As Lu Ze returned home, he found his previously dark room illuminated. He had expected no one to be home, despite having placed a Void Anchor.
He gently pushed the door open, and the first thing he saw was Elisia sitting on the sofa. The table was laden with pastries, and coffee was set out.
“You’re back? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you? I thought you weren’t coming home tonight.”
Elisia took a sip of coffee, her pink eyes fixed on him. The Void Anchor above him had, at some point, turned pink.
“Why are you here? It’s so late. Why don’t you go rest? Will you be able to sleep if you keep drinking coffee?”
For some reason, Lu Ze’s right eyelid twitched uncontrollably. According to the saying, a left eye twitch means fortune, and a right eye twitch means disaster. He suspected something unpleasant would happen tonight.
“Sleep? I don’t plan on sleeping tonight either. I’ve sealed off the path above, and it took quite some effort, but thankfully, no one will disturb us tonight. We can talk until dawn.”
A large "danger" sign suddenly appeared above Lu Ze's head. His mouth twitched, and he instinctively tried to leave, but the door behind him had closed at some point.
“Were you thinking of running? Don’t worry, you won’t be leaving this room tonight. Come sit here. Relax, I won’t eat you.”
Looking at Elisia, who resembled a primordial beast, Lu Ze swallowed. After much thought, he decided to take a gamble, cheered himself on, and cautiously sat beside her.
“Don’t be so scared. You’re making me uncomfortable. Here… have some pastries. You must be hungry after being so busy.”
Elisia, with her fair and slender right hand, picked up a piece of cake from the table and brought it to Lu Ze’s mouth. She watched him with a smile.
It seemed difficult to refuse, so Lu Ze extended his neck, took a bite, and swallowed. Already feeling full, his stomach felt even more so.
“Delicious, right? I made it this afternoon, you know.”
The dim light shone on Elisia’s face. Her white gauze dress, illuminated by the light, looked exceptionally beautiful.
“Mmm… it’s delicious. But even though it’s delicious, it tastes bland in my mouth…”
This statement surprised Elisia. She had eaten quite a bit of cake while waiting, and it should have tasted good. Why would it be bland?
“Why? Is it not delicious? That can’t be right. I followed the recipe Mei gave me, so how could it be bad?”
Little Elisia looked perplexed, her eyes fixed on Lu Ze. It seemed she wouldn’t let him leave without a proper explanation.
“It’s because… Elisia, you’re too beautiful, and I can’t taste anything else. Ai, you’re still so cute.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Elisia covered her mouth in surprise, her face instantly flushing. She became flustered.
“I… I’m not as good as you say. I’m just a little prettier than ordinary people… You saying that makes me feel embarrassed…”
Elisia’s slight blush added even more depth to her beauty. Lu Ze’s heart rate began to increase, gradually picking up speed.
“I… Ai, can I hold your hand?”
Lu Ze’s hand moved like a tiny person, step by step, towards Elisia’s hand, even lightly touching it.
“Mmm…”
Upon hearing the answer she wanted, Lu Ze felt a surge of excitement. It was as if they were a new couple, where every small gesture could create a ripple in their hearts.
Holding Elisia’s hand tightly, he felt the warmth of her palm, and his heart rate quickened.
“Ai… I want you to keep feeding me cake…”
Elisia readily agreed to his request. However, this time was different. She picked up a slender piece of cake, brought it to her lips, and took a gentle bite.
Her small mouth nibbled at the fluffy cake and slowly offered it to him.
This action made even her blush, let alone Lu Ze, whose face also turned red.
But he had to respond. Lu Ze slowly leaned in and gently bit the other end of the cake, then began to eat it, bite by bite.
The cake was soon finished. In a short while, only one bite remained. Their eyes met. Seeing Lu Ze hesitate, Elisia took the initiative and took a bite.
Their lips touched. The already ambiguous atmosphere intensified, and a haze appeared in both their eyes.
After a long moment, they separated their heads, gazing at each other with deep affection.
“Lu Ze…”
“Ai…”
This night was destined to be long. Whether in the Tenshukaku or this newly opened shop, the night was still young.
After an unknown period, the pink hue of the Void Anchor gradually faded, returning to blue. But it was too late; the night had quietly passed.
Bronya arrived with a sense of indignant fury. Elisia, last night, had taken advantage of everyone’s inattention and directly sabotaged the Void Anchor's teleportation function, even prohibiting repairs.
Bronya didn’t understand how Elisia’s power could interfere with the Void Anchor, but that was not important now. What mattered was what had happened.
As soon as she teleported, she saw the messy room. No, she couldn’t call it mess; it was simply cake everywhere. Some cakes had splattered on the floor, as if a sumo match had taken place there last night.
The trail of destruction led upstairs to the room. Bronya knew what had happened. She also knew she couldn’t handle this alone, but returning to get help seemed problematic.
What should she do?
Lu Ze, in the room, had fully woken up. He realized late last night, after everything was over, that something had been added to the cake. It wasn’t exactly poison, but rather something to enhance the mood.
“What was I so afraid of last night? She’s just an innocent, inexperienced, cute girl, and I was scared! How embarrassing.”
The thought of his fear at the beginning of last night made him want to punch himself. It seemed he had been tempered through trials and tribulations.