I was the fourth disaster in Yokohama and was loved by everyone.

"Well, that's right."

After his daze subsided, Verlaine narrowed his blue eyes with a pleased smile, thinking that "wife" was a common term, while "brother" was the most special one.

He is satisfied.

The players have successfully ended the discussion.

*

After the group finished breakfast, Zhu Yu prepared to leave for work.

With Mimi, who was still half asleep, the three of them got into the car together.

Verlaine drove to the dessert shop owned by the player first, waited for her to put the cat away, quickly made a batch of desserts, and then took her to the Port Mafia.

Lambo stayed at the dessert shop. He had always enjoyed reading in Zhu Yu's dessert shop while basking in the sun—the sunlight would gently envelop him, allowing him to lazily turn the pages of his book, and the chill in his body would seem to disappear.

Although the trauma has healed, the habit of preferring a warm and comfortable environment has not changed.

Staying here will also allow me to help watch the shop.

Upon arriving at the Port Mafia, Verlaine personally handed Zhu Yu two bento boxes—one for Chuuya—and watched her figure disappear into the elevator before driving away.

He also had to keep busy, as he had to help his sister inspect her snack company.

It felt good to be needed by his sister, and Verlaine was full of motivation, but on the surface he still kept a cold face when he met the person in charge who came to report.

"What is it? Tell me."

The person in charge inwardly groaned at the intimidating aura of their superior, their back ramrod straight, cold sweat pouring down their back: "This is today's..."

*

Zhu Yu was very happy that both of her businesses had free labor to help take care of them, which gave her more time to do more tasks.

Unfortunately, her peaceful days didn't last long before she was assigned a long-term task by a certain ruthless red scarf.

Chapter 161 What a Danger

The woman with the black-hearted red scarf abandoned a child for her to raise.

The little NPC has black and white hair, his head is down, and his soft bangs fall down to cover his eyes. He tightly hugs a crooked and ugly rag doll in his left hand. The stitches are rough, the threads are messy and hanging down, and the eyes are empty and miserable. It looks more like a horror doll used to scare people.

His shoulders shrugged unnaturally, as if trying to hide himself in the shadows, as Dazai led him by the wrist to Zhu Yu.

Hey, a new little NPC! And it looks pretty unique.

Zhu Yu curiously ruffled the little NPC's hair; the hair color was just too cool.

Dazai put his hand on the little NPC's shoulder, pushed him in front of her, and smiled, indicating that she would take over the child from now on.

After saying that, he left the dark room with cheerful steps.

Zhu Yu glanced at the long-term quests that had popped up in the list, then looked down at the seemingly well-behaved little NPC and thought to herself: So players can actually raise pets?

Sigh, the burden of supporting their families on players' shoulders has become even heavier.

After observing the NPC for a while, I initiated a conversation and learned his name—Yumeno Kyusaku.

He tilted his little face up, staring intently at her, and asked if she could play with him.

The child's eyes were vacant, as if something terrible would happen the next second if she didn't agree.

Here comes the first step in raising your beloved pet: playing with it.

Zhu Yu poked the little NPC's soft cheek, which felt just as nice to the touch, and readily agreed, taking out a [cat toy] from her backpack.

Every time I use this item to interact with Mimi, Mimi is in a very good mood. By the same token, the little NPC she raises should also get happiness from it!

Upon seeing the cat toy, the little NPC froze, his expression blank.

Haha, you must like it so much that you can't even speak.

Zhu Yu proudly waved the cat toy around the little NPC's head—

Yumeno Kyusaku swore he wouldn't be fooled by a mere cat toy like a cat, but his eyes were glued to the feather at the end of the toy, and his hand reacted faster than his brain, grabbing the fluttering feather.

He froze, looking down at the spoils in his hand, his ears turning red at a visible speed.

!!!

What's wrong with him!

But before he could think further, Zhu Yu had already pulled out the cat toy and placed it in another position, and his body moved involuntarily, lunging towards the feathers swaying at the end of its tail.

Yumeno Kyusaku: Damn it, my body won't obey me!

Seeing that Mengye Jiuzuo was in high spirits, Zhu Yu increased his intensity by using vines to carry a cat toy to various tricky spots in the room, successfully making the little NPC jump around.

Not long after, the [Fatigue] debuff appeared above his head.

Zhu Yu put away the cat toy, picked up the panting child, and proceeded to the second step of pet care—relaxing her beloved pet.

A qualified pet owner should groom their pet by smoothing its fur.

She found a sofa and sat down, pressing the tired child onto her lap. The child's breathing was still a little rapid, and the stray hairs on his forehead were damp with sweat, clinging softly to his skin.

"Okay, sweetie... cough, good boy."

I'm so used to interacting with Mimi that I almost misspoke.

Zhu Yu tried to remain calm, but her hands kept moving.

She gently stroked Yumeno Kyusaku's back with her fingers. The dark room was quiet, and the only sounds were their breathing and the rustling of their clothes.

Yumeno Kyusaku's initial anger and embarrassment vanished completely the moment that arm encircled him, like a deflated balloon.

The soft fabric clung to my cheeks, causing a slight itch, and I felt a steady warmth emanating from my body.

He caught a faint fragrance, seemingly the scent of some kind of flower—this scent inexplicably reminded him of the smell of a woman whose face he could no longer recall, a scent he had long forgotten.

Who is it?

Their heartbeats gradually synchronized with each other's, creating a steady rhythm in their chests.

