Chapter 84: Assigning Boyfriends

“Tonight at eight, there’s a fireworks festival—shall we go watch it?” Wendy shouted excitedly at the dinner table, snatching up a decorative rose and biting it between her lips. One foot perched on the table’s edge, she reached out to Franny across from her. “Beautiful lady, would you grace me with your presence and share this splendid night with me?”

Franny shook her head with a laugh. “Absolutely not.”

Wendy immediately adopted a wounded look. “That’s not fair, Franny!” She turned away, feigning tears, and spotted Angela eating her pudding. Wendy’s eyes spun mischievously, and she extended her hand toward Angela. “Ah, lovely princess, would you join me in witnessing this magnificent fireworks display?”

Angela was a little confused, but seeing Wendy's earnest demeanor, she tilted her small head and glanced at Franny. Then, in a tiny voice, she said, “Absolutely not.” She giggled, embarrassed, after saying it.

“Aaaaaah!” Wendy clutched her head and cried out in despair. “How can this be? My fragile heart, my love, my youth—how could you be so cruel?”

Sayo Mochizuki, nibbling on a chocolate stick, stirred her delicate coffee cup with a spoon, propping her chin with her hand as she complained, “Can’t you calm down? Besides, you know full well that the so-called fireworks festival is just a virtual projection. We can’t set off real fireworks here.”

“But I just want to go,” Wendy pouted like a child, prompting Xie Liu to chime in. “Wendy, have you been swapped with someone else? You’re not acting like yourself at all. Normally, if you really wanted to see the fireworks, you’d just go. Why bother asking anyone to join you?”

Wendy glared at him, annoyed. Just then, Nevey, who had recently joined them, laughed. “You don’t understand. The fireworks festival has a rather annoying rule. You can go, but only if you’re a couple.”

“What kind of ridiculous rule is that?” Xie Liu was taken aback. “Does that mean none of us can go?”

“What do you mean?” Ye Ling asked, surprised.

“I mean, everyone here is single!” Xie Liu explained. The group exchanged glances, realizing he wasn’t wrong.

Suddenly, Xu Xiong raised his hand. “Hey, I have something to tell you. Jiang Ting just messaged me—she’s arrived at the city entrance. I’m going to pick her up. By the way, she said we’re going to the fireworks festival tonight, so we won’t be coming back.” He closed his laptop and walked out of the dining room, leaving everyone stunned.

A hush fell.

“Traitor!” Everyone, male and female alike, shouted furiously. Xu Xiong made a hasty escape, leaving the single ones cursing after him.

“No way, we can’t let that scoundrel get away with it!” After a bout of complaining, Ye Ling gritted her teeth and declared, “I propose we team up—couples, right? We can pretend; they won’t know!”

“That’s a good idea. We can pair up temporarily,” Franny agreed with a smile. “Let’s see, there are four boys and seven girls. What do we do?”

“You guys go ahead, I’ll sit this one out,” Nevey said, tossing her snow-white ponytail. “I’ve got some things to take care of.”

“Well then, that leaves six girls. So, could two of you pair up?” Franny smiled smoothly, and, almost casually, wrapped her arm around Xie Liu’s. “I’ve made my choice. The rest of you, pick.”

The girls erupted immediately. Wendy, quick as lightning, grabbed Lin Yang. “I choose Lin Yang!”

Sayo Mochizuki spun around and found Gong Hou beside her. She twisted his head toward her. “He’s mine!”

Li Shizhu felt a tug at his sleeve. Turning, he saw Tita, expressionless, offering him a plate with cake. “Tita, please eat, cake, invite, team up.” The cake was right in front of him, her dark eyes fixed on him without a flicker.

“Oh! Alright!” For some reason, Li Shizhu couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He took the cake, thought for a moment, and said, “I don’t really like sweets—you have it.” He handed it back. Tita blinked, a little stunned, then took the plate, quietly turned away, scooped out some cream, tasted it, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

“Who would’ve thought Li Shizhu was such a gentleman? Our Tita is smitten,” Franny laughed. Xie Liu looked indifferent. “You’re overthinking it—he genuinely doesn’t like sweets.”

The pairing seemed to be sorted in seconds. With the boys all chosen, two girls were left staring blankly.

Angela still seemed oblivious, blinking as she looked at Franny, then Wendy, then each person in turn, unsure. “Who should I pick?” she asked softly, adorably confused, as if she didn’t understand her situation.

