Chapter Twenty-Five: Phoenix

Chapter Twenty-Five: [Phoenix]

To hear such words from a beauty of this caliber—a woman whose very presence spelled trouble—Chen Xiao stared at her for a while, eyes wide. Then his gaze flickered, and with an air of leisure he stepped out from behind the counter, tossing a rag over his shoulder as he approached the stunning guest. He cleared his throat, smiled unhurriedly, and said, “May I ask, honored guest, would you prefer prime yellow beef or marinated beef? Which will it be?”

The woman’s bright eyes sparkled with mirth as she deliberately deepened her voice, “A pound of each!”

“And the wine?” Chen Xiao narrowed his eyes. “We have the finest Ka Wai baijiu, aged Fenjiu from Shanxi. For yellow wine, there’s Shaoxing Zhuangyuan Red, Daughter’s Red, and our own house brew.”

“Bring your best bottle of each! And if there’s so much as a drop of water mixed in, I’ll smash your shop to pieces!” The woman’s grin was wicked—what bravado! Even referring to herself as “I, your uncle”—was she about to play Lu Zhishen?

Chen Xiao put on a solemn face. “And for side dishes, how about a plate of crispy chicken, some marinated jellyfish, a portion of sauced noodles, and scallion tofu for a refreshing touch. How does that sound to you, miss?”

At last the woman couldn’t help herself; she looked at Chen Xiao seriously. “Aren’t you a coffee shop? Do you really have all that?”

Chen Xiao managed a faint smile and sighed, “Now that you mention it, I’ve just remembered—I run a coffee shop.”

Suddenly, the woman’s expression changed. She barked, “You there! No food, no drink—are you trying to starve me to death?”

Chen Xiao remained unflappable. He slapped the table with a loud smack and glared. “And you, woman, have you no manners? Daring to cause trouble here—do you know who owns this place?”

For a moment, they stared at each other before both bursting into laughter.

“You’re quite amusing. Are you new here?” The woman tilted her head, resting her cheek on an arm as pale as white jade, scrutinizing Chen Xiao. Her hair tumbled naturally to one side, exposing her ivory neck. Chen Xiao caught himself staring, his heartbeat quickening—this girl was indeed spellbinding, every gesture exuding an irresistible allure.

He looked away quickly, not daring to linger. “I’ve been on the job less than an hour.”

“So, you’re new.” Curiosity glinted in her gaze. “Old Man Ai is notoriously eccentric, yet he hired someone new. You’re far more interesting than that stodgy old fellow.”

As she spoke, her eyes met Chen Xiao’s, and within them lurked a subtle, inescapable pull—as if a mere glance would draw him in completely. Chen Xiao forced himself to look away, coughing twice before regaining his composure. “So, what will you actually have? I can’t conjure up beef or liquor, and there isn’t a restaurant nearby even if I wanted to fetch it for you.”

“You’re quite something. What’s your name?” It seemed she was more interested in Chen Xiao himself.

“Chen Xiao. The ‘Chen’ with the water radical, and ‘Xiao’ as in ‘carefree.’” He answered honestly. As he looked at this beautiful girl, he found himself wondering about her identity. Was she also with the Agency? Could such a gorgeous girl be an esper too? If so, what might her power be?

“My power is mind reading.” The girl gazed into Chen Xiao’s eyes and suddenly spoke, her voice soft.

Startled, Chen Xiao jumped back two steps, staring at her in surprise.

“Aren’t you wondering what my power is?” she said nonchalantly, her eyes never leaving his. “Since you’re here, you must not be an ordinary person either.”

Chen Xiao took a moment to collect himself, then replied warily, “You’re mistaken. I really am just an ordinary person—I don’t have any powers.”

She seemed surprised, tilting her head as she studied him, curiosity deepening. “Really? You’re telling the truth? I can read your thoughts! You truly have no powers?”

“It’s the truth.” Chen Xiao shrugged helplessly. “Could you stop reading my mind?”

“I’m just curious.” She shook her head, but her eyes grew cold as she looked at him. “I know people hate having their thoughts exposed. Many despise my power. You don’t have to pretend it doesn’t bother you.”

Chen Xiao mulled it over before speaking slowly. “Honestly, I don’t like having my mind read either—no one likes their privacy invaded. But… I don’t think you’re the sort to pry into people’s secrets for no reason.”