Consciousness was melted by the warm body temperature and disturbed by the gentle caress. Thinking became too strenuous, and even the frequency of blinking began to slow down. Eyelashes were like leaves covered with morning dew, heavy and peaceful.

The clenched fist unconsciously loosened, and the fingernails retreated from the palm, leaving several crescent-shaped white marks.

In the end, Yumeno Kyusaku simply snuggled into her arms like a sleepy kitten, pressing his cheek against her stomach, feeling the reassuring pulse beat.

I drifted off to sleep.

*

Raising the little NPCs didn't seem to be a difficult task, and Zhu Yu was quite pleased with himself.

As long as I play with him every day, he will fall asleep quietly when he gets tired, which is very worry-free.

Sometimes, due to the needs of a mission, you can't visit him every day, and at this time, the little NPC will show a side of being anxious and insecure.

"Why can't my sister play with me forever?"

"Did you not come to see me yesterday because you wanted to abandon me? Hey, but I love my sister very, very much, and I absolutely cannot allow anyone to abandon me!"

"No, no, no, no..."

Zhu Yu: Wait, wait a minute. Although what I said might have gone a bit too far, perhaps this is just the deep affection the little NPC has for the player...

Zhu Yu suddenly realized what was happening and gladly accepted it.

She lifted Yumeno Kyusaku up and rubbed her cheek against his soft face, the sensation like pressing a cloud against her skin.

So soft! (thumbs up)

then--

The talkative little NPC will widen his eyes and be unable to say a word.

The world was able to quiet down.

*

Zhu Yu noticed that Yumeno Kyusaku's level was within the range of those who possessed special abilities, so she was curious about what kind of special ability he had and asked him if he could show it to her.

His expression immediately turned strange, and he grinned widely, asking her if she was serious.

After she nodded, he tilted his head, gave a strange smile, and then suddenly rushed forward and bumped into her. He then tore apart the doll he had been holding and activated his superpower—[Brain Hell].

In an instant, she was afflicted with the [Chaos] debuff. Everything went black, as if she were locked in a dark room. All around her was pitch black, and she lost all sound and sight. Only a line of small text popped up on the panel: [Brain Hell] in effect.

Bored, she picked at her fingers, waiting for the black screen to end. Fortunately, the game still prioritized the player experience; the feeling of being locked in the dark room only lasted for a mere ten seconds. When she opened her eyes again—

Eh?

Why are there ruins everywhere?

The Port Mafia is gone?

Zhu Yu was sweating profusely.

She was told that because of Yumeno Kyusaku's rampage of his supernatural abilities, she successfully razed five buildings of the Port Mafia to the ground, but Dazai Osamu stopped her in time just as she was about to wreak havoc around the Port Mafia.

Faced with Mori Ōgai's exorbitant compensation claim...

Zhu Yu acted decisively—[Read the save file].

As long as she runs fast enough, the bills can't catch her.

Before Yumeno Kyusaku activated his ability, she quickly cast a spell over him—

Yumeno Kyusaku stopped his charge, closing his eyes and displaying a smug expression.

That was close, that was close.

Zhu Yu wiped away non-existent sweat, as if finally wiping away an exorbitant bill that was impossible to catch up with.

Chapter 162 At the Banquet

A birthday party was held, inviting prominent members of the Japanese elite to celebrate the 14th birthday of the Nakamori family's adopted daughter.

The ladies' earrings swayed gently with their laughter, sparkling dazzlingly, while the gentlemen raised their glasses and swirled them, the clinking of the glasses producing a clear, resonant sound.

The waiters moved about like swimming fish, well-trained and efficient.

The banquet is halfway through.

Mrs. Nakamori placed her silk-gloved hand on the girl's shoulder and announced to the guests in a gentle yet undeniable manner that this was the protagonist of the birthday party, her adopted daughter—[Umekawa Kuko].

Applause erupted like a tidal wave, and everyone present tacitly realized that since this suddenly appearing adopted daughter was brought before them for a formal introduction, she must be treated as an heir.

The Nakamori family, which had been without a successor, seems to have finally found one. The only question is whether this successor is qualified...

For a moment, everyone present had their own thoughts. Those with quick minds had already put on a gentle and friendly demeanor, exchanging pleasantries with Mrs. Nakamori and occasionally glancing at the girl next to them.

Suddenly, I saw a pair of eyes—

Her dark pupils, like two polished glass beads, were hollowly embedded in his fair face. Her gaze lingered not on his face, but on the top of his head, as if something more interesting was deeply attracting her attention.

She was looking at him, yet it seemed as if she wasn't "looking" at all.

A chill ran down my spine.

The newcomer's smile froze on his lips, his fingertips unconsciously tightening their grip on the wine glass, but the icy touch couldn't suppress the chilling shiver that ran down his spine.

"What do you think of what I just said, Miss Meichuan?" He barely managed to maintain his social manners, but his voice was slightly tense.

There was no answer.

She simply continued to stare at him with those dark, deep eyes, a slow, forced smile spreading across her lips—like a puppet on strings, clumsily mimicking a smile.

What is she laughing at?

His throat was dry, his heart was pounding in his ears, and some instinct was screaming:

--escape.

"Excuse me, I suddenly remembered I have something urgent to attend to." He took a step back abruptly, his voice more urgent than expected. "Excuse me."

As he turned around, he could almost feel that gaze still lingering on the back of his neck, like a lingering, icy, and chilling wound.