Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The dish Chen Yun recommended to Wei Qiu Yu was "Shining Bright."

"Alright, thank you. I'll give it some thought." Wei Qiu Yu thanked him after taking a glance, seeming in no rush to decide.

Seeing this, Yan Zhi approached and asked, "Chen Yun, can you help me decide on a dish too?"

However, as Yan Zhi came closer, Wei Qiu Yu quickly marked the "Shining Bright" dish and handed it over to the waiter, as if fearing Yan Zhi might snatch her choice away.

Yan Zhi witnessed this scene and abruptly halted her actions.

Chen Yun, having observed it all, sighed in resignation. To prevent a quarrel, she swiftly engaged Yan Zhi to divert her attention: "Yan Zhi, I believe this dish name is safe. Take a look."

The choice of the dish was a matter of life and death, naturally taking precedence over Wei Qiu Yu. Hearing Chen Yun’s suggestion, Yan Zhi promptly followed her, leaving Wei Qiu Yu’s matter behind.

"… 'Guan Gong Battles Qin Qiong'?" Upon discerning the dish name Chen Yun pointed to, Yan Zhi's brows furrowed, her voice laced with doubt and surprise, "The dish has two people's names in it."

"True, but it's fine. I believe it's a safe choice. There's a saying, 'When Guan Gong battles Qin Qiong, one is red…'"

Chen Yun patiently explained her reasoning behind the selection to Yan Zhi, only to be interrupted: "Chen Yun, which dish did you choose for yourself? May I see it?"

"...Of course." Caught off guard, Chen Yun hesitated momentarily but then agreed, moving her pen to another dish name. "I'm thinking of choosing this one."

Chen Yun's pick for herself was titled "Good Fortune Ahead."

The phrase "Good Fortune Ahead" signifies impending luck, a very auspicious term.

After contemplating the dish name, Yan Zhi suddenly proposed to Chen Yun, "If you believe 'Guan Gong Battles Qin Qiong' is safe, why don't you take it? I'll go with 'Good Fortune Ahead'."

Chen Yun's expression changed, hesitating before finally declining, "No, that's not a good idea. This dish name… isn’t quite safe."

However, Yan Zhi doubted her words. If it wasn't safe, why would Chen Yun have chosen it for herself? Who would intentionally pick a risky dish name?

Right then, Wei Qiu Yu intervened, innocently gazing at "Good Fortune Ahead" and murmuring, "Can we still change our choices?"

Hearing this, Xie Yin Xue glanced at Wei Qiu Yu, his eyebrows raised.

And Chen Yun, upon Wei Qiu Yu’s remark, stared at her in disbelief.

"It's okay. If that dish isn't safe, I'll choose it." Seizing the moment when Chen Yun was distracted, Yan Zhi marked "Good Fortune Ahead" and handed the menu to the waiter. Acting swiftly, Chen Yun had no chance to intervene. Yan Zhi added, "Chen Yun, you can take the safe 'Guan Gong Battles Qin Qiong'."

With that declaration, Chen Yun was cornered into the choice.

"You all—"

Chen Yun started, but words escaped her.

She was torn between blaming Wei Qiu Yu for provoking Yan Zhi or reprimanding Yan Zhi for her impulsiveness and lack of trust in her.

Gao Qiao, who shared their dormitory, lamented, "In such dire times, why are you girls bickering amongst yourselves? Have you gone mad?"

The three girls remained silent.

Xia Duo coldly smirked, hinting, "After all, the seniors have set such a great example for the newcomers."

After Qiu Yu Xing's demise, Wei Dao and Ji Tao reclaimed the medical pod lent to Xia Duo. The newcomers no longer viewed them as "reliable seniors," so there was no need for pretenses.

Although the rift between them wasn't as apparent as that between Yan Zhi and Wei Qiu Yu, any observant person could detect it.

Their interactions had dwindled. Uncertain about the newcomers' potential dealings with Xie Yin Xue, they both grew wary of each other, fearing a betrayal that might snatch away a safe dish name.

However, seeing Chen Yun and others quarrel over the dish names, Ji Tao and Wei Dao sensed an opportunity. Ji Tao gave the three ladies some "advice," saying, "It's alright, even if there's an issue with the dish names, you can always ask Xie Yin Xue for help. He'll surely find a way to save you."

Xie Yin Xue appreciated those words, smiling at Ji Tao. He then turned to Chen Yun, Yan Zhi, and Wei Qiu Yu, gently saying, "Indeed, come to me for assistance with anything."

The slender young man at the head of the table, draped in a broad, vermilion robe, looked pristine. The embroidered silver pear blossom on his shoulder, once tousled in the morning, now bloomed majestically. His pale countenance, accentuated by the evening's light and his red attire, portrayed him as an ethereal being, untouched by worldly matters.

In this survival game, isn't everyone constantly on edge, treading on thin ice, desperately seeking a way out?

Yet, Xie Yin Xue was the exception. Dressed in opulent attire daily, he'd brazenly chastise any chef that displeased him. In the end, he'd even get extra servings or sweet soup. Liu Bu Hua, always by his side and protected by him, could even say things like "just order anything; nothing will happen." He seemed to hold the power of life and death in this mansion, as if he were the feared Lord Qin.

