Chapter 107 | The Horror Game Gave Me a Witch's Talent

The wind in the yard blew across the vegetable leaves, making a soft, rustling sound.

The sweet and sour aroma in the kitchen was already so thick it almost drifted out the window when Lu Xiuying's voice echoed from inside the house.

“Yao Yao! Time to eat!”

“Hurry and bring Lingxi and Xiao Pei inside. The food is all ready!”

Cen Yao's eyes lit up.

“Coming!”

Zhu Lingxi immediately pulled her lingering gaze away from the candy-shrub and obediently followed her.

Pei Tinglan expressionlessly steered his wheelchair toward the house. As he passed the shrub, he deliberately veered half a meter out of his way to avoid it.

Cen Yao found it hilarious.

“Is that really necessary?”

Pei Tinglan lifted his eyelids and shot her a cold look.

“If you make me eat another one, I will make you uproot that tree entirely.”

“No way,” Cen Yao replied decisively. “It's no ordinary tree. Is there anywhere else besides my place that has a tree that grows candy? Nope. This is one of a kind!”

“...”

Pei Tinglan fell silent for two seconds, deciding to drop the subject.

The dining table in the living room was already laden with dishes.

The sweet and sour pork was served on a white porcelain plate, fried to a golden, crispy perfection, coated in a thick, glossy sweet and sour sauce, and sprinkled with white sesame seeds and a pinch of green scallions.

Next to it were glistening cola chicken wings, tender and flavorful braised spare ribs, garlic stir-fried greens, braised prawns, and a large, steaming bowl of corn and pork rib soup.

Lu Xiuying had also specially made a plate of tomato scrambled eggs.

The bright yellow eggs and vibrant red tomatoes were mixed together, simple yet radiating the most comforting aroma of a home-cooked meal.

Zhu Lingxi stood by the dining table, not sitting down right away. Her gaze was locked onto the plate of sweet and sour pork.

Back in the player space, Cen Yao had described this dish to her—crispy and sweet on the outside, with tender meat on the inside. She had been very curious back then.

Seeing it in person now, Zhu Lingxi felt that Cen Yao hadn't exaggerated at all. The sweet and sour aroma made her mouth water, and just looking at it made her stomach rumble with hunger.

Seeing her expression, Lu Xiuying smiled and pulled out a chair for her.

“Lingxi, sit down quickly. Don't be polite; just help yourself to whatever you like. The sweet and sour pork is fresh out of the pan, so it's best eaten while it's hot.”

“Okay.”

Zhu Lingxi nodded and sat down. She had originally wanted to wait for the elders to pick up their chopsticks first, but Lu Xiuying directly placed the largest piece of sweet and sour pork into her bowl.

“Here, try some first.”

Zhu Lingxi looked down at the meat in her bowl. She picked it up, blew on it carefully, and then popped it into her mouth.

The crispy outer shell cracked with a gentle bite, releasing the rich, sweet, and tangy sauce that coated the tender meat. The sweetness and the aroma of the vinegar were perfectly balanced—neither too cloying nor too sharp.

Zhu Lingxi froze. She chewed the bite thoughtfully before looking down at the remaining half in her bowl.

“How is it? Is it delicious?” Cen Yao asked expectantly, resting her chin in her hands.

Zhu Lingxi looked up, her eyes shining as if filled with starlight.

“Yes, it's very delicious. Even better than I imagined.”

After a brief pause, she added solemnly, “Auntie, the sweet and sour pork you made is indeed the best I've ever had.”

Her serious, adorable expression immediately brought a wide, joyful smile to Lu Xiuying's face.

“Eat as much as you like if you enjoy it. There's still more in the pot.”

Sitting nearby, Cen Qihang couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Zhu Lingxi eat so happily.

“Your auntie loves nothing more than hearing people praise her cooking. Since you said that, she'll probably prepare every dish she knows how to make tomorrow.”

“I would not,” Lu Xiuying retorted, though her hand was already using the serving chopsticks to place another piece of pork into Zhu Lingxi's bowl. “Can't even food keep your mouth shut?”

Cen Qihang cheerfully picked up his soup bowl.

“I'm just telling the truth, aren't I?”

Cen Yao watched this scene, her heart melting with warmth. She used to think that life at home was just ordinary. Her parents bickered occasionally, her mother always complained that she was useless in the kitchen, and her father loved to tinker with strange plants in the yard.

