CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29: HOLDING HANDS

Upon arriving at the main venue, Clara was momentarily taken aback when she saw the giant poster for "League of Kings," a hint of delight flashing in her eyes.

Silas Sheffield glanced at Clara and said evenly, "Sophie told me you like playing this game."

Clara pressed her lips together and murmured an "Hmm."

The convention was divided into two zones: one ordinary zone and one VIP zone.

Today was Sunday and also Valentine’s Day, so the ordinary zone was packed with people, nearly squashing anyone who walked through it.

On the other hand, the VIP zone had fewer people due to the high ticket price.

Silas Sheffield took Clara to the VIP zone.

There were many famous online cosplayers dressed as characters from the game, and quite a few passersby went over to get pictures.

Clara was filled with surprise, not expecting Silas Sheffield to know that she used to enjoy playing this game very much.

Clara started playing the game during her first year of high school and then paused in her third year due to study pressures. She picked it up again in college.

When Clara first started dating Isaac Sutton, she even pulled him into the game to play together.

But Isaac Sutton had no talent for games and played terribly, always getting beat, which eventually led to him giving up on the game.

In the game, Clara had a mentor who was incredibly skilled, with his proficiency in several heroes being ranked first in the national server.

After Isaac Sutton quit playing, he became jealous seeing Clara team up with her mentor, insisting that Clara quit the game too.

Back then, Clara was very fond of Isaac Sutton, so naturally, she went along with him and quit the game.

After walking a few steps, Clara saw a cosplayer dressed as one of her favorite female characters and excitedly went over to take a picture.

She handed her phone to Silas Sheffield, "Silas, could you take a few pictures for me?"

"Sure." The man took the phone, "Give me your bag too; it’s inconvenient for you to hold it while taking pictures."

"Okay, thank you, Silas." Clara handed her bag to Silas Sheffield.

Clara hadn’t put on makeup today, but her natural look was still very camera-friendly. Her small, oval-shaped face was fair and flawless, and her bright eyes seemed to have a captivating glow.

Silas Sheffield had played around with photography for a while before; he had great skills, and the photos he took of Clara looked better and better.

Clara flipped through the photos on her phone, surprised, "Silas, these photos turned out great. Both the angle and lighting are perfect, each shot is so publishable."

Silas Sheffield’s lips curved up slightly, his voice carrying more warmth than usual, "You’re pretty, so no photo of you could look bad."

Clara was slightly stunned, not expecting him to say that, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Was this really the cold and hard-to-approach Silas Sheffield she knew?

Clara wanted to take her bag, but Silas Sheffield said, "Your bag is quite heavy. I’ll carry it for you."

Clara pressed her lips awkwardly; her bag indeed was quite heavy.

She had brought two books to the hospital to pass time.

Before leaving, her mother gave her two apples and a bottle of water to carry with her.

Just earlier, carrying the bag was making her hand sore, and since Silas Sheffield offered help, Clara graciously accepted his kindness.

The VIP zone was large, featuring cosplayers as well as plenty of merchandise.

Clara lingered over the merchandise of her favorite character, unable to stop herself from looking.

Silas Sheffield noticed her lingering glance and went straight to pay for it.

Clara quickly stopped him, "That’s not necessary, Silas. I don’t even play the game anymore, there’s no need to waste money."

Silas Sheffield’s pace didn’t falter, his voice remained steady, "Even if you don’t play anymore, you can buy them as mementos."

Silas Sheffield was too fast at scanning the payment code; Clara simply couldn’t stop him.

Before long, Silas Sheffield’s hands were full of game merchandise he’d bought for Clara.

Clara felt quite embarrassed and attempted to help carry some things to lighten Silas Sheffield’s load.

"No need, I can carry them." Silas Sheffield didn’t let her.

After strolling for a while, Silas Sheffield suddenly asked, "You used to like playing this game a lot, why did you suddenly stop?"

Clara lowered her gaze, trying to find a random excuse to brush off the question, but she felt it would be insincere given everything Silas Sheffield had done for her.

So Clara decided to be honest, "I had a mentor in the game who was amazing. Isaac Sutton saw us playing together and got jealous, insisting I quit the game..."

As she explained, Clara’s voice grew softer, until it was nearly inaudible.

She felt a little guilty.

Quitting the game for a guy like Isaac Sutton felt like a dark bit of history.

However, to Clara’s surprise, Silas Sheffield’s attention wasn’t on Isaac Sutton.

"You had a mentor?" Silas Sheffield was surprised, "What kind of person was he?"

Talking about her mentor brought a smile to Clara’s eyes, "My mentor was an incredibly nice person. His gaming skills were outstanding, and he was very courteous and well-mannered, with sound values, and a top student too."

"Oh, and," Clara’s eyes smiled deeper, "I’ve heard from his friends that he’s very popular with girls in real life, but I’ve never seen his photo or even heard his voice."

At that point, a touch of regret surfaced in Clara’s eyes.

This regret didn’t escape Silas Sheffield’s notice, and there was a barely perceptible amusement in his eyes, which disappeared quickly.

Silas Sheffield’s voice remained even, "Since you’ve broken up with Isaac Sutton now, why not return to playing the game?"

"I’ve been too busy lately, without the time or energy," Clara lowered her eyelashes, "Besides, my mom is still sick, I really don’t have the mood for gaming."

Silas Sheffield nodded in understanding.

After finishing their tour of the VIP zone, Clara wanted to wander through the ordinary zone.

The ordinary zone was even more crowded than when they had first arrived.

Clara and Silas Sheffield walked side by side, when suddenly the crowd behind them erupted in cheers and excitement, swarming forwards.

The scene turned chaotic, and a little girl nearby fell to the ground, crying loudly.

The little girl was close to Clara, who quickly helped the child up.

Luckily, Clara acted fast, or else a stampede might have occurred.

The little girl’s mother rushed over, picked her up, and thanked Clara repeatedly.

"No need to thank me." Clara replied and looked up, realizing Silas Sheffield was out of sight.

She was about to take out her phone to call Silas Sheffield when she remembered her phone was in her bag.

And her bag was with Silas Sheffield.

Clara thought she was done for; in such a large venue, finding someone without a phone was nearly impossible.

She followed the flow of the crowd, contemplating going to the management desk to seek assistance.

Suddenly, a warm touch spread across her palm.

Clara was startled, turning her head to look.

Silas Sheffield was lowering his gaze, his eyes fixed on Clara’s face, speaking calmly, "To prevent from getting separated."

Clara was too shocked and speechless, her mind went blank.

For the next two hours, Silas Sheffield held Clara’s hand.

Clara seemed like a puppet that had lost its strings, allowing Silas Sheffield to lead her, wherever he went, she followed, her mind apparently unable to think.

Silas Sheffield actually held her hand on his own accord!