The Library's Strange Best Friend

Chu He walked out of the back kitchen carrying a plate of golden and crispy "Thousand-Threaded Shredded Meat," adorned with a few strange purple threads.

Xia Yao's gaze hadn't left him since the moment he appeared.

"This is for you," Chu He said, placing the plate steadily in front of her.

Xia Yao picked up a fork, unhesitatingly spearing a small clump of shredded meat, along with the purple thread that represented pure fear, and put it into her mouth.

Her chewing was light and elegant.

But the next second, an unprecedented brilliance erupted in her pure black eyes, like a galaxy lit up in the dark night.

"Delicious!"

She took another large bite, her little face puffed out as she ate, her eyes narrowing in happiness.

"You, you're a great cook!" she added seriously, looking at Chu He.

[Dragon Country Official Livestream]

"Holy crap! Who can resist Big Shot Xia Yao acting like such a fangirl?"

"It's over, it's over. God Chu not only has Xia Yao's body in his grasp, but now her stomach too! Double grasp, the most fatal!"

"Did you guys notice? God Chu is getting more and more like a big shot now. That composure he had in front of Uncle just now was absolutely killer!"

Watching Xia Yao eat so heartily, Chu He felt a long-lost, heartfelt joy welling up inside him.

This feeling was more solid and reassuring than completing any mission or receiving any reward.

He truly hadn't expected that his hidden chef talent would become the ultimate weapon for conquering SSS-Class Anomalies in such a bizarre place.

Chu He had always had an unusual talent for cooking since he was young.

When others cooked for the first time, they either put in too much salt or forgot to add it, turning the kitchen into chaos.

When he stir-fried for the first time at the age of six, he could precisely control the amount of salt, and the dish tasted just right, neither too salty nor too bland.

After watching a cooking show once, he could remember most of the recipes and steps for a long time.

Unfortunately, his grades in school were always mediocre, the kind that teachers didn't pay much attention to and classmates didn't notice.

In the high school entrance exam, he scored 482, an awkward number.

He was far from getting into the best high school in the county, so he could only attend the second-best high school, and in a regular class at that.

At that time, he really considered learning to be a chef, opening his own small restaurant, and doing what he loved.

But his parents strongly opposed it. In their eyes, all professions were inferior, only studying was noble.

As expected, his grades remained average throughout his three years of high school and two years of university, blending in with the crowd.

However, whenever he had free time, he would study recipes and hone his cooking skills. The dream of opening a restaurant had always been buried deep in his heart.

He never imagined that his dream, unfulfilled in reality, would bloom with dazzling brilliance in the Anomaly world in an extremely ridiculous way.

Just as Chu He's thoughts began to drift, a cold system prompt suddenly sounded in his mind!

[Emotional interaction "Feeding" with SSS-Class School Belle Anomaly · Xia Yao completed, with extraordinary results!]

[Intimacy greatly increased! Current Intimacy: Infatuation 30%!]

Chu He rejoiced in his heart.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Xia Yan's chest felt tight again as he watched his niece become completely captivated by a plate of shredded meat.

He snorted coldly and pushed the "Demon Lion Liver," which he had personally prepared, its color a deep red and exuding an infinitely domineering energy, in front of Chu He.

His movements were rough.

"Eat it, don't waste it!"

Xia Yan said in an irrefutable tone of command.

Chu He looked at the plate of Demon Lion Liver, then at Xia Yan's face, which was clearly written with "I'm very unhappy, but there's nothing I can do about you," and understood perfectly.

This was an indirect acknowledgment and "investment."

His uncle had likely guessed his abilities with high accuracy.

Coupled with Xia Yao's straightforward nature, she had probably spilled everything, both the things she should and shouldn't have said.

He didn't stand on ceremony, picked up his knife and fork, and started eating.

As the Demon Lion Liver entered his mouth, a warm current, a hundred times more potent than the Braised Lion's Head before, exploded within his body!

The energy was incredibly violent, like molten iron, instantly surging through his limbs and bones!

Chu He felt every inch of his bones groaning under the unbearable strain, only to be reshaped by even greater power in the next instant!

Every muscle fiber was torn apart and then rewoven in a way that was tougher and denser!

His physical fitness leaped forward qualitatively at that moment!

Even his mental power felt unprecedentedly full, as if injected with high-purity fuel!

Awesome!

It was f***ing awesome!

After finishing this "meeting the parents" lunch, which was packed with information, it was already past one in the afternoon.

The moment Chu He followed Xia Yao back into her office.

The Dragon Country live stream screen went black.

As soon as the door closed, Xia Yao clung to him like melting toffee.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, her long, slender legs wrapped around his waist, hanging onto him entirely. Her eyes were hazy, filled with the dependence of a small animal.

"Mmm..."

The two lay down in the bedroom!

Chu He had originally wanted to use this rare free time to properly check his system panel after its massive surge in power.

But Xia Yao didn't give him the chance.

Her pair of pure black eyes were filled with an undeniable, intense demand.

After the meal, it was time for some exercise!

An hour later.

Xia Yao lay contentedly beside Chu He, like a cat that had eaten its fill, fast asleep. Her long eyelashes cast a quiet shadow beneath her eyes.

Chu He let out a long sigh, finally having his own time.

With a thought, he opened his personal status panel.

Brand new data.

[Name: Chu He]

[Eye of Nirvana Level: Intermediate; Abilities: Destruction, Seeing Through Illusions]

[Eye of Nirvana Completion Progress: 60%]

[Intimacy with Xia Yao: Infatuated]

[Infatuation Completion Progress: 60%]

"Ssss... Ssss..."

Just as Chu He was enjoying the thrill of his greatly increased strength, a piercing broadcast voice shattered the campus's tranquility without warning.

"All survivors please note."

"Report to the library for check-in before 3 PM."

"Latecomers will be eliminated."

The library?

Chu He frowned.

Xia Yao, who was in his arms, was also startled awake by the voice.

Upon hearing the word "library," Xia Yao's body visibly paused. A strange expression flickered across her beautiful face.

The look was complex, as if she were reminiscing about something, yet also showing obvious signs of a headache.

It was as if that place held something she both liked and found troublesome.

She looked up, took Chu He's hand, and leaned close to his ear, whispering in a voice only they could hear:

"My best friend is there."

"Her name is Kachi. She's very smart, just a bit peculiar."

Xia Yao seemed to struggle to find a suitable adjective, ultimately settling on "peculiar" to describe her.

"Be careful, she's especially skilled in illusions, and the trials she gives might be of that type. Just don't get lost in them!"