Pat~
A hand gently rested on Pardofelis's shoulder, pulling the excitedly wandering girl back to her senses.
"Hm? What's wrong, Li?"
Pardofelis blinked her beautiful, mismatched eyes, seemingly puzzled by the gesture. Though born in such a chaotic, lawless place, her eyes remained clear and bright, making it impossible not to feel a sense of fondness for her.
"It's nothing," Fu Li said with a smile. "I just suddenly remembered that today is the day we met, one year ago. I feel a bit guilty always letting you treat me, so…"
"How about I buy you a gift too? As a commemorative present for our first anniversary."
"Th-that… that's not necessary…"
For some reason, Pardo's face flushed a little. She had thought she was the only one who remembered this special day. She never expected that Li would remember it too.
The girl, her little secret now exposed, grew a bit flustered. If she had a tail, it would probably be thrashing about in a panic.
"There's nothing to be shy about."
Seeing her reaction, Fu Li gently took her hand and led her into one of Twilight Street's rare light-luxury shops.
Normally, a store like this would be an easy target for robbery in Twilight Street, but it just so happened to be owned by one of Anderson's mistresses.
Because of this, when Fu Li arrived with Pardofelis, they were naturally greeted personally by the proprietress.
"Heh, Mrs. Anderson, long time no see."
As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Fu Li tipped his hat in a small salute and made a discreet gesture with his other hand.
And Anderson's mistress, being a woman skilled in reading people, immediately toned down her overly enthusiastic expression.
"Oh, it's little Li. It's rare for you to bring a girl here. Feel free to look around. What are you looking to buy?"
"You know Mrs. Anderson?" The cat's intuition was always sharp. Pardo looked at Fu Li suspiciously.
"That's right. I came here with Aponia once," Fu Li explained patiently.
To him, this was a perfectly normal thing, but for some reason, Pardofelis just responded with a flat "Oh," her mood seeming to dip slightly.
Fu Li tilted his head, unable to understand her reaction. But soon enough, he found the perfect gift for Pardo.
It was a pure white cloak. The hood was designed with cat ears, and two white cat paws dangled from the back, giving it a lighthearted feel. All in all, it was incredibly cute and perfect for Pardo to hug and use as a pillow for her afternoon naps.
While Pardo was looking at other gifts, occasionally wrinkling her cute brow at the prices, Fu Li had already taken the cloak to the proprietress.
"How much for this cloak?"
"2000 euros, sir."
"What? 2000 euros? Why don't you just rob people instead?!"
Hearing the price, Pardo's ears shot up. She seemed even more agitated than Fu Li, the actual buyer.
That was 2000 euros! That was enough to feed her for a very long time.
Seeing Fu Li pull out a card to pay, Pardo grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the door.
"Aiya, how could Li buy something so expensive! Quick, quick, let's run! What kind of gift costs that much?"
"Ah, this… Pardo, be gentle! Not there, don't pull me there!"
Being dragged by Pardo, Fu Li was helpless and could only let himself be slowly moved towards the exit. He managed to flash a "1" with his fingers at Mrs. Anderson.
Mrs. Anderson took the hint and quickly said, "Wait, I wasn't finished! The cloak is 2000 euros, but it's currently on sale for 90% off. It's only 200."
"200?" Hearing this, Pardo did indeed stop. She ran to the counter and examined the cloak closely.
From her experience, while the cloak wasn't worth 2000 euros, the materials alone were worth far more than the new price. But…
"It's still too expensive, Li…" Pardo was clearly embarrassed, but it was also obvious she was reluctant to part with the garment.
"What's so expensive about it? It's a gift for you." Fu Li handed over his card again and ruffled Pardo's fluffy hair.
"Considering how important you are to me, a single cloak is nothing."
What's more, considering your future contributions to humanity, it is this cloak's honor to be worn by you.
Fu Li didn't say this last part out loud. After paying, he watched Pardo hug the cloak, looking at it from every angle, and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
In her previous life, Pardo had spent her entire youth in this small corner of the world. Although she traveled far and wide after joining the MOTHs, it was always for missions. She never had the chance to properly appreciate the world's scenery.
Since he had the chance, he would naturally give this girl—the second-most pampered member of the Flame-Chasers—a better childhood.
If someone were to ask why, it was simply because Pardo deserved a better life.
"Oh, by the way, Pardo."
As they were walking, Fu Li suddenly spoke up.
"What is it?"
Pardo had already eagerly put on her new cloak. The two cat paws on her back bounced with her steps, looking utterly adorable.
"If you have time, let's take some pictures together."
"Pictures? What are those?"
"Pictures…" Fu Li's eyes flickered as he said softly, "They are things that record a person's growth. They are also items used for remembering."
"Remembering?" Pardo's ears twitched. She didn't understand what was so good about remembering the past.
In her eyes, life was about enjoying every day happily. Even if the world were to end tomorrow, that wasn't today's problem, so why worry about it?
She walked through the twilight with light steps, as she always had.
The only difference was that now, her past included the figure of the boy beside her.
"Alright, fine. But taking pictures… it's not expensive, right?"
"Of course not. As long as you want to, it's free."
Though I'll pay the photographer back afterwards, of course.
Fu Li smiled softly, walking with her through the twilight streets, as if these happy times would never end.
As the sun gradually set, Fu Li sat on a worn wooden bench, waiting for Pardo to return.
He knew Pardo had sent him away so she could pick out a gift for him. Being a person with high emotional intelligence, he naturally wouldn't spoil her little secret.
His mood remained pleasant until Pardo returned. When he saw the gift she brought him, he couldn't help but laugh in amusement.
"This is?"
"Ehehe, I'm not that rich, so I could only get you this~ This is my favorite gem! It's fine, when I get rich in the future, I'll make it up to you."
"Pfft, there's no need for that. I love your gift, Pardo."
Fu Li looked at the ring with the gemstone in his hand, feeling a bit helpless.
This little one… does she have any idea what it means to casually give a ring to a member of the opposite sex?
Looking at the cheerful little cat, Fu Li smiled resignedly and continued to walk with her under the twilight sky.
---o---
[The days passed one by one. One day, while you were petting the cats, you saw an official disaster report.]
[This is how the Honkai is. At first, no one cared about this disaster. It was just a wildfire, a drought, the extinction of a species, the disappearance of a city. That is, until the disaster became intimately relevant to everyone.]
Translator's Note: The author's note says, "Will post two more chapters tonight, meow."