Honkai Impact 3rd: Catching the Herrscher of Sentience at the Start

"It's nothing; let's just eat." Seeing that Fu Lin appeared clueless, Kiana summoned flames to burn the journal to ashes, scattering them out the window into the imaginary space before sighing in relief.

"What was written in it? Isn't it a waste to just burn it like that?" Fu Lin scratched his head, growing even more curious about the contents that made Kiana so flustered.

"Because what I wanted is already mine. The contents don't matter anymore." Kiana hugged Fu Lin's waist, gently kissing his cheek as she spoke.

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"Kiana can make edible food now. If I try hard enough, can I too?" Fu Lin looked at the delicious dishes in front of him, complete with color, aroma, and taste. He picked up a chicken leg and took a bite. Although the flavor wasn't as good as Yae Sakura's or Mei's cooking, it was still quite decent.

"This is red chicken. They say it's good for the kidneys. Eat more, Fu Lin." Kiana picked up an entire chicken and placed it in Fu Lin's bowl, resting her chin on her hands while smiling at him.

"...You're so thoughtful, Kiana. You should eat too." Fu Lin stopped chewing, forced a chuckle, and tore off another chicken leg to stuff into Kiana's mouth.

Kiana accepted the chicken leg, then glanced at the grease from the chicken broth lingering on Fu Lin's fingers. She grabbed Fu Lin's hand and stuck out her tongue to gently lick it off.

"...Kiana, you… what are you doing?" Fu Lin stared blankly at Kiana. Feeling the soft, moist sensation on his fingertips, his ears turned red involuntarily.

"Don't waste it. This grease is the essence of the chicken soup." Kiana released Fu Lin's hand, satisfied as she looked at the saliva-coated fingers.

"..."

"Kiana, how did you learn to cook?" Fu Lin didn't know how to respond for a moment, but his eyes brightened as he looked at the feast on the table. Propping his chin on his hand, he asked Kiana.

"Hmm~ It's not like I had a choice. If I relied on Fu Lin's cooking, I'd probably be dead by now. Otherwise, why would I need to learn?" Kiana pouted. She had learned to cook purely out of necessity, forced by someone. For the sake of survival, she had no choice but to develop a new skill.

"So that's how it is. Looks like the me from that timeline caused you quite a bit of trouble." Fu Lin was well aware of his own poor cooking skills, but he hadn't realized it left such a deep impression on Kiana, to the point where she had to learn how to cook herself.

"Not at all. It's more like I didn't protect you well." Kiana leaned into Fu Lin's arms, her tears streaming uncontrollably as she listened to the strong and steady heartbeat.

"...It's okay." Fu Lin looked at Kiana, who was crying uncontrollably in his arms, his expression gentle yet his brows furrowed as he comforted her. Just what had Kiana been through to make someone so strong like her break down like this?

As Kiana's sobs gradually subsided, the fluffy cat ears on her head perked up and twitched, looking particularly tempting.

Unable to resist the allure of the cat ears, Fu Lin reached out to stroke them. Feeling their fluffy texture, she found herself unable to stop.

"So soft… they feel just like the real thing."

"Hmm~ Fu Lin, gentler…" Kiana's face flushed, her body trembled, and tears still clung to the corners of her eyes. Her hands unconsciously gripped Fu Lin's clothes as soft moans escaped her lips.

"Sorry, I started stroking them without thinking." Fu Lin stopped his actions and watched as Kiana's breathing slowly returned to normal. This was clearly supposed to be a sad moment, yet he had gotten caught up in the pleasure of stroking cat ears.

"It's okay. I really like it when Fu Lin does this. If only you could do it a bit more…" Kiana grabbed Fu Lin's retreating hand and placed it back on her head. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, like a kitten longing to be petted.

"Ahem, well, if you insist." Fu Lin took a deep breath and continued stroking Kiana's cat ears. As Kiana moaned softly, Fu Lin closed his eyes, his face flushed, and his heartbeat quickened as his hands moved faster.

"I can't take it anymore… Let me rest for a bit." As Kiana's body trembled violently, Fu Lin finally stopped. He reluctantly looked at Kiana's now-vanished cat ears.

Then, he suddenly remembered that he seemed to have a pair of cat ears himself. His eyes lit up with curiosity, and he reached for the ears on his own head. The moment he touched them, an intense sensation swept through his body.

"So sensitive… No wonder Yae Sakura resists so much." Fu Lin sat in his chair, panting heavily. Once the sensation subsided, he patted his chest in relief, then carried the recovering Kiana back to the bed.

Looking at Kiana lying peacefully on the bed, her striking white hair spread across the sheets, her closed eyes resembling a sleeping beauty from a fairy tale, waiting for her prince to awaken her with a kiss.

Faced with this sight, Fu Lin sat alone by the bed, her expression conflicted. Should he accept Kiana's love?

And where was Fu Shi now? When was she going to save me?