Faced with Kiana's "outrageous claim," Shu looked up, glanced at himself, then at the righteously indignant Kiana before him. He pointed the hand still holding a vegetable at her, then back at himself.
His body language perfectly conveyed Shu's bewilderment and confusion. Although Shu didn't speak, anyone could see just how baffled he was.
Only Kiana couldn't.
"Are you sure?" Shu asked back concisely, his tone clearly saying, "Are you serious?"
This time, Kiana understood. She nodded heavily, then started spouting her "crooked logic."
"If I can't eat your cooking, then I'll forget your taste. If I forget your taste, then in the future, I won't be able to tell which dish you made, which means I can't find you.
"If this continues, won't I eventually not recognize you anymore?"
Shu fell silent. After a long pause, he slowly put down the vegetable in his hand.
"Do you think I'm going to appear on the dining table as one of your dishes, or do you think you're doing a blind taste test to choose a consort?" Shu said expressionlessly.
"Huh?" This time, it was Kiana's turn to be baffled. "Wait, what consort choosing?"
"I mean..." Shu's fist clenched. He walked up to Kiana, dragging out his words, slowly squeezing out his question.
"Since you're already familiar with your body, then hurry up and help!" Shu raised his hand and unceremoniously brought down a knuckle chop towards... empty air.
The moment Shu raised his hand, Kiana had already expertly ducked, covering her head. Clearly, she had dodged this kind of chop quite a few times before.
"Heehee... Just kidding..." Both the provocation and the beauty trap had failed. Kiana stuck her tongue out at Shu, then stood up rather disappointedly and caught the Chinese cabbage Shu tossed over.
Logically, the cabbage should have been crushed or even exploded upon contact, but now it lay perfectly intact in Kiana's arms.
It had to be said, Kiana's talent in this area was truly high, almost unbelievably so.
Being able to quickly familiarize herself with her "new body" just through various micro-movements was something Shu wouldn't even dare to dream of.
His body after each reincarnation was basically identical to the original, yet just a slight decline in physique could make Shu feel dizzy and faint, almost like dying on the spot.
"All day long, just thinking about slacking off. With this much effort and brainpower, why not quickly test how much you've actually mastered?" Shu muttered under his breath while taking out the kitchen sets from under the cart and setting them up.
Kiana held the cabbage and watched Shu's actions nearby, letting his muttering pass through her mind without leaving a trace.
This was the Shu she was familiar with! The one who put on a stiff face and posed was just too hard to approach!
"Shu, you sound like a nagging mom..." That's what she thought, but what came out of her mouth was something else entirely.
Shu's body suddenly trembled. Then, he stopped his actions and turned around to leave without a word.
"Hey! Shu! I was wrong!" Kiana performed a lightning-fast knee-slide [immediate apology/begging], holding the cabbage with one arm and directly wrapping the other around Shu's calf, using her body weight as his shackle.
Shu's eyes widened. He looked down at Kiana, who was once again making big, blinking eyes at him, completely unfazed by this tactic. "I'll go find someone less naggy to train you. I think Otto would be great."
What! That demon!!
Kiana paled in fright. The hand holding Shu tightened its grip instinctively.
Under no circumstances can that guy Otto be allowed near! He's a demon! If I fall into his hands, I really won't get anything to eat!
Maybe tonight's supper, or even tomorrow's breakfast!!
Kiana could already see herself, starved skin and bones, being held by a late-arriving Mei. She struggles to say her last words to Mei but lacks the strength after starving for three whole meals, ultimately dying with regret in the western wind!
---||---
"Kiana! I'm late... How are you feeling now?"* The imaginary Mei anxiously looks at Kiana lying on her lap.
"I..." Kiana reaches out, her slender bones clearly visible, her dry, wrinkled skin loosely draped over them.
"Kiana... If there's anything else you want to say, just say it all!" Mei cries out to Kiana.
"I—!" Kiana sees herself struggling, but with no food in her stomach and no air in her chest, she ultimately makes a hiccup-like pause, lets out an "urgh" sound, sticks out her tongue, tilts her head, and collapses.
"Kiana— No—!" Amidst falling snow and howling north winds, Mei cries out to the heavens in grief.
---||---
That kind of thing, nooooo!!
"Scrape—!" Shu forcefully dragged Kiana, along with the armor on her body which was no lighter than her, one step forward, then turned back helplessly.
"Shu, I was really wrong." Lowering her head, Kiana blinked her big eyes even faster than Shu, apologizing with utmost sincerity.
The words on the tip of his tongue were immediately swallowed back.
Shu's eye twitched.
"Who taught you this move?" Shu asked resignedly.
"Like it? I can blink a couple more times," Kiana said, actually blinking rapidly at Shu twice.
"Slap—!" Shu facepalmed speechlessly and sighed deeply. Kiana's apologies still lingered persistently in his ears.
"Shu, I was wrong, I was really wrong, I'll reflect, I confess, I have an eight hundred... uh, eighty-word self-criticism letter to read to you—"
"Ah! My respected, great, amazing Captain Shu, whose cooking is super delicious and can make the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast!! Your humble team member Kiana has already realized her mistake..."
"Stop!" Shu couldn't take it anymore. Indeed, sometimes you only discover someone's hidden side once you get familiar with them.
"Shu, I was really wrong," Before Shu could catch his breath, Kiana grabbed his pant leg with one hand, scooted up a bit more, and added again. "Forgive me?"
No, you're not wrong! It's all my fault!
I was naive enough to think Mei was soft-hearted and would give up on punishing you if you just whined a little.
Is this 'a little'? Is this 'whining a little'?
He was wrong. He was terribly wrong.
This is a repeat offender! This is a long-practiced repeat offender!!
Look at this smooth little combo...
"Fine... Let go first, I forgive you..."
Shu took one last look at Kiana's blinking and said through gritted teeth.
"Rearry?" Kiana continued blinking.
"Really..." Shu secretly clenched his fists behind his back.
"Rearry Rearry?" Kiana was still blinking.
"..." Shu didn't play along with the repetitive words; instead, his gaze grew increasingly unfriendly.
"Okay," Kiana keenly sensed the danger, stood up, created distance, patted off dust, and gave a silly smile, all in one smooth motion.
Otto, having just returned to the office and pulled up the surveillance feed: "…"
He silently turned his head to look at Kallen, who had followed him back.
"Don't look at me, I would never do that..." Kallen guiltily averted her gaze.