Shinji watched as Kiana tried to snatch food from Mei's bowl at the dining table in front of him.
Mei gently pushed her away with a helpless yet affectionate smile, while Bronya quietly sipped her soup.
Stelle and March 7th were arguing over which dish was the tastiest, while Dan Heng had already finished eating and was staring thoughtfully out the window.
Phainon walked over carrying freshly baked desserts, his face still radiating that sunny smile—a stark contrast to Kevin.
"Try this! It's a new dessert I'm testing. It tastes best while it's still warm!"
The aroma of the dessert filled the air, dissolving the last traces of awkwardness from the earlier "look-alike" incident.
Shinji brought himself back to the present, picked up a small spoon, scooped a bite, and put it in his mouth.
It was sweet, soft, and melted perfectly, with just the right warmth.
At that moment, Kiana seemed to remember something and suddenly sat up straight.
She turned to Shinji and Stelle, her eyes sparkling with a mix of curiosity and mischief.
"Oh, right, right! Captain! Stelle!"
She lowered her voice slightly, but it was still loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
"Tell me, do you think that Chef Phainon just now… really looks exactly like my Kevin? Except for their completely different temperaments?"
Shinji paused mid-lift of his teacup.
Stelle blinked in confusion. "Kevin? Who's that? Who does Phainon look like?"
Kiana slammed the table. "Oh! It's that ice-faced cousin I mentioned to you before! One of the current heads of the Kaslana Family—Kevin Kaslana! Did you forget?"
Shinji and Stelle exchanged glances, both seeing genuine confusion in each other's eyes.
In Shinji's memory, the name "Kevin Kaslana" did exist.
He only knew that Kevin was a high-ranking, mysterious, and—according to Kiana—very unsociable elder in her family's younger generation.
However, he had no clear image of his actual appearance. Stelle knew even less.
"Really? Is that true?" Stelle asked, intrigued. "Phainon is such a cheerful person, and he looks like your cousin who sounds like an ice block? Kiana, you haven't hallucinated from eating too much barbecue, have you?"
"I have not!" Kiana protested indignantly. "Although Kevin usually looks like he wants to carve 'Keep Out' on his face. His eyes are like Siberian permafrost. But this young lady still remembers that face! They really do look alike! In a few days, I'll find a chance to get a photo… ah, no. I mean, I'll get an official photo of him for you to see, and you'll know! I guarantee it'll surprise you!"
She spoke with absolute certainty, clearly obsessed with the resemblance between Phainon and Kevin.
Mei gently set down her teacup, a hint of contemplation in her purple eyes. "Indeed… there's some similarity in facial structure. But their temperaments are completely different."
She glanced toward the kitchen. "Mr. Phainon gives off a very warm feeling."
Bronya remained silent, listening quietly.
Just then, Phainon walked over again, carrying a pot of freshly brewed fruit tea, and happened to hear the last half of Kiana's sentence.
"Hm? Someone looks a lot like me?" Phainon asked curiously as he poured tea, his smile still bright. "Really? That's quite a coincidence! I thought my generic face had no distinguishing features."
Kiana didn't expect the person in question to appear suddenly and coughed awkwardly. "Uh… it's just a distant relative of mine… just, just a little alike!" She tried to play it down.
Phainon laughed heartily. "Haha, the world is so big—there are bound to be people who look alike! Maybe we were from the same family hundreds of years ago!"
As he poured tea for Shinji, he took the opportunity to sit in the empty seat next to him, looking relaxed.
"It's perfect. Mydei is holding down the kitchen, so I can steal a moment of leisure to chat with everyone… ah, no, I mean, to catch up," Phainon said with a chuckle.
"Mydei is here too?" Shinji asked, genuinely surprised.
Mydei was someone he had met in a university club, their "top chef" and "model worker." In his memory, after graduation, Mydei should have gone to inherit the Xuanfeng family business.
"Yes!" Phainon nodded. "Not just Mydei, many of our old college friends are in this city, and we hang out often. You know Professor Anaxa, right? That super-strict male professor? He's holding a concurrent position here and sometimes comes to eat at our place, lecturing us on everything!"
Professor Anaxa… an image of a demanding yet knowledgeable professor flashed in Shinji's mind. He hadn't expected him to be in this city too.
Phainon continued counting on his fingers. "And Castorice is here too; she's another head chef. Her skills are excellent, especially with creative dishes—many customers come just for her!"
"Castorice is here too?" Shinji asked subconsciously, a subtle complexity in his tone he didn't notice himself.
"Yes, she…" Phainon glanced at Shinji with a teasing smile. "She's great in every way, except sometimes she's a bit… um, shy. Especially… um, you know."
He was vague, but the meaning was clear: Castorice's "shyness" seemed related to Shinji.
Kiana, Mei, and Bronya looked up almost simultaneously. Castorice? Another unfamiliar female name? Judging by Phainon's tone and Shinji's subtle reaction, their relationship wasn't ordinary.
Although Phainon said Castorice was shy and didn't dare approach Shinji, it didn't sound threatening. But… who knew?
Childhood bonds were deep, but "old acquaintances" from university—especially those with a story—were often unpredictable.
Bronya's fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of her teacup. Kiana's blue eyes narrowed. Mei's smile faded slightly, her purple eyes quietly watching Shinji's reaction.
Shinji didn't notice the subtle changes in the three childhood friends beside him; he was immersed in his memories.
After a pause, he asked, "And… Cyrene? How is she… doing now?"
Cyrene! The moment that name left Shinji's lips, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya went from alert to full red alert!
This was the first time they had heard that name from Shinji!
And from the tone of his subconscious question, there was genuine concern—different from when he mentioned Phainon or Mydei—and a subtle attachment.
Phainon's eyes lit up. "Cyrene! She's in this city too! And she's quite remarkable—she's a famous writer now! Her pen name is… Pen Name! Right, Pen Name! She writes fantasy epics, which are quite popular. I've read two of her books—they're really well-written, though the endings are a bit… um, depressing."
A writer? Pen Name? Kiana and Mei exchanged glances, silently resolving to "write this down and check it later."
Bronya had already taken out her phone, finger hovering over the screen.
Phainon continued enthusiastically, "Shinji, do you want to meet up with Cyrene? It just so happens that our old friends haven't gathered in a long time! Castorice, Mydei, Cyrene, plus you and me—if everyone else could come too, it would be so lively! Everyone must really miss you!"
"If you want to read advance Chapter.
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