Chapter 281 |
“Mm, as long as we don’t go near the rabbit, it’s fine.” Leon understood what Haley meant.
For regular photos, the location didn’t matter much. But if it was for a festival keepsake, then it had to be somewhere lively and full of people.
“Fine, fine.” Haley was afraid Leon would slip away again. Though she wasn’t happy about it, she didn’t push the matter.
For the sake of the photos, Haley finally chose the spot with the biggest crowd—right beside the dining tables where Gus was serving food.
Leon even pulled Gus into the frame. After all, taking a picture alone felt a bit lonely. In such a lively setting, having a friend in the shot was the best choice.
Gus didn’t refuse. Instead, he cheerfully made a peace sign, slinging an arm over Leon’s shoulder. The two of them snapped the first photo together.
Seeing this, Willy also joined in, resulting in a second photo of him and Leon. As for the third, Leon had originally planned to have Willy and Gus take it together with him, but Haley insisted it be a solo shot.
“That’s enough, isn’t it?”
Seeing Haley click the shutter several more times, Leon reminded her.
When it came to her professional field, Haley’s confidence and commanding presence took over completely, her words coming in a sharp, relentless stream. Leon had no choice but to back down.
Fortunately, after a few more shots, Haley finally lowered her camera with satisfaction. “Not bad. You’ve got great natural features, very photogenic. If it weren’t for your plain clothes, I might even consider submitting these to an exhibition.”
“Speaking of exhibitions, how did those photos from last time turn out?” Leon recalled that rainy day by the river near 2 Willow Lane, when Haley had taken photos of him fishing, and asked.
“They were great. A lot of people liked that set.” Haley answered right away. “I even added that story you told me to the series. It got rave reviews.”
“Was there a prize?” Leon asked reflexively.
“There was, but I donated it,” Haley replied. “Still, I’ll make sure you get your share.”
“No need. If you’ve already donated it, just leave it. But I hope you donated to the right place—don’t let it end up in the hands of those so-called ‘professional organizations’ that live better than we do.” Leon didn’t care much about the compensation. These days, he wasn’t the type to quibble over a few coins.
He did, however, approve of Haley’s choice to donate. His only concern was whether the money would actually go where it was needed.
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. I donated to Pelican Town’s charity fund. If you don’t trust me, you at least trust Mayor Lewis, right?” Haley explained.
“Mayor Lewis, huh?” Leon murmured. In truth, he wasn’t entirely sure he could trust Lewis.
After all, in the game, the man had a history of hiding a golden statue. Whether he actually owned such a thing in reality was unknown, but thinking over his encounters with Lewis so far, Leon decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Hey, what are you two up to?” Just as Leon was wondering if he should sneak into Lewis’s backyard someday to see if that statue really existed, Abigail suddenly wedged herself between them.
“I’m helping Leon with some photos.” Haley’s expression cooled a bit at Abigail’s arrival, but she still answered.
“Are you done? If you are, I need to talk to Leon about something.” Abigail pressed.
“I don’t know,” Leon said, as the one being photographed.
“We’re done. Go plan your little schemes to mess with the kids. Leon, I’ll drop off your photos once I’ve developed them.” Haley’s face was stiff as she spoke, then she left with her camera.
“She seems a bit off,” Abigail muttered, watching her go.
“I don’t know,” Leon repeated, glancing between Haley’s retreating figure and Abigail. He sighed.
“Never mind that. Leon, you know what? Our scouting trip last night was a waste. Willy told me they collected all the eggs this morning and redeployed them.” Abigail quickly forgot about Haley and focused on the matter at hand, her expression serious.
“We need a new plan.”
“What plan do you have in mind?” Leon asked.
“None. That’s why I came to ask you,” Abigail said without a shred of embarrassment.
“I don’t have one either. We’ll just search normally. Everyone’s starting from scratch now—no one has the advantage. It’s all about luck and sharp eyes at this point,” Leon reasoned.
“Good point. Let’s give it our all, then.” Abigail nodded. She agreed—if her earlier preparations had been nullified, chances were everyone else’s had too. In the end, it would come down to pure skill.
After that, Abigail looked at Leon and noticed a faint red mark at the corner of his mouth. “You’ve got something on your mouth.”
“Huh?” Leon touched the corner of his mouth, then asked, “Is it gone?”
“No.” Abigail reached out with her small hand and wiped the corner of his mouth. Then she sniffed her fingers.
“What the hell are you doing?” Leon said, exasperated. “Trying to figure out what it is?”
“Of course. Who knows if it’s lipstick or something?” Abigail answered matter-of-factly.
“So, did you figure it out?” Leon asked.
“It tastes fruity. Probably lip balm. Well, well, Leon… didn’t think you’d find time to kiss someone already. Come on, tell me who the unlucky girl is. Do I know her? Was it Haley? No, wait, it’s not Haley—she doesn’t use lip balm.” Abigail’s gossip mode switched on, and the questions fired off like a machine gun.
“It’s not lip balm. It’s fruit juice that dribbled down my mouth,” Leon said with a glare.
“I don’t believe it.”
“…”
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