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The dazzling sunlight streamed through the window, burning his eyelids. Yue Shan Xi frowned uncomfortably, then slowly opened his heavy eyes. The moment consciousness returned, a dull ache from the back of his head made him grunt.
What greeted his eyes was the familiar natural wood tone and the faint aroma of coffee beans.
"Is this… Antique?" He looked around blankly, realizing he was lying on a slightly narrow sofa, covered by a thin blanket. This was indeed the back lounge area of Anteiku Coffee Shop.
"Yo, Young Master Yue Shan is awake? Did you sleep well?"
A teasing voice, tinged with a hint of laziness, sounded. Yue Shan Xi stiffly turned his head, only to see He Xi Qian Yu leaning against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, a chillingly benevolent smile on his face.
Kaneki Ken stood a bit stiffly behind him, looking at him with complex eyes.
And Dong Xiang leaned against the wall on the other side, arms crossed, her cold gaze openly revealing her distaste.
Kaneki Ken stood stiffly to the side, while Dong Xiang had her arms crossed.
"You… " Yue Shan Xi's voice was a bit hoarse, and a bitter expression crossed his face, "What do you want to do?"
"Given your excellent performance earlier," He Xi Qian Yu's lips curved into a malicious arc, deliberately drawing out his words, "we've decided to repay you in kind—"
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Kaneki Ken, his voice suddenly rising:
"—You are Jin Mu's lunch today!"
"Ah?!" Kaneki Ken's eyes widened instantly, looking at He Xi Qian Yu with a look of horror.
"Just kidding." He Xi Qian Yu straightened up, pulling out a phone as if by magic, and casually tossed it onto the coffee table in front of Yue Shan Xi. "Call your dear father and tell him to come quickly to redeem you. Our shop is about to open for business, and such a large pile of 'garbage' like you lying here is really bad for business."
He emphasized the word "garbage" with particular clarity. Yue Shan Xi's face turned pale, but under He Xi Qian Yu's gaze, he finally resignedly picked up the phone and dialed that rarely used private number.
Beep… beep… beep…
It only rang twice before the call was quickly answered.
"Hello, may I ask who this is? And how did you get this number?" A gentle but authoritative middle-aged male voice came from the other end of the line, it was Yueshan Guanmu.
He Xi Qian Yu reached out and took the phone, pressing the speakerphone button, his tone calm and unruffled, as if discussing the weather: "Tsuruki-xiansheng, it's a pleasure. To make a long story short: your son, Yue Shan Xi, attempted to do something untoward to my friend Kaneki Ken—specifically, he wanted to prepare him as 'ingredients'. Unfortunately, he wasn't strong enough and now he's in my hands."
A brief silence fell on the other end of the line, a silence that contained an invisible pressure. A few seconds later, Yueshan Guanmu's voice sounded again, still calm, but with a hint of gravity: "I understand. What are your conditions, sir?"
He Xi Qian Yu raised his hand and decisively pressed the mute button. He turned his gaze to Kaneki Ken, signaling with his eyes: It's your turn.
Kaneki Ken nervously swallowed, took a step forward, and spoke towards the phone, his voice not loud but exceptionally clear: "Tsuruki-xiansheng, I… I hope Yue Shan Xi can give up… give up the idea of wanting to eat me."
Upon hearing this, He Xi Qian Yu couldn't help but roll his eyes. He pulled Kaneki Ken back, lowering his voice to him, frustrated by his lack of ambition: "That's f*cking nonsense! He's already here, do you even need to mention that condition? Don't you have anything practical? Do you want money? Resources? Do you want their Yueshan family to promise not to harass the Twenty Ward anymore?"
He paused, then looked sharply at Dong Xiang, "What about you? Is there anything you want? Compensation for emotional distress? Medical expenses?"
Dong Xiang, arms crossed, coldly glanced at Yue Shan Xi, then shook her head decisively. Kaneki Ken also silently shook his head again.
He Xi Qian Yu's mouth twitched fiercely. He was playing the role of a "kidnapper" like a mercenary villain. If this continued, he wouldn't even have made his demands yet, and Yue Shan Xi would almost be "acquitted."
He took a deep breath, picked up the phone again, and unmuted it. His tone was no longer calm, but carried an undeniable firmness:
"Tsuruki-xiansheng, I just discussed it with my friends. They are too 'generous' and currently have no specific material demands. However,"
He suddenly changed the subject, "this doesn't mean this matter can be glossed over lightly. I must give you a friendly reminder: a few days ago, I dismantled that Ghoul Restaurant. If you or your son dare to harbor any 'ill intentions' towards my friends or this coffee shop, or try to play any underhanded tricks afterwards…"
He Xi Qian Yu's voice dropped even lower, carrying a clear threat:
"...I cannot guarantee that next time, it won't be the Yueshan Group that gets torn to shreds."
A longer silence fell on the other end of the phone. An invisible pressure permeated the small lounge through the airwaves, as if even the air had solidified.
Kaneki Ken instinctively held his breath, and Dong Xiang's crossed arms tightened slightly.
In this heart-pounding silence, Yueshan Guanmu's voice finally sounded again, his tone surprisingly calm, even with a hint of understanding:
"Tsuruki-xiansheng, please don't be angry. Regarding my son's actions, and the trouble and harm he caused to Kaneki Ken, I am deeply saddened and apologetic. Please believe me, the Yueshan family has no intention of being your enemy."
He paused, his voice clearly coming through the receiver:
"In fact, to show my sincerity, I am already outside the door."
"What?!" He Xi Qian Yu's pupils suddenly contracted, and he sharply looked up at the closed door of the coffee shop.
Kaneki Ken and Dong Xiang also changed their expressions dramatically, quickly entering a state of alert. Dong Xiang even instinctively tensed her body, pulling at the wound on her waist, causing her to frown slightly.
Almost at the same time as Yueshan Guanmu's words fell, the wooden door of Anteiku Coffee Shop, which had a "Closed" sign hanging on it, was gently pushed open from the outside by a hand wearing a white glove.
The door hinge let out a faint "creak."
The person who entered was wearing a meticulously tailored, luxurious dark gray suit, his hair neatly combed, his face refined, his eyes deep and calm, and a perfectly gentle smile on his lips.
Half a step behind him, a solemn middle-aged man in a black butler's uniform stood respectfully.
It was the actual controller of the Yueshan Group, Yue Shan Xi's father—Yueshan Guanmu.
"...What are you… afraid of?…" The voice of Slaughter carried a hint of dissatisfaction, "...With me here…"
"...No one can… touch you…"
"Tsk, I'm sorry," He Xi Qian Yu responded quickly, though his mouth only twitched almost imperceptibly, "It was just a reflex."
Yueshan Guanmu's gaze quickly swept over the lounge, pausing for a moment on Yue Shan Xi, a hint of undetectable pain flashing in the depths of his eyes, but his face remained unruffled. Then, his gaze precisely landed on He Xi Qian Yu, who was holding the phone.
Yueshan Guanmu bowed slightly, his posture elegant, his gentle voice clearly echoing in the quiet coffee shop:
"I am Yueshan Guanmu, I apologize for my uninvited presence. My son is unruly and has caused immense trouble for everyone. On behalf of the Yueshan family, I extend my sincerest apologies to Tsuruki-xiansheng, Kaneki Ken, Miss Dong Xiang, and also to the disturbed Yoshimura and all the staff members."