Chapter 26: A Dinner of Dread and Disturbing Truths

Bai Chen considered himself a rather courageous person.

During his elementary school days, a small snake had slithered onto a female classmate’s desk.

Before the teacher could even arrive, he had grabbed the snake by its tail and tossed it into the trash can.

He could still vividly recall the gazes of his classmates, and he had to admit, it felt quite exhilarating at the time.

However, bravery wasn’t always a virtue.

After the incident, Bai Chen was scolded by his teacher at school.

Upon returning home, he narrowly avoided a beating from his father.

From then on, Bai Chen understood a crucial lesson: sometimes, it was far more pleasant to be a little less daring.

This theory, he realized, was once again proving true.

Gazing at the young woman who seemed utterly unconcerned by her skirt’s revealing style, Bai Chen’s mind was consumed by a single, recurring question:

‘If I had opened the door just a moment later, would this awkward situation have been avoided?’

Mo Qiu, too, turned her head, her gaze falling upon the stunned young man at the doorway.

A flicker of thought passed through her otherwise vacant eyes as she lifted her arm even higher, revealing glimpses of her pale abdomen and navel.

“Can you see clearly?”

“Stop, stop, stop! It’s clear enough!”

Bai Chen hastily covered his eyes, an urgent desire to flee this place suddenly overwhelming him.

Seeing his discomfited state, Mo Qiu finally lowered her skirt with a satisfied expression.

“The slippers are right there. Shall I help you change into them?”

“No, thank you. I can manage myself.”

Heaven knew what else Mo Qiu might do.

Bai Chen quickly slipped on the slippers and stepped towards her, his eyes, however, subtly scanning his surroundings.

‘This place is even smaller than I imagined. Can a family of three truly live here?’

“Um, are you home alone?”

“It’s always just been me.”

“Oh, so you live separately from your parents.”

“Because I’m from out of town, and my parents… they’re very busy.”

‘I see. So, their arguments must happen over the phone then?’

Mo Qiu’s home was slightly larger than Bai Chen’s clothes, yet it wasn’t much better in terms of space.

For some unknown reason, all the windows were shut, leaving Bai Chen with a sensation of stifling heat.

No wonder Mo Qiu needed to blast the fan so vigorously.

Just as Bai Chen was lost in thought, Mo Qiu presented her carefully prepared duck leg stew with sweet potato noodles, setting it on the table.

The moment his eyes fell upon the dish, Bai Chen felt a wave of hallucination wash over him.

The reddish-brown broth, resembling a witch’s concoction, bubbled incessantly on the surface, emitting a pungent, choking odor.

The duck leg, intertwined with the noodles, was a suspicious dark red, making Bai Chen momentarily wonder if it was some part of a human body.

“This is the thank-you gift you mentioned?”

“Mm, please enjoy.”

Mo Qiu remained expressionless, yet her demeanor sent shivers down Bai Chen’s spine.

Standing obediently beside him, she resembled an old witch urging a child to drink their medicine.

Even with prior mental preparation, a single glance was almost enough to shatter Bai Chen’s psychological defenses.

With a trembling hand, he picked up his chopsticks, plucked a small portion of noodles, and brought it hesitantly to his nose.

The medley of scents was like a stitched-together monstrosity, forcibly invading his brain only to decompose into smaller, distinct odors that commenced a monkey carnival within his mind.

“Bai Chen, why aren’t you eating?” Mo Qiu asked, settling beside him, her shoulder brushing his.

“Do you want me to feed you?”

“No, no, it’s fine! I can eat by myself.”

In that moment, Bai Chen wished he could slap his two-weeks-ago self squarely across the face.

‘Serves you right for being so nosy, for playing the hero. This is your karma!’

Mo Qiu was like an owl in the dead of night, her deep, vacant eyes, akin to the abyssal sea, fixated intensely on him, making Bai Chen feel as though he could hear a witch whispering in his ear:

“Eat quickly, eat quickly, surrender your soul to me.”

‘I can’t take it anymore. I have to just do it!’

Bai Chen closed his eyes, slurped down a large mouthful of noodles, and with a loud ‘slurp,’ dark red broth splattered everywhere.

“How is it? Is it delicious?”

Mo Qiu watched his constipated expression, seemingly utterly oblivious to anything amiss.

While it tasted nothing like chicken leg soup with rice, it evoked a similar sensation in Bai Chen.

With every chew, he felt as though his taste buds were screaming, assaulted by some hulking brute.

The ultimate victor of the monkey carnival was the sourness of vinegar; he even had the illusion that his teeth were attempting to flee.

“Mm, your culinary skills are truly impressive.”

After finishing the entire bowl, he still had to force out a sickly smile and offer a thumbs-up in praise.

“Since you like it, have some more. I made plenty.”

Following the direction of Mo Qiu’s finger, Bai Chen spotted a large pot filled with noodles.

‘Was that the legendary cauldron witches used to brew their potions?’

‘He dared not imagine how many innocents had screamed for help within that boiling pot.’

The mere thought of that enormous pot of duck leg stew with noodles made Bai Chen doubt if he would even leave this house alive.

“I’ll go get you some more noodles.”

Mo Qiu said, picking up his empty bowl, but just as she turned, Bai Chen seized her wrist.

She glanced at the hand gripping her, then at Bai Chen’s flustered expression, and Mo Qiu couldn’t help but wonder:

‘Could it be that he couldn’t hold back his urges anymore?’

“Um… Mo Qiu…” Realizing his impropriety, Bai Chen quickly gathered his thoughts. “May I perhaps take a look at your kitchen?”

“Kitchen?”

