I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 91

 

Yin Xiamo’s clothes today are somewhat reminiscent of the Japanese “shop assistant suit.” It’s the kind with a design similar to a camisole, a mid-length long-sleeved top, and a design with the shop assistant’s name written on the chest—of course, Miss Grim Reaper doesn’t have exactly the same outfit, there’s no name written on the chest, and the “uniform” feeling is not very strong. If you’re not someone who often watches anime or is familiar with the Far East, you might just think this outfit is a very ordinary daily wear.

 

As for the name “Yin Xiamo,” during the rare free time in the store today, I took a moment to play with my phone without having to sweep cat hair. I tried looking it up on the website.

 

The first result I got was… “Summer Desire.”

 

Yin Xiamo is the female protagonist in “Summer Desire,” and in the book, she has a younger brother named Yin Xiacheng.

 

“Summer Desire” is a book, well… how should I put it, it’s a somewhat Mary Sue-ish female protagonist novel with a certain vintage feel to the plot.

 

In 2006, “Summer Desire” was a bestseller throughout the year, and the TV series adaptation was also very popular among young girls at the time.

 

During that era, online novels were not very popular, especially for girls. Compared to boys who lazily looked at their phones in class, girls were more inclined to read physical books. Authors who wrote online eventually negotiated with publishing houses. If the plot was good and the writing was acceptable, they would publish physical books. If the physical books sold well, they could consider adapting it into a TV series.

 

This process is quite similar to the current landscape of online novels: writing a book online, receiving positive feedback, meeting the readers’ preferences, getting noticed by editors, signing a contract, gaining recommendations, and eventually earning revenue. If the recommendations yield good results, the book may be officially published, leading to potential adaptations into manga, anime, or other forms.

 

“Summer Desire” existed in an era where celebrity obsession was extremely intense, so the content of the book seemed to be related to stars and the entertainment industry. It was later adapted into a TV series, with the actress who played the female lead in “Meteor Garden,” a similarly popular show at that time, cast as the protagonist.

 

Of course, as someone older, I haven’t experienced that period firsthand, and these details are generally things that only girls would pay attention to.

 

In “Detective Conan,” when the shrunken Conan is asked about his name, he happens to be standing near a bookshelf. In a moment of urgency, he sees the characters “Edogawa” on the spine of a book behind him and spontaneously comes up with the name Edogawa Conan.

 

With this understanding of the origin of the name, I can imagine a similar scenario—a grim reaper girl who breaks through the dimensional barrier between two worlds using forbidden magic. She crosses over from another world to Earth, feeling lost and overwhelmed in the bustling human city. Assuming the languages of the two worlds are incompatible, she would need to spend a significant amount of time learning the language and writing system of this new place. Since the Miss Grim Reaper possesses magic, she could discreetly enter a human library early on without any issues, just like how she could surreptitiously modify her identity information in a police station.

 

In my dreams, I learned that a certain hero likes to refer to the little demon race in the other world as “MOMO” or “momo.” So, assuming that the Miss Grim Reaper, during her language learning process, came across this book in a bookstore and, when asked about her name, might indeed have given herself a surname “Y?n (?),” including the character “Mò (?),” which happens to be the name of the female protagonist in that book.

 

The above is my reasonable speculation about the origin of the name Yin Xiamo. I don’t know when she arrived on Earth, nor do I know what she went through from complete ignorance to the point where she can now converse with everyone normally. Because I lack memories from a past life, I can only infer the events through some strange dreams.

 

“A newly opened buffet?”

 

Under the hazy moonlight, as the Miss Grim Reaper held my hand, I was somewhat puzzled: “Have you ever had a buffet?”

 

If I remember correctly, this person seems to be unfamiliar even with common dishes like “sweet and sour spare ribs.”

 

According to Ai Luodi’s description, she had rented a room several years ago, and at that time, it was Ai Luodi’s mother and Yin Xiamo who were dealing with each other. The description of this grim reaper girl was “a bit silly and lacking common sense.”

