Chapter 92: Cohabitation Agreement

A few hours later, on the street.

Luo Shaotian stood on a pedestrian bridge, the icy wind whipping against his cheeks.
The November wind already carried winter’s sharp edge; when it hit the skin, it stung.

“Hah…”
He exhaled a stream of smoke. It drifted before his eyes as he closed them, his thoughts a tangled mess.

Not long ago, he had run away.

He couldn’t even remember how he rushed down the stairs—only the pounding of his heart, and how that suffocating, indescribable feeling suddenly evaporated.

What was I afraid of?

This question clung to him like a ghost the entire way.

Logically, he should have felt excited, shouldn’t he?
Facing a JK throwing herself at him—
As long as he reached out, he could have touched that youthful, beautiful body, tasted—

And with protection…
There was nothing to worry about.

But…

But he felt that if he had taken one wrong step at that moment,
he might have really fallen straight into hell.

“That stupid little brat…”

The girl’s face floated back into his mind.
He shook his head hard, trying to shove out any violent, dirty urges.

“Does she seriously not know how attractive she is? Or is she…”
doing it on purpose?

“Tsk… whatever the reason is, she’s infuriating! Why the hell did I end up meeting a little demon like that?!”

He slapped his own forehead in frustration.

The sun sank bit by bit, red light spilling over the steel city, making it look like a massive graveyard.
Glass façades reflected the dying glow, like countless eyes weeping blood, silently watching the land below.

The melancholic scene stirred a faint nostalgia in Luo Shaotian.

He remembered years ago, when he had first joined the police force.

The sunset back then… looked just like this.

And his mentor, Zhang Zheng—
He’d said something to him, hadn’t he?

What… was it again?

“Tch.” He frowned. “Can’t remember.”

“Hah—”

He blew out a long smoke ring, dragging himself out of warm memories.

He lowered his head, staring at his large hands.

These hands could now crush bones without effort, toss a grown man like garbage.

But why—
Why did he no longer feel the satisfaction he once did?

He ground the last bit of his cigarette hard against the railing, extinguishing it.

It felt like he had…
lost something.

—

At dusk, Luo Shaotian walked home dragging his exhausted body.

He used to be busy every day, but because he was under suspension now, he had nothing to do.

He had wandered around aimlessly all day, hoping it would dispel the emptiness gnawing inside him.
It didn’t help much.

“Hm…”

Passing by a convenience store, he stopped out of habit.

He was almost out of food in the fridge.

Standing before the bright-lit chilled section, he stared silently at the rows of boxed meals.

He had planned to buy only one. But—

The moment he thought of the girl at home…

“…Forget it. I’ll get an extra one.”

When he unlocked the apartment door, an inexplicable tension gripped him.

He didn’t know what he would see.

An empty room?
Or that girl sitting on the couch, calling him “Master” or “Daddy,” continuing her act?

“Tsk, women are such a pain…”

With that frustrated thought, he pushed open the door.

The room was quiet. No sign of movement.

Just as he changed his shoes, he sensed something unusual.

The place… was clean?

The floor had been mopped spotless.
The scattered beer cans and cigarette packs had vanished.
Even the nearly-dead pothos plant by the window looked revived.

And the room carried a faint lemon scent—
cleaning detergent.

His gaze finally landed on the couch.

A pair of small, pale feet peeked out from the blanket—
in the dim evening light, they looked like two pieces of warm jade.

He approached and realized—

That troublesome brat was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.

Maybe she was tired after cleaning, because she slept heavily.
Her soft breathing made her chest rise and fall gently.
There was a little drool at the corner of her lips, and every few breaths—

She blew out a tiny transparent bubble.

Pop.

The bubble burst.

Luo Shaotian stared at her unguarded sleeping face.
For some reason, he suddenly laughed.

He reached out and nudged her shoulder.
“Hey. Wake up.”

His fingertips touched something soft and warm.

“Mmm—”

She made a vague sound, like a kitten unwilling to get up,
and burrowed her face deeper into the cushion.

He pushed a little harder.

“Up.”

“…Hm?”

“…Huh?”

This time, she reacted.

Her long eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her newly-awakened gaze was still misty, unfocused, staring blankly at the ceiling.
After a few seconds, her eyes finally landed on Luo Shaotian’s face, so close to hers.

In that instant, all the drowsiness evaporated.

Lin Yu’s body jolted; she instinctively shrank back, pressing her back against the couch.

Inside, her mind was in chaos.

He’s back!

What do I do?

Should I keep acting pitiful?
Or…

Her eyes shifted—
landing cautiously on Luo Shaotian’s neck.

If he really insists on kicking me out…
then I’ll have to knock him out.

Or… subdue him.

And then the daily medication…

It’s the only way to keep him from turning me into a lunatic.

“Haah…”

Meanwhile, Luo Shaotian looked at her shrinking into a ball and sighed.

