She froze for a few seconds.
Wait, why was he suddenly acting so aggrieved?
She really hadn't forgotten him this time. She had just been planning to ask if he had any dietary restrictions before pulling out the food.
Zhu Lingxi and Pei Tinglan also looked up in unison. Both of them looked at Xie Zhouxing with rather surprised expressions.
Was Xie Zhouxing—or Master Xie—actually this kind of person?
Cen Yao let out a helpless sigh. “I really didn't forget you this time. I was just about to ask if you have any dietary restrictions.”
Xie Zhouxing looked up. “Really?”
His voice pitched up slightly, and the gloom and bitterness from a moment ago suddenly dissipated by more than half.
Cen Yao nodded. “Really.”
Xie Zhouxing finally cheered up. “I don't have any dietary restrictions. Whatever you're having is fine.”
Cen Yao then reached into her storage bag and pulled out another portion of soup dumplings, eight-treasure porridge, and Chinese crullers—enough for Xie Zhouxing—and placed them in front of him.
The moment the food was set down, the steam and aroma wafted directly into Xie Zhouxing's face.
Xie Zhouxing's expression instantly brightened. “Thank you, Cen Yao. You're so nice, hehe.”
“It's fine. Eat up before it gets cold.” Cen Yao picked up a soup dumpling and took a bite.
The hot broth burst in her mouth, and the heat made her gasp softly.
Yet, she still felt a bit dazed. Why was Xie Zhouxing so... silly and sweet?
After transforming last night, he had been a cold and aloof Dark Elf who could slice monsters to pieces with a wave of his hand. How could he get this happy over a simple breakfast during the day?
For a moment, Cen Yao couldn't tell which one was the real Xie Zhouxing. Or perhaps, both were real. It was just that Xie Zhouxing in his nighttime Talent state was much more mature.
Xie Zhouxing had no idea what Cen Yao was thinking. Smelling the aroma of the soup dumplings, he carefully picked one up with his chopsticks.
Even though he was blind, his grip was incredibly steady.
Cen Yao had originally wanted to warn him about the hot soup inside the dumpling so he wouldn't burn himself. But Xie Zhouxing had already naturally placed the dumpling onto a spoon, bit a small opening, and blew on the rising steam.
His movements were highly practiced. He took a bite, and a look of pure satisfaction immediately spread across his face.
“Delicious. Cen Yao, how do you even have this?”
“I prepared them in advance.”
“Do you bring these into every dungeon?”
“Pretty much.”
Xie Zhouxing fell silent for a moment. “You really are the ultimate travel companion.”
Cen Yao: “...”
Zhu Lingxi lowered her head and slurped some noodles. She ate very quietly. But the hot broth was a bit scalding, and the steam turned her cheeks slightly pink.
After swallowing a mouthful, she suddenly pulled a small clay jar from her storage bag and added some chili oil to her bowl.
Beside her, Pei Tinglan remained silent. He looked down, peeled back the lid of his instant noodles, and stirred them with a fork, causing the savory aroma to grow even stronger.
Cen Yao buried her face in her soup dumplings, while Zhu Lingxi focused intently on her noodles. Xie Zhouxing ate happily, chatting with Cen Yao from time to time.
Watching this scene unfold, Pei Tinglan's eye twitched uncontrollably. He suddenly felt like he couldn't stomach the instant noodles in his hands anymore.
“Put away your divine powers. I'm about to lose my appetite.”
“What?” Xie Zhouxing looked up blankly.
Pei Tinglan scoffed. “Nothing. As long as you're happy.”
Xie Zhouxing was even more baffled. He wanted to ask Cen Yao if Pei Tinglan was being sarcastic, but Cen Yao was currently busy stuffing her face and clearly had no time for him.
She was already starting to wonder if she should have some dessert after breakfast.
She still had some small cakes and puddings in her storage bag. She had consumed a lot of magic power yesterday, and she felt like eating something sweet would help her recover faster.
Just as Cen Yao was about to take out a strawberry cake, she suddenly sensed the gazes around her growing even more intense.
She looked up. The players in the factory were still scattered all over. But the way they looked at her group could no longer be described as mere wariness.
A pale young girl holding a water bottle whispered to her companion, “Do you think they have any more food?”
Her companion fell silent for a moment. “I don't know. I only know that my mouth is already watering.”
Another person squeezed the half-eaten compressed biscuit in their hand, their eyes gloomy. “Is this dungeon supposed to be about survival, or are we just here to watch other people eat gourmet food?”
Someone sighed. “I want to eat beef noodles.”
“I want to eat soup dumplings.”
“I want to eat Chinese crullers.”
“I want to eat instant noodles.”
“I want to eat... their storage bag.”
The moment those words fell, the factory fell dead silent.
The speaker also realized they had misspoken. Their face paled, and they immediately shut their mouth.
Cen Yao looked over, her expression unchanged. However, her ebony wand had appeared in her hand at some point.
Cold sweat broke out on the player's forehead. “I—I was just kidding.”
Cen Yao looked at him. “It's best not to make that kind of joke in a dungeon.”
The person nodded frantically. “I'm sorry.”
Cen Yao didn't press the matter further. She lowered her head and continued eating.
Only this time, the players in the factory finally withdrew their gazes.
Rate on N.U.
