I run a convenience store in the Empire

[Edited] Chapter 15

Since the fame of the broken bào spread, this is the first person who dares to approach him so closely. Is she stupid or clever? Should he break her divine power and teach her the price of boldness?

What am I thinking? Tang Tang helped the sitting Qi Tian lie back down on the chuáng and covered him with a blanket. "I'll go and make you a cup of ginger cola. You got rained on, drink it to prevent a cold."

I was knocked down by a girl! I was knocked down by a petite girl with one hand!

Even after Tang Tang left, Qi Tian's mind still hadn't processed what had happened. Soon, he realized something was wrong. His head suddenly hurt, and his divine power and physique were weak. He looked at his hands, feeling as if struck by lightning. Not only had his divine madness erupted prematurely, but even the side effects had turned him into a half-beast prematurely. No wonder the girl wasn't afraid of him; she didn't recognize him.

No, he was currently a half-beast, and it was strange that this girl would take him in and care for him instead of being disgusted.

But soon, he stopped worrying about whether the girl was strange. He stiffened and blushed, realizing that his clothes had been changed. He was wearing a long, tender huáng skirt.

He didn't have time to be angry about the girl changing him into a skirt. With a flushed face, he lifted the skirt and glanced inside. Fortunately, he was still wearing his original pants.

"Ginger cola is ready. Come and try it?" Tang Tang was holding a cup of cola and saw Qi Tian lifting his skirt.

"You, you, you—" Qi Tian hurriedly covered the skirt, his neck turning red, his cat ears and tail fluffing up like a startled girl.

Tang Tang was a bit embarrassed at first, but seeing Qi Tian's shyness, she relaxed and boldly quipped, "What do you have to be shy about, kid? Drink the cola before it gets cold."

What kind of boldness is this? Qi Tian looked at the girl, stunned, then took the cola helplessly and sipped it.

"Delicious." Qi Tian's eyes sparkled as he held the cola and gulped it down.

"Drink slowly, don't burn yourself. I boiled a pot, so there's enough for you to drink." Tang Tang looked at the child's happy and satisfied expression, her eyes warm. He looked quite cute.

As Qi Tian sipped the cola, amazed by its sweet and warm taste, he suddenly found that the pain in his head was lessening. It was known that divine madness currently had no medical relief, and the pain was so intense that enduring it felt worse than death.

In the interstellar world, more and more people were falling into divine madness. When it struck, it felt like thousands of needles pricking and stirring in one's head, causing incomparable pain that lasted at least a month. Along with the pain, the madness grew more intense, making people irritable and unable to control destructive emotions. Some even died from the unbearable pain.

The higher the level of jīng god mad bào, the more powerful and the longer it lasts. For someone like Qi Tian, who is at the double SSS level, jīng god mad bào not only brings excruciating pain but also has the side effect of turning him into a weak half-shòu person. In this state, he cannot use his divine power, his physique is reduced to E-level, and his appearance reverts to that of his 11-year-old self.

"My name is Tang Sugar. What's your name? And if you don't have a place to go, you can work in my store for food and lodging. If you perform well, you will be paid," Tang Tang introduced herself warmly, her eyes full of kindness.

Although Tang Tang didn't ask about his background, Qi Tian could tell from her words and expressions that she thought he was an abandoned half-shòu child. This misunderstanding worked in his favor as it spared him from having to explain his origins. However, he found it rare and peculiar that someone would be so kind to a half-shòu person.

Given the coincidence of the spaceship failure and his premature jīng god mad bào, coupled with having too many enemies, it would be dangerous for him to go anywhere else. Staying here to investigate what in the ginger cola could alleviate his condition seemed like the best option.

"My name is Qi Tian. Thank you for taking me in. I will definitely work hard," he said, slightly smiling and revealing a faint dimple.

Tang Tang was slightly relieved to see him smile. It seemed that his mental state was improving.

Suddenly, Qi Tian's stomach growled. He discreetly covered it, trying to pretend it hadn't made a sound.

Tang Tang laughed, rubbing his head. "Sweet and hungry? I was just about to make some supper. I cooked two bowls."

"Wait, I'll go with you," he said, feeling odd about calling her by name. Why did it feel so strange?

Tang Tang took two packs of instant noodles from the shelf on the first floor and led Qi Tian to the kitchen.

Qi Tian sat on a bar stool in front of the cooking counter, watching intently as Tang Tang tore open the instant noodle packs, boiled water in a pot, added the noodles and seasonings, and threw in a handful of fresh cabbage along with two poached eggs.

Listening to the rain ticking outside and watching Tang Tang's busy figure under the kitchen light, Qi Tian felt a warmth he had never experienced before. For a moment, he had a terrible thought: he wanted to stop time and stay in this moment forever. But the thought was fleeting, and he didn't even fully register it.

A few minutes later, Tang Tang finished cooking the noodles. She was about to get a fork for Qi Tian, but to her surprise, he skillfully picked up the chopsticks and started eating. She raised an eyebrow, noting that Tian Tian seemed to have been raised in a noble family.

Qi Tian didn't realize how close he had come to revealing too much. As he ate the instant noodles, he found them incredibly delicious. Though he had eaten many luxurious meals, there was something special about Tang Tang's cooking. It had a warm, comforting taste that he found very satisfying, especially given his current situation.