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ANGELINA and Ryuho arrived at the entrance of the Blue Ocean Bar. Appetizing scents wafted from inside the restaurant. The bustling noise of the lunchtime crowd echoed all the way outside. After exchanging glances with Angelina, Ryuho opened the door and stepped inside.
“Hello!” both of them raised a greeting in unison.
“Welcome!” an energetic voice called back.
During a previous visit some years ago, a young male apprentice had been arguing with a girl. Now, the man was the proprietor. Similarly, the girl—now a woman—was his wife and proprietress. As Angelina surveyed the lively interior of the bar, a small girl of about three years old darted among the customers. Though she seemed intent on assisting, her actions appeared somewhat disruptive. Nevertheless, the surrounding adults watched over her with indulgent smiles.
“Goodness!” the proprietress called out to Angelina. “It’s been too long, Your Highness!”
“Congratulations on the child,” Angelina replied, directing her gaze towards the young girl.
The proprietress beckoned to the young girl. “Come over here for a moment, Ming Ming.”
“Okay!” Ming Ming cried, dashing over to the proprietress’s side.
Angelina stooped down to meet Ming Ming’s eyes.
“This is my daughter Ming Ming, Your Highness,” the proprietress said. “Ming Ming, this is Princess Angelina. Can you introduce yourself?”
“Ming Ming is me!” the girl exclaimed with a bow.
Warmth spread through Angelina’s chest at the sight of the young girl. After all, she’d transcended time to reunite with the person who’d changed her life during her first loop. Tears welled in her eyes at that thought.
“What’s wrong, Missy?” Ming Ming asked, cocking her head as she looked at Angelina’s watery eyes. “Are you hurt?”
Angelina shook her head. She couldn’t answer, as she feared speaking would cause her to sob.
“Pain, pain, go away!” Ming Ming recited, patting Angelina’s light pink hair with her small hand. “Or Feilong will get you today!”
As Ryuho burst out laughing, Angelina gasped. Ming Ming had recited that charm on the first day they’d met. We’ve finally reunited, Angelina realized, a flood of emotions washing over her.
“Ming Ming!” the proprietress yelped, scrambling to chastise her daughter. “Don’t say that!”
Feilong was still the former Emperor of Jinlong despite his abdication. More importantly, he was Angelina’s father. The proprietress expected to be charged with disrespect against the royal family. Thus, she lowered her head, pushing her daughter’s head into a deep bow as well.
“Please forgive us, Your Highness!” the proprietress cried.
“Did I do something wrong?” a flustered Ming Ming asked, looking between her mother and Angelina. “Did I make an oopsie?”
Angelina smiled to reassure the girl. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re a good girl, Ming Ming, and my pain is gone thanks to you.”
Ming Ming smiled, looking relieved. “That’s great!”
“I’m truly sorry, Your Highness,” the proprietress apologized again, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Please don’t worry about it,” Angelina replied. “Your daughter is adorable.”
That prompted nods of agreement from the customers. Ming Ming had already become the idol of the Blue Ocean Bar.
As Angelina looked around the tavern to savor its nostalgic atmosphere, Ryuho took her hand. “Let’s sit over here, Lina. I’m starving!”
Angelina and Ryuho sat down next to each other at an empty table.
“For starters, I’ll have whatever they can whip up the fastest!” Ryuho exclaimed. “Then I’ll have lamian and hujiao bing! What about you, Lina?”
Angelina pondered for a moment before waving to Ming Ming. The young girl raced over to the table, delighted to have been called upon. She regarded Angelina with upturned eyes while placing her hands on the table. Angelina’s heart fluttered at the adorable behavior.
“What do you recommend today, Ming Ming?” she asked.
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“Have some char siu!” Ming Ming exclaimed.
Ryuho frowned. “Char siu, huh? You can put that in lamian, right?”
“But char siu is super tasty by itself!” Ming Ming punched the air and winked. “Adorable pester BEAM!”
Angelina’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t seen Ming Ming’s kittenish BEAMS in some time. They still packed a punch.
“I-In that case, I’ll have the char siu,” Angelina responded, gripping her chest as it ached from cuteness overload.
Ryuho regarded her with a puzzled expression. “What’s wrong, Lina?”
“Ming Ming’s adorable pester BEAM was just too cute. I couldn’t refuse the char siu after getting hit by it. Did it not have the same effect on you?”
Ryuho furrowed his brow. “Guess not. Maybe I’m just used to that sort of thing since I’ve known you all these years. You’ve always been the cutest!”
