Qingfu looked dejected as she picked up the tea platter. Tianhan breathed a sigh of relief.
It was barely fifteen minutes before she trotted over again. Her mood was restored—she just couldn’t talk.
She put the refreshed hot tea next to him, revealing a bright smile.
Tianhan suddenly developed a headache. Unable to resist her pestering, he took a small sip. Qingfu seemed relieved. She jumped a few feet in the air, and then, as if remembering something, she ran back to the kitchen.
. . . If only she could jump this high when practicing to fly, it’d be great.
Sigh.
Qingfu may not be very smart sometimes, and seemed free of any talents, but her cooking skills were top-notch. It was because Wuzui loved food and drink, so she had become good in the kitchen when she worked for him.
When enticing smells came from the kitchen, even Tianhan couldn’t resist looking over.
Qingfu put the last and only meat dish on the table, finishing a presentation full of delicious and beautiful dishes. She felt gratified.
. . . She was almost grateful for how Wuzui used to torture her with his food demands.
If I cook like this for Tianhan every day, will he love my cooking and give me an easy time during the exam? she thought gleefully.
Qingfu finished putting out the bowls and chopsticks before letting Tianhan know everything was ready.
“Your Majesty, time to eat!”
“Eat?” Tianhan looked lost. “Eat what?”
Qingfu also looked stunned.
. . . If she wasn’t mistaken, she may have overlooked an issue. G.o.ds didn’t eat.
Wait, spirits didn’t eat either.
Qingfu pondered this. The whole reason she ate meals was because of Wuzui, who had influenced her into eating three times a day.
Wait, so her kissing-up was useless?
Another afternoon wasted . . . I could have been practicing the whole time. Qingfu lowered her head dejectedly, her shoulders sinking.
She sighed. “Sorry, I . . . I was used to . . . So . . .”
There was no reply after a long pause.
She looked up and found Tianhan was gone. She was startled and looked around, to no avail.
Did I drive him away with my stupidity?
Her mood was turning even worse when a familiar voice said, “Come in.”
Eh?!
Qingfu’s eyes widened and she ran inside the room, only to see Tianhan sitting at the table and eating.
“You . . . you . . . you . . .” Qingfu was so nervous she couldn’t talk.
“I could eat once in a while. It’ll be like trying something new.” Tianhan didn’t look at her as he spoke casually.
He didn’t know how to explain it. When Qingfu, the jade spirit, looked sad and had none of her playfulness, he was surprised, and the next thing he knew, he was sitting at the table.
He might as well make the most of it. There was nothing wrong with having a taste.
Qingfu sidled over and sat down next to him, looking at him expectantly. When he swallowed a bit of food, she hurried to ask, “How is it? How is it? Is it good?”
Her cooking skills were approved by Wuzui, so she knew she was good. It was just that when faced with a judge like Tianhan, she couldn’t help being nervous or even shy.
Tianhan actually ate food I cooked!
She couldn’t stop fantasizing . . . She was one big step closer to getting Tianhan’s heart!
Tianhan chewed slowly. the lingering taste was good, but the meat felt weird and not like the usual variety. He frowned. “The taste . . . What kind of meat is this?”
Qingfu’s smile froze, and she lowered her head awkwardly.
Tianhan raised an eyebrow.
“Um, please don’t tell anyone else, okay?” Qingfu swallowed. “Especially not Jiuxiang. I actually used hedgehog meat . . . I looked everywhere, and there was no other wildlife, so I had to use a distant relative of hers . . .”
Tianhan was at a loss. “. . .”
She continued. “If Jiuxiang knew, she’d kill me.”
Tianhan looked past her.
Qingfu got an uneasy feeling and her back felt chilly, making her turn around.
There was a shrill scream. “You d.a.m.n jade! How dare you bribe His Majesty with hedgehog meat? If I don’t pound you into a stepping stool today, I’ll not be Jiuxiang anymore!”