Evening, Ryan room.
As a standard dormitory for the "Fire Moth" type, the overall layout resembled an apartment, not large but well-equipped.
The living room, bedroom, and kitchen were all fully furnished, thanks to Ryan high-level privileges. They thoughtfully included all the furniture, even the fridge was packed full, as if begging him:
"Don't go out and cause trouble, wouldn't it be nice to stay in your room every day?"
Ryan sat with his legs crossed on the fabric sofa, gently pinching his chin, looking like a thinker, while his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the pink-haired girl humming a song beside him.
She was lying on the other side of the sofa, flipping through a magazine and stuffing potato chips into her mouth. Because she was facing him, the valley was deep and the peaks were high, which made him sigh at the greatness of gravity.
Ryan glanced briefly, and before Elysia could look up, he turned his attention to the kitchen.
Mobius was standing by the door in a daze, seemingly searching her memories. Sakura, wearing an apron, stood with a straight back, swiftly chopping ingredients with a knife in her right hand. Meanwhile, Vil-V was drilling into the stove with an electric drill, the buzzing sound making his ears ache.
What are they doing? Why does everyone seem to have their own style?
Ryan, lost in thought, had already planned the evening ahead. He was ready to gather materials for the Sundown Alley, update two chapters of his novel, and then transcribe a song for Eden. If Mobius dared to interrupt him, he would throw out his trump card. If she still had any shame left, he imagined she wouldn't be able to face him for days, giving him the space he needed.
Then Elysia showed up, and he thought it was just her usual mealtime visit. He was about to grab two instant noodles when she insisted on hosting a cooking competition.
The competition was just a front; the real motive was to get free food and drink.
"Ryan, don't you feel really happy?"
At that moment, a cheerful voice came from beside him. Ryan, like a rusty machine, turned his head inch by inch.
"I'm happy, you big-headed ghost."
He reached out and pinched Elysia face, gently rubbing it. He was initially annoyed, but soon the smooth feel of her skin distracted him, making him lessen his grip and even hesitate a bit.
Her skin was as soft as a baby's, with great elasticity. Even when her pretty face became squished into a bun shape, it was still quite cute. Her eyes squinted in enjoyment.
No, I'm punishing the culprit!
"You're the one making trouble. This atmosphere is so awkward. I'm about to dig out a two-bedroom apartment with my toes."
"Awkward? I don't smell anything. Besides, I didn't cause any trouble. I saw you and Mobius were spending quite a bit of time studying troublesome things, so I thought I'd change up your mood."
"So, I should thank you?"
"Yes, if you want to thank me, feel free to say it. I can handle it!"
Elysia shamelessness made Ryan laugh in frustration, and he let go of her face. "Elysia, I really can't deal with you, you little idiot."
"Hehe, that's what everyone says. By the way, are you feeling better? How was it, squeezing my face?"
It really feels so good.
Ryan subconsciously thought of a famous quote, then snorted disdainfully: "Your skin is so thick, not even seven lightning strikes could break it."
"I don't understand. Just take it as a compliment," Elysia said, pausing for a moment, then quickly climbed up and squeezed herself against Ryan, pressing him to the other side of the sofa.
"Mobius and the others are right in the kitchen. They'll see if you're so bold today. Have you been stimulated by something?"
What a weird way to say that. Uh, this sounds familiar, like a scene I saw this afternoon.
Ryan glanced at Elysia beside him, her purple eyes shining brightly. She naturally wrapped her arms around him, her skirt creased, revealing the delicate lace at the top of her white stockings. Yet, her smile was so innocent that it made him flip between desire and a sage-like state.
"I didn't, I didn't. Stop talking nonsense." Ryan subtly pulled his hand away and motioned towards the kitchen. "These people are all gathered together. I'm afraid the room will blow up."
"Don't worry, dear Mobius is stubborn, dear Sakura hasn't decided yet, and Vil-V is having fun with it. They won't do anything to you."
Ryan admitted that Mobius was stubborn, but what did she mean by Sakura not deciding yet? And why did Elysia seem like she had everything figured out?
"Wait, what have you been doing with Sakura these past few days? You're not trying to set me up, are you?"
"Set you up? Ryan, sometimes you really make it easy to anger girls." Elysia pouted, glancing at the apology on Ryan face, then responded, "I like Sakura. I don't want her to live confused, just like I like dear Mobius, so I cheer her on."
"Then I'm dead for sure. What if they turn dark and tear me apart?"
"They won't. Ryan, you're smart and strong. You'll definitely handle it. Oh, I almost forgot about Hua. Next time, I'll teach her how to dress. You'll be speechless."
Ryan felt like he couldn't keep up with her thinking. He wanted to tell Elysia that this wasn't butter, and everyone had possessive tendencies. They were all growing stronger and more independent, and in the end, all the contradictions would land on him.
But he had a trump card, like sleeping with Kevin. As a gay man, he could escape the cycle, but Mobius would definitely kill him.
Ryan shook his head, pushing that terrifying thought aside, then took a deep breath. "Elysia, just don't worry about these things."
"Even without me, things would still happen. This is all because your charm is too strong. Girls just like you too much," Elysia words made Ryan puff out his chest, his lips forming a soft smile.
"Once a seed falls into the soil, sooner or later, beautiful flowers will bloom. And the one who planted the flowers was you. Besides a little interest, I just want everyone to be happy. Do you want me to watch everyone suffer?"
