Raindrops pelted the window like countless tiny hammers, casting the Victoria-era retro window frames of the shop into a slightly gloomy light.

Each time a raindrop struck the glass, it formed a moist patch, blurring the scenery outside.

Despite the weather, the shop remained as peaceful and cozy as ever.

Accompanied by a long, crisp "ding-a-ling" from the doorway, the heavy wooden door was pushed open by a pair of hands speckled with raindrops, and a hint of cold and dampness instantly mixed with the warm air inside.

It was a gentle, refined young man, a few raindrops clinging to him, his boots slightly soaked. Most noticeable was the small black cat he held in his left arm, its eyes wide and its fur a little ruffled.

The little black cat seemed a bit dazed.

Its brain seemed to be stuck in a crash state.

Only upon reaching the familiar environment of the shop did its small, pointed ears twitch instinctively, as if trying to make sense of the sounds around it.

The young man walked carefully, water dripping from the tip of his umbrella, splashing onto the floor.

The figure of the eagerly awaiting shop assistant soon emerged from behind the counter, her apron clean and tidy, her eyes fixed on the little black cat with a singular focus, as if she had been waiting for it for a long time.

"Boss Cat, what took you so long? The kitchen's swamped!"

The shop assistant quickly walked up to Lan Qi and spoke to the little black cat.

"Oh, meow, sorry, meow."

The Boss Cat finally came to its senses, quickly jumped to the ground, and headed towards the kitchen.

It turned its head, glancing at Lan Qi with a complicated expression.

This guy seemed to possess all the virtues—gentle, courteous, frugal, righteous, and trustworthy, a truly outstanding young man.

But now it was beginning to sense that there was something very, very wrong with this kid!

It was the first time it had ever seen anyone play matchmaker quite like Lan Qi!

Too weird.

It needed to observe him further.

Perhaps this nascent Dong Xi wasn't worthy of love!

The shop assistant watched Boss Cat return to the kitchen, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Oh, right, Miss Tata said if you came, she wanted you to go find her in the upstairs storeroom."

She then looked at Lan Qi and said.

"Thank you."

Lan Qi thanked her and headed towards the familiar staircase to the second floor.

He naturally understood what that meant.

Now that the Resurrection Church spy among the Yarolan Royal Academy academic visiting team had been caught, Dean Loren would be pleasantly surprised when he returned tomorrow.

When he went on a date with Knight Commander Juliana, he would certainly have plenty to talk about.

If Lan Qi kept working hard these next few days, it wouldn't be impossible for Juliana to run over from the Yarolan Kingdom to actively seek a date with Loren.

The staircase was made of dark wood, each step worn smooth by the passage of time, and a slightly worn carpet had been laid out especially for rainy days.

When he reached the second floor, a long corridor stretched out before him.

The walls were adorned with vintage picture frames, and the dim yellow light added a touch of mystery to the entire corridor.

At the end of the corridor was a row of doors, each with its own unique color and number, giving it the feel of an old inn.

Lan Qi walked slowly, as if searching for something.

His gaze lingered on each door for a moment, finally stopping in front of one labeled "Storeroom."

"Tata, Hyperion, are you there?"

Lan Qi knocked twice on the door.

"Come in."

He soon heard Talia's familiar voice.

Obviously, after learning it was Lan Qi, she had briefly deactivated the barrier.

Lan Qi then placed his hand on the doorknob, pressed it down slightly, and the storeroom door, which had been impossible to open before, swung open with a click.

A musty, slightly damp air wafted out, and Lan Qi stepped inside.

Looking around, he saw Hyperion and Talia guarding a man tied to a chair, presumably the suspect.

But that wasn't the important thing. The important thing was—

Judging from their expressions.

Hyperion's mental state and mood were excellent, and she didn't seem to have been wronged.

And Talia was more peaceful than he had imagined, and didn't seem displeased by Hyperion's presence.

The two of them got along much more harmoniously than Lan Qi had expected, and Lan Qi even felt inexplicably that they had a good relationship.

"Lan Qi, you're here."

Hyperion smiled and walked to his side, saying.

"Yes, unfortunately, I lost my match to Adams today."

Lan Qi nodded, slightly embarrassed.

Immediately, Hyperion's expression froze.

If Lan Qi had won, she felt that it would have been fine.

But if Lan Qi had lost so easily.

The severity of the problem might have already exceeded her imagination.

She didn't really want to go back to school.

At least, she didn't want to face the returning Dean Loren tomorrow morning...

Talia looked at Hyperion's face, then at Lan Qi, and didn't comment.

"Thank you for your trouble, Tata."

Lan Qi turned to thank Talia instead.

He hadn't expected Talia to be so easy to talk to this time.

It seemed that as she got older, she had become a little more humane.

"..."

Talia stared at Lan Qi without saying a word.

"But now that the spy from the Yarolan Royal Academy visiting delegation has been caught, Hyperion can move back today."

Lan Qi looked at Phoenix, who was unconscious on the chair, and said to Talia and Hyperion.

If he continued to let Hyperion and Talia stay together, Lan Qi worried that as time went on, one of them would feel wronged and the other would lose her temper.

However, Hyperion raised her eyes,

"Lan Qi, I..."

She seemed a little hesitant, not knowing how to say it.

If possible, she actually wanted to stay with Tata for another two days.

But that kind of thought was too embarrassing, and she couldn't find an excuse.

Even if Miss Tata had promised to teach her magic, she didn't necessarily have to live in Miss Tata's house.

"Let her stay with me for a few more days, in case of other accidents."

Talia said in a calm voice,

"After all, even according to the contract, she should stay with me for a full two weeks."

She emphasized it in a businesslike manner.

"...!"

This made Hyperion look at her in surprise and gratitude.

If Miss Tata had only been acting according to the agreement before, then she was now really thinking of her.

"Hyperion, what do you say?"

Lan Qi naturally had no objections.

If Talia could get along with Hyperion, it would be great for his future [Giant Love Company] to grow stronger.

Thinking about it carefully, Talia had always been like this. She didn't like to take advantage of others in transactions, and she would protect them for a full two weeks as promised.

"If Miss Tata doesn't mind, I would like to stay here for a while longer."

Hyperion looked at Talia and stammered a little embarrassedly.

"But I will go to school next."

Hyperion added.

Next, she would resume her studies and student council work.

She didn't dare let Lan Qi out of her sight, otherwise, Ikerite Academy might undergo a strange transformation during her two-week vacation.

"Then I'll pick you up and drop you off from school every day."

Talia nodded and said.

"Then I'll leave it to you."

Lan Qi breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.

With Talia's serious protection, Hyperion's safety could be said to be foolproof.

It just made Lan Qi feel inexplicably that their conversation was a bit like a mother picking up her child from elementary school.

Too weird, could this be Talia's mom plan to take over the Duke's family?

(End of this chapter)