Lu Xingyao glanced to his left, then to his right. He saw that everyone around him had their own set of bowls and chopsticks.
At first, he didn’t panic. He assumed that the ancestor hadn’t yet given him his set.
But after waiting a little while longer and still receiving nothing, Lu Xingyao started to worry. No bowls, no chopsticks—nothing for him.
The truth hit him hard: the ancestor hadn’t given Lu Xingyao any utensils.
On both sides of him, five others gripped their bowls and chopsticks tightly, none daring to ask why Lu Xingyao was left out.
A few of them sneaked glances at him, silently wondering: Did Yao Ge offend the ancestor? Why did everyone else get bowls and chopsticks except him?
Lu Xingyao was also confused and anxious. Sitting “all alone” in the middle, he forced a smile and said, “I’m not hungry. You guys go ahead and eat.”
He stood up, intending to move to a different seat.
The five others exchanged glances, grinning at each other before saying, “Well, if you’re not hungry, Yao Ge, then we’ll start without you!”
At that moment, the pot of broth was bubbling, releasing an enticing aroma that made everyone’s mouths water.
As Lu Xingyao shifted to sit elsewhere, the five quickly gathered around the hotpot, their faces lighting up with joy.
The Lu family had some experience with hotpot, having tried instant hotpot and vegetarian hotpot provided by the ancestor before. But this was their first time enjoying so much meat.
Meanwhile, Lu Xingyao wracked his brain, trying to figure out if he had done anything wrong recently. When could he have upset the ancestor? After all, the ancestor had just given him two cans of drinks earlier today.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong.
Gu Xingzhao sat right next to Lu Xingyao, holding a pair of chopsticks, watching him struggle to piece it all together. She had no intention of giving him the chopsticks yet.
He had dared to think of her as a seductive ghost! He deserved this little punishment.
The mouth-watering aroma filled the air, and Lu Xingyao couldn’t help but glance over as Lu Chang carefully picked up a piece of marbled meat with his chopsticks and placed it into the boiling broth.
The meat quickly curled up in the heat, sending ripples through the soup.
Before long, Lu Chang retrieved the cooked meat, and the others watched intently, holding their breath.
With two quick blows to cool it down, Lu Chang couldn’t wait any longer and popped the meat into his mouth.
The tender meat and rich broth exploded with flavor, filling his mouth with deliciousness that made him involuntarily close his eyes in satisfaction.
With an excited smile, he pointed at the plate of meat. “It’s amazing!!”
The others quickly followed suit, tossing in lamb, beef, and pork belly, watching the slices turn golden in the bubbling soup, releasing a tantalizing aroma.
Lu Xingyao swallowed hard, trying to suppress his growing hunger.
The five of them continued to eat, lowering their voices in conversation. If only they had some alcohol, they’d be toasting by now.
Sweating from the heat of the meal, their faces flushed with excitement.
Just as Lu Chang was about to devour a slice of beef, he noticed Lu Xingyao staring at the meat with a longing gaze.
He coughed awkwardly and offered the meat to Lu Xingyao, “Yao Ge, would you like to try a bite?”
It was hard to ignore someone staring so intently at your food.
Seeing the juicy piece of meat, Lu Xingyao’s mouth watered. But he held back, shaking his head politely. “No need. You guys eat, don’t worry about me.”
He reasoned that the ancestor must have had a purpose. If the ancestor didn’t give him utensils, that must mean he wasn’t supposed to eat. No matter how tempting the food was, he had to obey the ancestor’s will.
Seeing his considerate behavior, Gu Xingzhao suddenly felt a pang of guilt for withholding the chopsticks from him.
“…” Maybe I should give him the utensils?
But then again, this guy had a habit of putting on a show, fooling everyone in the Lu family at some point. I can’t fall for his act.
If he dared to act inappropriately while drunk today, who knows what he’d do tomorrow?
Lu Xingyao lowered his head and sighed, deciding that it was better to just turn his back to the group. If he couldn’t see them eating, then maybe he wouldn’t feel so hungry.
This scene pierced right through Gu Xingzhao’s soft heart.
Who could bear to see a tall, handsome young man, with his red lips and white teeth, sitting pitifully, turning his back to everyone?
He was still just a kid, probably hadn’t even held a girl’s hand before—could he really know what it meant to act inappropriately?
He must have just been drunk, mistaking a goddess for a ghost. He was only in his twenties; surely he didn’t mean any harm.
Sighing to herself, Gu Xingzhao placed the chopsticks behind Lu Xingyao, her gaze softening with affection.
Lu Xingyao, unaware of this, continued to wonder whether the ancestor hadn’t liked the offerings he made today.
A sharp-eyed person spotted the chopsticks behind Lu Xingyao and excitedly tapped him on the shoulder, “Yao Ge! The ancestor gave you chopsticks!”
Lu Xingyao turned around quickly, and there they were—his very own set of bowls and chopsticks.
His eyes reddened with emotion. Thank goodness, the ancestor hadn’t abandoned him after all!
The others immediately began offering him food. “Yao Ge, this is really good, you have to try it!”
“I knew it! The ancestor would never forget Yao Ge.”
“Exactly, exactly…”
Lu Xingyao stuffed his cheeks with food, devouring it like a starved man. He had no time to listen to the chatter around him.
At this point, he didn’t even care about getting special treatment from the ancestor anymore—he just didn’t want to be forgotten. That brief moment of exclusion had felt like a lifetime of suffering.
Gu Xingzhao sat nearby, resting her chin on her hand, watching him and sighing to herself. What else could she do but spoil him a little?
“By the way, Yao Ge, what happened to you earlier? Weren’t you going to sleep? Why did you end up lying on the ground?” Lu Chang asked, curiosity in his voice.
The others perked up, their faces full of curiosity. They all wanted to know whether he had been kicked out by the old man or his uncle.
After the scare of not having chopsticks, Lu Xingyao felt like he’d been given a second chance at life. He didn’t care about being embarrassed anymore—what was there to hide from his brothers?
He decided to tell them what happened tonight.
Lu Xingyao leaned in, his tone mysterious. “Let me tell you, tonight…”
Gu Xingzhao suddenly had a bad feeling.
Lu Xingyao continued, “I ran into a female ghost!”
Gu Xingzhao: “…”
So that whole pitiful act earlier was just an act. I shouldn’t have given him those chopsticks.
This is truly beyond ridiculous.
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