Ryan found himself without a rebuttal. Elysia wasn't just messing around. She truly wanted everyone to be happy and couldn't bear to see misery or regrets. The problem was—
The focus of all the contradictions is me! I can't even handle Mobius alone. One thing leads to another.
He felt a slight overload in his brain, quickly deciding not to think about it. This was the ultimate dilemma that humans faced. As a science and engineering guy, how could he solve it?
At least Mobius was stubborn and hadn't put the contradiction right in front of him.
"By the way, didn't you say we should each make a dish?"
"Since it's a competition, we need judges. I can't do it alone, so Ryan, you'll have to accompany me," Elysia said as if it were a given, almost forgetting what she had said to Mobius earlier.
She still had some face, but not much.
Ryan was too lazy to expose her. He got up and went to the kitchen to take a look.
Sakura had peeled off the shrimp tails, coating the tender shrimp meat in breadcrumbs before frying them in oil. She gently flipped them with chopsticks, and a rich fragrance soon filled the air.
Tempura? A "simple" dish? Looks like Sakura was taking it easy on Mobius, just as gentle as always.
Ryan knew that Sakura had great emotional intelligence and had probably figured out that Mobius was a beginner. She didn't want to use her skills to overpower her.
Don't even mention Vil-V. She had taken down an entire wall and was fiddling with a strange machine, wearing sunglasses and wielding a welding torch. Anyone who didn't know would think she was building a tank in her room.
The repair fees would be deducted from the next payment. It was decided.
Ryan didn't care about her. He glanced at Mobius again. She was staring blankly at the rice cooker, her expression cold, but her snake-like eyes were filled with conflict.
'What was I thinking, agreeing to mess around with these idiots? But if I leave now, it'll be like running away with my tail between my legs. I can't lose face.'
She put her hands in her pockets, thinking that if only Klein wasn't so reliable and had called earlier, she could've left without a hitch.
As for cooking, it was just about tearing open the packaging, adding seasoning and hot water, and waiting for five minutes. No need for such trouble.
"I'm clueless. The world is tough. I can't stand to see her waste food. And I need to help Elysia clean up the mess. With her personality, no matter how bad it tastes, she'll still eat it. She can't get sick."
Ryan glanced sideways, giving himself a reason, then walked over to Sakura.
"I'll do it."
"Uh, but..."
"This is my house. It's not right for guests to cook. I already feel bad enough making you buy the ingredients." Ryan voice was soft as he carefully placed the tempura on a plate. "It's rest time. It's boring to do nothing. If you feel bad, make me some tea."
Sakura stared at him, her pale purple eyes glancing over at Mobius, who was still lost in thought by the rice cooker.
Sakura wasn't Hua. She had a high emotional IQ and soon understood. A smile crept onto her face, and she lowered her voice.
"Looks like Dr. Mobius was bluffing."
"She's just too proud and petty. But seeing as she hasn't caused any trouble in the past couple of days, I'll let her off." Ryan snorted softly, his voice barely audible, blending with the sound of Vil-V's construction work.
This was already a one-sided declaration of Sakura's victory, which made her smile even more. This wasn't a life-or-death competition, but the joy of victory was no different.
"Ryan, sometimes you're really gentle."
"Is that so? I just can't stand to see someone looking so pitiful. If I show a cold face later, no one will be happy."
"Is this your way of thinking about the greater good?"
"I'm always thinking about the greater good, just like keeping those little geniuses around."
You're being stubborn now.
Sakura sighed inwardly. She had a sense of competition, but she also knew that Mobius was a handful. In the end, Ryan would clean up the mess. Compared to the result, who won or lost didn't really matter.
She took off her apron, let her ponytail down, and slightly bent her body. "I'll go boil some water first."
The girl silently left, and Ryan carefully poured the egg yolk into the pan, skillfully flipping it. He stared at the golden fried egg and casually said:
"Relaxed now?"
"No, no, I'm just waiting for the rice to finish so I can show you a couple of tricks. For example..." Mobius started speaking, but then fell silent when she saw Ryan teasing look, her temper rising and her guilt growing.
As a scientist, no matter how tough she was, she still had to be realistic.
"Enough, your strengths aren't in this area. Making experiments and writing papers? Ten Sakuras wouldn't be your match. Why bother messing around in a field you're not good at?"
It's still because of you!
Mobius wrinkled her nose slightly, then relaxed her expression.
"Go wait for dinner. And get Vil-V out of here, she's making a racket."
Mobius didn't move. She glanced at Ryan focused back. No matter what, she had been rescued. She wouldn't allow herself to lose to anyone, especially that fox.
"Hmph, thanks, but I'll be making up for this shortcoming soon enough. Just wait and see."
The sound of Vil-V's complaints and high heels faded into the distance, and Ryan paused his stirring, clicking his tongue before continuing his work.
Both stubborn and proud, that's Mobius; both straightforward and gentle, that's Sakura.
He heard the TV from the small living room, followed by Elysia mischievous laughter. He suddenly felt like he was isolated, deep underground, separated from the world.
It was like covering a hard drive, suppressing the snowstorm from the northern lands deep in his memory, and the confusion of the virtual space became distant.
It was a strange feeling, yet a very clear one.
This, is the anchor point I've established.