It was incredibly strange.
Just for a bit of intel, he had given away a hypercar. No matter how massive his family's wealth might be, it couldn't possibly be extravagant to this degree, could it? Was that tiny scrap of intel, completely insignificant to the grand scheme of things, really worth that much to him?
Bronya couldn't understand it. She just looked out at the scenery in the distance, driving the car toward the outskirts of the city.
Seeing the familiar buildings passing by, an ominous premonition suddenly welled up in Li Wu's heart.
"Don't worry! You're already giving me this car. If I extorted you any more, even my conscience would feel bad, haha... Right, darling?~"
Bronya twirled the car keys around her finger. There wasn't a single trace of awkwardness on her face as she flippantly teased him.
Li Wu didn't offer any response.
"Sigh... what a cold-hearted man. For the sake of this sports car, you won't mind if I call you 'darling' for the day, right?"
"I mind."
"Alright, darling! I got it, darling. Please get out of the car with me, darling~"
"..."
Amidst her cheerful laughter, Bronya hopped out of the car.
Li Wu followed behind her.
The two walked single-file toward a secluded street.
This direction...
There really was no reason to be nervous, but Li Wu couldn't stop himself from clenching his fists. He had never believed in illusory gods, yet right now, his heart was miraculously praying that he wouldn't run into a familiar face.
He didn't even understand where this anxiety was coming from. He couldn't explain it.
"We're here! This is the place."
Bronya stopped walking and cross-referenced the address on her phone screen.
Li Wu looked up. A massive weight lifted from his chest.
She was just looking for a store that sold HOMU merchandise...
"There's actually a store selling HOMUs in a place this remote? Aren't there way more of them in the city center?" Li Wu asked.
Bronya nodded, first validating his statement.
"Of course there are plenty in the city center. But I checked the database! The average price here is the lowest in the city, fully a third cheaper than the city center! Which means with the money for three HOMUs, I can buy four! It's a massive steal, alright?!"
"Darling, seeing how incredibly thrifty I am, wouldn't you consider taking me home? I could just be your mascot! I'm super easy to take care of! Don't boys love playing video games? I'm amazing at video games! If anyone dares to flame you in a game, I can curse them out so badly their own fathers won't recognize them! Daring to touch my family? They're basically lighting a lantern in a toilet—looking for shit!"
"...We'll talk about it later. Just go buy what you want. Buy it quickly, and let's leave. I'll reimburse you for whatever you spend."
Li Wu replied perfunctorily. He stood at the entrance, not following her inside. He knew exactly what Bronya wanted.
"Awesome!"
Bronya stuck her tongue out at him and darted into the store.
The summer sun beat down on Li Wu, a bit blinding. The street was bright, the pedestrians walking past almost seeming to be draped in luminous white clothing.
However.
When a certain pristine, ethereally cold figure appeared, all the light and shadow seemed to instantly quiet down.
The dazzling sunlight bowed in submission. The deep shadows receded. All that remained was a vast, empty chill sweeping across the earth.
In that instant, Li Wu felt the ambient temperature plummet several degrees. In the middle of the scorching summer, a freezing wind blew past, chilling him to the bone.
"...What are you doing here?"
Kiana walked over and asked.
Beneath the brim of her white baseball cap, her blue eyes gleamed like spring snow—bright, yet devoid of warmth.
She was dressed entirely in white. Walking under the sun, she looked as if she were illuminated by a stage spotlight.
The pale skin not covered by her pure white dress rivaled frost and snow. If humans were truly created by God, then God had been undeniably biased, pouring an exorbitant amount of effort into every single aspect of the girl standing before him. She was nothing short of a miracle.
"I... I was just wandering around."
"You're lying."
"..."
Li Wu was stunned. He hadn't expected his lie to be completely pierced through before he even finished his sentence. His eyes darted away subconsciously.
But he quickly realized that doing so only made him look even guiltier. He forcibly adjusted his expression and looked Kiana straight in the eyes.
Reflected in his vision were a pair of blue irises far more magnificent than any gemstone. The flowing light within them seemed capable of holding the entire vast sky.
"First, there is absolutely nothing you need here. The only familiar building and person are Nene Books and me. But Nene Books is further ahead, and you're stopped right here, leaning against the wall."
"Clearly, you are not here to find me."
Seeing Li Wu remain silent, Kiana didn't press the issue. Instead, she observed the surroundings, directly analyzing his motives.
She looked up and saw the massive "HOMU Specialty Store" sign above them.
Kiana looked thoughtful. She narrowed her eyes, a sharp, calculating glint slipping through the cracks.
"You're not wandering around. And you have zero interest in HOMUs—"
"You're waiting for someone. A girl... who likes HOMUs."
Did she toggle on some kind of cheat?!
