Previously:
—
Seeing thirteen people with different circadian rhythms gathered together, Wu Tong couldn't help but feel astonished.
"Heehee, I was the one who brought everyone here," Elysia declared proudly upon hearing Wu Tong's question.
"I wanted everyone to see the cute little apron I prepared for Kalpas. Isn't it adorable? I worked so hard—"
"Handmade?" Wu Tong suppressed a laugh, deliberately avoiding looking at Kalpas' new apron to keep himself from bursting into laughter.
Back when he watched Golden Courtyard, he had nearly laughed at the sight of Kalpas in a pink apron. He thought exposure to the show would make him immune to the hilarity, but he had overestimated himself. After interacting with Kalpas in person, Wu Tong understood him even better.
The sheer absurdity of the hot-tempered, easily provoked Kalpas wearing an apron that clashed so violently with his personality elevated the situation's comedic value by several levels. Now, just the sight of Kalpas was enough to make Wu Tong struggle to keep a straight face.
The others shared the same sentiment. For once, their thoughts aligned perfectly: Elysia, just how much do you love pink things?!
"Handpicked, actually~"
"Huh???" Elysia blinked, as if caught off guard by Wu Tong's question. But being the social butterfly she was, she quickly recovered. Pressing a finger to her lips, she feigned shyness. "I wanted to make it myself, but even the fabulous Miss Elf has her limits, you know? Since I couldn't sew, I had to pick one out instead. It may not be handmade, but it's filled with my heartfelt intentions!"
"Heh. 'Heartfelt intentions'? You just wanted to see Kalpas in a pink apron," Mobius deadpanned, ruthlessly exposing Elysia's ulterior motives.
Mobius wasn't surprised. As a prankster, Elysia was capable of anything, and Mobius, her most loyal "top anti-fan," had no intention of letting her off easy.
"That's not true, Dr. Mobius! Speaking of which, the little skirt I gave you was also filled with my 'heartfelt intentions,' yet you've never worn it even once. Boohoo, I'm so sad~"
Caught red-handed, Elysia stiffened momentarily before denying everything and clumsily steering the conversation elsewhere.
"Heh." Mobius smirked but didn't press further. As longtime friends, she knew better than to engage too deeply with Elysia. Otherwise, the "Pink Chatterbox" would drag her into her nonsense and tease her mercilessly.
And as for the "heartfelt intentions" behind that pink skirt?
Maybe. But they certainly weren't good intentions. After all, what bad could a prankster possibly intend? She just wanted to laugh at you.
"Shut up! This is a dining area. Eat or get out! ╬"
Kalpas, unwilling to let the conversation continue, roared and stormed off toward the kitchen. His retreating figure, however, looked suspiciously like a hasty escape.
"..." ×n.
The group exchanged glances, speechless.
"Aww, why'd Kalpas run away? I wanted to ask how the apron feels to wear!" Elysia sighed, watching his departure with regret.
"Heh. Ever consider he left because he didn't want to talk to you?" Mobius rolled her eyes.
"Impossible! Who wouldn't love chatting with the lovely Miss Elf?" Elysia winked, flashing a confident smile.
"..." ×n.
The others responded with polite smiles. After all, when faced with sheer audacity, sometimes laughter was the only option.
"Elysia, can we eat now? I'm starving," Pardofelis groaned, clutching her stomach.
"Alright, dig in, everyone! And remember—finish everything. Kalpas made this specially for you." Elysia gestured to the table, now laden with an extravagant feast: braised lamb chops, roasted whole lamb, tomato beef brisket, scallion beef, boiled cabbage, ants climbing trees, braised chicken, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, stir-fried three delights, chicken soup, West Lake beef soup…
"Don't worry, Elysia, we'll clean it up. But wow, Kalpas made all this?" Pardofelis swallowed her drool, stunned.
It wasn't that the food was too much—as MANTISes, their high energy demands made them all voracious eaters. What shocked her was the sheer effort Kalpas had put into preparing this feast just for them.
How early did he start cooking?
Kalpas, you're too kind. I could cry.
(Kalpas: Or maybe… I didn't do it alone?)
Tears of gratitude welled up in Pardofelis' eyes, but her hands moved swiftly toward the table.
Seeing the spread, Wu Tong and the others wasted no time either. Food was best enjoyed hot, so they quickly took their seats.
Dinner began.
As everyone settled in, Kalpas returned with the final dish—his signature grilled fish—and placed it on the table. The moment it landed, the battlefield of the dining table erupted.
Unsurprisingly, the rule of "no talking during meals" didn't apply to the Flame-Chasers, especially with Elysia around. She made sure no one's mouth stayed idle for long.
"Wow, this is delicious! Eden, try it!"
"Elysia, don't you have your own? Stop stealing mine!!"
"Hehe, Dr. Mobius, I'm just taste-testing for you. No need to call it 'stealing'~"
"Here, Nami, try this. You've probably never had it before."
…
Needless to say, it was a lively luncheon.
...
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(End of Chapter)