 

Based on the timeline, a few years ago, Yin Xiamo, who had learned time-traveling magic, came to Earth. But for some reason, she didn’t immediately come to find me. Instead, she prioritized learning Earth’s culture as much as possible, gave herself the name “Yin Xiamo,” somehow earned some money to rent a house, and then worked before finally finding me and, in those days, returned to the other world to slay the demon king.

 

No, it should be even more complicated. If the Grim Reaper named herself “Yin Xiamo,” then she definitely came to find me before that, at least investigated me, and knew the surname “Y?n (?).”

 

With this thought, I suddenly felt a tingling sensation on my scalp.

 

Before the Grim Reaper named herself “Yin Xiamo,” she already knew that my surname is “Yin.” Moreover, she knew my computer browsing history over the years and all sorts of embarrassing incidents in my past. What does this mean?

 

It means that Miss Grim Reaper has been observing me for several years.

 

Perhaps she came to Earth when I was still in college, but chose not to “acknowledge” me immediately.

 

This aligns well with the personality of a certain “demon” in the dream. Because I remember a little story in the dream: At that time, the hero and the little demon were very hungry and finally arrived at a new village. The village was very poor, and the village chief could only offer them a bit of thin porridge. Before going to sleep, the hero casually complained about being a bit hungry. During the night, the little demon, without saying a word, went around and scavenged the area. When the hero woke up, there was plenty of food in front of him.

 

That incident turned out to be the most severe reprimand the hero ever gave to the little demon, advising her not to “bully the weak with good intentions” and to always remember “not to abandon kindness just because of one’s abilities,” and so on.

 

Facing the hero’s accusations, the little demon in the dream didn’t argue or speak, but one could feel that she had recognized her mistake. In the end, the two of them returned everything they had taken, and the little demon, accompanied by the hero, went door to door apologizing.

 

I can easily imagine that this Miss Grim Reaper, with a similar personality, came to Earth. With the hero’s teachings in mind, she refrained from using her magic to bully ordinary people or engaging in activities like robbery. However, arriving in modern society for the first time, not knowing the language, and lacking identification, it must have been very challenging for the then Yin Xiamo, perhaps even finding a simple job was quite difficult.

 

In the dream, the little demon, regardless of what happened, never actively troubled the hero. Her personality was quite peculiar, she never disclosed her needs and would hide in a corner if injured. Therefore… a demon like her in this world might have “thoroughly prepared” before acknowledging me as the “reincarnated hero.” And this “preparation” took several years.

 

Adhering to the hero’s teachings, the little demon was reluctant to harm others with magic. Without identification, unfamiliar with the language, but being the Grim Reaper of this world, she wouldn’t die even if starving. She endured hunger while silently learning the human language, understanding the rules of this new world. Simultaneously, she adapted to the environment and discreetly observed me, waiting for the day when we could acknowledge each other.

 

Now, I seem to understand how weighty the words “won’t die” were in the mouth of the Grim Reaper after suffering a fatal injury before. Perhaps she truly experienced being famished, yet unable to die, possessing immense strength while being surrounded by food, and still resisting the use of violence to obtain it.

 

“Isn’t a buffet a place where you can eat freely?” I asked.

 

In response to my question, Yin Xiamo looked puzzled. “I asked when I took the flyers they distributed. It’s a restaurant where you can eat to your heart’s content.”

 

“That’s true,” I pondered. “Is there any special promotion or something you particularly want to eat at that new restaurant?”

 

I had eaten at buffets a few times before with college classmates. It indeed allowed for casual, satisfying eating without wasting food, with a wide variety of dishes and a pleasant environment.

 

But on the flip side, buffets are much more expensive than the fast-food restaurants around.

 

In theory, those street-side fast-food joints can also be considered a kind of “buffet” in some sense, as you can get extra rice and soup for free. Buffets, however, emphasize more on the “atmosphere” and are better suited for classmates treating each other or couples building their relationship.

