You Looked More Prettier When You Smile

Their hover shuffled across the road, along with other mercenaries' who were also heading to the outside wall. After getting their identity verified by the guards stationed at the checkpoint, their vehicle was allowed to pass through the wall.

The severity beyond the huge wall was exposed to everyone's view. The grey gloomy sky covered a wide expanse, seeming to affect the mood of every living thing residing below it. Most of the beasts within the radius of the huge wall had all been eliminated. As a result, one could only go in deeper if one wants to hunt some wild beast. After driving the vehicle far away into the distance, Tyron put the car to a stop at a well-hidden place.

"Ah, another day of thrill." Ryker jump down from the car, inhaling deeply the air in the wilds.

Xue Yiran also climbed down from the car along with Miley. However, her gaze lingered a bit on Ian. Perhaps due to the fact that she had noticed the later staring at her during the ride. "Can you please give me a moment?" Xue Yiran made an excuse to Miley, before heading towards Ian's direction.

"Huh, why aren't you together with Ms. Miley?" Ian was quite surprise by Xue Yiran approach.

"You were constantly gazing at me during the ride earlier. So, I thought you might have something to say to me. Isn't that so?"

"I..." Ian cough out in embarrassment, because he was caught in the act once again. He had done it so discretely. How did she notice? "I… I just thought you looked more prettier when you smile. You should smile always." The moment he finished saying those words, he lowered his head, not daring to capture Xue Yiran reaction to what he had just said.

"Oy, oy, what's going on here? Did I just interrupt a confession?" Walker had come to inform the two about their task for today, and was fortunately enough to hear Ian last two sentences. "I don't know if I should say this." He wrapped his arm across Ian shoulder before saying, "Even though you are the crown prince, I still think that you're too young to engage in a lovely dovely moment. Take a look at me, I haven't gotten a girlfriend for the past 24 years of my life. Keeping yourself untainted for your destined one is the best devotion of love. Isn't tha... Oh! Sorry, I almost forgot." Walker who then realized that Ian already had a fiancé suddenly felt the brimming excitement in his heart fade away.

"What are you three discussing about? It's time for us to depart." Ryker called out from the distance.

"I'm coming." Who told him to be so excited. He thought that he had just walked into a confession scene. But from the look of it, it seems like he was the only one caught up in that assumption. "Let's go." With his arm still drape across Ian shoulder, he pulled him forward.

Although Walker interruption had lifted up the awkwardness at the scene, Ian still dares not lift his head to look up at Xue Yiran.

'What if she thinks I'm a player.'

Xue Yiran followed behind them. Her expression was still the same signature cold gaze. However, someone who is very familiar with her behavior would have noticed that each time her eyes moves, she appears to be lost in thought.

'Ever since I arrived here. I've been acting the same way as I did in my previous life.' Recalling the number of times she had smiled; they were very minimal. Also, most of them had been when she was alone with Xue Haoran. It looks like due to her constant behavior of always keeping up her guard, she had already gotten used in doing so.

No wonder people here all thought she was always indifferent. Yes, she does want to keep people away from her. However, that was because she was still used to the lifestyle in the apocalypse. Using the same tacit here would only make people assume that she was proud and unapproachable.

"I should smile always?" That would be a very hard job to do, as she rarely smiles at anyone. She tries to force a laugh out of her mouth, but it only makes her expression look distorted.

"What are you doing, Xue Yiran?" Miley saw her actions and asked.

"It's just... Do you also think I look pretty when I smile?"

"Of course. When you smile, our Xue Yiran face is just as bright as the radiant sun. It would have been great if I could see you smile always." Miley expresses her disappointment at the end. "Did someone said you look pretty when you smile? Is it Ian?" Miley immediately made a guess, as she knew Xue Yiran wouldn't have asked her such question.

"Hmm." Xue Yiran didn't hide what happened from her.

"Tch, stealing a glance at you. Don't tell me that guy is starting to fall for you. Of course, with your pretty face who wouldn't. Anyways, stay away from that guy. I don't like him." Perhaps because of the first impression she had about him, Miley still had a little bit of aversion towards Ian.

"Okay."

Since they weren't going to linger around by fighting against the passing by beasts, they all ride on flying contract beasts, in order to make their mission for today faster.

"Our mission for today is to collect the eggs laid from an Arcane bird." Tyron began. "An Arcane bird is known for its high-pitched sound, which is capable of launching a mental attack. So, try to protect your consciousness once we reached their lair."

This wasn't the first time the Tyron guild would venture into the Arcane bird territory, so they knew all about the in and out of the beasts. But for the two newbie, Xue Yiran and Ian, Tyron gave them a little info about the bird. As for Amos, there was no need to as the other person must be knowledgeable enough to know about the characteristics of the bird.

"I'm already at a bottleneck in my mental strength stage. With the Arcane bird eggs, I would definitely be able to break through to the next stage." Kai said.

Although known for its potent sound attack, the Arcane bird meat or eggs has a very ample benefit. The most important one being the improvement of one's mental fortitude.

"Here." Xue Yiran saw Miley handing her a noise cancellation earplug. "While it might not be able to protect against a mental attack, it can still prevent your eardrum from rupturing from the high-pitched sound attack."

"Thank you." Xue Yiran took the ear plug. Indeed, when she puts it on, it was as if all the noise around her had died down. However, she could still hear what the others were saying. It seems like the noise cancellation plug only works against beasts. "What about the others? Don't they need one?" She asked.

"Don't worry about us. We've been to the Arcane birds lair several times, so we've already gotten used to their scream." Atlas who had heard Xue Yiran question explained. "But since it's your first time here, you might not be able to get used to it, which is the reason why Miley gave you the noise cancellation earplug."

"Oh. Thanks for the explanation."

"It's nothing." Atlas smiled in reply.

Xue Yiran then looked in Ian direction and then saw that the other party was also wearing an earplug.

'Looks like I don't have to worry about him.'