The Temptation of Shrimp and Fish Cake Noodles

"I'm so tired, so tired!" Kiana wailed, leaning against a chair on the Hyperion, her long legs ungracefully propped up on a nearby stool.

"Ki—a—na—" Theresa's voice echoed in Kiana's ear, "How many times have I told you to sit up straight!"

"Eek~ Auntie, you're just saying that because you don't have long legs—"

"Judas!"

"No, no, no, Auntie, I mean Headmaster, I was wrong ⊙﹏⊙!"

"Huh? Why is this guy asleep again? Was he that tired?"

Kiana turned her head and saw Sheng Jiu leaning back against his chair, fast asleep.

"Idiot Sheng Jiu, not covering himself with a blanket," Bronya said from beside him, pointing at Sheng Jiu's soaked clothes, then looking at Kiana.

"You... why are you looking at me?" Kiana's face flushed, and she awkwardly touched her nose.

"Bronya will go cover Idiot Sheng Jiu with a blanket," Bronya said, picking up a blanket and walking towards Sheng Jiu.

"Hey—" Kiana hurriedly stopped Bronya, then thought better of it and quickly explained, "I... I just think this is a small matter that doesn't require Bronya's trouble. This kind of thing, I, this young lady, can... can do it."

Kiana took the blanket from Bronya and tiptoed towards the sleeping Sheng Jiu. She listened to his steady breathing and gently draped the blanket over him.

What's with him, always sleeping... Kiana squatted beside Sheng Jiu, carefully tucking in the edges of the blanket.

Theresa, watching the two from not far away, let out a knowing smile and downed the bitter melon juice in her cup...

"Don't come any closer!" Sheng Jiu stumbled back in fear, only to find himself surrounded by a horde of Noodle Monsters. The leader let out a strange laugh and raised its noodle fork, plunging it down...

"Ah!" Sheng Jiu sat up with a gasp. Realizing it was just a dream, he slowly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, breathing heavily.

"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" a cheerful voice asked.

"Yeah... old habit..." Sheng Jiu replied, then immediately felt something was wrong. Wait, this voice... I've never heard it before!

Sheng Jiu turned his head and looked closely. A small, green-haired figure with a bun hairstyle was floating in mid-air, smiling at him.

"Oh my god! A cabbage spirit!" Sheng Jiu yelped and scrambled backward, falling onto the ground, staring in horror at the approaching figure.

"What cabbage spirit, you're so unreasonable!" The little figure, puffing out its cheeks, waved its lollipop-sized fists. "Look carefully, I'm human! No, I'm Ai!"

"...? What is this? Did the Hyperion get a virus?" Sheng Jiu stared at the little figure, who seemed on the verge of an outburst, utterly bewildered.

"What virus? I'm Ai-chan! The super AI on the Hyperion! I'm Schicksal's number one idol, Ai-chan! You ignorant fool!" Ai-chan huffed, conjuring a small stool and sitting down.

"Oh?" Sheng Jiu's interest was piqued. "You're number one idol?"

"Uh-huh~ Now you know who's in charge, right!" Ai-chan put on a pair of sunglasses, took a big puff of a cigar, and leisurely exhaled.

"So you're the best-looking cabbage spirit, then. You don't look that great either!"

"Pfft... cough cough cough..." Ai-chan choked on the cigar, coughing violently. She quickly reverted to her original form. "Can't you find any other comparison besides cabbage?!"

"Uh... napa cabbage?"

"You! Forget it, I won't argue with you about this. I'm here to introduce myself. Regardless, it's nice to meet you... If you have any problems on the Hyperion in the future, you can find me! I'm leaving now!" With that, Ai-chan vanished before Sheng Jiu's eyes.

Just like that, came and went in a hurry... For some reason, Sheng Jiu thought of a slogan he'd seen in the restroom...

The Hyperion soon returned to St. Freya, and everyone got their much-deserved vacation. But there was only one thing Sheng Jiu wanted to do: have a midnight snack.

At midnight, Sheng Jiu wandered through the academy, still thinking about the Noodle Monsters from his dream. "No, I have to eat seafood noodles. No one can stop me today!"

"But where can I find fish? At this hour, the fish sold at convenience stores isn't fresh anymore."

"Got it! Doesn't St. Freya have a large lake?! I'll go try it now!" With that thought, Sheng Jiu immediately ran towards his dorm, colliding with someone on the way.

"Huh? Rin, why are you here? Why are you running around so late?" Sheng Jiu rubbed his forehead, surprised to see his classmate.

"Oh, it's Sheng Jiu. You guys just finished a mission, right? Good work! I'm currently improving this fishing rod with an electric shock function. My improved version can release a more reasonable voltage to just stun the fish that bite, instead of electrocuting it to a crisp and affecting the taste. I was just about to test it out!" Rin said, confidently shaking the fishing rod in her hand.

