The following afternoon.
Z-City.
A luxury car drove along an unusually empty street.
Looking at the badly damaged roads, Lily couldn't help complaining as she drove.
"I really don't get why Mr. Luo Yu insists on living around here. Sure, it's convenient for hunting monsters, but does he really need to stay in a place like this?"
"Even if he lived in the house we bought for him, he could still come here whenever he wanted."
Fubuki rested one hand against the car window, her expression calm and unchanged.
"Mr. Luo Yu has always been mysterious. He probably has his own reasons," she said lightly.
"Besides, there are fewer people here. Even if he eliminates monsters, it's less likely to draw attention."
"He probably doesn't want fame and chose to live quietly."
Lily immediately shot her a meaningful look.
"Miss Fubuki, that won't do. You haven't even taken him down yet, and you're already speaking up for him. At this rate, won't you lose control the moment you see him?"
Fubuki raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased.
"Lily, since when did you get so bold? You even dare tease me now?"
"What do you mean 'lose control'? Your thinking is the problem here."
Lily hurriedly apologized, nodding again and again.
"Yes, yes, you're right, Miss. Of course you wouldn't lose control—Mr. Luo Yu would be the one who can't hold himself back."
"After all, you look absolutely stunning today. Even my heart's beating faster. If he sees you like this, he probably won't even be able to walk straight."
Today, Fubuki was wearing a white chiffon crop top and a pale yellow long skirt.
The breeze lifted her jet-black short hair gently, giving her a fresh and elegant charm that was hard to describe.
But despite Lily's praise, Fubuki didn't look particularly pleased.
"If I really had that much charm, he would've fallen at my feet long ago," she muttered.
"But I've never once seen that look in his eyes—the kind of fascination men usually have."
"And when we invited him to the beach before, he barely reacted at all. Do you think… there's something wrong with him?"
Lily's eyes widened, and she instinctively slowed the car.
"Th-that… it's hard to say. But he does cook for you, doesn't he? Maybe he's just really pure-minded?"
"People that simple are rare these days. And simple usually means loyal—he's practically a premium-quality man."
The car gradually came to a stop.
Looking outside, an apartment building came into view.
This was Luo Yu's new residence.
With her last worries eased, Fubuki stepped out of the car with a gentle smile.
"Wait for me here. I shouldn't be long—I'll be back down soon."
Lily's smile turned slightly sly.
"No trouble at all. Actually, it'd be better if you stayed longer. Don't be polite—stay as long as you like. I'll wait right here."
Fubuki immediately shot her a suspicious look.
"What, I'm just going in for a meal. What nonsense are you thinking about now?"
"Honestly, Lily, you've really opened my eyes these past few days. I didn't realize you were that kind of person."
Lily instantly backed down, laughing awkwardly.
"Of course not! I just wish you success, that's all. I really didn't think anything else."
"Go on up quickly—you said you still had to head back later, right?"
That reminded Fubuki of something. She waved goodbye.
"Right, I shouldn't stay too long. I'll head up now."
Even though she didn't quite understand why Fubuki was so conscious of time, Lily still waved back, watching her enter the apartment building.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Fubuki's cheeks were faintly flushed as she waited expectantly, tidying her hair—though she'd already fixed it countless times.
Creak.
The door opened.
The moment that familiar handsome face came into view, her heartbeat suddenly sped up.
Afraid her embarrassment would show, she quickly lowered her head, staring intently at the floor as if she'd discovered something fascinating there.
Because of that, when Luo Yu opened the door, his gaze followed hers downward.
Delicate feet.
Slender, beautiful legs.
The kind you could admire for years.
But Luo Yu had long since used a Calming Talisman on himself. Not a single inappropriate thought stirred.
"So it's Miss Fubuki," he said casually. "But what are you looking at? Those rope-style stockings are pretty unique. Are they too tight?"
"Huh?"
Being suddenly questioned about her stockings, Fubuki's mind went completely blank.
When she came back to her senses, she sneakily glanced up at Luo Yu, her face burning.
"N-no, they're not tight. I was just… looking around."
"Um, is dinner ready?"
As she spoke, she took a bead out of her pocket.
"By the way, everyone worked really hard today. We took down seven Tiger-level monsters and ten Wolf-level ones. They're all stored in the Devouring Void Pearl."
(Even Infinite Kelp could kill A-rank heroes—things aren't that simple.)
Luo Yu looked calm on the surface, but inside he was delighted.
Nine thousand energy points.
Combined with the seventy thousand he'd accumulated over the past week, plus thirty thousand from the giant—
It was finally enough to unlock the next Eight Extraordinary Techniques.
"Dinner's ready. Come in first," Luo Yu said. "But I should warn you—there'll be another guest later. Don't be too surprised."
"A-another guest?" Fubuki froze for a moment, then unconsciously frowned.
"You have friends? Is it someone you just met? A man or a woman?"
Luo Yu looked at her, puzzled.
"I only met them not long ago. But does it really matter whether it's a man or a woman?"
"Why are you asking so many questions? You'll see soon enough."
Logically, that made sense—but Fubuki still felt inexplicably tense.
After all, a man that outstanding—even if he tried to hide his brilliance—was bound to shine sooner or later.
Just because his social circle used to be limited to the Blizzard Group didn't mean it always would be.
She could already feel it: Luo Yu was growing stronger by the day.
Like a rising star that would eventually draw countless eyes.
Trying to keep him locked away forever was nothing but a fool's dream.
What worried her more was—
What if a woman tried to get close to him?
…Or worse.
What if a man did?
Either way, it made her uneasy.
Still, she couldn't show it on her face.
"Nothing like that. I'm just curious," she said calmly.
"We've worked together for so long, but I've never seen you with any other friends."
"If you just met them recently, they must be someone special."
The two of them walked inside together.
Hearing her speculation, Luo Yu felt a slight headache coming on.
Women's intuition was terrifyingly sharp.
This building was, in fact, the apartment where Saitama lived.
He should've come earlier, but back then his strength was still limited—and Z-City was the Monster Association's base. It was too dangerous to move carelessly.
As for Saitama… the man had apparently never eaten real good food in his life.
One taste of Luo Yu's cooking, and he'd been completely conquered.
Just like that, Saitama had turned into Luo Yu's ultimate energy-farming ace.
Even Luo Yu himself hadn't expected it to be so easy.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't even a formal partnership—he'd just given Saitama a Devouring Void Pearl to store monsters.
But Fubuki might easily overthink things.
And that was exactly what Luo Yu didn't want.
After all, he'd agreed to cooperate only with the Blizzard Group.
A promise was a promise—at least on the surface, it had to be maintained.
Things had been working smoothly so far.
Switching partners now would mean rebuilding trust from scratch.
And that would be a real hassle.
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