Chapter 44.2 Madam, thank you for the food
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Lin Zhaohe and Qi Ming were even more distraught. Their childhood had been profoundly affected by a thirteen-year-old girl going through adolescence and clashing with the editor.
Seeing the two in a state of confusion, Lu Xiaotian felt a bit embarrassed and laughed, “Alright, that was all in the past. Let’s not dwell on it. Are you hungry? Let’s go eat something together.”
Boss Zhuang patted the head of his dejected little dog, whose ears were drooping, and said, “Let’s go. The chef on this cruise ship is pretty good. They were hired from the two-dimensional world.”
Finally regaining some energy, Lin Zhaohe followed Boss Zhuang and Lu Xiaotian to the restaurant.
Inside the restaurant, a wide variety of food was neatly arranged, filling the room with tantalizing aromas. Lin Zhaohe managed to put his despondency from meeting the Old Ghost behind him and began to enjoy the pleasure that food brings.
If there was one thing in the two-dimensional world that Lin Zhaohe was most eager to try, it would undoubtedly be the food.
Compared to the ingredients in the three-dimensional world, the ingredients in the two-dimensional world were full of imagination. Screaming apples, fish swimming in honey, steaks growing on trees—just looking at them was a feast for the eyes.
Lin Zhaohe cut a piece of steak and placed it in his mouth, savoring the aroma of the beef as it spread across his taste buds. The charcoal fire had perfectly seared the steak’s fat, leaving behind a unique fragrance that mingled with the tender meat. With each bite, the burst of oil between his teeth was simply delightful.
It was incredibly delicious. After finishing the steak, Lin Zhaohe couldn’t resist having several pieces of the small cake. He didn’t know what it was made of, but it was even richer and creamier than animal cream. It had a velvety texture and was filled with the unmistakable aroma of custard. The taste was not overly sweet but just right, enveloping his mouth in a creamy delight. Lin Zhaohe was happily enjoying his meal when he heard Zhuang Lao softly remind him, “Your shirt buttons are undone.”
Lin Zhaohe raised an eyebrow in confusion.
He looked down and realized that two buttons on his shirt had inexplicably come undone—was this what they called “eating until your clothes burst”?
Before he could react, Zhuang Lao bent down and slowly buttoned up his shirt, his slender fingers gliding over the buttons. There was an inexplicable sensuality to his touch, and Lin Zhaohe couldn’t take his eyes off him.
“Is it delicious?” Zhuang Lao asked.
“Delicious,” Lin Zhaohe nodded fervently.
“Is there anything else you want to eat?” Zhuang Lao, like someone feeding their own pet, had brought all the food in front of Lin Zhaohe. He seemed quite interested in it, asking with curiosity.
“I still want to have some fried chicken.” Lin Zhaohe had a penchant for these unhealthy fried foods.
Zhuang Lao surveyed the surroundings. Not finding the desired food nearby, he got up and headed to the kitchen. “Let me go to the kitchen and inquire for you.”
Lin Zhaohe stuffed his cheeks, resembling a food-hoarding hamster, and mumbled, “Thank you, boss!”
Qi Ming watched with a touch of envy. They were both employees, so why was there such a stark difference?
Lin Zhaohe patted his shoulder reassuringly. “That’s just the way people are, with all their variations. Don’t feel too down about it.”
Qi Ming wasn’t comforted at all.
As they conversed, music began playing on the stage in the center of the restaurant. Shortly after, several adorable girls stepped onto the stage, causing a stir among the audience.
“Who are these people?” Lin Zhaohe asked, finding them reminiscent of characters from the 2D world, but he didn’t recognize them.
“Aren’t they the famous idol group from that popular mobile game in the 2D world?” Lu Xiaotian exclaimed. “The XR Girls’ Group, right!” Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “They look so adorable even in the 3D world. I remember they had a super-rare gold card that was extremely hard to obtain…”
The girls on the stage began singing and dancing, filling the air with bubbles of happiness. Lin Zhaohe could even see colorful musical notes floating around them, enveloping the audience below.
“Weren’t you being chased by Juzi?” Qi Ming casually chatted with Lu Xiaotian. “How did you end up on the cruise ship to play?”
“It’s safer on the cruise ship for now. Ever since the fusion, I’ve been hiding and hiding. It’s been so long that I’ve started feeling depressed. If they don’t let me come out and have a stroll, I might as well be dead.” She sniffled, looking very aggrieved. “If only I had known, I wouldn’t have written all those random things…”
Lin Zhaohe: “Indeed, it would have been better to focus on studying.”
The cruise ship was quite large, and it seemed that everyone dining in this VIP restaurant was either wealthy or privileged. Lin Zhaohe even spotted a few of their pixelated companions. They either served as guests’ seats or carried food on their heads, pitifully becoming objects enslaved by capitalism.
Lin Zhaohe even began to suspect that if these same-colored entities bumped into each other, the ship’s owner would make them all become waitstaff… It was truly a pitiable sight.
As they watched the show and enjoyed the delicious food, the tension in Lu Xiaotian’s demeanor gradually eased, and she happily hummed along with the girl group dancing in the center of the stage.
Lin Zhaohe didn’t dare to let his guard down. He observed his surroundings and noticed a cute little lamb dressed in formal attire carrying a tray of beverages, leisurely wandering about. Eventually, it made its way towards their direction.
“Would you like some drinks, Miss?” the little lamb asked.
