Starting from the Collapse World, I became the behind-the-scenes boss

"It's okay, I don't have anything to do here anyway," Shihen said with a smile. "Dinner won't be ready for a while, so if you're hungry, you can go to the refrigerator and get something to eat."

Anyway, I'm the only one at home now, so I can be pretty casual.

"Hmm..." Kiana responded softly, then as if suddenly realizing something, she strode across the living room to the kitchen. "Then I'll help too."

She had already eaten and slept for free, so how could she bear to watch Shihen work hard while she just waited on the sidelines?

Upon hearing the girl's words, Shihen's expression changed slightly.

One of the three great taboos in the Honkai world is that no one with the surname Kaslana should ever be allowed into the kitchen!

"No need, I'll be done in a minute. You're a guest, and there's no tradition of keeping guests busy in China!"

Shihen's tone was resolute.

He didn't want to rebuild the kitchen, and he certainly didn't want to end up in the hospital.

The curse borne by the Kaslana clan is something that ordinary people cannot bear.

"Hmm... alright." Seeing the boy's firm attitude, Kiana bit her lip and could only give up the idea helplessly, but still leaned against the kitchen doorway. "Then I'll take a look. Just tell me if there's anything I need to do."

She still couldn't bring herself to wait leisurely by herself.

"Well, I will."

Shihen responded softly, then silently quickened the pace of his subordinates' movements.

Who knows when Kiana might change her mind? He didn't want the kitchen to be blown up.

"Hey? I didn't realize you were so good at cooking."

Kiana was amazed by the boy's incredibly skillful movements.

What she found most incredible was that even though the boy's right hand was wrapped in bandages all the way to the base of his fingers, not a single drop of water got on it when he washed and picked vegetables.

How long have they been practicing?!

"You'll naturally learn it when you're alone a lot."

Time Trace answered.

Kiana: "..."

She's lived alone for quite a long time, so why can't she learn to be independent?

Thinking about how she always encountered some kind of accident when cooking, the girl couldn't help but shed bitter tears.

Doesn't your sister cook?

After thinking for a moment, Kiana asked.

"She rarely stays at home, maybe only a few days a month, so I'm the one who cooks most of the time."

Explanation of time marks.

Although this is also part of the character's backstory, Raven's cooking skills are indeed not very good; back in Siberia, he was usually the one doing the cooking.

Even if ash is produced when innovating in cooking, Shihen is still reliable for normal cooking.

"That's it..."

Kiana's tone became somewhat dejected.

She felt as if she had reopened old wounds.

"It's okay. Everyone has their own way of getting along, and I think it's quite nice this way."

Shihen comforted him.

Kiana during this period was still somewhat carefree, but she seemed to be much more thoughtful than she was during her St. Freya period.

Given her surroundings, the young woman had no reason to relax or be carefree.

"Ah."

Hearing the boy's words and seeing the calm and serene smile on his face, Kiana's mood immediately improved, and a smile returned to her face.

Before long, several dishes were stir-fried, and with a pot of chicken soup that had been stewing for a long time, a rich aroma immediately wafted out.

Wow! It looks so delicious!

Kiana's gaze swept over several plates of delicious-looking dishes, but finally settled on the pot of golden chicken soup. Her eyes almost sparkled with tears, and tears welled up in her eyes.

During her long journey, good food was one of the few things she could enjoy.

"In that case, Miss Kiana, please experience it for yourself."

Shihen smiled and served the girl a full bowl of chicken soup.

He was quite confident in his culinary skills.

After all, he'll still have to compete with the Herrscher of Food in the future.

Sorry, Raiden Mei, I'll accept Kiana's first time (referring to a friend cooking for her) without hesitation.

Watching the white fluffy ball of food devour its meal, Shihen's lips slowly curled into a smile.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Chinese Tradition

After finishing dinner, Kiana rested for a while and then left.

Despite living a rather frugal life and being rather thick-skinned, Kiana simply couldn't bring herself to stay overnight at the home of a male friend she had only recently met.

Since it concerned their reputations, Kiana still retained some girlish reserve, though not much.

Seeing the girl's serious and earnest expression, Shihen didn't try to stop her.

Maintaining an appropriate distance is the proper respect for young girls.

Even though he had already made up his mind to become Kiana's best friend, Shihen understood the importance of taking things one step at a time.

Pushing their relationship too fast would only make him seem like he had ulterior motives, and even Kiana, with her strong heart, might not be able to see through his schemes.

