After getting out of the car, Raina North walked arm in arm with Elias Hawthorne through the night market.
Even though it was still early, the night market was already crowded. The noise was so overwhelming that people had to raise their voices to be heard. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝙣𝙚𝙩
The air was filled with the rich, smoky aroma of grilled meat.
Raina took a deep breath, "Grilled lamb skewers, this aroma really brings back memories." She leaned in, bought a bunch of lamb skewers, and handed a few to Elias, motioning for him to taste them.
Elias looked at the lamb skewer sprinkled with various seasonings handed to him, his eyebrows slightly furrowing, and he turned his head slightly to avoid it.
"It’s really good, not a hint of mutton flavor."
Elias, feeling a bit disdainful inside, still took a bite at Raina’s expectant gaze, chewing hesitantly.
Raina pressed on, "How is it? How is it?"
"Right? I think it’s delicious too." Raina quickly finished off a skewer in a few bites and said, "Don’t underestimate this simple food street. It actually hides countless delicacies, and the prices are very affordable. I ended up in The Umbral Zone by accident back then. I wasn’t the Alliance Hierarch of The Celestial Alliance; I was just an ordinary person struggling in poverty, with no money in hand, surviving each day on plain buns and cold water. The most extravagant thing then was to have a hearty meal at the night market."
Elias felt a sudden pain in his heart as he listened to Raina casually recounting those past days.
He was also brought to The Umbral Zone by someone else.
When he first arrived, he too had nothing, so he deeply understood Raina’s situation back then.
Elias didn’t find those early days in The Umbral Zone particularly tough, nor did he consider them a hardship, but when he thought of it happening to Raina, it felt completely different.
Just envisioning that Raina once lived those days of hunger hurt him deeply.
When Raina looked up and saw Elias staring at her with a face full of heartache, she quickly said, "Actually, that period didn’t last long. You know how capable I am; I turned everything around quickly. Still, I love coming to this night market, seeking out food, feeling the everyday life of ordinary people."
Whenever Raina felt exhausted, she’d come alone to this night market to savor the myriad bittersweet flavors, reminding her that she was very much alive.
Except for the sweet taste.
Back then, she kept her distance from sweetness, fearing it would envelop her and make her forget those days.
Thinking back now, Raina realized how stubborn and naive she was then. How could someone truly strong be weakened by just a piece of candy?
But none of that mattered now; today, she’d tasted sweetness—a big cloud of cotton candy that sweetened her very heart.
Raina suddenly became very happy, enthusiastically running ahead to lead the way, "Hurry up, come with me, I know several more delicious spots. Let’s hurry over."
The crowd was so large that they were quickly pushed apart.
Elias frowned, stretched his long legs, and quickly caught up, his expression slightly serious, "Don’t walk so fast, what if we get separated?"
"It’s okay, as long as you stay where you are, I’ll come back to find you. But if you’re still worried, then..." Raina grabbed Elias’s large hand and intertwined their fingers, "This will do."
Elias looked at the small hand in his larger palm, his expression slowly softening, "Hmm, this is good."