Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Xie Yinxue felt this wasn't merely illogical but utterly absurd.

Yet, he had no choice but to purchase the dish. The old butler had emphasized the rules of the banquet, stating that they must consume every chosen dish. Missing even one would result in starvation. Thus, no matter how defiant Xie Yinxue felt, he had to buy the dish or risk everyone's lives.

So, Xie Yinxue, with a blank expression, coldly asked, "How much?"

However, the old butler was all smiles, in stark contrast to Xie Yinxue, saying, "Three thousand of your commonly used real-world currency."

Every word in that statement was intriguing—"commonly used real-world currency."

Although three thousand was pocket change to Xie Yinxue, having never been short on money in his twenty years of life. He could conjure many things from thin air, but money wasn't one of them—not because he couldn't, but because he shouldn't.

Most crucially: Xie Yinxue didn't have any cash on him.

Xie Yinxue never carried money. All his finances were managed by Liu Buhua, who took care of any expenses. But in this game world devoid of internet, where mobile phones were useless, it was unlikely Liu Buhua had three thousand in cash.

Liu Buhua, reaching into his pocket, produced a black card, asking the old butler, "Can we use a card?"

The old butler's eerie eyes shifted to him, quipping with a dark humor, "Do you think we have a card reader here?"

Everyone: "..."

Even the term 'card reader' was brought up. Was there truly no glitch in this game instance?

Xie Yinxue, maintaining his cold demeanor, declared, "I didn't bring cash."

"You can also settle with valuable items," Ah Jiu said, now taking over the conversation from the butler.

"A bracelet, gold plated with silver," Xie Yinxue immediately responded, removing the silver bracelet from his right wrist that Ah Jiu had earlier distorted. "This is worth well over three thousand."

Everyone had assumed it was a silver bracelet. Only upon closer inspection did they notice the golden flower buds carved into the silver, realizing that it was actually a gold bracelet coated with silver.

While others typically plated silver with gold, for Xie Yinxue, it was gold plated with silver. It seemed contradictory to his usual flamboyant demeanor; he wasn't one to shy away from displaying wealth, yet he didn't adorn himself with excessive gold either.

Ah Jiu glanced at the bracelet held between Xie Yinxue's fingers and commented, "It's deformed."

Wasn't it you who did that?

Xie Yinxue took a deep breath. As he was contemplating how he had never encountered someone as irritating as Ah Jiu in his life, he overheard a conversation between Xiao Siyu and Lv Shuo—

Lv Shuo asked Xiao Siyu, "The bracelet's just deformed, not diminished in weight, right? Don't they value gold by weight? Or has the gold price plummeted today?"

Xiao Siyu, being more observant of the situation, responded, "Getting bolder, aren't we?"

"No," Lv Shuo said anxiously, "I have a lot of investments in gold. If the price drops, I'm done for."

Gao Qiao chimed in, "I've invested too. My life might be expendable, but I need to leave an inheritance for my daughter."

Xiao Siyu tried to reassure them, "Gold isn't like mutual funds. Even if its price drops now, it will rise again eventually."

Both Lv Shuo and Gao Qiao found solace in Xiao Siyu's words, nodding in agreement and finally settling down.

Xie Yinxue: "..."

Xie Yinxue slipped the deformed pear blossom bracelet into her sleeve and removed the intact one from her left wrist. She placed it on a tray, her lips curved into a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes, saying, "This one isn't deformed. It should suffice, right?"

"This one will do."

Ah Jiu picked up the pear blossom bracelet, examined it under candlelight, and nodded in approval. He then revealed the dish named "Heartache" from beneath a red cover to Xie Yinxue. Everyone immediately gathered around, eager to see this dish, which cost Xie Yinxue a silver-gilded bracelet.

To their astonishment, the dish— or perhaps one should say, the bowl, clearly reflected Xie Yinxue's face.

For it was simply a bowl of clear water.

The bowl, made of white porcelain, had a diameter of roughly a foot, containing nothing but pristine water.

"Is this... just a bowl of water?" Lv Shuo found it hard to believe, even with the evidence before his eyes.

Wei Dao couldn't resist tasting it directly with a spoon and exclaimed in shock after drinking, "It's tasteless!"

