Becoming the Behind-the-Scenes Boss from the Honkai World

Of course, white lies are an exception.

As for which lies are white lies... Shi Hen had his own flexible standards.

Twilight had passed, and the night lamps were newly lit.

Although Sicily still felt sweltering, the entire Northern Hemisphere had gradually entered autumn. After the sun set, darkness quickly enveloped the land.

"I'm telling you, the seafood pasta is the one thing you absolutely cannot miss when you come to Sicily."

Walking through the brightly lit streets, Kiana excitedly introduced Sicily's cuisine to Shi Hen, acting like a local expert.

"Mhm."

Glancing at the girl beside him, Shi Hen nodded.

He knew about seafood pasta, of course. Raven had taken him to a very luxurious-looking restaurant on his first day in Sicily.

He didn't ask how much it cost, but Shi Hen remembered Raven's fingers trembling when she paid the bill that night.

Still, the seafood pasta at that restaurant was indeed delicious.

Compared to top mercenaries and super-rich women like Raven, the places recommended by a wandering girl like Kiana definitely wouldn't be as high-end, but the girl's enthusiasm was no less.

The lamplight shone on the blush on the girl's face from excitement, the two intertwining to outline a captivating and beautiful color that made Shi Hen momentarily stunned.

Later, no matter what Kiana treated him to, he would give it a five-star review.

Shi Hen thought to himself.

Weaving through the city streets, the two soon arrived at their destination.

It was a small shop facing the street, so small that there wasn't even space inside for dining tables. A few sets of folding tables and chairs were casually placed on the open ground outside the shop.

"Don't let the size of this place fool you, but they use the freshest ingredients every day."

Fearing Shi Hen might look down on it, Kiana quickly explained.

"The aroma is amazing. I can't wait to taste the food that Kiana praises so highly."

Shi Hen said, a smile on his face.

It was dinnertime, and several diners were already seated inside. Judging by their hearty appetites, the shop was definitely not bad.

"Haha~ Little Kiana finally decided to bring her boyfriend over! Hurry up and find a place to sit!"

The shop owner, busy by the stove, said with a smile. It seemed he was already familiar with Kiana.

"We're just ordinary friends!" Kiana quickly corrected, turning to Shi Hen. "Luke just likes to joke around, don't mind him."

"I can see you two have a good relationship."

Looking at the stout, bearded shop owner, and then at the white-haired girl in front of him, whose cheeks were flushed but who was trying to appear calm, Shi Hen found it somewhat amusing.

"I, I just helped Luke with a few small favors."

Sensing the young man's gaze intensifying, Kiana's face turned even redder.

"Is that so."

Shi Hen nodded.

Although he didn't believe the "small favors" the girl mentioned were truly small, he had no intention of probing further.

It was just a chance encounter, and he didn't plan to have too much interaction with Kiana at this moment.

Who knew what kind of father-in-law was hiding in some corner, secretly watching.

Seeing that the young man didn't press further, Kiana breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the bearded shop owner. "Luke, two classic seafood pastas, please."

After ordering, the girl turned her gaze back and explained, "I've had the seafood pasta here many times. The classic flavor is the best, and it's also very suitable for first-timers."

Finally, Kiana asked, "By the way, is there anything you don't eat?"

Shi Hen shook his head.

He was quite open-minded when it came to food.

The small shop's serving speed was very fast. After just a few casual remarks, the two seafood pastas were ready.

"It's rare for Little Kiana to bring friends here. Young man, you better seize the opportunity!"

Luke personally brought the food to the two of them, his face full of a simple and honest smile. His mustache twitched, looking quite cute.

"Luke!"

Kiana was instantly exasperated, her small fists clenched tightly, as if she were about to send the meddlesome, bearded man flying the next second.

"Haha..." Luke took an involuntary step back, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "Please enjoy, please enjoy..."

With that, Luke disappeared between them with a speed that was completely unsuited to his plump figure.

"The people of Sicily are truly enthusiastic."

Watching the girl's adorable, blushing face, Shi Hen exclaimed.

"Y-yes..."

Kiana looked down at the pasta in front of her, which was twice the size of others and topped with seafood, her expression a little conflicted.

The special treatment Rook provided truly suited the girl's preferences, but this was her first time having dinner with Shi Hen. Would exposing her appetite scare him away?

Maybe I should only eat half?

No, no, wasting food is shameful, and it would make Rook sad...

Kiana's mind raced with countless thoughts.

Without paying mind to the girl's shyness, Shi Hen began to enjoy his dinner.

Similar to Kiana's, the portion of seafood on his plate was also exceptionally generous, looking very appetizing.

He picked up a lobster with his knife and fork, and a single bite was filled with the rich aroma of meat.

Although this small shop didn't look very remarkable, the ingredients were indeed as fresh as Kiana had said, and the combination of flavors was truly amazing.

Moreover, free food always tasted especially delicious.

