Girls' Frontline: My Apocalypse with Dolls

Page 427

......

......

"It seems they've already left?"

The blush finally faded from her face. WA2000 peeked out from behind the sofa and, after confirming that the expressionless, cold-faced guy had really left the second floor, sat back down on the sofa and continued knitting a scarf while holding the basket.

Black, gray, dark red, white—so many kinds of yarn balls, I used most of each one, and knitted three in total: one for him, one for myself, and one for Yingque...

Damn it, Yingque used to wear all colored clothes, but suddenly they've all turned black. This means that the scarf that was almost finished being knitted has to be discarded and replaced with a more muted and harmonious color.

I've sent the commander so many messages, but each time I don't know when he'll be back. This piece has been knitted for so long, and winter is just around the corner... He can't possibly not come back for the whole winter, can he?

The weight of the ring on her ring finger seemed to be increasing. If she didn't give him the scarf, she was afraid that Wa-chan would eventually crash her cloud map due to mental exhaustion.

Fortunately, I'm not completely idle yet. Sending a letter to Yingque might help me build a better relationship with her, and I could also ask her how she won over the Commander. Of course, the former is more important! After all, she's a key protected individual, and that's probably why I'm being kept at home...!

Juno's appearance had temporarily disrupted her plans, but now that she's gone, isn't that just right?

......

"Uh..."

Looking at the gray scarf in her hand and the perfectly chilly weather outside the window, Wa Jiang gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and mustered her courage to walk towards Ying Que's door.

Although it's not quite winter yet, the weather is much colder and extremely unusual, so this scarf should come in handy.

[Knock knock~]

"Excuse me... uh!"

Before she could finish speaking, Yingque, wearing a nightgown, walked out of the room. Even the high-computation cloud map, which was a sniper doll, seemed to have to crash for a while because of this.

"Miss Walter? Is there something you need?"

"Um... the weather has turned cold, and I just happened to have knitted a scarf... I'll give it to you."

Yingque was taken aback. She reached out and took the scarf. It felt wonderful to the touch, with no loose threads and was perfectly smooth. Just holding it in her hand made her very happy.

"Yes, thank you, it's a very lovely gift."

"I'm glad you like it... um..." Just as she was about to say her plan, Wa-chan glanced down and noticed the other person's nightgown, and a sense of foreboding suddenly arose in her mind: "Are you... getting ready to rest?"

"Well, what happened?"

"Uh, no...it's nothing..."

Oh, the timing doesn't seem quite right... Damn it, I've wasted so much time being caught in this dilemma.

Just as I was about to turn and leave, my shoulder was grabbed...

"Any ideas?"

......

684 Shopping

"Well, you're all set to rest, isn't it a bit inappropriate to go out now?"

"It's okay. Lying down doesn't necessarily mean you'll fall asleep right away. Going for a walk outside might help."

So, they finally managed to get the person to come out, but Wa-chan still had a strange feeling about it...

He glanced at Yingque subconsciously and asked nervously, "Uh, I didn't really disturb your rest, did I?"

“Really, no,” Yingque said, laughing and crying at the same time. “After work, I don’t know what to do, so I just lie in bed. But if you want to go out with your friends, just call me. Of course, no problem.”

She changed into a black dress again, this time with a crossbody bag. She looked no different from a modern urban woman after work, except that she looked much younger, as if she had completed a fifty-year life journey in twenty years.

This indifferent demeanor made Wa-chan's already fluctuating emotions falter slightly, and she began to regret her decision. Ying-que didn't seem to be in a good mood right now; would calling her out at this moment be a bit...?

"Are you ready? I'm all set."

"Huh?! Oh, here it comes!"

Thus, the comical scene unfolded where the inviter seemed to have completely lost control...

"Hey, are you still going out at this hour?"

"Yingque, it's a bit chilly outside. Be careful not to catch a cold while you're out shopping!"

"Be careful! It's dangerous to walk at night!"

When the friends in the bar saw Yingque, they all greeted her. Yingque smiled and responded. After exchanging greetings with everyone, she left the bar with Wa Jiang.

