Chapter 80 discusses how to use honey in strawberry cream cake...
As night faded and the sky gradually turned a pale white, Nolan staggered out of bed.
He hadn't expected the wound caused by improper operation to be so painful. He hissed and frowned as he glanced at the time.
It's already five o'clock, time to go, or we'll be late. But it's okay, he'll meet her again someday, in the near future.
Nolan gazed at Pei Qing's peaceful sleeping face with a complicated expression. He reached out as if to touch her face, but for some unknown reason, he quietly lowered his hand and sighed softly.
Although he agreed to carry out the plan, Nolan still felt a vague unease. Because of this unease, he did not tell the Marshal that his memories from this period were complete and without any fragments.
The communicator crackled to life. Nolan knew he couldn't delay any longer; the Marshal was suspicious, and he had to proceed with extreme caution. He glanced at the unconscious man huddled in the corner, a flicker of disgust crossing his eyes. He walked over, grabbed the ropes binding the man, and roughly lifted him up, throwing him onto the bed.
Shen Rong'an was annoying but also clever; he wouldn't tell Pei Qing about his existence, and would even help cover it up, after all, he was more worried about Pei Qing leaving than anyone else. Whatever the reason, Shen Rong'an wouldn't give up this readily available peace; he would give everything for it, and that was enough.
Nolan dressed himself neatly, making sure all traces were removed, then leaped out of the window, cast a deep glance at Pei Qing, and vanished in an instant.
Pei Qing didn't sleep soundly. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't help but rub her sore neck, feeling utterly exhausted. It would have been better not to sleep at all.
She rolled out of bed, and as she pushed herself up with her hand, she inadvertently touched a small patch of smooth, soft skin. Pei Qing frowned in confusion, then yanked back the covers, revealing a snow-white body. Shen Rong'an was covered in marks, the red rope binding him still in place, and he was fast asleep with a slight frown on his face.
Upon seeing this scene, Pei Qing froze for a few seconds, her first thought being that she had fallen into some kind of violent state in her sleep. But after calming down, she felt something was off. Even if it was her fault, what was with Shen Rong'an covered in ropes? She'd never heard of anyone being able to do these kinds of things while unconscious.
She pulled the blanket back over Shen Rong'an and sat silently on the edge of the bed. Suddenly, a faint fragrance wafted into her nostrils. Pei Qing's expression changed abruptly. This fragrance... was very strange. She was the kind of person who didn't like perfumes, and even felt somewhat averse to them. She even deliberately chose cleaning products with extremely faint scents, almost odorless. It was impossible for her room to contain anything with a strong scent, like aromatherapy.
Moreover, Pei Qing had never smelled a similar fragrance before. She thoughtfully raised her eyes and slowly paced around the room, several thin tendrils reaching out to search carefully. Finally, she locked onto a very inconspicuous corner, where a small patch of almost completely disappeared stain remained.
Pei Qing squatted down, picked up a speck of dust, and waved it in front of her. Sure enough, it was the same fragrance from before. If she wasn't mistaken, this fragrance was probably the source of her unusual fatigue last night.
It was probably that stupid rabbit's momentary impulse to create these strange potions as a preemptive strike. But Pei Qing still had some doubts. Even if Shen Rong'an made her dizzy, he wouldn't have made her feel tired. She felt that something out of line must have happened last night.
Could it be Helivin? Thinking of how shy and hesitant to approach him during the day yesterday, Pei Qing shook her head and dismissed the guess.
But if it wasn't him, then who could it be?
Pei Qing entered the washroom with doubts. The moment the cool water touched her face, her eyelids trembled, and a familiar feeling welled up in her heart. However, before she could grasp it, the strange feeling vanished instantly.
The black-haired woman, A, tilted her head back, her hands braced against the edge of the sink. Her sharply defined profile concealed a deep, turbulent emotion within her eyes. Pei Qing calmed herself, turned to open the door, but just as she was about to leave the bathroom, several dark tendrils landed on the door, stopping her in her tracks.
The tendrils at the top were layered upon each other, as if they were wrapping something. With a thought, Pei Qing felt the tendrils unfurl and reveal what was hidden before her eyes.
It was a tiny scale, less than half the size of a fingernail, entirely black with shimmering dark patterns, and emitting a faint woody fragrance.
Pei Qing picked up the scale and carefully stroked it, a barely perceptible curve gradually forming on the corners of her lips, radiating a deep chill.
Some traces, no matter how well hidden, cannot be completely concealed.
Pei Qian wore her usual smile, and no one could tell that she was feeling uncertain and panicked at this moment—panic about things going off track.
