Chapter 1480


    Her answer shocked Ernest, and he stared at her intensely.


    She squatted in front of one of the turtle vendor''s stic boxes housing the turtles. She was


    focused on the turtles. Her face was fair, her hair was in a ponytail, and her bangs were tousled.


    She was wearing a dress, but she was covering up as she squatted down. She knew how to protect


    herself.


    She was a girl who knew what she was doing. A twenty-year-old girl in her prime years.


    Such a girl beneath the rays of sunlight shone from head to toe, and she was radiating with vitality.


    For a while, no one spoke. They just looked at the turtles.


    Ernest heard Leah speak again. "You know, if life was like this, we wouldn''t need to be in such a


    hurry all the time. No legal texts to memorize, no updates to pump out, we can take it slow. Wouldn''


    t it be nice to just stay like this and do whatever we want?"


    Ernest thought deeply about what she said. His eyes were bright as he chuckled, "If you don''t


    memorize your legal texts, you won''t be able to graduate, and if you don''t graduate you can''t


    be awyer. If you don''t make an update, your readers won''t be happy, and you''ll be


    continuously harassed."


    "You''re no fun, Ernest." The girl said in a low voice with a little frustration, "Did you have to make a


    counter argument, couldn''t you have just gone along with it?"


    Ernest was stunned, and there was a smile in his eyes. "What do you want me to say? Okay, you


    don''t have to memorize legal texts and you don''t have to make updates either. Those are mere


    worldly possessions. It''s better to live slowly and not have a care in the world. As long as you are


    alive, you can just take it easy. Whether it''s spring, summer, autumn, or winter, it doesn''t matter how


    repetitive it is, it will be fine as long as your heart''s content. Was that what you wanted to hear?"


    "Pfft!" Leah''s eyes were filled with mirth as she tilted her head to face him happily. "Yes, that''s more


    like it. You should''ve told me that instead."


    Ernest looked down at her, and indistinguishable emotions swirled in her eyes. "Well, what I said


    was true, you can do all of it."


    Leah gazed at Ernest and let out a sudden sigh.


    "Being numb from everything doesn''t feel nice."


    Ernest didn''t know what to do. "You seem to understand it clearly. Why are you trying to numb


    yourself?"


    Leah thought about it carefully before she spoke, "Because I really want to tell myself that all of this


    is wonderful, so wonderful in fact I don''t have to think of anything else. It would be enough, it would


    be happiness.


    If I think about it too hard, even the tiniest movement could break this trance. Once it''s broken, I


    might not get the ending I want, and wouldn''t that be depressing.


    Even though I knew I was deceiving myself, I still wanted to feel numb. After all, everything is


    perfect in the world of self-deception.


    This trance, at least, would be so beautiful that I''d never want to open my eyes.


    Because I know that once I do, everything will fall short, so it''d be better if I was numb. Even if I


    knew it was a dream, I''d continue sleeping and I''d never want to wake up."


    There was conflict in Leah''s words as she spoke with mncholy. For some reason, it made


    Ernest''s heart tremble.


    Ernest looked at Leah''s smiling face, but for some reason, he felt a trace of sorrow and vulnerability


    behind it.


    For a moment, he didn''t have the heart to look at Leah. He quickly turned away and refused to face


    her.


    Perhaps Leah had noticed the way Ernest acted as soon as he looked away.


    "Pfft!" Sheughed again, and it sounded melodious and enchanting. "This is why it''s good to feel


    numb sometimes. You won''t break out of your trance. It''s a deadlock, but it''ll be a beautiful one."


    Ernest frowned. He wanted to reach out and pull her up into a hug. However, he didn''t do anything,


    but spoke instead.


    "I''m tired of thinking all the time."


    Leahughed. "That''s why I said it''d be nice to be a turtle, living a slow- paced life, nothing really


    terrible ever happens. Turtles are kind of blessed, as long as no bad changes happen to their shells,


    if troublees along they can just retreat into it. They can pretend to be dumb or sleepy and


    people will think they''re cute regardless."


    Only silence followed.


    Leah continued to look at the turtles.


