Bo Yi had only rested in his room for a little while when someone knocked on his door.
"Guest."
A stooped shadow fell across the door. "The master invites all our guests to dine in the dining room."
Bo Yi sat up on the bed. "...Understood." He opened the door and spoke to the servant waiting outside with his head respectfully lowered. "Lead the way."
The servant led Bo Yi through the covered walkway, his back bowed.
"What are those people doing?"
Bo Yi pointed at a line of servants carrying plates, food boxes, and other things along another path, suddenly posing the question. They walked in single file, their heads down, silently heading in what was clearly a different direction from his.
The servant leading him turned around to answer. "They are delivering meals to the concubines in the rear courtyard, sir."
"Delivering meals?" Bo Yi glanced at the dishes on their trays, none of which gave off even a trace of steam. "Why aren't the concubines in your household being served freshly cooked food?"
The servant's expression remained unchanged as he answered calmly, "Those are the master's orders."
"Hot food can cause burns."
Bo Yi opened his mouth to say more, but the servant rounded a corner and gestured toward a room with its door open. "Sir, we have arrived at the dining room."
Bo Yi had no choice but to set his doubts aside.
Quite a few players were already seated in the dining room, along with some NPC guests. They sat interspersed around the round tables and turned to look at Bo Yi as he entered.
Bo Yi surveyed the room, then chose an inconspicuous seat in the corner.
Not long after he sat down, Huang Xiaolu's trio entered the dining room behind a servant NPC.