Chu He carried out of the kitchen a plate of "Thousand-Threaded Shredded Meat," golden and crispy, dotted with a few strange purple strands.
Xia Yao's gaze had not left him since the moment he appeared.
"For you." Chu He set the plate steadily in front of her.
Xia Yao picked up her fork and without hesitation speared a small tuft of shredded meat, along with the purple strand that represented pure fear, and put it into her mouth.
She chewed gently and elegantly.
But the next second, an unprecedented light burst into her pitch-black eyes, like a river of stars illuminating the dark night.
"Delicious!"
She speared another large mouthful and ate until her cheeks puffed out, her eyes narrowing with happiness.
"You're really good at cooking!" she said, looking at Chu He, then added earnestly.
[Dragon Country Official Livestream]
"Holy crap! Who could resist Xia Yao looking like such a smitten fan?"
"It's over, it's over! God Chu has not only got Xia Yao wrapped around his finger—now he's got her stomach wrapped around it too! A double whammy, absolutely lethal!"
"Have you noticed that God Chu's been acting more and more like a big shot lately? The way he stayed so composed in front of her uncle just now was insanely cool!"
Watching Xia Yao eat with such relish, Chu He felt a long-missed, heartfelt joy rise within him.
The feeling was more reassuring than completing any mission or receiving any reward.
He really hadn't expected that the culinary talent he'd kept hidden up his sleeve would become his ultimate weapon for winning over an SSS-Class anomaly in a place as bizarre as this.
Chu He had always had an unusual talent for cooking.
When other people tried cooking for the first time, they either added too much salt or forgot it altogether, turning the kitchen into a complete mess.
The first time he stir-fried a dish, at six years old, he had controlled the amount of salt precisely. The food had come out perfectly seasoned.
After watching a cooking show once, he could remember most of the recipes and steps, and he wouldn't forget them for a long time.
Unfortunately, his grades at school had always been mediocre, leaving him stuck in the middle—a student teachers paid little attention to and classmates barely noticed.
He'd scored 482 on the high school entrance exam, an awkward number.
He'd fallen well short of getting into the best high school in the county, so he could only attend the Second Senior High School, and even then, he'd ended up in an ordinary class.
Back then, he'd genuinely considered learning to be a chef and opening a little restaurant of his own, doing something he loved.
But his parents had firmly opposed the idea. In their eyes, every pursuit was inferior to studying.
As expected, his grades remained mediocre through three years of high school and two years of college, leaving him indistinguishable from the crowd.
But whenever he had free time, he studied recipes and honed his cooking skills. The dream of opening a restaurant had always lain buried in his heart.
He hadn't expected that although the dream never came true in the real world, it would blossom so brilliantly in the world of anomalies—in such an outrageous way.
Just as Chu He's thoughts began to wander, a cold system notification suddenly rang in his mind!
[Emotional interaction "Feeding" with SSS-Class School Belle Anomaly Xia Yao complete. Outstanding effect!]
[Affection greatly increased! Current affection: Infatuation 30%!]
Chu He was delighted.
Meanwhile, Xia Yan watched his niece looking utterly enchanted by a plate of shredded meat, and felt that familiar pressure in his chest again.
He snorted and shoved toward Chu He the plate of "Demon Lion Liver" he had made himself. It was dark red and radiated an overwhelming energy.
His movement was rough.
"Eat it. Don't waste it!"
Xia Yan spoke in a commanding tone that left no room for argument.
Chu He looked at the plate of Demon Lion Liver, then at Xia Yan's face, which practically screamed, "I'm annoyed, but there's nothing I can do about you." He understood perfectly well.
This was a roundabout way of acknowledging and "investing" in him.
His uncle had probably already guessed most of what Chu He was capable of.
And with Xia Yao being such an open book, she'd probably already blurted out everything she could and couldn't say.
He didn't hesitate. Picking up a knife and fork, he dug in.
The moment the Demon Lion Liver entered his mouth, a surge of warmth a hundred times more powerful than the Braised Lion's Head from before exploded inside him!
The energy was ferocious, like molten iron, and instantly coursed through every part of his body!
Chu He felt every inch of his bones groan beneath the strain, only to be reforged in an instant by an even more powerful force!
Every muscle fiber was torn apart, then rewoven into something tougher and denser!
His physical strength underwent a qualitative leap in that moment!
Even his Spiritual Power felt as if it had been infused with high-purity fuel, more abundant than ever before!
Incredible!
That felt so damn good!
By the time they finished the information-packed "meeting the family" lunch, it was already past one in the afternoon.
The moment Chu He followed Xia Yao back into her office,
the Dragon Country livestream went black.
As soon as the door closed, Xia Yao clung to him like a lump of melting taffy.
Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and her long, straight legs wound around his waist. She hung off him, her gaze hazy and full of the trusting dependence of a small animal.
"Mmm..."
The two of them lay down in the bedroom!
Chu He had wanted to use this rare bit of free time to check out his newly improved system panel.
But Xia Yao didn't give him the chance.
Her pitch-black eyes were now filled with an insistent demand that left no room for refusal.
After a meal, it was time to work out!
An hour later.
Xia Yao lay on her side beside Chu He, thoroughly content. Like a cat that had eaten its fill, she fell sound asleep, her long eyelashes casting a quiet shadow beneath her eyes.
Chu He let out a long breath. At last, he had some time to himself.
With a thought, he opened his personal status panel.
The numbers were all new.
[Name: Chu He] [Eye of Nirvana Level: Intermediate; Abilities: Destruction, See Through Illusions] [Eye of Nirvana Completion: 60%] [Affection with Xia Yao: Infatuation] [Infatuation Completion: 60%]
"Zzt... zzt..."
Just as Chu He was enjoying the rush that came with his greatly increased strength, a harsh broadcast suddenly shattered the silence across the entire campus.
"Attention, all survivors."
"Check in at the library before three this afternoon."
"Latecomers will be eliminated."
The library?
Chu He furrowed his brow.
Xia Yao, in his arms, was also roused by the sound.
When she heard the word "library," her body visibly stiffened, and an extremely peculiar expression crossed her beautiful face.
It was complicated, as if she was reminiscing about something, yet also clearly dreading a headache.
It seemed there was someone there whom she both liked and found difficult to deal with.
She raised her head, took Chu He's hand, and leaned close to his ear to whisper a warning only the two of them could hear:
"My best friend is there."
"Her name is Kachi. She's really smart, just a little odd."
Xia Yao seemed to search for the right word, but in the end, she could only describe her as odd.
"Be careful. She's especially good at illusions, and her tests might involve them too. Just don't lose yourself in one!"
Before you continue