"You... Ahem!" Fu Lin stared at Bianca's face — now completely covered in soot — and the contrast with her shining white teeth. He held back a laugh, stood up, and gently rubbed her cheeks with his hand. Then he showed her his blackened hand.
"...You worked hard. Go wash your face first." Bianca looked at Fu Lin's stained hand and quickly ran toward the bathroom. Seeing her own face in the mirror, she narrowed her eyes and let out a silvery laugh.
But when she heard Fu Lin's laughter from outside, the sound suddenly stopped. The curve of her lips slowly faded as her expression turned neutral. She twisted the faucet open, scooped up some water with her hands, and softly splashed it on her face.
-------------------------------
"Master Bianca, I'm back." Rita cheerfully opened the door and looked at the figure sitting on the sofa watching TV, thinking it was the one she had been longing for—Master Bianca.
But as she approached, a flash of killing intent flickered in her eyes. She immediately pulled out a scythe from under her skirt and placed it against Fu Lin's neck. A soft and charming voice came from Rita's mouth,
"Hmm?! Who are you? Why are you in Master Bianca's house?"
Fu Lin lowered his gaze, looking at the crescent-shaped, razor-sharp scythe pressed against his neck. Unfazed, he replied calmly, "Miss Rita, pointing a weapon at a guest is very impolite."
Rita smiled sweetly but didn't lower the scythe. She glanced around with the corner of her eye, not seeing Bianca anywhere, and asked, "Where's Master Bianca?"
"Hahaha… she just… haha, finished showering, and she's in her room… hiss~ bleeding, yamero!"
Fu Lin laughed uncontrollably at the comedy show on TV, blurting out a phrase. Suddenly, he felt a sting on his neck. Cold sweat formed on his forehead as his eyes met Rita's smiling face—though her eyes were filled with killing intent.
Bianca, hearing Fu Lin's wail, curiously peeked out of her room. Her still-wet hair, not yet fully dried, glistened with a crystalline sheen.
Seeing that Rita had returned, Bianca's face immediately lit up with a smile. She walked out of the room holding a towel to dry her hair.
"Rita, Fu Lin, what are you two doing?"
"Master Bianca, let me help you dry your hair."
"Alright." Looking at Bianca, as fresh as a lotus emerging from the water, with water droplets sliding down the curve of her fair neck, a gleam flashed in Rita's eyes. She dropped the scythe from her hand and took the towel from Bianca, gently wiping her hair.
"Hiss~" The scythe that Rita had casually discarded landed between Fu Lin's legs. Fu Lin's heart raced as he nervously pushed it aside with his finger, the sound of metal clinking against the floor ringing out crisply.
Rita glanced sideways at the noise, then looked at Bianca, who was peacefully enjoying her service.
Smiling faintly, Rita asked, "Master Bianca, who is this…?"
Bianca opened one eye and glanced at Fu Lin, who was pretending to watch TV, then smiled and said, "His name is Fu Lin. He's a friend of mine. Thanks to him, I've gotten to try some delicious food these past few days."
Hearing this, Rita's hand paused for a moment while drying Bianca's hair.
Fu Lin, hearing them talk about him, got up to join the conversation but was shot down by a sharp glare from Rita and awkwardly sat back down on the sofa.
He brushed his fingers over the wound on his neck, which healed rapidly before his eyes, then resumed watching TV, occasionally laughing.
Rita held Bianca's golden hair, gently wiping it with the towel. Suddenly remembering the bag she left at the entrance, she looked at Bianca with anticipation,
"Master Bianca, I brought lots of clothes this time. Do you want to try them on?"
Bianca's eyes flickered uncertainly, looking a little embarrassed. "Next time, Rita."
Although Rita was a little disappointed, she glanced at Fu Lin and didn't say much, simply replying with a soft "Mm."
"Alright, Master Bianca, it's getting late. I'll go make you something to eat."
After putting away the towel and smoothing Bianca's hair, Rita nodded with satisfaction, then turned toward the kitchen. Suddenly, a surprised shout rang out. Bianca's face changed, and she quickly got up and locked her bedroom door.
Fu Lin watched Bianca's retreating figure, shrugged, and smiled bitterly.
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several days had passed…
Fu Lin sat alone at the bedside, sighing. Hearing Rita's voice calling him, he put away the Honkai crystal he had just drawn from his storage bag and walked out the door. Seeing the lavish breakfast on the table, the worry on his face disappeared.
"Rita, breakfast looks so good every day—I'm starting to feel bad. Has Bianca not woken up yet?"
Fu Lin picked up his chopsticks and bit into a small dumpling, piercing the thin outer skin and sucking up the rich broth inside before swallowing it in one bite.
Watching Fu Lin, who needed to be woken up every day, Rita forced a smile and said, "Master Bianca is always disciplined. She went for a morning run at dawn."
Just then, the doorbell rang. Rita got up to answer it. Fu Lin turned to look and saw Bianca in a workout tank top. He swallowed the dumpling in his mouth and smacked his lips in satisfaction.
He murmured, "Seriously… even geniuses are working this hard. What's the point for the rest of us…"
Bianca took the towel Rita handed her and gently wiped the thin layer of sweat off her forehead, then draped it over her slender, delicate neck.
Her gaze fell on Fu Lin, who was watching her. She smiled softly and said, "Good morning, Fu Lin."
Fu Lin looked away, picked up another dumpling, and stuffed it into Bianca's mouth, his expression soft as he said,
"…Good morning, Bianca. These are freshly made. Try one."
(Kiana, "Fu Lin! You've never been this thoughtful with me!!!")
Rita, "Master Bianca, I made those!!!"