Inside Anteiku Coffee Shop.
Moonlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting slanted square patches of light on the floor, outlining the furniture, and the air lingered with the faint scent of coffee grounds and cleaning solution.
Dong Xiang didn't turn on the lights.
She walked straight to a booth in the corner by the window and sank into the deepest shadows. This spot offered a clear view of the back door and a subtle observation of the street's movements through the glass.
She took off her dust-covered jacket, tossing it casually onto the nearby chair, wearing only her dark shirt underneath.
Time, in this solidified darkness, seemed to stretch infinitely, each second as agonizing as a century.
She sat with her back straight, hands resting on her knees, her fingertips unconsciously picking at the denim fabric of her jeans.
Her violet eyes were fixed on the door leading to the back of the shop; any subtle sound—the hum of the refrigerator compressor, the faint sound of vehicles passing on the distant street, even the slight creak of the window frame in the wind—made her nerves taut.
He Xi Qian Yu's face, with its relaxed smile, repeatedly flashed in her mind.
"Don't die." Her dry voice still seemed to echo in her ears.
An inexplicable anxiety surged within her chest. Reason told her that he was a Ghoul, he was strong, he could handle it. But deep within her emotions, a worry she herself didn't want to delve into, subtly grew like a vine, entangling her thoughts.
Why did he make it sound so light? Would he really...
Dong Xiang shook her head abruptly, trying to dispel the unsettling thought.
She stood up, her footsteps silent as she walked to the bar, mechanically picking up a clean rag and beginning to wipe the already spotless bar surface.
The cold touch of metal through the cloth slightly suppressed the slight tremor in her fingertips.
She wiped very hard, as if wanting to rub all her unease and waiting into this cloth.
Just as she put down the rag, preparing to check the back kitchen, a figure quietly appeared in the dimness inside the back door.
Dong Xiang's body instantly froze, her pupils suddenly constricted, her purple eyes piercing the darkness, locking onto that silhouette.
It was He Xi Qian Yu.
He was back.
His dark jacket was somewhat disheveled, with several obvious tears on the shoulders and cuffs, the edges stained with dark dampness. But his steps were still steady, even carrying a hint of post-combat relaxation.
There were no obvious scars on his face, only a lingering coldness between his brows that subtly sharpened his usual gentle demeanor.
He looked up, his gaze accurately catching Dong Xiang standing in the shadows behind the bar. The remaining coldness seemed to melt a little, and his lips habitually tried to curve into a smile, but in the end, they only moved slightly.
"Resolved?" Dong Xiang's voice was low and steady, betraying no emotion.
But her gaze, like a spotlight, quickly and meticulously scanned every inch of his body, checking for any damage she couldn't see.
"Mm." He Xi Qian Yu responded, his voice carrying a subtle hoarseness.
He casually tugged at the collar of his jacket, as if trying to make it look neater.
"Just a few Search Officers, already dealt with." His tone was flat, as if he had merely thrown out a few bags of trash.
He stepped towards the bar, his footsteps making a faint sound in the silent shop. As he drew closer, a strong, undeniable smell of blood, mixed with gunpowder and dust, assailed her.
Dong Xiang's nostrils flared almost imperceptibly. Her hands, placed beneath the bar, had slightly whitened knuckles.
She didn't ask for details, just watched him silently as he walked to the bar.
He Xi Qian Yu also seemed to notice the inappropriateness of the smell on him. He stopped, not getting too close, his gaze falling on the coffee cup on the bar that Dong Xiang had just wiped.
"Sorry," he said softly, his gaze moving from the coffee cup to Dong Xiang's face, "I've dirtied the air in the shop."
Dong Xiang did not respond to this self-deprecating apology. Her gaze passed over him, as if she could see through the wall to the scene of carnage in the alley. After a moment of silence, she finally withdrew her gaze, letting it fall back on his face.
Her eyes were still sharp, but something deep within them seemed to have settled, and the taut lines of her body relaxed almost imperceptibly.
She reached out, picked up a clean glass nearby, unscrewed a bottle of mineral water, and poured a full glass of clear water. The sound of the water flowing was exceptionally clear in the silent shop.
"Drink some water." She pushed the glass towards him, her movements swift and decisive, without unnecessary words.
He Xi Qian Yu looked at the water glass, then at Dong Xiang's still bright purple eyes in the shadows. The habitual smile finally appeared genuinely on his lips, though it was tinged with fatigue.
"Thanks."
He Xi Qian Yu took the glass of water, the cool glass leaving a clear sensation on his fingers.
He tilted his head, his Adam's apple bobbing, and drank the clear liquid in the glass in one gulp. The water washed down his throat, but it couldn't wash away the lingering sweet, metallic taste deep in his mouth and nasal cavity.
He put down the empty glass, and the bottom of the glass made a slight, crisp sound as it touched the marble bar, sounding particularly abrupt in the silence.
Dong Xiang's gaze did not leave him, her violet eyes reflecting his slightly tired figure. The smell of blood on him seemed to grow stronger, heavily permeating the small space between them with his slightest breath.
"Not injured?" Dong Xiang finally spoke again, her gaze sweeping over the tears in his jacket once more, the dark wet stains appearing particularly glaring in the dim light.
He Xi Qian Yu followed her gaze and looked down at the tear on his shoulder, pulling at the corner of his mouth indifferently.
"Of course." He brushed it off lightly.
"I made you worry."
This sentence was like a stone dropped into a calm lake.
Dong Xiang's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, a hint of annoyance at being seen through flashing in the depths of her purple eyes. She immediately averted her gaze, her jawline tight, and retorted in an almost harsh tone: "I just don't want you to dirty the shop floor; it's a hassle to clean up."
"...She underestimated us..." Slaughter's slightly displeased voice sounded.
"That's called caring." He Xi Qian Yu rolled his eyes inwardly, "You'll probably never understand that feeling."
"...I only care about Slaughter and blood..." It paused, as if savoring, "...However...tonight...well done..."
He Xi Qian Yu ignored Slaughter's whispers, which were immersed in the pleasure of Slaughter.