Chapter 11:Castle Stories 11 Food
One minute thirty left.
Tick, tick, tick…
Time slipped away.
One minute.
“Why aren’t you sitting?” The blonde woman finally spoke, her striking red eyes tinged with an unfamiliar emotion.
Worry, teetering on the edge of losing control.
Xu Nian stayed still, silent, her dark eyes blinking at the Young Lady.
Fu Ruxue, seated, grew anxious, frantically signaling Xu Nian.
What was she thinking, not sitting?
Thirty seconds left.
Xu Nian counted down silently.
29
The Young Lady stood with arms crossed, watching coldly, certain Xu Nian would take her seat.
…
20
19
18
Her gaze turned dangerous, arms dropping.
…
13
12
11
10
Finally, the Young Lady moved, barely concealing her anger. She strode to Xu Nian, wrapped an arm around her waist, and lifted her horizontally. In the shocked gazes of the others, she swiftly carried her to the empty seat.
The group at the table gaped.
Was this some domineering Young Lady falling for a pure maiden plot?
Buried in the warm embrace, Xu Nian flashed a sly smile where no one could see.
She’d won her bet.
The beautiful woman holding her, eyes burning with suppressed fury, gently set her down.
As she stood, her golden hair swept Xu Nian’s collarbone like a feather, tickling her heart.
A heated hand pressed firmly on Xu Nian’s shoulder, its warmth seeping through her clothes.
3
2
1
Click.
The clock chimed. Time was up.
The figure beside her leaned down, lips parting, whispering in her ear, “You’ll regret this.”
Xu Nian’s lips curved, her eyes brimming with unmasked provocation. “I’ll be waiting.”
The Young Lady straightened, striding elegantly to Zhang Zhuanghao, who was wolfing down food, and kicked him square in the chest.
“Urgh!”
He flew back, spitting out a white lump oozing green pus, writhing slowly on the floor.
The muscular, six-foot man crumpled, unable to fight back.
Struggling to rise, he was pinned down by a foot on his back.
“Did I say you could eat?”
Polished boots ground into Zhang Zhuanghao’s back, his pained roars echoing.
“I’ll kill you!”
He pulled a short dagger from his pants, stabbing at the boot.
With a kick, the Young Lady sent the dagger flying, stepping harder.
“Pfft—” He spat blood, struggling briefly before collapsing, his face twisted in agony, eyes seething with hatred.
“You wasted the carefully prepared food on the first day. Since you did, no one eats here anymore.” The delicate-faced woman grinned devilishly.
If anyone had eaten the first day’s food, they’d have found it was normal, the horror just an illusion.
But that day had passed, and the truth was buried, unknown.
The Young Lady glanced at Xu Nian, then left.
At breakfast, the butler didn’t appear.
Xu Nian sat calmly, ignoring the strange looks from the others.
Zhang Zhuanghao groaned on the floor, struggling to rise.
Bad luck, perhaps—he was always the one hurt at the table.
Li Hua moved to help him, but was shoved away.
“Get lost. I don’t need you.”
Li Hua’s eyes flashed with a hint of menace but said nothing, returning silently to the group.
Cheng Li sneered, “Forget him. He takes kindness for weakness. Let him die here.”
“Leave him,” Li Hua said, eyeing Xu Nian probingly. “Xu Nian, do you know the Young Lady?”
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, applying subtle pressure.
Xu Nian met his gaze unflinchingly. “Just met her. What about it?”
“Not before?”
Xu Nian’s lips twitched into a mocking smile. “What, you know her from before? Of course I met her in this game.”
She spoke truthfully—she hadn’t known the Young Lady before—but omitted her dream encounters. Best to keep that private.
The air grew tense, Xu Nian waiting for his next move.
Li Hua opened his mouth, but Fu Ruxue cut in. “Enough. Our priority is finding edible food, or we’ll starve before the seventh day.”
“I have an idea,” Xu Nian said.
“What?”
Xu Nian led them to the kitchen, where the rotting hands still lay on the cutting board. Using a cloth, she carefully moved them aside and flipped the board.
“Why flip it?” Li Hua asked, watching.
“That side’s too dirty.”
She’d only answered because Li Hua suspected her. Who’d use a hand-touched board?
She rinsed it, set it on the counter, and pulled out a long, black creature, placing it on the board.
With a swift cut, scales fell away.
Xu Nian deftly skinned it.
“What is that?” Fu Ruxue leaned in.
Li Hua recognized it. “The one-horned red-eyed beast from that day.”
Xu Nian scraped off the scales, sliced it thinly, heated a pan with oil, and began frying.
The aroma rose, sizzling sounds and smoke stirring their hunger.
Fu Ruxue swallowed, starving, eyes fixed on the pan. “Is it safe? No poison?”
Unsure what it was—snake-like, yet not—its meat stayed tender even after days. Xu Nian felt it while slicing.
She flipped the slices, their backs golden and sizzling, mouthwatering.
Li Hua swallowed, eyeing the meat eagerly. “Let the guy on the floor test it.”
Cheng Li’s gratitude toward Xu Nian turned to admiration, his gaze shifting oddly.
Fried golden with crispy edges, sprinkled with seasoning, Xu Nian plated the slices with a fork.
Finally, a normal dish. The group felt a surge of relief, their fondness for Xu Nian growing.
Her unintentional act won their stomachs.
But the small portion wasn’t enough to share.
Worse, they’d waste a piece on Zhang Zhuanghao to test for poison.
Unaware, Zhang Zhuanghao lay groaning, spitting blood, body aching with every move.
“Damn it… I’ll kill her!”
He resented the Young Lady’s favoritism toward the black-haired player. Why the special treatment?
If she valued that Xu-whatever, he’d destroy her!
Venomous intent gleamed in his eyes as he dragged himself up, fueled by vengeance.
Li Hua approached with a plate, a single slice of meat, ready with an excuse.
“Big Hao, this is—”
Before he finished, Zhang Zhuanghao snatched the meat and ate it.
Li Hua fell silent.
Some people were too foolish to need manipulation—they leapt into traps themselves.
Li Hua watched expectantly, but saw no dramatic reaction.
No blood-spitting death. Zhang Zhuanghao even asked, “What’s this? It’s good. More?”
“None left…”
“Tch.”
He limped back to his room to enjoy the butler’s wine.
Li Hua returned to the kitchen, nodding to Xu Nian.
“But what if it’s a slow poison? We should be careful…” he said.
Xu Nian popped a slice into her mouth.
Seeing her, Fu Ruxue took one too.
Cheng Li followed, eating a piece.
The flavor burst—perfectly fatty, melting in their mouths, the kitchen filled with its aroma.
Li Hua, cautious, refrained despite his salivating, fearing delayed poison—24 or 48 hours later.
Xu Nian knew it might be toxic but ate anyway, noting the Young Lady didn’t intervene. Besides, she wasn’t afraid of death.
She didn’t realize the others ate because she did, eyeing them suspiciously, wondering why they followed.
Only Li Hua abstained.
“Now what? We can’t survive on one meal,” Cheng Li said. “How about the girls cook and clean, and we find ingredients?”
“Why don’t you cook and clean?” Fu Ruxue snapped, glaring.
“What? With your frail frames, you think you can find food? You need us.”
“Stop arguing.”
Xu Nian’s cool voice silenced them.
Li Hua, stomach churning with acid, couldn’t stay. “I’m heading back.”
He feared he’d lose it if he lingered.
Cheng Li kept watching Xu Nian, his gaze oddly fixated, unsettling her.
“Something up?” She tilted her chin at him.