Chapter 342: A Xing's Little Moments 3

He stepped forward a few paces, his movements still elegant, even though his armor emitted a faint clack‑clack sound: "I never expected to meet again here! This must be the destiny thread arranged by the goddess Idellira, full of the beauty of chance encounters!"

A Xing looked at him, then glanced at the flattened shrubbery behind him.

"…What were you doing in the grass just now?"

"Rest."

YinZhi answered calmly, even with a hint of pride, "I originally intended to rest on the bench, but found other travelers had taken it. This shrubbery is soft and concealed, an excellent makeshift resting spot—though a bit cramped, its very narrowness highlights the resilient beauty of seeking comfort in adversity!"

A Xing: "…"

She was momentarily at a loss for words.

YinZhi had already stepped forward and sat at the opposite end of the bench where she had just lain—still elegant, as if it were not a park bench but a throne.

"The night is so tranquil, and though the starry sky is veiled by worldly light, this haziness is also a subtle beauty." YinZhi looked up at the sky, her tone poetic, "but …"

His stomach emitted a "Goo—" sound.

Loud and clear, it echoed through the silent park.

YinZhi's expression froze for a moment.

A Xing's golden eyes turned toward him.

"You're hungry," she said.

"…Indeed."

YinZhi admitted, then quickly resumed his lyrical tone, "But this is proof of a mortal flesh! The feeling of hunger is precisely the manifestation of life's vigor! It is the beauty of existence—"

"Here you go."

A Xing fished a plastic lunchbox out of her backpack and handed it over.

The lunchbox was transparent, revealing the bright red Mapo Tofu inside, still steaming—a snack she had intended for herself.

YinZhi was stunned.

He stared at the lunchbox, then at A Xing, his jade‑like eyes flashing complex emotions: "This… such a precious food, how could I…"

"If you don't eat it, it'll be wasted." A Xing shoved the lunchbox into his hand, "The chopsticks are inside."

YinZhi lowered his head, looking at the box in his hands.

Red oil, tofu, minced meat, scallions.

Under the streetlamp's glow, it looked… indeed delicious.

More importantly, it was food given by another.

According to the Knight's Salute, refusing another's benevolent gift is a grave rudeness.

"Then… I shall accept it respectfully."

YinZhi said solemnly, "Thank you for your generosity, stranger friend. I will forever cherish this kindness and the beauty of sharing."

He opened the box, took out the chopsticks—his movements so precise they seemed ritualistic.

Then he lifted a piece of tofu and placed it in his mouth.

Chewing.

The next second, YinZhi's eyes widened.

His face reddened at a visible speed, fine beads of sweat beading on his forehead, his jade‑like eyes instantly clouded with mist.

But he did not spit it out.

He kept chewing, swallowed, then inhaled deeply.

"What a… scorching flavor!"

His voice trembled from the chili's sting, yet his tone brimmed with admiration, "This Flame‑like heat, this thunder‑like numbing, this storm‑like assault on the palate—ah! This is the beauty of passion! The ultimate beauty! A magnificent, Destruction‑and‑rebirth intertwined challenge to human sensory limits—"

He scooped another large mouthful and shoved it in.

This time he ate faster, inhaling between bites, tears streaming, yet his face beamed with… satisfaction.

A Xing sat at the other end of the bench, watching quietly.

(He actually… ate it?)

(And he's still praising it?)

YinZhi finished the entire box of Mapo Tofu, even

He set the box down, lips swollen and red, a tear streak on his face, yet his jade eyes shone astonishingly.

"Thank you, stranger friend!"

He said earnestly, "This bowl… Flame Poem, is the most impactful delicacy I've ever tasted! It made me

He stood, performed a standard Knight's Salute toward A Xing.

"Please tell me the name of this dish. I will forever remember it and, on future journeys, spread its 'Flame Beauty' to everyone I meet!"

A Xing looked at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her golden eyes.

"Mapo Tofu," she said.

"Mapo… Tofu…" YinZhi repeated the name, as if savoring a poem, "What a good name! True merit in the ordinary, fire hidden in the plain!"

He looked at A Xing, his gaze blazing, "May I ask whose hand created this dish? I must express my thanks and praise in person!"

A Xing raised an eyebrow.

(Didn't expect… still a fellow practitioner.)

Her rating of YinZhi rose by 0.5 percentage points.

"A street vendor who sells Mapo Tofu," she said, "If you like it, next time

"Much appreciated!"

YinZhi said solemnly, "To be frank, when tasting this dish I felt a… contradictory pleasure. It was so spicy it made one weep, so numbing the tip of the tongue trembled, yet I couldn't help wanting to keep tasting. This feeling that lingers between pain and enjoyment seems… to touch some deeper beauty."

A Xing looked at him: "As long as you like it."

Just as he seemed still inclined to continue delivering a lengthy hymn of praise, A Xing had already reclined on the bench and closed his eyes.

"I'm going to sleep," she said, "do as you wish."

YinZhi's words got stuck in his throat.

He looked at A Xing, whose eyes were already closed, then glanced at the empty takeout box in his hand, and finally gave a faint smile.

"Then, may the Pure Beauty Goddess grant you a tranquil dream, stranger friend."

He sat down beside the bench—not on the seat, but directly on the grass, his back against the bench's leg.

He adjusted the posture of his armor so it wouldn't press uncomfortably, and then closed his eyes as well.

In the night, the park returned to quiet.

This time, however, there was a person lying on the bench and a person sitting beside it.

The two, in the deep night of the Illusion Realm, shared a small fragment of genuine tranquility in this strange manner.

Xianzhou Luofu.

It was an antiquated Xianzhou‑style inn, with upturned eaves and dougong brackets, carved wooden windows, and a courtyard that held a small pond where a few koi swam.

Qingque used Tai Bu Si's reception budget to book them the finest suite—after all, it could be reimbursed.

Walter had already returned to his room to rest; he seemed weighed down with worries.

Xing Ze excitedly explored the various Xianzhou‑themed furnishings in the room—a jade teapot that poured tea by itself, a screen that projected star maps, and a so‑called "Yunmeng Couch" said to automatically adjust its firmness according to one's sleeping posture.

She had already decided to roll around on this bed at least ten times tonight.

And Heimu was standing on the suite's balcony.

She leaned on the carved railing, gazing at Luofu's nightscape below: the Star Chariot darted through the channel like glowing fireflies, lanterns of various colors illuminated the streets, and in the distance the Dan Ding Si buildings glimmered with a faint golden light in the night.

It seemed she was admiring the scenery.

In fact—

(The Illusion Realm of Winterwood City… has reached a stalemate.)

She communicated with the system in her mind.

【System】: Latest analysis complete. Illusion Realm stability assessment: 97.3%. Estimated Huan Long core recovery time: unknown. Current likelihood of awakening external intervention: below 12%.

(Is there any movement on the Suppression Force side?)

【System】: Received Xingyue World Suppression Force contact request. Translated.

Heimu squinted his eyes.

(Speak.)

【System】: Suppression Force indicates permission for our side to dispatch another individual into Winterwood City to help break the stalemate. Two conditions apply: first, the entrant must have a connection with the Xingyue World; second, after entry, priority must be given to Breeding.

Heimu's mouth twitched slightly.

(Send another person? The Suppression Force can't sit still… It seems the disturbance caused by Huan Long is more severe than imagined.)

(But "having a connection with the Xingyue World"… where on our side do we have people linked to the Xingyue World?)

【System】: Retrieval complete. Those meeting the "connection with the Xingyue World" condition and currently reachable: 1 individual.

Heimu: "…who?"

【System】: Street performer, Gui Naifen.