Thus, when words that might sound nonsensical from others came from Xie Yin Xue, they felt like solemn promises.

Both Yan Zhi and Wei Qiu Yu shared this belief. Without Ji Tao's reminder, they had already planned this way—after all, if they did order a meat dish, they could just ask Xie Yin Xue for help, right? Qiu Yu Xing wouldn't have died if he'd only sought Xie Yin Xue's aid. They couldn't understand his stubbornness.

With that, only Chen Yun had yet to order.

"Miss Chen, please make your decision soon," the old butler urged her, looking at her as though she were already doomed, "Don't miss the auspicious time for serving dishes."

Chen Yun, tears brimming in her eyes, dejectedly marked "Guan Gong Battles Qin Qiong" on the menu.

Seeing this, Xie Yin Xue's lips curled into a smile. He leaned back comfortably in his chair, waiting for the dishes to be served.

Everyone had grown weary of the old butler's monologues during meal service. As he droned on, everyone wore an impassive expression, only curious to determine whether the dish on the tray was vegetarian or not.

The first dish presented was Lv Shuo's "Azure Dragon Crossing the River." As he had guessed, naturally green meat is virtually non-existent. And if green meat were served, it would fail to appeal visually, one of the fundamental elements of good cuisine. The dish turned out to be vegetarian—a clear broth with a stalk of green onion, representing the "Azure Dragon Crossing the River."

The old butler ladled the soup into bowls for everyone.

After tasting, Xiao Si Yu remarked, "It's so bland it's tasteless."

Lv Shuo responded, "Didn't Liu Bu Hua order 'Scorching Hot Kiss'? That should add some flavor to your mouth soon."

"I'd appreciate some spice," Xiao Si Yu replied, shaking his head, "But if it's a meat dish, I'd rather pass."

Here, no one wanted a meat dish, unless their arch-enemy had ordered it.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, when the butler announced that "Blazing Kiss" was prepared by Ah Qi, the chef who had killed Qiu Yuxing the previous night, a sense of foreboding had already risen within them. Thus, when the dish ordered by Liu Buhua was carried from the backyard by two servers, everyone cast sympathetic and sorrowful glances at him. This was because the dish was a meat dish—pork snout stir-fried with red chili peppers.

It indeed matched the name of the dish.

Seeing that his order was a meat dish, Liu Buhua's expression remained unchanged. He invited everyone to taste it, saying, "Here's some meat, and it's spicy. Try it and see if it's good."

However, no one except him picked up their chopsticks.

Liu Buhua, thinking everyone was feeling sorry for him, reassured them: "It's okay. Losing a mouth won't kill me. At worst, they might pull out my tongue, but that won't kill me either."

The fear was that it wouldn’t be limited to just removing the tongue.

Just as Lv Shuo, glancing at the sinisterly giggling Ah Qi beside the butler, was about to voice this concern, a voice came from the main seat— it was Xie Yinxue.

"Speaking of tongue extraction so lightly, yet it's one of the severe tortures of the eighteen layers of hell."

Though his words were reprimanding, Xie Yin Xue spoke in a soft whisper. He gently tapped Liu Bu Hua's arm with his chopstick's end, preventing him from picking up a piece. After Liu Bu Hua withdrew his hand, Xie Yin Xue delicately selected a piece of pork lip, savoring it slowly.

However, after only a few chews, Xie Yin Xue discreetly spat the meat into his sleeve, locking eyes with Ah Qi, he sneered, "Disgustingly inedible."

Ah Qi's eyes flared in anger upon hearing this. The elderly butler inquired, "Mister Xie, what do you find disagreeable about this dish?"

"Numerous flaws," Xie Yin Xue answered with a hint of sarcasm. "Any meat dish inherently has a gamey taste. Typically, aromatic spices or cooking wine are used to neutralize it. Not only did this dish neglect the inclusion of spices, but the chili peppers were not properly fried to evaporate their moisture. The result? An overpowering raw taste. Isn't it unpalatable?"

The guests quickly sampled the dish for themselves. After tasting, Lu Shuo and Xiao Si Yu exchanged glances. Lu Shuo queried, "Did you taste the gaminess?"

"Perhaps a hint of it, but the overwhelming spiciness mostly masked it," Xiao Si Yu frowned. "While I found it subpar, I couldn't pinpoint the exact issues as precisely as Xie Yin Xue."

"Exactly," interjected Dai Yue, usually silent but incisive when he spoke. "The spiciness is so potent, it nearly eclipses the gamey flavor, but if you're attentive, it's still detectable."

Xie Yin Xue paused, setting down his chopsticks and concluded, "That's why I declared the dish unpleasant. Is there an issue?"

"None at all," the butler acknowledged.

As a game NPC, just like the chefs, the butler should display displeasure when one of their kind encountered trouble. Under normal circumstances, he might have even critiqued the players. But now, his demeanor resembled his cheerful stance during Qiu Yu Xing's demise, patting Ah Qi's shoulder, chiding, "Ah Qi, see? How could you make such a grave oversight during our grand feast?"

Ah Qi, eyes widening in disbelief, stumbled backward, stammering, "No, no..."

Nearby attendants chorused with glee, "Dish withdrawal!"

"A guest's dish is being withdrawn—!"