Chapter Twenty-Nine: Dawn Raid

After returning home, Chen Zi'ang changed his sister into her pajamas, carried her to bed, and tucked her in. He then went to the bathroom to wash up.

As for Luna Tsukimiya, Chen Zi'ang had naturally ignored her request to stay over and made her take a taxi home instead.

Is it appropriate for you to spend the night at another man’s house? Do you know how worried your parents would be?

After finishing his nightly routine and changing into his pajamas, Chen Zi'ang returned to bed, picked up his phone, and habitually checked his unread messages before going to sleep.

[Humanity’s Guardian]: Old Chen, we’re all working ourselves to death here, and you’re off enjoying a paid suspension with that pretty junior of yours. Do you think that’s fair?

[Any Urban Legends?]: I feel terribly guilty, so hurry up and think of a way to get me back on duty.

[Defiant Moon Rabbit]: Senpai, just imagining a beautiful girl being driven out of your house and forced to go home all alone… don’t you feel guilty?

[Any Urban Legends?]: Not at all. In this increasingly decadent society, it’s wonderful to remain a breath of fresh air. Let me know when you get home.

[Tasuke Ashiya]: I’ve transferred your pay for today to the usual anonymous account, just in case you need it urgently.

[Any Urban Legends?]: Thank you, Uncle Tasuke.

After replying to the assortment of messages, Chen Zi'ang noticed a new friend request.

[Sings Well] has requested to add you as a friend, note: Maki Kiryu.

Oh, is that the blonde star under a curse?

A face with golden hair, blue eyes, and pointed ears immediately surfaced in Chen Zi'ang’s mind.

He accepted the request without much thought; seeing there was no immediate reply, he placed his phone on the nightstand to charge and closed his eyes to sleep.

The next morning.

Chen Zi'ang got up early, finished washing up, and went downstairs to wake his sister.

That was when he saw Luna Tsukimiya in the entryway, taking off her shoes.

Their gazes met in the center of the living room—one full of awkwardness, the other resigned.

“Why does it feel like you’re more at home here than at your own place?” Chen Zi'ang couldn’t help but remark. “No matter where I hide the spare key, you always manage to find it, don’t you?”

“Senpai, I think hiding it under the doormat is actually less secure than putting it under a flowerpot,” Luna replied with a wry smile.

“Is that really the issue here?” Chen Zi'ang massaged his forehead. “Luna, if you want to visit, just let me know in advance. I won’t turn you away.”

“But, senpai, I did text you in advance on my phone,” Luna reminded him.

“You did?”

“Why don’t you check your messages?”

Chen Zi'ang took out his phone, unlocked it, and opened his chat app. Sure enough, there were unread messages, the earliest from about an hour ago:

[Defiant Moon Rabbit]: Senpai, is it okay if I come see you? Let’s go to work together~ [little lamb emoji]

[Defiant Moon Rabbit]: Senpai, I’m on the subway now!

[Defiant Moon Rabbit]: Senpai, I got off the subway!

[Defiant Moon Rabbit]: Senpai, I’m here!

“So you calculated when I’d wake up and sent me messages while I was still asleep, is that it?” Chen Zi'ang sighed.

“Well, senpai, if you don’t read and reply, how am I supposed to know if you agree or refuse?” Luna gave an innocent, pleading smile, pressing her palms together as if in prayer. “That’s why I came over to ask you in person.”

Today, Miss Tsukimiya wore a pink cardigan with a girlish charm, a pure white dress underneath, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. Waves of carefully styled curls framed her cheeks, making her look both refined and adorably playful.

It was obvious she knew how to use her beauty to her advantage, and her sweet, endearing smile made it impossible to scold her harshly.

“Regardless, it’s still wrong to take my spare key without permission,” Chen Zi'ang reprimanded her. “Think about it—if you lived alone, how would you feel if someone secretly took your spare key?”

“I know I was wrong, senpai.” Luna bowed her head. “To avoid repeating this mistake, please let me keep your spare key for you.”

“Hmm.” Chen Zi'ang nodded.

Wait, that didn’t sound right.

“Are you going to make breakfast or wake up my sister?” Luna changed into slippers, eyes sparkling. “Let’s split the chores! I’ll make breakfast!”

“No, you go check if Xiao Zhu is up yet.” Remembering her previous attempts at cooking, Chen Zi'ang quickly decided not to let her near the kitchen.

Breakfast was plain rice porridge, set to cook automatically the night before. With an extra uninvited eater in the house, Chen Zi'ang decided he’d fry an extra egg, at most.

When he set the dishes on the table, Luna had already led his dressed sister out of the bedroom.

The three of them sat down to eat. To be precise, Chen Zi'ang first fed his sister—as long as he was home, Xiao Zhu stubbornly refused to feed herself.

“Senpai, why don’t I do it?” Luna was eager to try.

“No need,” Chen Zi'ang refused at once. “I’m quick… Here, open your mouth.”

Chen Xiao Zhu obediently opened her mouth, letting her brother feed her porridge with a spoon.

“Here, open wide.” Imitating him, Luna scooped up some porridge and, supporting the spoon with her other hand, offered it to Chen Zi'ang.

Chen Zi'ang: …………

“Stop it!” he said, both amused and exasperated.

“But senpai, you’re feeding your sister, so you can’t eat yourself,” Luna said, laughing. “So I’ll feed you!”

“Just eat your own breakfast.” Chen Zi'ang sealed his lips in refusal.

After he finished feeding his sister and ate the rest of the porridge himself, Chen Zi'ang began clearing the table and preparing lunch and dinner for Xiao Zhu.

Luna volunteered to wash the dishes, first pulling on rubber gloves and then turning the faucet on full blast.

“Senpai,” she said, scrubbing a plate with a sponge ball, feigning surprise, “don’t we look like a married couple working together in the kitchen?”

“I have no idea,” Chen Zi'ang replied without looking up, his focus on stir-frying leafy greens.

As he plated the sautéed greens, Chen Zi'ang suddenly asked, “Luna, yesterday you mentioned… something about ‘a single sentence being enough to bind someone for a lifetime.’ What exactly did you mean by that?”

“Did I say that?” Luna blinked in surprise.

“You did.”

“Well, I forgot. Oops.” Luna feigned ignorance, “Does that matter to you, senpai?”

“Not really…” Chen Zi'ang shook his head.

He sensed that pressing further would only lead him into her trap, whereupon he’d be subjected to a barrage of “Senpai, you really care about what I say, don’t you?”, “Did you lose sleep over it last night?”, and “How adorable, senpai”—his dignity as a senior crushed, his good name in ruins.

He must not fall for it.