Xingtie: My silly online friend is actually a raccoon!

The dining hall of the Tabuan was spacious and bright.

It was lunchtime, and many diviners and clerks were sitting in their seats eating, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones.

When Lu Ze walked in, several curious glances were cast his way.

In places like Taibusi, the population is relatively stable, and it's rare to see unfamiliar faces. So, the sudden appearance of a new face like him is bound to attract some attention.

Lu Ze's gaze swept around and he quickly spotted Fu Xuan.

She sat at a small table by the window, with two dishes and a soup in front of her: a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a plate of braised tofu, and a bowl of egg drop soup, all very light.

When she saw Lu Ze appear at the cafeteria entrance, she put down her chopsticks and waved to him.

Lu Ze walked through rows of long tables and sat down opposite her. Before he had even settled in, Fu Xuan pushed a lunchbox towards him.

The lunchbox was clearly something she had prepared for him beforehand; the lid still had tiny water droplets condensed on it, and it felt warm to the touch.

"your."

She succinctly finished saying those two words, then lowered her head to continue eating the food in front of her noodles.

Lu Ze didn't know if she was still embarrassed about what happened that morning. Seeing her eating with her head down and not looking at anything else, he wisely didn't ask any more questions. He just said "thank you" and then opened the lid of the lunchbox.

Inside was a bowl of white rice, a plate of green vegetables, a plate of tofu, and a small bowl of clear soup. The dishes were exactly the same as the one in front of Fu Xuan, except that he had an extra spoonful of rice.

Why is it all just bland and watery soup?

Lu Ze was dumbfounded.

He had assumed that since the Grand Preceptor was one of the Six Emperors of Luofu, the food in the canteen should be more plentiful than that of the food stalls outside, but this was the case.

He picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth and chewed it. The taste was ordinary, neither salty nor bland, barely palatable.

Take another bite of tofu, and it still tastes of salt and the original flavor of the ingredients.

However, as Lu Ze ate, he discovered the hidden seasoning in his lunch.

Across from him, Fu Xuan ate with impeccable manners. He kept his back straight, his chopsticks moved with just the right amount of force, and he kept his mouth tightly closed while chewing, not even making a sound when drinking soup.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the window beside her, casting a soft, pale golden glow on her pink hair.

As the ancients said, "Beauty is food for the eyes."

It was indeed true.

Looking at Fu Xuan's pleasing face, even the bland tofu seemed to become a bit more delicious.

Lu Ze chewed on his vegetables, his gaze lingering on her face for a few more seconds without him noticing.

Fu Xuan ate very quickly, with elegant posture but extremely high efficiency.

But she soon noticed Lu Ze's gaze, which was different from the one she had when they met at the kitchen door that morning.

"Speak your mind."

Fu Xuan couldn't stand that aggressive gaze any longer, so she finally looked up and glared at him, her chopsticks tapping the rim of the bowl with a soft, crisp sound.

Lu Ze put down his chopsticks: "Xiuse Ke... cough cough, I mean, are you still bothered by what happened this morning?"

That was close, I almost blurted it out again.

Fu Xuan paused for a moment, the tip of his chopsticks hovering above the tofu for less than half a second, before steadily picking up a piece of tofu and putting it into his mouth.

She finished chewing what was in her mouth before speaking, her eyes filled with a hint of reproach.

"Am I really that petty a woman in your eyes?"

You don't seem like you can be generous at all.

Lu Ze's gaze involuntarily drifted downwards, landing precisely on the purple astrological disc on her chest.

This action was completely subconscious; his brain hadn't even had time to react before his gaze fell on it.

"Let's see if it gets cut out."

Fu Xuan stretched out his chopsticks and made a light tap in front of each of Lu Ze's eyes, his movements as precise as pointing out the positions of lines on a divination board, as if Lu Ze's eyes had become two unfilled divination holes.

"Feel sorry."

Knowing he was in the wrong, Lu Ze buried his head in his rice and didn't dare to utter a sound.

"Who are you? This is the Tabushi's dining hall; you can't just barge in—"

Suddenly, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the cafeteria.

Lu Ze put down his chopsticks and looked up. He saw a group of people dressed in monks' robes and wearing hoods pouring in through the gate, ignoring a clerk who stood up and tried to stop them. They did not stop in the slightest.

Their steps were steady and uniform, as if driven by the same metronome, with only the hem of their robes fluttering silently with their movements.

The group of monks tilted their heads slightly, their movements perfectly synchronized. Their faces were obscured by their hoods, but Lu Ze could feel several gazes piercing through the entire dining hall, firmly locking onto him.

Lu Ze's eyes narrowed, and he put down his chopsticks and slowly stood up.

Is this coming for me?