“And how would you know?” Her gaze was icy.

“Because you’re beautiful.” Chen Xiao answered boldly—a shameless reply, truth be told.

She laughed, watching him. “So, good looks must mean a good heart?”

“At the very least, it puts me at ease. We’ve just met, I know nothing about you, so of course I judge by appearances. It’s human nature—'pleasing to the eye, pleasing to the heart.'”

She considered his words for a moment, something complex flickering in her eyes before she waved her hand. “That’s enough. Just bring me a coffee, and let me have some peace.”

Since it was a coffee shop, coffee there was. To Chen Xiao’s surprise, the two sealed jars behind the counter held none other than premium Blue Mountain beans—a rare treat! But considering the treasure trove upstairs, a few good beans hardly seemed unusual.

Chen Xiao had worked in a coffee shop before; brewing coffee was no challenge. Soon, he brought a cup to the girl, who merely set it before her and gazed at it in silence for a long while, not taking a sip.

She sat there, her beautiful eyes fixed on the cup, lost in thought for ages. Chen Xiao was tempted to remind her that coffee was meant for drinking, not staring.

“Do you have anything to eat here?” After about half an hour, she finally looked up and asked.

Food?

Chen Xiao had checked the kitchen earlier—there was nothing. Not a scrap of bread, cake, or pastry. The only provisions were a few jars of coffee and several bottles of wine.

After a moment’s thought, he took two paper-wrapped bundles from his backpack—beef burgers that Ye Xiaonuo had given him after leaving the fast food shop, intended for his own dinner, though he hadn’t had time to eat yet.

“Will these do?” He smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I’ve just started working and the shop’s out of everything. I’ll restock tomorrow.”

She glanced at the burgers in his hand, surprised. Then she smiled, her eyes curving, clear as water and impossibly inviting. “That’s your dinner, isn’t it? If you give them to me, what will you eat?”

“I’ll manage.” Chen Xiao tried to sound casual.

The girl gazed at him in silence for a full minute, her bright eyes like cold stars, setting Chen Xiao’s heart racing and his cheeks flushing with heat.

He berated himself inwardly for swooning over a pretty face… but he knew he wasn’t that sort of man.

Then again, who could blame him? The girl in front of him was simply too beautiful—otherworldly beauty combined with an indescribable aura that made her seem ethereal and cold at rest, but radiant and approachable when she smiled. Those two qualities blended seamlessly within her… It was as if she was born to captivate the world.

It was little wonder even someone as introverted as Chen Xiao found his wits in disarray beneath her gaze.

“Thank you.” At last, she spoke. She delicately unwrapped the burger, pinched it between slender fingers, and took a small bite—even her pinky was exquisite.

Especially when a dab of sauce clung to her crimson lips and she instinctively flicked it away with her rosy tongue—well, to be honest, that was enough to set any man’s blood aflame.

(If Xu Ershao saw such a goddess, he’d probably have a stroke.) Chen Xiao thought wickedly.

The burgers weren’t particularly tasty, and had grown cold, but the girl ate with relish, savoring each bite as if it were the finest delicacy, her eyes growing gentler with every mouthful.

She took ten minutes to finish a single burger, then wiped her lips, glanced up shyly, and said, “Thank you.”

“If you’re still hungry, I have another one,” Chen Xiao offered, rubbing his nose.

She smiled, then stood, her gaze playful. “By Old Man Ai’s rules, I don’t have to pay, do I?”

“Of course,” Chen Xiao replied without hesitation.

Free meals for beautiful women—that was Old Man Ai’s rule.

And if this girl wasn’t a beauty, then beauties simply didn’t exist.

“Thank you, Chen Xiao… My name is Phoenix. I’ll be back to see you again.”

Phoenix? What a lovely name…

As she reached the door, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but ask, “Excuse me, are you with the Agency as well?”

The girl named Phoenix turned, winked at him, and said, “Not all espers work for the Agency.”

Her smile was warm. “Either way, thank you. I wasn’t in a good mood today, but you made me laugh more than once.”

Chen Xiao, a little embarrassed, rubbed his nose—a familiar gesture. “Really? You were upset? Why?”

“Because… of killing.” Phoenix’s gaze turned icy, her voice suddenly cold and desolate, laced with an indescribable chill. “Whenever I kill, my mood always turns for the worse.”

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