She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo

It was a new week, and aside from the unexpected visit to Boss Lu Chen's dimensional convenience store over the weekend, Yan and Zhu Jue's daily life had been quite peaceful.

Midweek, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍Yan received news from the jade shop in the antique street. The custom-made jade ring face, bracelet, and pendant she had ordered last month at Boss Xu's store, using the emerald she had luckily picked up from Yi Zhi, were finally ready.

Nearly a month had passed, and during this time, Yan had communicated several times with the craftsmen at Boss Xu's jade shop regarding the design and progress of each piece. Now, the finished products were finally here!

Though she had only kept the ring face for herself and Zhu Jue, Yan was still thrilled. After all, she had been looking forward to these new pieces for a long time, and they felt like a free gift.

To try on the jewelry, Yan dressed in a traditional Chinese-style outfit today—a long-sleeved cross-collar top paired with a pleated skirt. Her hair was simply adorned with a hairpin and artificial flowers, giving her a graceful and elegant appearance that complemented the classical architecture of the antique street.

Yan and Zhu Jue first stopped by Uncle Pan's place, then greeted Boss Tu at his shop to see if there were any new items. Unexpectedly, Boss Tu insisted they stay.

"Yan, Zhu Jue, come on, don't leave yet. Stay and chat with me for a bit."

Perhaps because his feng shui shop rarely saw young visitors, Boss Tu was eager to keep the two of them around. Since they had nothing urgent to do and weren't in a hurry to pick up their items, they decided to stay and have some tea.

"You two have no idea," Boss Tu said excitedly.

"Boss Xu hit the jackpot last month! A huge one!"

"Ever since that day you two came by and that handsome guy unearthed the imperial green and chicken-fat yellow jade, Boss Xu's shop has been packed from morning till night."

"Especially during the National Day holiday, so many young people came to check it out. They didn't know anything about jade but still picked stones to cut, just for the experience."

"What would you call Boss Xu's luck? He imported truckloads of raw stones, only for someone else to pick out the top-grade jade. But Xu's Jade Store's reputation has skyrocketed. There are other jade shops on this street, but during the holiday, people were lining up outside his store."

"I checked on that app you young people use, Xiaohongshu. If you search for Bin City's antique street, Xu's Jade Store is a must-visit spot."

Boss Tu spoke with envy, though he knew it was pointless to compare. Their businesses were fundamentally different—his shop catered mainly to insiders or wealthy clients.

Yan and Zhu Jue were stunned by his words. It sounded exaggerated, but thinking about it, even though Boss Xu lost the imperial green and chicken-fat yellow jade, he gained long-term benefits.

Having once uncovered jade worth hundreds of millions, Boss Xu now had the best advertisement for his store. Over the past month, he must have made a fortune, quietly raking in profits day after day.

Now that's what you call a big win! Yan couldn't help but feel a little envious, though she was already quite content with her own gains.

"That handsome guy hasn't been seen since. He probably left Bin City already, maybe even went abroad. He'll likely lay low for a while before coming back," Boss Tu remarked.

Yan thought to herself, *That "handsome guy" isn't a guy at all, and she hasn't left Bin City.*

Still, Yan couldn't help but admire Yi Zhi's self-control.

Earning a hundred million in a single day—it was clear that her ability allowed her to detect valuable stones. With such a skill, she could easily continue making a fortune.

Even if she were cautious, she could still visit other jade shops across the country, cutting less extraordinary stones like ice jade or glutinous jade, which would still attract attention. Most people would take advantage of such an opportunity, traveling to various gambling stone hotspots and making billions without a problem.

But Yi Zhi had both combat skills and exceptional disguising abilities, yet she stopped after just one big score.

For most people in the world, a hundred million is an unimaginable sum, but human greed knows no bounds. Being able to curb that greed so decisively is truly remarkable.

Yan also guessed that Yi Zhi had been busy lately selling fruits, running around nonstop. While the high-end fruit business must be profitable, it paled in comparison to the astronomical profits from gambling on jade.

Yet Yi Zhi chose to earn her money the hard way, refusing to continue gambling for quick riches.

