A Girl's Appetite, A Boy's Resolve

He put away the small blackboard by the shop entrance and flipped the "Open" sign to the other side.

Su Qing'an walked into the shop carrying a large bag of food.

You could say his coffee shop was just a hobby, a way to pass the time. In his memories, the him in this world also ran the shop very casually and laid-back, operating at a loss for the most part.

It was less of a coffee shop and more like he had bought a house with a large living area and professional coffee equipment.

This was likely thanks to the substantial savings his parents left behind, allowing him to act so willfully.

Compared to the savings left by his parents in this world, the inheritance from his parents in the previous world seemed like pocket change.

This made him even more suspicious about the authenticity of his parents' supposed careers as archaeologists.

Do archaeologists actually make that much money?

He had originally intended to cook for Kiana, a rare treat, but glancing at the ingredients in the fridge, he realized he didn't have a habit of cooking for himself, regardless of the ingredients. Even though his cooking skills were excellent, that didn't stop him from being a delivery-food enthusiast.

Considering the time it would take to cook and that it was already mealtime.

Su Qing'an decided it would be more convenient to buy food from outside. Although this meant a lot less fun in "feeding" her, considering Kiana had most likely just arrived in Changkong City, and calculating the time it would take to get here from the airport, she might not have even had a proper breakfast. So, buying food directly was the better option.

On the principle of proximity, he went to KFC and bought two "Homer" collaboration family buckets, and two boxes of pizza from the shop next door.

Yep, two of each. Mei had once complained that all their food expenses were spent on Kiana. So, estimating Kiana's appetite, he deliberately bought extra. Based on his own appetite alone, half a family bucket or half a pizza would be his limit.

If that still wasn't enough.

Hmm, if I cook in the future, would it be more convenient to buy a couple more rice cookers?

Actually, he had initially wanted to buy Kiana a new phone and change her SIM card. Kiana, who had been wandering in Europe for so long, probably hadn't realized the communication differences between regions. Getting a new phone and SIM card would make it much easier for her to get around.

But that would be too abrupt. In Kiana's eyes, they had only just met.

Unsolicited, overly strong kindness could sometimes feel oppressive.

The previous instances of him tidying up the room too diligently and the unusually high salary he offered were all brushed aside with other excuses and reasons, all presented quite openly.

Kiana, with her somewhat foolish intuition, should have sensed it – his inexplicable and strange goodwill towards her.

So, to maintain this unspoken understanding, Su Qing'an put the matter aside in his heart, deciding to address it later.

"Knock, knock. Kiana, it's time for lunch." Placing the two large bags of food on the table, Su Qing'an walked to Kiana's room and knocked on the door.

Immediately, he heard rustling sounds from inside the room. After a short while, the door opened a crack. "Food?" The girl's small head peeked out, her voice tinged with surprise.

Her pretty face had a lovely blush. Judging by her wet white hair and the lingering steam, she must have just finished showering.

"Yeah, I bought fried food like burgers and pizza. I don't know if you dislike them, but we can eat healthier tonight."

So cute. Su Qing'an kept his gaze straight, looking at the girl's thick, long eyelashes and her moist, pink lips, but felt nothing but calm.

"Fried chicken! Burgers! Hmph, I'm not some pampered princess, I can barely accept these." Kiana's eyes instantly lit up, completely disregarding calories and health, but she said it with a hint of pride.

She looked like a cat who had just spotted a laser pointer – giving you a cold, disdainful look... and then pouncing towards the laser pointer without hesitation.

So you really do like fried food. But deep down, you just like meat, don't you?

After some time.

Su Qing'an looked at the mostly empty food on the table, silently calculating Kiana's intake: three cups of Coke that came with the family buckets, three burgers, five pairs of spicy wings, six pieces of original recipe chicken, four pairs of New Orleans roasted wings, and finally, the lingering packaging remnants that proved their existence – two twelve-inch pizzas.

He glanced at Kiana's slender waist beneath her white shirt and her flat stomach. Su Qing'an understood that her terrifying stamina and strength followed the law of conservation of energy, and at the same time, he understood Mei's struggles.

Hmm. This meal cost around eight thousand yen. With expenses like this, plus the daily maintenance and replenishment of gear after fighting Honkai, travel expenses, and so on, it's understandable that Siegfried's remaining savings weren't insignificant.

Conservatively estimating, he thought it should be at least ten million yuan after conversion to RMB.

As for how much was left in Kiana's bank account now, that could only remain a mystery.

Thinking about it now, the most attractive part of the salary offer for Kiana must have been the words "includes meals."

"This is so delicious (｡ò∀ó｡) Mmm, Shopkeeper, what's for dinner? Is it all meat?" Swallowing the last chicken drumstick, Kiana was no longer the cool, aloof, silver-haired foreign beauty she appeared to be when they first met.

"Mhm, dinner is Shenzhou cuisine. But I also really like meat, so I'll make a few more meat dishes," Su Qing'an replied with a smile, while calculating how much food he'd need to buy to fill up the girl in front of him.

It's nice. This kind of false peace, this warm daily life, can only last for another four months at most.

He had already taken the first step: gaining the confidence that he wouldn't be transformed into a Mortal by Honkai Energy. The next step was to train his combat abilities to the point where he could at least survive encounters with the lowest-level Honkai Beasts.

During this time, Kiana should live a relaxed and happy life. After years of wandering alone, Kiana would face life-or-death battles again in four months. All he could do was this.

The girl named Kiana Kaslana had a fate that was twisted and winding. When she overcame countless life-or-death crises, what kind of torment and despair would she face internally upon realizing her true identity? No one could truly empathize.

But Su Qing'an understood one thing: what he cared about was not the virtual character in the game, nor the name Kiana Kaslana.

His friend was simply the girl in front of him, who was undeniably real, looked a bit silly, and was warm and gentle.

It had nothing to do with her name or her identity.

I need to become stronger. The young man murmured softly in his heart.

Otherwise, he could do nothing, change nothing.

And protect nothing.

Watching the white-haired girl drinking cola, recalling the powerlessness of his two deaths, in this peaceful, everyday time, Su Qing'an made his resolve.