Chapter 26 : The Cookie as a Symbol of Peace

“Brother Hanqi! Chicken leg!”

“Oh, thanks, thanks…”

“Brother Hanqi! Fish!”

“Uh… Little Yushu, I can manage myself…”

“Oh.”

Seeing Ye Yushu sit down, looking a bit crestfallen, I felt a twinge of unease.

Does making a middle school loli sad violate loli protection laws?

“The table’s kinda big, and I can’t reach some spots…” Before I could make an excuse, Ye Yushu, beaming like she was presenting a treasure, held up her small bowl and plopped a big shrimp into mine.

“Brother Hanqi! I peeled this shrimp myself!”

Non-grudge-holding lolis are the best.

I glanced at Shen Yingxu next to me, wrestling with a spare rib.

She glared back fiercely.

I pinched Ye Yushu’s cheek in thanks, watching her happily act like a kitten, eyeing the table’s dishes. Less eating, more stockpiling—grabbing tasty morsels for my bowl, flashing a “praise me” look. If she had a tail, it’d be wagging like a pendulum.

“Yushu, don’t trouble Brother Hanqi… Aqi, try this sweet-and-sour pork. I spent all afternoon marinating it~”

Uh, Sister Ningxi, my plate’s overflowing.

What was meant to be a small family gathering ballooned. With Yang Xinwei arrested and the rumors clearing, Gu Ningxi invited everyone who’d helped, turning it into a far bigger dinner than planned.

…

Holding a glass (of cola, obviously), I stood on the second-floor balcony, gazing at the starry sky.

Mu Ziqing and Ye Yushu were setting off sparklers in the courtyard, with Liu Senyao-senpai, crashing the party, gesturing wildly. Noticing me, she waved enthusiastically, like an idiot.

Why’s she so comfy in this “season finale” scene? Her only role was being Jiang Xiang-senpai’s leg accessory!

As I waved back, a shadow lunged.

I dodged instinctively, only to see Shen Yingxu freeze beside me, her posture odd, like she was about to hand me something.

“…What’re you doing?”

I squinted warily, setting my glass down.

She coughed lightly, acting like nothing happened, and stood casually beside me.

“Nice weather.”

Sure, with the moon hidden by clouds and not a star in sight.

I’ve always thought this Saintess was way more shameless than me.

At least I need a few seconds’ cooldown to lie without flinching.

“Is your brain fried?”

“Zhu Hanqi!”

For some reason, her puffed-up, indignant face always cheers me up.

Maybe sensing I was teasing, Shen Yingxu turned away slightly.

“Fine, since you pulled off a big win this time, I’ll let it slide.”

I smiled silently, watching Mu Ziqing’s group with their sparklers.

Ye Yushu waved her lit sparkler joyfully, Liu Senyao-senpai snapped photos excitedly, and Mu Ziqing offered one to Ye Qingshu, who shook her head, sitting on the courtyard steps, lost in thought.

She’d been like that since dinner. Everyone noticed, but no one asked.

No one asked me either.

Winter was near, but in Jiuguo, fireworks around New Year’s were normal, so it wasn’t odd.

“That Yang Xinwei guy—he’s not getting out anytime soon, right?”

I glanced at Shen Yingxu, who brought it up, and smirked.

“What he did to Li Xiaowan was straight-up attempted murder.”

“Plus defamation, blackmail, kidnapping, and attempted unlawful confinement…” I said, grinning.

“But even with a light sentence, I gave him a little lesson on the rooftop.”

“A little lesson?”

“He had kidnapping motives and indirect evidence. In my self-defense ‘counterattack,’ breaking a few ribs for a Grade II minor injury isn’t a big deal, right?”

I shrugged.

“Just a kid who made a small lust-driven mistake. A little discipline’s enough.”

“That’s ‘enough’?” Shen Yingxu gave a skyward eye-roll, turning to me.

“And the online detailed analysis of the case—timeline, motives, outcomes, and a barely-anonymized profile of the culprit’s family and personality—nothing to do with you, huh?”