Every morning, rain or shine, she exercised diligently. She had the discipline to resist greed and the determination to work hard. Even setting aside Yi Zhi's identity as a post-apocalyptic superhuman, Yan deeply admired her roommate.

What a cool girl!

Boss Tu continued gossiping about recent bargains in the antique street and how some tourists were scammed during the National Day holiday, leading to fights with vendors...

Yan and Zhu Jue sipped tea and snacked on pastries, listening to the stream of gossip. Just as Boss Tu was talking about how one shop got swindled, he suddenly received a phone call and hurriedly stood up.

"Hey, you two, mind watching the shop for me? I need to step out for a bit. If any customers come, just have them wait. They're all regulars anyway."

Boss Tu grabbed his phone and rushed off, leaving Yan and Zhu Jue bewildered.

"Wait, we've only met Boss Tu twice. Isn't he being a little too trusting?" Yan said, her lips twitching.

How had they suddenly become shopkeepers?

Zhu Jue chuckled. "It's because we look harmless. We're not insiders, so he feels safe leaving us here."

The items in Boss Tu's shop—various feng shui talismans, copper coin swords, peach wood swords, and Taishan stones—might not seem like much, but their combined value was likely astronomical.

After finishing over a dozen rounds of tea, it was almost noon, and there was no sign of Boss Tu returning. Yan and Zhu Jue sat at the tea table and started browsing food delivery options.

"Let's get some iced lemon tea! And maybe some pastries like salted egg yolk puffs. If we can't finish them, we can leave them for Boss Tu as tea snacks," Yan said, quickly placing an order with a discount coupon.

She chose a nearby shop in the antique street, and the food arrived shortly after.

With only the two of them in the shop, Yan and Zhu Jue leaned in close, whispering to each other.

"I feel like Ye Ping'an has been secretly watching me lately," Zhu Jue said, frowning slightly.

But he couldn't figure out why Ye Ping'an's gaze kept lingering on him.

Zhu Jue was holding the cup of lemon tea with both hands, warming it up. Yan liked lemon tea, but she found it too cold with ice, which could upset her stomach. So, every time, Zhu Jue would either time it perfectly or manually check the temperature, making sure it was just right—cool but not cold—before giving it to her.

Yan rested her chin in her hands, deep in thought, but couldn't come up with an explanation.

"The snacks are all in my room. He shouldn't have noticed anything," she said, furrowing her brow.

"Could it be something in the dorm? Maybe Ye Ping'an has something to say but feels too shy to bring it up?"

But Zhu Jue had good habits—no sleepwalking or talking in his sleep—so it probably wasn't that.

Zhu Jue shook his head. "No, nothing like that."

He got along well with the five other guys in the dorm, though he was closer to Xiao Qingnang and Lin Fan.

Mr. Xiao was very diligent in his studies. The two of them were in the same major and class, attending lectures and securing seats together every day. Occasionally, he would borrow notes from Xiao Qingnang, whose handwriting was exceptionally beautiful.

Lin Fan, on the other hand, was a straightforward man with no experience in love or marriage, having come from a military background. He often sought advice from Zhu Jue on how to please his partner, and the two would discuss strategies together.

After the previous misunderstanding with Chu Shen and with fried rice as a peace offering, Zhu Jue and Chu Shen had developed a good relationship. As for Yuan Ye, although it was unclear what he had been thinking during the last comic convention, he occasionally gave Zhu Jue strange looks.

To be honest, apart from their time in the dormitory, Zhu Jue and Ye Ping'an rarely spent time together outside. Moreover, because Ye Ping'an was often live-streaming, Zhu Jue always made sure to avoid disturbing him.

This left both Yan and Zhu Jue puzzled as to why Ye Ping'an had taken an interest in him.

"Forget it, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. There's no conflict, so it's probably not a big deal. Maybe he'll bring it up himself someday," Yan said.

Zhu Jue nodded. Since they couldn't figure out the reason now, they had no choice but to let it be.

After Zhu Jue manually tested the temperature of the lemon tea with his hand, Yan waited a while before drinking it at the perfect warmth.

