Find a Troubled Girl after leaving the Guild-Chapter 483 - 255: Sharing Your Burden (Part 2)

"Sister Farin really knows her stuff. These moments need fireworks to accentuate them, and it’s no worse than the ones in big cities."

"I’m happy as long as you’re all happy." Li Ang glanced at the members present and said.

After all, they would soon face increasingly difficult challenges.

"Don’t look at them, focus on me right now."

Dorothy tried to adjust her posture in the swim ring, but having little strength, she couldn’t pose more enticingly. Instead, she splashed around, making the swim ring more slippery, and she was about to fall into the water.

"Be careful—"

Before Li Ang could finish his sentence, the half-elf arched her back with all her might, then lost her strength and slipped into the deep water with a cry.

"Hey!"

Li Ang immediately controlled the water flow as she fell, but he couldn’t catch her in time.

Was she doing this on purpose? he wondered.

But even with this thought, he couldn’t test her in such a situation, so he dove into the water immediately.

Just as he was about to dive, she popped her head out of the water and grabbed him tightly.

Without even wiping the water off her face, the half-elf smiled and said, "Finally caught you."

Li Ang sighed helplessly.

Rubbing her face dry on his still-dry upper clothes, Dorothy hooked her arms around his neck and pressed her delicate body tightly against him, exerting all her strength... Well, it wasn’t that much, but she must have used all her might.

Just as Li Ang was about to say something, he saw her expression soften, no longer playful.

"Hold me."

She tried to let go with one hand, so Li Ang had to reach out to support her, his hand feeling a soft sensation that sent a shiver through him.

"What do you want to do—"

Instinctively, he thought she was going to act up, but instead, she held onto Li Ang’s hand.

"The ring I gave you, you’re not wearing it."

She was referring to the Chain of Guardian ring drawn from the Treasury, which once helped Li Ang greatly in front of the Bloody Hand.

"That’s because I didn’t want to risk you getting hurt in an ordinary battle," Li Ang said.

"That’s the point; if you’re always worried about harming me, it defeats the purpose." Dorothy’s voice was soft and gentle.

She gently caressed Li Ang’s fingers in the water, and he couldn’t tell whether the warmth wrapping around him was tenderness or the water’s embrace.

"Even if it might hurt a little, knowing it’s to share your burden would make me happy instead."

With her other hand pressed against her chest, Dorothy said, "Just now, hearing Farin talk about your past with that captain, I felt..."

She gazed dreamily at Li Ang and then leaned her cheek against his chest.

"I don’t want to say something generic. Actually, I don’t really understand; words for a partner are definitely different from social niceties. I was just thinking, after returning to school and working in Spark Port for those eight years, it turns out you’ve had it tough too, and it seems like we’re closer now.

"When I heard those things earlier, what kept popping into my head was that I wanted to share something with you. Whether it’s these relationships or, like now, transferring pain.

"I wonder what would have happened if we had adventured together from the start? Haha, I can’t say, but from now on, I want to tell you, your team will never be the same again. No matter what pain and injury you face, I’m willing to take half from you.

"That’s all I can think to offer you right now. Remember to wear the ring, don’t face everything alone, okay?"

Li Ang froze for a moment holding her hand as she spoke, then regained his strength at the end and hugged her tightly.

He remained silent for a long time, and seeing the girl, now smiling softly rather than joking, he replied, "Okay."

Fireworks continued to burst above, lighting up the water with colorful glimmers, like thoughts flowing onto the water’s surface at that moment.

They stayed nestled and cozy until both felt like changing positions, just in time for a splash, as Zoe and Andasu, mimicking Dorothy earlier, floated over in life rings.

"Watching fireworks from the water must be delightful. Why did you two sneak away without inviting me!"

"Had enough to eat?" Li Ang asked.

"Not yet!"

Zoe and Andasu paddled with one hand while holding a large handful of skewers in the other.

As she gestured towards Li Ang, oil dripped from the skewers onto her collarbone and then flowed down the shallow groove between her blue and white swimsuit all the way to her navel.

