Beneath a sky blanketed with crimson clouds, the thunder grew ever more frequent.
In the residential courtyard of Darkmoon Territory stood a specially made large table. Chen Rui sat before it, surrounded by Athena, Jia, and Isabella, while Isabella held Dodo in her arms. Oliphis, Delia, Medilu, Lalalia, and the others sat opposite them.
No one paid any heed to the thunder overhead. They continued chatting and laughing, especially Athena and the other women, who smiled as they watched Chen Rui wolf down his food, endlessly piling dishes into his bowl while eating very little themselves.
"You just ate the braised pork Athena gave you, and a piece of spinach Isabella gave you. Why won't you eat the potato I gave you?" The little maid pouted pitifully.
"How am I supposed to remember all that..." Chen Rui finally understood who Dodo had learned that usual pitiful act from. "Fine, I'll eat it now, all right?"
Auntie Ine joined in at just the right moment. "Wait, you can't count it like that. You've eaten twelve bites from Athena, eleven from Jia. Why have you only eaten what I gave you seven times?"
"You should be a statistician instead of an intelligence chief, Ine." Chen Rui helplessly set down his chopsticks and looked at the smiling Athena. "General Athena, do you have any more finishing blows to deliver? Let's settle it all in one go."
Athena smiled and shook her head. "I'm no statistician, but you haven't eaten much these past few days. Today, you have to make up for all of it."
Make up for it? Wouldn't that mean more than ten bowls? This move was even more ruthless... Chen Rui could only smile bitterly at the bowl already piled high like a mountain.
"That's too much," Jia said, blinking her