CHAPTER 150: CHAPTER 96: ANOTHER GODDESS (PART 2)

Number 0 was also astonished. However, her astonishment was not because someone took advantage of her. Just as Yijie kissed her inadvertently, her trembling ceased. It was only a prank-like action, but it evoked in her an inexplicably familiar feeling, and a fragment flashed through her mind. "Ling, don’t be afraid, I will be back soon," the boy’s lips approached, kissing away the tears between her lips.

The fragment flashed by in an instant, too quickly for Number 0 to grasp any trace of it.

The carriage continued to sway forward. "I apologize for my rudeness just now," Yijie tried to speak in as casual a tone as possible, indeed he had gone too far, blaming this damned game for its realism, down to the body heat and touch when flirting with someone.

"We’ve arrived," Number 0 changed the subject proactively. She reached out to pull aside the carriage curtain and leaped down. The ground where she landed was softer than the hard paving stones they had set off from, and her nose picked up a hint of dust, as well as the scent of trees and spring water in the air.

Where is this?

The blindfold in front of Number 0’s eyes had not yet been removed. Several maids approached, a hand was extended to her, carrying a familiar scent of flowers.

"Forget-me-not," Number 0 murmured, and the hand guiding her paused.

"Is it you?" Accompanying those words was the somewhat familiar voice of the new maid.

Yijie had not been to Babylon Temple before, and unlike Number 0, he did not have an acquaintance to guide him. He paid attention to the sounds around him, hearing only a silence punctuated by breathing.

Number 0 followed the new maid, stretching out a finger to write three characters in the maid’s hand.

The new maid carefully looked around before writing a single character in Number 0’s hand.

Sure enough, they were in the temple, Number 0 thought, recalling the carriage’s route. From the low flatlands to the sloped mountain roads, within the whole outer city of Babylon, only the temple was situated on higher ground.

"Please leave us," came a melodious female voice, drifting to their ears.

The maids who had been leading the way withdrew.

Apoli approached Yijie, having heard from the military station that it was two strangers who had helped her find the dinosaur grass. Among the two, it was unclear who truly played the role.

Observing the presence of both as they entered, Apoli assumed that Yijie was the one in charge.

"Stranger, you have done well." If Number 0 could see the scene in front of her, she would be surprised by Apoli’s attire today, completely different from her appearance in front of the temple that day. The veil covering her face was laid before the couch, and she was wearing a lilac gauzy dress.

She walked up to Yijie and lifted the blindfold from his eyes.

As soon as the black cloth obstructing his vision was removed, Yijie was met with a pair of haunting, contrasting black and white eyes. A hint of surprise flickered across his face, Ziyu.

Fortunately, he did not ask aloud. As Apoli removed the blindfold, her fingers moved as if painting, tracing around Yijie’s face.

In the temple, somewhat isolated from the world, Apoli had seen many strangers while treating the wounded, but none were quite like Yijie.

With his distinguished figure, well-defined features, brows like thick ink, eyes like stars in the ink-black sky, what was even more rare was how quickly he concealed his astonishment after seeing Apoli’s celestial visage.

A soft chuckle that quivered one’s eardrums admitted he was the second most handsome man Apoli had ever seen. Her eyes shifted once again, turning into a bewitching black as her hand, snake-like, slipped into Yijie’s robe.

"Miss," Yijie reacted swiftly, grasping Apoli’s hand. This woman, with the same eyes as Ziyu, was fair, but her eyes and hands were a bit too sinister.

Her gauzy dress was transparent and shimmery, revealing that she wore nothing underneath. Combined with her actions, could she be the "Holy Prostitute"?

Number 0, standing to the side, turned her head away, sensing the ambiguous atmosphere. Since she was being treated as invisible air, perhaps it was time she took some action to garner attention.

"Hmph," Apoli withdrew her hand, looking annoyed at Yijie for daring to refuse her favor. Apoli was different from Ziyu; she was born half a day later, coming into the world after nightfall. Her temperament was like the Babylonian sky at night, unpredictable and changeable.

"Was it you who helped me find the Sago Tree?" She seemed to finally remember the reason she had invited them.

"To be precise, it was I who found the tree," Number 0 did not wish to miss out on her reward this time. She took a few steps forward, pretending to be clumsy, and stepped on Apoli’s foot.

"Remove your blindfold, what a foolish and clumsy woman," Apoli had no interest in uncovering the woman’s eyes for her, retreating a few steps in pain.

It seemed they were in the inner chamber of the temple, with openings on three sides and curtains hanging for coolness.

A round fountain stood in the center of the inner chamber, with a sphere rotating in its spray, resembling a miniature Sun’s Crown.

Apoli noticed the pair of agile eyes shifting from the inner chamber’s arrangements to rest on the fountain.

"The last task was well executed; here are ten thousand Military Road Coins as your reward." Apoli produced a bulging purse.

Hearing that it was just a monetary reward, both Number 0 and Yijie felt somewhat disappointed.

"How did you find the Sago Tree that so many could not?" Apoli initially wanted the Sago Tree to decorate the courtyard and to concoct new herbal medicines from the sago palm leaves. But after issuing the task, no suitable tree species were found until recently, when the "military station" finally had the tree delivered.

"It was God who provided us with guidance," Number 0 said, artfully spinning her words.

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)