Famine 171: American Coffee (Stage Two)

“Uh…!”

To be honest, this wasn’t exactly a hard time to endure.

Perhaps it was because they both came from the farm, or maybe it was because Bian Xu had infused more of the vine’s sap… The process of feeding wasn’t painful at all, only a faint tingling, so slight that it felt more like an intimate act than being preyed upon.

Sharp teeth pierced the soft skin. Si Zhiyan arched his neck upward, his slender throat gripped in Bian Xu’s jaw, trembling ever so slightly. Warm liquid trickled down his bobbing Adam’s apple, licked and swallowed away; a last thread of crimson slid along the curve of his neck and disappeared beneath his collar.

[I’m sorry… sir&^… I’m sorry &sir…]

Bian Xu seemed to be crying, his expression disordered beyond words. He hovered carefully above Si Zhiyan, not even willing to let the edge of his garment press down. Yet the vines were far more honest—they didn’t relax for a moment, winding tightly around Si Zhiyan’s waist, constricting with a touch of suffocation.

Bite by bite, with a wild urgency more akin to a starving beast devouring its prey than a calculated predator.

It was such a contradiction.

Si Zhiyan coughed and choked, his muddled gaze lifted to Bian Xu, watching him for a while…

Then, slowly, a smile curled at the corner of his lips.

Almost cute, he thought silently.
It was like supporting a newborn puppy learning to walk—carefully protecting it, while fighting the urge to nudge it, all just to watch it struggle forward to you, stumbling again and again.

Si Zhiyan could hardly define this feeling. But unconsciously, as he coughed, he found himself laughing.

His long, blood-stained fingers reached out, gently brushing Bian Xu’s tear-stained cheek, his thumb softly wiping away bloodied tears.

The fitful sobbing instantly ceased.

Bian Xu’s back arched, curled over Si Zhiyan, his golden eyes blurred with tears shining in the watery light, staring at Si Zhiyan in a dazed stupor.

Was it because he had absorbed so much blood and flesh already? Some clarity returned to his gaze. His lips trembled for a moment, then he whispered softly, “Sir…”

Like a guilty dog expecting punishment, only to suddenly find itself gently stroked.

Perhaps because it hadn’t truly hurt, when Si Zhiyan finally spoke, he realized how weak his voice had become, as airy and fragile as a whisper:

“…Don’t cry.”

Bian Xu fought for control, his flushed cheek pressed to the coolness of Si Zhiyan’s palm, trembling, as though his entire world resided there.

Sir was lying beneath him, red eyes still as gentle as ever, the pale face stained with blood, the ruined voice speaking with difficulty, hoarse and soft: “It’s not your fault. I will… stay with you.”

“Just hold on a little longer. We’ll find a way.”

[…]

Bian Xu broke down in an instant. He clung tightly to Si Zhiyan, burying his face in his battered, blood-soaked neck, sobbing uncontrollably, his arched back sinking deep into the mattress.

Outside, the full moon hung high in the sky, filling the room with silver light.

……

The next morning, when Si Zhiyan awoke from deep sleep, dawn was just breaking.

His skin and flesh had already been restored, renewed as if untouched. The places that had been consumed last night felt a faint, lingering soreness—not severe, more like muscle ache after exercise. His body was now clad in fresh, clean pajamas; the bedding, too, had been completely changed.

Si Zhiyan moved his shoulders and neck lightly; everything was as it should be.

It almost felt as if all of last night had been nothing but a dream.

Creak.

The door opened, and Bian Xu entered carrying a tray. Seeing that Si Zhiyan was already awake, he flinched slightly, his knuckles tightening around the tray. That same guilty, shaken, and faintly fearful expression appeared on his face again.

“Good morning.”
Si Zhiyan smiled, relaxing back against the headboard, his red eyes narrowing in the morning light as he waved Bian Xu over, smiling.
“You made breakfast?…”

He leaned forward slightly:
“So, what are we eating?”

He didn’t mention anything about yesterday.

Bian Xu’s tight grip on the tray instantly slackened, as if a great weight had lifted from his heart. He felt a profound sense of relief, though it was tinged with uncertainty, like swallowing a stone and feeling a secret knot twist somewhere deep inside.

Regardless, his expression blossomed into a brilliant smile, and he bounded over with a spring in his step, sitting at the bedside. A vine fashioned itself into a makeshift tray-table, where he set the milky-scented tray.

“Today, I’ve made my special sandwich! I’ve liked this since I was little, always made it myself for breakfast, and just happened to find some leftover cheese in the fridge, tucked away in the rabbit’s body.”