Hearing Kiana's deduction, Li Wu genuinely felt like she was hacking. How could she possibly guess it all in an instant?!
"Why did you guess it was a girl?"
Kiana answered as naturally as breathing. "If it were a guy, you would have gone inside with him. That's just the kind of person you are. But with a girl, it's different. You're afraid of trouble, and you're even more afraid of running into someone you know on this street."
"..."
Li Wu suddenly felt a cold sweat break out across his back.
Honestly, he hadn't done anything wrong. There was nothing preventing him from just telling her the truth openly and honestly...
No. There is a massive problem!
Although he and Bronya had absolutely no substantial relationship, if she came out and spouted the things she had been saying earlier, it would absolutely disgust Kiana.
After all, the thing Kiana hated most was impure relationships.
Li Wu did not want Kiana to hate him.
"The person I'm waiting for hasn't shown up. I doubt they're coming. I'm going to leave now."
Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is the best.
Li Wu kept his gaze forward, preparing to walk away.
But just as they brushed shoulders, a voice as cold as frost drifted from behind him.
"Li Wu, did you know? When you lie, it's actually incredibly obvious. You can't hide it from me. If you leave right now, I will walk straight into that store. I'm certain the person you're waiting for is inside."
"There's nothing to hide between us. I told you, if you ever need anything, you can come to me anytime."
Seeing Li Wu freeze in place, Kiana expressionlessly added more fuel to the fire.
However, as the automatic doors of the store slid open, Li Wu's dangling heart finally flatlined.
Bronya walked out carrying several massive shopping bags. The smile on her face couldn't be concealed no matter how hard she tried. Her voice was practically singing with joy.
"Alright! Darling, I'm all done!~ Thank you so much, I fucking love you to death! When we get home, should we eat first, shower first... or eat me first?~"
Her neon-blue-tipped gray twin-tails bounced wildly. She hadn't even looked closely at the road ahead of her yet.
It was completely normal for Li Wu not to respond to her.
After all, she was just teasing him.
But suddenly, Bronya's mercenary instincts flared. She instantly sensed a freezing, razor-sharp glare locking onto her. She immediately poked her head out from behind the mountain of giant HOMU plushies.
Li Wu stood with his back to her, not making a sound.
And...
A white-haired girl with the temperament and beauty of frost and snow was scrutinizing her with the absolute authority of a predator looking at its prey.
Tch!
Who the fuck do you think you're looking down on?! You dare glare at the Zaun Silver Wolf?! If we were on the internet right now, I don't care how pretty you are, I'd dox you so fast you wouldn't even have time to blink! Let's see how arrogant you'd be then!
Bronya was extremely displeased with Kiana's glare. She glanced at Li Wu, who looked incredibly cornered, and instantly understood the situation.
The corners of her mouth curled up into a wicked smirk. She coughed lightly, then completely altered her voice, making it as sickeningly sweet and soft as a cupcake. She skipped over to Li Wu's side.
"Darling, what's wrong? You don't look so good. Is it... because you weren't satisfied with my performance?"
Performance?!
Hearing that word, Kiana's eyes instantly darkened. Her gaze was as sharp as a knife, cutting straight toward Li Wu.
"We just met today. I don't care in the slightest whether your 'performance' is good or bad," Li Wu rapidly distanced himself. Both explicitly and implicitly, he was desperately trying to signal to Kiana that he had absolutely nothing to do with this cyberpunk duck.
Oho?
Bronya's interest peaked. This was the very first time she had seen this block of ice—who didn't seem to care about anything in the world—act so panicked. And it was entirely because of the woman standing next to him?
Kiana Kaslana. Bronya had read her file. She was just Li Wu's classmate. But looking at their reactions, there was absolutely no way they were just ordinary classmates!
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Just as Kiana's brow relaxed slightly, Bronya suddenly lowered her head.
Thud. The shopping bags dropped to the ground.
Bronya placed both hands over her flat chest, adopting a heartbroken expression. She didn't deny Li Wu's words; instead, she aggressively steered the conversation into incredibly sensitive territory.
"You're right... we did just meet today... I'm so sorry, darling! You spent so much money on me, yet I failed to satisfy you—"
A dense nest of black lines formed across Kiana's forehead.
But Bronya wasn't finished. She abruptly threw her head up, grabbed Li Wu's sleeve, and swung it back and forth, looking exactly like a spoiled little girl acting cute.
"I-I'll work harder! Bronya is definitely not a bad girl who takes money and doesn't do the work! Then... Brother Li Wu, I mean, Daddy—"
"That's enough."
Kiana lunged forward. With a swift, powerful motion, she ruthlessly slapped Bronya's hand away from Li Wu's sleeve. Her expression was absolute zero.
