The night air was cold, a gentle breeze brushed against Jiu Fan's cheek as he stared at Lin Rubi's sleeping face beside him. He carried the girl carefully, trying not to wake her up. Lin Rubi's body was light, but there was an emotional burden that crept into Jiu Fan's heart, which even he himself found hard to understand.
Lin Rubi's car was parked not far from the path where they had stopped earlier. Jiu Fan swiftly opened the car door and laid Lin Rubi down in the seat next to him. He then took his seat behind the wheel and started the engine. The car's headlights pierced the darkness of the night, reflecting light onto the towering trees on either side of the road. He drove slowly, returning to the hotel where they were staying.
After a few minutes of driving on the quiet road, Lin Rubi suddenly groaned softly and blinked. She turned her head, looked around, then looked at Jiu Fan who was driving.
"Eh? Jiu Fan? Why am I suddenly in the car?" she asked in a confused tone, her clear eyes still looking sleepy.
"You fell asleep. So I carried you and took you to the car." Jiu Fan replied shortly, still focused on the road ahead.
"So… you carried me?" Lin Rubi lowered her head slightly, her soft voice hanging in the air.
"Why is that? Do you want me to leave you on the road alone?" Jiu Fan replied while glancing at her, his tone casual yet caring.
"It's not that… it's just, I'm a little embarrassed." Lin Rubi said while biting her lower lip, her cheeks flushed in the dim light of the car.
"It's okay. Aren't we friends?"
"Yes, you're right… I'm sorry for being too sensitive."
The night journey was in comfortable silence. Inside the car, only the sound of the engine and their soft breathing could be heard. The sky outside was getting darker, indicating that the night was nearing its peak. The stars began to appear, emitting small lights that competed with the city lights.
Upon arriving at the hotel, they parted ways in front of the elevator. Jiu Fan pressed the button for the second floor, while Lin Rubi headed for the third floor. Their gazes met for a moment before the elevator doors closed. There was something hanging in the air, a deep yet meaningful silence.
---
In his room, Jiu Fan immediately lay down on his bed. His body was tired, but his mind couldn't stay still. His memories of what happened in the forest, his fight with the aliens, and Lin Rubi's presence that saved his life—all of them were raging in his mind. But slowly, the tiredness calmed his mind and he fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Lin Rubi lay on her bed. The room lights were dim, only illuminating part of her face. She stared at the ceiling with a blank stare.
"What's strange about me?" she muttered. "Why do I feel like I'm starting to have feelings for someone…?"
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "No… I shouldn't overthink." she said, trying to convince himself. "I'm not here to fall in love. I need Jiu Fan… to help me. To take revenge on the aliens who invaded and took over my planet."
She turned to face the window, staring at the dimly shining moon.
"Okay, I don't need to think about this now… I'm so sleepy." she said softly. She closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep.
---
The next day, the television was on in Jiu Fan's room. He sat on the bed, staring at the screen. The morning news was broadcasting an emergency report.
"…an unknown object was found burning in the Guangzhou city forest. In addition, several corpses of strange creatures were also found, with gunshot wounds all over their bodies. The authorities are still investigating this incident…"
Jiu Fan's eyes widened. His hands tightly gripped the edge of the blanket.
"Hopefully this isn't a big deal…" he muttered anxiously.
Meanwhile, far away in space…
A dark figure with glowing red eyes sat on a metal throne inside a large spaceship. The Alien King, who was now controlling the body of a human named Xiao Zhen, roared angrily.
"TOTALLY USELESS!" his voice echoed in the room. "They failed to get the Star Brooch!"
His eyes lit up even brighter. "I'll seal Xiao Zhen's soul for the time being. I have to return to this body… so as not to arouse suspicion."
---
On Earth, Jiu Fan was receiving a call from Wu Lixue.
"Hello, Jiu Fan! How was your vacation?" Wu Lixue asked cheerfully.
"Everything is fine." Jiu Fan replied calmly.
"Good! I'll wait for you to come home." Wu Lixue chuckled, then continued, "Eh, have you heard the news about the strange creature found in Guangzhou?"
Jiu Fan held his breath. "What news?"
"There was an object that looked like a spaceship that caught fire, and… there was an alien creature, they said." Wu Lixue explained. "Strange, huh?"
"Uh… I haven't heard about that." Jiu Fan's voice sounded nervous. In his heart, he muttered, I can't tell you the truth…
"Okay, I have to help my mom clean up the house. See you, Jiu Fan!" Wu Lixue said and hung up the phone.
Jiu Fan took a deep breath, then went out of the room to get some fresh air. He looked up at the pale blue sky that was still covered in a thin mist.
"What's that?" he muttered softly. He saw a faint shadow in the sky.
He closed his eyes, then activated his power. "Shine! Eye of Light, activate!"
His eyes shone golden. His gaze penetrated the fog, revealing an alien ship camouflaged in the upper atmosphere.
"So… they've started spying on Earth…" he muttered in a deep voice. "I can't let this happen."
Quickly, he raised his hand. A stream of light energy shot out from his palm and hit the alien ship, pushing it away from Earth. The aliens inside the ship were thrown away by the powerful thrust.
"Thank goodness…" Jiu Fan sighed.
But just as he turned around, someone suddenly appeared behind him.
"DAMN! You startled me!" Jiu Fan exclaimed.
"Hehe… sorry. I was getting ready to go to work, but I accidentally saw you here." Lin Rubi said with a chuckle. "Why are you staring at the sky like that?"
"It's nothing, just looking at the scenery." Jiu Fan said quickly, trying to cover up his nervousness.
"Oh yeah, by the way… what do you do for a living?" Jiu Fan asked.
"I'm a professional singer." Lin Rubi replied proudly.
"Singer? That's great!"
"Haha, I'm just following my talent. What talent do you have?"
"I can draw a little…"
"Wow, why not become a comic artist or an illustrator?"
"I want to focus on my education first."
"Okay, then I'll take my leave. See you, Jiu Fan!"
---
Lin Rubi drove her car along the quiet road towards the studio where she worked. But when she passed a bend, she suddenly stepped on the brakes.
In front of her, stood four tall figures, their skin dark with muscular bodies and glowing red eyes. Aliens.
"Gosh…" Lin Rubi panicked, her eyes sweeping the side seat. My gun… I left it behind!
The alien made a strange sound and started to approach. Lin Rubi got out of the car, ran a few steps and then was cornered. She could only close her eyes. It's over...
Suddenly, a loud voice was heard from behind Lin Rubi.
"STOP HURT MY FRIEND!!"
A golden light beam shot out and hit one of the aliens, blasting it into the bushes.
Lin Rubi slowly opened her eyes... and saw a shadowy figure standing proudly in front of her.
To be continued...