Interlude

December 6, 2013, 4:05 PM.

After the last customer left, Kiana flipped the "Open" sign to the other side. Since the cafe had only recently stabilized its operations, the number of customers didn't quite match the online buzz.

Thanks to that, Su Qing'an didn't have to consider hiring another barista and server.

He was deliberately integrating the cultivation of the Sword Heart Technique into every aspect of his daily life. While it consumed his mental energy, honing his Sword Heart was still a difficult trial for Su Qing'an at the moment.

The reason for closing early was because he initially couldn't get used to multitasking. Furthermore, his perfectionism wouldn't allow him to make coffee carelessly. This pursuit of excellence further increased the difficulty.

So, sometimes he would simply close early.

A perfectly legitimate excuse to slack off.

Untying her brown apron and placing it on the table, Kiana revealed the Senba Uniform, the same as Satou Yunona's. She let out a long sigh, her chest rising and falling. She stretched, her graceful figure curves on full display. Her collar was lifted, and the fair skin of her waist peeked out, catching the eye.

To be honest, even with her years of wandering, she rarely had the chance to work honestly. It was a luxury.

The job of a server was simple, but talking to strangers was always troublesome.

The habit of presenting a composed exterior to others was developed during her time wandering.

In Su Qing'an's view, Kiana's core was complex. Whether it was the girl who was cheerfully oblivious like an idiot, the cold girl with a blank expression, or the sensitive and lonely girl, they were all her.

Humans were complex and colorful; multifacetedness was the norm. Was the impulsive idiot who charged headfirst truly only this hot-blooded and thick-skinned?

Su Qing'an tried to understand Kiana, not through the games he knew or the few manga he had read.

Instead, he wanted to witness it with his own eyes, accumulating pieces of Kiana's puzzle from the small details of everyday life, then piecing them together one by one, and finally reaching a conclusion.

Only then could he confidently say, "I understand you, Kiana."

"Kiana, if you have time, go out and buy me a bottle of soy sauce and some rice. You've eaten all the rice in the pantry."

"Su Qing'an, are you willing to let this delicate young lady go out in the twilight and carry a bag of rice back? What if I run into a pervert? Besides, didn't the news say there's a serial killer recently?" Kiana complained, resting her chin on the table.

"The public safety in this country is still relatively normal. And who was it that beat up those delinquents until their left leg was fractured last time?"

Recalling the bewildered look on the delinquent's parent's face when they saw Kiana's innocent expression, Su Qing'an felt like complaining. In the end, the parent didn't even have the nerve to ask for medical expenses. They looked at their own son with a hint of a cold smile and anger. It was likely that his treatment at home wouldn't be pleasant.

"Who... who knew that guy was so arrogant but had such brittle bones! How can you blame me? I'm just an ordinary beautiful girl (｀へ´)." Kiana retorted somewhat guiltily, but her voice grew softer as she spoke, her confidence clearly waning.

Did you use the same force you'd use on a Honkai Beast on an ordinary delinquent? If so, you really put in a lot of effort to restrain your strength at the end. Su Qing'an rubbed his forehead helplessly.

Actually, the whole incident was quite simple. Kiana had rarely gone out when a delinquent approached her, asking for her phone number and email.

It was similar to how guys in his previous world would ask attractive girls for their WeChat, except that guy was excessively persistent and even tried to get physical. The end result was that Kiana, unable to stand it any longer, kicked him in the leg, causing a fracture.

Afterward, the person involved, lacking any common sense, left with a cold expression, completely ignoring the person wailing and screaming on the ground. It was likely that the white-haired girl hadn't even realized she had broken his leg at that point.

As Satou Yunona said, having good looks comes with its own set of troubles. Su Qing'an had encountered similar situations, but he handled them more smoothly, and the people he encountered weren't as arrogant.

"So, are you going or not?" Su Qing'an asked with a gentle smile.

"I'm going, I'm going! This simple task will be done in a jiffy by this young lady, Hmph, Su Qing'an is an idiot." Kiana straightened her back and said defiantly. By the way, her last sentence was spoken very quietly.

The girl went to her room and put on a hoodie. The autumn air was a bit chilly as evening approached. She picked up a shoulder bag and prepared to leave.

When facing Satou Yunona, Kiana was mostly indifferent and perfunctory, but when facing Su Qing'an, she tended to be tsundere and timid.

The young man looked at Kiana's retreating figure as she walked towards the door and couldn't help but chuckle. Although Kiana had spoken very quietly, he had still heard her.

How should he put it? This timid demeanor was quite cute. He should add a bit more chili to tonight's dish. Imagining Kiana's pitiful face flushed red, the petty Su Qing'an's lips curved upwards, and he smiled even more happily.

But tomorrow is December 7th, isn't it? What should I prepare?