To be honest, any man would find it hard not to feel a flutter in his heart upon hearing such a request.
Especially since Litt herself was incredibly beautiful.
Coupled with that shy and coy demeanor, if someone claimed not to feel anything… well, they’d definitely be dead inside.
As a young man full of vigor, Red certainly wasn’t dead inside, but he couldn’t understand why Litt would invite him to stay here.
They had only known each other for a few days—why was she so trusting of him?
His comrades from Dawn’s Edge had known him for years, yet none of them had let their guard down around him.
It was almost laughable to compare.
“This isn’t very proper. A man and woman living together—if I stayed here, it could affect your reputation, Miss Litt.”
Litte only gave a light giggle in response and said to Red,
“Affect my reputation? Actually, more than that, I care about my sense of security.”
“Maybe you don’t know, but a woman living alone usually places a pair of men’s shoes outside her door to keep herself safe. I do the same.”
She then pointed toward the door, where indeed sat an old pair of men’s leather shoes.
They looked worn but deliberately aged.
“I just arrived in Yeming Town and am unfamiliar with the place. I used to live at the monastery, but after much thought, I chose to buy a house here because of work—I’ll be staying for a long time.”
“So for safety’s sake… that’s why I need you to stay here.”
At this, Red’s mouth twitched involuntarily.
There was no denying that Litt’s offer was tempting, but the problem was…
“Aren’t you worried I’d betray your trust? After all, I’m a man.”
“Well then, Red, do you think you’re that kind of person?”
“…No.”
What a joke.
Having known Red for so long, even without much closeness, Litt understood his character well.
If he truly was some carnivorous beast who ogled everyone, Liz wouldn’t have kept him on the team.
She would’ve kicked him out long ago.
That was why Litt was confident Red wouldn’t do anything to her.
More importantly, she rarely stayed here at night.
Having Red stay was mostly just to have him owe her a favor.
“Of course, living here isn’t free,”
Litt held up three fingers and slowly said,
“First, rent is necessary—500 Lu En Coins per month. That shouldn’t be too much for you, right?”
“That’s acceptable.”
Red sighed in relief.
If Litt had asked him to stay for free, that would’ve been awkward.
Charging rent made things simpler—just like renting a place.
Besides, 500 Lu En Coins a month wasn’t expensive in Yeming Town.
Litte’s face flickered with a barely noticeable smile.
The house had only been paid for the down payment, much of which was borrowed from Red, and she’d been paying the mortgage for less than six months.
Red paying her 500 Lu En Coins a month, while she only had to pay an additional 800 for the mortgage, eased the financial pressure considerably!
Didn’t that seem a little too cunning?
Using money borrowed from Red for the down payment, then making him help pay the mortgage under the pretense of rent…
Litt pondered for a moment before shrugging.
Well, whatever~
“Second, you’re not allowed to enter my room.”
Since Litt’s identity was virtual, she needed privacy to change her avatar, which meant returning to her room or using the monastery as an excuse.
“That’s natural.”
Barging into a girl’s room uninvited was a lewd act, and Red, being a gentleman, would never do such a thing.
“Lastly…”
Litt blinked playfully and said, “You’ll do the dishes and cleaning.”
“…Alright.”
Red could only laugh bitterly.
He was reminded of his time in Dawn’s Edge—though he avoided those memories, hearing Litt’s words made him recall.
Back then, he did everything himself; washing dishes and cleaning was nothing.
“Deal. Let’s eat first. You clear the table; I’ll bring out the dishes.”
“No problem.”
Red washed his hands, went to the Living Room, and wiped the dust off the table.
Litt followed closely behind, carefully carrying the dishes out and setting them down.
At this moment, Red’s heart felt a wave of emotion.
Maybe when he eventually found a wife, it would look just like this?
Everyone doing their part—the quiet, ordinary life was truly the best kind.
Especially after experiencing the extreme pressure of dungeons and the suffocating atmosphere of Dawn’s Edge, Red appreciated the value of such peaceful days all the more.
After they brought all the dishes from the Kitchen out, they sat facing each other.
Seeing the variety of dishes on the table, Litt’s appetite immediately perked up.
The food she’d eaten the past two days was hardly fit for a person.
These dishes, however, looked truly edible.
“By the way… Litt, you’re quite good at cooking.”
Red wanted to show off a little, but surprisingly, Litt’s culinary skills seemed even better than his.
And these dishes gave him a sense of familiarity.
“Do you also like sweeter flavors?”
Litt suddenly realized something mid-bite.
She had cooked just according to the tastes her original self liked!
Had Red noticed something?
“Girls liking sweet food is perfectly normal.”
Now all she could do was hope to get by with that excuse.
Red nodded thoughtfully.
“All the girls I know say the same thing, but when they actually eat something sweet, they always complain about gaining weight and ask me to use less sugar.”
He let out a helpless sigh.
Women seemed to be contradictory creatures—impossible to understand their true thoughts.
“Also, these dishes remind me of the person in my old team who taught me to cook. Sorry, but I can’t tell you her name because of confidentiality.”
No wonder!
These dishes were improved based on his past life’s cooking experience—not like the strange, hodgepodge meals you usually get locally.
Otherwise, how could Red have satisfied the appetites of those Dawn’s Edge members?
And why would he avoid cooking for the team, preferring to cook for himself?
Litte kept a calm expression, but was already sweating profusely inside.
She was afraid that saying one more word might arouse Red’s suspicion.
Yet she couldn’t just remain silent, so she gave an awkward smile.
“Maybe she and I are from the same hometown, so it’s natural for our styles to be similar, hahaha…”