Infinite: Dawn Game

...That fancy-looking Fuling Hotel is starving me to death!

After opening all the takeout boxes, Lu Chusheng first pushed the box containing what appeared to be dried roasted fish towards Fei Fei.

With its two front paws resting on the table, the chubby creature's eyes lit up. It quickly meowed, lowered its head, opened its mouth, and bit into a small dried fish.

Lu Chusheng didn't have a good appetite, but he looked down at the white rice in his bowl and still managed to eat two bowls.

Fatty ate heartily, even snatching food from Lu Chusheng's bowl with his bare hands (claws), as if he thought the food in other people's bowls was tastier.

Lu Chusheng followed suit.

He had just finished eating.

After finishing his meal, Lu Chusheng looked at the fat cat across from him, who was working hard to eat. The shape of the orange cat in his eyes gradually changed, eventually turning into a thin boy with his head down.

It is Yu Shijiu.

Yu Shijiu looked up at him, smiling, with a few grains of rice still clinging to the corner of her mouth.

Lu Chusheng chuckled and reached out to wipe the rice grains from the corner of the other's mouth.

"Meow!"

Then Lu Chusheng's finger was bitten.

The kind of gentle touch, the kind that doesn't even leave a tooth mark.

Lu Chusheng's heart began to pound violently.

The boy biting his finger slowly disappeared, turning into a fat orange cat that was biting his finger and making a hissing sound from its throat.

Lu Chusheng: "..."

Lu Chusheng immediately pulled his hand back, his ears turning slightly red. "Let go."

Fatty opened its mouth wide and then pouted, not quite understanding why its owner had suddenly become so strange.

Lu Chusheng withdrew his hand and quickly went into the washroom.

He bent down and turned on the tap, the rushing water washing over his palms.

Lu Chusheng slowly washed his hands, cleaning every inch between his fingers little by little, and finally walked with his wet hands to the living room's French windows.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the golden hues of the setting sun fade into the evening, beautiful rosy clouds gathering around the sun's belly as it is about to sink, the daylight passing in the blink of an eye.

Lu Chusheng watched for a while, then reached out and pushed open the tightly closed subway window.

In an instant, a scorching hot air rushed towards him, causing Lu Chusheng's skin to instantly break out in a layer of sweat.

His hands, still damp from washing, were covered in a thin layer of sweat, so Lu Chusheng subconsciously wiped them on his body.

Sweat dripped from his forehead and down his cheeks. Lu Chusheng raised his hand to wipe it away and lowered his eyes slightly.

too hot.

He pursed his lips.

It's too hot.

Lu Chusheng thought.

----------

"Plain porridge...plain porridge is quite delicious too."

Xu Han held a bowl of white porridge and repeated the instructions countless times before finally picking up the bowl in front of him and shoveling it into his mouth.

He Lingling rolled her eyes. "Is it really necessary? Brother Chen's congee is perfectly fine. Why are you acting like it's poison?"

"...You don't understand, you don't understand at all."

Xu Han, who had just finished a bowl of plain porridge, looked miserable. He sighed and groaned.

"I used to drink mostly plain congee... Now, just thinking about the taste makes my stomach feel nauseous... Oh my god, I suddenly remembered that the only thing my mom could make was plain congee..."

Xu Han was chattering away, while Yu Shijiu glanced at the only dish on the table that looked somewhat appetizing—smashed cucumber—and secretly reached for it with her chopsticks.

Then Chen Yi saw it.

"Want to eat this?"

Chen Yi asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this question, Xu Han, who had been speaking, fell silent, and He Lingling and An Jie, who was quietly drinking her porridge, also turned their gazes over.

Yu Shijiu felt a little guilty for no reason, "Well, I didn't really want to eat that much."

As he spoke, he even tried to put his chopsticks back in.

Anjie smiled, stood up, placed the plate of smashed cucumbers in front of Yu Shijiu, and said:

"Eat up. I deliberately didn't add any chili peppers for seasoning. Let's keep it light tonight. I'll have your brother Chen cook you something nicer tomorrow."

Anjie added, "The good kind of meat dish."

Chen Yi was overjoyed.

He Lingling and Xu Han couldn't help but laugh.

Yu Shijiu's face flushed slightly from the laughter, though he himself didn't know why his face was burning.

Weird.

"Can I eat it?"

Yu Shijiu asked one more question, "I thought I couldn't eat any dishes."

"can."

Chen Yi said gently, "Just eat a little. After you take your medicine tonight, get some rest. You'll feel better tomorrow morning."

He Lingling clicked her tongue and said, "Yeah, we can't eat so much cold food anymore, otherwise..."

She deliberately left her follow-up statement unclear.

Yu Shijiu knew what she wanted to say and nodded shyly.

"I know, I thought it was okay to eat so much. I just thought it tasted really good, so I ate a bit more."

He looked down and touched his still slightly weak stomach, then tilted his head back and drank a mouthful of plain porridge to warm his stomach.

Hmm, I also picked up some cucumber with my chopsticks to eat.

"..."

The atmosphere at the dinner table was very pleasant. After the meal, when Xu Han offered to wash the dishes, He Lingling stopped him.

"Alright, alright, get some rest."

He Lingling said, "Look at your face, it's as white as paper. Hurry up and wash up, take your medicine, and go to sleep. Let's see if you dare to take Shi Jiu out for a feast again."

"...I'm innocent!"

Xu Han said, feeling wronged, "I really didn't intend to eat that much at first. It's all my fault, all my fault—"

Yu Shijiu, who was sitting by the sofa, hugged a cushion and looked at him from the side.

Xu Han: "..."

He opened and closed his mouth, finally sighing, "Okay, okay, I was greedy, I ate it. I promise I won't eat it again next time, I promise I absolutely won't eat it again, okay..."

"That's pretty much it."

He Lingling, holding a bowl, met An Jie's gaze as An Jie tied on an apron.

Anjie smiled at her, tied her apron, and held out her hand: "Let me do it. You guys just came out of the dungeon and need to rest well."

Logically, Chen Yi should have rested earlier, but her cooking was really mediocre... so she didn't cook.

He Lingling exclaimed, a little embarrassed, "Let me do it, Sister An—"

"go to bed early."

Anjie said, "Your eyes are still so red. Are you sure you can see things clearly now?"

He Lingling's pupils contracted slightly, and she murmured, "Sister An..."

How could Anjie have noticed even this...?

Anjie carried the bowl into the kitchen.

Chen Yi was genuinely tired. He stretched, bent over, and rubbed his legs and arms, chuckling as he said:

"Then I'll rest first. If you still want to leave later, Shi Jiu, just let Sister An take you, okay? Sister An has plenty of free time, don't worry about her not having time."

This time, Yu Shijiu didn't refuse; instead, she obediently replied, "Okay."

"Wow!"

Xu Han exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Shi Jiu didn't refuse this time! That's awesome!"

He Lingling couldn't help but nudge his arm, saying, "You talk too much nonsense."

Yu Shijiu also smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

At that moment... he actually felt that living like this forever wouldn't be so bad.

In the kitchen, Anjie listened to the sound of running water, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up.