Aimless Ascension

The dress Wang Li tailored for Gale was matching Xiaolins. The robe was white with gold embroidered work on the straps and collars, mostly plain as Gale liked. The tailor listened to his preference and even took into account his daily clothes.

Well, even though Gale preferred tunics and liked to wear them most days, Wang Li made a relatively traditional robe for him, albeit an impoverished version giving it more of a southerner look with high collars and relatively narrower sleeves, which were not really aspects of traditional robes.

With everything, he was looking quite dashing, enough to warrant girls flocking around him. Well, that was simply his thoughts alone. The girls might have other thoughts on their minds altogether.

Gale waited in the inn hall as Wang Li was still helping Xiaolin prepare. Good lord, it had been about an hour since he left her and still they were preparing.

Gale would be really disappointed if they couldn't topple kingdoms after this long in make-up.

At last, they came out from the door on the rear of the counter. Two women in contrasting colours. Xiaolin draped another thin sleeveless white robe on top of what Gale had already seen her in. Her hair was laid just about the same as Gale helped her with, now hiding more of her skin as she had to go outside.

Xiaolin had a faint flush on her face even though she was only looking at her feet, too shy to meet his gaze. In addition to a Sunstone necklace, matching her golden hair, there was a bracelet that she probably borrowed from her elder sister, she had no other ornaments. Not that she needed them to look otherworldly.

The mature figure walking side by side with her was a different story altogether. In contrast to Xiaolin's fluffy, loose white gown with gold embroidered in it, Wang Li draped a black traditional robe with crimson silk works embodied on the edges and backside, hugging her alluring shape tightly, outlining her mature curves.

Wang Li wasn't shy in contrast. Well, for what reason she had to be shy, as it wasn't like she was dying to let someone see how her dress was looking on her? She was in her usual, albeit a little duller, but that changed when she found the foreigner waiting for them with a starstruck look on his face.

She smiled scheming and pushed Xiaolin at him, coming in front of him.

"Here Master Gale," Wang Li said, smiling brightly, "I'm delivering your fairy for your safekeeping. Go into the festival with prudence as everyone will be dying for the fairy in your arm."

"Elder sister!" Xiaolin squeaked as Wang Li simply pushed her to Gale.

Xiaolin fell on Gale's chest, as her master's arm slid past her waist to hold her in place. Xiaolin lifted her face to sneak a glance in his direction, only to find he was looking at her with a smile.

"The clothes look angelic on you," Gale said. "Have you thanked your elder sister for it yet?"

"Don't worry," Wang Li said, "she had thanked me and hugged me enough to display her gratitude."

Gale lifted an eyebrow. "I guess only I left to show my gratitude for my clothes," he said.

Gale bowed his head in thanks as Wang Li followed, thanking him as well.

"The clothes look good on you," Gale said, which was an understatement because she was literally a bomb with her figure. "Are you going to the festival, right? Do you have someone-"

"I have a date," Wang Li smiled softly.

Gale lifted an eyebrow questioningly, while Xiaolin turned to face her elder sister, shooting suspicious glances.

"I'll go with Rong'er," Wang Li chuckled. So basically, she planned to babysit her son during the festive event.

Her little boy was already quiet and tranquil, to begin with, but after his father separated from her, he became even quieter, only bringing out some smile when she played with him, or he played around with Vale.

Of course, Rong'er wasn't even three and couldn't understand many things between adults.

"I'll probably come back within half an hour as Rong'er doesn't like noises," Wang Li said offhandedly, looking around as if to find something to do. "You guys go enjoy and take as much of your time."

Wang Li found one of the workers sniffing around in their direction, a plate of food in her hand. She went after her immediately, leaving the two of them standing.

Xiaolin threw a worried look as she left.

"Don't worry about her," Gale said, as he had nothing else to tell, "she'll be fine."

'Like I am.' He didn't add the last part.

"Shall we go out then?" Gale asked, locking his arm with Xiaolin, making sure he was following Wang Li's word. He would have to look after her prudently tonight.

Getting her nod, they left the inn and embarked on the spirit of festivity. The Wang's Inn was in the corner of the marketplace in a relatively peaceful place, but not today.

People of all ages, from the smiling eight years old to the eight years old who were missing a few teeth, clamoured on the path in the high spirit of the festival. Sweet shops, fast food stalls, and clothes stores, all of them, were filled with overly enthusiastic customers, as the owners of the shops were having the time of their life, enabling to deal with all the customers in time.

"So Linlin," Gale said, placing her on the relatively safe side of the road. "You have seen this festival many times. Is there anything, in particular, you wanted to do?"

Xiaolin looked at him, biting her lips, as if she couldn't find what she really enjoyed about the festival.

"My father used to take me to the festival," she said as they crept down the road to the centre of the festival. "I didn't really have many requests of him, but he always bought stuff for me, depending on my age. Well, he wasn't really good at it, considering he still bought dolls for me the last time we were here."

Xiaolin's mood turned sour as she mentioned the past.

Noticing the look in her eyes, Gale tried to change the topic to the festivity. "Well, there should be many things in the festivals for us to do. Hmm, how about the food? Should we check on every--"

"No," Xiaolin instantly declined his offer. "Master, I'm already full with everything you bought in the noon. Please, no more."

Gale frowned. It would really be problematic to spend many hours at the festivals if they couldn't spend time buying food and eating them, as foods were probably the main attraction of the festival. As for the other stuff, Gale already purchased a lot of things for the new house.

Still, he could look for a few items he forgot. That only left the main event of the festival, which was his gift to Xiaolin.

"Hmm," Gale considered other options, scanning his surroundings with his Qi sense to look for something interesting to do at this festival. Sadly, there was no rollercoaster or other ride for him to take her. There was a play ongoing, as well as the circus.

"Circus," Gale muttered.

"Circus?" Xiaolin lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes," Gale said. "Let's go check it out."