In an instant, many images flashed through her mind, finally settling on the dark, damp underground and the various experimental subjects. Could the experiment initiated by personnel within the Federation be related to her? To be precise, it was 'her'.
What exactly is that "she" in her memories? Why is she in the Federal Research Institute? What exactly does the experiment Shen Rong'an mentioned include? Is it related to ethical cloning technology?
After all, although Pei Qing didn't know most of what was about 'her,' her own memories did contain fragments of her childhood. She was definitely not a clone that appeared out of thin air; all her growth paths were real, including everything that happened at the welfare center, which Pei Qing remembered clearly.
What is the truth? And how was she able to devour ISET energy crystals and even cause others to produce similar substances...?
In an instant, a mysteries, like dark clouds before a storm, filled Pei Qing's mind. She unconsciously groped her fingers, the familiar feel of the black snake scales still lingering. The mysterious disappearance of the snake-man, Shen Rong'an's unusual reaction, the changes in her own body—all these things filled Pei Qing with a profound sense of unease.
She desperately wanted to find out the truth, but the more she tried to find it, the more she seemed to be hindered by some unseen force—or perhaps more than one force.
Pei Qing sat behind the counter, casually fiddling with the bills, scattering them haphazardly before neatly arranging them. Countless thoughts swirled and formed patterns in her mind…
How did things get to this point? Everything went wrong from the moment she was packed up and thrown out of the welfare center.
Thinking back carefully, every step she took from the beginning to now seemed to have been arranged and planned. From being inexplicably recommended a get-rich-quick scheme by a friend on the StarNet, which brought Pei Qing to Saihan City, to meeting Gu Fei and You Du; to being unexpectedly thrown into a strange prison, which was ostensibly a prison but actually a 'prison' where a bunch of illegal experiments were conducted...
Although there were some minor setbacks along the way, one thing was steadily progressing: the changes in her body. Her body had been steadily advancing in the direction of evolution, and Pei Qing could feel it clearly. To this day, both her mental strength and physical attributes were vastly different from her former self.
In the past, apart from being extremely amiable, her physical and mental abilities were terrible; she was the kind of person who would always be classified as below Grade D in the federal census.
Previously, Pei Qing was quite pleased with her personal charm. This strange affability grew stronger with age, but it only made her days at the welfare center a little easier and allowed her to occasionally take advantage of others; it had no other purpose.
Could it be that this affability is actually some kind of weak superpower? Thinking of this, Pei Qing paused for a moment while sorting out the bills. She shook her head, denying her guess.
So-called superpowers are inextricably linked to the strength of an individual's mental power. Generally speaking, the level of mental power is basically determined by nature and is extremely difficult to change later in life, almost impossible to change. Similarly, if someone has superpowers, they are also innate and cannot be awakened later in life.
Many people with mental strength above level A haven't even awakened any special abilities, let alone someone like Pei Qing, whose overall qualities are only level D. She wonders what level she can rank with her current strength. She's quite curious.
To put it bluntly, she was practically disabled before. When she lived in the welfare center, people often wondered how someone like her could survive to adulthood. Even Pei Qing herself marveled at how difficult it was for her to have survived all this time, and how she hadn't died prematurely due to illnesses caused by low mental strength.
But looking back now, is it really just a matter of luck that she's survived this long safely? Gifts from fate are hard to come by, and too many coincidences together are no longer coincidences.
Pei Qian felt as if the truth was right before her eyes, just a hair's breadth away, yet that tiny distance seemed like an insurmountable chasm. She thought to herself, resting her chin on her hand, "I still need some crucial information."
Gu Fei… that guy! Before, when he wasn't needed, he was always clinging to people's side, but now that it's crucial, he always messes things up halfway! Seriously, does she expect her to risk getting caught to go find him?!
"Knock knock".
"!" Pei Qing was lost in thought and didn't notice someone standing in front of the counter. After a moment of surprise, she looked at the person with her usual teasing smile and said, "What's wrong? You still have jam on your face. What delicious food are you making again?"
Helivin lowered his head shyly, his cheeks slightly flushed. The strawberry jam on his cheeks emitted a rich, sweet and sour fruity aroma. His fingers twisted together, and his voice was barely audible: "I... I saw you busy at the counter all morning. Would you like something to eat? I made a strawberry cream cake. Would you like to try some?"
“Okay!” Pei Qing happily agreed, casually pushing the bill aside, selectively ignoring the fact that she didn’t actually have a job, and comfortably followed Hilliwen into the kitchen to enjoy the meal.
Cake? It seems like she hasn't had one in ages. Pei Qing swallowed hard as she smelled the fresh strawberry aroma and the unique scent of cream cake wafting through the kitchen.
