Chapter 16

Chapter 16

◎A Pot of Scalding Dishes◎

Nine subjects, with an average of three books per subject—problem-solving guides, daily exercises, and comprehensive test papers. The towering stack at checkout made Ji Nanxing feel the literal weight of knowledge.

After the clerk packed their books, Xiao Ye picked up both bags with one hand.

Ji Nanxing reached out to take them, saying, "I'll carry them myself."

Xiao Ye dodged his hand: "I'll carry them; they're a bit heavy." With his slight build, he didn’t look like someone who could handle heavy lifting.

Worried Ji Nanxing might insist out of politeness, Xiao Ye added, "It’s past eleven; let’s grab lunch. My treat—pick whatever you want."

Ji Nanxing looked at him, puzzled. "Why treat me to lunch?"

Xiao Ye grinned: "School’s about to start. Shouldn’t desk mates bond a bit beforehand? Plus, didn’t I make you miss out on something you wanted? Consider this a chance to make it up to you."

Ji Nanxing could handle interactions with elders, colleagues, and classmates he wasn’t particularly close to. But friendly gestures without malice left him feeling more passive.

Chen Shiyi once remarked that Ji Nanxing had no friends all these years, and Ji Nanxing wasn’t much different. He was just fortunate to have family, colleagues, and partners who fought alongside him, surpassing ordinary friendships.

But someone like Xiao Ye, who represented a completely different social dynamic, was something Ji Nanxing could handle with calm detachment but struggled to reject when faced with warmth.

Thus, the person who had originally planned to go back to sleep was not only dragged out to buy books but also "forced" into a lunch.

Uncertain about Ji Nanxing’s physical condition, Xiao Ye naturally avoided fast food places. Instead, he chose a well-reputed private kitchen.

Despite the many elaborate dishes on the menu, Ji Nanxing didn’t order any of them. Instead, he chose hearty, flavorful home-style dishes.

Spicy skewered meat, tender frog legs with peppercorns, sour fish with a pungent aroma, sizzling grilled pork belly—all bold flavors balanced with two lighter dishes: lotus root slices with osmanthus and stir-fried seasonal vegetables.

After Ji Nanxing finished ordering, he handed the tablet to Xiao Ye, who added two desserts and a light soup. He also double-checked with the server that the skewered meat and grilled pork belly were pork, not beef, and that none of the dishes contained celery or beef before finalizing the order.

The server took the tablet and returned with a pot of chilled plum juice. Xiao Ye poured a cup for Ji Nanxing, asking, "Do you like spicy food? Will it make you uncomfortable if it’s too spicy?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "No."

His supposed frail health was a convenient excuse for taking leave. In reality, he had always been quite healthy, eating well and staying active. Thanks to his cultivation, he rarely even caught colds or fevers. Trekking through mountains and rivers to catch ghosts required a strong body; otherwise, he’d be like a meal delivered straight to vengeful spirits.

After a brief exchange, silence fell over the table.

Ji Nanxing wasn’t the type to start conversations. With Xiao Ye quiet, he occupied himself scrolling through forums on the human world’s network.

He had just delivered the Ghost Baby that morning, and within hours, the network had issued a related announcement. There was no longer a need for Taoist masters to expend resources searching for it.

What remained was how to legally punish the murderer in the human world and how to dismantle the altar beneath the White Building without causing widespread casualties.

The former was straightforward, as they already had the answers in hand. The latter, however, was more challenging, but none of this fell on Ji Nanxing’s shoulders. The Taoist community hadn’t fallen so low as to rely on a high school student to save the day.

As he scrolled, his phone vibrated. Ji Nanxing saw that the bonus for Hu Xiaodie’s case had been deposited. Since the task had escalated, the bonus was slightly higher than before, though not by much—just a few thousand dollars.

Ji Nanxing immediately donated all the money he earned. He wasn’t short on funds, and he never kept any of the money he made from these tasks, donating it all instead.

While Ji Nanxing browsed the forums, Xiao Ye sat across the table, watching him.

They were seated by the window, where a nearly meter-wide fish pond lay outside. Despite the awning above, the midday sun still shone through, reflecting off the water’s surface and casting shimmering ripples.

Ji Nanxing sat quietly amidst the flickering light, his eyes downcast as he played with his phone.

His delicate features and graceful demeanor reminded Xiao Ye of two idioms: "delicate and beautiful" and "exquisite and refined."

Though these idioms were typically used to describe girls, they seemed oddly fitting for Ji Nanxing.

The sunlight, which had been glaringly reflected in the fish pond, now seemed to accentuate Ji Nanxing’s presence.

For the first time, Xiao Ye felt the limitations of his vocabulary after just nine years of compulsory education. Beyond "beautiful," he couldn’t find a more direct way to describe Ji Nanxing.

The server arrived with their dishes, breaking the silence. Xiao Ye snapped out of his reverie, sterilizing two pairs of chopsticks with hot tea before handing one to Ji Nanxing.

Ji Nanxing thanked him and took the chopsticks, but he waited for Xiao Ye to start eating before reaching for the dishes.

The private kitchen’s food was quite good, with fresh ingredients. The midday crowd was sparse, as few were willing to brave the summer heat for lunch.

