Just Like in a Fairy Tale

Of course, kind-hearted lies could be exceptions.

As for which lies counted as kind-hearted... Shi Hen had his own flexible standards.

Dusk had passed, and the streetlights had just begun to glow.

Although Sicily still looked as though the summer heat refused to fade, the entire Northern Hemisphere had gradually entered autumn. Once the sun set, darkness swiftly enveloped the land.

"I'm telling you, the one thing you absolutely can't miss in Sicily is seafood pasta."

Walking along the brightly lit streets, Kiana enthusiastically introduced Sicily's cuisine to Shi Hen, looking every bit like a Sicily expert.

"Mm."

Shi Hen nodded as he glanced at the girl beside him.

Of course he knew about seafood pasta. On his first day in Sicily, Raven had taken him to try it at a restaurant that looked quite luxurious.

He had not asked how much it cost, but Shi Hen remembered Raven's fingers trembling when she paid the bill that night.

Still, the seafood pasta there really had been delicious.

Compared to someone like Raven—a top-tier mercenary and outrageously wealthy woman—the place recommended by Kiana, who was still a wandering girl, could not possibly be all that upscale. Yet the girl's enthusiasm was not the slightest bit inferior.

The streetlight illuminated the excited flush on the girl's face, the two intertwining into a breathtakingly gorgeous sight that left even Shi Hen momentarily stunned.

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

Shi Hen thought silently.

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

It was a small shop by the roadside, so small that there was not even room for dining tables inside. Several sets of folding tables and chairs had been placed outside on an open patch of ground, seemingly at random.

"Don't let the size of this place fool you. All their ingredients are fresh from the same day."

Afraid Shi Hen might look down on it, Kiana hurriedly explained.

"It smells wonderful. I'm already looking forward to trying the food Kiana praises so highly."

Shi Hen smiled as he spoke.

It was dinner time, and several customers were already seated in the shop. Just from the way they were eating with gusto, one could tell this place had to be good.

"Haha! Little Kiana finally brought her boyfriend over! Hurry up and find a place to sit."

The owner, busy at the stove, spoke with a smile. He clearly knew Kiana well.

"We're just ordinary friends!" Kiana hurriedly corrected him, then turned to explain to Shi Hen, "Rook just likes joking around. Don't mind him."

"I can tell you two are quite close."

Shi Hen glanced at the bearded, portly shop owner, then at the White-haired Girl in front of him, who was clearly blushing yet still trying to act composed. He could not help finding it rather amusing.

"I-I only helped Rook with a few small things."

Sensing the youth's gaze growing a little too intense, Kiana's face reddened even more.

"I see."

Shi Hen nodded.

Though he did not think the "small things" the girl mentioned had truly been so small, he had no intention of getting to the bottom of it.

It had only been a chance encounter. He did not plan to have too much contact with Kiana just yet.

Who knew where that national father-in-law might be hiding in some corner, secretly watching.

Seeing that the youth did not press further, Kiana let out a huge sigh of relief and turned to the bearded owner. "Rook, two servings of classic seafood pasta, please."

After ordering, the girl turned back and explained, "I've had the seafood pasta here several times. The classic flavor is the best, and it's perfect for someone trying it for the first time."

Then Kiana asked, "Oh, right. Is there anything you don't eat?"

Shi Hen shook his head.

He was quite tolerant when it came to food.

The little shop served food quickly. After only a few casual exchanges, the two servings of seafood pasta were ready.

"You hardly ever bring friends here, Little Kiana. Young man, you'd better seize this chance!"

Rook personally brought the food over. His face was full of an honest smile, and the movement of his large beard made him look rather adorable.

"Rook!"

Kiana immediately flew into a rage, clenching her little fists as though she were about to send the meddlesome bearded man flying the next second.

"Haha..." Rook instinctively took a step back and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "Please enjoy yourselves, enjoy yourselves..."

With that, Rook vanished from before them at a speed utterly mismatched with his portly build.

"The people of Sicily really are enthusiastic."

Watching the girl's adorable, deeply flushed expression, Shi Hen sighed.

"Y-Yeah..."

Kiana lowered her head to look at the pasta in front of her. Her portion was twice the size of everyone else's, and it was piled high with seafood. Her expression could not help turning conflicted.

Rook's special treatment certainly suited the girl's wishes, but this was her first dinner with Shi Hen. Would revealing her appetite like this scare him off?

Maybe she should only eat half?

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

Countless thoughts raced through Kiana's mind.

Ignoring the girl's hesitation, Shi Hen began enjoying his dinner.

Like Kiana's, his plate was also particularly generous with seafood, making it look extremely appetizing.

He picked up a lobster with his knife and fork. One bite filled his mouth with rich, savory meat.