Bored in the shop, after going through the items in Boss Tu's store three times, neither of them dared to touch anything, fearing they might accidentally disrupt some feng shui arrangement. Boss Tu still hadn't returned, so Yan connected to the store's Wi-Fi and was pleasantly surprised.

"Ka Ka has uploaded new videos, two of them!"

Indeed, another two weeks had passed, and Travel Ka Ka had updated again!

[Travel Ka Ka]: [Searching for Haji Tala in Inner Mongolia, I stumbled into a traditional Mongolian wedding and ended up giving a speech?]

"This must be where Ka Ka went last week," Yan said, blinking. She had thought Ka Ka would just post some old footage.

Ka Ka's update meant she had likely finished another trip and was back home editing her videos.

A Mongolian wedding? And Ka Ka even gave a speech? Yan couldn't wait to see what had happened.

The video began with the usual adorable animated opening, showing Ka Ka traveling by various means of transportation. This time, the final leg of the journey featured Ka Ka riding a jeep across the grasslands.

The grasslands were vast, with one family's pastureland separated from another's by hundreds of miles. Ka Ka's destination, Haji Tala, was particularly remote.

"Tala" means "grassland" in Mongolian and is a common place name, which made Ka Ka's journey even more challenging.

Whenever Ka Ka asked for directions to "Haji Tala," locals would point to the nearest "Tala" they knew. Ka Ka had to keep finding rides, hitching rides, and borrowing rides, slowly making her way to the location marked on the map.

The bottom corner of the video displayed a miniature map showing Ka Ka's changing modes of transportation. Despite encountering many kind people, her journey to the final destination was far from smooth.

When Ka Ka arrived at a certain banner town, the area was well-developed and convenient. However, the weather on the grasslands in mid-October was unpredictable.

One moment, the sky was clear with white clouds, and the next, it was pouring rain. The autumn scenery, with its yellow grass and red leaves, was beautiful, showcasing the unique charm of the grasslands in fall.

Ka Ka's journey to Haji Tala was delayed by two days due to the weather. Many people she asked about this obscure Tala, which had no historical significance or fame, simply shook their heads. The video captured Ka Ka's frustration vividly.

The mood indicator in the bottom left corner showed a slightly disheartened Ka Ka.

"The grasslands are too vast. Even locals find it hard to navigate, let alone Ka Ka. Some elders only speak Mongolian," Yan remarked while watching the video.

Being in an unfamiliar place, unable to find her destination, and with the weather against her, it was easy to feel down.

Ka Ka, with her unique travel system, managed to persevere. Anyone else might have given up and gone home.

"The autumn grasslands are beautiful. Maybe we can drive there someday. Preferably with a local private tour," Zhu Jue had other thoughts.

The two continued watching. After being stranded for two days due to the weather, the third day finally brought clear skies.

The drone footage captured the blue sky and large, fluffy white clouds, resembling a painting.

As a foreign girl who didn't speak Mongolian, Ka Ka stood out. Despite learning a few basic phrases like "hello," "thank you," "goodbye," and "how much," her appearance and accent made her a local curiosity.

Having been stranded for two days, she became the talk of the small town.

In the video, the local innkeeper made calls on her behalf, asking around about "Haji Tala." Locals came to chat with her, despite the language barrier.

On rainy days, she sipped hot salty milk tea, ate delicious lamb, and communicated with heavily accented locals using gestures, repeatedly explaining why she had come.

[Travel Ka Ka, stranded due to weather, attracts attention. Foreigner reputation in the area +20.]

[The innkeeper spreads word of the foreigner Ka Ka, and the story quickly spreads...]

The video displayed these lines.

[Travel Ka Ka's local reputation reaches 50, triggering hidden NPC Guo Le.]

Yan and Zhu Jue: !

Next, they saw a burly man in traditional Mongolian robes, with dark red skin and accented Mandarin.

"I heard there's a young girl here looking for Haji Tala."

"That's my third uncle's sister-in-law's second uncle's pastureland."

"His daughter is getting married, and I'm going there to help."

Ka Ka couldn't quite follow the family connections, but she was thrilled.

She had finally found it! And it was a local who had approached her.

The innkeeper assured her that Guo Le was trustworthy, a well-known pasture owner.