 

I wasn’t quite sure why Yin Xiamo, who usually ate nearby fast food, suddenly wanted to take me to a buffet.

 

“It’s a celebration for you finding a new job,” she said, a bit impatient under my gaze. “Don’t worry about it, I’m treating you.”

 

Oh…

 

Seeing her determination, I stopped asking and silently followed behind Yin Xiamo.

 

“Is the location of the new buffet on the commercial street ahead?”

 

“How did you know?”

 

“A lot of new stores have opened around here recently, including two new bubble tea shops,” I said, smiling. “Our café manager mentioned it.”

 

Yin Xiamo was silent for a few seconds. “Is the bubble tea shop the one that’s particularly expensive, a place where a cup of milk tea can cost as much as a meal?”

 

“Have you tried it?”

 

“No, but I’ve heard about it.”

 

The girl said softly, “Couples who come to the store occasionally buy these drinks.”

 

“So, working at that grocery store for so many years, besides eating the fast food nearby, you’ve never had any snacks?”

 

“That’s none of your business.”

 

“What I mean is…”

 

I whispered from behind, “If you want to have some, I’ll treat you later.”

 

The girl turned her head, and I saw her long hair shimmering with specks of light under the starlight. “Hmm?”

 

“I mean, you treat me to the buffet, and when we eat, we leave some room in our stomachs. Afterward, I’ll treat you to bubble tea.”

 

I smiled, “That’s how human society works. Today you treat me, tomorrow I treat you.”

 

“Is that so?” The girl tilted her head, seemingly trying to understand. After a few seconds, she responded, “Hmph, I don’t need you to teach me. I’ve learned about so-called human society a long time ago.”

 

“Oh really?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“…”

 

As the large mushroom-shaped café house was located at the entrance of the commercial street, it didn’t take us long to find the way into the street. The tentative name for this street was “Angel Street.” At the entrance, there were two beautiful fountains and statues of little angels wearing “Cupid” costumes, holding small trumpets in their hands. Water spouted from the trumpets and fell into the pool.

 

In the middle of the two angel statues, there was also a metal owl, with a sign in its beak that read “Owl Lucky Water”—

 

?The water in the fountain is Owl Lucky Water, which meets drinking water standards. Drinking it may bring good luck, but of course… unexpected things may happen (if you experience stomach discomfort after drinking Lucky Water, remember to seek medical attention promptly).?

 

Goodness, the people who built this commercial street seem a bit unreliable.

 

Walking in from the owl statue, the first thing that caught our eyes was a row of large buildings similar to what one would expect in a bustling downtown commercial street.

 

There was “Jay’s Eyewear,” “Kalinka Authentic Grilled Lamb,” “Vegetable Tea Mati Milk Tea”…

 

Most of these buildings were still under renovation. Some only had a sign with a house number, while others had basic equipment and props already in place. However, the front doors remained tightly closed, with only a small number of shops open. There were very few tourists around, making it feel less lively than even the village market at this time.

 

Moreover, since all forms of transportation, including trams and bicycles, were prohibited here, most of the pedestrians were young couples strolling after a meal. It seemed like they were passing by for a walk after having their fill.

 

“Xiao Mo, can I ask a somewhat private question?”

 

As the girl in front pulled me along the quiet road of the newly built commercial street, feeling the softness and warmth belonging to a girl in my hand, I began, “About death and the rules.”

 

“…”

 

Yin Xiamo ahead remained silent for a few seconds before replying, “Sure.”

 

“Those grim reapers I saw earlier…”

 

I organized my words a bit, “What are they?”

 

“They are all ‘me.'”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Two forbidden magics, one establishing a rift between two worlds, and another… becoming the universe’s law of ‘death’ in this world.”

 

“I… I don’t quite understand.”

 

“In simple terms, the ‘me’ from the original world replaced the ‘death’ in this world and modified the rules here.”

