The residents' enthusiasm had become downright forceful, and they practically pushed the players into their chairs.
A full set of utensils had been laid out before each of them, but before Li Xian could pick up his chopsticks, a resident pushed a dish toward him.
"Try this!"
A middle-aged woman looked at him with a beaming smile.
Li Xian glanced down at the dish she had pushed in front of him. It was a glossy stir-fry of black pepper beef strips, with dark strips of meat and long pieces of bell pepper evenly distributed across the plate. Every piece was coated in brown sauce and gave off a rich aroma.
But until they actually ate the food in an Instance, no one could be sure what it really was.
... Especially food that the Instance's characters served of their own accord.
He then turned his gaze toward the expectant woman, trying to buy himself some time.
"Could you tell me about this dish?"
She did not refuse his request. Instead, she said happily:
"This? It's stir-fried beef strips with black pepper, fresh out of the wok. Go on, try it!"
But her explanation was brief. After only a couple of sentences, she steered the conversation back to getting Li Xian to try it, even reaching for his chopsticks to serve him some herself.
"Look how thin you are. You should eat more meat..."
Li Xian quickly raised his hand and held down his chopsticks. As the woman moved, he happened to glimpse something she seemed to be wearing beneath her cuff.
But once he held down his chopsticks, she tactfully withdrew her hand, so Li Xian did not get a clear look.
He frowned, picked up his utensils, and turned his gaze toward the others.
It seemed to be early