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"A man? You actually found a man to help?"
Aunt Zhu's expression shifted from annoyance to genuine shock. She had only made the remark casually, never expecting her daughter to actually bring a man home. She knew Zhu Yuan's personality better than anyone; a man who could convince her daughter to ask for a favor surely had a relationship that went beyond mere colleagues.
"Mom, what kind of person do you think I am?" Zhu Yuan complained, though her voice lacked any real bite.
"Hello, Aunt Zhu. My name is Kenji. It's an honor to be of assistance."
Kenji was standing ramrod straight, his posture more rigid than it had been during his PSB entrance interview. He felt as stiff as a zombie, his mechanical "Tank" instincts failing him in the face of domestic scrutiny.
"Good, good. It's a fine thing for a young man to be willing to put in some effort," Aunt Zhu's tone instantly shifted to the benevolent, nurturing warmth of an elder. She felt a surge of curiosity toward the handsome young man. After all, he had come to do the heavy lifting, so she was more than happy to be polite.
"Are you and Zhu Yuan in the same department?" she asked.
"Yes, I just joined the Criminal Investigation Special Task Force this month," Kenji replied.
"This isn't the place for an interview. Please, move these things upstairs, and we can chat properly." Aunt Zhu nodded, and it became clear she had no intention of letting Kenji leave once the manual labor was finished.
Kenji felt a flicker of fear—the kind that no Rider Belt could protect him from—but he dutifully began moving the packages. Fortunately, the family lived on the third floor. With his enhanced physique, he moved the furniture and heavy flower pots with a level of ease that made the task look like a warm-up.
"This young man is incredible; he's so strong," Aunt Zhu noted, watching Kenji finish the task without breaking a sweat. She praised him profusely, seemingly forgetting that her own daughter had been helping too.
"Mom, is there enough food? I'm keeping Kenji for dinner," Zhu Yuan said.
Aunt Zhu's eyes sparkled. This wasn't a request she had made; her daughter had initiated the invitation. Though she was celebrating internally, she kept her outward demeanor calm.
"Of course there's enough. You go show off your skills in the kitchen, and I'll have a good chat with this young man."
Aunt Zhu waved her daughter away. Zhu Yuan looked at her mother with a hint of suspicion before heading to her room to change. When she reappeared, she was wearing ordinary homewear—a soft, relaxed look Kenji had never seen before. He silently gave the outfit a 10/10.
"My name is Kenji, I'm 23 years old, and I live above the coffee shop on Sixth Street. I am unmarried."
Faced with Aunt Zhu's initial questions, Kenji's nerves reverted him back to "interview mode." He provided a classic, detailed self-introduction, laying out his life story as if he were filing a report.
His blunt honesty was so innovative that it even drew out Uncle Zhu, who had been resting in the back room. A black-haired man with a cane walked out. Kenji looked over and found exactly what he had expected: a handsome, dignified middle-aged man.
"You work with my daughter? Do you also handle those... dangerous assignments?" Uncle Zhu sized up Kenji's build. His tone was gentle, lacking any hint of a fatherly interrogation.
"Yes. We deploy into the Hollows together. We've already completed several missions as a team," Kenji replied uneasily. This was harder than fighting a swarm of Ethereals; a single drop of sweat rolled down his temple.
"Young people are so brave these days. Our city relies on people like you," Aunt Zhu said admiringly. Although she worried about her daughter's career, she had come to accept it. Seeing another child doing the same dangerous work filled her with a deep, communal respect.
"Zhu Yuan... she isn't exactly a teenager anymore, but this is the first time she's ever brought a male friend home," Uncle Zhu said with a knowing smile, sitting on the sofa opposite Kenji. Both parents were remarkably easygoing, and Kenji finally felt his muscles begin to relax. "We don't know much about her social life at the Bureau. How is she regarded there?"
"I'm not entirely sure about everyone else, but to me, she is an incredibly reliable Captain. She actually saved my life in a Hollow," Kenji said, his expression softening. "I can't ever truly repay her for that. I can only... work my hardest to support her."
The sincerity in Kenji's voice was impossible to fake. He didn't notice it, but Aunt Zhu and Uncle Zhu shared a silent, meaningful look.
As experienced parents, they could tell at a glance that Kenji was interested in their daughter. But the most important detail wasn't his feelings—it was the fact that Zhu Yuan had brought him here. Even if the excuse was "manual labor," and even if it wasn't an official "meeting the parents," it was the first sign of hope they'd seen in years.
They had spent twenty-four years worrying about their daughter, who seemed to have dedicated her entire soul to her work. In a profession where lives were risked every day, they just wanted her to have someone to come home to. Even if she was the "New Eridu Superwoman," no parent is ever truly at ease.
They wanted her healthy, happy, and—eventually—to see a grandchild. For the first time, that dream felt like it might actually be on the horizon. Their eyes practically lit up with the possibilities.
Zhu Yuan busied herself in the kitchen, preparing a table full of dishes. When she finally emerged to call them to dinner, she found Kenji being scrutinized like a high-value suspect. Her parents had already gathered his "stats": young, strong, disciplined, no bad habits, and—though it was a somber detail—an orphan. From a pragmatic standpoint, it meant no potential in-law conflicts.
Without Zhu Yuan knowing it, her parents had already begun drafting a plan to "assist" Kenji's recruitment into the family. But first, they needed to gauge their daughter's true feelings. If she viewed him as just a colleague, they would back off. But if there was even a 1% chance of progress, they were more than ready to play the wingman.
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