Soon, Lan Qi gave the cat boss back to Hyperion, letting her hold it.

The two walked and talked, reaching outside the school. They only needed to cross two more streets to the east to reach the Cat Boss Restaurant.

The summer midday sun shone on the ancient architecture of Iketerite, making the stone walls and sculptures appear even more vivid. Lan Qi and Hyperion strolled along the wide sidewalk, heading along the sunlit path. Behind them, the solemn clock tower of Iketerite Academy looked even more magnificent in the sunlight.

"Lan Qi, wait a moment, are the three of us really going to eat together?"

Hyperion felt that it was possible for the three of them to avoid each other.

For example, Lan Qi could stay on the first floor, and she could accompany Tata for lunch at her home on the second floor.

Or she and Lan Qi could be on the first floor, and Antanas could accompany Tata for lunch at home.

It just so happened that she and Lan Qi would be going to the Shadow World tomorrow, for a few days at the shortest and a month or two at the longest. Tata and Lan Qi could be apart for a while. When Lan Qi returned from the Shadow World, Tata and Lan Qi should be able to get along naturally.

"I think that at this time, the more we deliberately avoid each other, the more guilty we seem. No matter what Tata chooses, I should show a positive and proactive attitude—as long as she is willing to see me, I will wait for her."

Lan Qi replied,

"And I've never been a comedic character. This morning was an overly bizarre accident, and it won't happen again in the future. Next, I won't crash even once, until I retire successfully."

He explained very seriously.

"Well, that's true."

Hyperion nodded, secretly observing Lan Qi.

It seemed that he really didn't think the incident this morning was that embarrassing.

His mental fortitude was unimaginable.

The cat boss didn't know what to say. It looked at Lan Qi.

Although you look very handsome when you're calm now, you were really funny when you were reciting love lines this morning.

"Are you really okay now? Won't you unconsciously recall what you said this morning when you see Tata, like that line 'Tata, you're so cute...'?"

Hyperion asked tentatively.

"I'm really okay."

Lan Qi replied after a split-second pause and interrupted Hyperion from continuing to say the line,

"Hyperion, you don't have to worry about me."

"Then...later, can you not let me sit between you and Tata? How about you two sit next to each other?"

Hyperion asked again.

"...No problem."

Lan Qi nodded.

"Why did you hesitate?"

Hyperion moved a little closer, sizing up Lan Qi.

Her eyes seemed to be saying: Don't be stubborn, just tell me honestly if you need help.

"..."

Lan Qi seemed to be asleep, remaining silent for a long time.

"Okay, okay, I won't make things difficult for you."

Hyperion looked at Lan Qi's appearance and quickly waved her hand.

"Hyperion, you're the best."

Lan Qi immediately thanked her with a smile.

"Don't say things like that..."

Hyperion lowered her head, looking at the street, avoiding Lan Qi's sincere gaze.

They quickly walked the less than a kilometer to the east side and saw the bustling Cat Boss Restaurant near lunchtime, with wisps of mist rising from the chimney.

Whenever a customer walked in, the wind chimes on the door accompanied the door with a pleasant ringing sound. At the same time, the clock tower in the distance chimed noon.

The two, who were previously suspicious, became talkative and cheerful again.

"If nothing goes wrong, we'll see Tata come downstairs as soon as we push the door open."

Lan Qi and Hyperion approached the door. He said to Hyperion beside him, with a sense of anticipation for a good start.

"Huh?"

Hyperion didn't know why Lan Qi was so sure.

"Tata usually comes downstairs to eat lunch on time at noon. She'll be hungry if it's any later."

Lan Qi knew that it was time for Tata to come downstairs to eat when he heard the chimes.

It was a conditioned reflex.

Seeing that Hyperion was still a little disbelieving, Lan Qi showed a professional sense of confidence that no one understood Talia better than him.

"There was once a biologist named Pavlov who conducted an experiment. At the beginning of the experiment, his puppy would have a natural reaction to the appearance of food, which was to drool. He used this reaction to present a neutral conditional stimulus, such as a bell, to the puppy at the same time as the appearance of food. After repeated pairings, the puppy began to associate the ringing of the bell with the appearance of food. As long as he rang the bell, the puppy would drool."

Lan Qi explained to Hyperion.

"Yeah, yeah."

Hyperion was confused but felt a dangerous word flash above Lan Qi's head.

Until the two pushed open the door of the store.

They saw that a figure was indeed coming down from the second floor. Lan Qi's voice also stopped abruptly, and his expression became much more solemn. In an instant, his heartbeat accelerated a little.

"..."

Talia stopped when she saw the two figures.

First of all, she was a little incredulous. She felt that Lan Qi was thinking about damn things twenty-five hours a day, twenty-four hours a day.