He spoke these words with an air of nonchalance as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The other customers wolf-whistled and jeered them good-naturedly. Angelina buried her face in her hands, flushing crimson to the tips of her ears.
“You’re too much, Ryuho,” she mumbled. “Putting me aside, Ming Ming’s still so cute!”
Ryuho smiled. Yeah, Lina’s definitely the cutest, he thought.
“You sure like kids, huh?” he asked.
“…Yeah, I love them,” Angelina replied, lifting her gaze to watch Ming Ming. The way she marched around the tables evoked a protective instinct in Angelina.
Her profile as she watched over Ming Ming captivated Ryuho. Never before had he seen her wear such a serene smile. Warmth blossomed deep within his chest as he observed her tender, motherly expression.
It might be nice, huh? he thought. Holding a child’s hand with Lina.
Simply imagining it brought a smile to Ryuho’s lips.
“Which would you prefer, Lina?” he asked. “A boy or a girl?”
“Huh?” she responded, tilting her head. “What are you talking about?”
Ryuho cocked his head in contemplation as well. “I think both are cute! Having one of each wouldn’t be bad!”
Here, Ryuho nodded to himself, satisfied, grinning broadly.
“Huh?” Angelina asked again. “What are you talking about, Ryuho?”
“Your kids would definitely be cute, after all,” he said matter-of-factly while reclining in his chair. “No doubt about it!”
Angelina couldn’t keep up with the sudden shift in the conversation. Meanwhile, the other customers watched their exchange with amused grins.
“What in the world are you talking about, Ryuho?” Angelina asked, perplexed.
Seeing her expression, realization dawned on Ryuho. He’d forgotten to mention the most important part. Yet, as he glanced around, he noticed how much attention they were attracting. As such, he brought his lips close to Angelina’s ear to avoid being heard.
“I’m talking about our kids,” he whispered.
Startled, Angelina clapped her hands over her ears. “Eep! R-Ryuho?!”
Ryuho donned a sly grin as if he’d just pulled off an elaborate prank. He fixed his gaze on Angelina, his crimson eyes twinkling with a predatory gleam. His masculine allure rendered her speechless.
“Right?” he asked, still grinning. “Our kids would be cute!”
Tears formed in Angelina’s azure eyes as emotion swelled in her chest. Ryuho is imagining a future with me as if it’s a given, she thought. Her heart trembled with joy. His words melted the anxieties that had frozen in the corner of her mind, causing them to spill from her eyes as tears.
“Huh?!” a panicked Ryuho shouted, his tiger ears shooting out and drooping in concern. “Hold on, Lina! What’s wrong? Did I say something weird?!”
Ming Ming dashed over to their table and bopped Ryuho on the nose. “Hey there, Mishter! Don’t make Missy cry!”
Angelina shook her head. “No, no, he didn’t make me cry!”
Ming Ming placed her hands on Angelina’s knees and looked up at her with concern. “Really? Does your tummy hurt then?”
“No, I’m just really happy,” Angelina replied, wiping her eyes.
Ming Ming laughed in relief. “Then why aren’t you smiling?” she asked, pulling up the corners of her mouth with her pointer fingers. “Gotta smile when you’re happy!”
Angelina nodded and smiled at Ryuho. “Thank you. I love you, and I’m so happy!”
Ryuho chuckled bashfully. “Yeah, I love you too!”
The tavern broke out in cheers and applause.
“Hey, Missus!” one of the men called out to the proprietress. “Send both these youngins a shou tao! Our treat!”
“And two jasmine teas on me!” someone else added.
“Oh no!” Angelina cried. “That’s not necessary!”
The customers all smiled to placate her. “This is repayment for all the happiness you’ve shared with us,” one of them said.
“But…”
Ming Ming pulled on Angelina’s skirt. “Gotta say shanks, Missy. Smile and say shanks, ’kay?”
Angelina couldn’t help but smile at her urging. “Thank you so much, everyone.”
“Yeah, thanks!” Ryuho added before grinning at Angelina. “This is a pretty nice restaurant.”
Angelina nodded. “It really is. The people here are all wonderful.”
Angelina and Ryuho clinked their glasses of jasmine tea together.
“Let’s order more, Lina!” Ryuho exclaimed.
“Yeah! I want to eat some fried rice!”
Thus, they ordered plenty more food and ate until their stomachs were full to bursting. After leaving the Blue Ocean Bar, they enjoyed the festival in the outer enclosure.