Cake! Cake! Soft and fluffy cake! Pei Qing happily grabbed her fork and excitedly sat on her chair, kicking her legs. As soon as she came in, she saw the strawberry cream cake on the table.
The cake was about ten inches in size and simply decorated. Apart from strawberries, jam, and cream, there were no fancy patterns. The main feature was that it was loaded with ingredients. It was clear that the cake maker's skills were not very proficient.
When Healy cut the cake, the vibrant strawberry filling inside was so plentiful it was almost overflowing, barely supported by the soft and delicate cake base. As the sharp blade sliced through it, the sweet and sour strawberry juice slid down the curve of the blade and dripped onto the pristine white porcelain plate.
Pei Qing stared intently as Hillary handed her the cake. She quickly cut off a small piece and put it in her mouth. The sweet and sour strawberry flavor mixed with the slightly sweet and smooth cream, along with the delicate cake base, instantly brought an indescribable sense of satisfaction to her heart.
Delicious! The fresh strawberries are juicy and sweet and sour; the cream is slightly sweet, smooth and not greasy, and the slightly grainy strawberry jam not only adds aroma but also enriches the cake's layers. It's simply amazing!
"So delicious!" Pei Qing said, giving a thumbs up as she ate.
"Really? That's wonderful." He had been a little worried that it wouldn't suit Pei Qing's taste, but Xiliwen smiled shyly and forked a small piece of cake into his mouth.
However, a small mishap occurred during the process. His arm bumped against the edge of the table, his hand trembled, and he accidentally dropped the cake onto his collar. Helivin's mind went blank for a moment. Before he could even think of a way to salvage the situation, the cake, stained with cream, slid down his collar and down his chest, leaving a snow-white mark that stood out vividly against his honey-colored skin.
It looks very tempting.
Pei Qing witnessed the whole thing from across the room and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Seeing that Hillary's face quickly turned red, she quickly suppressed her laughter, got up, and picked up a tissue to help wipe it off.
The man was about to make a move when Pei Qing grabbed him and stopped him. Woman A chuckled and looked up, her eyes crinkling, but there was a hint of malice in her smile.
“Don’t move,” Pei Qing pressed down on Hilliman’s hand, forcing him into an extremely stiff and awkward position. “I’ll help you.”
Helivin leaned back in his chair, chest puffed out, his hands nervously clutching the hem of his shirt. He was wearing a shirt today, and because it was a bit hot in the kitchen, he had casually unbuttoned a few buttons, revealing his ample cleavage once the apron was off.
Pei Qing swallowed hard, her teeth itching slightly as she gazed at the beautiful scenery before her. She really wanted to eat something. She loosened her grip on the tissue, which slowly floated to the ground. Her slender fingers covered the warm neck in front of her, and her slightly parted lips slowly approached.
The moment the scorching breath approached his chest, Hili's oxygen-deprived brain completely stopped functioning. He stared blankly at everything before him, as if he were dreaming. Otherwise, how could he have seen Pei Qing leaning over his chest?
The warm, moist touch constantly stimulated Healy's almost short-circuited nerve endings. The slightly rough tongue brushed across his delicate skin, sweeping away the spilled strawberry pieces and cream, licking them clean, leaving a slight stinging sensation.
Suddenly, the man's body trembled violently, his shoulders shook incessantly, his fingers gripped the corner of the table uncontrollably until the fingertips turned white, and his deep breathing continued to escape. A few minutes later, the small kitchen was filled with the sweet aroma of honey again.
Pei Qing, with a mischievous grin, bit down on the slender collarbone, then smiled with satisfaction as she looked at Helivin's moist, reddened eyes. She lifted her head from the sweet, soft sensation, pulled her hand over the man's open shirt, and ran her fingertips over the soft glands on the side of his neck, kneading them casually a few times.
"Thank you for your hospitality." Pei Qing reached out and wiped the cream off the man's face, then smeared it on his soft lips.
"The cake is delicious."
Seeing that Helivin was still not quite ready to react, Pei Qing didn't say anything more. She silently sat down and ate the rest of the cake. Desserts shouldn't be kept for too long; they'd be bad once they passed their expiration date.
The forks clinked softly. Hilly's breathing gradually calmed. He buttoned his shirt and turned around. He looked at Pei Qing's face, about to say something, when his expression suddenly changed.
“A-Qian,” he said, his voice tinged with seriousness.
"What's wrong?" Pei Qing looked up in confusion. Why was she being called in that tone? It was so strange, as if she had seen something unexpected.
Helivin's voice trembled slightly, "Your hand..."
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