Black Night Murderous Intent

The sun began to sink.

Piano music drifted through the coffee shop. Mary sat at the table, taking small sips of her coffee as she gazed outside. Through the windows, she could admire the scenery of the city beyond. Under the setting sun, the ancient city seemed to radiate a captivating charm—if one ignored the monsters stirring restlessly in the darkness...

"Looks like the food here is pretty good."

Duanmu Huai's voice sounded beside Mary's ear. She turned around helplessly and saw him sitting across from her, holding a fork and stuffing a piece of cake into his mouth. Unlike Mary, who sat on a wooden chair, he had planted himself on a large sofa. Duanmu Huai had dragged the sofa straight over from the coffee shop's lobby, since an ordinary four-legged chair could not possibly support his weight.

The owner and waiters pretended not to notice. In any case, they had only this one group of customers today, so it didn't matter...

"I used to visit places like this in Fog City, too."

Mary stirred her coffee with a spoon as she spoke wistfully.

"Every day after school, I'd come to Madam's shop with Shirley and Angelica. We'd drink black tea, eat desserts, and chat. The place was always packed back then. There were couples, and families coming in for meals. Everyone enjoyed the leisurely atmosphere and laughed together, but..."

Mary glanced at the empty coffee shop lobby.

"This place feels so deserted."

"Can't be helped. Considering the situation, the fact that the owner is still willing to keep the shop open is already proof of his conscience. His craftsmanship is pretty good, too. Otherwise, he couldn't have stayed open this long."

Duanmu Huai offered his assessment casually. He wasn't a gourmet, but he could still tell whether something