Yes, I did all of this!

"—In that case, let me smile at Duanmu Mo."

"Then it's up to you." Nodding, Duanmu Mo said "Oh," and accepted the assignment.

—And so, in this quiet office, the girl began to cook, and the atmosphere became peaceful.

Before long, a fragrance spread, and even Duanmu Mo put down his book to smell the aroma.

He looked at Yu Zhi cooking in front of the sofa. Despite the simple environment, she organized everything in an orderly manner, carrying out each step methodically.

Scoop out the noodles, prepare the broth, add the toppings—and soon, two bowls of ramen are on the table.

"Alright, please enjoy your meal."

The two sat side by side. Yu Zhi put her hands together and said, "I'm starting to eat." Then she saw Duanmu Mo pick up his ramen and start eating.

"Well, it's delicious."

Just as she was about to say something, she heard Duanmu Mo nod in satisfaction, and Yu Zhi blushed and smiled:

"Really... Mr. Duanmu Mo, what other foods do you like? I can make them for you later, okay?"

"I'm not that picky about taste, just make it however you like." Duanmu Mo slurped up the noodles, his tone casual.

"To achieve this flavor in this environment, your skills must be quite good normally."

Hehehe...

After exchanging a few words, Yuzhi stopped talking and quietly began to savor her food, a habit instilled in her by her family.

Whether you like it or not, this kind of education eventually becomes part of the language weaving.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Duanmu Mo leaned back on the sofa, brewing tea and looking at the news on his phone, while Yu Zhi took the initiative to wash the pots and pans in the bathroom.

The bathroom door was open, and with a casual glance, one could see Yuzhi's back as she washed herself at the sink. Her youthful figure performed these tasks skillfully, clearly indicating that these things had long been a part of her life.

For a fleeting moment, Duanmu Mo thought this wasn't so bad. He didn't need to think about magical girls; just living as Yuzhi was enough. A child like this didn't need to play these fighting and killing games.

Smelling the fragrance of tea, Duanmu Mo was lost in thought and looked up at the ceiling.

"What are you thinking about?" After a while, Yu Zhi came out of the bathroom and sat down next to Duanmu Mo, staring at the phone on the table.

"It's nothing, just a small matter."

Duanmu Mo ignored the question, poured the brewed tea into their cups, and looked at the news on his phone with Yuzhi.

Today's news wasn't anything too bad; aside from the usual weirdo attacks, it was mostly boring weather forecasts and city development plans.

Neither of them spoke, quietly savoring the aroma of the tea and enjoying this peaceful moment.

Even the sound of news broadcasts became a seasoning, the only sound emanating from the office.

The host's words masked their breathing and heartbeats, becoming a thin veil between them.

Suddenly, Duanmu Mo felt Yu Zhi lean towards him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Turning his head slightly, Duanmu Mo saw her naturally closed eyes and the weariness on her face.

The morning and evening training left her exhausted, and this fatigue returned when she relaxed. The host's dull voice also became a major factor in hypnotizing her.

Overwhelmed by a multitude of sensations, Yuzhi finally succumbed and fell into a deep sleep.

"..."

Silently turning off his phone, Duanmu Mo quietly picked her up in his arms, carrying her in a princess carry, and looked around before his gaze settled on his bed.

With a helpless sigh, he placed the sleeping Yuzhi on the head of his bed and covered her with a blanket.

Holding the bed curtain, Duanmu Mo looked at Yu Zhi's sleeping face and pondered for a long time.

Time passed slowly, and Duanmu Mo's eyes finally became complicated. He sighed and said softly, "Cherish the present, Cangming Yuzhi, or rather—Magical Girl Huangyi."

He drew the bed curtains, turned off the lights in the office, lay down on his sofa, hugged his head, closed his eyes, and waited for the next day to arrive.

Chapter 44: The Amusement Park (5500)

"call......"

Yuzhi slept exceptionally well that night.

I didn't dream anything, but I could feel my body melting, pressed against the bed, all the fatigue leaving my body.

It felt like entering a cocoon that belonged to me, a safe and incredibly comfortable environment.

So when Yuzhi woke up, it was already noon.

The sun was shining brightly, but Yu Zhi's face still showed confusion.

"Hmm..."

She subconsciously looked around, her confused mind gradually clearing, and she finally understood her current situation.

"I...spent the night at Mr. Duanmu's house?"

Her brain reacted, and Yuzhi's face turned bright red.

This was the first time I had ever spent the night at someone else's house, especially at the home of an adult male.

Subconsciously, Yu Zhi looked around in a panic.

But apart from himself, there were only a few mystery novels on the big bed, and no one else was there.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, then carefully lifted the bed curtains and looked into the office, but did not find Duanmu Mo there.

"...Hmm?"

