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Thus, little by little, he had mastered the art of "how to eat quickly without looking awkward." The former was an essential skill for a Taobao shop owner, while the latter was Jing Yi's self-improvement as a pretentious poser—though his body was important, he couldn't let his image be ruined either!

Now Jing Yi regretted it so much his teeth hurt. In a moment of carelessness, he had used that divine skill... There was nothing else to do for a while anyway, so what was the rush? If he ate slowly, he could enjoy it a little longer. Now, though, he could only sit there helplessly. He looked indifferent on the surface, but tears streamed in his heart...

While he was wallowing in sorrow, his fellow diners at the table were acting all shy and hesitant, utterly oblivious to their good fortune! Jing Yi smiled as he swept his gaze around the table, then reached for the two plates that were still stubbornly giving off enticing aromas. "Since none of you like them..." Then I'll take them away and hide them. I can have them as snacks when I'm hungry later!

Being much younger and more adaptable, Yang Chun swiftly speared a piece of mantis meat with his fork.

He put it in his mouth and chewed.

Colonel Chen and his wife watched him from the corners of their eyes.

Yang Chun's eyes widened, his pupils unfocused, and a mysterious expression appeared on his face. Before he had even swallowed the bite in his mouth, the fork in his hand had already reached into the dish again.

General Chen nearly choked on the abundant saliva in his mouth again.

Just as he was about to ignore his psychological discomfort and try some himself, the front door of the house opened from outside.

Huh? Which child had come back? General Chen set down his knife and fork and turned to look.

Someone strode straight in. His build and gait were familiar, but his face was unfamiliar. He looked travel-worn, and several places on his clothes showed visible wear and tear. He looked rather bedraggled, yet his expression remained calm and composed, as though he had arrived in full formal dress.

General Chen shot to his feet.

Before he could speak, the uninvited guest gave him a military salute. "The mission has been completed. Grey Eagle reporting to you!"

General Chen swallowed the "Qin Meng" that had risen to his lips, stepped forward, and patted him on the arm with a smile. "Good boy! I knew there'd be absolutely no problem leaving it to you!"

He looked him over from head to toe and asked with concern, "Were you hurt? What dangers did you encounter? Tell me quickly."

Qin Meng, disguised as Grey Eagle, shook his head. "Everything went smoothly. I wasn't injured!"

By "not injured," he meant not seriously injured. Minor injuries didn't count.

Mrs. Chen had already risen as well. She had just walked over and had not yet had the chance to speak when she clearly heard a rumble from his stomach. Her heart melted into two words: "You've lost weight..."

After saying that, she pulled Qin Meng to a seat. "You came at just the right time. We can talk after we eat. Have some while it's hot!"

Qin Meng sat across from Jing Yi.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Qin Meng had been entranced by the aroma from the table the moment he entered. During the more than ten days of his mission, he had either lived on nutrient solution every day or gone hungry. His mouth had become bland as hell! At this point, even a piece of roasted meat would have satisfied him, let alone this alien cuisine. With a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, he greeted the older couple before eating. "You haven't eaten either, have you? Don't mind me. Let's eat together!"

As he spoke, he forked up a piece of centipede meat and put it into his mouth.

General Chen watched him eagerly and asked, "Is it good?"

Qin Meng nodded rapidly. Like Yang Chun—no, he was even fiercer than Yang Chun. Yang Chun wanted a second piece after eating one, but his speed was still fairly ordinary. Qin Meng was different. Jing Yi's eating speed had been developed as a Taobao shop owner, while Major Qin's had been developed in the military camp! Were they even comparable? Jing Yi could still keep up his pretentious act and show off how to eat elegantly at high speed... But Major Qin was utterly single-minded. He could only be described as bold and uninhibited—completely unconcerned with little details, manly as hell!

Yang Chun, who had only just started to savor the food: "..."

Why had that freak Qin Meng come back at such a critical moment?! And he had come back wearing someone else's face! He had already been bad enough, but now that he was pretending to be someone else, he had no "idol baggage" to maintain. This was practically badness squared!

He glanced at Jing Yi, who looked utterly bewildered and had been completely ignored, and old and new grudges surged into his heart. He nearly exposed that freak on the spot!

As if sensing what he was thinking, Qin Meng lifted his eyes and glanced at him.

Yang Chun stiffened, and every discordant thought vanished like bubbles. He simply turned his grief and indignation into motivation to grab food, scooping the mantis meat and centipede meat he had previously found disgusting onto his own plate without yielding an inch.

The salt-and-pepper mantis meat was crisp outside and tender within, the sauce-dipped mantis meat was tangy and fragrant, and the spicy centipede meat went especially well with rice!

In the blink of an eye, the two big eaters had nearly wiped out the large dishes—though they still had the older couple in mind and had to leave them some. Once they felt they had eaten enough, they could only turn their assault to the other dishes. The sense of loss from going from luxury to simplicity filled their hearts. Yang Chun was not as hungry as Qin Meng, after all. After taking two bites of other dishes, he set down his chopsticks with glee and focused on enjoying Qin Meng's miserable appearance.

Of course, the miserable appearance was entirely in his own imagination. A freak like Qin Meng could be roiling with waves inside and still appear calm and unruffled. Whatever bitterness or tears he had, he would swallow them himself. He would never let others—people like Yang Chun, for example—see him make a fool of himself.