"Master Qiaopu, a big bowl of ramen, please!"
A little girl with blue skin rushed into the ramen shop, her voice bright and full of energy as she called out to the owner.
"Coming right up! Oh it's you, Soukaku. Have a seat—it won't be long!"
"Mhm! Mhm!"
Soukaku obediently sat down beside Ye Qingfeng, her two little legs swinging back and forth in the air.
[Ding! New romanceable target: Soukaku]
[Initial Favorability:0%]
Ye Qingfeng's eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise. It had been a while since a new romanceable target popped up. He began quietly studying the person next to him.
Blue skin—never seen that before—with two curved horns on her forehead. Probably another kind of Thiren.
She was wearing a uniform with a leather jacket tossed over it and a pair of sneakers. At first glance, she looked like a petite, cute student.
Her eyes were fixed intently on Master Qiaopu working behind the counter—clearly a little foodie. From what he could tell so far, she seemed cheerful and lively, the energetic "little sister" type. Pretty adorable.
Oh, right—she also had a slender tail, mostly the same color as her skin, with a jet-black tip.
Gotta say, that's a nice touch.
"Here's your ramen, sir."
A steaming bowl was set in front of Ye Qingfeng, pulling his attention back.
"I'm getting even hungrier now…"
Soukaku was immediately drawn to the bowl. She stared longingly at Ye Qingfeng's ramen, a tiny bit of drool escaping the corner of her mouth. She swallowed, wiped her lips, then looked pitifully toward Master Qiaopu.
"Is mine almost ready? I think I'm gonna starve…"
"Almost, almost. Just a moment longer, Soukaku."
"Okay…"
Soukaku slumped forward, resting her cheek against the table and staring blankly ahead, not moving a muscle.
"Um… if you don't mind, want some cookies?"
Ye Qingfeng pulled two packs of cookies from his pocket and placed them in front of her.
He always kept some food and water in his spatial backpack for emergencies. Seeing the previously lively Soukaku suddenly so deflated, he couldn't help but offer.
"Wow! Really? Thank you!"
Soukaku bolted upright. Just as she grabbed the cookies, she seemed to remember something. She blinked her big eyes at Ye Qingfeng and asked hesitantly, "Are these really for me?"
"Really for you. Go ahead."
Seeing her perk up again, Ye Qingfeng smiled without thinking, his tone softening like he was talking to a kid.
"Thanks so much! In that case, I won't hold back!"
Soukaku tore open one pack without hesitation and stuffed all the cookies into her mouth at once. Instantly, her face lit up with pure bliss.
"Mmm… so good!"
[Ding! Soukaku's favorability increased by 5%. Current favorability: 5%]
Her legs under the table started swinging even faster. "Hmm,hmm, hmm~"
Ye Qingfeng took small bites of his ramen while quietly watching the little cutie beside him.
Are cookies really that good? he wondered. I remember them being kinda sweet… and a little dry.
But she looked utterly satisfied. For some reason, it gave him a puppy-like impression.
Before she even finished the first pack, Soukaku ripped open the second and tossed the cookies into her mouth. And just as Ye Qingfeng expected—
She choked.
He was about to hand her a bottle of water when her ramen arrived.
She immediately grabbed the bowl and took a big gulp of broth, her eyes sparkling. Then she snatched her chopsticks and shoveled a huge mouthful of noodles in.
"So—so delicious!"
Watching her, Ye Qingfeng couldn't help thinking how adorable she was.
Not like those two back home. Sister Nicole always ate happily but never said a word of praise. And Anby—even though she devoured her food every time—only ever gave a flat, emotionless "tastes good."
It really didn't compare.
If this little one tried his cooking, her reactions alone would make his whole day.
"Soukaku, why did you run off by yourself again?"
A woman hurried into the ramen shop, her worried expression relaxing only when she spotted Soukaku. Her tone quickly turned stern.
"Didn't I say I'd take you to eat later?"
She'd brought Soukaku to the Public Security Bureau to handle some business, but in a moment of distraction, the girl had slipped away. Luckily, she wasn't hard to find—probably just hunting for food.
While she wasn't worried about her safety, with Soukaku's personality, she could easily be led off by someone using food as bait. Thank goodness she was found quickly.
"Sister Yanagi, you're here!"
Soukaku put down her bowl and grinned at the newcomer.
"Want some ramen?"
[Ding! New romanceable target: Tsukishiro Yanagi]
[Initial Favorability:0%]
Ye Qingfeng looked at the new target with surprise. Putting everything else aside, she was clearly a completely different type from Soukaku.
Long pink hair, eyes in a similar shade, tall with a curvy figure and a perfect waist-to-hip ratio, and a pair of glasses that suited her perfectly.
To Ye Qingfeng, she gave off strict-teacher vibes—so the glasses felt especially fitting.
She stood around 170 centimeters tall, wearing a white shirt with a black tie, a short skirt, and high heels.
She was also the only person he'd met so far whose figure could rival Zhu Yuan's.
"Soukaku, you…" Yanagi sighed helplessly. "Never mind…"
She slowly turned her head and fixed Ye Qingfeng with a scrutinizing look.
"So… may I ask what brings you here, sir?"
When she first walked in, she hadn't paid him much mind, figuring he was just another customer. But now, noticing his gaze drifting over more than once, she couldn't help being cautious—even if she didn't immediately peg him as shady.
Still, she wondered if he might be some sort of fan of the Hollow Special Operations. Under her sharp gaze, Ye Qingfeng felt unsure how to respond.
"Sister Yanagi, he gave me two packs of cookies earlier!"
Soukaku chimed in cheerfully, completely oblivious to the tension.
"Is that so…"
Yanagi withdrew her interrogative stare and gently rested a hand on Soukaku's head, ruffling her hair.
"Did you thank him?"
"I did!"
"Then thank you, sir, for giving Soukaku something to eat earlier."
Yanagi looked back at Ye Qingfeng and pulled a pen from her pocket.
"Would you like an autograph?"
"No, no, it was nothing—just a little snack."
Ye Qingfeng hurriedly waved his hands, then froze as her last words sank in.
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A/n: New content and stories posted on my patreon go check it out!
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