Chapter 17: 017
The interior of Zefaer’s home was decorated in a cold palette of white and gray. The rooms were impeccably organized, giving off a chilly, orderly vibe.
After entering Zefaer’s home, Zhu Ran handed the Daisy tea to him.
“I made some dried flower tea. I wanted to give some to you and Officer Xiuna to try. If possible, I’d love to hear your feedback.”
“Just steep it in boiling water for three minutes and it’s ready to drink.”
Zhu Ran had set aside half of the dried flowers, about twenty blossoms in total.
Once dried, the red-centered white flowers appeared somewhat withered, but their forms remained perfectly intact. It was evident they had been nurtured with great care before the drying process.
Zefaer accepted them and placed them on the table.
“Alright.”
Zhu Ran said, “Then I’ll be—”
“Stay for lunch,” Zefaer interrupted. “Xiuna ordered an extra portion.”
Zhu Ran originally wanted to refuse. However, realizing he hadn’t eaten lunch yet and not wanting to waste Xiuna’s kindness, he nodded.
The two sat opposite each other at the open bar in the kitchen. A household robot placed the exquisitely packaged dishes before them. Zhu Ran glanced at the business card tucked into the lunch box, which listed today’s menu:
- Guzi Hot-Fried Mutated Beast Meat
- Scalded Broccoli
- Sour and Spicy Potato Shreds
- Kelp and Mutated Beast Rib Soup
Except for the Fried Mutated Beast Meat, these were all foods Zhu Ran recognized.
“Then, I’ll dig in.”
Zhu Ran picked up his chopsticks and ate seriously, one bite at a time.
Interstellar ingredients, having undergone special processing, lacked some of their original natural flavors and relied more on seasoning. These dishes weren’t quite as tasty as those from before the apocalypse; Zhu Ran wasn’t entirely used to them, but he wouldn’t waste food. He picked up his pace, chewing and swallowing steadily.
Zhu Ran then picked up a piece of the interstellar specialty—Guzi Hot-Fried Mutated Beast Meat.
The heavily seasoned meat was spicy, numbing, and fragrant. Although the meat’s original flavor was masked, the bold seasoning stimulated his taste buds and appetite the moment it entered his mouth. Even by post-apocalyptic standards, this dish would be considered stunning.
“This dish is delicious. Cough…”
As he ate, Zhu Ran coughed twice. The spicy heat dancing on the tip of his tongue and in his throat choked him uncomfortably.
Zhu Ran’s original body had a high spice tolerance. When it was cold in the wild, he could eat dried chili peppers directly to ward off the chill without batting an eye. However, after switching to this body, it seemed he couldn’t handle spice at all. After just one bite, he was already breaking out in a sweat.
“So spicy…”
Because it was too hot, the tip of Zhu Ran’s nose and the corners of his eyes turned red, and sweat beaded on his forehead.
Seeing this, Zefaer poured a glass of ice water for Zhu Ran. Zhu Ran said “thank you” and cradled the glass, drinking it down. It wasn’t until the glass was nearly empty that he began to feel better.
“This is mutated beast meat. The energy contained within is beneficial for the spiritual sea. The spicy seasoning is meant to cover the meat’s bitterness,” Zefaer explained, his gaze lingering on Zhu Ran’s flushed face without moving.
His eyes darkened.
He captured a faint fragrance—subtle, yet intoxicating. His fingertips, gripping his chopsticks, turned pale from the force.
Still immersed in the spicy heat, Zhu Ran was completely oblivious to Zefaer’s change.
“So that’s why. It’s very good, just a bit too spicy. But I can still eat it.”
With that, Zhu Ran took a bite of meat and a sip of ice water until he had finished all the Guzi Hot-Fried Meat. He naturally finished the other dishes as well, but it was clear that his favorite was the dish that had choked him.
Eating mutated beast meat for the first time, Zhu Ran soon felt a surge of warm energy nourishing his tattered spiritual sea, filling the fissures within. Although it was a far cry from fully repairing it, it was better than nothing.
It turns out eating mutated beast meat really can promote the repair of the spiritual sea.
It seems I should consider eating more of it to speed up the recovery process, Zhu Ran thought.
By now, his lips were very red and slightly swollen. Zefaer’s gaze rested on Zhu Ran’s lips for a moment before he turned to hand him a glass of iced fruit milk to soothe the spice.
“Thank you.”
Zhu Ran took small sips of the iced fruit milk, and the burning sensation gradually subsided. His emerald eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction, his expression one of pleasure and laziness.
He looked completely unguarded.
The pleasant fragrance and the warmth from the food imbued the room with a cozy, ambiguous atmosphere, making the cold-toned house feel warm and bright.
Zhu Ran looked up, a faint smile on his face. “By the way, Officer Vier, would you like to try the Daisy tea?”
Zefaer looked away, forcing himself to move his gaze from Zhu Ran’s face. However… that fragrance lingering around the youth wound around his thoughts like a soft feather, throwing his mind into a mess.
Zefaer refused, his voice sounding deeper than usual. “No need. I have things to do.”
He walked to the door, picked up his jacket, and threw it on. “Let’s go. I’ll drop you home. It’s on the way.”
Zhu Ran was used to Zefaer’s decisive personality, so he nimbly hopped into Zefaer’s hovercar. The two were silent all the way to Zhu Ran’s residence.
Before Zhu Ran left, he offered a polite pleasantry: “Officer, you look a bit tired today. You should pay more attention to your rest.”
“And thank you and Officer Xiuna for the lunch. Goodbye.”
Zefaer nodded. “Mm.”
After watching Zhu Ran enter the building, Zefaer turned and drove away. His mind kept flashing back to the youth’s reddened eyes, his bright red lips, and that irresistible, alluring scent. Even with his disguise on, one could see his gaze deepening—like an unknown, endless, and mysterious abyss.
Now, both Zefaer’s hovercar and his home were stained with Zhu Ran’s unique woody fragrance, carrying a hint of sweetness.
For S-rank Awakeners, due to their sensitive senses, any excessive scent would usually cause discomfort. Zefaer could hardly stand even a bit of synthetic fragrance; smelling it would make him extremely irritable.
And yet… this scent on Zhu Ran didn’t bother him at all. Instead, it made him obsessed, dragging him in deep.
His slender fingers tightened within his black leather gloves.
Zefaer’s violent spiritual sea, which had just calmed down a few hours ago, was beginning to stir again, dark currents surging. Only this time, it wasn’t because of ruthless, bloodthirsty emotions.
It was because of… Zhu Ran.
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