Chapter 4: Kiana: "Meow Meow."

Seeing Kiana staring at him intently, and Senti pretending not to care, Fu Xuan proudly waved the duck leg in his hand, then took a bite, emitting chewing sounds.

Kiana's eyes sparkled, occasionally wiping the drool from the corners of her mouth. Though she was full, she couldn't understand why the class monitor's duck leg looked so tempting.

"Class monitor, just let me have a bite, just one bite."

"Do you really want it?" Fu Xuan smirked at Kiana, waving the duck leg in his hand. Wherever he shook it, Kiana's eyes followed. "Mm-hmm!" Kiana nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with anticipation towards Fu Xuan.

"How about you meow like a cat~" Fu Xuan turned his head aside, blushing as he said those words. However, he underestimated who Kiana Kaslana was.

For the sake of a tantalizing food, it was but a small request!

"Meow~ Meow~ Meow~" Hearing Fu Xuan's request, Kiana, curled brought her hands up curling them, to mimic a cat's paw as she meowed.

'What da...' Hearing Kiana's adorable meowing, stunned Fu Xuan for a moment, his heart skipping a beat, but he quickly regained composure, handing the duck leg to Kiana's face, gesturing for her to take a bite.

"..." Watching nearly half of the meat disappear in an instant, then looking at Kiana chewing away, Fu Xuan realized he had underestimated her love for food.

"Xuan, what about me, I want some too!" Senti couldn't stand it anymore, pounced on Fu Xuan, attempting to snatch the duck leg from his hand.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack from Senti, Fu Xuan felt like his chest had taken a huge blow, especially since Senti's flat chest was as hard as anti-atomic bomb material.

"Okay, okay, here you go." To prevent a second injury, Fu Xuan quickly handed the duck leg to Senti.

Collecting the chicken leg from Xuan's hand, Senti nodded. "This will do." Senti muttered before gnawing on the chicken leg in her hand ignoring Xuan who rubbed his chest, almost vomiting out blood.

—Later.

In the neon lights of Nagazora City at night, the bustling traffic and crowds seemed lively and prosperous, but beneath the surface, hidden from view, lurked the products of Honkai running rampant.

Fu Xuan and Kiana walked the streets, observing the bustling crowds. Xuan couldn't help but lament the city's fate and what was to come in a few days' time.

Putting aside his concerns with a sigh, Xuan turned to Kiana, who walked alongside him. "Kiana, we have school tomorrow. Have you finished your homework?"

"Oh! I forgot we have class tomorrow. Ahh… I haven't even written a single word yet. If the teacher finds out tomorrow, she'll nag me," Kiana exclaimed, trembling as she clutched her head.

Naturally, she wasn't afraid of what some ordinary human would do.

However, that stern-faced teacher would nag her endlessly for hours, lecturing her about her future and the importance of taking it seriously.

With a hurried farewell, she darted off.

"...As careless as ever, that tuna." Watching Kiana run off, Fu Xuan burst into laughter, only to realize he hadn't even done his own assignment.

His smile faded, his lips curling down as he let out an angry howl. "Why couldn't you have waited for the original to finish his homework before sending me over!"

Passersby cast strange looks, and some mothers with children pointed at Fu Xuan, saying, "Stay away from people like him in the future, got it?"

¹"Yes, Mom." Seeing the crowd's reactions, Fu Xuan flicked his elegant long hair and then glared at them. "What, never seen a handsome guy before?"

The bystanders swiftly averted their eyes, some blushing and exchanging whispers.

²"—You know, I've realized I'm not into girls; I'm into good-looking folks. That gaze just melted my heart. I'm smitten."

"—Same here, man. His looks are out of this world. If it weren't for the lack of curves, I'd mistake him for a girl. Heck, he's even prettier than some female celebs."

Their candid remarks earned them odd glances from those nearby, prompting them to distance themselves quickly.

While Fu Xuan was undoubtedly attractive, was it really appropriate to express such thoughts so openly?

Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Fu Xuan hugged himself, looking startled at the pair, and swiftly darted away from the scene like a startled cat.

—Back at Xuan's home of residence.

Back home, Fu Xuan entered the apartment, his gaze falling on Senti, who had already fallen asleep on the sofa. 'So, she can fall asleep? Strange, I don't recall...'

His voice trailed off, before shaking his head.

Gently lifting Senti from the couch, still in her slumber, Xuan carefully carried her to his bedroom, settling her onto the bed and adjusting her position before covering her with a blanket.

With a soft touch, he left the room, ensuring not to disturb her rest.

As Xuan departed the bedroom, Senti's eyes fluttered open briefly, fixating on the doorway before closing once more, a faint smile gracing her lips.

In that moment, the lingering reluctance within Senti's heart quietly dissipated. She felt she could now trust Xuan on a more fundamental level.

He passed the test. What started as a friendship had suddenly escalated into a familial bond. Senti fully acknowledged Fu Xuan.

With Xuan on the other hand.

"These people are really weird. Nowadays, even guys aren't spared." Standing outside the door, Fu Xuan muttered softly, using the Taixun Mantra to calm his surprised heart.

"Doing my assignment is important. If I don't finish, I'll have to stand in punishment with that tuna tomorrow morning."

Fu Xuan didn't think that Kiana could finish her homework in one night, and it is highly possible that she would fall asleep while doing her assignment.

Early the next morning, Senti clung to the bed, but Fu Xuan ignored her, as he had to get to school. "Senti, I'm off~!"

Waving goodbye, Xuan leisurely proceeded on his way, humming a few tunes as he crossed to the other side of the road.

"Some deserts of this planet were oceans once."

"Somewhere shrouded by the night, the sun will shine."

"Sometimes I see a dying bird fall to the ground."

"But it used to fly so high."

Approaching him from behind was Kiana, with a slice of bread in her mouth, quietly tapping Fu Xuan's shoulder.

"Good morning, Class Monitor. What song were you singing just now? It sounded really nice," Kiana beamed at him with a lovely smile, and Xuan reciprocated.

"Good morning. The song is called 'Moon Halo.' It tells the story of a naive girl inheriting her teacher's will and fighting for all the beauty of the world."

Fu Xuan smiled nostalgically as he looked at Kiana, who seemed to ponder his words. 'Well, the protagonist of said song is in front of me,' Fu Xuan mentally sighed helplessly.

"Is that so, fighting for all that's beautiful…" Kiana's voice trailed off, those words striking a chord within her, yet she quickly dismissed whatever feelings she had.

"We'll be late if we don't hurry, Class Monitor," Kiana said, then ran towards the school, with Fu Xuan right behind her.

⸻

[Editor's Note]:

¹ — Yes, Chinese authors also like making their mc's narcissist.