Chapter 919: A CLUE

LUO YAN and Shen Ji Yun were holding hands while looking around the village. They also talked to some of the Christmas elves living in the village to get a clue as to where the mysterious mistletoe was.

They weren't the only ones who were doing that, other couples visiting the village were also doing the same. But out of all of them, the two were the most eye-catching. Not because they were both guys, but because of their flashy clothes and tooth-rotting sweetness.

Some of the couples felt dissatisfied because of their public display of affection. While others only felt envious. They wished that their partner could be as thoughtful as Shen Ji Yun or could be as sweet as Luo Yan. Alas, since that couldn't happen, they could only look at the two with envy.

Sadly, the subject of their envy didn't really care about the opinion of the people around them. Right now, both of them were just enjoying this night. It's their precious time together after all.

As they were walking, Luo Yan noticed a Christmas elf carrying several gift boxes, to the point that all boxes combined were even taller than him. Seeing that, he suddenly thought of something. Like a light bulb that suddenly flashed inside one's mind when they thought of a brilliant idea.

"Brother Ji Yun, let's help that elf," he said. He didn't wait for the other's response and just pulled him towards the elf.

When they were close enough to the elf, Luo Yan quickly took some of the gift boxes. Shen Ji Yun also did the same.

The elf was obviously very surprised when the gift boxes he's carrying suddenly disappeared. He raised his head and looked scared when he saw Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun. As if he was afraid that the two were thieves trying to steal his gifts.

"Hey, don't worry, we're not bad guys. We're just trying to help you since you looked like you're struggling," Luo Yan said, trying to calm the other.

But the elf still looked terrified. "R-really? But- but you look like bad guys. How can you not be thieves?"

Luo Yan felt a muscle on his face tick. How could this elf say that he looked like a bad guy when he's this pretty? And then he suddenly remembered that he was wearing a mask.

He crouched down so he and the elf could be at the same eye level. Then, he momentarily took off his mask with his free hand so the other could see his face. "I promise, we're not bad guys. Please, don't be scared."

He said that with a puppy like expression, something that he learned from Shen Ji Yun. Since it was so effective to him, he was sure that the elf would also feel the same. But surprisingly enough, the elf had the opposite reaction.

"N-no, you're definitely a villain! A-are you trying to seduce me with that p-pretty face of yours? Well, sorry, I'm a happily married elf! You can't seduce even with that face. Besides, you're too tall for me. The two of us simply don't match!"

Luo Yan was too surprised to even react. What pulled him back to his senses was the little snort that he heard from Shen Ji Yun. He glanced back at the other with a glare. "Did you just laugh, Brother Ji Yun?"

"Of course not. How could I?" Shen Ji Yun responded quickly. But anyone who saw the way his eyes bent could see that he was currently smiling.

Luo Yan stood up and put back his mask on. "You did! Waa... I'm trying my best here to convince our little friend that we're not bad guys and yet you're here, laughing at me?"

While he was saying that, he kept poking at Shen Ji Yun's side. Which only made the other laugh.

"Okay, okay, I apologize for laughing," Shen Ji Yun said in a voice of surrender.

"Are you two a couple?" the elf suddenly asked.

Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun turned to the elf and saw that the other was no longer looking at them with wariness. Instead, he was looking at them with curiosity.

Luo Yan felt that this was the chance to get a breakthrough. "Yes, we are," he quickly said. "We're visiting the village to look for the mysterious mistletoe."

"Oh, you should have said that sooner," the elf said as if relieved. "We in the Mistletoe Village always welcome guests, especially couples like you."

Luo Yan raised his brow. If he knew that all it took for this elf to change his mind was seeing them act like a couple, he would have kissed Shen Ji Yun from the very start.

"Then, can we assist you with these gift boxes?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, please."

After that, they followed the elf to his cottage house. Since the house was too small for both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun to comfortably enter, they could only leave the boxes at the door.

"Thank you for helping me bring these gifts. If you hadn't helped me, the Christmas would probably be over before I even got home," the elf said with a voice full of gratitude.

"Anyone who saw you struggling like that would also do the same," Luo Yan said.

"But you're the ones who did. These gifts are for my family, you see. I would be really in trouble if I didn't manage to get them here before midnight. That's why I'm very thankful. So, as a sign of my gratitude, let me give you a clue as to where the mysterious mistletoe is."

Luo Yan's eyes behind the mask brightened at that. He was already too familiar with how the game devs' brains worked that he could immediately tell that there was something special about this elf when he saw the other earlier. Sure enough, the elf was really a key into finding the mysterious mistletoe.

The elf looked left and right first, as if making sure that no one else was listening, before telling them about the clue.