shade of a nearby tree, spread out the picnic cloth, and laid out the meal. She stood up, walked toward Aliku, and extended the empty bamboo basket toward him.

Aliku shifted his body uneasily, holding his breath in nervousness. He could clearly smell her unique scent—a faint trace of charred firewood. And, most unsettling of all, the scent of fresh blood.

Aliku remembered that the scent of blood on her had been strongest when they first met. It hadn't been there the last time they saw each other, though Aliku didn't think that was an exception. She simply hadn't hunted any prey that suited her, which was why she had been searching for edible plants.

This time, that warning scent had returned. What had she hunted?

Aliku gripped the hem of his garment tightly. He seemed to understand what she wanted him to do, but he was hesitant, unsure if he had correctly interpreted her intentions. He feared that if he made the wrong move, she would hurt him.

"Put the things inside," Cen Jiu said. Seeing Aliku cowering, she pointed to the berries in his makeshift pocket and then to the bamboo basket, fearing he might not understand.

Given the clear instruction, Aliku let out a sigh of relief. He relaxed his grip on his clothing and transferred all the gathered fruits and plants into the bamboo basket.

Once done, he looked up at Cen Jiu, his bright yellow eyes gazing up at her, green and gold gazes meeting. There was a hint of seeking approval in his expression, along with the anticipation of a reward.

Cen Jiu understood without needing words—he wanted to eat.

"Sit down and eat." Cen Jiu sat on the cloth. The furry grass beneath the fabric felt surprisingly comfortable.

Hearing that he could eat, Aliku immediately followed her lead, sitting opposite her and diving into the food with voracious hunger.

Watching this character go from patiently waiting to devouring the food like a whirlwind, Cen Jiu had the inexplicable illusion that she was raising a dog.

Aliku used a spoon, but it was more of an accessory; he practically buried his entire face in the bowl, eating rapidly, with the sounds of swallowing and chewing never ceasing. Before long, he had finished everything, licking the bowl clean until not a single scrap remained.

"..."

Having witnessed the entire process at close range, Cen Jiu silently saved this high-skill-level footage.

He ate well, but he was just too much like a dog! Maybe she could send this kid off to be a pet streamer.

As she put the licked-clean utensils back into the basket and began to retrieve the linen cloth, she noticed Aliku staring intently at the fabric. This coarse, rough cloth was far cleaner than the weathered rags wrapped around his body.

His gaze flicked between the cloth and Cen Jiu, looking pitiful.

Yeah, the look of a creature wanting something was just like a dog's, too.

Cen Jiu ignored his longing look and packed the cloth into the basket. His expression immediately turned gloomy and dejected. A cool breeze blew, and he hunched over, wrapping himself tightly in his threadbare, drafty rags.

The trade with this adventurer was complete; it was time for him to continue foraging...

"Aliku, do you want a new set of clothes?"

The adventurer's voice sounded by his ear. He didn't know when she had silently moved to his side, her hand lifting a torn strip of fabric from his rags.

The fabric was worn and filthy. Cen Jiu felt that the grime on the rag alone accounted for more than half of its total weight; the tactile sensation was unnervingly realistic. Although it was difficult for an orphan who acted like a wild dog to wash his clothes regularly, there was no need to go into such exhaustive detail.

Still, he didn't have much of an unpleasant odor; if anything, he was just covered in earth-black, smelling of mud. Cen Jiu had confirmed that his light brown skin was much darker than the townspeople's, yet lighter than the indigenous people's. It wasn't caused by rolling in the dirt, which made her wonder if Zhu Ya was right about him being of mixed heritage.

Aliku didn't process the good news at first, standing there blankly for a long time before nodding vigorously.

He wanted it! Aliku wanted a relatively new set of clothes.

He relied on luck to catch animals, and it took a long time to gather enough fur from small animals to make something warm. As for large animals, he always stayed far away, not daring to provoke them. He only had one set of warm clothes thanks to the generosity of kind people in town, but clothing wore out quickly in the wild, and he was too embarrassed to keep bothering them.

If they got annoyed, maybe no one would ever pay attention to him again. That was why, when Cen Jiu had pretended to ignore him, he had chosen to leave quietly. He hadn't expected her to see his need and offer it herself.

"This fabric is too rough. Wait for me to go back and find something suitable for you." Cen Jiu examined his clothing; it had originally been a decent, comfortable cotton, consistent with what the townspeople wore, just too dirty.

