C5 Dragonprawn Killer(1)

"Ah, there's nothing quite like a warm glass of milk in the winter."

Senior, what are you, in elementary school?

Hsiang Tai glanced at the six bottles of Want Want Children's Milk beside him, puzzled as to why someone so fond of milk wasn't taller, and equally baffled by the idea of someone drinking milk with crayfish.

Oh, right, I almost forgot she's the type who can't handle spicy food yet craves it, buying milk to soothe the burn.

He looked at the takeout receipt with its note, "Mildly spicy, remember just a teeny tiny bit spicy," and it all clicked. Then he popped the tab on his Coke, took a satisfying sip, and let out a contented sigh.

Nothing beats an ice-cold Coke after a busy day.

"Today was a bountiful day," Su Qin declared, lifting her Want Want Children's Milk to toast with Hsiang Tai. "Here's to a day well spent. Merry Christmas Eve, Hsiang Tai."

"Thanks for the crayfish treat, Senior. Merry Christmas Eve."

Hsiang Tai raised his can to clink with the others. Hee Zi, sitting nearby, joined in the merriment with a glass clink of her own.

Indeed, this so-called celebrity was among them.

They were in the house rented by Hee Zi, just across from Hsiang Tai's place. After running into each other earlier, Su Qin had invited Hee Zi to join them for crayfish—after all, it was the senior sister footing the bill at Su Qin's place, so Hsiang Tai didn't object.

Donning two layers of transparent gloves, he focused solely on the task at hand and grabbed a crayfish.

"Ah, sneaky! I'm starting too." Seeing Hsiang Tai dive in, Su Qin quickly donned her gloves and began to eat. Hee Zi, meanwhile, quietly picked up her chopsticks and nibbled on the cucumber salad.

Eating crayfish was quite the spectacle with Su Qin. Each one turned her face a deeper shade of red from the spice, which she'd then alleviate with a hearty swig of Want Want Children's Milk before tackling the next one.

As she peeled, she caught a glimpse of Hsiang Tai and exclaimed in surprise, "How are you so adept at peeling shrimp?"

In stark contrast to Su Qin, who was making a slow, messy job of it, Hsiang Tai was a model of efficiency, peeling shrimp with the precision of a well-oiled machine. He deftly pressed down on the second segment of the shell, squeezed the body, poked into the head to expose the flesh, and with a swift motion, yanked the tail, extracting the meat in one clean pull. After finishing, he arranged the empty shells neatly on the table.

By the time Su Qin had managed two crayfish, Hsiang Tai had polished off six.

"It's just practice," he said nonchalantly.

Dipping the extracted shrimp meat into the sauce, Hsiang Tai popped it whole into his mouth. He couldn't exactly explain that after peeling a thousand crayfish, he'd earned the title of "Crayfish Assassin," making the task as second nature to him as undressing...

But the memory of eating crayfish for nearly every meal to quickly achieve that goal, to the point of impoverishment and disgust, suddenly resurfaced...

Shaking off the past, he reminded himself that there was good food to be enjoyed. Despite the subpar quality of December crayfish, the seasoning at this restaurant was commendable.

It had to be, considering the price... A bad taste would lead to a flood of negative reviews. He never dared to order delivery from this place; a casual order could easily run up a tab of four or five hundred.

After a moment of internal reflection, Hsiang Tai noticed Hee Zi beside him had eaten nothing but cucumbers and tofu. Puzzled, he inquired, "Aren't you hungry?"

She was a celebrity, and her looks were just his type, prompting him to break his usual reserve and strike up a conversation with a woman.

"I've already had dinner, so I should probably hold back a little."

Hee Zi eyed the shrimp shells on Hsiang Tai's table, swallowed hard to quell her craving, and decisively set down her chopsticks. After a sip of mineral water to cleanse her palate, she added, "I've been on a diet recently."

Losing weight...

"You're already so slim," he observed. The individual in question was barely under 1.7 meters tall and looked to weigh just around 90 pounds. Even in a sweater, their slender frame was unmistakable. Did they really need to lose more weight?

He glanced over at Su Qin, who caught Hsiang Tai's implied question with a sharp look. "I'm not overweight; I'm perfectly average. It's totally normal for Hee to want to slim down. Aren't you aware? On camera, any minor imperfection is magnified. Stars like her are under intense scrutiny when it comes to their figure."

"No, not at all," Hee Zi interjected, gesturing dismissively. "I've stepped back from the limelight; I'm no longer in the celebrity world."

He pondered for a moment – she was referring to that girl group member, right? Hsiang Tai didn't usually follow showbiz, only dabbling in it to scalp tickets for big-name concerts. He didn't bother with groups he hadn't heard of; no buzz usually meant no profit in ticket resales.

So, had that girl group disbanded?

Hsiang Tai speculated silently, stealing another glance at Hee Zi. With her looks, she could easily charm a multitude of fans, outshining 95% of the contestants from those girl group talent shows. She could effortlessly play the role of a pretty face in any youth drama.

But why was he even considering this? In the entertainment industry, being adept at self-promotion and generating buzz was crucial; without it, one might fade into obscurity – a significant concern indeed.

"Hey, Hsiang Tai," Su Qin piped up, popping open another bottle of Want Want Children's Milk and taking a few sips. "Remember I mentioned it before? We have a spare room. Hee Zi is starting school here next month and needs a place to stay. You've met her now, and if there are no objections, let's agree. I've vouched for her to be my roommate, so don't make me look bad."

Hsiang Tai's place was conveniently located just two hundred meters from the university gates, a prime spot near the city center with excellent access to transportation and amenities.

Su Qin was quite content with her living situation here. It was a simple walk to school and getting around to have fun was incredibly convenient. So, when she learned that an old friend was planning to visit, she eagerly extended an invitation for her to stay here as well.

"Next month?" Hsiang Tai questioned, his tone laced with surprise. "But next month is January, and winter break is just around the corner. Why would anyone start college at such a time?" He didn't offer any opinion on the housing situation, instead, he quizzically regarded the two with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm a freshman," came the reply. "I had to take a three-month leave of absence and didn't attend school earlier. Now that my health has improved, I'm finally making my way here."