Mortal Kombat: Scumbag Men Stealing Away Yandere Girls

"I used to draw my favorite foods. Even though I could never actually eat them, drawing them made me feel like I was eating them myself."

"Later, when I went to work, my first choice was to find a job in the kitchen."

"It's because I wanted to recreate the things I drew before, and to see what they really tasted like."

“I learned all of this back then—my master was quite surprised and said I learned quickly. He suggested that I either give up painting or become an apprentice. At least as a kitchen apprentice, I wouldn’t have to endure hunger.”

Despite the sad past, Anqin spoke with a very satisfied smile.

Because she was thinking about the past, she was unusually talkative.

Bai Weiran listened quietly without saying a word, only gently asking a question when she stopped.

Why didn't you agree to his proposal later?

“…Oh, I was really tempted back then,” An Qin said softly.

"But I gave up after thinking about it for less than a week."

"I just want to recreate the things in my paintings... If I can't paint anymore, I won't have the desire to learn to cook either."

As An Qin spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, and she appeared flustered and embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, isn't this strange...? Isn't it strange of me to say this?"

"How could that be? I think it's perfectly normal."

An Qin exclaimed in surprise and looked up.

"What I do... is kind of a creative industry," Bai Weiran replied casually.

There are all kinds of games in this world.

It provides players with a variety of goals and enjoyment.

But the first to experience the fun of the game, or rather, the ones who created it to experience that fun, were the developers.

I won't actually open a restaurant just because I want to make a game about opening a restaurant.

That would take away the fun of playing the restaurant game.

But because they made a restaurant game, they would drool over the food in the middle of it and actually go to the restaurant to taste the food they mentioned in the game.

Although he is a rational thinker, he was able to understand An Qin's vague expression at this moment.

After all, they are all workers who seek a balance between the virtual and the real world.

"I wouldn't dare say it's exactly the same, nor would I presumptuously claim that I fully understand your ideas, but I think in this respect, the creative aspects should be similar, right?" Bai Weiran said with a smile.

An Qin was surprised that her words were agreed with, and stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

I wanted to agree, but then I felt that my behavior was shameless.

She is not worthy to discuss matters with Mr. Bai, who is not on the same level.

An Qin, overly concerned with her choice of words, bit her lip, plunging the room into silence once again—a situation commonly known as "killing the conversation."

She gently scratched her left arm with her right hand.

Bai Weiran noticed this action.

Anqin often does this little thing.

She does this whenever she is uneasy, happy, or afraid, as if it's a bodily reflex.

His gaze had barely touched her arm when An Qin immediately noticed, so she turned her face away and hid her hand behind her back.

"...Brother Weiran?"

Qin Ning also woke up from the smell of the aroma. Wearing a light blue shirt, she yawned as she arrived at the restaurant. Her face was flushed from sleeping for so long. She was tying her hair up with one hand and squinting her eyes.

When she saw the sumptuous breakfast spread across the table, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Qin Ning, An Qin made this for us."

"Brother Weiran, I didn't misunderstand that you did this. Don't worry, I know your skill level very well."

Bai Weiran: "…………!"

As the saying goes, you have to be one's own people to sabotage you.

When An Qin saw Qin Ning, a gentle smile bloomed on her face, and her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

The three of them sat down to eat.

However, quite subtly, neither Bai Weiran nor An Qin immediately picked up their knives and forks; instead, they both focused their attention on Qin Ning.

Bai Weiran has self-awareness; people who eat takeout or convenience store meals every day have no right to comment on the taste of food.

Straight men's summary: As long as it's edible, it's fine.

An Qin clearly accepted this rule and didn't intend to set such a low standard for herself, so she focused her gaze intently on Qin Ning.

Watching Qin Ning eat is a pleasure.

With her delicate white hands holding a knife and fork, she cut open the golden egg roll. The tender surface, with a gliding motion of the knife, revealed the perfectly cooked egg roll inside, like a thick soup, yet just past its liquid state. She cut off a piece of the perfect size and slowly and deliberately put it into her mouth to chew.

Even at a simple family dinner, her movements with a knife and fork exude elegance.

She's the kind of person who, even if you give her plain rice with pickled vegetables, her actions will instantly make you feel like you're wearing a filter.

World-famous painting: [Miss Qin enjoying red wine and steak]

Finally, she smiled, nodded in satisfaction, and her eyes narrowed into two little crescents.

The results speak for themselves.

"So delicious—"

Bai Weiran thought, "This is very high praise."

Qin Ning is a picky eater.

Bai Weiran thought it was just average, but Qin Ning's assessment was: [Disgusting]

Bai Weiran's assessment of the food's quality: [Average]

While Bai Weiran might find it delicious, Qin Ning's opinion would fluctuate between "delicious" and "average."

If it can be described as "delicious," then Anqin's skill level is indeed outstanding.

Qin Ning praised her with just three words, and An Qin's eyes lit up with emotion, as if she had just heard the will of God.

“If Miss Qin likes it, I can make it for her every day.”

"As long as Miss Qin is willing, she can always treat me as a dish to be enjoyed."

Bai Weiran and Qin Ning: …………?

Anqin was also momentarily panicked.

"No... I mean, Miss Qin can always enjoy the dishes I make."

The art of speaking is such that even a slight mistake can lead to a huge difference.

One sentence made Bai Weiran and Qin Ning both laugh.

An Qin was startled by her own words, her face turning pale with fear. She was on tenterhooks for a moment, but seeing that they didn't seem to mind at all, she smiled innocently.

He unconsciously scratched his arm again.

The three of them were having their meal, but An Qin was distracted, her gaze shifting back and forth between them, carefully scanning the room.

Only after confirming that there was no displeasure did she feel relieved, lower her head, and a smile appeared on her face.

Great, I wasn't rejected...

She slowly ate her bread, and after a while, her gaze drifted to Bai Weiran again. She glanced at his profile and then lowered her head.

Chapter Eleven: Her Paintings (Part One)

"Put it over here."

Bai Weiran held the design drawings, looking at them as he instructed the workers to arrange the rooms.

Building such a large gallery is certainly eye-catching, but arranging the paintings in such a large gallery in an orderly and eye-catching way is a real challenge.

There are tens of thousands of square meters of houses, but only a few sets of furniture.

If one room is already furnished, then so many rooms are even more furnished.

In Bai Weiran's opinion, this job was simply too difficult.

But Qin Ning and An Qin got together.

The two of them discussed and decided on a theme for the art exhibition, and then decorated the venue according to the theme.

It's not that there are many paintings in one room, but rather that there is only one painting in one room.

The entire room is decorated around the subject matter of the painting.

The content of the painting progresses in a stream-of-consciousness manner.

Bai Weiran couldn't see any logic in this.

Sometimes, the very starting point of our emotions contradicts logic.

Before a work of art succeeds, it often relies on the creator's sensibility; only after success does a plethora of analyses and commentaries on the artwork emerge, dissecting its underlying logic.

Bai Weiran did not interfere, while Qin Ning respected and assisted An Qin to the greatest extent possible.

Anqin's delicate intuition and feelings were extended to the greatest extent.

Although the logic is unclear, it inexplicably makes you want to keep watching.

Very attractive.

An Qin's paintings have a kind of psychedelic, hazy, and melancholic scene that is difficult to interpret in depth.

Her paintings do not feature bright, warm colors; instead, they depict deep blue, light gray, pale purple, and transparent scenes.

A girl walks down the street at night with an umbrella, partially obscuring her face, as raindrops fall from the sky in a hazy mist.