 

The girl in front turned around, “Before I arrived, death here was just the cessation of a creature’s heart, brain death due to lack of oxygen, followed by irreversible damage to bodily functions, ultimately returning to nature. My existence replaced this death process, and the death of living beings changed from natural body death to being taken away by me after approaching death.”

 

“Is there any difference between the two?”

 

“In terms of the result, there’s no difference at all. For example, normally, a person aims a bow at a target and shoots an arrow. The bowstring bends, gaining elasticity, and the elasticity concentrates on the arrow, propelling it forward. Someone modified this rule by personally pushing the arrow before it’s shot. Every arrow that is shot out will be propelled by that person’s hand. It’s a similar idea.”

 

Is it really similar to the concept of the “Law of Cycles” in “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”?

 

“Are those grim reapers I saw earlier your clones?”

 

“They are all me.”

 

“Huh?”

 

The girl looked at me with a somewhat “you fool” expression. “Those are my clones.”

 

“Then you…”

 

I felt my brain struggling, “How is this accomplished?”

 

“It’s simple. Every person’s soul is unique. I just need to adjust the clone that connects to you a little.”

 

So that’s why the entity “Yin Xiamo” doesn’t have the characteristic features of demons, like pointed ears or dark skin?

 

“Then…”

 

For some reason, I felt worried. “Will you disappear?”

 

“Yes.”

 

A statement that made my heart skip a beat for a moment came out of Yin Xiamo’s small mouth.

 

“I am a clone specifically linked to your soul. When you die, I will naturally disappear.”

 

“But I…”

 

I became even more confused. “Didn’t you say I’m immortal?”

 

“Yes, your body has been set to be immortal.”

 

I saw a distinct smile on Yin Xiamo’s lips. “You asked if I would disappear. I can only answer that I will. When you die, this clone of mine will disappear. But this body that I’ve set with all my magic is indeed immortal. Is there a problem?”

 

“You trickster!”

 

I realized I had been played. “You could have just said you wouldn’t disappear!”

 

“Because it’s amusing to see you make that silly worried expression with this stupid loli face.”

 

“Who’s a stupid loli!”

 

“Some maid named Yin Nuo’er, a stupid loli.”

 

“You…”

 

It took me a while to forcefully suppress the anger in my heart. “I… a grown man fighting with a stupid little girl.”

 

“Don’t call yourself a grown man, you can’t go back now.”

 

Approaching me, Yin Xiamo deliberately extended her hand and gestured at the place where my hair stood up, then moved her small hand to her mouth, stepping back two steps. “Little loli, make sure to eat well, okay?”

 

Unable to restrain myself any longer, I raised my little fist and swung it at her head—

 

And then, she easily caught my fist.

 

“You are no longer the hero, but I have become the goddess of death.”

 

Looking at me with great pride, the girl in front of me spoke triumphantly while holding my fist with one hand, “You have no chance of winning.”

 

Damn…

 

I withdrew my hand in frustration.

 

I’ve been exercising lately, and when I develop my abs, I don’t believe I can’t beat you.

 

“…”

 

“Welcome!”

 

Led by the Miss Grim Reaper “Yin Xiamo” beside me, we arrived at a somewhat luxurious buffet restaurant at the rear of the commercial street.

 

“For two?”

 

The waitress approached, and upon seeing me and Yin Xiamo, her face showed a clearly surprised expression. “So cute… Do you have a coupon?”

 

“Here.”

 

The Grim Reaper handed over a flyer.

 

“Okay, with the coupon, it’s 15% off, so it’s 45 yuan for both of you!”

 

She led us into the interior of the buffet restaurant, and the waitress handed us two trays. “Take as much as you want!”

 

“Thank you.”

 

I took the tray and glanced around this small restaurant.

 

Actually, if you had to say, it wasn’t that small. However, compared to the “Shangjing Cat Cafe” where I work, which could accommodate eighty cats, and had two floors, this place was indeed not as impressive.