As expected, when it came to eating, Kiana was quite trustworthy, as long as she didn't go into the kitchen.

Infected by the young man's focused enjoyment of his food, Kiana gradually let go of her worries and began to eat heartily.

Other things could wait; the most important thing now was to fill her stomach.

"Burp~"

By the time the girl realized it, the larger-than-average plate in front of her had been completely cleared, with a pile of shellfish shells on the side.

"It was so delicious I wanted to swallow the plate too," Shi Hen said with a smile, after carefully chewing and swallowing the last strand of noodles.

"I, I'll go pay!"

Blushing from the young man's gaze, Kiana quickly found an excuse to escape, not even wiping the oil from the corner of her mouth.

She had only known the young man for a few hours, and she still felt a bit embarrassed.

This white-haired fluffball is quite cute.

The smile on Shi Hen's face grew wider.

While wiping his mouth with a napkin, Shi Hen amusingly watched Kiana argue with Rook about the bill.

Rook stated the price for two seafood noodles, but Kiana insisted that her portion was equivalent to two plates and wanted to pay for three.

In the end, the dispute concluded with Kiana paying for three plates of noodles, and Rook forcing her to promise to bring Shi Hen back again.

"Boss Rook is a good person," Shi Hen said with a smile, handing a napkin to the returning Kiana.

Birds of a feather flock together; it was truly delightful that a kind girl was also being treated gently by this world.

"He's just a stinky old man!" Kiana said fiercely.

Even though she and Shi Hen were just ordinary friends, he always took matters into his own hands. Although this boy from the distant land of Shenzhou was indeed very handsome...

Thinking this, Kiana couldn't help but steal a glance at the young man, her cheeks instantly flushing red.

Facing the girl's complaint, Shi Hen just smiled, "Let's go, let's walk around a bit more to help digest our food."

He, Shi Hen, wouldn't do something as scummy as eating and then immediately leaving.

However, not long after they left the small shop, several casually dressed youths who looked like ruffians blocked their path:

"Hey, little lady..."

Chapter 8: Like in a Fairy Tale

"Hey, little lady, how about you come play with us big brothers?"

Here they come!

The most classic trope has arrived!

Sizing up the youths in front of him, who looked like mere henchmen no matter how he looked at them, Shi Hen felt a surge of excitement internally.

If there was one thing Sicily was most famous for, it was undoubtedly the Mafia.

Although the Mafia in Sicily were mostly hidden within various industries nowadays and rarely appeared in public, they still existed, and they ruled every aspect of Sicily.

As a protagonist, how could he come to Sicily without crossing swords with the Mafia?

Even if these few small fry weren't necessarily Mafia members, the common trope of "hitting the small ones brings out the big ones" meant he would eventually encounter the real Sicilian Mafia.

Bang bang!

While Shi Hen was still lost in his fantasies, Kiana, standing beside him, had already rushed forward and knocked out these youths with two solid punches.

Patting her hands with a look of lingering excitement, Kiana turned to the young man and explained, "Ah, Sicily's public security is just like this. Are you okay?"

Looking at the men piled up like a human pyramid against the wall, and then at the girl's concerned expression, Shi Hen fell silent.

So, in this day and age, you can't even be a good thug without some real skills.

"Miss Kiana's charm is truly powerful."

Shi Hen could only sigh helplessly after holding back for so long.

It had to be said, even though Kiana was only fourteen and hadn't fully grown into her looks yet, she was already an absolute beauty.

Especially her rare silver-white long hair, which added a touch of ethereal charm to the girl.

If she were to wear a gorgeous dress, people might even mistake her for a fairy who had snuck away from some hidden immortal realm.

Of course, that was assuming she didn't speak.

"Hehehe~"

Upon hearing the boy's words, Kiana immediately broke into a happy, silly grin.

Her ethereal charm vanished without a trace.

"Want some fruit?" Shi Hen asked the girl, glancing at a street vendor. "My treat."

Although the seafood noodles they'd just eaten were quite filling, that didn't stop them from getting some fruit for dessert.

As soon as she heard the word "treat," the hesitation and indecision on Kiana's face disappeared without a trace, and she immediately said, "I want grapes!"

She hadn't eaten fruits or desserts like these in a while. After all, the salary of a beach lifeguard wasn't high, and since she was still a minor, her earnings were even more meager.

Now that someone was willing to treat her, why would she be polite?

Kiana immediately picked out a large, red bunch of grapes and blinked at the boy beside her.

Seeing the girl's pitiful look, like a kitten waiting to be fed, Shi Hen couldn't help but shake his head gently and add another bunch of grapes to her hand.

With his current wealth, he wouldn't even blink at buying all the fruit from the entire stall.

He praised the World Serpent's generosity once more.

Kiana's smile was so wide she could barely close her mouth.

"Oh right, Hen, you're from Shenzhou, aren't you? Are you studying abroad here in Dimont?"