After losing several more rounds in a row, Victor's eyes welled up with tears, and he couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Wah... lost again..."
Victor, like a wounded large dog, buried his furry head deep into Enid's warm, soft neck, nuzzling back and forth. His voice was muffled, filled with utter grievance.
"Jade must be cheating... No beginner has luck this good... I don't believe it..."
Enid, tickled by his nuzzling, couldn't help but chuckle softly, her eyes brimming with tenderness and indulgence.
She put down the cards in her hand, extended her slender arm to gently encircle Victor's shoulder, and with her other hand, she stroked his black hair soothingly, as if comforting a small animal.
"There, there, maybe Jade is just naturally gifted?"
Enid's voice was soft and sweet, carrying a coaxing tone, her fingertips gently massaging his scalp.
"It's okay to lose, it's not a big deal. We'll win next time, alright?"
Feeling the faint fragrance emanating from Enid and her gentle comfort, Victor narrowed his eyes contentedly, like a cat being petted, emitting satisfied hums.
But he was clearly not satisfied with just that. He secretly lifted his eyelids and, with those peach blossom eyes still glistening with moisture, cast a pitiful glance towards Wednesday, who was sitting quietly reading a book on the other side of the aisle.
Although Wednesday's gaze was fixed on her book, her peripheral vision had already taken in the "pitiful state" of a certain someone.
Feeling that suggestive gaze, she let out an almost imperceptible sigh and closed the book in her hands.
She turned around. Her pale, exquisite face still showed little expression, but deep within her eyes, there flickered a trace of faint helplessness and... doting?
Wednesday extended her cold fingers, gently pinched Victor's chin, and turned his head, which was stuck to Enid, slightly towards herself.
Then, under his surprised and expectant gaze, she leaned over and pressed her cool lips against his forehead in a feather-light yet undeniable kiss.
"Idiot."
Wednesday's voice was clear and cold, yet it tickled Victor's heart like a feather.
"Losing to a little kid, and you still have the nerve to act cute."
Although the words were reproachful, paired with the kiss just now, they sounded sweeter than honey to Victor's ears.
Immediately seizing the advantage, he grabbed Wednesday's hand before she could withdraw it, pressed it against his cheek, and rubbed it, his face blossoming into a dazzlingly bright smile. Where was any trace of the earlier grievance?
"Hehe, with you two comforting me, losing a hundred rounds would be worth it!"
Looking left at Enid's gentle smile and right at Wednesday's feigned indifference yet indulgent allowance of him holding her hand, he felt his life was complete, bubbling over with happiness.
He simply adjusted his position, comfortably resting his head on Enid's lap, while tightly clutching Wednesday's hand in his own, contentedly closing his eyes as if he owned the whole world.
The sweet interaction between these three formed an invisible, pink-bubble-emitting "barrier," making the surrounding air thick and warm.
"..."
Jade, sitting across from them, silently took the last two cards in her hand—
one Joker and one Little Joker—tucked them to the very bottom of the deck, then expressionlessly shuffled the entire deck and gently placed it on the small tray table.
She raised her eyes and looked around:
Diagonally ahead, Count Dracula was elegantly cutting a piece of steak, then naturally feeding it to Captain Erica.
Erica smiled, opened her mouth to accept it. The two exchanged a smile, their eyes lingering, surrounded by the deep affection of a couple who had endured hardships and finally found each other.
Not far away, Mavis and Johnny had their heads together, sharing a pair of headphones, listening to some unknown music.
Mavis was occasionally tickled by Johnny's whispers into laughter, playfully hitting him. Johnny, grinning, would then hold her hand. The atmosphere was ambiguous yet warm.
Even Dennis and Winnie, sitting in the corner, two little ones, were leaning their heads together, sharing a single earbud, closing their eyes and gently swaying to the rhythm, their faces radiating simple joy.
Jade silently withdrew her gaze, lowered her head to look at the empty small tray table before her, and inexplicably felt as if her mouth was stuffed full of something.
She stood up expressionlessly, returned to her seat, and pressed the call button.
"What do you need? Little Goblin Aviation is at your service."
A green-skinned goblin asked with a grin.
"A vegetarian meal, please." Jade's voice was calm and flat.
Jackie Chan, hearing this nearby, looked at Jade in surprise.
"Jade? You're actually volunteering to eat vegetables?"
This was truly the sun rising from the west. Usually, getting her to eat a single green vegetable required coaxing and trickery.
Jade lifted her eyelids, glanced at her uncle, her tone carrying a kind of worldly-wise detachment:
"Yes, suddenly feeling a bit greasy, want to eat something light... to cut the grease."
After speaking, she nimbly caught the meal box tossed over by the goblin, picked up a fork, and silently, methodically, poked at the broccoli inside. Her small back in the spacious seat appeared exceptionally... lonely?
Jackie Chan looked at Jade's expression, as if she had experienced a great enlightenment in life, then looked at the paired-up people or monsters around them, radiating waves of happiness, and seemed to understand something.
He shook his head helplessly, sympathetically patted Jade's shoulder, and also silently ordered a meal, deciding to join his niece in "purifying his heart and diminishing his desires."
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