Capter 680 A Gentle Touch
The following morning, her biological clock almost failed her. It was the sound of Josiah freshening up that roused her from sleep.
After a day of rest, the exhaustion from the day before finally revealed itself. No sooner had she sat up than a wave of fatigue and backache washed over her, as if she’d been run over by a truck.
It’s time I focus on strengthening my body and exercising more.
Upon hearing the noise from outside, Josiah hurriedly emerged from the bathroom, apologizing, “I’m sorry if I woke you. I intended to wake you only after I finished freshening up!
Lysander had slept rather soundly that night, so much so that she almost overslept. Upon hearing his voice, it felt as though she was still in a dream, until the bustling sounds from the nearby street reached
her ears.
The next moment, the sound of fireworks, which had become a rarity in the city, began to resonate.
Bewildered, Lysander gazed toward the direction of the curtains, only speaking once the noise had subsided. “Seems like the festival of the deities has started.”
Josiah’s eardrums throbbed with pain. He had never imagined that the festival of the deities was such a grand affair,
As a child, Lysander had visited her hometown with Maverick a few times, gaining some understanding of the local customs. When it was time to leave, she shared a few more insights with Josiah.
“The festival of the deities originally started as a ritual. In my hometown, they would mark its beginning with fireworks, welcoming the deities. The front desk lady mentioned yesterday that the parade should be starting soon.”
Josiah had never seen it before. Initially, he just wanted to spend time with Lysander. But at that moment, he was genuinely intrigued by it.
The two casually grabbed a bag of breadsticks from a breakfast stall near the hotel, then headed together toward the street where the festival of the deities was being held. Along the way, the streets were teeming with tourists, even more bustling than the wholesale mall they had visited the day before.
Leveraging his height, Josiah held a breadstick in one hand while keeping Lysander close with the other, preventing them from being separated by the crowd,
Lysander glanced at the arm blocking her path, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She shifted to the side, finished the breadstick in her hand, and said, “I’m full.”
She had merely eaten two pieces.
Josiah was worried that she hadn’t eaten enough. Silently, he secured the top of the brown paper bag and shifted it to the crook of his army, saying, “There’s a place selling soy milk over there. I’ll go get us some.”
“I’ll go then.” Lysander took the opportunity to put a little distance between them.
The streets were crowded, filled with people heading to the start of the parade to join the festivities. The two of them could only maintain a distance of a few inches at most. Even if they wanted to keep further
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Chapter 680 A Gentle Touch
After purchasing the soy milk, Lysander stopped in her tracks. She was just about to hand one of the cups to Josiah when two playful children saw an opportunity to dart between them.
“Haha, you can’t catch me!”
The child running ahead paid no attention to where he was going and ran straight into Lysander, who tried to dodge but was too slow. Seeing that she was about to be swept away by the crowd, Josiah swiftly extended his arm and pulled her back just in time.
Just as Lysander was about to breathe a sigh of relief, another little boy, chasing after his friend, came barreling toward her. Unable to stop in time, he collided with her, sending her directly into the arms of Josiah.
The height difference between the two was about that of a person’s head, which should have prevented a disastrous collision. However, Josiah had unexpectedly bent down to check on Lysander, and his chin ended up hitting her forehead. She had no way to avoid it, and in an attempt to protect her soy milk, she subconsciously lifted her face.
Immediately, Josiah felt a soft sensation brush against his throat.
Before he could react, Lysander had already lifted her hand to wipe her lips. She had just eaten a breadstick and hadn’t had the chance to wipe her mouth, feeling so embarrassed she wished the ground would swallow her up. “I’m sorry. I’ll get you a tissue.”
As she spoke, she rummaged through her pockets fervently for what felt like an eternity. Only then did she remember that the clothes she was wearing were hastily bought the previous day, leaving her no time to stow away the essential items she typically carried with her when she left the house.
“No need,” said Josiah. Suddenly, he took her hand, gently brushing the back of it–which had just grazed her lips–against his throat.
It could be considered a second–hand kiss.
“There are too many people around. It isn’t convenient to keep tissues in the pocket. I can just wipe it off with your hand.”
Lysander was immediately taken aback. She was just about to ask him if he had mistaken her hand for a tissue when she saw the two children who were previously playing around being pulled back by their mother.
The mother of the children didn’t brush off the situation just because they were young. Instead, she seriously took them aside and said, “Apologize to this sir and lady.”
Both kids were well–behaved. After realizing they had carelessly run into someone, they hung their heads in remorse and apologized, “Miss, we’re sorry.”
Only then did Lysander notice that the two of them were dressed identically and looked remarkably similar. With a smile, she said, “It’s alright. Just be more careful in the future. With so many people around, you can’t just run around aimlessly. What would you do if you got separated from Are you two twins?”
The child repeatedly nodded/in agreement, a sight that triggered a smile from Josiah.
your mother?
Upon seeing Lysander’s gentleness and the handsome man by her side, the child’s mother breathed a sigh of relief and casually struck up a conversation with them.
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“You’re here for the church fair, right? So are we. Unfortunately, we got up a bit late and there’s no chance of getting a good spot now. When the parade starts, we’ll only be able to see the deity statue on the palanquins from here. Sigh, my husband went off to grab some candles. I have no idea when he’ll be back”
“Do you still need to jostle for the candles?” Lysander had intended to visit the local church to lit a candle, but upon hearing that one had to jostle for them, she couldn’t help but reconsider. She was unsure if she should go at all.
“Normally, there’s no need, but today is the festival of the deities, a big day. They say that prayers and asking for a sign from the deities are particularly effective on this day” The child’s mother, a warm hearted woman, explained some details about the church before leaving to join her husband.
Upon seeing Lysander deep in thought, Josiah also made up his mind.
“Why don’t we go over and take a look too? Even though we won’t be the first to light candles, given the number of people who’ve come today, the deities in the church surely won’t be stingy. Who knows, our wishes might just come true. If not, we could at least try asking the deities for a sign. I really do need some divine guidance on a matter.”
Hearing this, Lysander couldn’t help but chuckle. “Aren’t you afraid of receiving a bad sign and becoming stressed from it? I remember you didn’t believe in such things before.”
“Weren’t you the same before?” Josiah recalled a minor event from the past. “I remember you likened asking for a sign to rolling dice, both being a matter of probability”
It sounds like what someone in the medical field would say. This response truly embodies a pragmatic perspective
Lysander couldn’t quite recall when she had said those words. She looked off into the distance, in the direction of the church where the child’s mother had pointed out for asking for a sign from the deities. She said, “Perhaps it’s because there’s someone I yearn to see now but can never meet again.”
The parade was organized by the citizens from the neighboring towns and villages on a voluntary basis. A few individuals from each settlement came forward, eventually forming a procession reminiscent of a winding dragon. From a street corner, one could gaze upon this line and almost believe it had no end.
Josiah stood protectively by Lysander’s side by the street, intermittently pausing to glance at the procession as they made their way toward the small church.
“Surprisingly, the parade consists of men and women, young and old. I initially thought they would only choose those in their prime, considering the task seems physically demanding.” This experience was certainly an eye–opener for him.
Life in the city was undoubtedly vibrant and exciting, but in places he had never set foot before, there were just as many unknowns.
Lysander didn’t laugh at his naivety, but simply said in a calm voice. “People in the village work hard for a living. Don’t underestimate the elderly in the group. Despite their age, their strength might surprise you They could plow several miles in one go even after a few more years. As for the children… Have you forgotten about Rhizone?”
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