    After a long, long while, she seemed to have heard Ernest''s sigh. It was the type of sigh that was


    difficult to tell it''s emotions apart.


    Leah was still for some time when suddenly shouted at the stall owner, "Boss, I want two turtles."


    The stall owner took out a delicate box and said, "Here Miss, please choose whichever one you


    like."


    Ernest was stunned at Leah''s spontaneity. "Are you sure you want to buy one?"


    "Yes, that''s exactly what I''m going to do." Leah turned around and looked at him. "Can you choose


    one for me?"


    Ernest was surprised for a moment and said, "Are you sure you want me to choose?"


    "Mhm." Leah nodded her head eagerly.


    Ernest spotted one animated turtle among the bunch. He pointed at it and said, "This one, it''s


    bubbly like you."


    Leah paused for a moment. Then, he smiled again. "Okay, then I''ll choose one too. Here, the one


    that just went back into it''s shell. Its like you, taciturn and aloof."


    With a shadow passing on his face, the corners of his mouth could not help but twitch, and he felt


    powerless against her.


    This girl''s words were too over the top. She used such unttering adjectives. However, he felt


    unharmed. In fact, he thought this trait of hers was unreasonably cute. She was indeed a writer; her


    mouth was full of wit.


    "Boss, I''ll take these two turtles over here." Leah pointed at the two little turtles she had just chosen


    and said, "And I would like some turtle food to go along."


    "Absolutely." The stall owner picked up the two turtles and put them in a box. Then he asked, "Miss,


    do you have a tank to raise turtles at home?"


    "No." Leah shook her head and asked the boss in surprise, "Do you need a special fish tank to raise


    turtles?"


    "It''s not a fish tank," The stall owner corrected. "It''s a turtle tank that''s specifically used to raise


    turtles. Turtles are amphibians, they need to bask in the sun."


    "Then how should I raise them when I get back? I have to prepare a home for them, right?" Leah


    was already frowning as she thought about the matter.


    "Yes, Miss. You need to prepare a proper tank for the turtles." The stall owner nodded seriously.


    "Boss?" Leah looked at the stall owner and asked shrewdly, "You''re not trying to trick me, are you?


    Don''t tell me you''re just trying to sell this tank to me?"


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    The stall owner''s face froze. "I was just trying to help."


    "Those special tanks are probably just for show. You''re using a in old stic box to raise them,


    so why can''t I do the same?" Leah pointed at the small box in the stall and said, "I can always grab


    a few stones and create some sort of environment, wouldn''t that be better than a special tank?"


    The stall owner was a little flustered and said, "Miss, if you''re going to be like this then I have


    nothing else to say, business is slow."


    "Alright then." Leah nodded her head, agreeing with the stall owner. "Business does look slow."


    "Are you still going to buy the special tank?" The stall owner lit up in anticipation, hoping to make a


    sale.


    "I don''t need it, I just want a regr box," Leah smiled and said. "The turtles are cheap, but their


    houses are expensive. Don''t try to scam me, I''m young but I''m not ignorant or stupid."


    "No you''re not, Miss, you''re extremely astute." The stall owner smiled in defeat. "What you said was


    right, one tank can be quite costly, while a turtle is worth only a few dors, it''s not very


    comparable."


    "Then these turtles are going to get married." Leah said and smiled.


    The stall owner looked to Ernest with a chuckle and said to Leah, "Youngdy, you are quite the


    spectacle. Will your boyfriend be paying?" "No." Leah immediately denied. "He''s just my friend, not


    boyfriend, please don''t assume things. I can handle it, but my friend over here gets shy very easily."


    "He''s not your boyfriend?" The stall owner was shocked. "Well, that''s such a shame, you two look


    perfect for each other."


    Hearing this, Ernest felt helpless and didn''t say anything. She looked at Leah and then at the turtle.


    She said, "Boss, please give me a tank for the turtles."


    "What are you doing?" Leah looked at Ernest and asked, "Do you want to buy some turtles too?"


    "I''m buying it for you," he said.


    "No." Leah immediately shook her head. "These turtles are for me to raise, you don''t have to pay on


    my behalf. These turtles and I, we have integrity, and we don''t take any back doors."