He placed the boxed meals on the table.

“Eat first.”

So he had no intention of throwing her out.

Lin Yu relaxed slightly—
The giant choking weight on her chest loosened.

Good… no need to knock him out.

The living room fell silent, except for the sound of eating.

Luo Shaotian ate quickly, mechanically—
like he was only filling his stomach.

But his gaze kept drifting toward Lin Yu…
again and again.

From his perspective, her eating style was oddly adorable.

Unlike the elegant manners of normal girls, Lin Yu’s way of eating was—

“Earnest.”

Her cheeks puffed out like a hamster storing food.
Fortunately, she had the face of a magical girl—
otherwise this messy eating would’ve looked ridiculous.

Instead, it was… cute.

He couldn’t help smiling.

Lin Yu paused mid-bite.
“…Why are you laughing?”

“Nothing.”

He made up an excuse.

“There’s a grain of rice at your mouth.”

“Oh.”

She scraped it with her finger and popped it into her mouth without hesitation.

This rich girl… seriously?

After eating, Lin Yu cheerfully volunteered to take out the trash.

Luo Shaotian took out a cigarette.
Just as he was about to light it, he suddenly remembered—

There was a girl in the room.

“Ah—forget it.”

He clicked his tongue and headed toward the balcony.

“Um…”

Lin Yu stopped him.

He turned. “What?”

“No need to go to the balcony. It’s cold.”
She pointed at the coffee table.
“The ashtray is right here. You can smoke inside.”

He froze.

“…You’re here.”

“I don’t mind.”

She waved casually.

Indeed, she didn’t mind.
In her “male form,” she herself smoked occasionally to calm down.
If not for the magical girl transformation causing physiological aversion to smoke,
she probably would’ve lit one up herself.

Overall, she tolerated the smell just fine.

Besides, she was living in his house; she had no right to be picky.

“…You don’t mind? Why?”

Luo Shaotian made a teasing sound.
“Don’t tell me you smoke too?”

“I… I’m used to it. My dad smokes. I… just don’t mind…”

He didn’t press further.

Shaking his head, he returned inside after finishing his cigarette and sat down.

“Hey, brat.”

His voice was calmer now.

“We need to talk.”

Lin Yu’s shoulders stiffened.

“My name is Luo Shaotian.”

He leaned forward, staring at her with sharp eyes.

“What you did this morning—
was stupid.
And dangerous.”

“You said at the start you weren’t one of those women who trade their bodies,
but then you… offered yourself to me?”

“Did you think about what would’ve happened if I wasn’t me?”

His tone was like a mentor scolding a student.

Lin Yu lowered her head, muttering:

“I… I was scared…
Scared that if I didn’t let you do things to me…
you’d replace me with another man…
so I thought I had to knock you out…
and give you medicine every day…”

Luo Shaotian pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Forget it. I’m too tired to lecture you.”

“But I know this—
Even if I drove you out today,
you’d just go find the next ‘uncle’ to cling to, right?”

Lin Yu trembled.
Finally, she nodded.

“Tsk…”

He sighed irritably.

“Fine. Stay here for now.”

Lin Yu’s expression lit up instantly.

Great—
No need to knock him out!

“But don’t get too happy.”
His tone sharpened.

“I’m taking you in not because I like you.
I’m… still technically a cop.”

Saying “cop” brought a strange heaviness to his voice—
a sour mix of pride and guilt.

“I can’t watch a kid like you ruin herself.”

Yeah. That’s all this is.
Just my pathetic sense of duty.

“So, if you stay here, you’ll follow my rules.”

“One: I don’t care what drama you have at home.
You get time to sort yourself out.
Whenever you want to leave, you tell me.”

She nodded obediently.

“Two: the sofa is your bed.
Don’t go into my room.
Don’t touch my stuff.”

Another nod.

“And the last one—
the most important.”

His expression turned stern.

“This isn’t a charity.
If I give you a place to stay,
you’re working for it.”

“All the chores—
laundry, cooking, cleaning—
are yours.”

“No problem!!”

Her reaction was so enthusiastic, it startled him.

Her eyes sparkled like he had just given her a blessing.

Housework?
Amazing!
That means full control of the kitchen—
perfect for slipping medicine!

“…Hey, uncle,”
she asked timidly, eyes gleaming with mischief,
“So… does that mean we’re… living together now~?”

Her tone rose playfully at the end.

Luo Shaotian’s face twitched.

“…Stop that.”

“But what should I call you then?”
She tilted her head, cute on purpose.
“Ro~ gege?”

“No.”

“Not that one? Then… Luo~ master?”

His eyelid twitched again.

She giggled, voice pitched like an anime character.

“Or should I call you… my dear owner~?”

The suppressed string in his mind snapped instantly.

“You—! Stop trying to seduce me!!”