Confused, Yuzhi got out of bed and found some food on the table in front of the sofa, with a piece of paper under a glass of milk.

She pulled out the paper and looked at its contents. A line of text was written on it:

—I have to go out for a bit. Once you wake up, eat these things quickly, otherwise they won't taste good when they get cold.

"Mr. Duanmu's..."

Looking at Duanmu Mo's handwriting, Yu Zhi felt a warmth in her heart. After washing up, Yu Zhi sat on the sofa and slowly ate her meal.

It's holiday time now, she has plenty of time to rest—if no weirdo shows up.

. . . . . .

On this leisurely day, Xia Yan stood in front of an arcade playing on her phone, seemingly waiting for something.

At this moment, Xia Yan had her hair tied in a simple ponytail, wearing a gray sweatshirt and denim shorts that revealed her fair and slender legs. Her youthful yet mature demeanor attracted the attention of customers entering and leaving the arcade. However, her exquisite and beautiful face also showed some impatience, as she frowned and looked around from time to time.

The customers who come to this arcade are usually students from the neighborhood, and it's hard not to be drawn to this outstanding and charismatic girl.

At this moment, several students excitedly walked towards her.

"Um, hello there, Senior Xia Yan." The girl in the lead greeted her with shining eyes, looking slightly nervous.

"Ok?"

Xia Yan took off her headphones and looked at the student who was younger than her.

"My name is Natsume Keiko, I'm a first-year student, and I'm your junior." Natsume Keiko took out her phone, which was covered in stickers, and said excitedly, "How about we take a picture together? I've wanted to meet you for a long time!"

"Sigh..." Xia Yan sighed, her face showing impatience: "Take pictures if you want, just leave when you're done."

"Then I won't be polite~" Huizi immediately moved over and snapped several photos, muttering, "Senior Xia Yan, how about you do a pose? It's not nice to always have a serious face."

"Are you done taking pictures? You can leave now."

Xia Yan has already issued an expulsion order, but Hui Zi and her companions are still unwilling to give up:

"Senior Xia Yan, it's rare to see you. How about we hang out for a while?"

"After you're done playing, you can go to the nearby bubble tea shop; they have some new drinks!"

"We can go to karaoke tonight, it's fine."

Faced with their voices, Xia Yan's brows furrowed even deeper.

If they had ill intentions, she could leave immediately without any psychological burden. But she could sense that these people meant no harm and were simply extending an invitation.

And it was precisely for this reason that Xia Yan found her difficult to deal with.

Just then, the sound of an engine came from nearby and eventually stopped, temporarily attracting their attention.

The ferocious black-clad rider stopped on the side of the road. Duanmu Mo took off his motorcycle gloves, and the hem of his trench coat fell naturally as the motorcycle stopped.

Taking off his goggles, Duanmu Mo looked at the female students with a smile: "Sorry, she has an appointment."

He got off the motorcycle, looked at the students full of youthful energy, and shrugged: "Could you move aside? I have something to talk to her about."

During the conversation between Duanmu Mo and Xia Yan.

"I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly." Seeing Xia Yan breathe a sigh of relief, Duanmu Mo casually approached her and said.

"Enough with the nonsense, what do you want from me?" Xia Yan stared straight at Duanmu Mo: "Didn't I already say that people around me would be unfortunately affected?"

"Don't be so nervous."

Patting Xia Yan on the shoulder, Duanmu Mo walked into the arcade and said, "Now that the poisonous vines have arrived, the situation is getting worse and worse. There's not much time to relax. Why don't you take a good rest now?"

"I'm not in the mood to relax right now!" Xia Yan retorted, frowning.

“Relaxing is not a waste of time, come with me,” Duanmu Mo said.

Inside the arcade, many students were playing a variety of dazzling games. Duanmu Mo noticed that all the game machines here required coins to play.

"Give me ten, please."

He paid in cash at the front desk, and ten game tokens were handed to Duanmu Mo in a small basket.

Duanmu Mo played with the game tokens and led Xia Yan into the arcade.

"I recently got some information, though I don't know if it's true—it's said that dozens of weirdos in Kamishiro City left briefly, and I guess they all went to see Poison Vine." Duanmu Mo said casually, looking at the dazzling array of game facilities.

His words only rang out between the two of them. In the noisy arcade, even Xia Yan had to concentrate to hear him clearly.

"...What exactly do you know?"

Duanmu Mo seemed to know everything, which once again aroused Xia Yan's scrutiny, but this time there was no hostility, only a simple suspicion about the source of his information.

Ding--

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Mo flicked up the game token, casually caught it between two fingers, and smiled at Xia Yan:

"How about we play a game? If you want to know, beat me. I'll tell you as much information as you beat me before these ten game coins run out."