The other was Ye Ling, who had just been raging at Xu Xiong for being a traitor, and now realized she was the odd one out. She exploded with a curse. “Damn!”

“I—well—” Ye Ling couldn't help herself. “You guys are too much! Seriously, me and Angela as a pair? Two girls as a couple? That doesn’t make sense, does it?”

“No worries, this is Fantasy City. Also, think about it—what era are we in? You’re still fussing about gender? So outdated. Relax, here same-sex couples are perfectly legal. As long as there’s love, gender isn’t a problem,” Xie Liu said mischievously. Ye Ling nearly lost her temper, grabbing a nearby roast turkey to smack him, startling Tita, who quickly shielded her cake and pudding, remembering the time Li Shizhu had thrown away her food.

“Stop!” Franny gently tapped Ye Ling, freezing her mid-motion. She snapped her fingers. “Sit.” Ye Ling couldn't resist and obediently sat.

“Now, Xie Liu is my boyfriend, at least in name, so you can’t lay a finger on him,” Franny said, hugging Xie Liu’s arm.

“Fine, you win!” Ye Ling sat, gritting her teeth, unable to move. Angela still seemed confused, her innocent little face a mystery to all.

Couple arrangements settled, Ye Ling, after a bit more fussing, gave up and went with the flow. But seeing Angela’s adorable, kitten-like demeanor, she suddenly felt she hadn’t lost out after all.

“Alright, everyone, finish your meal, take a bath, and let’s get to the fireworks festival,” Franny said, clapping her hands to hurry them along.

“Oh, by the way, the hot springs here are Japanese-style—and they’re mixed bathing,” she added seriously, holding up a finger. Xie Liu and the others instantly jumped up. “Let’s go!”

…

At the outdoor hot springs…

Xie Liu and his friends glared resentfully at Franny and the other girls, all wrapped tightly in special Fantasy City bathrobes. The robes were weightless, didn’t impede hot water, but most importantly, were perfectly opaque—nothing could be seen from the outside.

“Oh, I hate technology,” Xie Liu grumbled for the first time, cursing its inventions.

Franny was the first to enter, seeing their crestfallen faces, and laughed. “What’s with those looks? You act like I killed your father.” She twisted her pale gold hair into a bun atop her head, exposing her slender neck and a hint of her shoulder.

“I don’t have a grudge against you, but your robe is my mortal enemy,” Xie Liu replied. Franny glanced down at her bathrobe, wiggling her graceful figure. “It’s quite nice, actually.”

“Ugh…” The four boys turned away. The other girls began to enter; Ye Ling looked uncomfortable. “I swear, these robes feel like I’m not wearing anything.”

“That’s the point! Who wants to sit in a heavy robe and ruin the hot spring experience? Come on, let’s soak!” Sayo Mochizuki appeared behind her, shoving Ye Ling into the water.

“Hey, Sayo, you’re terrible!” Ye Ling fell in, then climbed out, splashing water at Sayo. Sayo and Wendy laughed, jumping in as well. Nevey, not to be outdone, dove in, sending up sprays. Angela and Tita took the more cautious route, entering from the other side. Franny scooted aside for the group’s playful chaos, finding a quiet spot at the edge to relax with a gentle smile.

It was an enchanting scene—a group of beautiful girls playing in the hot springs, while the four boys looked utterly despairing. In Fantasy City’s bathrobes, there was no chance for any accidental peeks!

“Heavens, why do you torment me?” The four cried out, lamenting their unfair fate…

Currently available public information: The Godslayer Squad, the first team directly under the Hunting Division, winners of the last Hunter Tournament. Unlike other elite teams, the members are all acquainted. Squad members use codenames, and except for the captain, no one knows each other's real names. The Godslayer Squad is more like a coalition of interests, everything clearly priced—if you have enough merit points, you can ask anyone to do anything for you. Currently, there are eighty-five members: seven ninth-level, thirteen eighth-level, and twenty-two seventh-level powerhouses, making it a true elite team. Notably, it is the only hunting squad with two tenth-level powerhouses. The captain, codename Oda Nobunaga, is known as “Wind God,” ranked ninth in the city. The vice-captain, codename Rommel, is known as “Light Fox,” ranked tenth. Both possess formidable strength, even Franny gives way to them. The Godslayer Squad’s reputation as number one is well deserved.