Of course, there were also the Shrike Company security personnel following behind to ensure Yingque's personal safety, as well as the Martyrs Team Three...

Wa-chan looked up at the sky; it was gloomy. She instinctively asked, "Are you cold?"

“It’s actually not bad,” Ying Que shook her head and smiled, “Your scarf is really warm, I don’t feel cold at all, but it might be better to wear a mask, my face is a little cold.”

"Should we go buy one?"

"No need, it's just for one night."

I don't know how much of her composure was genuine, but when I heard her speak so highly of her scarf, I have to admit I was quite happy.

Of course, it won't be obvious; a quiet chuckle will suffice.

It wasn't early, and the two girls didn't plan to venture deep into downtown New York. They just wanted to browse around the nearby supermarket, have a meal, drink coffee, and do other things that girls their age do.

The longer she walked, the more comfortable Wa-chan became, no longer feeling restricted, and began to focus her attention on the things around her.

"There seem to be fewer people on the street than before?" Ying Que said softly.

"Yes, due to the weather and other practical reasons, people are going out less and less often, just like the green line on the daily limit. There aren't many people like us who have the leisure to walk on the streets now."

Wa-chan still has the habit of going shopping, but there aren't many people who can accompany her here. She often pays attention to the changes in the flow of people on the street. Almost every time good news comes back from Thomson, there will be fewer people on the street. It's not that they killed anyone, but that their actions indirectly affected someone.

"Everyone is having a tough time, and these days may continue for a long time."

Among the many dolls, WA2000 is one of the ones that has the most contact with daily society. Occasionally expressing his feelings can be seen as a way to deepen his integration into this world.

Ying Que agreed, nodding and saying, "We really have to thank Luo Fan, don't we? If he hadn't been busy out there, we probably wouldn't have had the chance to chat here. It would be great if he could come back occasionally..."

“He…” Recalling Luo Fan’s reply, Wa Jiang wasn’t sure either: “He’ll be back soon, right?”

"Well, I hope so."

......

The billboards and projection screens became increasingly prominent, and a classic miniature Times Square came into view, almost identical to the image in her memory. However, Yingque felt as if she had lost the "ability to organize" her shopping trip.

Where should I begin? What am I here to do? Eat or shop?

Wa-chan had anticipated this, and she wouldn't fight an unprepared battle, so the venue she chose would definitely be somewhere she knew people...

"Hello, you two, why are you only arriving now? I've been waiting outside for ages!"

Even from a distance, one could hear that familiar and enthusiastic call, but Yingque was somewhat surprised to see her here.

“Grina?” she asked in surprise. “What are you doing here? I don’t remember it being your night shift.”

“Indeed, but I’ve already been promoted!” Grina patted her chest, her brand-new winter clothes standing out on her naturally beautiful face. “Thomson’s business has grown bigger and bigger, even expanding to the eastern coastal areas. This new ‘Grimmke’ is now one of their properties, and one of the main people in charge here is me, Grina!”

As for the rest, including the staff of those shops, they were naturally the Nieto of Paradis. However, Grina held a high position of power here, and spending was not a problem for her at all. With her around, she could buy whatever she wanted, since they were all her own people's things anyway.

Even though she remained calm, Yingque couldn't help but be surprised by her friend's achievement of a super-advanced leap: "Is it really that exaggerated?"

"Hmm, what did you think? Enough said, it's so cold outside, let's go get a cup of coffee to warm up."

"Um, would ginger tea be alright?"

"Of course~ no problem!"

"Hey! Slow down! I'm wearing high-heeled boots today!"

Who would have thought that Grina would be so enthusiastic? She pulled Yingque away right away, breaking the peaceful atmosphere that had been so hard to create. She even had a chance to talk right away. Wa-chan was naturally both embarrassed and annoyed, but she could only quickly follow.

Well, it's been a while since I've gone shopping. Having friends with me like this is not bad...

As Grina said, she was very familiar with the layout of the mall and soon arrived at a hot drink shop with a brand she had never heard of before.

Grina waved her hand and smiled, "You guys go find a place to sit first, I'll be there in a bit. Yingque wants ginger tea, right?"

