The TV was blaring, and loud laughter echoed from the chess and card room. Just from the noise, it was clear that Himeko had lost again. She had one foot up on the chair and was lazily sipping from her beer bottle, her head tilted back.
"Come on, I can't believe the three of us can't beat her!"
"Can I go throw up first? I can't take it anymore."
"Sudu was just dozing off. Kevin, you're such a loser."
"But I lose every time!"
These four idiots are so noisy—doesn't anyone ever step in to help?
Ryan swallowed hard and noticed that Griseo had been taken away by Ato. Someone was covering her eyes, but Griseo seemed quite amused by the whole scene.
There was an unexpected turn of events in the plan, and it needed immediate revision.
Ryan mind worked quickly as his eyes scanned the room, taking it all in.
Mei had sent Kevin to the bathroom, Klein had passed out after drinking several cans of beer, and Vil-V had disappeared the moment she entered the house. The kitchen? There were some fruit peels on the chopping board, and Elysia was holding a knife in her hand. Her eyes...
Good, you pink fat bitch, you're getting back at me already.
Ryan gritted his teeth and immediately pinpointed who was behind this. Within moments of hesitation, he found a breakthrough.
He opened his mouth and took the orange from Hua's hand before she could react. Then, when Mobius shot him a sharp look, he snatched hers as well.
So sour.
The acidity made his teeth ache a bit, but Ryan confirmed again that Elysia was playing a prank on him. Then, he adopted the same awareness he used in battle with the Herrscher and grabbed the plate before Hua could respond.
Feel the pain, then rise above it.
Ryan froze for a second, but quickly composed himself, clenched his teeth, and stuffed the remaining three oranges into his mouth. His cheeks puffed out as he chewed with a neutral expression.
"Delicious, delicious."
Ato was momentarily stunned by this move. He thought to himself, Ryan is truly a hero. He found a way to survive in such a chaotic situation, launched a preemptive strike, seized the weapons, and turned the situation from passive to active. Brilliant, simply brilliant.
"Dad, why doesn't Uncle look happy?" Griseo asked, removing the hand from her eyes, clearly confused.
"You don't understand. Uncle is fighting."
Ryan wasn't sure who he was fighting. He just looked at Hua, who seemed frozen in shock, and then at Mobius, whose eyes were twitching. Ignoring the sour taste in his mouth, he felt a slight sense of pride.
You still don't know how to handle me. You just want to sow discord between us. What's your next trick?
Mobius grinned. She didn't expect him to be so cruel to her. The sourness in the air gave her goosebumps.
By the way, why should I be fighting with this wooden plank?
The thought was immediately silenced. There was no reason, just the fact that she didn't like seeing the two of them together.
Her genius mind kicked into gear, but she didn't notice that Hua had gotten up and left.
I've confiscated your tools. With so many people watching, I don't believe you'll dare to act.
Ryan was feeling triumphant when he saw Hua return, still holding a plate with three green oranges.
"Brother, since you like them so much, you can have more."
Ryan was speechless. He turned his head slowly, carefully studying Hua's expression. She remained serious, her face devoid of any pretense, reminding him of an old saying:
Push it to the extreme, and it turns naturally black.
"Brother, what's wrong with you? Let me feed you."
"Wait, let me do it. No, let's do it together," Mobius suddenly leaned forward, dropping her previous animosity. She just wanted to teach him a lesson.
Hua immediately frowned, but she subconsciously thought of Mobius as Ryan's superior and felt obliged to give her some space, handing the plate over.
Unexpectedly, a hand suddenly pressed down on the plate and took out the green tangerines.
"Brother?"
"I can't eat anymore, Sakura, do you want some oranges?" He asked, tossing the plate to her.
Sakura, who had been torturing Su by making him lie on the table, raised her hand to take the plate. She looked at the oranges in her hand with some confusion.
After playing cards for hours, she hadn't drunk any wine and was feeling thirsty. Without thinking too much, she peeled and ate a piece.
Boom.
The invincible assassin immediately collapsed onto the table.
"See? Sakura fainted from eating so many. Good things should be shared with everyone. Why don't you let your captain have a taste?" Ryan smiled softly and looked at Himeko, who was now utterly confused.
Hua felt something was off, but since it came from his senior brother, it must be correct.
"Captain, eat a piece of fruit to wake up."
Himeko glanced at Orange, then looked at Sakura lying on the table. Her mouth dropped open. "Don't come near me!!"
"Ryan, you're despicable! You're shifting the blame!" Mobius finally couldn't take it anymore and snapped.
"Despicable? Hmph, who started this first?" Ryan raised his chin, adjusted his glasses, and smiled smugly. "Don't underestimate me, Aunt Mobius."
"You win this round, but I'm not sure about the next one." Mobius said expressionlessly, pushing up her glasses.
"Bring it on, I'll make you admit defeat."
Are these two really okay? Ato was a little confused. Was this some sort of destined rivalry? And what's the point of determining who's better in such a situation?
