"It really doesn't concern me," He Xi Qian Yu shrugged indifferently, placing the empty cup back on the bar. "I just think it's better to say some things while the person is still around."
This was, after all, Dong Xiang's family matter. As an observer, he was merely stating his opinion—after all, Wu Dao Xiangdu, that rebellious kid, wasn't his brother.
Dong Xiang lowered her gaze, her eyes complex and struggling. She knew perfectly well why her brother had turned out this way.
Back then, after their mother, Kirishima Hikaru, was expelled by Arima Kishou, their father, Kirishima Arata, sought revenge for his wife, falling into a frenzied state of cannibalism.
Already quite powerful, he rapidly ascended to an SS-rated Ghoul under the drive of hatred, but ultimately, he was captured by Shinohara Yukinori and Mado Kureo together and imprisoned in Kukulia without even getting to see Arima Kishou.
From Ayato's perspective, his father's idea of avenging his mother was not wrong, and he harbored the same hatred. However, Kirishima Arata not only failed to get revenge but also lost himself, leaving the siblings completely without their last reliance.
Soon after, a neighbor's report forced them to start wandering.
If it weren't for their uncle, Si Fang Lian Shi, entrusting Fangcun Gongshan to bring them to Anteiku to live, their fate would have been unimaginable.
Ayato attributed all this misfortune to his father's incompetence, and coupled with a fundamental divergence from his sister's views on humans, he ultimately chose to leave home and join Bronze Tree.
He Xi Qian Yu surveyed the chaotic coffee shop. Although Gecko and Ayato were quickly subdued by him, the damage caused was still considerable.
Their entrance was a form of violent art—one violently smashed the shop door, while the other neatly kicked in the large street-facing glass window.
The newly installed surveillance camera inside the shop was also casually smashed into a pile of waste plastic and twisted circuit boards by Gecko.
Not to mention his brief skirmish with Gecko, which almost dismantled half of the first-floor hall. Tables and chairs were overturned and shattered, a corner of the bar collapsed, and wood chips and ceramic fragments mixed with glass shards covered the floor.
The coffee shop would have to close for renovation again. He thought expressionlessly, then pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed Fangcun Gongshan's number.
The manager had just recently left with Si Fang Lian Shi to investigate the situation in the 11th Ward.
The only thing that puzzled him was how Gecko and his gang dared to attack Anteiku so brazenly? When Yoshimura Eto had Tatara assign the task, didn't she remind them of the manager's true strength? This recklessness was illogical.
Beep… beep… beep…
The call was quickly answered, and Fangcun Gongshan's gentle voice came through the receiver: "Hello, this is Fangcun Gongshan."
"Manager, it's me, Qianyu," He Xi Qian Yu's voice was as steady as ever.
"Qianyu Jun," Fangcun Gongshan's tone carried concern. "It's so late, is something wrong?"
"Yes, something came up." He Xi Qian Yu's gaze swept over the hall, which resembled a battlefield ruin. "Gecko from Bronze Tree brought people to cause trouble at the shop."
He deliberately omitted the name "Ayato"—after all, that kid grew up under the manager's care, and the manager always had a special affection for him.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. A few seconds later, Fangcun Gongshan's voice sounded again: "…What did they do?"
"They had a fight, or more accurately, they unilaterally tried to start one and I stopped them. Nothing major happened, they've already left."
He Xi Qian Yu was concise. "However, the door was smashed, and the large street-facing glass window shattered. Also, the newly installed camera was casually destroyed by Gecko."
He paused, then added: "Half of the coffee shop's first floor is destroyed; it might need a complete renovation."
"…Understood." Fangcun Gongshan's voice came through the receiver, without much emotion. "Thank you for your hard work, Qianyu Jun. Please protect Dong Xiang and them. We'll rush back as soon as possible."
"They're fine." He Xi Qian Yu glanced at the silent figure in the corner's shadow.
The call ended, the dial tone exceptionally clear in the quiet coffee shop. He Xi Qian Yu put his phone back in his pocket, not immediately going to inspect the damaged doors and windows, but instead walking directly towards the shadow in the corner.
No matter how dense he was, he knew the girl in front of him needed comfort.
Dong Xiang still maintained her lowered gaze, her hands clenched into fists on her knees, knuckles white from effort, her slightly rising shoulders betraying a hint of suppressed emotional fluctuation.
The night wind poured in through the window, no longer blocked by glass, bringing with it a chill. Dong Xiang subconsciously hugged herself. Just then, a jacket, carrying body warmth and a faint scent of soap, was casually thrown over, landing precisely on her head.
"Be careful not to catch a cold."
Dong Xiang froze for a moment, then pulled down the jacket covering her head. His body warmth still lingered on it. She silently gripped the edge of the jacket, hesitated, and finally wrapped it around herself.
The jacket was large, almost completely enveloping her, shielding her from the cold night wind.
He Xi Qian Yu stopped in front of her, then, unexpectedly, he reached out and very carefully brushed away a wisp of hair scattered across her forehead.
His fingertips brushed against the skin of her temple, leaving a slightly cool sensation.
Dong Xiang trembled violently, looking up like a startled beast. Her usually indifferent purple eyes were now clouded with a film of moisture, filled with unvented pain, and a hint of imperceptible fragility.
"…" She opened her mouth, but her throat felt blocked, unable to utter any sound.
"Did I scare you?" He Xi Qian Yu's voice was unreadable, but the hand that had brushed her forehead did not retract; instead, it moved downwards, very gently wiping away a small speck of dust that had splashed onto her cheek.
Dong Xiang's body instantly stiffened, instinctively wanting to pull away.
"None of you are wrong. Neither you, nor your father, nor Ayato's choices."
This sentence precisely pierced through the barrier Dong Xiang had forcibly maintained, causing her movements to pause slightly.
Her tightly bitten lower lip trembled slightly, and the thin film of moisture in her eyes rapidly condensed, almost spilling out. She abruptly turned her face away, her voice a suppressed sob mixed with stubbornness:
"Who… who needs your comfort!"
He Xi Qian Yu's hand paused, then slowly retracted and slid back into his pants pocket. His face was expressionless, he simply responded faintly: "Okay, then I'll go."
With that, he actually turned, his steps showing no hesitation, and made to leave.
The sound of his departing footsteps was exceptionally clear in the empty shop, each step seeming to land on Dong Xiang's suspended heart.
"Wait!" Dong Xiang's voice suddenly rose, a sharpness she hadn't anticipated and an imperceptible tremor escaping her lips.
He Xi Qian Yu's steps halted in response.
Dong Xiang looked at his back, her lips fumbled a few times, and finally, she squeezed out a word so faint it was almost inaudible, carrying an undisguised vulnerability:
"Come… come back."