"It seems to be just water."

"It's a bit cold, but it has no taste."

“……”

One by one, everyone tried the water, their faces filled with disbelief. Even Liu Buhua, after tasting it, confirmed to Xie Yinxue, "Father, this truly is just water."

Of the twelve present, only Xie Yinxue hadn't tasted "Heartache". He showed no interest in doing so either.

At this moment, Ah Jiu stepped forward, scooping up a spoonful of water from the bowl and bringing it to Xie Yinxue's lips, saying, "Mr. Xie, this delicacy is made especially for you, crafted with the 'snow' you selected as the main ingredient. How does it taste to you?"

Isn’t melted snow just water, after all?

No matter how one tastes this bowl of water, it remains flavorless. And when humans drink water, no seasoning is required. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this dish.

Xie Yinxue looked up, his almond-shaped eyes intently fixed on Ah Jiu's deep gray vertical pupils, as if trying to etch that gaze deeply into his memory. He licked the water that the man had brought to his lips and coldly remarked, "I'm very satisfied."

Ah Jiu, seemingly indifferent to Xie Yinxue's cold demeanor, leaned in even closer. Then, with his index and middle finger, he touched Xie Yinxue's lips—lips that always seemed pale, as if their natural blush was masked by illness. Yet, when blood was coughed upon them during his weaker moments, they shimmered like they were painted with rouge.

Ah Jiu gently rubbed those soft lips, back and forth, staining his fingertips with the blood. He then smudged the blood across his face mask, drawing a smile with Xie Yinxue's blood.

He said, "Making Mr. Xie satisfied is my greatest joy."

Everyone was afraid to see Xie Yinxue's expression at that moment.

In the suffocating silence, Lv Shuo, often the most talkative, broke first, murmuring, "Is this what heartache feels like?"

Ah Jiu suddenly shot him a chilling glare, venomously snapping, "I detest snow the most."

"And this dish is made of snow. Do you think I don't feel heartache?"

Confronted by Ah Jiu's query, Lv Shuo was rendered speechless.

Ke Nan showed no interest in Lv Shuo. Quickly, he turned his gaze back, looking down at Xie Yin Xue from a superior position. Though his voice was much softer, it lacked warmth and only seemed confrontational, "Most importantly, Mr. Xie must be feeling quite heartbroken right now."

"Thus, this dish made of snow is, to both you and me, an unparalleled delicacy beyond reproach."

As he spoke, he gently lifted Xie Yin Xue's face with his fingers still stained with blood, caressing the snow-like flawless skin. He leaned closer, bending down as if paying respects, or as if entranced by some spell, irresistibly drawn towards it.

"Your craftsmanship is so exquisite—"

Instead of anger, Xie Yin Xue laughed. Lifting his hand, he gently but firmly gripped Ah Jiu's mask, pulling his head down until their faces were almost touching. Tilting his chin up slightly, he stared into those vertical pupils and whispered in a voice soft as lovers' murmurs, "I hope, Ah Jiu, you'll have another chance to wash your hands and prepare soup for me."

When Xie Yin Xue released his grip, the mask, worn by the chefs and built like cold, indestructible iron, bore the imprints of his fingers, much like the pear blossom bracelet hidden in the sleeve that was now twisted and deformed. Consequently, the smile Ah Jiu had painted on the mask with blood was no longer a smile.

"I hope so too."

But Ah Jiu no longer needed that smile to convey his emotions. He chuckled softly in Xie Yin Xue's ear, stood upright, picked up the tray with Xie Yin Xue's pear blossom bracelet, and departed.

Xie Yin Xue also turned to sit properly, wiping his pristine fingertips with a tissue. His hands were pale and slender, fragile like branches sculpted from frost, seeming as though they could easily snap—yet what would break was not his fingers, but someone else's neck.

The crowd remained silent, holding their tongues.

Xie Yin Xue's lowered lashes cast a shadow beneath his eyes, concealing all emotions. The only thing audible was his soft-spoken command, "Butler, serve the next dish."

Author's Note:

Boss Xie (coughing up blood.jpg): Kill a thousand enemies, hurt ourselves eight hundred.

NPC: The wound is on you, but the pain is in my heart.

Boss Xie: ?