"Well, please."

"I...add extra sugar..."

Wa-chan looked to the side with dissatisfaction and made her request. Grina, of course, understood her proud and arrogant personality, so she didn't say anything, took off her gloves, and went to the front desk.

The mall was quite crowded, and this hot drink shop was no exception. However, there happened to be a table with a reservation sign on it.

Grina's name is also on it...

685 - A complete loss

"That's amazing, to have achieved this all by herself..."

After the two sat down in silence, Ying Que held the reservation card in his hand, occasionally marveling at how this girl, who seemed to be obsessed with money, possessed abilities as powerful as her grand ambitions.

Wa-chan secretly scoffed at this...

What skills does she have? Thomson promoted her and Nieto and the others didn't bother to compete for her position. Although she did hold the top sales spot for quite some time... Looking at it this way, Grina seems to be quite strong. The fact that the Commander was swindled out of his wallet by her back then suggests that it wasn't just because the Commander wasn't very bright, but also because of Grina's own abilities.

"You idiot commander, Grina's sales figures are all thanks to ring sales..."

Yingque caught this soft murmur in a slight breeze: "Hmm? What ring?"

"No, nothing...! Just thinking about something from the past..."

Wa-chan always blushed, and Ying-que had no idea what she was thinking. She could only think it was strange and at the same time turned her gaze to the side to see another friend who was there.

"Here it is! Coffee, macchiato, Yingque's ginger tea, and some snacks~"

Donuts, onion rings, and a small amount of fried food make for a perfect quick and easy evening snack to warm up.

"Whoosh~whoosh~" Wa-chan took the macchiato, held it in her arms and blew on it for a while before slowly putting it in her mouth, which made Grina, who knew Wa-chan's identity very well, unable to help but laugh.

"Does Walter need to blow on it a few more times before he can drink it?"

"What are you talking about?" Wa-chan frowned slightly. "Even I'm afraid of getting burned. If Pascal hadn't made this area so sensitive..."

“No wonder he never lets me kiss him,” Grina shrugged, enjoying the spectacle. “Turns out he has a tongue that’s too hot to speak.”

"Hot...hot what?! It's because he always uses too much force, before I'm ready...it's...no, wait!!!"

The table shook, and the three of them almost spilled their hot drinks. Yingque quickly protected the ginger tea, saying, "Mmm!"

"Uh, sorry..."

"It's alright, I'm dressed warmly enough today," Yingque smiled. "Soaking it for a while might even warm me up."

"..."

Regardless, Wa-chan tried her best to suppress her embarrassment and sat back down in her chair, occasionally taking a sip of her macchiato while glaring at Grinna, who was watching the spectacle.

But as Wa-chan's best friend, Grina naturally had to do her part to help her get the information she wanted; that was the important thing for today.

After a brief exchange of glances, Grina put down her coffee, leaned closer, and whispered, "Speaking of which, Yingque~"

"Ok?"

The person involved looked bewildered, seemingly genuinely treating tonight as just a shopping trip with her best friend.

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask, just to gossip a bit... how did you manage to win over Luo Fan back then?"

......

The atmosphere seemed to freeze briefly. If it weren't for the warmth of the hot drinks still gently caressing one's cheeks and the chatter of passersby, one might have mistaken time for a standstill.

Grina's smile froze instantly. She glanced to the side and saw Wa-chan winking at her repeatedly...

Something seems wrong?

I don't know either...

......

"Take...take it...?"

Ying Que broke the silence with his words, and Grina, feeling relieved, quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, how did you get together with him? Tell me the details."

"Uh, actually it's not that I don't want to talk about it..." Whether it was the uncontrolled spiciness of the ginger tea or the embarrassment brought on by old memories, a rare blush appeared on Yingque's face recently: "I... was won over by him..."

......

Seems like I've asked the same point again... Isn't this the same as not saying anything at all?! Everyone who's lived in this bar for so long, who hasn't been taken down by Lo Fan? And who actually managed to take down Lo Fan? Oh, I heard from the AR team that Pascal took down Lo Fan a while ago... Wait, what's the point of that?!