Hearing this, Aliku smiled at Cen Jiu. The sharp canine teeth he revealed when grinning made him look even sillier.

Cen Jiu couldn't help but ruffle his messy hair, ending up with a handful of dust.

"..."

The adventurer, who preferred being clean, was not very happy.

The kind adventurer’s head-patting left Aliku confused and flustered at first, but after overcoming the discomfort of physical contact, he found it inexplicably soothing. When Cen Jiu withdrew her hand, he instinctively tilted his head to nuzzle against her palm, offering his head for her touch.

"Alright, that's enough!" Cen Jiu pushed him away, amused and exasperated at how he had turned into a domesticated pet in a second.

He was already leaning in—was this character really a dog in disguise? Just minutes ago, he had been shivering with fear!

"Woo..." Aliku made a short, dog-like sound in his throat, looking up at her with a mix of grievance and caution.

No one had ever patted his head like this before. He had been momentarily intoxicated by the interaction, and now that it was abruptly interrupted, he felt a strange sense of emptiness.

She had gripped his shoulders tight enough to cause pain. She was the one who had initiated contact, so why was she suddenly scolding him and laughing at him now?

Could it be that she, too, was just like those dead people, only wanting to torment him?

A bitter feeling washed over him. It had been a long time since Aliku had felt particularly sad about such things. The saddest time was years ago, when the townspeople had called him over, saying they had food for him, only to throw trash in his face. He hadn't understood what they said, but when he wailed in pain from the projectile, they had laughed with such joy.

It was a painful time, until the town was shrouded in the scent of death. They had died, and everything had passed.

Was her smile the same as theirs? Were they all just mocking him and hating him? Was her friendliness before also a lie?

Familiar yet strange emotions overflowed, and Aliku’s vision blurred.

He felt the adventurer release one of her hands from his shoulder, rummage through her pocket, and reach toward him.

*—I can't escape. I'm going to get hit.*

Aliku squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the impact, only hoping the humiliating pain would end quickly.

A soft, warm cloth gently wiped away his fearful tears. The expected pain did not descend upon him.

"Really, why are you crying all of a sudden?" Cen Jiu held his chin with one hand, complaining as she used the handkerchief to wipe the crying character's face clean. "I didn't mean to scare you, I was just annoyed by too many troubles... here, this is for you."

Having skillfully wiped his dirty face clean, Cen Jiu stuffed the handkerchief into his hands as a gift, hoping to boost the favorability that had surely plummeted just now.

"...Why?" The response was Aliku’s tearful question.

He held the handkerchief in both hands, large tears falling "pitter-patter" continuously.

Aliku’s heart was filled with confusion. When Zhu Ya and the others faced him, they always smiled, never showing him any anger. Their eyes held only a faint emotion; he didn't know how to describe it, but it was like the look a wolf might give its cub when it finally left the pack. Aliku didn't like it; it always made his heart feel heavy, so he never actively approached them.

But this person was different. She had the scent of a hunter’s blood, completely unlike the residents of the town. Aliku had followed her for a time and observed her; she must be a lonely stray like him.

Even now, she had no intention of hurting him. She had wiped away his strange sadness and given him an object imbued with her scent.

Why? Why be so good to him...

"Why?" Cen Jiu shifted her gaze away guiltily, trying to brush it off. "Because it's an adventurer's headache..."

Wait, maybe this character had a clue!

A flash of inspiration struck, and Cen Jiu suddenly understood the value of Aliku's question. Aliku could understand complex sentences, and his mysterious comings and goings meant he might have information that players didn't know.

This "why" was a hint from the development team that players could extract information from him!

Ask him!

"I want to know if there have been any strange things in the town or that manor—unusual occurrences, or someone finding something super precious... anything, no matter how long ago!" Cen Jiu noticed he seemed to enjoy head pats. It was just a bit of dust, and it would refresh after a while anyway.

The adventurer ruffled his black hair and laughed, "Just consider it my collection habit. I want to hear some interesting rumors."

Aliku reflexively flinched, but the next second, he actively nuzzled into her palm.

Along with the touch, a fresh system notification appeared.

[Achievement: Aliku likes head pats]

"..." This achievement was actually hidden, and the way to achieve it, along with the name, was kind of funny.

Did this count as soothing him?

This character was really easy to scare but very easy to soothe.