"Bronya... little kid. Please have some self-respect."
Little... little kid?!
Bronya involuntarily clenched her fists. The smile on her face stiffened entirely.
The thing she hated most in the entire world was people calling her 'little'. Especially when they spoke to her with that insufferably arrogant, condescending tone!
"Hehe! I was wondering who was talking just now! So it was you! Your mouth didn't even move, I thought you were a street performer doing a mime act! But then I thought, that can't be right. What kind of person dresses up like such a slut just to perform a mime act? It's as funny as a streetwalker claiming she's still a virgin! I'm so sorry, my eyes must have deceived me!~"
"So that's how you think, little kid Bronya. Where are your parents?" Kiana asked smoothly.
"Fuck your mother!"
"Li Wu, do you know where her parents are? I'd really like to have a chat with them about proper family education."
"FUCK YOUR MOTHER! Are you deaf, you stupid bitch?! I said fuck your mother!"
The moment her parents were mentioned, Bronya was instantly triggered. She shifted directly into combat mode, not even bothering to pretend anymore.
But Kiana completely ignored Bronya's hysterical screaming. She just continued asking about her parents, acting as if she didn't acknowledge Bronya's existence or humanity in the slightest.
The ultimate form of contempt wasn't slander or mockery. It was absolute, complete disregard.
Li Wu was profoundly aware of this fact.
"Mhm. You won't say. I understand. So that's how it is." Kiana turned around. Facing the red-faced, infuriated Bronya, her eyes and tone were suddenly filled with overwhelming pity.
Kiana took a step forward. Utilizing her significant height advantage, she reached out and effortlessly rested her hand on top of Bronya's head, petting her gently.
"It's okay. Being able to grow up healthy all on your own is pretty good too."
It's over.
Watching from the sidelines, Li Wu subconsciously took a step back.
If Kiana's previous words were just testing the edges of Bronya's minefield, that last sentence was tap-dancing directly on top of the detonator.
Just as expected.
The very instant Kiana's words fell, Bronya violently slapped her hand away. Baring her teeth like a feral beast, Bronya reached for the firearm holstered at her waist.
"YOU FUCKING BITCH! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME YOU FILTHY SLUT!! Say one more fucking word and see if I don't turn you into a honeycomb!"
Bronya drew her gun, raised it high, and aimed it squarely at Kiana's head.
"...A toy gun?"
Kiana tilted her head, her tone completely calm.
"It's a real gun, you fucking retard!"
Bronya racked the slide. The metallic clack echoed clearly through the air.
She thought this would finally make Kiana show a sliver of fear. But completely counter to her expectations, Kiana took a step forward.
No, she took two steps forward.
Her slender finger twirled a lock of her white hair. Her gaze curiously shifted back and forth between the ground and Bronya's forehead. Finally, she offered a suggestion:
"Maybe you should stand on your tiptoes?"
"Motherfucker! You brought this on yourself!"
Bronya's eyes sharpened into daggers. Just as she was about to pull the trigger, a furious roar completely startled her.
"BOTH OF YOU, STOP!"
Li Wu's expression was downright terrifying. Moving at an inconceivable speed, he dashed in front of Bronya and snatched the handgun right out of her grip.
It wasn't until the gun was already in his hand that Bronya even processed what had happened. She hadn't even seen him move!
Li Wu had originally thought they would just trade a few insults and be done with it. He hadn't expected Bronya's temper to be this volatile, and he certainly hadn't expected Kiana to be so fiercely uncompromising, refusing to back down even a single inch.
If he hadn't been strong enough to intervene, the moment Bronya pulled that trigger, the two of them would have genuinely fought to the death.
He knew from the game's lore that Bronya and Kiana didn't get along at first, but it shouldn't have escalated to the point of a death match!
"Hmph! So biased!"
Bronya curled her lip. "Why didn't you step in when I was getting insulted, but the second I'm about to attack, you immediately jump in to protect her?! In your eyes, there's only her! Do you even remember your 'friend' here?!"
Having her weapon confiscated, Bronya turned her head away. The word 'Dissatisfied' was visibly written across her face.
So they really were just friends...
Kiana's expression gradually softened. However, outwardly, there didn't seem to be any change. She remained as coldly aloof as an unmelting iceberg.
Standing against the light, Li Wu shot a stealthy glance at Kiana. Then, he immediately shifted his gaze to the shopping bags on the ground. He stepped forward, picked them up, and tried to hand them back to Bronya.
"Hmph."
Bronya stubbornly kept her head turned away, but her hand reached out quite honestly, trying to grab the bags.
Then, something incredibly awkward happened.
No matter how hard Bronya pulled, she couldn't yank the bags out of Li Wu's hand.
If she pulled any harder, the bags would just rip.