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“True love can transcend everything…”
The music had stopped at some point.
Senior Anna’s voice echoed in the narrow restaurant, so melodious and pleasant, like a clear spring flowing over smooth pebbles, causing Mu’en beside her to momentarily lose his senses.
“Can true love really transcend everything?”
An kept mulling over this phrase, then revealed a charming smile that could break one’s heart.
“How coincidental, I think so too.”
“So regardless of space, time, or anything else, nothing can divide my love, nor can anything stop me from searching for the one I love, right?”
She raised her hand and slowly reached for Mu’en.
As that delicate, fair hand drew closer, Mu’en’s heart leapt to his throat.
With An’s sensitivity, as long as she could contact him, she could instantly filter out the interference from the perfume he had specifically sprayed around and confirm his identity.
But.
At the moment that hand was about to touch Mu’en.
It was caught by another equally delicate and fair hand.
“Weren’t you told? This is my boyfriend; he can’t be touched casually.”
Senior Anna’s smile was equally stunning, not losing to An in the slightest.
She emphasized the words “my boyfriend,” as if asserting a certain ownership.
An’s smile instantly faded.
Her eyes slightly narrowed, body bending, she leaned over the dining table to meet Senior Anna’s gaze across the space.
At this moment, the two frail hands touched, and Mu’en felt as though he saw dark clouds gathering, a scene of doomsday with thunder and lightning.
It was as if two supreme beings had been engaged in battle to the edge of the universe, erasing even the great path, with only Mu’en like a little sheep cowering on the side, trembling.
Oh, and Shali, she looked as if she had been scared stiff, pale and not able to utter a word since earlier.
“I just wanted to confirm something; why be so tense?” An said.
“Oh, and if it were someone you liked being harassed and touched by other women, would you be so generous?” Anna replied.
“…”
“…”
The two fell silent once again.
But this silence was even more suffocating.
Mu’en was soaked in cold sweat; in his perception, all the metal in the restaurant began to softly hum, and the knife and fork in his hand trembled uncontrollably, as if they would transform into deadly weapons at any moment under divine power.
And Senior Anna’s other hand was hidden in her sleeve, with faint waves of magical power surging forth.
What… what to do? It seemed like these two could start fighting at any moment.
Should he run or fight?
If fighting… whose side?
Mu’en swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his gaze darting between An and Senior Anna, finally feeling like he was in a difficult situation, akin to being asked whom to save first if his girlfriend and his mother fell into a river.
It felt like helping either side would lead him to inevitable doom.
He couldn’t let them fight!
Mu’en finally realized this, but just as he was about to bravely step in, even at the risk of exposing his identity to stop them…
“It seems I was mistaken.”
In Mu’en’s slightly surprised gaze, An suddenly straightened her body.
Like sunlight breaking through the cracks of dark clouds, the stormy scene vanished in an instant.
The humming metal returned to calm.
An’s gaze deeply swept over Anna’s face, as if to remember her, then she slightly bowed her head apologetically:
“Sorry for disturbing you.”
“It’s okay.”
Senior Anna also pulled her hand from her sleeve, smiling calmly.
“I understand.”
“Then, goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
The two nodded at each other to bid farewell, like two strangers who had met briefly.
As if the earlier confrontation had just been an illusion.
Then, An turned and left the restaurant.
Not looking back.
Not once glancing at Mu’en.
Mu’en found himself staring wide-eyed.
She left?
An just walked away like that?
After a few minutes, Mu’en cautiously peeked his head out to look outside the restaurant.
The silent street was empty.
An had indeed left.
The infernal scene had ended!
I’m still alive!
A surge of immense joy filled Mu’en’s chest.
Praise God.
Praise the Buddha.
Praise the Jade Emperor.
Praise Nyarlathotep.
I finally survived—
“That person just now, is she the girl the junior mentioned who likes you?”
Senior Anna’s seemingly casual words fell into his ears.
The joy instantly froze.
Mu’en stiffly turned his head; the senior had somehow returned to her original spot, sipping her wine.
With the rosy glow of the drink, Senior Anna’s enchanting face glowed with an alluring charm.
But Mu’en couldn’t feel any inclination to appreciate it.
Because in a daze, he felt as if he was back on the guillotine, with a stern executioner loudly reading out his crimes.
Scumbag, must be executed!
“Yes, that’s right.”
At this point, it was impossible to lie anymore.
“Then—”
Senior Anna shifted her tone, continuing to ask:
“Do you also like her, junior?”
Crack.
