The days that followed were leisurely and comfortable, exactly the laid-back life Lu Yingheng had always dreamed of.
His daily routine was as simple as could be, monotonous yet soothing.
In the morning, he took his time tidying the video store shelves and tending to little chores. When he had time to spare, he curled up in a recliner, basking in the sun and spacing out. His three meals were simple but filling, and he slept soundly at night.
The only time he went out was when the energetic Belle dragged him off to shop.
To keep his exceptionally eye-catching looks from drawing a crowd and causing a commotion, Lu Yingheng had to wear an ordinary, solid-colored head covering whenever he went out.
Walking down the bustling streets of New Eridu, he looked so strange that passersby always turned to stare at him as though he were a lunatic.
Aside from that one drawback, his carefree, laid-back life was utterly perfect.
Whenever Lu Yingheng had a moment to himself, he couldn't help thinking that this was what a truly comfortable life looked like.
If the system hadn't occasionally spoken up to remind him, he would have almost completely forgotten that Nekomata's exclusive story event was about to begin, officially bringing them into the main storyline.
Lu Yingheng gave it a moment's idle thought.
Work...
So tiring...
Slacking off...
So comfortable...
Acting behind the scenes would take too much effort, while helping openly would only stir up trouble. The best thing to do was ignore everything happening outside and focus on living a laid-back life.
Lu Yingheng: ( ﹡ˆoˆ﹡ )
And so, while undercurrents surged in the outside world and the story gradually unfolded, Lu Yingheng continued his same lazy routine in the video store.
The days passed one by one. His body was forever fixed at its peak, with a metabolism and physical abilities far beyond those of an ordinary person.
Even though he spent every day sitting or lying around, eating and sleeping without getting a bit of exercise, his figure remained tall, lean, and perfectly proportioned. He had no need to worry about putting on weight.
An ordinary person living so lazily would probably have grown plump long ago.
During the time the story was getting underway, Nicole of the Cunning Hares had also made a special trip to the video store.
At the time, Nicole had been full of enthusiasm. Gripping Lu Yingheng's wrist tightly, she recounted his many glorious deeds of the past.
Again and again, she spoke of the Dragon Emperor's once-mighty reputation, her tone earnest and her heart full of hope. All she wanted was to awaken his dormant memories and bring the once-invincible Dragon Emperor back as soon as possible.
But to Lu Yingheng, it was all so cringeworthy that his toes curled.
Lu Yingheng badly wanted to travel back in time and slap his past self:
You little punk, why did you have to say so much cringeworthy stuff?
Nicole held nothing back, repeating those painfully edgy quotes and declarations from his youth in front of everyone. Every line embarrassed him so badly that he wanted to flee on the spot, dying of shame right where he stood.
Fortunately, the quick-witted Belle stepped forward in time. Using a commission that needed to be completed as soon as possible as an excuse, she half dragged, half coaxed Nicole out of the video store. She rescued Lu Yingheng from utter humiliation and spared him the ordeal.
The peaceful days returned, and another leisurely half-day passed in a flash.
The afternoon sun was soft and warm. Lu Yingheng stood relaxed in front of the shelves, sorting video tapes at his leisure, an air of quiet around him.
Just then, a petite black shadow came hurtling toward him at tremendous speed, trailing a light rush of wind.
The instincts honed by years spent at his peak were already etched into his bones. Before he could think, his body had reacted.
Lu Yingheng instinctively raised a hand and gathered his strength, preparing to strike with his palm and firmly block whatever had suddenly rushed at him.
Luckily, he realized what was happening and held back in time.
If he had reacted a moment later, his MAX-level physical strength might have sent the little figure flying straight over New Eridu, never to be seen again.
Five minutes later.
In front of the checkout counter, Belle crouched on the floor, gently comforting the dejected little catgirl in her arms. Only after she softly promised to buy her a whole big plate of dried fish did the little one's hurt feelings finally subside.
Belle looked up at the innocent-looking Lu Yingheng in front of her and grumbled softly:
"Brother Heng, could you be a little gentler next time? That was way too hard!"