"Childish, uncle and aunt are childish—"
Griseo couldn't help but mock them, and immediately, the two clever adults were rendered speechless.
I really have nothing better to do than to engage in this battle of wits and courage with these idiots.
Mobius rubbed her aching head, wondering why she had become so childish. She stood up, using the table for support. Her legs were numb from squatting for so long, and she glanced at Ryan, who was also reflecting on his behavior.
She remembered the last time she watched a movie at the Fifth Institute. His hands had gently massaged her shoulders, making her feel at ease. If that happened again—
No, how could I ask him?
"When everyone goes to sleep later, I'll give you a massage. It looks like you've been squatting for a while; it must be hard on you."
Mobius turned quickly, only to see Ryan fiddling with a beer bottle. But she knew it wasn't a hallucination. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Um..."
It was late, and the villa was a mess, with garbage and unfinished pizza scattered everywhere.
Kevin and his friends were the first to leave, completely drunk. They hadn't had a chance to let off steam like this since leaving school. Ryan dragged them one by one and tossed them into their rooms.
Initially, he had arranged for Mei and Kevin to share a room, but Mei said she wanted to discuss the Key of God with Vil-V, who seemed inspired.
Aren't you afraid they'll actually get together?
Ryan thought gloomily. If he sprayed Mei's perfume on Su, would Kevin lose control?
Fortunately, some jokes are best left unspoken. He thought about it and quickly dismissed the idea.
He walked to the first floor and saw another scene.
The Blanca family had gone to bed, Sakura was cleaning, and Elysia sat on the sofa, rubbing her belly with a contented smile.
Himeko was hugging Hua around the neck, pressing her down under her body, and covering Hua's face with her broad chest.
The two Girl were fast asleep, clearly drunk, most likely as revenge for the "backstab" by their subordinates.
The girl was still mumbling, "Let me go, Captain. I have something important to ask you."
Ryan looked around but didn't see Mobius. He went down the stairs.
"Ellie, why don't you help Sakura clean up? It'll help with digestion."
"I don't want to move. I feel full and want to sleep," Elysia yawned lazily.
You fell asleep right after eating. Are you a pink pig?
Ryan silently complained, then glanced at the clock. It was already past midnight. He went to the TV cabinet and pulled out a box.
"It's your time now, Ellie. Happy birthday."
Elysia immediately sat up straight, her eyes sparkling with surprise. She quickly opened the box and found a daffodil-shaped hairpin inside.
"Wow, what a beautiful gift! Ryan, you really know how to please a girl!" Elysia beamed and immediately put it on her head. Her long pink hair, paired with the pure white hairpin, gave her an ethereal beauty. She skipped to the mirror, shaking her head to admire it.
"It's so beautiful! I love it!"
"I'm glad you like it." Ryan smiled, admiring her, then coughed lightly. "For the sake of this gift, can you please stop bullying me in the future?"
"No," Elysia replied decisively, her grin widening. Seeing Ryan's constipated expression, she chuckled. "Besides, I'm not bullying you. I'm helping you."
"You almost made me jealous to death."
"Hehe, that was an accident. I was just following everyone's wishes. Knowing Ryan, if he doesn't want to, no one can force him. Sometimes, little entanglements are a kind of happiness, right?"
There's no happiness in this, but she's not wrong either.
Ryan thought for a moment. As for the little episode earlier, he only had to frown or release some of his murderous aura, and Hua would immediately retreat. Mobius would keep her distance too.
Not to mention the distant consequences, just his indifference when killing the Cocoon was enough to keep Sakura away from him.
In the end, he didn't want to wear a stern face. Fear and coercion could bring tools but not friends. While it might be uncomfortable on the surface, deep down, he didn't want to become a fighting machine.
"You're right. I can't face everyone with reason and coldness, and I don't want to spoil everyone's fun."
"Right, right, I saw that a long time ago. Kevin was right when he said you were a bit of a sulky person."
Ryan twitched his mouth, grumbling about that loudmouth. After spending years together, Kevin should have developed feelings for him. How could he be called a sulky person?
As he was thinking, Elysia suddenly stepped closer, her face inches from his, her eyes sparkling like little stars.
"W-what are you going to do?"
"Ryan, can you be more proactive? I can't hold back my girlish heart anymore. Which one do you choose: Hua or Mobius? Or do you want both? Are you that greedy?"
"Psycho." Ryan shook his head in astonishment. "We're partners and siblings. You've read too many girls' comics, haven't you?"
"It can't be wrong. Eh, could it be that I'm your target?" Elysia placed her hand on her chest, suddenly serious. "But Ryan, my heart can't hold you alone. It's unfair. Maybe you should give me more time."
Who am I, and what are you talking about?
Ryan couldn't keep up with her thoughts. He glanced at the stairs and saw Mobius, mouth wide open, as though witnessing something incredible.
He didn't care about that anymore, jumping up the stairs and shouting to Elysia, who looked puzzled:
"Don't go crazy here!"