"How could that be?" He Xi Qian Yu lazily raised a hand and pointed to the obvious dark circles under his eyes, his voice tinged with weariness, "I stayed up late reading Teacher Takatsuki's work."
This was half-truth, half-lie; he had finished the book, but the late night was due to various troublesome matters.
"Oh?" Takatsuki Izumi put down the pen she had just used to sign Hinami's book, and the interest in her green eyes was clearly piqued.
She leaned slightly forward, her fingertip gently tapping the brand-new "black goat's egg": "That's truly an honor. So, Tsuruki-xiansheng, could you share your thoughts on this work? After all," she curved her lips into a smile, "as a creator, it's essential to know the true feedback from readers, especially… feedback from 'unique' readers like yourself."
He Xi Qian Yu's eyebrow subtly twitched.
Was he recognized?
Who told her?
He quickly ran through the possibilities in his mind. The only living people who had seen him possessed by Slaughter, besides his companions from Antique, seemed to be the survivors from the Ghoul Restaurant and that pervert Yue Shan Xi, but they shouldn't have any connection to Takatsuki Izumi.
The only possibility could be Gecko.
That guy actually survived?
A hint of surprise flickered in He Xi Qian Yu's eyes. At the clinic, because Hinami was present, he had let the injured Gecko go. But he knew that madman Mado Kureo had been monitoring outside, and the latter would never let Gecko go—that was his target to begin with.
Unless, the old man himself fell.
Tsk, he looked intimidating, but he couldn't even handle an injured half-Ghoul.
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, He Xi Qian Yu felt a hint of helplessness.
In this situation, refusing in front of everyone was clearly inappropriate.
But he wasn't Kaneki Ken, whose eyes were still sparkling with stars. For him, once the book was read and the plot remembered, it was over, nothing more.
Fortunately, by hanging out with Kaneki Ken every day and listening to his reflections and analyses, he had picked up enough to casually pull out a few lines to deal with the situation.
He cleared his throat, maintaining that slightly weary calm on his face, his gaze fixed on the book's cover as if recalling the content, but in reality, he was quickly searching his mind for Kaneki Ken's comments.
"The "black goat's egg" tells the story of a serial killer woman known as 'black goat' and her only son," He Xi Qian Yu began slowly, his tone flat and direct, "The son initially detested his mother's actions, but after repeatedly witnessing and even participating, his psychology gradually twisted, eventually becoming part of the abyss himself."
He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, but in reality, he was trying to imitate Kaneki Ken's pained tone, "…The extreme, tightly intertwined love and hate at the end truly delivered a huge impact. The story's perspective is very unique; Teacher Takatsuki must have put a lot of thought into it." The last sentence was his only genuine evaluation—on a technical level.
Takatsuki Izumi incorporated some of her own experiences into the creation of "black goat's egg"; having struggled to survive in the 24th ward, she knew better than anyone how to portray darkness and despair.
[…The book talked about these things too?…]Slaughter's voice held a hint of confusion, clearly having no impression of non-violent plots.
"Didn't we watch it together?" He Xi Qian Yu retorted in his mind, feeling a bit speechless.
[…I didn't pay attention…]Slaughter responded self-righteously, […Those killing scenes were good though…]
Takatsuki Izumi listened quietly, the smile on her face unwavering. When He Xi Qian Yu mentioned "unique perspective" and "put a lot of thought into it," a ripple appeared in the depths of her emerald eyes.
"Tsuruki-xiansheng explained it very well," Takatsuki Izumi nodded, the curve of her lips seeming to deepen slightly, "I'm very happy to have a reader like you."
She handed the signed book back to He Xi Qian Yu, her fingertips lingering for a fleeting moment on the edge of the pages: "Thank you for your support and… 'unique' insights." She emphasized the word "unique" with particular clarity.
"Thank you." He Xi Qian Yu took the book and nodded politely in acknowledgment.
He turned and gestured to Kaneki Ken and Hinami, who were waiting nearby: "Let's go."
Kaneki Ken quickly followed, his gaze involuntarily darting back to the autograph table. Teacher Takatsuki Izumi was smiling sweetly as she signed for the next reader, friendly and warm.
"Qianyu-ge, what did you talk about with Teacher Takatsuki just now? She seemed very interested in you!" Kaneki Ken couldn't hide his curiosity, leaning in to ask, his face still showing the lingering excitement of meeting his idol.
"Nothing much, just casually talked about my thoughts on the book." He Xi Qian Yu casually brushed him off, stuffing the "black goat's egg" he held into his jacket pocket.
[…That green-haired woman…]Slaughter's voice carried a sense of excitement, […She smells…very special…not ordinary meat…]
"Eat, eat, eat, you'll eat yourself to death sooner or later." He Xi Qian Yu rolled his eyes and mumbled softly, drawing a confused sideways glance from Kaneki Ken.
"Qianyu-ge, what did you say?"
"Nothing, just praising your idol's charisma." He Xi Qian Yu changed the subject without batting an eye, casually pulling out his phone to check the time.
Eleven o'clock.
Unlike humans, Ghouls don't need to eat every day. The members of Anteiku Coffee Shop also eat whenever they please, with no fixed schedule.
But this absolutely did not hinder the strong impulse that ignited in He Xi Qian Yu's heart at this moment.
He now only wanted to rush back to the coffee shop's back kitchen immediately, then close the door and show off his skills.
"Hinami," He Xi Qian Yu lowered his head, softening his tone, and gently asked the little girl beside him, "Are you hungry?" Sunlight fell on his face, dispelling some of his previous weariness and adding a strange sparkle to his eyes.
Hinami looked up, nodded obediently, her big eyes filled with trust: "Mm, a little hungry, Qianyu Gege."
"Jin Mu, what about you?" He Xi Qian Yu turned to Kaneki Ken, his tone returning to its usual casualness.
Upon hearing this, Kaneki Ken's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He was silent for a moment, a hint of struggle flashing across his face, and finally nodded with difficulty.
"…Mm." His tone was a bit low.
"Okay, then let's go back to the shop." A subtle lightness entered He Xi Qian Yu's voice, and his steps noticeably quickened, heading directly for Anteiku Coffee Shop.
Kaneki Ken and Hinami exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes. Then the two quickly followed his noticeably faster pace.
By the time they returned to Anteiku Coffee Shop, the "Closed" sign was already hanging on the door. The shop was empty, with only the faint, familiar scent of coffee lingering.
"I'll go prepare lunch for you." He Xi Qian Yu tossed out this sentence, then eagerly headed straight for the back kitchen.
"Qianyu-ge…" Kaneki Ken looked at his back and whispered a reminder, "The manager said… not to waste food…"
He Xi Qian Yu stopped at the kitchen door, looked back at Kaneki Ken, a confident arc on his lips, and lightly patted his chest: "Trust me, Jin Mu. This will definitely be much more delicious than you gnawing on raw meat."
Kaneki Ken watched He Xi Qian Yu disappear behind the door, his lips moving, but in the end, he swallowed back his words of dissuasion. Hinami, on the other hand, widened her eyes, her small face full of expectant light.