Zhao Linchuan let go, and the Dragon Pattern Staff clattered to the ground.
He didn't even glance at Li Yusong. His tone was flat, yet carried a lofty indifference.
"Arrogant before, obsequious after. The thought of it makes me laugh."
His gaze shifted to the father and son, still slumped on the ground, staring in stunned disbelief. His voice softened a little. "Their money."
At once, Li Yusong rushed to the little wooden box, fumbled out ten Gold Soul Coins, and respectfully presented them to the pair with both hands. He forced a smile that looked worse than crying.
"F-for you. Here, take it..."
The father and son accepted the money with trembling hands. They looked at Li Yusong, then at Zhao Linchuan, as if they were still dreaming.
Zhao Linchuan said nothing more. He turned, took Xiao Wu's hand, and gave Ning Rongrong a slight nod before heading back the way they had come. He left only a casual remark behind, echoing through the deserted village entrance.
"You'd best take care of yourselves."
Ning Rongrong giggled and hurried after him.
Xiao Wu glanced back at Li Yusong, who was still bent over and didn't dare raise his head, then stuck out her tongue.
After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Zhuqing, who had watched silently from the sidelines, followed without a sound, keeping a moderate distance from the three.
Only after the four had disappeared around the bend in the country road did Li Yusong slowly dare to straighten up. He slumped to the ground and gasped for breath, his face deathly pale, as if he had just escaped the gates of hell.
Just then, Ma Hongjun sauntered out from inside, grumbling, "Teacher Li, what's all the racket? It's the middle of the day. Can't a guy get some sleep... Huh? Where is everyone?"
"Isn't the academy holding admissions today? How come nobody's come to sign up?"
He looked at the deserted village entrance and Li Yusong, sitting on the ground in a daze. Confusion spread across his chubby face.
Li Yusong looked up at Ma Hongjun and opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.
Admissions? What admissions?
This year's recruitment... was completely done for.
Not only that, he'd also offended a "senior" whose depths were impossible to fathom.
What a mess!
"...Excuse me, do you know the way to Shrek?"
Night fell, but the night market in Suotuo City was only just coming to life.
Lanterns of every color bathed the streets in dazzling light. The aroma of food, vendors' calls, and pedestrians' laughter and chatter blended into a bustling din.
Zhao Linchuan led Xiao Wu along by the hand. Ning Rongrong flitted about like a cheerful little bird, looking around with curiosity and occasionally tugging Xiao Wu along to chatter about some curious trinket by the roadside.
Zhu Zhuqing still followed a few paces behind. Her black clothes almost blended into the shadows of the crowd, and her cool gaze occasionally settled on Zhao Linchuan's back.
Her lips pressed together as if she wanted to say something, but she never found the courage. She simply followed in silence.
Before long, they stopped at a small fork in the road.
On the left stood Li Mei BBQ Shop, alive with the warmth of a busy kitchen. The coals glowed and dimmed, and the aroma of grilled meat spread irresistibly through the air.
On the right was Lao San Roast Chicken Shop, which looked as if it had been around for years. Its sign gleamed with grease, clearly marking it as an old establishment.
"Barbecue or roast chicken?" Xiao Wu chewed on her finger, her big eyes darting between the two signs as she struggled to choose.
Ning Rongrong wrinkled her little nose. "They both smell good... Why don't we try both?"
Just as the three were wavering, the curtain at the entrance of Lao San Roast Chicken Shop was lifted, and a middle-aged man in a greasy apron hurried out, beaming from ear to ear.
His gaze swept over the three, and his smile grew even more welcoming. He bowed and greeted them:
"Well, well! Such distinguished guests! I haven't seen you around. You're from out of town, aren't you?"
"Come on in, come on in!"
"Our Lao San Roast Chicken is the finest in Suotuo City. You're sure to come back for more!"
Zhao Linchuan glanced at him, then at the reasonably tidy interior. After a brief pause, he nodded. "All right. We'll give it a try."
"Wonderful! Right this way, honored guests! Mind the step!" The owner beamed and quickly stepped aside to usher them in.
The three entered the shop and took a clean table by the window.
Zhu Zhuqing paused at the entrance, then quietly followed them inside. She sat at an empty table some distance away, head bowed, lost in thought.
The owner briskly wiped down their table, rubbing his hands together as he introduced himself. "Honored guests, I'm the owner here. The neighbors all call me Lao San, so you can call me that too!"
As if by magic, he produced a beautifully bound menu, complete with illustrations, and eagerly handed it to Zhao Linchuan. He rattled off the descriptions with spittle flying:
"Take a look! These are all our specialties: secret-recipe honey-glazed roast chicken, Fuli Roast Chicken, beggar's chicken... We use only the finest ingredients and recipes handed down through generations!"
"I'm not just bragging. We reserve these delicacies especially for discerning out-of-town guests like you!"
"The local bumpkins? Hmph, they couldn't get their hands on food like this even if they wanted to!"
Ning Rongrong's pretty face took on a strange expression, and she couldn't help asking:
"Lao San, what you're saying... You run a business here in town, so why don't you save the good stuff for the local neighbors? Why do you 'reserve' it especially for outsiders like us?"
Lao San bent at the waist, wearing a smile full of unpleasant sycophancy and inexplicable superiority.
"Oh, miss, you've hit the nail on the head!"
"The locals? Lower-class people! Bumpkins!"
"They spend all day haggling over a few Copper Soul Coins. How could they know how to appreciate fine food? How could they deserve the honey-glazed roast chicken I prepare with such care?"
"Only distinguished guests like you, who've clearly seen the wider world and know how to enjoy themselves, deserve to taste the delicacies at my place!"
Zhao Linchuan and the two girls were speechless. The corners of all three mouths twitched.
The owner's "business logic" and "regional prejudice" were certainly one of a kind.
"Enough. We'll have three of these 'Fuli Roast Chickens,' and a few light side dishes." Zhao Linchuan couldn't be bothered to listen to any more boasting, so he casually placed their order.
"Coming right up! Three Fuli Roast Chickens! Please wait, honored guests. They'll be here in a moment! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" Lao San took the menu and cheerfully trotted off to the kitchen.
As Lao San disappeared and noises came from the kitchen, Zhu Zhuqing, who had been sitting quietly nearby, seemed to finally make up her mind. She raised her head and looked toward Zhao Linchuan, her gaze troubled.
Almost at the same moment, the system's familiar notification rang softly in Zhao Linchuan's mind—
[The current plot environment has triggered "Stalking Cat."] 'In the original course of fate, under the crushing pressure of survival, Zhu Zhuqing gradually tamed herself into a silent lamb, stripped of her claws and fangs, placing all her hopes in a fiancé who was running from his own burdens.' 'Now, Dai Mubai's unexpected "disqualification" seems to have severed the last thing she could rely on. And the strength you displayed today shone like a beam of light piercing the darkness, drawing this lost and helpless "little cat" toward you.' 'She longs to come closer, yet fears being burned.'
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