"I never said that." Yaqing had a bit of a headache. He still preferred Shigure Kira because she was easier to control. People like Rita and Elysia were the kind who gave him the biggest headaches.
Company Established
On the thirty-third floor of the company building, the entire floor was Yaqing's comfortable office space. Standing before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window that stretched from ceiling to floor, he looked down at the traffic below, tiny as ants. Sunlight fell across his face.
Having just finished a meeting, Yaqing looked over the employee files Rita had brought him.
Creative Director: Salome Jokanaan.
Key Animation Department: Patrick Highsmith.
Voice Acting Department: Shub-Niggurath.
Post-Production Editor: Cheng Lixue.
Yaqing could not help but sigh. President Otto had sent over nearly all of his sister's old subordinates except Shigure Kira. He really did not think Cecilia would ever return to work.
"Lord Yaqing, the planning and design proposal has already been sent out. Shall I arrange your afternoon tea next?" Rita, the sexy secretary dressed in office attire, put away the employee files and design proposal.
"Rita..." Yaqing said helplessly.
"Mm-hm~" Rita hummed softly.
"Never mind. Let's just get to know everyone today. The specific workflow will officially begin tomorrow." Yaqing took the suit jacket hanging nearby and pocketed the car keys his driver had delivered.
"Oh, right. Rita, do you have somewhere to live?"
Rita's beautiful eyes shifted as she gave a charming laugh. "Lord Yaqing, you should not casually ask a woman where she lives."
"Uh..."
Changkong City suburbs, Golden Courtyard.
Elysia, the emotional radio host with millions of fans, wore a pink maid outfit. With one hand on her hip and a feather duster in the other, she exclaimed in surprise, "Eh, Yaqing, you're back?"
Su, who was bent over with a vacuum cleaner, looked up and smiled. "Long time no see, Yaqing."
Yaqing took off his coat, hung it on the rack, and gave Su a big hug.
"Long time no see, Su."
"Eh, aren't you going to give Miss Pink Elf a hug?" Seeing that Yaqing was still chatting with Su, Elysia pretended to sound aggrieved.
Yaqing smiled helplessly and gave Elysia a light hug before quickly pulling away. He rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up to his arms and asked, "Is today cleaning day at the courtyard? Is there anything I can help with?"
Elysia walked behind Yaqing and pushed him along with a smile. "No~, you must be tired after coming back from Europe. Hurry up and rest. Everyone will definitely give you a surprise tonight!?"
Yaqing looked completely baffled.
Tired?
He had slept all night on the plane.
"It's fine, Elysia. I'm not tired."
"Um... then... that still won't do?"
"Fine, fine."
Helpless, Yaqing walked upstairs. His room was on the sunny side of the second floor. Su and Kevin's rooms were on either side, while directly across from him was the gym Eden had specially renovated.
"Hey, Brother Yaqing, you're back?!" The catgirl with cat-ear accessories and a chubby cat perched on her head poked out from her room.
"Pardo, my room was emptied out ages ago. There's only bedding left. No treasures."
"Ah, hahaha, yeah." Pardo laughed awkwardly. "Oh, oh, oh, Elysia called for me. Bye, Brother Yaqing!"
Pardo slowly sidled along the wall beside Yaqing. The instant she reached the stairs, she sped up and vanished from Yaqing's sight, startling the cat into meowing repeatedly.
Yaqing smiled. He used his key to open the door, and the room was spotless. Sunlight streamed through the window onto the snow-white bedsheets, while a faint fragrance lingered around his nose. It did not look like a room that had been vacant for three years at all.
For some reason, Yaqing opened the wardrobe as if possessed, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Sure enough, there were pink clothes Elysia had given Mobius, Kevin's instant noodles, Eden's gemstones, Su's old notes, Kosma's figurines... and even Mobius's black underwear?!
"What is all this stuff?" Yaqing did not know whether to laugh or cry. Pardo had turned his room into a warehouse.
He closed the wardrobe door. Pardo could deal with it herself later.
Lying on the soft bed felt like lying on a cloud, and it carried a faint fragrance. He took out his phone and called Otto.
Otto picked up as soon as the call went through. Hearing the sound of a TV show and Kallen crunching potato chips on the other end, Yaqing said, "President Otto, I've already met Theresa."
"Yaqing, my little Theresa is still as adorable as ever, isn't she? I'm sure she is. How was it? She didn't blame her grandfather for not telling her beforehand, did she?" Otto's voice remained as gentlemanly as ever, like some old British gentleman with that damned translated tone.
"President, Theresa is indeed as petite as ever. She didn't blame you. She was only worried that you would stop giving her spending money." Yaqing smiled.
"Hahaha, tell little Theresa not to worry."
"Is that little Yaqing?" A muffled, puzzled voice came from the other end.
"Yes, Yaqing. Kallen wants to speak with you." Otto laughed.
"Little Yaqing, little Yaqing."
"Eh, it's me, Sister Kallen." Yaqing smiled from the bottom of his heart.
"Why did you go to the Far East too? Sister Kallen will be very sad if she can't see you. You need to finish the anime soon, okay? Sister Kallen believes in your abilities. TV dramas are all so boring these days."