Lu Yingheng, standing there after using only one percent of his strength the entire time: ???
He really didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He hadn't even used any strength, okay?
If he'd used his full strength, she'd already have turned into a bloody mist, okay?
He looked up to see the little catgirl, her black hair soft, blinking her cat eyes as she gazed at him pitifully.
She was Nekomiya Mana, the youngest member of the Cunning Hares, and a cat Thiren.
There was a timid wariness in her eyes, but her little body leaned forward slightly. She wanted to pounce on him again and get close, yet was afraid of Lu Yingheng after what had just happened. Caught in a dilemma, she looked soft and adorable.
Lu Yingheng sighed helplessly and cursed the system a few times in his heart.
His newly unlocked Animal Affinity passive had taken effect, and it was fully effective against animal Thirens too.
He opened his arms slightly and spoke in a gentle, indulgent tone. "Come on, don't be scared."
Nekomata's eyes lit up. She immediately leaped into his warm embrace, her soft cat ears trembling slightly.
"Wow! Big brother, you smell like yummy dried fish! Nekomata loves it! Do you like eating dried fish too, big brother?"
Lu Yingheng held her around the waist with one arm and gently stroked her cat ears with his fingertips. They felt soft and fluffy. "Maybe."
The gentle touch of his fingertips on her sensitive cat ears sent a faint, tingling current through Nekomata's entire body.
The new, pleasant sensation made her tremble slightly all over. She narrowed her clear cat eyes, her whole body going limp with contentment, and didn't want to leave at all.
She nuzzled Lu Yingheng's neck and spoke in a soft, sweet voice:
"Hello, big brother! My name's Nekomiya Mana! Can we be friends?"
"Of course." Lu Yingheng's expression softened as he replied quietly, "My name is Lu Yingheng. It's nice to meet you."
Belle, who had been completely ignored, was suddenly overcome with jealousy. She got to her feet in a huff, looked at the two clinging to each other, and shouted in discontent:
"Nekomata! You're really ditching your friend for a pretty face! You were just playing with me, and now Brother Heng is the only one you have eyes for!"
Lu Yingheng silently grumbled to himself, Belle, you're clearly the one who ditches her friends for a pretty face.
By now, Nekomata was completely won over and paid no attention to the sulking Belle. All she cared about was savoring Lu Yingheng's unique scent and the way he stroked her ears, rubbing her head against his neck.
"But Brother Lu smells super nice, and it feels super nice when he strokes my ears!"
Nekomata turned to Belle, innocent and sincere, and invited her, "Belle, you can try it too!"
Belle's gaze fell on Lu Yingheng's long, fair hands, their joints clearly defined, and the tips of her ears instantly turned faintly pink.
"I'm not a cat Thiren, and I don't have cat ears. What would I even try?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she couldn't help muttering another protest, her voice full of jealousy:
"Besides, Brother Heng is a dragon Thiren. How could he possibly smell like dried fish?
I spent every day with him the past few days, and I never smelled it!"
But Nekomata paid no attention to her protests. The scent unique to Animal Affinity catered perfectly to all her preferences, and she couldn't get enough of it.
She tilted her head up slightly, her sparkling cat eyes fixed on Lu Yingheng's neck. Unable to resist, she leaned closer and was about to lower her head to lick him.
"No! Nekomata, stop right there!"
Belle panicked instantly. Like someone guarding her food, she hurried forward to stop her, her little face flushed red with anxiety.
Lu Yingheng also raised a hand at once and gently pressed down on the little one's fluffy head, stopping her helplessly. "No licking."
Stopped in her tracks, Nekomata's little face fell. She sighed softly and settled for the next best thing, obediently rubbing her little head back and forth against his neck.
"Th-then I'll just nuzzle you..."
"Don't go rubbing against him! And don't say weird things! There's no way this will get past the censors!"
Belle stamped her feet in agitation, practically bristling all over. An ordinary day at the video store had been turned lively and chaotic by the clingy little catgirl.