Farm cheese slices, originally made by Li Xuan himself. Fresh milk heated to fifty degrees, removed from the fire, then stirred constantly while adding lemon juice, until the milk curdled and the whey was drained off, forming a basic cheese. Add some lemon extract, butter, and more fresh milk; mix until thick, spread on baking parchment, and refrigerate overnight—there you have the simplest cheese.

This kind of cheese was different from the usual industrial cheese slices—it didn’t stretch as much, but the flavor was far richer, luxuriously milky, sweet and lightly salty, irresistible.

“My friends and family have eaten this for over twenty years—never a bad review!” Bian Xu raised the plate, covering his face, leaving only his blinking golden eyes. “Sir, would you like to try?”

There were two pieces on the plate.

Both slices of toasted bread were soaked in butter, fried to a soft, fragrant, and slightly crispy finish, sandwiching a layer of sunny-side-up egg with a jammy yolk. The egg edge was crisp from the pan, cheese melted atop thick slices of real ham, with fresh lettuce and ripe tomato nestled in, and a final layer of grilled bacon at the top.

One bite, and rich butter and cheese exploded in your mouth like a bomb, the intense creamy dairy bursting forth, mingling with the thick and generous slices of ham—perfect beyond reason. The crispy egg edge and crispy bacon combined with the hearty ham for an irresistibly interesting texture, crunchy and lively.

Warm and boisterous, filled with aroma; you could spot its clamor from miles away.

But it was incredibly, incredibly delicious.

Beside it was a cup with a subtle, perhaps somewhat bland, sweetness—just as Si Zhiyan liked. Not so flavorless as water, nor cloying.

Paired with the rich, savory sandwich, it was just right.

Bian Xu blinked, leaning in a little closer: “Sir, do you like cheese? Do you? I think you’ll like it… mmm!”

Si Zhiyan, after slowly swallowing his last bite, stuffed the remaining corner of the sandwich into Bian Xu’s mouth and nodded with a smile. “It’s delicious.”

Bian Xu fell silent, his ears turning a brilliant red.

His expressive golden eyes gazed at Si Zhiyan, blinking, his cheeks burning as though set aflame. He held Si Zhiyan’s hand as he opened his mouth, slowly finishing the sandwich.

The delicate yolk burst beneath his tongue, trickling over Si Zhiyan’s elegant fingers and seeping between them.

Bian Xu fixated on those slender, pale, beautifully jointed fingers, momentarily lost, his heartbeat roaring, his face blazing even redder.

Si Zhiyan didn’t pull his hand back. At ease, he held out his hand while propping his chin with the other, smiling as he watched Bian Xu.

Bian Xu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. As if enchanted, he leaned in slowly, even more slowly, his lips brushing over Si Zhiyan’s fingertips, tongue licking gently.

Warm, the touch of his tongue.
The molten egg yolk mingled with the scent of cheese.

“Do you like it?” Si Zhiyan asked, smiling as he propped his chin.

“—!!”

Bian Xu’s entire face turned scarlet. He stumbled back three steps, almost tripping over the carpet and knocking a chair to the floor, making quite a commotion.

Si Zhiyan took a wet wipe and cleaned his hands, drawling, “I thought you’d like it.”

…Ahhhhh!
Bian Xu curled up on the carpet beside the bed, burying his face in his knees, turning into a mushroom withdrawn from human society, nearly bursting into flames himself.

Si Zhiyan peered down from the bed and tapped him. “Hm?”

A muffled voice issued from the mushroom: “…………I like it.”

“…”
Si Zhiyan paused for two seconds, then burst out laughing, shaking with laughter until his eyes teared up.
Unbelievable. Too adorable—how could someone be so cute?

Laughing, he reached down and ruffled Bian Xu’s sparkling golden hair.

“So, you see,” Si Zhiyan said, “it’s all right. If you have to eat, then eat. After all, it doesn’t hurt.”

Bian Xu’s shoulders trembled slightly.

“I counted the time yesterday. From the moment I woke up to when you reached your limit in the evening, it was about eight hours,” Si Zhiyan said gently, slowly. “Don’t underestimate those eight hours—they’re enough for you to get a lot done.”

“No need to rush. We’ll take it one step at a time. Today, we’ll stay out for eight hours again, maintaining this level as best we can. Once you can hold steady at eight hours for a full week without an attack, we’ll add another half hour… Just like that, we’ll slowly try to wean you off.”

“When you can make it to twelve hours, you’ll be able to go out in your own form and finally see the people waiting for you.”

“All right?”