"I will, Sister Kallen."
"Crunch. All right, continue talking business with Otto."
As the crunching of potato chips sounded from the other end again, Yaqing continued, "President Otto, my script is missing a villain. I want you to play that villain."
"What kind of villain?" Otto's tone was still full of amusement. No one could tell what he was truly thinking from his voice.
"A fool who, after the Saintess dies, would pay any price to revive the person he loved."
After Yaqing finished speaking, the other end of the line fell silent for a moment.
"Tell me more."
Yaqing began telling Otto about the plot from five hundred years ago up to the beginning of the Third Honkai main storyline. His mouth grew dry, and before he knew it, time had flown by and night had fallen.
"With this kind of character development, I think it would be difficult for me to refuse. Yaqing, you are a genius. It is a pity there is no Honkai in this world—or perhaps, after Kallen leaves, I truly would become like that." Otto's tone was indescribable, filled with countless emotions.
"Thank you for the compliment."
"I'm looking forward to it."
After hanging up, Yaqing heard the lively sounds downstairs.
"Yaqing, everyone's back."
Elysia called out.
"Okay."
Golden Courtyard layout:
First floor: Main living room, music room, kitchen, bar, billiards room, and other entertainment rooms.
Second floor: Kevin's room → Yaqing's room → Su's room → Kalpas's room → Kosma's room, gym.
Third floor: Griseo's family's combined rooms → Mobius's room → Mei's room → the Sakura sisters' room → Pardo's room, movie theater.
Fourth floor: Elysia's room → Eden's room → Vill-V's room → Fu Hua's room → Fuhua Shishi's room.
Attic: Aponia's room.
Characters:
Salome Jokanaan
Patrick Highsmith
Shub-Niggurath
Cheng Lixue
Welcome Back, Yaqing
Yaqing walked downstairs and looked at everyone in the living room. It was as lively as New Year's. Pink balloons covered the ceiling, while streamers were tied into flower-shaped decorations around the hall.
"Eh, Yaqing, you're finally back! I missed you so much!"
Before Yaqing could even see clearly, Fuhua Shishi charged into him like a ball and wrapped around him like an octopus. The impact nearly knocked him off his feet.
"Long time no see, Little Knowledge." Yaqing instinctively held her and smiled lightly.
Fu Hua, ever honest and proper, frowned at the sight.
To Yaqing, Little Knowledge and little Griseo were basically the same. It was not about their age or figure, but their personalities and mindset. Although Little Knowledge was already twenty, she was still like a child in some ways.
"My, my, Little Knowledge came back and still didn't give Miss Pink Elf a big hug?" Elysia narrowed her beautiful eyes like a fox.
"No~" Little Knowledge said in a sweetly naive voice.
"Mm~"
Elysia pouted.
Eden hugged Elysia from behind.
Elysia was delighted. She rubbed against Eden's fair cheek and said foolishly, "Eden, you really are my good Eden."
Eden remained elegant as ever. A slight flush colored her cheeks from the wine, and the red wine in her goblet swayed slightly from Elysia's affectionate rubbing.
"Yaqing, long time no see. Welcome back."
"Eden, it really has been a long time. You're getting more and more popular now."
"Haha." Eden laughed.
Yaqing patted Little Knowledge, signaling that she should get down.
Little Knowledge immediately jumped down.
"Kevin, you're back?" Yaqing looked at Kevin and Mei entering through the door.
Having graduated many years ago, Kevin no longer had the sunny air he had in school. There were faint dark circles beneath his eyes, yet he still forced a smile when he saw Yaqing.
Mei held Kevin's arm. Wearing black-rimmed glasses, she carried the air of an intellectual beauty.
Kevin grabbed Yaqing and lightly punched him on the shoulder. "If you leave without saying a word again, I won't let you off."
"I came back to start a company this time. So, Kevin, want to switch jobs and come work for me?" Yaqing knew Kevin had stayed in Changkong City to work with Mei, but he still teased him.
"Uh..."
Kevin awkwardly glanced at Mei.
Mei smiled faintly and pretended to scold him. "Yaqing, I didn't expect you to start poaching people from World Serpent the moment you got back. Mobius won't let you off if she finds out."
The moment Mei finished speaking, a haughty mature woman's voice suddenly came from behind them.
"If he wants to poach someone, let him. World Serpent won't shut down just because it loses that little lackey. Hmph." A tall woman with long turquoise hair snorted coldly.
"Ah! It's Pro~fess~or~Mobius~" Elysia slipped out of Eden's embrace.
"Hmph." Mobius haughtily turned her head and stomped upstairs.
"Uh... did I do something to upset her?" Yaqing was utterly confused.
Mei shook her head helplessly.
Back at Chiyu Academy, who did not know that Senior Mobius had an unusual obsession with Yaqing...
Fortunately, although Kevin was a straight-laced man, he still understood his own feelings. Unlike Su and Yaqing—one was gentle, the other aloof; one was gentle toward everyone, the other aloof toward everyone.
Mei took off her coat, rolled up her sleeves, and smiled. "Are you cooking? Do you need any help?"
Before you continue