Electric | XIAOJUN

Chapter 25

"Like this?" Xiaojun asked, carefully following the steps Chunhua's father was taking. They were fixing the bands so that they would be good for when they returned to Central.

"Precisely." Mr. Li replied, adjusting his goggles as he checked Xiaojun's work before continuing.

Chunhua's father was a pleasant person to be around, the type of worker that hummed to himself as they tinkered with gadgets. He was also extremely skilled, able to do what he needed to with ease while patiently waiting for Xiaojun to follow along.

"How do you know my daughter?" Mr. Li asked, making Xiaojun stiffen.

"She was my trainer." Xiaojun said, suddenly feeling embarassed. "She was a worker at Intelligence, specialized in battle strategies."

Mr. Li chuckled, smiling as he put the completed band on the silver tray in the centre of the table. "So she achieved her dream. That's good to hear."

"She did." Xiaojun said, doing the same as he finished up with the band he was working on as well. He watched as Mr. Li picked up the third one, giving Xiaojun a break.

"As a cyborg," Chunhua father began, "do you feel like you fit in among the human race?"

What is that supposed to mean? Xiaojun wondered. "I suppose so?"

"I hope you do." Mr. Li said, fiddling with the band. "My daughter seems very fond of you."

"Are you implying something, sir?" Xiaojun asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chunhua's father smiled, placing the finished bracelet down before staring at Xiaojun.

"Xiao Dejun, I hope you know that after this is over, battle cyborgs will cease to exist in Edra."

...

The rest of the evening went smoothly, Chunhua and Xiaojun enjoying dinner with her parents.

It seemed as though Chunhua's parents had picked up on the interactions between her and Xiaojun, giving her suggestive looks and awkward laughs throughout the night. Thankfully, Xiaojun didn't react to it, simply laughing it off.

Now, they were deep inside The Underground City, Xiaojun leading her back towards the Zhong apartment. Or at least she thought he was.

"Where are we going?" Chunhua asked as Xiaojun pulled her in the opposite direction of the apartment, glancing back at the street they were supposed to be on.

"I want to show you this place." Xiaojun told her, never letting go of her hand. "The place that I saw the second I gained my memory back."

Chunhua was brought into an alley, away from the people. It was quiet and secluded, the sounds of the city drowned out as simple drops of water filled her ears.

"Where is it?" Chunhua asked, curiousity filling her as they entered a quieter district of the city, fewer people roaming around.

However, there seemed to be more children here, giggling as the played in the middle of the street. They were tossing a torn up ball around, their clothes soggy from the water splashing all over them, yet they seemed like they were having the time of their lives.

"I used to live here." Xiaojun said and Chunhua glanced over to see him admiring the children. He motioned to the children. "I used to make Renjun and Chenle play with me while Yuechen whined about getting dirty."

"Do you miss it?" Chunhua asked as Xiaojun led her to another street, only a couple of figures walking around.

"A little." Xiaojun admitted. "I think life in Central was definitely better in terms of quality of life, but I feel like I was happier here."