“Yes, I’d like to see the environment where you cook.”

Bai Chen tried his best to make his gaze appear sincere, for Mo Qiu was always expressionless, and he was unsure if his tactic would succeed.

‘Please, don’t be suspicious.’

“Do you truly just want to see the kitchen?”

“Yes.”

“No other intentions?”

“Oh, come on, how could I possibly have any?” Bai Chen, growing desperate, snatched the bowl from her hand. “I just want to know where you make such incredibly delicious noodles that leave one craving more.”

As he spoke, he licked the remaining scraps from the bowl.

Each time his tongue met the bottom of the bowl, he felt as though tiny needles were pricking his tongue.

To think he would go to such lengths, Mo Qiu nodded slightly. “Very well, follow me.”

‘Did she see through me after all?’ Bai Chen felt a pang of disappointment.

‘It seems it’s not so easy to stir your desires,’ Mo Qiu thought, a hint of reluctance in her expression.

Setting down the bowl, Bai Chen followed behind the young woman, not even sparing a glance at the pot of noodles as they passed.

“It’s in here.”

Bai Chen shifted his gaze, and then froze in place.

It was indeed a kitchen, complete with all the necessary tools and maintained to a good standard of hygiene; at first glance, there was no particularly dirty spot.

The stovetop had even been cleaned after preparing the duck leg stew with noodles.

While it appeared to be a perfectly ordinary kitchen, Bai Chen’s eyes were immediately drawn to the items on a shelf.

“Mo Qiu, what are those?”

“Seasonings.”

“They are…”

Mo Qiu furrowed her brow slightly, then stepped forward to introduce Bai Chen to her strategic reserves.

“This is Thirteen-Spice Powder (TL Note: A common Chinese spice blend), this is hot pot base, this is star anise, this is chili sauce, this is…”

In truth, Bai Chen wasn’t really listening to what Mo Qiu was saying.

However, one thing became terrifyingly clear to him: a witch’s alchemy workshop truly existed, right before his very eyes.

“Mo Qiu, do you use all of these every time you cook?”

“Mm.”

“All the seasonings have to be added to the ingredients?”

“Mm.”

“…Don’t you think it’s a bit much?”

Bai Chen finally understood why the soup with rice and the stewed noodles tasted so bizarre.

With every single seasoning thrown in, it would be a miracle if no one died from eating it.

“No, it’s just right,” Mo Qiu replied. “Before, the dishes I ate were always very bland, lacking flavor. So, when I cook for myself, I simply follow my preferred taste.”

Mainly, constant arguments at home meant no one was willing to cook, leaving Mo Qiu to gnaw on rock-hard steamed buns from the freezer.

Bai Chen was speechless, wondering what kind of family could possibly cultivate such a personality and such peculiar taste preferences.

‘A lethal dose of seasoning, and in her eyes, it’s just ‘just right’?’

Gazing at the young woman’s indifferent face, a wave of pity rose in Bai Chen’s heart.

“You should finish your noodles quickly, or they’ll get cold.”

The moment he heard those words, all of Bai Chen’s burgeoning emotion was instantly dispelled by terror, leaving him standing rooted to the spot, utterly bewildered.

“What’s wrong?” Mo Qiu took a couple of steps, then turned back to look at him.

“Mo Qiu, why don’t we talk about your family matters instead?”

Bai Chen quickly interjected, for this was the true purpose of his visit.

“I’d like to understand your family situation.”

As expected, the question left Mo Qiu frozen in place.

‘Talking about family now, isn’t that a bit premature?’

‘At the very least, one should start as lovers first—holding hands, kissing, perhaps even sharing a bed… and only then consider matters of the elders.’

‘Could it be that Bai Chen preferred a more direct approach, starting with an engagement?’

“I sense there might be some conflict between you and your parents. While I’m an outsider, I could offer some advice.”

“Let’s not bother,” Mo Qiu said, her gaze turning cold.

‘What good would advice do?’

‘Are you going to rush up to those two, slap each of them, and tell them to stop arguing?’

‘It’s useless. What was meant to happen has already happened.’

“Do you think this is acceptable?”

“Why wouldn’t it be acceptable?”

Mo Qiu continued.

“I can live perfectly well on my own.”

“But those are your parents…”

“What about parents?”

If their actions truly qualified them as competent parents, Mo Qiu believed she wouldn’t have turned out this way.

Bai Chen’s pupils constricted, rendering him speechless.

‘Her resentment towards her parents is far more severe than I imagined.’

‘What did she mean, ‘What about parents?’ It was as if she were discussing two strangers. What exactly was going on between her and her parents? This was clearly beyond a simple argument.’

Recalling his own childhood experiences, he remembered occasional tantrums and falling out with his parents.

Afterward, one party would always apologize, resolving the conflict, and the next day they would be happily reconciled.

Ultimately, it stemmed from a deep-seated care for one another.

Bai Chen could discern no such emotion in Mo Qiu’s eyes.

Her lifeless gaze, which he had always found rather endearing, was now so unsettlingly calm that it sent a chill down his spine.

He had intended to alleviate the issue, but instead, the atmosphere had plummeted to a freezing point.

Mo Qiu said nothing more, turning as if to leave.

‘Was their meeting truly coming to an end here?’

Bai Chen’s mouth felt parched; any words of retention he might have uttered melted away before they could even reach his lips.

“Bai Chen.”

Hearing her call his name, Bai Chen sharply lifted his head.

“Tonight, would you stay for dinner?”

“Huh?”

Bai Chen looked towards the window, realizing that, at some unknown point, dusk had already begun to fall.