You're Not Allowed to Sit While Eating in the Cafeteria! Don't You Know the Rules?

Three platters of braised pork gleamed with oil, each lion's head meatball was as large as a fist, and the steamed fish was covered in shredded ginger and scallion segments, sending up clouds of steam. Half the pumpkin tureen had been cut open, its mashed pumpkin mixed with minced meat, the aroma mouthwatering.

After Uncle Chen brought over the last dish, he wiped his hands and could not help glancing at Na'er again. He muttered under his breath, "It'll be impressive if this little girl can finish even one lion's head meatball. They're made with thousand-year Iron-haired Pork..."

Na'er looked up at him without saying anything, but the tips of her ears reddened slightly. She lowered her head and picked at her sleeve cuff. After two seconds, she softly hummed in acknowledgment.

By the time all the dishes had been served, plates nearly covered the entire long table.

With a flick of his wrist, Tang Wulin shook two round wooden stools out of his storage soul tool. They landed solidly on the ground with two thuds. He sat down boldly, his knees nearly touching the edge of the table, then grabbed his chopsticks and beckoned to Na'er without looking back. "Sit. Don't be polite."

Na'er was not polite at all. She neatly sat on the other stool, her long silver-white hair slipping from her shoulders onto the tabletop. She gathered it aside with one hand, revealing her slender neck. Her purple eyes fixed on the piled-high platter of braised pork before her, and she swallowed.

Then the two of them moved their chopsticks at the same time.

Tang Wulin picked up a piece of braised pork and stuffed it into his mouth. The alternating layers of fat and lean meat melted over his tongue, and the rich, savory flavor burst through his mouth. His eyes lit up almost instantly. His chopsticks did not pause as a second piece was already on its way to his lips.

Na'er was more refined than he was, but not a bit slower. She took small bites of the lion's head meatballs, one small bulge appearing in her round cheeks. She chewed as quickly as a little squirrel that had stolen a pinecone, and now and then, a faint sigh of satisfaction slipped from her throat.

The braised pork vanished at a visible rate.

The first platter was empty. The second was scraped clean. Less than half a cup of tea after the third platter had been served, white porcelain was already showing around its edges.

Tang Wulin used his chopsticks to pick the bones out of the steamed fish, lining them up neatly along the edge of a small plate. The fish meat, meanwhile, was transferred piece by piece into Na'er's bowl. Na'er accepted it without hesitation, lowering her head to eat the fish. Occasionally, she looked up and smiled at Tang Wulin, a grain of rice still stuck at the corner of her mouth.

The opened half of the pumpkin tureen was quickly emptied. Tang Wulin reached over and broke open the other half as well, scooping up a large spoonful of mashed pumpkin and sending the soft mixture of pumpkin and minced meat into his mouth. His cheeks puffed out, making him look just like a hamster hoarding food.

Uncle Chen approached with a large platter of freshly stir-fried food. Before he could even set down the iron ladle, he saw that four or five plates on the table were already empty. He froze in place, his lips opening, closing, then opening again. "Little Tang, that speed of yours..."

"Uncle Chen, put the food here. Thanks." With his mouth stuffed full, Tang Wulin answered indistinctly. His chopsticks had already accurately caught a rib from the new platter and placed it in front of Na'er. Then he picked up one for himself and began gnawing on it in large bites.

Na'er took the rib, lightly bit down on the edge of the meat, and tore it off with a gentle pull. A little meat juice ran from the corner of her mouth to her chin. She quickly licked it away with the tip of her tongue and continued eating with her head lowered.

The upperclassmen standing around them held their bowls as their gazes kept drifting toward that long table.

Their own bowls contained, at most, one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and two steamed buns. Yet at that table, empty plates were stacked layer after layer. Uncle Chen kept bringing food and clearing dishes without rest, fine sweat already appearing on his forehead.

"How many people's portions is that..." an upperclassman from the Outer Court muttered softly. Someone beside him nudged his elbow, and he shut up.

While they were eating, a set of neither light nor heavy footsteps suddenly sounded at the cafeteria entrance. A tall, thin man in an Outer Court teacher's uniform strode inside, his face carrying a trace of anger. His gaze swept across the cafeteria before precisely locking onto the boy and silver-haired little girl sitting on stools near the wall and feasting heartily.

His brows knitted tightly enough to crush flies. He strode over, his voice filled with reprimand. "You two! Don't you know that students in the Outer Court cafeteria must eat standing up? Those are the rules! Who allowed you to move stools over and sit down? And you've eaten so much too—you've thrown all the Outer Court's rules into disorder!"

Tang Wulin had a piece of braised pork in his mouth. Hearing that, he calmly chewed twice and swallowed before raising his eyelids to glance at the man. He casually picked up a peanut from a plate, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed. His tone was as calm as if he were discussing the weather. "My teacher gave me special permission. If you have a problem with it, you can speak to Elder Mu."

After saying that, he lowered his head and picked up another serving of food, placing it in Na'er's bowl. His movements were so natural that it was as though he had not taken the newcomer seriously at all.

The teacher's expression changed in an instant, and his gaze slid down from Tang Wulin's collar by an inch.

Inside the collar of that outer robe, a small section of silver-thread embroidery was visible. Several intersecting lines reflected faintly beneath the dim yellow lights. Everyone who had spent several years at Shrek Academy recognized it—it was the emblem of Sea God Pavilion.

His Adam's apple bobbed. The reprimand at his lips abruptly changed direction and became an indistinct "Hmph." His lips moved, but in the end, he did not dare say another word. He merely turned away with a stiff expression and hurried out of the cafeteria.

His steps were quick and urgent, his retreating figure seeming as though something were chasing him.

The cafeteria fell silent for a moment.

The new students who had been secretly watching Tang Wulin and Na'er immediately withdrew their gazes, lowered their heads, and shoveled food into their bowls. Even their chewing grew noticeably quieter.

Several youths sitting farther away paused with their chopsticks in hand. Their eyes flicked quickly toward Tang Wulin before withdrawing again.

They were several well-dressed, extraordinary young people. The leading youth had sword-like brows, bright eyes, and golden hair. The material of his outer robe was clearly no ordinary fabric, and intricate family crests had been embroidered along his cuffs in silver thread.

Holding a bowl of food, he did not stand to eat like the others. Instead, he leaned casually against the wall, his gaze resting on Tang Wulin's back with a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

Beside him stood a girl with a high ponytail. She had an oval face and cool, delicate features, and she held a bowl of soup. Her spoon lightly tapped the rim, producing a faint, crisp sound.

"Huabin," the girl said softly, her voice full of indignation, "what gives him the right? Even we don't have the qualifications. Why should those two?"

Dai Huabin pushed a grain of rice from the edge of his bowl into his mouth and chewed slowly without speaking.

His gaze traveled back and forth between Tang Wulin and Na'er twice before settling on Na'er's face. A flash of amazement immediately passed through his eyes.

But when he saw Tang Wulin beside her, his expression instantly darkened. Still, as though recalling the teacher's reaction, he shifted his gaze away.