Chapter 168 Fate is Too Shallow

In the end, Lu Xiaoyao and the boxed lunch just weren't meant to be.

Mingmei looked at the sacrificed bowl of noodles, then glanced at the bewildered Lu siblings. They didn't seem to have recovered from the fact that the noodles were now ruined.

The noodles: I'm really, really speechless!

Lu Gui: "When I called you, I wanted you to catch the bowl."

Lu Xiaoyao: "I thought you wanted me to help you grab it."

Lu Gui: "Do you think I need help with something like that?"

Lu Xiaoyao: "Who knows? Siblings are always there for each other!"

Lu Gui: "Even if it means rushing to our deaths?"

Lu Xiaoyao: "Be my guest."

Mingmei almost burst out laughing before she even left the tent.

Sure enough, even after she was far away, she could still hear the plastic siblings blaming each other.

Lu Gui thought Lu Xiaoyao was clumsy, while Lu Xiaoyao thought Lu Gui hadn't spoken clearly. Both were convinced they were right!

After delivering the lunch to Lu Xiaoyao's side, Lu Xiaoyao successfully infiltrated another team to deliver lunch to the envoys from Hua Liang.

As soon as she entered, she saw some familiar faces.

Julian and Madison.

Julian was lucky enough to have the same role as last time, but he still felt that something was off about the game.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, Ծ^Ծ, and while he was still trying to figure it out, someone came to deliver lunch.

As expected, the moment the two of them saw Mingmei, their eyes lit up.

The three of them didn't need to exchange many words. Mingmei handed over two boxed lunches, and they gladly accepted.

The whole process was carried out with the help of the system's background prompts. Their tacit understanding was stronger than that of the Lu siblings.

After selling the boxed lunches, Mingmei went around distributing food to the other adults. As she was lingering in a corner behind Julian and the others after she had finished, she caught sight of a face that was all too familiar!

Minister Cui!

Mingmei remembered that the seemingly weak negotiator was actually quite skilled and had even fought alongside the players in the end.

Mingmei realized that the NPC's face was actually that of her father, Ming Yi!

"Whoa!"

Mingmei almost shouted, "Dad, what are you doing here?"

But then she watched him eat and drink, and another image immediately came to mind.

The God of Cookery who taught them how to make insect delicacies!

That guy looked exactly like her father, but his temperament was completely different.

Clearly, the character Mingmei was seeing now… was wrong, wasn't it?

Mingmei stared in surprise, then looked at Julian and Madison, who were already comfortable and helping themselves to hot tea. They didn't seem to notice anything wrong.

She didn't know if Madison had played the game before, but Julian had. He sipped the tea he got from the other man with a smile and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, the tea seems different?"

He and Charlie had bummed tea from Minister Cui before, going from disliking it to being pleasantly surprised. If the game didn't always involve fighting, Julian thought he would play it a few more times.

Just for the tea.

But the tea he had been looking forward to seemed different from before.

Though it was still very good.

"The flavor is rich and mellow, perfect for perking you up after a meal."

Minister Cui heard Julian's murmur and turned to introduce the tea to him.

This time, he explained it in such detail that Mingmei was captivated.

"What's this tea called?"

Everyone knew that tea was a specialty of Hua Lan Star, with many varieties.

Madison also knew that there were many kinds of tea, and for the first time, he was interested in buying some similar ones when he got back.

"Though mountains and rivers are broken, there's nowhere to return. A wisp of fragrant tea brings back old friends. I learned to roast this tea myself, to entertain my friends." As Minister Cui spoke, he suddenly turned back, raised his teacup, and smiled warmly at Mingmei, saying, "This young lady also looks familiar. It's always nice to meet someone unexpectedly."

With that, he poured Mingmei a cup and handed it to her, while Julian and the others looked on.

She looked up at Minister Cui. The suspicion she had felt towards him earlier had now completely convinced her that he wasn't the original Minister Cui!

Mingmei accepted the teacup but didn't drink it immediately. Only when Guigui told her that there was nothing wrong with the tea did she take a sip.

"Good tea!"

Mingmei put aside her prejudice and praised the tea. No wonder he was called the God of Cookery!

Although her dad was one too, there was no comparison between the two.

Mingmei drank the tea, and there was no sudden arrest like in the original story. The whole process went smoothly. Mu Chen summoned Mingmei to the royal tent as if he had been waiting for the right moment.

Before Mu Chen could speak, Mingmei recounted everything that had happened outside, mentioning the differences from before and the unusual Minister Cui.

"It really gave me a fright, but Julian didn't seem to notice at all. It's too strange."

Mingmei couldn't figure out what was going on with this Minister Cui. It didn't seem like he was a Zerg, but she didn't dare to assume that he was a good person either.

"Some NPCs have a weakened aura in their programming that makes players less likely to notice them or blurs their perception of their faces… But you're an NPC too, so it doesn't work on you."

"Oh, there's such a thing?"

"Yes." Mu Chen nodded and looked at Mingmei. "Do you want to try it?"

"No, no, no. I have such a recognizable face, and I'm constantly making my presence known by selling boxed lunches. If I asked for that aura, I'm afraid I'd never sell another one!"

Hearing Mingmei's tone, Mu Chen couldn't help but think of Lu Xiaoyao, so he asked, "What, didn't Lu Xiaoyao buy a boxed lunch again?"

"She bought one, but it's as good as not buying one."

…

"Wuwuwuwu, my noodles…"

After she and Lu Gui stopped bickering, Lu Xiaoyao's attention returned to the noodles. Her sad eyes were almost swollen into fried egg eyes!

She could count on one hand the number of times she had actually managed to buy a boxed lunch!

But this time, she hadn't even had a bite before it fell on the ground. She couldn't help but feel wronged!

"Aooo aooo~~ my noodles!!"

Lu Xiaoyao cried and cried, but no one comforted her. She opened her slightly swollen eyelids and said, "Brother, were those noodles good?"

"What? If I say they were good, will that quench your thirst?" As he spoke, Lu Gui stuffed a mouthful of pastries into Lu Xiaoyao's mouth, saying, "Since you don't have a boxed lunch to eat, eat more snacks and use your head more."

Lu Xiaoyao: ???

What does pastry have to do with brains?

Although she didn't understand the connection, Lu Xiaoyao obediently swallowed the sweet treat and said, "I'll definitely kill more of them tonight."

"No killing tonight."

"Huh?"

"Tonight, we'll see who, besides us, really wants to kill the tyrant."