Moreover, Guo Le was traveling with his family to visit these distant relatives.

Ka Ka got into the car again, this time with Guo Le's wife and child, which made her feel more at ease.

The miniature figure on the map started moving again. The jeep sped across the yellowing grasslands, past changing red leaves, occasional lakes, and large herds of horses.

After hours of bumpy travel, Ka Ka's phone signal never dropped below three bars. They even passed by vast wind farms, the turbines an impressive sight.

This was her first time venturing so deep into the grasslands. Guo Le explained that a large family's pastureland could be as big as a city district.

They finally arrived at Haji Tala.

Thanks to Guo Le's phone call, the relatives helping with the wedding already knew about the young girl who had traveled so far just to visit Haji Tala.

Ka Ka was presented with a hada (ceremonial scarf) the moment she stepped out of the car and was warmly welcomed into the yurt.

"Why did you come to Hajitara?" a local man asked in accented Mandarin.

"It's just grass. It's turned yellow, nothing much to see. I've seen it all my life," he added.

"I just wanted to come and see," Ka Ka replied.

"I saw this place on the map, so I decided to visit."

"No one comes here for tourism. You're the first, truly the first," they said, giving her a thumbs-up and smiling with a mix of confusion and respect.

Ka Ka was invited to wear Sister Guo Le's Mongolian robe and, amidst laughter, enjoyed a meal of mutton.

It was Ka Ka's first time riding a horse, her first time using a dagger to slice meat, her first time making salty milk tea, and her first time staying in a yurt.

Hajitara was the pastureland of Guo Le's relatives. There were no other households within a hundred miles, let alone hotels or inns. The relatives had brought their yurts to prepare for the wedding of the bride, Bao Yin. The yurt serving as the kitchen was bustling non-stop.

Ka Ka attended a traditional ethnic wedding she had never seen before. As a special witness from afar, she was included in one of the ceremonies, stumbling slightly as she recited her lines.

[Congratulations, Traveler Ka Ka, as a stranger, you have become a special NPC witnessing the union of the newlyweds.]

[Traveler Ka Ka's local reputation +50.]

The video's bullet comments were flooded with messages like "Long-lasting love," "A hundred years of happiness," and "A distant NPC witnessing together." Watching this, Yan couldn't help but smile.

How wonderful.

Because of this wedding feast, Ka Ka stayed in Hajitara for four days. The first night was her arrival, the second day was Bao Yin's bridal send-off, the third day was the groom's wedding ceremony, and the fourth day was her visit to the groom's family as a member of the bride's relatives, where she was treated with great hospitality.

The lively atmosphere, the singing and dancing, and the laughter everywhere made Yan wish she could join in just by watching the video.

Travel always brings such magical encounters. The elder brother from Guo Le, who had taken the initiative to find her at the inn, led Ka Ka to her destination, and she ended up participating in a full Mongolian wedding.

In the video, after the bride was fetched, the horse and vehicle procession circled Bao Yin's family yurt three times before galloping across the vast grassland. The wedding blessings and drinking songs continued non-stop. Even though she couldn't understand Mongolian, the screen seemed to draw her into the celebration.

The video was long. Although Ka Ka split it into two parts, the total duration was a full three hours.

In the final part of the video, since Guo Le's elder brother hadn't left yet, Ka Ka rode with Bao Yin's other relatives who were attending the wedding.

The white hada around her chest fluttered, and a line of text appeared on the screen that brought a knowing smile.

[Traveler Ka Ka receives blessings from the locals, mood +20.]

In fact, Ka Ka also received a dagger as a gift, but since she couldn't bring it back due to transportation restrictions, the dagger remained in Hajitara.

"Keep this dagger here. When you come back next time, it'll be your personal one," the bride Bao Yin said.

Ka Ka's WeChat gained a string of new friends, all of whom grew up on the vast grasslands, a life vastly different from her own upbringing.

She struggled to mark the locations of the bride and groom's families on her phone.

Honestly, Ka Ka wasn't sure how packages would be delivered to such a place.

