Chapter 41 - It Is so Hard to be a Mortal!
“Take your time to ponder. I'll remain here for two days. For now, I'll have Seventh Young Master arrange dinner,” Teng Yu declared loudly.
Yin Xu suppressed his inclination to agree, shot Teng Yu a glare, and shouted, “Butler, prepare dinner!”
The steward hurried in, bearing two plates of pastries which he set on the table. With a downcast demeanor, he confessed, “Your Highness, Young Master, the kitchen isn't ready yet. We must wait a while. Please enjoy these pastries for now.”
Being a small family, meal preparation was simple. Yin Xu had a modest appetite, eschewing meat, prompting the butler to dismiss the chef and retain only the pastry chef sent by County Magistrate Chen.
With three esteemed guests, meticulous meal preparation was imperative. However, it seemed the chef struggled to produce enough.
Yet, he refrained from seeking outside assistance. To involve outsiders in serving the Third Prince could constitute a grave offense.
“Then we shall wait,” Yin Xu remarked nonchalantly, popping a piece of cake into his mouth.
His gaze at Teng Yu was tinged with suspicion. “What about the pastry chef we discussed last time? Has he arrived?”
Ever since tasting the imperial chef's pastries, Yin Xu found his family's fare lacking.
“Deceased,” Teng Yu responded calmly. “Once we reach the capital, my culinary skills will surpass his.”
To undermine the emperor, he had to indulge in certain luxuries. Consequently, if he fancied the imperial chef, the chef would eventually come to his residence.
“Are you planning to eliminate everyone around you?” Yin Xu regretted not accompanying Teng Yu earlier.
“They were all ‘carefully selected' individuals. Naturally, they're all gone. Otherwise, would I bring them along for the New Year?” Teng Yu had purged most of the spies in the manor, feeling content.
Yin Xu was at a loss for words. “Can a chef really be a spy?”
Teng Yu realized, from Yin Xu's innocent remark, that Huo Tian still possessed a pure and naive aspect despite his youth.
Perhaps owing to his composed demeanor, it was easy to overlook his youthfulness, especially given his commanding presence. Furthermore, his strength defied conventional expectations of his age.
Regardless of his martial prowess or mental maturity, he remained a thirteen-year-old boy. Inherent in his youthfulness was an inevitability of imperfection.
Teng Yu found a newfound equilibrium within himself and chuckled as he elucidated, “For illness often trails words; even in the absence of poison, tampering with food can yield baffling demise.”
As an ancient demon abstaining from sustenance for centuries, Yin Xu paid little heed to culinary matters or mortal fare. His perspective was often singular in this mortal-infused world.
“Indeed, sustenance poses a quandary,” Yin Xu mused quietly.
Initially dismissing it as jest, Teng Yu grew intrigued as the dishes arrived, observing Yin Xu's minimal consumption. He couldn't resist querying, “Are the dishes unsatisfactory?”
Admittedly, the fare on the table was rather ordinary. Teng Yu, unaccustomed to culinary luxuries, found little appeal in commonplace dishes.
Yin Xu shook his head, “No, it suffices.” He partook of sustenance solely to stave off starvation, content with modest repasts. A small portion sustained him, supplemented by the occasional pastry.
Noticing Yin Xu's modest intake, Teng Yu pushed a bowl of untouched chicken soup toward him, urging, “Have a bit more. You're barely eating.”
Yin Xu responded with a glare of “interfering in others' affairs,” nudging the soup back.
“You're still growing. Don't you want to increase your height?”
“What's soup got to do with height?” Yin Xu puzzled. In his previous existence, despite meager rations, his stature remained unchanged.
“I can't believe that rotund fellow was you. Can one really grow so much without consuming meat?”
“…” Actually, excessive meat consumption wearied me of it. Yin Xu pondered. He couldn't fathom the previous owner's meat-centric diet.
Teng Yu eyed him skeptically, suspecting a weight-loss agenda. After appraising Yin Xu's defined features, he sighed, “If you continue shedding weight, your beauty will only accentuate.”
Teng Yu omitted the final three words, recognizing Yin Xu's aversion to such praise.
The Huo Family disciples were accustomed to refined appearances. During Huo Zhengquan's youth, his allure captivated the capital's elite, garnering countless admirers.
Yin Xu bore a striking resemblance to Huo Zhengquan, his face alone capable of thriving in the capital's social scene. Teng Yu speculated on his past appearance when corpulent, yet even now, his countenance sufficed.
Yin Xu instinctively touched his chin, a crease forming on his brow. Never before had he fretted over bodily concerns, a novel experience in mortality.
Mortal existence proved truly arduous!
……
Yin Xu inquired, “How can you claim to have never tasted pork or witnessed pigs in motion?”
Teng Yu countered, “Have you ever sampled pork?”
Yin Xu admitted, “Never.”
Teng Yu followed up, “Have you ever observed a pig in motion?”
Yin Xu replied, “Never… What exactly is a pig?”
Teng Yu responded, “… I haven't witnessed one either.”
Yin Xu pondered, “Is it possible Your Highness is not of mortal origin?”
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