I looked at the food from both of them in my bowl; leaning toward either side would lead to an immediate fall into the abyss. My paws tightly gripped the spoon, knuckles turning white, and my tail thrashed anxiously under the chair, though I didn’t dare make too much noise.
Eating the steamed egg would mean disrespecting President Ning; eating the pork cutlet would be like slapping Sister Yueran’s face on the spot… Either way, I’m dead!
[Ding! Detected that the host has fallen into a life-or-death choice.] The system’s voice rang out with the pleasure of someone watching a disaster unfold, [Causality Deduction: Choosing the steamed egg triggers the ‘Ning Dongya’s Cold Gaze’ causality, increasing the probability of subsequent workplace difficulties by 50%, and will increase the probability of the body being used by Ning Dongya in the elevator; choosing the pork cutlet triggers the ‘Yueran’s Despondent Low Pressure’ causality, which will increase the probability of the body being used by her in the cafe in front of customers.]
It paused and added, [Alternatively, the host can try stuffing both into your mouth at once to trigger the ‘Choking’ causality. This system will call for medical assistance for you.]
I don’t want to choose either! I don’t want to choke either! And what the hell is that “probability of the body being used”?!
Just as I was at a standstill, wishing I could bury my face in the rice and play dead, Sister Yueran suddenly chuckled softly, breaking the frozen air. She picked up the serving chopsticks and naturally moved that piece of fried pork cutlet from my plate to a small side dish.
“President Ning is right, supplementing energy is indeed important.” Her tone was gentle, as if she were merely concerned about my health.
“However, fried food doesn’t taste good once it cools down, and it’s a heavier burden on the stomach. Let Little Guiyun finish the warm, easily digestible food first. We can taste this pork cutlet later.” She used a soft touch to deflect the blow, neither directly refusing Ning Dongya’s “kindness” nor abandoning her own “for my own good” stance, while also delaying the choice and temporarily resolving my crisis.
My heart was streaming with tears as I hurried to scoop a spoonful of steamed egg into my mouth, pretending to focus on eating while not daring to look at Ning Dongya’s expression.
Ning Dongya remained noncommittal, merely cutting the food on her own plate slowly, as if offering the pork cutlet earlier had just been a casual gesture. She spoke again, but the topic shifted to the competition: “I ran into someone from the judging panel just now and chatted for a bit. This time’s theme, ‘Love and Bonds,’ has many works that are superficial, limited to hugs and smiles, lacking originality.”
Yueran chewed her food elegantly and swallowed before responding unhurriedly: “Deep bonds are often hidden in daily interactions, even in moments that seem contradictory. For example, unconditional companionship, or… remembering small habits that the other person might even overlook themselves.” She gave me a meaningful look, clearly responding to the “bringing food” anecdote Ning Dongya mentioned earlier and implying her own care was more meticulous.
Ning Dongya picked up her water glass, her fingertips lightly stroking the rim. Her silver-gray pupils looked at me, her tone carrying a hint of something hard to grasp: “Oh? Is that so. I heard that there’s a piece featuring two small animals arguing at a stairwell and falling all over the place. The concept is quite unique. Several judges thought it was… very interesting, full of a vivid sense of bonding.”
Pffft—!
I almost spat out the rice in my mouth. Forcing myself to swallow resulted in me turning red from choking and coughing violently. How—how did she know?! And “very interesting”?! Was she praising me or calling me out?!
Yueran immediately patted my back gently, asking with concern, “Eat slowly, what’s wrong?” Her gaze shifted between me and Ning Dongya, filled with inquiry.
“No—nothing!” I waved my hands frantically, my voice cracking from the coughing. “I just… just choked!”
Ning Dongya looked at my disheveled state, and the corners of her lips seemed to curl slightly before she quickly regained her composure.
Lunch drew to a close in an eerie atmosphere. Ning Dongya wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, her gaze falling on me as she made her final move. “The preliminary results will be announced this afternoon. If you pass, the company’s subsequent training and major projects will tilt toward promising interns. It’s a good opportunity for rapid advancement.”
Yueran picked up a tissue and gently wiped away a grain of rice that wasn’t even there from the corner of my mouth. Only then did she look up at Ning Dongya, her tone calm and magnanimous: “Systematic training can indeed provide a good foundation. However, inspiration and sincerity in painting often come from true relaxation and happiness within the heart. Although a cat cafe can’t provide the massive resources President Ning can, it can provide an environment where she can create as she pleases without having to be constantly tense. I believe Little Guiyun has the ability and wisdom to choose the path that suits her best. No matter what she chooses in the future, I will support her.” Her words directly elevated the situation to a level of respect and trust, making Ning Dongya’s offer of resources seem a bit like a transaction.
Just as the auras of the two goddesses clashed silently again and I felt like the air was about to freeze, a high-energy and somewhat familiar voice cut in:
“Hey! You! So you’re eating here!”
I saw that chestnut-colored dog-eared girl whose name was something like… Dark Night Roar · Blood Moon Fang? She rushed to our table with an empty plate, her eyes sparkling as she pointed at me. “You’re finished eating, right? Come on! This young lady can’t wait to decide victory or defeat against you in painting skills! This time I will definitely…”
Her words came to an abrupt halt.
Because Yueran and Ning Dongya both turned their heads at the same time to look at this tactless little thing who had interrupted them.
A gentle smile still hung on Yueran’s face, but her eyes carried an undeniable sense of distance—or perhaps even murderous intent?
“Little girl, we are discussing something. Could you please wait a moment?”
Ning Dongya didn’t speak; she merely swept a cold gaze over her.
The small-fry brat, Dark Night Roar · Blood Moon Fang, was instantly locked down by these two powerful auras. It was as if her throat had been grabbed; the rest of her words were stuck. Her brown dog ears flattened against her head, and her tail tucked cowardly between her legs, her momentum completely gone.
“S-Sorry! Pardon the interruption!” she stammered, then clutching her empty plate, she scurried away even faster than she had arrived.
So this girl is just here for comic relief?
But she was a foolish dog-girl after all. Although she brought chaos, she also briefly broke the terrible deadlock.
Looking at her retreating back, I was filled with a strange sense of gratitude.
Lunch was finally over. With the feeling of having survived a disaster, I followed Sister Yueran out of the restaurant. Ning Dongya didn’t say much else, only leaving behind a sentence with an unreadable emotion as we turned away: “Remember to check the notification this afternoon.”
Walking back to the main hall of the exhibition center, I patted my finally full stomach, but my heart felt even heavier than when I was hungry.
I wanted to cry but had no tears, only hoping for some good news when the results were announced in the afternoon to wash away the psychological shadow left by this Hongmen Banquet. But for some reason, looking at Sister Yueran walking ahead and Ning Dongya’s inscrutable gaze from the restaurant earlier, I felt that… the real storm might have only just begun.