But as a professional behind-the-scenes boss, leaving no loopholes is the most basic quality, just like the photo of the AI ​​chorus placed in the room where Kiana slept.

No matter who investigates the authenticity of that photo in the future, the result will be that it is true. The director of that orphanage can even recount a bunch of past events to prove that Shihen was well-rounded in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education from a young age.

This is called a professional.

So, after seeing Kiana off downstairs and out of the residential area, and even encountering a lot of teasing from the neighbors along the way, Shihen parted ways with the girl and made a promise to meet again the next day.

According to previous email exchanges, Kiana would stay in Jinguan for three days, but now it's only been one day.

They both have plenty of time.

After watching Kiana's figure disappear around the street corner with her bulging backpack, Shihen leisurely turned back.

"You really care about this girl."

As soon as the door was opened, a soft voice rang out, and a gray-haired woman with a youthful appearance but a rather voluptuous figure was sitting on the sofa.

"Don't you think Kiana is cute, Natasha?"

As he closed the door and changed into his slippers, Shihen asked with a smile.

"That girl was indeed very beautiful, but..."

Recalling the appearance of the white-haired girl, Raven nodded slightly, still looking at the boy with a hint of suspicion in her eyes.

She didn't think Shihen would be attracted by mere appearance.

"That's enough."

Shihen smiled and said firmly.

Even without her Herrscher identity, Kiana's appearance is attractive enough.

Well, at least it can resolve most people's doubts and make them believe that Shihen's concern for the girl is understandable.

"is it?"

The raven was still somewhat skeptical.

She didn't think Shihen would neglect his mission just because he liked a girl.

According to the plan, the boy should have already traveled to North America to begin his undercover mission against entropy.

However, due to the appearance of a girl, Shihen had to postpone the mission for several days.

Although World Serpent's plan was designed to tolerate such unexpected events, Raven still didn't believe that something like this would happen to Shihen, even though the boy had never really paid much attention to the organization's rules.

Her intuition, honed from years of walking in the shadows, told her that there must be another reason behind the time marks.

"That's really all there is to it."

Shihen felt somewhat helpless.

From Raven's perspective, who had already left the World Serpent and could only obtain limited information through his channels, the boy had postponed his undercover mission because of a girl.

But in Shihen's own mind, spending time with Kiana was far more important than becoming Welt.

There are many other options available to Anti-Entropy, but Kiana's window of opportunity is very short, and frequently appearing in front of the girl will only attract attention from others.

It's fair to say that Shihen's current identity was primarily created for Kiana's sake.

Entropy and Walter are merely byproducts of this identity.

He would even give his life for Kiana if necessary.

After all, sit-ups are an essential skill for becoming Walter.

"Alright, I'll believe you this time." Raven nodded reluctantly. "If Peggy knew what happened here, she'd probably cry."

The Siberian girl tried everything to catch Shihen's eye, but was immediately thrown into Cocolia's orphanage by the boy.

This Kiana was just a chance encounter, but it was worth Shihen putting aside his current tasks and setting aside three days for her.

Peggy will be strong.

Shihen shrugged.

Given that girl's Honkai energy adaptability, which far exceeds that of ordinary people, she might become a good pawn in the future.

But... this is only a possibility.

Shihen had many other options in his plan, and he wasn't fixated on the other person.

Peggy was merely a pawn in his game.

Whether it succeeds or fails, Shihen doesn't care.

"You..."

Seeing the boy's nonchalant attitude, Raven couldn't help but shake his head.

"By the way, how long does Natasha plan to stay here?"

Shihen asked.

Theoretically speaking, Raven is already a former employee of World Serpent and should not have any further involvement with the organization.

If it weren't for his personal request, the other party wouldn't be here.

"Whatever, I'm just an unemployed bum anyway."

Sinking into the sofa, Raven said with an indifferent expression.

She has worked for World Snake for twelve years and has accumulated considerable wealth.

If she doesn't buy things like island villas, this is enough for her to live on for a lifetime with money to spare.

"Has Sister Natasha given up being a mercenary?"

Shihen was somewhat surprised.

Mercenaries and World Serpent executives are not entirely the same thing; Raven can still act under the name of the mercenary "Raven".

"I'm too lazy to do it anymore. Those people pay too little and have too many demands."

Without even opening its eyes, the raven said with a look of disgust.

Compared to World Snake, the other employers are all incredibly stingy.

Shi Hen: “…”