Ye Qingfeng gritted his teeth and bit the tip of his tongue. The sharp sting jolted him back to his senses. He sat up abruptly and shoved the person in front of him with both hands.
The sudden push caught the other completely off guard, sending them stumbling backward.
Seizing the opening, Ye Qingfeng scrambled to his feet, his gaze wary as he sized up his assailant.
He watched as the person's hands lightly brushed the ground, their waist twisting with fluid grace. Their body carved a sleek arc through the air, two slender tails flowing like ribbons, swaying and dancing with the motion.
They moved like a ballet dancer mid-performance, an almost mesmerizing blend of agility and beauty.
[Ding! New conquest target available: Nekomiya Mana. Initial Favorability: 10%]
[Animal Charisma grants host an initial 10% favorability from Feline-type Thiren's.]
By the faint light, Ye Qingfeng finally got a clear look at the person before him.
A cute girl with wheat-colored skin, dressed mostly in red and black, standing around 148 centimeters tall—definitely on the petite side.
Most striking were the pair of upright cat ears on her head and the two tails swishing behind her—undeniable proof she was a Cat-type thiren.
Ye Qingfeng raised his arm and wiped his neck with his sleeve, his eyes locked on the girl. "Have you no shame?!"
"I… I don't know what came over me either…" Nekomiya mumbled, hanging her head. Then she suddenly looked up, her eyes blazing with raw intensity. "But you smell amazing!!"
Huh? Wait, I think I get it now!
Nekomiya dropped into a crouch, hands on the ground, poised to spring. She pushed off hard, lunging straight for Ye Qingfeng.
A cold sweat broke out on Ye Qingfeng's forehead as he sidestepped her charge. 'System! Turn off Animal Charisma!!'
[Ding! Animal Charisma deactivated.]
Instantly, the haze cleared from Nekomiya's eyes. She turned slowly, staring at Ye Qingfeng in confusion.
At the same time, flashes of what had just happened replayed in her mind. Her face flushed a brilliant red. "You… what did you do to me?!"
"I'm the one who got attacked! Why are you asking me?!"
Only then did the full weight of the situation hit Nekomiya. The anger that had flickered to life died just as quickly, but the blush on her cheeks didn't fade. If anything, it deepened.
She stole a few glances at Ye Qingfeng. Just going by looks, he was already very handsome, but…
He still smells so good >3<
Even though the scent was much fainter now, she couldn't shake the memory of that intoxicating fragrance from earlier.
[Ding! Nekomiya's favorability has increased by 5%. Current favorability: 15%]
Almost without thinking, Nekomiya drifted closer to Ye Qingfeng, circling him, pausing now and then to take a delicate sniff.
Meow! He's got another cat's scent on him! Cheating cat!!
Her pupils narrowed into sharp, vertical slits.
Ye Qingfeng tensed as Nekomiya closed in, half-expecting another pounce. He instinctively took two steps back before steadying himself, seeing no outright hostility from her.
But her following actions made him freeze.
Nekomiya dropped to all fours, her fluffy tail swishing back and forth in a slow, hypnotic arc. With the fluid grace of her feline nature, she began to circle him, her body brushing intimately against his legs with each pass. The soft, velvety texture of her cat ears twitched with interest as she tilted her head, rubbing her cheek against his thigh, a deep, rumbling purr vibrating from her chest and through his entire body.
"What are you doing now?!" he asked, voice low.
Nekomiya jolted back to reality, leaping away with a face full of embarrassment. She bowed deeply to Ye Qingfeng, her tongue tripping over the apology:
"S-sorry! I… I'll take responsibility!!"
!!!
Ye Qingfeng's first thought was that Animal Charisma was still active, but he'd turned it off, hadn't he? Was this Cat Thiren named Nekomiya just naturally… like this?
He still wanted to blame the skill. The idea that a girl might genuinely be interested in him simply didn't compute.
Aside from being decent-looking, what else did he have?
You think a girl would fall head over heels just for a face?
Well, didn't I have this same face before I crossed over? How come I went nineteen years without a girlfriend?
He'd once asked a self-proclaimed "love guru" online about this very thing.
The answer was brutally simple:
Of course it's because you have no money! What else? You think a pretty face alone makes you some storybook protagonist girls will chase?
Let's just say, money plus any other trait is a killer combo.
While Ye Qingfeng didn't swallow that whole, it left a mark: if a girl suddenly shows you interest, it's one thing if she wants your heart, but what if she's after the wallet in your pocket?
You'd end up losing both.
It's like if someone offers you food out of the blue, you might worry it's spiked. But if you ask for it yourself, even if they hand it over reluctantly, it's probably safe.
Same logic—when favor comes too easily, you can't be sure it's real.
Of course, Ye Qingfeng didn't realize this logic wasn't absolute, especially not in this new world. Just because it never happened before doesn't mean it can't happen now. And he had a system now!
"W-wait! It was partly my fault too! I don't blame you!" Ye Qingfeng backpedaled quickly, his tone softening. "How about we just call it even? Maybe we should both head home?"
At the same time, he grilled the system, 'What's the deal with Animal Charisma? Is there some kind of lingering effect?'
[No! It's completely off! Can you stop asking me about every little thing? I'm a system, not an encyclopedia!]
So fierce… Using such a young voice to sound so harsh…
"I don't have a home to go back to anymore…"
The thought of the Red Fang Gang's current state washed over Nekomiya, a sour ache swelling in her chest. Her eyes dropped, her clenched fists slowly loosening. Her voice was calm, but carried a hollow weight.
"I…"
Ye Qingfeng looked at Nekomiya, his mouth slightly open. He could tell—this kind of emptiness couldn't be faked.
His right hand twitched, as if trying to bypass his brain and slap himself across the face. I'm the worst.
"What's your name?"
Ye Qingfeng took a steadying breath and bent to gather a few of the scattered cans.
"Nekomiya Mana…" Nekomiya hesitated, then finished quietly, "Just Nekomiya is fine."
Gurgle—
Right on cue, her stomach, empty all day, let out a soft, pleading groan.
In the silence of the alley, the sound was unmistakable. The blush that had just begun to fade came roaring back, painting her cheeks and burning the tips of her ears.
Ah…! Just let me disappear… But I'm so hungry! Should I run? Or maybe…?
"These were for that little cat from before. Since it ran off, you can have them. Mackerel." Ye Qingfeng held out two cans to Nekomiya with a sincere smile. "I only meant to buy one, but the store had a 'buy two, get one free' thing going."
"Um… are you sure?"
Nekomiya's eyes sparkled at the mackerel. Her drooping ears instantly perked up—something she didn't even notice. She was dying to devour the fish right then, but shame held her back from taking something freely offered.
"Of course. Go ahead and eat. Being hungry is the worst."
Ye Qingfeng simply stepped forward and placed the two cans directly into Nekomiya's hands.
"Thank you… thank you so much!"
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