Though the address was simply a patch of grassland with a few yurts, she trusted the reliable postal service of Xia Country. Even if it meant delivering on horseback, they would surely get it there!

As for the dried beef and milk slices she sent to the Extreme Racing Team, Yan, Zhu Jue, the couple, and the local families she had visited before, Ka Ka bought them in a relatively bustling town after the wedding. With a local helping her, she managed to purchase a large quantity of local specialties at local prices and sent them off.

This place was a tourist area, so Ka Ka decided to stay an extra day in a yurt to experience the difference between developed and undeveloped grasslands.

Since she had learned to ride a horse in Hajitara, she could now ride the gentle, well-trained horses in the developed tourist area on her own.

She asked the accompanying horse trainer to take more photos for her. After riding for half an hour, Ka Ka thanked the trainer in Mongolian.

"I heard you came from that faraway Tara? That pasture is really far," the trainer asked in fluent Mandarin.

Ka Ka nodded. She wasn't surprised. When the relatives who drove her here heard she wanted to stay the night, they immediately found an acquaintance to arrange things. And the yurt owner had helped her arrange the horseback riding.

It wasn't peak tourist season, so the area was quiet. She had been brought here by a local driver and arranged for everything. Given how well-connected the locals were, even strangers could chat for a long time.

Perhaps the grasslands were too vast, and with hundreds of miles between people, even with phones, life could feel lonely. The older generation still kept their old habits, eager to chat and share news whenever they met someone.

"It's quite far. It took almost a full day of driving."

"I came for a wedding," Ka Ka said.

Using the wedding as an explanation was easier, saving her the trouble of explaining her blind-box travel adventures.

"So you're here to send off the bride? You're part of the bride's family?" the trainer asked.

Ka Ka paused, then laughed. "Yes, I'm part of the bride's family."

She had stayed with Bao Yin's family in Hajitara for two days, followed the bride's family to the groom's home, and even gave a speech at the wedding.

Even though she had known this family for less than a week, how could she not be considered part of Bao Yin's family?

Ka Ka noticed a notification from her Travel Buddy system pop up in front of her.

"Congratulations, player, for unlocking the [Chance Kinship] achievement. Keep up the good work. Would you like to equip the achievement badge?"

Chance Kinship? Ka Ka immediately checked the detailed description of the new achievement.

[Achievement: Chance Kinship]

[By chance, a wedding turned a stranger into family. You adorned their wedding, and they adorned your journey. This was supposed to be an ordinary trip, but because of all this, it became something special. In Hajitara, you're not just a traveler from afar—you're Bao Yin's family. You feel the same way, don't you?]

[Equip effect: +10 friendliness in Mongolian regions.]

Yan and Zhu Jue had unknowingly finished watching the video. This time, the ending CG featured a chibi version of Ka Ka in a Mongolian robe, drinking milk tea, eating mutton, and a simple sketch of the wedding. The chibi Ka Ka galloped across the grassland on horseback, looking cuter by the second.

After giving the video a like, comment, and share, Yan sent Ka Ka a WeChat message.

[Yan]: More videos, please! Waving the whip for updates!

Although Ka Ka's three-hour video was long, her weekly or biweekly upload schedule just wasn't enough.

The snacks Yan and Zhu Jue had bought were almost gone, and they had restocked twice. Boss Tu still hadn't returned. Would they have to wait until the store closed?

After sitting and watching videos for a long time, the two of them finally stood up. Yan stretched and moved around a bit in the room when she noticed a somewhat sneaky man with a backpack peeking around the entrance of the shop.

The man didn’t have a halo above his head, so Yan didn’t pay much attention. He didn’t seem like a regular customer of the shop.

Perhaps he was here to consult the master for fortune-telling or feng shui adjustments, she thought, as she called Boss Tu again on her phone.

Yan didn’t go out of her way to greet him. The man peeked around for a while, as if checking if there was anyone else in the shop, before finally walking in.

He looked at Yan hesitantly and asked, “Where’s the adult in charge here?”

“I’ve got something here. Can you make the call on this?”

Yan’s ears perked up instantly. Huh? Huh huh huh?

This opening line… Could it be something dug up from the ground?

Boss Tu, hurry back!!!