“Sure.” Lu Xiaotian was of legal drinking age, so having a drink was no problem. She smiled and reached out her hand, ready to pick up the champagne glass from the lamb’s tray. However, Lin Zhaohe abruptly pulled her hand back.
“Be careful—”
Before Lu Xiaotian could react, she caught a glimpse of a glint of cold light. The little lamb had somehow produced a dagger from somewhere and lunged towards her, roaring, “Prepare to meet your end, you treacherous scoundrel!”
Qi Ming reacted swiftly, restraining the lamb. “What are you doing?!”
“Miss Screw, I know it’s you!!” the lamb angrily shouted, “I’m going to kill you!!”
Lu Xiaotian was on the verge of being terrified, staring blankly at the little lamb.
Soon enough, security guards appeared and tightly bound the struggling lamb. Despite being restrained, the lamb continued to curse vehemently, clearly holding a deep grudge against Lu Xiaotian.
“What, what Miss Screw?” Lin Zhaohe asked in confusion, “Are you mistaken?”
The lamb exclaimed, “I f*cking didn’t mistake—”
Lin Zhaohe: “Little lamb, you shouldn’t use foul language.”
The lamb: “Oh, for f*ck’s sake!”
Lin Zhaohe sighed inwardly. Why were cartoon characters nowadays so hot-tempered?
He looked at Lu Xiaotian, originally thinking that she would be quite angry about being mistaken. However, she stood by the side, wearing a rather awkward expression… tinged with a hint of guilt.
Wait, guilt? A horrifying thought emerged in Lin Zhaohe’s mind as he stared incredulously at Lu Xiaotian. “It can’t be what I’m thinking, right?”
Lu Xiaotian: “Ah… They were all mistakes I made when I was young.”
Lin Zhaohe was rendered speechless. It was evident that Lu Xiaotian had more than just one alter ego like Old Ghost, and she had created works for more than just “Ghostman”. He exchanged a glance with Qi Ming, both of them expressing a sense of helplessness in their eyes.
“You wicked woman!” the lamb cried, “Why, why would you treat me like this…”
Lin Zhaohe grew curious. “What did you do to the little lamb?”
Lu Xiaotian: “Its role in there was called… Little Lamb Skewer.” With a name like that, the outcome was self-evident.
Lin Zhaohe: “……”
The security guards dragged the lamb away. Lu Xiaotian felt a pang of guilt and requested that they spare its life and release it once they disembark.
Subsequently, she lost interest in continuing her meal. With a gloomy mood, she sat in a corner, drowning her sorrows in alcohol.
Just as Lin Zhaohe was about to ask a question, a piece of fried chicken was stuffed into his mouth. He instinctively took a bite and accidentally licked Zhuang Lao’s fingers, leaving him momentarily stunned.
“Eat up,” Zhuang Lao seemed oblivious, “It was freshly fried by the chef.”
Blushing, Lin Zhaohe mumbled, “Mmm, it’s delicious.”
At that moment, he couldn’t discern the taste of the fried chicken. All he could feel on his tongue was the subtle, icy touch of Zhuang Lao’s fingertips.
“What just happened?” Zhuang Lao inquired.
Qi Ming had no choice but to explain the lamb’s accusations and Lu Xiaotian’s confession. After listening attentively, Zhuang Lao pondered for a moment and retrieved a piece of paper and a pen from his bag, placing them in front of Lu Xiaotian.
“What’s this for? I don’t want to write a novel.”
Lin Zhaohe: You’re practically confessing on your own accord. We didn’t even know you had written novels.
“Write,” Zhuang Lao commanded, “List all the pen names you’ve used, the works you’ve written. Don’t leave anything out. I know you remember.”
Lu Xiaotian’s gaze wandered aimlessly. “I… haven’t written that much.”
Zhuang Lao tapped his finger on the table, not letting her off the hook, “Write, otherwise, neither I nor they can help you.”
Faced with Zhuang Lao’s threat, Lu Xiaotian could only reluctantly comply. She took the pen, hesitated, and began to write on the paper.
Lin Zhaohe sat beside her, eating fried chicken while observing. The more he read, the more furrowed his brow became, “What is all this you’re writing?”
“Pen names,” Lu Xiaotian replied, perplexed, “Isn’t this what you wanted me to write?”
The three of them fell silent.
On the not-so-large A4 paper, it was already filled with densely packed names. Lin Zhaohe roughly counted, and there were over twenty of them. However, Lu Xiaotian showed no signs of stopping. Cold sweat began to appear on everyone’s faces. When Lu Xiaotian finally ceased writing, she had listed over forty pen names.
“Um,” Lu Xiaotian hesitated, struggling to find the right words.
Lin Zhaohe: “What…”
“Do I have to write my pen names for fanfiction novels too?” Lu Xiaotian laughed awkwardly, “If I have to include those, my pen names will be too numerous. Some of them, I don’t even remember…”
Lin Zhaohe’s gaze at her could only be described as horrified. He trembled as he spoke, “You write fanfiction too?”
Lu Xiaotian: “I don’t usually write them, but there was a period when I really liked ‘Immortal of Shu,’ so I produced quite a lot of works.”
A realization dawned upon Lin Zhaohe, “…Did you also write a fanfiction called ‘Yesterday’s Memories’?”
Lu Xiaotian: “Damn, do you guys have such a wide range of taste? You’ve even read that?”
Lin Zhaohe: “…… ” It’s truly a stroke of luck. Without even trying, I’ve caught the prime suspect, Gu Xuyu, right in my grasp!
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