It must be said that Dong Xiang's heavy schoolwork often left the coffee shop short-handed, but Kaneki Ken's arrival greatly alleviated this pressure.
During the day, as office workers were busy with their jobs and students were engrossed in their classes, the coffee shop's customer flow was relatively slow, which gave He Xi Qian Yu ample time to meticulously teach Kaneki Ken various skills—from precise coffee extraction to detailed table service.
In the afternoon, with the influx of students and workers leaving school and work, Dong Xiang, after school, could timely return to help out.
He Xi Qian Yu seemed to be living his ideal stable life: greeting various customers amidst the aroma of coffee, personally training Kaneki Ken to become a qualified staff member... and occasionally being dragged by Nishio Nishiki to university lectures.
Perhaps influenced by his past life memories, he had little interest in the monotonous university courses, spending most of his time napping at his desk.
After several attempts, Nishio Nishiki also completely gave up, letting He Xi Qian Yu and Kaneki Ken, this 'skipping class duo,' comfortably stay at the coffee shop.
"You, aren't you worried about failing and having to retake courses?" Nishio Nishiki once couldn't help but ask him.
In response, He Xi Qian Yu merely patted his shoulder meaningfully.
"Nishiki, isn't the ultimate goal of going to university to find a good job?" He said seriously, "And Yoshimura pays me a monthly salary of a full five hundred thousand yen."
"..."
...
Dusk fell, and a fine rain wove a curtain outside the window.
"You're very diligent today, Jin Mu."
He Xi Qian Yu placed the sparkling clean glass back on the rack, looking at Kaneki Ken, who was meticulously cleaning, his tone full of praise.
Hearing this, Kaneki Ken modestly lowered his gaze and scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
"This is all what I should do."
The wind chimes at the entrance jingled crisply.
"Welcome..." Kaneki Ken instinctively blurted out, then froze, "Huh? Haven't we already closed?"
He remembered He Xi Qian Yu had just hung up the "Closed" sign.
He Xi Qian Yu's gaze turned to the entrance.
The newcomers were a mother and daughter.
Both their coats were wet from the rain, and water droplets dripped from their hair, clearly having rushed over through the rain.
"Miss Ryoko."
Recognizing the arrivals, Dong Xiang, who was tidying the counter nearby, quickly stepped forward to greet them.
She quickly turned her head, her gaze sweeping over Kaneki Ken holding a mop, then landing on He Xi Qian Yu, who had just put down a cup and seemed somewhat idle.
"Go get some towels."
...
"I'm so sorry to bother you at this hour..." While using a soft towel to wipe her daughter's wet hair, Fueguchi Ryoko said to Dong Xiang with an apologetic tone.
Amidst her gentle movements, Hinami, like a startled fawn, clung tightly to her mother's side, her small body trembling slightly.
"It's alright." Dong Xiang shook her head, then looked at Hinami, a rare gentle smile appearing on her face, "Long time no see, Hinami."
He Xi Qian Yu and Kaneki Ken stood quietly to the side.
Soon, He Xi Qian Yu noticed Hinami cautiously peeking at them both out of the corner of her eye.
His heart stirred, and a gentle, friendly smile naturally bloomed on his face.
However, the next second, he saw Hinami, like a startled bird, quickly turn her head back and bury it in her mother's embrace.
The corner of He Xi Qian Yu's mouth twitched imperceptibly.
"Do I... look scary?" He couldn't help but ask Kaneki Ken beside him in a low voice.
Kaneki Ken froze, then shook his head, looking puzzled.
...
Not long after chatting, Fueguchi Ryoko took Hinami upstairs to the second floor.
"Are they... Ghouls too?" Kaneki Ken watched them disappear at the stairwell, unable to resist asking Dong Xiang for confirmation.
"Yes," Dong Xiang nodded, "They are the Di Kou family. From today onwards, we will be temporarily looking after them."
"Why are they..." Kaneki Ken wanted to press for the reason.
He Xi Qian Yu glanced at Dong Xiang, who was clearly a bit restless at the moment, and timely raised his hand to pat Kaneki Ken's shoulder, interrupting him.
"Jin Mu," He paused, his tone turning serious, "Do you know about the Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau and the 'White Doves'?"
Kaneki Ken shook his head blankly.
"The Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau is a specialized agency set up by the government," He Xi Qian Yu looked at him, "Its purpose is to eradicate all Ghouls in Tokyo."
He paused briefly.
"'White Doves' is the moniker for Ghoul Search Officers."
"Their weapons are 'Kouink' made from Ghoul Kagune..."
...
After explaining the common knowledge to Kaneki Ken, He Xi Qian Yu returned to the second floor.
He was about to push the door open and return to his room to rest when the Yoshimura's gentle voice called out to him.
"Qianyu Jun." Fangcun Gongshan stood at the office doorway, his tone as calm as ever, "Could I trouble you to come over for a moment?"
"...Old man..." Slaughter's whisper carried its usual disdain.
He Xi Qian Yu nodded and followed Fangcun Gongshan into the office.
As soon as he entered, he saw the Di Kou mother and daughter sitting on the sofa.
"Qianyu Jun, let me introduce you." Fangcun Gongshan looked at He Xi Qian Yu, gesturing with his hand, "This is Mrs. Di Kou Ryoko, and this lovely little girl is her daughter, Di Kou Hinami."
"This is He Xi Qian Yu," He turned to Fueguchi Ryoko, his tone filled with trust, "He's a very capable and reliable young man at the shop."
"Mrs. Di Kou, hello." He Xi Qian Yu nodded slightly in greeting.
Fueguchi Ryoko returned a gentle yet slightly weary smile. She gently patted her daughter, who was nestled beside her: "Hinami, say hello to big brother."
"Hello, Brother Qianyu." Hinami looked up, calling out timidly in a sweet voice that seemed to melt hearts.
"Qianyu Jun, I asked you to come here because there's something I'd like to ask of you." Fangcun Gongshan's tone became more serious.
"Yoshimura, please tell me."
"Mrs. Di Kou and Hinami need to temporarily reside in the Twenty Ward due to some unavoidable reasons." Fangcun Gongshan's gaze calmly rested on He Xi Qian Yu, "However, even in the Twenty Ward, known for its stability, Ghoul Search Officer activity has been increasingly frequent recently. I hope..."
He paused, "When they need to go out, Qianyu Jun, you can be responsible for guarding their safety."
He Xi Qian Yu nodded with almost no hesitation.
"No problem, leave it to me."
...
"...You... just... agreed?" As soon as he returned to his room, Slaughter's confused voice echoed in He Xi Qian Yu's mind, carrying undisguised disdain, "...To... be a babysitter?"
"What else?" He Xi Qian Yu rolled his eyes at the air, "Do you think that five hundred thousand yen monthly salary is for nothing?"
Of course, the monthly salary was only one aspect.
On the other hand, he also didn't want such a cute child as Hinami to be harmed.