 

Upon entering, there was a large carpet, followed by a shelf displaying trays, utensils, chopsticks, and various food items. A few steps further led to the vegetable and fruit section, followed by the meat and some noodle and rice items.

 

It was quite standard. If I had to say, someone with my small build is at a disadvantage when it comes to buffets. I really don’t eat much, even in situations with high physical activity, like today when I was busy serving customers at the cafe, I only had two small dishes and a small bowl of rice for lunch.

 

“So much food!”

 

In contrast to my calm demeanor, Yin Xiamo seemed quite excited by the variety of foods around her. She first circled the vegetable and fruit section, then went to the noodle and rice area.

 

“What are these?!”

 

I walked over, “This one? Dumplings, you should have heard of them, right?”

 

“Is there meat inside?”

 

“The one in front of you is probably filled with chives.”

 

“Is there any with meat?”

 

“Isn’t that the meat section behind you?”

 

“Are all of these noodles? Why are the colors different?”

 

“This one is Yi noodles, also called instant noodles in some places. Then there’s sweet potato starch noodles, and this one is probably potato starch noodles, and this is cornmeal. All these noodles need to be soaked in hot water and then mixed with this kind of sauce. Do you want to try them?”

 

“No, I want to eat meat.”

 

“So, the meat section is behind you…”

 

Throughout the process of selecting food, Yin Xiamo was very excited, giving the impression of a young girl who had never seen the world, as if the few years of “adapting to life on Earth” were just a facade.

 

Can’t blame her for that. If I were to travel to another world, I definitely wouldn’t get used to the language, customs, and habits in the first year. Then, learning the local culture and language would take another year or two. Even if, by the third year, I could speak the local language fluently, I would still not be able to recognize all the various “medicinal herbs” and “foods” there.

 

If it were some small peninsula country, it would be okay since their “cuisine” is mostly pickled vegetables. But here is different, the culinary culture is renowned. In such a large country, the north and south have different cuisines, different foods, and different tastes. Even tofu have variations like sweet, salty, and spicy. A single rice dumpling can come in varieties like cold dumplings, meat dumplings, mung bean dumplings, and so on. Miss Grim Reaper only crossed over a few years ago, and asking her to learn the language, culture, work every day to earn money, and monitor my life, on top of recognizing all the foods, is indeed a bit too much to ask.

 

So, seeing her in this state for her first time at a buffet, I didn’t feel any mocking sentiments. Instead, I felt a bit moved.

 

“This should be enough.”

 

After getting some dumplings from the noodle section and some vegetables and fruits from the vegetarian section, I said to Miss Grim Reaper, who was continuously piling various meats into her bowl, “If you can’t finish it, you’ll be fined.”

 

“It’s okay, I can finish it!”

 

Yin Xiamo appeared very confident, “I’m quite confident in my appetite!”

 

Well, it’s up to you. After all, you’re the one paying, and it’s not like I’m being fined.

 

Unable to argue further, I added some spare ribs and beef to my bowl and sat down with Yin Xiamo in a window seat.

 

Like the café, this buffet restaurant’s window offered a view of the scene across the Shenzhen River. However, it wasn’t as clear as the café. We could only vaguely see the shadows of a few boats on the river and the flickering lights around.

 

“Um…”

 

Yin Xiamo, sitting across from me, was eating somewhat ungracefully.

 

“Can you really eat so much?”

 

Watching the food on her plate rapidly decreasing, I recalled the scene of Ai Luodi continuously eating at the comic expo. It seems both of them are foodies, and the kind that can eat a lot. No wonder they recruited a roommate who can cook.

 

“Can you still drink milk tea after this?”

 

I teased Yin Xiamo, and her expression amused me. “This is all meat, the nutrition is not well-rounded.”

 

“Isn’t there vegetables?”

 

The girl in front of me spoke and unceremoniously took two peas from my bowl.