"Oh, I see," Sheng Jiu mumbled, stroking his chin for a moment. "I'm actually a bit hungry. Can I borrow this thing? I'll tell you how it tastes after I eat the fish?"

Rin thought for a moment and immediately handed the fishing rod to Sheng Jiu. "Then remember to return it to me tomorrow after you're done! I want to go back to sleep. Good night~"

Sheng Jiu took the fishing rod and headed straight for the lake. The bright moon was high in the sky, the water shimmering. Fish occasionally leaped out of the water. It was the perfect time to fish.

Sheng Jiu took out a small stool, sat down, and meticulously began assembling Miyamoto Rin's improved fishing rod. Then Sheng Jiu started to worry. "That's strange, what should I do without bait..."

Just then, something wriggling in the dirt caught Sheng Jiu's attention. He reached out and quickly grabbed a frantically wriggling earthworm. "Heh heh... sorry about this, Mr. Earthworm~"

"Splash!" Sheng Jiu cast his line, and the float landed steadily on the lake. Sheng Jiu stared intently at the float on the surface, afraid of missing even the slightest movement.

Before long, the float twitched violently and then began to slide rapidly as if being pulled by something.

"Gotcha, reel it in!" Sheng Jiu didn't back down, turning the handle of the reel and stepping back with all his might.

It was no wonder this was an academy built specifically to train Valkyries; the fish in St. Freya Lake were much stronger than those elsewhere. Sheng Jiu, a Valkyrie himself, found himself struggling against the fish. Suddenly, he remembered. "That's right! This thing has an electric shock function, I'll try it!"

Sheng Jiu pressed the red button on the fishing rod. Instantly, a current flowed from the handle towards the bent end of the rod. Before long, the struggling on the fishing rod weakened, and a large carp floated to the surface, belly up.

Sheng Jiu triumphantly dragged the carp ashore. Just as Rin had said, the improved fishing rod had only stunned the carp, not electrocuted it to a crisp and ruined its taste.

"Great, my midnight snack is sorted!"

"Yeah, great! Let me have a taste too!"

"Sure, then... Eh, wait!" Sheng Jiu almost threw the fish away and turned to look at Kiana. "Wh-when did you get here?"

Kiana nervously picked at her fingers. "It's just... when you were catching earthworms just now..."

"What?!" Sheng Jiu could hardly believe his ears. "Why are you out wandering around so late by yourself?! Hurry up and go back to bed!"

"I won't!" Kiana stubbornly shook her head. "This young lady is hungry! Make me some grilled fish! Yae and the others are fast asleep, and I was looking for something to eat in the living room. I saw a suspicious figure lurking by the lake in the moonlight. I thought it was an enemy, but when I got closer, I realized it was you!"

Sheng Jiu looked at Kiana, then at the carp, and after considering hundreds of possible responses in his mind, he said, "Alright, then wait for me to catch another one."

"Oh yeah! That's great! I'll help you watch this fish." Kiana eagerly volunteered and brought a box to put the carp in.

"Here it comes, it's biting! Wait for me—" Sheng Jiu was about to press a button when he was pulled in, rod and all. As he was completely submerged, Sheng Jiu threw out the fishing rod. "Remember not to let it get soaked, I have to return it tomorrow... Glug glug..."

Kiana caught the fishing rod and stared blankly at the now calm lake surface. A second later, Kiana snapped back to reality. She wanted to jump into the icy lake to pull Sheng Jiu ashore.

"Splash!" A giant carp leaped out of the water, throwing Sheng Jiu, who was holding onto its tail, onto the shore.

"You big dummy!" Kiana angrily hit Sheng Jiu all over. "It's just a fish, was it worth it! You almost drowned!"

Sheng Jiu lay on the ground, triumphantly holding up two fingers in a peace sign. "Don't worry... this brother won't die, I'm not married yet!"

Kiana's face flushed slightly, and she muttered, "Shameless..."

"What?"

"N-nothing, let's go!" Kiana picked up the fishing rod, pulled Sheng Jiu up, and quickly left the lake.

Sheng Jiu took Kiana to his own dormitory. "Here, welcome to my... uh, humble abode."

Kiana was stunned by the spacious single dormitory before her. Although she had heard Himeko say before that his living conditions were no worse than theirs, Kiana hadn't expected them to be this good.

The villa was two stories high, with automatic ambient lighting indoors, a separate water supply system, a martial arts room, a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and so on. What Kiana envied the most were the huge four-door refrigerator and the television as large as a floor-to-ceiling window.

"Oh my god!!! Is this heaven!" Kiana threw herself onto the soft sofa and hugged a giant Hovos plushie, rubbing her face against it. Not only were the facilities in the house complete, but the interior was also spotless and extremely tidy, showing that Sheng Jiu had good cleaning habits.

Sheng Jiu handed Kiana a pair of slippers. "Here, change into these."

"Huh? How did you know my size?"

"The heavens forbid revealing such secrets." Sheng Jiu grinned cheekily and pointed at the ceiling.

