The Fragrant Feast

The final minute slipped away quietly. At some point, the ceramic-headed waiter's ink-black mouth had stretched into a strange, ingratiating smile.

A ghostly blue light flickered without any discernible source. When it shone, it revealed the fine veins beneath the red-clad ghost's skin; when it dimmed, sight fell silent with it, plunging everything into momentary darkness where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

In a flicker of light, the ceramic-headed waiter teleported from the staircase to the three dining tables and called out in a drawn-out, booming voice:

"Ser—ving—"

For a moment, Yu Xing thought he heard a "ding" beside his ear, like the timer on a microwave going off.

Layer upon layer of white mist suddenly welled up from the second-floor floorboards, like the pretty dry ice used to keep fresh food cold in restaurants. It rolled over their feet, ethereal and dreamlike, blanketing the floor until the entire second floor seemed to float in a dream.

At the same time, a sense of dissonance began to grow in Yu Xing's heart. He had the feeling that something was quietly replacing the scene around them, and that this was no longer simply the second floor of Never Forget Dwelling.

Clouds rolled beneath their feet, and the white mist churned.

As everyone waited for the food to be served, the ghostly blue light dimmed again, lying in wait in the darkness.

To watch what was happening at Hua Subai's table, Yu Xing had taken the window seat facing Hua Subai, with his back to the staircase. Gu Xing sat beside him, Yan Li across from him, and Bugui diagonally opposite.

It was too dark to see, so their hearing grew sharper. Yu Xing could hear the breathing of the four people at his table. None of