Honkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Time Remaining Until Mei is Eaten: One Hour

A soft sizzle filled the kitchen as hot oil met the pan.

Mei was at the stove, a portrait of focused grace. After he had finished washing the vegetables, Lucian hadn’t retreated to the living room. Instead, he simply leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching her in silence.

The warm light from the range hood enveloped her, tracing the elegant line of her back as she skillfully tossed the ingredients in the wok.

“…What are you looking at?”

Mei didn’t turn around, but the faint blush creeping up the tips of her ears was a lovely betrayal.

“I’m looking at you.”

Lucian’s voice was soft, devoid of any intentional flirtation. He said it as if he were stating the most natural and obvious fact in the world.

Mei’s hand, the one holding the spatula, paused for a fraction of a second. She neither turned nor replied.

The blush on her ears simply, quietly, deepened.

The oil in the pan continued its gentle hiss. With a practiced flick of her wrist, Mei sent the green peppers and shredded pork arcing through the air in a perfect parabola before they tumbled back into the wok. The lines of her profile, caught in the warm glow, looked exceptionally soft.

She didn’t speak again, her attention seemingly devoted entirely to managing the heat.

Lucian remained by the door, his gaze fixed on her.

Even he was a little surprised by the words that had just left his lips. ‘I’m looking at you.’

A month ago, he never would have said something so direct. Back then, he was always weighed down by the feeling that once certain emotions were given voice, they could never be taken back.

But perhaps it didn’t matter if they couldn’t be taken back.

The real fear had always been different. He was afraid she wouldn’t be able to accept his feelings, and terrified that he wouldn’t be able to provide the happiness she deserved.

——————

When he surfaced from his thoughts, Mei had already finished cooking. She was carefully transferring the final dish, shredded pork with green peppers, onto a clean plate.

She turned, plate in hand, and her eyes met Lucian’s.

“…What is it?”

“I was just lost in thought.”

“…Thinking about what?”

Mei carried the dish to the dining table, setting it down with a soft clink.

“…I was thinking that I never realized you could cook Shenzhou cuisine, too,” Lucian said, a gentle warmth in his voice that he himself didn’t notice.

Mei, who had turned back toward the kitchen, paused, slightly stunned by his answer.

“…Is that all?” A flicker of disappointment, almost imperceptible, colored her tone, though her expression remained neutral.

“Yeah,” Lucian confirmed. “Just that.”

He pushed himself off the doorframe and walked to the dining table, his eyes drawn to the dish she had just prepared. The peppers were a vibrant emerald green, the strips of pork a perfect golden-brown, and a light, glossy sauce coated every single piece. It was an authentic, masterfully cooked plate of shredded pork with green peppers.

His gaze drifted across the rest of the table: a fiery Mapo Tofu, a comforting dish of scrambled eggs with tomato, and a steaming bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup.

Three dishes and a soup—a classic, home-cooked Shenzhou meal.

Standing by the table, Mei watched Lucian’s eyes sweep over her handiwork and let a soft, pleased smile grace her lips.

“Do you like it?” she asked quietly.

“Of course.”

A genuine smile broke across his face. He took the initiative, heading to the kitchen to fill two bowls with rice. When he returned, he found that Mei had already pulled their two chairs close together, their sides nearly touching.

She had taken the inner seat and sat with her hands placed primly on her knees, looking up at him. Her face was a mask of practiced calm, but her eyes and the arch of her brows practically screamed, ‘I did this on purpose, and you know it.’

“…Should we eat first?” Her voice was a little softer than usual, with a barely audible lilt at the end of her question.

“Mm.”

Lucian offered a helpless, fond smile. He walked over, placed one of the bowls of rice in front of her, and sat down in the chair beside her. They were so close now that the slightest movement from Mei would cause her to brush against him.

“Try this.”

Mei picked up her chopsticks and delicately placed a piece of tomato and fluffy egg into his bowl.

Lucian nodded, lifting the morsel to his lips. The bright, sweet-and-sour tang of the tomato and the pillowy softness of the egg melted together on his tongue, seasoned to perfection.

“…It’s delicious.”

They ate in a comfortable silence.

Mei didn’t ask any more questions. She simply, from time to time, added more food to his bowl—a spoonful of the spicy Mapo Tofu, a few strips of the shredded pork and green peppers, and another piece of the tomato and egg.

Lucian accepted everything she gave him, his pace slower than usual but his chopsticks never stopping.

Occasionally, their arms would brush in the space between them. Each time, they would both pause for a beat before continuing on as if nothing had happened.

Under the warm yellow light of the dining room, the soft clinking of porcelain and chopsticks felt exceptionally peaceful.

——————

After the meal was finished and the dishes were washed and put away, Lucian and Mei found themselves sitting quietly on the sofa.

Outside, the night had completely fallen. The warm, yellow lamp in the living room was on, bathing the entire space in a cozy, intimate glow.

Mei leaned against the back of the sofa, her head tilted slightly as her gaze rested on Lucian’s profile. A few stray strands of hair had fallen across his forehead, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if he were miles away.

“…What are you thinking about now?” she asked softly.

“I’m thinking… that at a time like this, I should probably say something.” Lucian turned his head, his gaze finally landing on Mei’s face.

In the soft light, her amethyst eyes seemed to hold a gentle warmth, and he could see his own reflection mirrored clearly in their depths.

Mei didn’t answer immediately. She just watched him, her expression unreadable.

After a few seconds, a quiet laugh escaped her lips.

“Has anyone ever told you that sometimes… you wear a very insecure expression?”

Lucian was momentarily stunned.

His first instinct was to deny it, but the words died on his lips. He looked at Mei, truly looked at her, and saw that in those beautiful purple eyes, there was no mockery—only a soft, almost tender sincerity.

“…Do I?”

“You do,” she said softly, her tone certain.

Lucian was silent for a few long seconds. He tore his gaze from her face, letting it fall on the empty water glass on the coffee table.

“I’m thinking about some very greedy things.”

“Hmm?” Mei tilted her head, but she didn’t press him for more. She simply adjusted her position, turning sideways on the cushion and propping one hand on the back of the sofa, a slight, knowing smile playing on her lips as she watched him.

Lucian felt a bit uncomfortable under her steady gaze. His eyes darted from the water glass to the darkened window, then back again, finally settling on her face once more.

“…Why aren’t you asking what I’m thinking about?”

“Because I already know.”

Lucian started, turning to look at her properly.

“The things you’re thinking about… they must involve me, Kiana, and Bronya, right?”

Lucian didn’t speak. He just gave a slow, heavy nod.

Seeing his confirmation, the smile on Mei’s lips deepened.

“Lucian, did you know?” she began, her voice taking on a nostalgic hue. “Back at St. Freya Academy, there was a time when I was very afraid of seeing you.”

“…You’ve told me that before.”

“Mm, then just listen to me say it one more time.” Mei nodded, her gaze drifting towards the coffee table as if she were seeing those long-ago days reflected on its surface.

“Back then, I kept having these strange dreams. The ‘me’ in those dreams… she told me that you were my everything.”

“So I started avoiding you. I avoided Kiana, and I avoided any possible chance that might let me get close to any of you.”

“And then, later… I became the Third Herrscher.”

“I don’t remember what happened during that time very clearly. When the Honkai Energy erodes you, your consciousness becomes a blur.”

“But I remember you.”

She turned her head, her gaze locking onto Lucian’s face once more, sharp and clear.

“I remember what you looked like when you collapsed in front of me.”

“And I remember what you said to me after you woke up.”