But now, having returned from the dungeons and sitting at this familiar dining table once again, she realized just how precious this ordinariness was. There were no countdown timers, no rules, and no threat of becoming a monster's food over a single misspoken word. Here, there was only warm food, her family, and her friends.

Pei Tinglan sat beside Cen Yao, eating slowly. His fingers were long and slender, and his grip on his chopsticks was very steady.

Lu Xiuying was initially worried that his wheelchair would make things inconvenient and wanted to move the dishes closer to him, but Pei Tinglan spoke up first.

“Thank you, Auntie, but there's no need to trouble yourself. I can reach.”

His tone was still somewhat aloof, but it was much softer than when they had first met. Lu Xiuying didn't insist further and simply pushed the plate of braised prawns, which was a bit far from him, closer to his hand.

“Then try some of this. Your Uncle Cen bought these prawns early this morning. They're very fresh.”

Pei Tinglan stared at the plate of prawns, pausing for a brief moment.

“Thank you.”

He picked one up.

The shrimp meat was sweet and fresh, the sauce carrying a hint of garlic—a taste he hadn't had in a long time. Due to his career, he rarely had the chance to eat such meals before the Horror Game descended. After its arrival, he had been too busy surviving, rarely leaving the player space, let alone eating real-world food.

Pei Tinglan finished eating slowly and carefully.

Cen Yao turned her head to look at him.

“How is it?”

Pei Tinglan glanced at her.

“It's decent.”

Cen Yao raised an eyebrow.

“Just decent?”

“It's delicious. Auntie's cooking is very good.” After saying this, Pei Tinglan seemed to feel his words were too direct, so he lowered his head and picked up a chopstick full of greens. “...At least it's more normal than the meat grown on your trees.”

Cen Yao: “?”

“Why do you still remember that? Also, do you know that most of the meat on this table actually came from the meat-fruit trees in the yard?”

Zhu Lingxi, who was holding her bowl and drinking soup, looked up a beat late upon hearing this.

“Huh?”

The chopsticks Pei Tinglan was extending toward the sweet and sour pork froze in mid-air: “...”

Grid-locked by Pei Tinglan's reaction, Lu Xiuying thoughtfully used the serving chopsticks to place a piece in his bowl.

“Our meat is completely natural and pollution-free, so you can eat with peace of mind. Although it's grown on trees and is a bit bizarre, it's very healthy. Your uncle and I eat it all the time!”

Pei Tinglan remained stiff for a long time. Ultimately, under Lu Xiuying's expectant gaze, he ate the meat. Perhaps because he found it delicious, he didn't need Lu Xiuying's help this time; he reached out to get more on his own.

Cen Yao watched this for a while and finally couldn't hold it in anymore, nearly choking on her soup from laughing.

The meal lasted longer than Cen Yao had expected. Lu Xiuying was constantly worried that Zhu Lingxi and Pei Tinglan would feel constrained, asking them every now and then if they had enough food or wanted another bowl of rice.

Meanwhile, Cen Qihang chatted with Pei Tinglan about the plants in the backyard, as Cen Yao had just shared the story of Pei Tinglan's terrible luck in eating two awful-flavored candy beans in a row. Thus, Cen Qihang decided to pass on the secret he had discovered to Pei Tinglan.

He explained that he had noticed each plant had its own little temper, but they all shared one thing in common: they loved listening to music. The moment they heard music, they would happily sway their leaves, showing incredible spiritual intelligence.

He occasionally listened to songs himself, and every time he did, he would hear a rustling sound coming from the yard. Cen Yao had downloaded quite a few of Pei Tinglan's musical works at home in the past, so most of the songs he played were actually Pei Tinglan's.

At this point, Cen Yao almost buried her face in her bowl. Surprisingly, Pei Tinglan didn't look embarrassed anymore. Perhaps he had already passed the point of embarrassment, leaving him with a sort of resigned, deadpan calm.

Cen Qihang also mentioned that if one wanted to eat delicious candy, they could try singing to the plants. He had used this method to harvest many unique flavors before. Logically speaking, Pei Tinglan had the absolute advantage here because, in a way, those magical plants outside had grown up listening to his songs.

As Zhu Lingxi ate, she couldn't help but look at Pei Tinglan with an expression of sheer wonder, making him feel as though he were sitting on a bed of needles.