"Oh... this kind of movie? Well, I don't mind it."
Zhu Yuan looked slightly surprised that Wise had picked this type of film, but after thinking about it, she realized he really didn't have many choices.
A mystery movie would almost certainly be spoiled for her, and she probably wouldn't laugh much at a comedy either.
As for horror movies... that was out of the question.
The two sat together on the second floor, quietly watching the film.
To Wise's surprise, Zhu Yuan was far more innocent than he expected. Even a simple kissing scene between the main couple was enough to make her cheeks turn red.
By the time the movie ended, the blush on her face still hadn't completely faded.
"Phew... I think I finally understand why you chose this movie, Wise," Zhu Yuan said softly, exhaling a quiet breath. "It's pretty hard to get distracted while watching something like this."
Her voice carried a trace of embarrassment.
Normally, she would never watch romance films, but experiencing one once in a while actually felt... nice.
"As long as you enjoyed it, that's enough."
Wise had carefully considered the choice beforehand. Given Zhu Yuan's current state of mind, most other genres would've been unsuitable.
Thankfully, it seemed he had made the right decision.
"Today was really fun. Being forced to relax under your supervision once in a while honestly doesn't feel bad at all."
Zhu Yuan stood up with a smile.
"Well then, I should get going now."
There was a faint sense of urgency in her tone.
Wise glanced at the clock. It was still fairly early.
He had a strong feeling she was planning to head straight back to Public Security the moment she left.
"Don't tell me you're thinking about going back to work just because it's still early?"
"Uh... w-well..." Zhu Yuan laughed awkwardly after being exposed so easily. "Wise, you make me sound like some kind of workaholic. Today's a holiday, okay? There's no way I'd go back to work... probably."
No matter how much she tried to deny it, Wise still insisted on making her stay for dinner before leaving.
After all, she was living alone now, so there was no reason to rush back.
After a brief hesitation, Zhu Yuan finally nodded in agreement.
Unfortunately for her, the innocent Zhu Yuan had no idea what she was about to experience.
No girl could resist Wise's cooking, and Zhu Yuan was no exception.
The moment she took her first bite, her favorability jumped by five points. With that added to her previous total, her favorability also rose to eighty-five points, while his Emotional Value climbed to 33,000.
"I seriously didn't expect your cooking to be this good, Wise," Zhu Yuan admitted honestly. "I can only make a few simple dishes myself."
"That's probably just because you're too busy with work to practice," Wise replied with a faint smile.
He genuinely didn't believe Zhu Yuan's cooking could be that terrible.
After all, Rina still existed as the absolute lowest benchmark imaginable.
"Mm..."
Zhu Yuan lowered her eyes slightly, remembering how she usually ended up eating out whenever work became too overwhelming.
"Hm?! What was that?!"
As if reacting on pure instinct, Zhu Yuan lashed out with a sudden kick.
A white figure instantly flew across the floor.
"Wow, Mumu got sent flying!" Odette cried out as she watched the little white snake slowly slide down the wall.
Zhu Yuan, however, froze the moment she heard that.
"Mumu? That's her name? Wait... this snake is your pet?"
Zhu Yuan looked genuinely flustered. She had only sensed something suddenly brushing against her foot, and her body reacted instinctively.
Usually, that kind of reflex only activated when facing dangerous threats like Ethereals, not harmless little animals.
Meanwhile, Odile, the snake's owner, remained completely calm. She simply raised a hand and beckoned lightly.
Mumu, having just slid down the wall, immediately slithered back toward her.
"Is... is she alright?"
Zhu Yuan was obviously referring to the snake she had just kicked.
She knew very well how much force she had used. For a split second, she truly thought she had accidentally killed the poor thing.
Yet Mumu looked perfectly fine, which honestly surprised her.
"She's okay. Her species is a bit special, so she's tougher than she looks."
Odile casually lifted Mumu, who had already wrapped herself lazily around her arm again, and explained patiently.
Zhu Yuan didn't fully understand what that meant, but as long as the little snake wasn't hurt, that was enough for her.
"The pets in your house are pretty unusual, Wise."
Only then did Zhu Yuan notice the little white fox, Pepe, lying nearby.
Even in the city, people who kept foxes and snakes as pets were extremely rare.
As for the most common pets in New Eridu, besides dogs, there were...
"Meow~"
Cats.
'Wait... a cat?!'
Zhu Yuan instantly stiffened.
Her eyes locked onto Inky, who had somehow wandered dangerously close to her. The expression on her face immediately turned uncomfortable.
What made things worse was that Inky was slowly approaching her.
Almost reflexively, Zhu Yuan stood up from her seat.
Fortunately, the cat didn't seem interested in her at all. Inky casually leaped past her and jumped straight into Wise's arms.
"Is... this one your pet too?"
Zhu Yuan couldn't help asking as she stared at the scene in front of her.
Beside her, Belle nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep! Big Brother said Inky liked him a lot, so he decided to bring her home."
"I see..."
Honestly, it did sound like something Wise would do.
Still...
Zhu Yuan quietly watched Inky happily rubbing against Wise's chest, her gaze becoming a little complicated.
Naturally, Wise noticed the subtle change in her expression.
"Zhu Yuan... are you afraid of cats?"
"I wouldn't say afraid."
Zhu Yuan shook her head lightly.
"They're not dangerous or anything. It's just..."
She paused for a moment, seemingly trying to find the right words.
"I really don't understand why everyone likes small animals so much. Especially fluffy ones. They seem like a lot of trouble."
That was exactly why she always subconsciously avoided the areas where cats gathered whenever she patrolled Sixth Street.
There were simply too many strays around there.
"I see. Well, you don't need to worry about Inky," Wise said reassuringly. "She barely sheds, and she usually doesn't approach anyone besides me anyway."
Hearing that, Zhu Yuan visibly relaxed before letting out a small sigh.
"So that's how it is..." She looked at Wise helplessly. "I didn't expect you to be a cat lover too. This world really isn't very friendly toward people who dislike fluffy animals."
"It's not really about them being fluffy."
Wise gently scratched Inky under the chin.
"I just have a weakness for cute things in general."
'Hmm... that's definitely true.'
Standing nearby, Belle nodded repeatedly in agreement after hearing her brother's words.
"Exactly! My Brother naturally attracts all kinds of cute things."
Belle's tone carried a meaningful hint beneath the surface, though Zhu Yuan completely failed to catch it.
She simply assumed Belle was referring to animals like cats and foxes.
The rest of dinner passed peacefully.
Zhu Yuan even offered to help clean up afterward, though Wise ultimately refused to let her handle the dishes.
Before anyone realized it, it was already time for her to head home.
"Thank you for taking care of me today, Wise."
Zhu Yuan smiled softly as she stood by the door.
"If I get another holiday in the future... I'd like to spend it with you again."
Hearing that, Wise agreed without the slightest hesitation.
As for whether he would regret that promise later... that was a problem for Future Wise to deal with.
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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