 

“Hey!”

 

“This sweet and sour spare ribs don’t taste as good as yours.”

 

The girl showed no remorse for “stealing food.” “And they don’t sell mushroom chicken soup here. When are you going to make those two dishes again?”

 

“You can buy the ingredients for mushroom chicken soup yourself and make it in a pot. I’ve even moved my rice cooker there.”

 

“I really can’t… You can ask me to chop people, anything but cooking.”

 

“Really confident in your reasoning…”

 

“…”

 

In this manner, chatting casually while enjoying the scenery outside, it took us less than ten minutes to devour everything we had brought. I was fine, considering that during my time at the café, whenever I felt hungry or tired, I would sneakily eat some snacks or drink a few sips of chicken soup in the kitchen. After work, I wasn’t that hungry. On the other hand, it seemed like the Grim Reaper girl was genuinely hungry. She grabbed a bunch of meat, and there was nothing left.

 

“Look at you, a Grim Reaper, but no table manners at all.”

 

Seeing some rice sticking to Yin Xiamo’s mouth after finishing the meal, I casually took a nearby tissue and helped wipe it off.

 

“Grim Reaper is your interpretation. I’m just a subordinate who descended from the rules to supervise you.”

 

The girl across from me spoke indifferently. She stood up and came close to me. “You have some on your mouth too.”

 

I was puzzled. “Do I?”

 

Wait a minute, I’m very careful when eating, chewing slowly and savoring each bite. How could this happen…

 

Before I could find another napkin, the girl in front of me had already brought her little mouth close to mine and then stuck out her tongue—

 

*Slurp.*

 

“It’s gone now.”

 

Huh?

 

I was completely dumbfounded.

 

“Waiter!”

 

Yin Xiamo showed no remorse as the initiator, waving to the waiter.

 

“Okay.”

 

The waiter quickly came over, checking the things on the table. “Everything is fine.”

 

“You see, I told you we could finish it,” Yin Xiamo said.

 

The Miss Grim Reaper stood up, pulling me along. “Let’s go, it’s your turn to treat to bubble tea now.”

 

“No… wait a moment.”

 

It was only at this moment that I came back to my senses, feeling a bit warm on my face. “What were you doing just now?”

 

“Licking you.”

 

“Why… why would you…”

 

“No reason, just felt like it.”

 

The girl who was holding my hand had an expression of ‘Are you going to fight?’

 

She asked, “Is it not allowed?”

 

“…”

 

Should I say it’s not allowed? Also, why do I feel like I’m being bullied? Is it just my imagination? It must be, considering I’m an adult. If anyone’s going to bully, it should be me teasing the girl, right?

 

“Let’s go to this one.”

 

In a daze, Yin Xiamo pulled me out of the buffet and took me to a tea shop near the entrance of the commercial street. “This one is called ‘Cha Cha Cha (???)’?”

 

“It’s ‘Cai Cha Mo (???),’ with three different characters.”

 

The girl at the counter peeked out and asked, “Is it your first time here? Would you like to try our couple’s special – signature milk tea, one cup of milk green tea, and one cup of milk red bean tea. The second cup is half price, and it’s only 18 yuan together!”

 

“Sure, we’ll have that.”

 

Yin Xiamo pulled me over and said, “It’s your choice. Milk green tea, milk red tea, signature pearl milk tea, with bendable straws, all for 18 yuan? It does seem quite cheap.”

 

“Then let’s go with that.”

 

I tiptoed and scanned the QR code on the counter.

 

“Don’t just lick over like that next time!”

 

After making the payment, I finally came back to my senses and cast a reproachful look at Yin Xiamo. “Especially in a restaurant, in public…”

 

“Well, you can also lick back now.”

 

My threatening gaze seemed to have no effect on the girl in front of me. She turned her face away under the moonlight and said, “I don’t mind.”

 

“……”

 

“Let’s pretend I didn’t say that.”

 

“……”

 

……