Before the oil could drip in, Li Ang reached out, wiping it off and leaving a long oil streak.

Even this playful girl felt uncomfortable, shifting her body slightly as more oil dripped down.

"Wow, Li Ang, what should we do!"

Zoe was helpless atop the life ring. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Li Ang supported her waist underwater, while Andasu, holding less and more careful, elegantly paddled past from the side.

"Master, I took your share." White Wolf’s golden eyes watched intently.

"Hang on." Li Ang steadied Zoe to keep her from falling into the water, then used his hand to scoop water, ready to rinse the oil off her body.

"Doing that will just spread it more," pointed out the chestnut-haired girl.

"Then what?"

"Li Ang, lick it off for me."

As soon as she said it, two magic flows instantly scattered the lake’s coolness.

"Stop messing around."

"But it really works; see, I can’t reach."

Zoe tried to stretch her tongue to lick her abdomen, but Li Ang promptly flicked her with his finger.

He quickly scooped water to rinse her and pointed at the skewers: "Hold on tight."

"Here, take some."

"You eat first, I’ll check on ALulu."

Shaking his head, Li Ang thought these two were still kids, oblivious to the busy cook’s efforts.

Yufeng returned to shore where Farina was smiling and helping ALulu.

Seeing Li Ang coming, ALulu immediately said, "Brother, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? I specially saved some good pieces for you, otherwise, those two gluttons would’ve taken them."

Beside her lay a pile of wooden skewers and plates. Judging by the food intake, she ate a lot, but the gluttons surely referred to those two who gorged themselves, ignoring everything around them.

"Let me help you. You should go play in the water; you’ve worked hard."

Li Ang tried to stand at the grill and took over the tools from Xiaoniu.

ALulu shook her head, insisting on grilling the best meat she saved for Li Ang before serving it to him.

"Look, brother, this piece has a nice marbling. I took it off just as the juices started to ooze out, preventing shrinkage and drying, but it might not be fully cooked. It should finish cooking naturally within the heat. These vegetables help balance the greasiness; some are placed below to absorb oil. And be careful, it’s hot."

After giving these instructions, she took off her apron and stepped away slightly, immediately feeling much cooler. Being busy made her hot, and combined with the charcoal grill’s heat, it was hard to bear.

Thus, once the apron was off, her pink hair clung to her skin, dripping with dew that hung from the thin branches.

She had longed to jump into the cool water, a chance not frequently had, especially by the water’s edge.

Li Ang watched ALulu take a swim ring and step briskly into the water.

Unlike the other three, she didn’t lie atop it but wore it properly. Besides the swim ring, she had extra floatation as the water gently moved, making it hard for the fabric covering her to stay in place, insufficient to conceal the large areas of pink even with the fireworks’ colors embellishing it.

"Barbecue, barbecue."

Li Ang murmured to himself, lowering his head to start applying sauce.

Next to him, Farina chuckled lightly, covering her mouth, and Li Ang glanced at her. He hadn’t asked her, since declaring to board the ship, what she thought of his team’s current composition or the evidently unconcealed relationships.

He hadn’t dared to ask.

Farina didn’t broach it either, simply remarking on the purity of these girls, including Dorothy. She commented, "You can tell, this is a time of immense joy for her."

"It’s precisely for their joy that we are staying on this island to rest."

"Sigh, you weren’t like this before. Now you’re learning to feign ignorance more and more."

For Dragon Witch, Li Ang grilled some more meat, then flew to the lake to deliver several batches of barbecue he made by hand to the laughing and chatting girls.

As long as they weren’t arguing over him, this group of four remained harmonious.

Feeling slightly weary and sensing the lakeside barbecue event was nearing its end, he suddenly remembered the Water Dragon, that rabbit.

"She wants me to please her, so would a meticulously crafted portion of barbecue do it? Can this rabbit eat meat? Does it suit her taste?"

Li Ang thought and finally decided to proceed and make it. After all, doing something was better than nothing.

After some busy preparations, he carried the specially prepared barbecue for Otto, Meimei, and Akuya through the teleportation gate to Huanwo Village.