"Tch, hurry up and cook, this young lady is hungry!"

"Oh, wait!" Kiana pushed Sheng Jiu towards the bedroom. "Hurry up and change your clothes! It won't be good if you catch a cold later!"

"Alright, alright, you're the young lady, I'll listen to you!"

Kiana rested her hands on her chin, looking at Sheng Jiu tying on an apron, and a devilish smile appeared on her face. Heh, so this guy wears an apron too? I should really take a picture of him to show Yae and the others. Humph, I didn't expect this guy could cook. The girl who marries him will surely be very happy...

"Here, hot cocoa." Sheng Jiu handed Kiana a cup of hot cocoa. "Drink it while it's hot. You got rained on earlier."

"Oh, oh, thank you!" Kiana took the cocoa and took a small sip. This guy is much more considerate than I imagined... Wait, what am I thinking!

Sheng Jiu took frozen shrimp, fish cakes, and scallions from the refrigerator and looked at Kiana, who was lounging on the sofa. "Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

"No! Just cook whatever you want, this young lady is starving~"

Sheng Jiu placed the shrimp on the cutting board, held the knife in his right hand, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them sharply. "Slice!"

As Sheng Jiu's knife moved, the shrimp on the cutting board had already been peeled.

"Pfft!" Kiana almost spat out her cocoa. Is this guy always like this when he cooks... Is this the legendary 'scholar god'?

While Kiana was lost in thought, Sheng Jiu skillfully peeled seven or eight large shrimp and placed them in a bowl. Then, he placed the two large fish he had caught on the cutting board. With a few more cuts, the scales and heads were completely removed. Now, on the cutting board were two large, bare fish fillets. Sheng Jiu then cut the fish into uniform pieces.

Sheng Jiu skillfully placed the fish fillets in a frying pan, added a small amount of oil, and began to pan-fry the fish.

"Hey! Help me keep track of time, and call me in two minutes!"

"Okay~" Kiana looked at the clock on the wall and started counting. "1, 2, 3... Wait, why can't you count yourself!"

"I'm just giving you something to do since you're bored. Also, it'll make you feel more involved, so the meal will taste better later, right?"

"...You win."

After a while, upon hearing Kiana's reminder, Sheng Jiu scooped out the fish, golden brown on both sides, and placed it in a pot of pre-boiled water to make fish soup.

After setting a timer reminder, Sheng Jiu walked to the living room and handed Kiana a game controller. "Play with me for a bit?"

"Aren't you going to cook anymore?"

"You're so stupid. The fish soup is still simmering! Play a few rounds with me first."

"Oh, oh, what do you want to play?"

"Honkai King of Fighters, I guess."

"Hehe, this young lady is the best at fighting games, watch my power!"

A few moments later…

Sheng Jiu put down the controller and comforted Kiana, who was on the verge of tears. "It's okay, if you practice more, you'll definitely be able to beat me."

Kiana puffed out her cheeks and angrily threw the plushie at Sheng Jiu. "Go cook!"

"Alright, alright," Sheng Jiu dodged the flying plushie with a smirk and threw it back onto the sofa. "I'm going, I'm going."

Sheng Jiu ladled the fish soup, which had turned milky white, into two large bowls. Then, he opened two packets of instant noodles, took out the noodle cakes, and put them in the pot with water to cook.

When the noodles were just soft, Sheng Jiu seized the moment, scooped them out with a ladle, and divided them evenly into the two bowls of fish soup.

The aroma had long since filled the entire house. Following the scent, Kiana unconsciously walked into the kitchen. "It smells so good! Can I eat yet?"

"Just wait a little longer, it'll be ready soon." Sheng Jiu chuckled in amusement and reached out to ruffle Kiana's hair.

"Tch... I'll let it slide this time, considering you're treating me to a meal!" Kiana lightly pushed Sheng Jiu's hand away and obediently sat down at the dining table, gazing eagerly at the instant noodles in the bowl.

Sheng Jiu quickly fried two sunny-side-up eggs, then sliced the fish cake and mixed it with the cooked shrimp before adding them to the noodles. Finally, he sprinkled in the finishing touch – a handful of chopped green onions. Two bowls of Shrimp and Fish Cake Noodles, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, were completed.

"Noodles are ready~" Sheng Jiu brought the two bowls of noodles to the dining table. Kiana impatiently picked up a chopstickful of noodles and put them in her mouth, her eyes immediately widening. "It's... delicious!"

"If it's delicious, eat more. There's plenty if you want more," Sheng Jiu said with a smile, taking a bite himself. "It seems the noodles are a bit overcooked today. They don't taste as good as before."

"No way!" Kiana shook her head while slurping down the savory fish broth. "They're really delicious, I can't believe it. Your cooking skills are almost as good as Yae Sakura's!"

"It's okay, I can make it for you again anytime you want!"

"Really? You better not lie to me!"

"It's a deal!"