Chapter 450: Pride

Chapter 450: Chapter 450: Pride

Seeing this, Lily Hart was relieved. She didn’t want to watch everyone freeze to death, so she could only do her best.

Everyone else had left; only the owner of the claw machine and the owner of the apple tree remained outside.

The two exchanged a look, wondering if they should also go stay at the high-speed train station.

They turned their gazes back to Boss Hart, but when they saw she had no intention of asking them to stay, they had no choice but to turn and leave.

They had only taken two steps when Lily Hart leaned out and called, "Hey, where are you two going?"

In the end, the claw machine was set up next to the clinic. There was a Light Brain rental machine there too, which was perfect.

As for the apple tree, Lily Hart told its owner to find a spot for themselves. They could follow her or not—it was up to them.

If they chose to follow Lily Hart, the apples from the tree could be given to Stan Sterling, who would put them on the platform for everyone to snap up.

The profits would be split three ways.

The two of them put their heads together and decided, of course, they had to follow Boss Hart! That was the only way to eat well and live comfortably!

Since they had both decided to follow her, Lily Hart arranged an employee dorm room for each of them.

Neither of them had expected such a good deal. Not only was their future income guaranteed, but they also had a place to live! ⅇℯ𝚕.

They both nodded eagerly in acceptance and hurriedly followed Lily Hart toward the employee dorms.

On the way to the employee dorms, they could see the main avenue, lined with neat and tidy shops on both sides.

A sense of pride swelled uncontrollably in their hearts. From now on, they would be a part of this community!

Good heavens, this was the opportunity countless survivors dreamed of!

And just like that, the two of them had gotten it. With hearts full of excitement and gratitude, they followed her all the way to the employee dorms.

When they saw their rooms, their excitement and gratitude reached a new peak.

Brand-new furniture, a spacious room, a faucet with running water available at all times, and even hot water!

They were so moved they could have cried.

But when the two of them turned to express their thanks to Boss Hart, she was already long gone.

’Mission accomplished. Why would I stick around? To be a statue?’

Feeling light and unburdened, Lily Hart returned to the lottery shop to find Frost Shaw sitting on the sofa, leaning over to play with Jay-Jay.

It was clear he really wanted to win the little dog’s approval.

Jay-Jay was giving him the cold shoulder, merely tolerating the petting. But when the dog caught Lily Hart’s scent...

It scrambled up from the floor, shook out its thick, snow-white fur, and bolted toward Lily Hart.

From Lily Hart’s perspective, it looked like a fluffy white furball was flying right at her.

She laughed and squatted down to catch the little cannonball, but it seemed Jay-Jay knew he was a bit too big.

He put on the brakes just before reaching her, bleeding off almost half his momentum before crashing into her arms.

"Aww, good boy~" Lily Hart said, hugging Jay-Jay’s head and mussing his fur with abandon.

’So plump and solid, so perfectly squishable! I feel like my mood is already so much better.’

Frost Shaw remained on the sofa, elbows propped on his knees, his eyes fixed on Lily Hart.

Her smile was like a blossoming flower. Her low ponytail had loosened from the sudden movement, and a few strands of hair had fallen free.

Some clung to her cheek, others fluttered in the breeze. In that instant, Frost Shaw wished he could become one of those strands of hair.

’To be able to press against her, to be close to her, every single moment, without a care in the world.’

Lily Hart continued to muss up Jay-Jay’s fur for a while longer before she finally rose, satisfied, and walked toward the sofa.

Jay-Jay followed right behind her, occasionally swatting her with his tail.

The moment Lily Hart sat on the sofa, Jay-Jay plopped down at her feet and rested his head directly on her foot.

"Why haven’t you gone to bed yet?" Lily Hart asked, giving him a quick look up and down. "Aren’t you cold?"

Frost Shaw shook his head, his gaze following hers to glance down at himself.

"Not cold at all," Frost Shaw stated honestly.

"Well, I’m a little cold. Come here and give me a hug~" Lily Hart dove into his arms, only to find he felt even colder than the air outside.

She immediately started to struggle back up. "Oh, right! You’re an Ice Ability User, of course you wouldn’t be cold!"

Frost Shaw chuckled and pulled her back into his embrace, but kept a slight distance so as not to chill her.

Seeing this, Jay-Jay, who had been lying peacefully on the floor, immediately got up, wedged himself between the two of them, and stubbornly tried to pry them apart.

Frost Shaw was in no mood to cozy up to the dog now. He shoved it away.

As if to prove a point, he pulled Lily Hart back into his arms and shot Jay-Jay a pointed look.

"WOOF WOOF WOOF!" Jay-Jay barked in protest, but since he couldn’t speak, all he could do was voice his defiance.

"Jay-Jay, it’s time. You should go to sleep now~" Lily Hart urged.

But she was really thinking, ’Go on, little doggy, scram! Don’t you ruin my fun!’

Jay-Jay’s tail drooped. He trotted up the stairs—TAP, TAP, TAP—pushed open the door to the pet room himself, and settled down on his special mat.

Downstairs, the instant Jay-Jay disappeared, Frost Shaw eagerly leaned in and kissed her.

The kiss was impossibly deep.

It was Lily Hart who stopped it just in time.

Lying on the bed again, they both lapsed into silence, hearing only the sound of each other’s breathing.

Lily Hart was resting, replaying the recent events in her mind.

Frost Shaw, however, was wondering, ’When I refused her just now, did I make her unhappy?’

As she rested, Lily Hart’s eyes slowly closed, and she soon fell asleep.

This left Frost Shaw alone, staring at the ceiling, wanting to explain things to her.

Frost Shaw worked up his courage, turned to face Lily Hart, and had just started to speak...

...when he realized she was already asleep. Frost Shaw was at a loss for words. ’Well, it’s probably for the best,’ he thought. ’At least this way I won’t keep overthinking things.’

’Come to think of it, with Boss Hart’s personality, she would have just said it if she was unhappy. She wouldn’t bottle it up.’

Frost Shaw slowly scooted closer, gathered her into his arms, and, inhaling her faint, sweet scent, he too fell asleep.

「The next day」

Lily Hart woke up in Frost Shaw’s arms and shifted slightly.

She squirmed restlessly, trying to wriggle her way out of his grasp. ’Drat,’ she thought resentfully.

But her movements only ended up waking him. And it wasn’t just him who woke up—it was Fro, too.

He scooped her back into his arms in one motion, holding her tightly. 𝖋𝘳ℯ

She stopped moving. ’It’s so early in the morning,’ she thought. ’What a hassle...’

’Anyway, it’s cold out, and I wasn’t planning on opening the shop early. In that case...’

An hour passed. Frost Shaw carried Lily Hart out of the bathroom.

He helped her get dressed, earning several glares in the process, which Frost Shaw accepted completely.