Though this little shop looked inconspicuous, the ingredients truly were as fresh as Kiana had said. The combination of flavors was genuinely stunning as well.

Besides, food tasted especially good when it was free.

Sure enough, when it came to eating, Kiana was quite trustworthy—as long as she did not enter the kitchen.

Affected by the youth's wholehearted enjoyment of the food, Kiana gradually put aside her conflict and began eating heartily too.

Other things could wait. The most important thing now was filling her stomach.

"Burp~"

By the time the girl came back to her senses, the oversized plate before her had been completely emptied, while a pile of shellfish shells sat beside it.

"It's so delicious that it makes you want to swallow the plate too."

After carefully chewing and swallowing the final strand of pasta, Shi Hen said with a smile.

"I-I'll go pay!"

Blushing under the youth's gaze, Kiana hurriedly found an excuse to flee, not even wiping the grease from the corner of her mouth.

They had known each other for only a few hours, after all. She still felt embarrassed.

This white-haired girl was rather cute.

The smile on Shi Hen's face deepened.

As he wiped his mouth with a napkin, Shi Hen watched with amusement as Kiana and Rook argued over the bill.

Rook quoted the price for two servings of seafood pasta, but Kiana insisted that her plate had been worth two portions by itself and wanted to pay for three.

In the end, the war concluded with Kiana paying for three portions, while Rook forced her to promise to bring Shi Hen back again.

"Boss Rook is a good man."

Shi Hen handed the returning Kiana a napkin and sighed with a smile.

Birds of a feather flocked together. It was genuinely pleasant to see a kind girl being treated gently by the world.

"He's just a stinky old man!"

Kiana wore a fierce expression.

Clearly, she and Shi Hen were only ordinary friends, yet he insisted on making his own assumptions. Though the boy from distant Shenzhou really was handsome...

As she thought that, Kiana could not help sneaking a glance at the youth, and a blush immediately colored her cheeks.

Shi Hen merely smiled at the girl's complaint. "Come on, let's walk around a little more. We can work off the food."

He, Shi Hen, was not the sort of scumbag who would leave immediately after eating his fill.

But before they had gone very far from the little shop, several casually dressed youths who looked like hooligans blocked their path.

"Hey, little lady..."

Like Something Out of a Fairy Tale

"Hey, little lady, how about coming to have some fun with your big brothers?"

Here it came!

The most classic trope had arrived!

Looking over the youths before him, who looked like nothing more than a bunch of lackeys no matter how he viewed them, Shi Hen secretly grew excited.

If one had to name the most famous thing in Sicily, the Mafia would undoubtedly come first.

Although Sicily's Mafia had largely hidden themselves within all sorts of industries and rarely appeared in public these days, they still undeniably existed and ruled every aspect of Sicily.

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

Even if these lackeys were not necessarily Mafia members, "beat the little ones and the big ones will come" was a standard trope in most stories. He would surely run into the true Sicilian Mafia eventually.

Bang! Bang!

While Shi Hen was still fantasizing, Kiana had already rushed forward and knocked all the youths to the ground with two sharp punches.

Kiana patted her hands with an expression of lingering dissatisfaction, then turned to explain to the youth, "Sigh, Sicily's public safety is just like this. Are you okay?"

Shi Hen fell silent as he looked at the several men piled up in the corner like a human tower, then at the girl's deeply concerned expression.

So, these days, without some real skills, you could not even be a hooligan.

"Miss Kiana's charm truly is powerful."

After holding it in for a long time, Shi Hen could only sigh helplessly.

It had to be said that although fourteen-year-old Kiana had not fully grown into her looks, she was already a true beauty.

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

If she changed into an elegant dress, people might even mistake her for a fairy maiden who had run away from some secluded paradise.

Of course, that was assuming she did not speak.

"Hehe~"

Hearing the youth's words, Kiana immediately started grinning foolishly.

Her ethereal aura vanished without a trace.

"Want some fruit?" Shi Hen asked as his gaze fell upon a street vendor nearby. "My treat."

Though the seafood pasta had been quite filling, that did not stop them from having some fruit after dinner.

The moment she heard the words "my treat," the hesitation and conflict on Kiana's face vanished completely. She immediately said, "I want grapes!"

She had not eaten fruit or sweets for quite a while. After all, a beach lifeguard's salary was not high, and since she was still underage, her pay was even more pitifully low.

Now that someone was willing to treat her, how could she possibly stand on ceremony?

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

Seeing the girl's pitiful appearance, like a kitten waiting to be fed, Shi Hen could not help shaking his head lightly before placing another bunch of grapes in her hands.

With his current wealth, he would not even blink if he bought every piece of fruit at the stall.

Once again, praise World Serpent's generosity.

Kiana immediately smiled so widely that she could hardly close her mouth.

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