Mu’en felt as if he saw the glinting guillotine being suddenly raised, about to fall and separate the vile scumbag in two.
“I… I…”
Mu’en wiped the sweat from his forehead, stammering.
What to do, what to do? How should he respond?
How could he answer so that…
“Forget it.”
In his hesitation, Senior Anna suddenly retracted her previous statement:
“No matter how you look at it, asking such things is too rude. Sorry, junior, just consider me drunk.”
Then, in a voice only she could hear, she murmured:
“It’s just a pity, that girl is a bit too strong; I couldn’t collect her tears.”
“Eh?”
Mu’en was momentarily stunned, unable to recover from this sudden change.
Senior Anna continued to smile at him:
“You owe me a favor, junior; you need to fulfill your promise.”
“Ah… oh.”
Mu’en nodded woodenly.
At this moment, even though all the crises had finally been resolved, he actually found himself unable to feel happy.
He looked at Senior Anna, who seemed completely unconcerned about everything that had happened, and felt a weight in his chest, making it hard to breathe.
…
…
But fortunately, after An’s sudden intervention, this awkward three-person candlelit “dinner” finally came to an end.
Shali reluctantly began to clean up the dishes. Under the senior’s urging, Mu’en rolled up his sleeves to help her; after all, they were guests and couldn’t take advantage of everything.
But helping out merely meant washing a few dishes; Shali was unwilling to let him do anything more complex, and even this chore was something Mu’en had to insist on.
In the dishwashing room, the two fell silent.
Accompanied by the sound of rushing water, Mu’en listened to the chopping sounds coming from the kitchen and couldn’t help but bring up a topic:
“Is your father still busy?”
“Dad is preparing the ingredients for tomorrow, so he might be busy until late, but don’t worry, Mu’en; he already had lunch.”
“The chef’s job is quite tough.”
“Indeed.”
“…”
“…”
Another silence.
After what had happened, Shali seemed like a defeated rooster, lacking any spirit.
However, Mu’en had no intention of comforting her.
Because compared to being ruthless and cold, a gentle approach that might reignite her hope would be even crueler.
Thinking this, Mu’en sighed and tried to wash with a bit more care.
But as he was washing, he suddenly felt a hand clutching at the hem of his shirt.
Turning around, it was Shali.
She was looking down, seemingly hesitating about something.
But from her pale joints, Mu’en could almost see the determination gradually forming within her.
No way…
Mu’en suddenly had a bad feeling.
But he hadn’t had time to say anything.
—”Mu’en, I like you.”
There was no buildup.
No accumulation of emotions.
There was no atmospheric enhancement.
So sudden.
In such a casual place as the dishwashing area, Shali confessed to him.
“Why?”
Mu’en’s mind went blank for a moment, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Shali, we… shouldn’t we have just known each other for a short time?”
No, it shouldn’t be said that they had just known each other for a short time; if counting from when she misunderstood him, it had already been more than a month.
But counting the times they had truly met and spoken, including this time, it had only been the fourth time.
For Shali to suddenly declare her feelings, it was so out of the blue that it made him suspect if she had ulterior motives.
“Is that so wrong?”
Shali lifted her head, gazing up at Mu’en.
Large droplets of tears fell from her eyes, already smearing her black-framed glasses.
“I know I’m not as beautiful as Senior Anna or that woman from just now. I also know my relationship with you, Mu’en, isn’t that intimate. I didn’t even have the courage to help you earlier, but I like you, Mu’en. Is that not allowed?”
“Of course, it is…”
Looking at Shali, whose face was covered in tears, Mu’en suddenly felt an intense self-loathing.
How could he doubt Shali’s sincere feelings?
If this were all an act, she could have long competed for an Oscar for Best Actress!
“But—
I’m sorry.”
Mu’en set down the plate in his hands, lowered his head, and seriously refused:
“Shali, you’re a good girl and should be able to find a partner better than me.”
“But I only like you, Mu’en.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Is that so…?”
Shali staggered back a step, her little face pale.
But just as Mu’en sighed and was preparing to comfort her again, she suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Mu’en’s hand with a hopeful expression.
“Mu’en, could you think about it a little longer?”
Think?
What is there to think about?
Love is not something that can change with consideration…
Eh?
At that moment, looking at the tears in Shali’s eyes and the pleading expression on her face, Mu’en suddenly hesitated.
Right.
Look at how cute, gentle, and considerate Shali is.
Moreover, she can make delicious snacks and dishes.
She’s simply the perfect partner.
Why was I so eager to refuse? Thinking about it a bit more couldn’t hurt, right?