His expression and reaction just now seemed to have become his daily task!

Then, for some reason, Talia's mind echoed the words from this morning, and she immediately looked away.

She hesitated several times in an instant, seemingly judging whether to continue meeting them or turn back.

In the end, Talia went down again, pretending that she didn't care at all.

Until she met the two.

They didn't speak to each other, as if it was a tacit understanding. They all sat down at the bar by the window, so they didn't have to face each other. After taking their seats, they didn't say much.

The air between the three became unusually quiet.

It was as silent as when the three of them had twisted dough at the Wilford's house and then went out for a walk in the afternoon.

"I'm going to work in the kitchen, meow. What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

The cat boss jumped from Hyperion's arms to the table and said to the three of them.

It was already the owner of this restaurant, and now it directly became the exclusive waiter and chef for the three friends.

"I'm fine with anything."

"I don't mind either."

Lan Qi and Hyperion responded one after another.

"I'm the same as them."

Talia finally spoke.

"Then I'll improvise, meow!"

The cat boss knew that the atmosphere was very wrong, jumped off the chair, and ran nimbly to the kitchen.

Then there was another period of silence by the window.

"..."

Hyperion looked left and right at Lan Qi and Tata.

Both of them were her dearest people. Sitting between them, she didn't know what to say at this time.

"Tata."

Lan Qi spoke, feeling that he should be the first to open his mouth. Leaving aside age, Tata was a girl after all.

"I'm sorry."

Talia interrupted Lan Qi.

Then she looked at him and said.

"..."

Lan Qi looked at Talia in surprise, as if suspecting that Talia had been hidden somewhere.

Tata would take the initiative to apologize?

Hyperion also looked at Talia. She felt that Talia had a lot to say, but Talia was not good with words and didn't know how to express herself, so she could only turn it into the simplest language.

"And thank you for finding Antanas and the others."

Talia spoke slowly, like a child who had just learned to speak, thanking Lan Qi.

"It's okay, Tata. Let's make up."

Lan Qi said with a smile.

Sometimes, if both parties take a step back, they can quickly resolve the problem.

Although it may take a while to completely eliminate the estrangement, at least they have both chosen a positive approach.

The cat boss secretly watched from the corner, nodding its head in satisfaction and comfort.

It didn't expect that the pair it had promoted at the beginning had finally changed a little.

Suddenly, Antanas, who was passing through the aisle between the restaurant and the kitchen, discovered the cat on the ground.

"Hey, Cat Boss, what are you doing here?"

Antanas asked, looking at the little black coal ball beside her feet.

Then she looked in the direction of the cat boss's line of sight and understood.

"I didn't expect them to be able to make up so quickly. I thought it would be awkward for a few days."

Antanas exclaimed.

"Yes, meow."

The cat boss acknowledged that Antanas was also a person of taste.

"That's right."

Antanas bent down and picked up the cat boss, bringing it to the side of the restaurant on the first floor,

"Cat Boss, look at this painting I bought. Pulanaifei insists that this painting is impolite, but I really think he's wrong this time. This is clearly a work of art."

Antanas pointed to the abstract painting on the wall with a smug look.

The three human figures twisted together in the painting, leaving much to the imagination.

"Let me see."

The cat boss narrowed its eyes.

It was too rushed to enter and leave this morning. It hadn't been back for half a year, and there were too many changes in the details of the restaurant. It hadn't noticed that there was an extra painting here.

Although it was abstract art.

But why did it feel so familiar?

"Hey, the lines of the figure at the very bottom look quite like Lan Qi."

The cat boss smiled and pointed to the painting, turning to Antanas and saying.

"Really."

Antanas stared at it for a while and found that it was indeed the case.

"Doesn't the one in the middle look like Hyperion, meow?"

"It really does have a bit of a feeling. Then, according to this, doesn't the one riding on top look a lot like Tata?"

"Meow hahaha, it really does!"

The laughter of the cat boss and Antanas spread throughout the Cat Boss Restaurant.

"By the way, where did this painting come from? I feel like I've seen this painting somewhere before."

The cat boss asked again.

"It is said that the prototype is the latest sand painting divined by the Kingdom United Council using the Star Luo Chessboard. It may be a scene that happened somewhere in the world."

Antanas also scratched her chin with her fingertips, half-understanding.

Cat Boss: "..."

That's not right...

That's not right, not right...

Suddenly, cold sweat broke out on its forehead, and it slowly and stiffly turned its head. It saw that the three people by the window were all looking at this painting.

The mouths of the three were wide open, and their pupils were trembling.

"Meow meow meow!!!"

The cat boss was so frightened that it almost cried out "Woof woof." It jumped out of Antanas's arms and darted into the back kitchen, not daring to come out again.

(End of this chapter)