After a few bites, Xiao Ye glanced at Ji Nanxing: "How’s the taste? Is it too spicy? If it’s too much, we can ask the chef to adjust it."

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "It’s fine. Do you find it too spicy?"

Xiao Ye grinned: "I’m the type who eats 'insanely spicy' chicken wings. This is nothing."

For him, this level of spiciness was mild, but he worried about Ji Nanxing’s tolerance. Spicy food could upset the stomach, and if the stomach was affected, the heart might follow.

Ji Nanxing looked curious: "Insanely spicy chicken wings?"

Xiao Ye: "Have you been to Yunsheng Plaza? There’s a place there that’s been making chicken wings for over twenty years. Their 'insanely spicy' wings are famous. But with all the viral videos now, the place has become a popular spot. You’d have to queue for an hour just to get a taste. It’s been a while since I’ve had them."

Ji Nanxing: "I’ve never tried them."

He had eaten at many star-rated and Michelin restaurants, but he hadn’t ventured much into street food at plazas.

His family didn’t forbid him from eating out, but given his environment and the people he interacted with, no one had ever taken him to such food streets.

Xiao Ye extended an invitation: "Want to try? I’ll take you next time."

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Sure."

Though he wasn’t sure when "next time" would be, or if Xiao Ye would even remember in a few days.

Food, however, proved to be a great conversation starter. The two were no longer trapped in awkward silence, though Xiao Ye did most of the talking.

In this relatively pleasant atmosphere, a child’s scream shattered the lunchtime tranquility.

The child, about five or six years old, was at that age where sitting still was impossible. He ran back and forth in the restaurant’s aisle, holding a toy car and screaming.

Xiao Ye had noticed the child earlier, fidgeting and jumping in his seat, even swatting away food offered to him, making a mess on the table.

But that was his parents’ problem. Though the noise was annoying, Xiao Ye hadn’t said anything. Now that the child had finished eating, his parents had put his shoes on and let him loose, turning the entire restaurant into his playground.

The midday crowd wasn’t large, but there were still several tables occupied. Though everyone was annoyed by the noisy child, no one spoke up.

Without anyone scolding him, the child ran even more wildly, even bumping into servers carrying dishes. His parents, seeing that he wasn’t running outside, simply let him be.

Xiao Ye noticed Ji Nanxing glancing at the child several times, assuming he preferred quiet and found the noise bothersome. He turned to the adults at the table: "Running around in the aisle is dangerous, especially with a toy in hand. If he falls, it could be serious. You should keep an eye on him."

The man, possibly the child’s grandfather or uncle, snapped back: "What’s with your nasty mouth! You’re the one who’ll fall! Mind your own business!"

The child, likely understanding the situation, only grew more emboldened by his family’s lack of discipline and even encouragement. He screamed louder, ran faster, and even tried to throw his toy car into their dishes.

However, when Xiao Ye had a stern expression, he looked pretty intimidating. The kid, being a natural bully who only picks on the weak, didn’t dare cause more trouble after Xiao Ye glared at him and took off running.

The commotion here was really affecting other diners, so the restaurant manager had to step forward and talk to the family: "The floor’s a little slippery here, so could you please keep an eye on your child?"

The middle-aged man at the table snapped, "Can’t we even eat in peace? There’s barely anyone here—who’s he bothering by running around?"

In the service industry, dealing with unreasonable customers is the worst. The manager, trying to avoid a scene, said, "We’re just giving a heads-up for safety."

Then he turned to the other tables and said, "Sorry for the disturbance. There are some seats inside—would you like to move there?"

Some were annoyed but didn’t want to pick a fight with someone so unreasonable, so they just let it go.

Xiao Ye frowned but didn’t want to get into it—it wasn’t worth the hassle. Arguing, even if it got that family kicked out, would just waste his time and energy.

He didn’t care, but he didn’t want Ji Nanxing to put up with it, so he said, "Let’s get out of here."

Ji Nanxing glanced at the table. "We’re not done eating yet."

"We’ve still got two desserts coming."

"Save some space. I’ll take you somewhere else for something good, and we’ll get the desserts to go."

"Let’s just pack them up. No need to go somewhere else—I’ve got to head home."

Xiao Ye clearly didn’t want to leave yet, but he couldn’t stop Ji Nanxing from going home, so he called the waiter to pack up the desserts.

He turned to Ji Nanxing. "You sure you don’t want anything else? I could pack some dishes for you to take home. I’d feel bad if I didn’t make sure you were full."

"No, I’m good. I just need to use the restroom."

Ji Nanxing got up and walked over, accidentally blocking a waiter carrying a sizzling pot of spicy boiled meat. "Hey, where’s the restroom?"

The waiter, juggling a big pot, nodded toward the back. "Go inside and take a left—it’s right there."

"Do they have toilet paper in there?"

"Yeah, or grab some extra at the front desk if you need it."

While they were talking, the kid ran past, purposely sticking his arm out to bump into Ji Nanxing. When Ji Nanxing turned to look, the kid stuck out his tongue and made a face.

Ji Nanxing stepped aside, thanked the waiter, and headed in the direction he’d pointed.

A hardworking college student shouldn’t have their life messed up by a pot of boiling hot food.