Hearing this unexpected news, Leon kept it in mind, but he didn’t forget to respond to Abigail’s remark, answering without hesitation.
“Relax, I’m not interested in little girls like you. As a grown man, I prefer more mature won.”
“Like Jodi?” Perhaps because Leon’s tone was so casual and familiar, Abigail couldn’t help but tease him.
“Well, that’s definitely a good choice. But I’m more of a pure-hearted romantic, so I tend to steer clear of married won. If I were to look, I’d definitely go for soone single.” Leon nodded seriously, but still spoke his true thoughts.
“Then Emily would be perfect for you. She’s caring, and she’s older than you,” Abigail said earnestly, as if helping Leon analyze the situation.
“You should worry about yourself. Like you, I’m not looking for a relationship right now. You should be focusing on your studies, and I have my own career to build. Dating now would just make life more complicated.” Leon gave her a speechless look, as if scolding a matchmaker who was blindly pairing people up.
“Yeah, I agree. Love sounds like such a hassle. Better to wait until I’ve really lost my mind soday before finding soone to tie
down.” Abigail looked at Leon with approval, clearly agreeing with his point.
Laughing and chatting, they drove into Pelican Town.
To Leon’s surprise, Abigail didn’t drive to the dinner venue directly, but instead pulled into the garage behind Pierre’s General Store. After parking, the rest of the way would have to be on foot.
“Are you doing this because you know I’m already too hungry to walk, and you’re trying to squeeze out the last bit of my strength?”
When Leon was with Abigail, he felt relaxed. She wasn’t the kind of girl who stuck to old rules—so long as they avoided sensitive topics, conversation was easy. That’s why he always talked to her like a buddy.
Abigail clearly treated him the sa way. “Hey, I didn’t make you walk here from the farm, that’s already
being nice. And besides, you do know it’s unsafe to drive in town, right?”
“That’s because you can’t drive.” Leon shot back.
“If you’re so good, why don’t you drive? Oh wait, that’s right—you don’t have a car.” Abigail was quick to retort.
“When I’ve got the money, I’m going to buy a flashy sports car. And when I do, you won’t even get the front seat—I’ll just toss you in the trunk,” Leon threatened half-jokingly.
“Then I’ll wait to see you cry when you bring that shiny new car back to Stardew Valley. Besides a pickup truck, a horse is the best way to get around here.” Abigail actually gave him a rare friendly reminder.
Leon thought back to the roads in Stardew Valley. Aside from the ones in Pelican Town, most of them were in terrible shape. Forget a sports car—even a sedan with a low chassis would end up scraping like a cat scratching a post.
“Forget it, no point buying one. If I need to travel far, I’ll take the bus.” While the route to the Calico Desert was gone, buses to other places still ran. Leon had taken one from Zuzu City.
Abigail snickered at that, clearly pleased with her victory in this little exchange.
“So, where’s this dinner exactly?” Leon asked, a bit puzzled by how remote their path had beco.
“At the Starfruit Saloon, of course. It’s got the best chef in town, and it’s convenient for Emily’s work.” Abigail answered.
“But why take such a roundabout way?” Leon compared this to the main road he usually took to the saloon—this path didn’t even co close.
“Because this is a shortcut. We’re going in through the back door. Gus reserved us a nice big room so we can enjoy ourselves without disturbing the other guests.” Abigail explained, then gave Leon a mocking look. “Don’t tell
you’re scared.”
“A little. After all, us guys have to protect ourselves when we’re out.” Leon nodded solemnly.
Abigail didn’t even have the energy to respond to that. She simply sped up, putting so distance between them so no one would mistake them for the sa kind of person.
Even knowing it was a shortcut, Leon still breathed a sigh of relief when he finally saw the outline of the Starfruit Saloon—not because he felt safer, but because it ant he was finally close to food.
Near the back door, Abigail went in first. Leon followed and saw Jodi leaning casually against the wall.
“Hi, Jodi. Thanks for the invite.” eting the organizer of the gathering, Leon naturally greeted her politely.
Jodi smiled warmly. “Haha, such a gentleman. Co on in.”
Leon nodded and stepped inside. Under Jodi’s lead, they entered a spacious room.
Several people were already seated at a long table—so he knew, so he didn’t. There was Haley, whom he’d t that morning, and Abigail, of course. The other two won were strangers, but judging from their hair color and clothing, Leon could guess their nas.
Still, he was puzzled. Why were there only won here? Not a single man in sight.
Naturally, his arrival drew the attention of the chatting won. Apart from Abigail, the other three looked surprised.
Especially Haley, who stared wide-eyed. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, Jodi invited ,” Leon replied.
“Really? Jodi, didn’t you say tonight was ladies’ night?” Haley complained, glancing at Jodi, who was smirking behind Leon.
Jodi stepped forward, no longer able to play innocent. “Alright, ladies, it is a ladies’ night dinner. But I still owed Leon a al, so I thought I’d have him join us. And I figured I’m not the only one who wanted to et him—Maru and Leah probably want to et Stardew Valley’s new farr too.”
“Of course. Nice to et you, Mr. Leon. I’m Maru. It’s always great to see new faces in Stardew Valley.” A tall, dark-skinned woman stood up as she spoke. Her features were striking, her skin tone adding a unique charm. The glasses and scholarly air she carried only added to her appeal.
“Sa here. I heard you moved here from the city too. I think we’ll have a lot in common. Oh, and I’m Leah. I live in the small cottage by the river below Marnie’s Ranch, so I guess that makes us neighbors.” The other woman, with bright orange hair tied into a ponytail and classic European features, waved warmly as she introduced herself.
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