Traveling Between Two Worlds: From Bread for Maids to Fantasy Overlord

At the banquet, delicacies were laid out on the table. Qin Cang kept urging people to drink and serving food. The atmosphere seemed warm and harmonious, but undercurrents were swirling beneath the surface. Huang Yiming tried to appear calm, sipping his otherworldly fruit wine from his glass. His gaze was indifferent, but his nerves were on edge the whole time, afraid of making the slightest mistake.

Yang Xiu sat beside him, obediently removing fish bones and serving him dishes with gentle, delicate movements. She would occasionally glance up at him, her eyes full of concern. Huang Yiming felt a warmth in his heart and nodded slightly to indicate that he was alright.

But just then, an accident happened. Looking at the meat and rice dishes on the table, Huang Yiming subconsciously stretched out his right hand and made a gesture of holding chopsticks—his fingers were bent, and the movement was skillful and natural. This was a habit he had developed for more than ten years, and he didn't have time to react at all.

This scene was witnessed by Qin Yuling, who had been watching him closely. In Qin Family Fortress and even the entire fantasy world, mortals eat with their hands or cut food with a dagger; there is no such thing as "chopsticks." Huang Yiming's actions seemed out of place and extremely strange.

Qin Yuling's brows furrowed instantly, a sharp glint flashing in her cold eyes. She put down her wine glass and said in a cold voice, "Master Huang's actions just now were quite peculiar. I wonder what kind of etiquette he was using? I've been in Qin Family Fort for many years and have never seen anything like it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent. Qin Cang, Qin Hu, and all the other high-ranking members of the Qin family looked at Huang Yiming with puzzled expressions. Huang Yiming's heart skipped a beat, his mind went blank, and cold sweat broke out on his palms. He thought to himself, "Oh no—it's become a habit, I almost gave myself away!"

He feigned composure, his fingertips pausing slightly before he nonchalantly withdrew his hand, took a sip of his wine, and his mind raced, concocting an explanation. Yang Xiu also sensed something was amiss, her small hand gripping his sleeve tightly, her face full of worry.

[Ding! This system is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted—the foolish host has given himself away! Quickly cover up the lie! Say it's a unique dining etiquette of a hermit family, unknown to ordinary people. Hurry up and make it up, don't just stand there!]

Huang Yiming took a deep breath, his eyes becoming calm, and spoke in a composed tone: "This is a unique dining etiquette of my hermit family, called 'raising chopsticks,' used to cleanse the food and avoid contamination. The family rules are strict and never revealed to outsiders, so no one outside knows about it."

His expression was solemn, his eyes sincere, and he showed no sign of panic. On the contrary, everyone felt that this was indeed the style of a reclusive family—numerous rules and utterly mysterious. Qin Hu scratched his head sheepishly and said with a smile, "I see! The etiquette of reclusive families is indeed different from others. We were truly ignorant."

Qin Cang smiled and tried to smooth things over, saying, "It's normal for a master to have unique etiquette due to their mysterious background. We were the ones who were being presumptuous." But Huang Yiming clearly saw a hint of doubt flash in Qin Cang's eyes, indicating that he didn't completely believe it.

Only Qin Yuling's eyes remained sharp, fixed on Huang Yiming. She didn't believe his story. She knew all too well the customs of this continent; there was no such thing as the "raising chopsticks" etiquette. Huang Yiming was definitely lying! She didn't press further, but secretly resolved to find out Huang Yiming's background.

Huang Yiming outwardly feigned composure, but inwardly he was in a state of panic, his back soaked with cold sweat—for a moment, he thought his "expert" persona was about to completely crumble. He secretly wiped the cold sweat from his palms, not daring to make any further movements, holding his wine glass the entire time, pretending to be deep and composed.

[Ding! This system is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. Your stupid host has given himself away. You've barely managed to cover it up. Qin Yuling is already suspicious of you. From now on, eat and move as little as possible. If all else fails, just act aloof, close your eyes and rest. Don't do anything sneaky again.]

Yang Xiu noticed his nervousness and quietly nudged him with her elbow. Then, she picked up a dagger, carefully cut the dish, and placed it in his bowl, subtly helping him out of his predicament. Huang Yiming felt a warmth in his heart, and his eyes were full of gratitude as he looked at Yang Xiu—this little girl always managed to help him in crucial moments.

The banquet continued, and Huang Yiming became exceptionally cautious, only eating the dishes Yang Xiu offered, making no further moves, remaining silent and aloof throughout. Qin Yuling occasionally tried to probe him with her eyes, but could no longer find any flaws.

After finally making it to the end of the banquet, Qin Cang personally escorted Huang Yiming to the arranged courtyard. It was a secluded and quiet courtyard with an elegant environment and complete facilities, clearly one of the best guest rooms in Qin Family Fortress.

"Please rest here for now, sir. If you need anything, please feel free to instruct our servants," Qin Cang said with a smile, his eyes still holding a hint of probing. Huang Yiming nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, Lord of the Fortress."

After seeing Qin Cang and the others off, Huang Yiming finally let out a long sigh of relief, slumped into his chair, and completely relaxed—the banquet he had just attended was more exhausting than fighting a demonic beast. Qin Yuling's suspicions were like a thorn in his heart, making him vaguely uneasy.

He raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples, recalling Qin Yuling's sharp gaze during the meal, and cold sweat broke out on his back again: if he had been a second slower in covering up his lie, he would probably have been arrested as a spy by now. Yang Xiu came over with a glass of warm water, obediently handed it to him, and whispered, "Young master, have some water to calm your nerves," her soft voice instantly soothing his anxiety.

Huang Yiming took the water glass and drank it all in one gulp. Looking at the tightly closed gate of the courtyard, he grew increasingly wary. The Qin Family Fortress seemed welcoming, but it was a trap at every turn. Qin Cang's attempts to win him over and Qin Yuling's probing were all aimed at uncovering his secrets. The system promptly reminded him: [Your current situation is fraught with danger. Quickly improve your strength and build trust, otherwise you'll inevitably fail. Have the little girl deal with this quickly and conserve your energy to guard against a sneak attack.]