008 Come back home with me_1

Lin Ge, with Lanya who was brimming with excitement, came to the convenience store. Along the way, the little girl looked around curiously, incessantly asking him what this was and what that was, chattering nonstop like a little sparrow.

Fortunately, it was already late at night and the streets were almost empty; otherwise, she would surely be regarded as an oddity.

The convenience store was located at a crossroads, just a few minutes away from the entrance of the Emerald Bar. As they approached the entrance, the glass doors parted automatically, accompanied by the electronic greeting welcoming customers.

Lanya, startled, stepped back and raised her Magic Wand—which looked more like a twig.

At that moment, a woman in her thirties, who appeared to be an office worker, exited the store and gave the two a strange look before hurrying away.

Lin Ge pressed down on the Magic Wand in Lanya's hand and, with a somewhat amused expression, explained to her, "Don't be nervous, it's an automatic door."

"Oh."

Lanya put away her wand and, embarassed, pulled down the brim of her hat as she followed Lin Ge into the store.

Lin Ge bought two loaves of bread and two cups of hot milk, and after receiving strange looks from the cashier, he quickly left with Lanya.

"This smells so good, can I eat it now?" Lanya asked, her hands trembling slightly as she held the bread.

Lin Ge smiled and said, "Of course, you can."

Lanya tore open the packaging, took a bite of the bread, and her Amethyst-like eyes trembled slightly as they filled with the glow of happiness and emotion.

"You're such a good person, not only treating me to grapes but also to such good food; I will definitely repay you."

Her reaction was a little over the top; what kind of life had she lived before?

"It's just bread, there's no need to talk about repayment. Don't worry about it," he responded.

Lanya took a sip of the hot milk, and the sweet warmth flowing into her mouth made her feel an unprecedented comfort. She raised the milk bottle and added, "Not just the bread, but this too."

The two returned to the Emerald Bar to find the "Open for Business" sign already darkened, and the wind chimes above the door swayed gently, tinkling softly.

Lin Ge turned the door handle, but it wouldn't budge.

"No way, have they closed this early?"

He knocked on the door but received no response.

What was he to do now? He still had to send the girl back; he couldn't just leave her alone on the night streets.

He didn't have the keys to the store and didn't have the contact information for Nilu or Iris, but he did have the manager's phone number, having been in contact with the manager during his job application.

Right, he should call the manager.

Lin Ge immediately took out his phone and dialed the manager's number.

Lanya, seemingly oblivious to her own situation, finished her bread and drank up her milk, now eyeing the bag in Lin Ge's hand.

The call connected.

"Hello, is this the manager?"

"Lin Ge, it's you. Calling so late; is something up?" a gender-neutral voice came from the other end of the call.

After Lin Ge explained the situation, the voice on the other end laughed and said, "Seems like you've already discovered the special aspect of our store, huh? You're not going to run off, are you?"

"As long as the salary comes through, I won't leave."

The six-hour workday and the generous pay were among the reasons Lin Ge had chosen this place.

"Ha, that's good to hear. You were my first pick among the applicants. It would break my heart if you ran off."

"Manager, could you please contact Nilu or Iris and ask them to open the door for me? I want to take this child back."

"Afraid that's not possible; they're not in the store anymore, and I can't order them around after hours."

"Then could you possibly—"

"No, I'm quite busy right now. Just let her stay with you for the night; it won't be a problem."

"Hello, Manager—"

Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded on the other end of the call, and then silence.

Lin Ge glanced at Lanya, who was still trying to lick the last drops of milk from the bottle, and sighed, feeling a bit helpless. It seemed he had no other choice but to take her home with him.

"Lanya, would you like to stay at my place for the night?"

She set down the milk bottle, her mouth ringed with a milk mustache.

"Sure."

She agreed almost without any hesitation.

Lin Ge expressed his surprise, "You trust me just like that, aren't you afraid I might be a bad guy?"

Lanya's smile was full of trust, "I've told you before, you are a good person, your soul is very clean."

"Can you really see souls?"

"Of course, I am a… wizard."

"What kind of wizard?"

She had spoken two words too softly, and Lin Ge hadn't caught them.

"Uh, never mind."

Lanya lowered her head, looking somewhat embarrassed. Seeing her like this, Lin Ge didn't press further and led her back to his residence.

He lived on the seventh floor of a nearby shared apartment, and besides his own room, two other rooms were rented out to others, one to a couple and the other to a male university student.

By Earth's Eastern Eighth District's time, his work hours at the Emerald Bar were from 6 PM to 12 AM, and when he and Lanya arrived at the apartment building, it was just after 12:30 AM.

"Wow, is this Mr. Lin Ge's castle? It's so big."

Lanya held onto her hat, looking up at the towering building full of windows.

"It's only one room inside, and it's not even mine, I'm just a tenant."

"Oh."

The motion sensor light on the first floor was broken and not yet fixed, casting a dim gloom.

As the elevator door opened, the warm and bright light chased away the darkness. Lin Ge stepped in, pressed the button for the seventh floor, and realized that Lanya was still standing outside.

"What's wrong?"

In the light of the elevator, Lin Ge saw a blush spread across her face.

"Is this Mr. Lin Ge's room? Isn't it too small? Even if Mr. Lin Ge's soul is very clean, I would still feel shy spending the night in such a cramped room with a man I've only met a day ago."

Lin Ge couldn't help but laugh and cry, "This isn't my room, this is the elevator."

"Elevator?"

"I'll explain it to you later, you should come in first or the elevator will start beeping."

Lanya finally stepped into the elevator, curiously asking, "You mean this tiny room will beep? What does it sound like?"

"It makes a beeping warning sound."

"Really? I'd like to hear it," she said with the curiosity of a child.

As the elevator doors closed and it began to ascend, Lanya grabbed Lin Ge's arm.

"This metal room is moving?"

"Don't be nervous, we'll arrive soon," Lin Ge comforted her.

The elevator stopped at the seventh floor, and the doors opened again. Lanya, still clutching Lin Ge's arm, stepped out of the elevator.

Lin Ge smiled faintly, brought her to door 703, entered the code, and led her into the room.

As they entered, the door to the right room suddenly opened, and a young man in a tank top and shorts emerged, his hair a mess, wearing a pair of glasses.

He was one of the tenants, a student from a nearby university who claimed he was studying for a postgraduate exam, but Lin Ge had only ever seen him playing games all night.

They didn't interact much, but Lin Ge had seen his name in the resident group chat; it seemed to be Gao Wenyang.

He adjusted his glasses as he looked at the two entering the apartment. His gaze lingered on Lanya, who clung to Lin Ge's arm, still wearing her wizard's robe and a conspicuously large hat.

"Hm? Coser?"