……

Si Zhiyan’s fingertips gently stroked his back, his body temperature as always—a touch cool, yet with a trace of warmth. Never catching his fever, nor ever turning cold.
Forever so rational, and… so tender.

Bian Xu trembled, then slowly nodded.

“Good! That’s settled, then.”

Si Zhiyan clapped his hands cheerfully, stretched lazily, and went to get dressed. Pulling Bian Xu to his feet, he patted him lightly:

“Look. Once a problem can be quantified, it’s no longer an insurmountable mountain. We’ll try to beat this by willpower first. If not, we’ll think of something else. After all, the world of Hunger Games and the farm are full of all sorts of miraculous items and foods—if one doesn’t work, we’ll try another. There will always be a way.”

Bian Xu messily wiped his face, his golden eyes hazy as he gazed, lost, at Si Zhiyan’s face, and nodded hard.

“It’s still early; that young lady should still be asleep. Freshen up and come with me. Let’s take stock of our gains.”

Si Zhiyan threw on a coat and, in high spirits, pulled out a chair, sitting at the table with a wave to conjure up the system’s light screen.

“So many new facilities and upgrades… Let’s have a look… Oh, isn’t this an old friend?”

Ding.

[Nursery No. 4 – Have an Americano]

This was among the first batch of cursed items Si Zhiyan ever found. At level one, it offered two drinks: [Life-Saving Soup for Cow and Horse—I Haven’t Broken Down Yet, For Now – Americano], and [Help! Sweet Little Water – Condensed Milk].

It was the supply he personally consumed the most out of everything—coffee and milk.
Until [Nursery No. 10 – Bourgeois Forest] appeared, which yielded countless varieties of coffee beans, so its usage had slightly tapered.

Now, its item description was as follows:

[Nursery No. 14 – Have an Americano (Stage Two)]
Are you saying I make 4k a month, with no benefits and two days off, clocking nine to nine—really?
Have an Americano?

Huh? Do you mean, starting today, our department is facing pay cuts and layoffs, with last-place eliminations every month, and anyone let go gets fired without compensation…
…
Have an Americano? Have an Americano, have an Americano, have an Americano?

Bang! In some office meeting room, someone hurled a can of Americano right at their boss’s face!
Critical hit! Combo! Sweep attack! Double face-smash critical! Extra attack triggered! Triple crit! Penetrating damage! Damage 1D100=100!

[Americano (Stage Two)]
Sometimes, you feel like dying, but on second thought, the ones who should die are someone else.
Coffee cup: thrown/explosive/weapon.
Must be used by a sapient human. Before release, designate a moving target within 200 meters; after release, it can track for a period, easy to aim. On impact, deals damage equivalent to a fragmentation hand grenade within the blast radius, and deals 200% bodily trauma to the target’s face. Coffee splash may react to impact within 3 seconds, causing a secondary small-scale explosion.
Use at the right time, for the right target.

Accessory Facility:
[Lamppost]
Some people can never escape their fate.
Lamppost appears as a hollow 15-meter, 8-sided gray pole with 200mm inner diameter, 2.5mm wall thickness; a branch-like streetlamp sprouts from the top.
Enemies killed by [Americano] have a 75% chance of being hung from the [Lamppost], turning into a conceptual shadow.
They will lose all threat and hang on display to dry until removed by your own hand.

P.S. After upgrading, this crop produces a new plant, occupying Nursery No. 14 and not affecting the original level-one plant in Nursery No. 4.

Si Zhiyan: “…Ho.”
He could almost feel the rage radiating from it.

Very useful. He set the coffee cup on the table, massaging his brow. The thing was, it used to be his regular food and drink, so… it felt odd.

Bian Xu washed his face, dried off, pulled himself together, and came over with damp gold hair at his neck.

He saw the text on the table and his eyes lit up. He leaned over and picked up the coffee cup, inspecting it from all angles.
“Hey, looks like it actually works pretty well!”

“Haha, about time we did some blasting—beautiful! Speaking of which, if a lot of people used them at once, it could trigger a chain of explosions. What was the farm commander’s name again—Lin Qiushui? He’d be interested in this, I’m sure…”

Halfway through, Bian Xu coughed: “But… turning your daily coffee into this… is pretty dangerous. We need to put up more signs in the nursery—God forbid anyone picks the wrong one.”

Morning light played on his dazzling gold hair, water droplets at the tips radiant as sunlight itself.

Si Zhiyan leaned back in his chair, smiling as he watched Bian Xu for a while, then nodded.

—From now on, through countless unknown nights and mornings, as he opened up his system interface and slowly pondered over the development of the farm, he would never be alone again.