Su Ming's tiny eyes widened with big confusion.
How did you dare complain to Mei about that? Do you have no self-awareness?
As expected, Mei smiled gently.
"Sorry, Kiana. That day I called Su Ming back last-minute because something came up. I'm the one who made you upset."
Damn it! The attempt to sow discord failed!
Kiana clenched her fist in frustration.
Only a paramecium would use such a low-level scheme—no, could that even be called a scheme?
Bronya grew even more worried about how unbreakable their alliance seemed to be.
"Mei you don't love me anymore"
Kiana grabbed Mei's hand and whined in a sugary, exaggerated baby voice.
"Will you shut up and eat? Can't even shrimp dumplings plug your mouth?" Su Ming set a steaming basket of har gow in front of her.
"What do you mean? Am I that kind of person?"
Kiana protested while popping one into her mouth. "Chew chew chew—mm! So good! You all try it!"
"Hm… the wrapper is springy and elastic, the filling is fresh and juicy. Excellent," Mei evaluated after tasting one.
Same dish. Paramecium says "good." The Herrscher of Rice can give you a full product review.
"This egg tart is really good too. Bronya-neechan, try it~" Seele eagerly offered sweets to her beloved "big sister."
Su Ming picked up a braised chicken claw and ate it.
Normally, he and Mei avoided overt PDA in front of others to prevent public outrage. After all, nearly everyone here was single. Firing off flashbangs seemed dangerous.
The claw was soft and sticky—bone slipping out with a bite.
A lazy man who loved chicken and duck feet, Su Ming was delighted.
Beside him, Mei quietly noted his reaction, planning to recreate the dish at home.
"So what were you doing last night, Kiana?" Bronya asked. "Sure, you sleep in, but not this much."
"I couldn't sleep because we were meeting today, so I reviewed the exam materials several times," Kiana said, sounding proud—because even she, who hated studying, had studied.
"You're like an elementary school kid before a field trip," Bronya said mercilessly. "It's not like we've never met up before."
"And you've already taken that test multiple times, haven't you?" Su Ming piled on. "Is the cultural exam for Immortal Blades really that hard? How are you still stuck as an unofficial member?"
"Th-that's because my position is high! The requirements are different from normal members!"
Kiana flushed, furious. But as the second daughter of Schicksal, the bar for joining Immortal Blades was higher for her.
"Bianca is the captain, and she passed," Bronya leaned back, stabbing Kiana right in the heart.
"That's different! My sister's a monster at academics!"
"Skill issue. Practice more. If you can't pass, don't take it," Su Ming finished the combo.
"Waaah, Mei they're bullying me"
Unable to withstand mixed-gender double-teaming, Kiana went teary-eyed for comfort.
Mei chuckled and patted her head.
"You two, stop picking on Kiana~"
Seele nibbled softly at the custard bun Bronya had fed her, watching the lively scene.
Everyone is so close…
Close? another voice inside her scoffed. They're practically arguing.
Seele tried to explain it to herself. That's what people call 'fighting without breaking, harmony without sameness,' right?
Fine, fine. I can't win against you. Think whatever you want. And it's okay if that guy talks to them but not to you~
The other voice snorted and fell silent.
Seele called a few times internally, but got no response. It seemed the "other her" had disengaged.
"…Seele, how's work been lately?"
That voice brought her back. While she'd been talking to herself, the conversation had shifted to work.
"Mm, same as always. I help Natasha-neechan take care of the kids at Cioara House. They're all well-behaved and adorable. Everything goes smoothly every day~"
When she thought of the children, Seele smiled brightly.
"By the way," Su Ming said pointedly, "Kiana, do you have any actual work at Immortal Blades?"
"What work would there be? It's peacetime. Basically just training," Kiana complained. "Honestly, it's kind of boring. Train, train, train. At least it's not a military unit, so rules aren't too strict—but my sister nags me to death."
Su Ming nodded privately. Same as ever. Looks like even Immortal Blades hasn't come into contact with Honkai energy… probably.
"If you studied seriously and passed, Bianca would stop managing you so tightly, right?" Mei offered, placing a piece of red rice roll into Su Ming's bowl.
"Yeah, but I still have to pass… I feel like I'm going to fail again."
At the word "exam," Kiana sagged. The modern student's despair in human form.
"How about I tutor you?" Bronya offered—suddenly extending a hand after all that roasting.
That's… suspiciously out of character.
Su Ming narrowed his eyes. So that's it.
"No way! You definitely don't mean well!" Kiana shot Bronya a look, then her eyes spun and landed on Su Ming. "Su Ming, you were a top student. You tutor me!"
Heh. As expected. She was aiming at me.
And the map of Yan is a bit short.
Su Ming replied calmly:
"After work lately, I've been learning martial arts with the class monitor, so I don't have that much free time."
…Wait, what?
Kiana and Bronya both pinched their own thighs under the table to stop themselves from making eye contact.
Class monitor. Even you, with those thick brows and big eyes, defected?!
If Hua heard this, she'd scream injustice. Su Ming had approached her first—though she was very happy to oblige.
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