Her head tilted slightly, night breeze tossing her hair, stars absent from the sky but sparkling in her eyes.

“That was my payment to Jiang Xiang-senpai. She worked hard behind the scenes, the ultimate sixth man. Those reports were vetted by the discipline office—totally legal.”

“A Demon King obsessed with ‘legal compliance’…”

Shen Yingxu huffed.

What’s wrong with that?

Can’t a Demon King follow the law? It’s a lawful society—Demon Kings can’t run red lights either.

I grinned at her, but she propped her chin, analyzing.

“It’s just the school’s setup to clean house in the tennis club. Times have changed. Zhu Lulubing attending our school draws attention, which they love, but constant scandals and rumors? That’s a headache for the school and higher-ups.”

“Letting those reports through shows they’re cracking down on rumors and highlights Zhu Lulubing’s importance, right?”

I looked surprised.

“You’re not actually an idiot?”

“My entrance scores—no, all my scores—are top of the grade. How dare you talk like that?” She rolled her eyes. “Talk when you pass math with a 90!”

“Math’s passing score being 90 is absurd.”

If I ever start a second apocalypse, it’ll be because of math’s assault on humanity.

“It’s fine if you secure the easy points… Wait! You derailed me again!!”

She smacked my shoulder hard.

“The tennis club’s done for now, but what about Ye Qingshu? Did you two make up?”

“…You circled all that just to ask this?”

I stared at the girl who rarely gave me a kind look.

“Can’t I?”

“Imagine someone who wants to kill you asking if you paid your rent this month. What’d you think?”

“…I’m about to die, why bother with rent?” Shen Yingxu asked, puzzled.

“Exactly. You’re always trying to kill me, so why bother making up?”

“!”

“You’re saying you didn’t make up with Ye Qingshu because I’m trying to kill you?” Her eyes widened, a mix of disbelief, guilt, and apology.

She’s so easy to read.

“Nah, that’s not it.”

I didn’t fall out with Ye Qingshu; my old crush just reverted to normal childhood friend status. She’s the one chasing reconciliation, which leaves me at a loss.

Seeing her relax, I felt a prankish urge.

“But you’re a direct cause. With you threatening my life daily, I’ve got no energy for relationships,” I bullshitted, watching her face pale.

“Especially that cookie, the ‘peace symbol’ that could kill flies—how can I live well after that?”

Feigning heartbreak, I closed my eyes, then opened them to see a cookie thrust at me.

Round two, huh?!

Does this Saintess love poison? She’s no Lucrezia Borgia!!

“About that cookie last time…”

Shen Yingxu, head down, gritted her teeth.

“I made it.”

What, you’re actually Borgia?!

“You made it to poison rats—no, the Demon King?!”

I gaped.

Is toxic stuff that easy to get? I’m scared for Jiangcheng’s safety.

“No, it’s my cooking hobby. I wanted to make cookies.”

“Don’t call that a cooking hobby—it’s a Breaking Bad hobby!”

Honestly, the shock rivaled seeing a catgirl after crossing worlds.

I always believed catgirls were real, but cooking that kills? Pure fiction.

Salt, sugar, flour… can those kill?!

Yet that fly’s ghost reminds me some people have gifts.

Come to Demon King Castle, take my throne—you deserve it.

“I’m just… not great at it.”

Her hand on my shoulder, Shen Yingxu spoke with a dark, ominous tone.

Eek! There it is!

Ghost-mode Shen Yingxu, hollow eyes staring.

“Everyone’s bad at something, right?”

“R-Right, totally reasonable…”

My voice shook.

“I was too embarrassed to admit it was my recipe then. But I’ve improved—eat it. It’s a real peace symbol. I won’t fatally attack you until you and Ye Qingshu make up.”

“I’m grateful for your mercy, but I’m terrified this cookie’s fatal—Eek!”

She grabbed my shoulder like Mei Chaofeng, claws digging in.

It’s the kind of grip that, if seen on a shirtless me, would scream “survivor of that battle”…

“Eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it…”

“You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right? You’ll eat it, right?…”

…The greatest crisis of my Demon King career hits today, as an ordinary human.