The wolf demon was quite pleased with Lu Bing's fearful gaze, as it signified his authority remained.
In Lu Bing's eyes, however, it wasn't his authority that inspired fear, but his attire. Had the wolf demon been dressed differently, Lu Bing wouldn't have been so scared, nor would he have called him so fearsome.
Wolf demon: "..."
Lu Bing: "..."
Seeing the silence between them, Tian Jiang reluctantly spoke, "Mister, can you eat now?"
The wolf demon asked, "You're not afraid of me?"
Hearing the wolf demon's surprised tone, Tian Jiang deliberately put on a frightened expression. "There are people who wear their fear on their faces, and then there are those who hide their fear in their hearts."
"You are the second kind."
Tian Jiang simply smiled without speaking.
The wolf demon observed Tian Jiang's somewhat strained expression and said, "Indeed, you are like me, a ruthless demon." With that, he walked to the table and took a seat. To save face, he had no choice but to endure eating vegetarian food.
Tian Jiang nodded. "Please eat slowly, I'll be going now."
"You can leave," the wolf demon said, picking up food and glancing at Lu Bing. "Leave your errand boy behind."
"Alright." Tian Jiang readily agreed and turned to Lu Bing. "Stay and attend to your guest."
"Old..."
Having uttered the first syllable, Tian Jiang left the room.
Lu Bing then watched, with longing in his eyes, the door that Tian Jiang had gently closed. He felt utterly miserable.
"Aren't you eating?" the wolf demon suddenly asked.
Lu Bing gasped, his body stiffening as he turned towards the wolf demon, forcing a dry smile. "You are the guest, please eat."
"The one who carried me here hasn't returned yet."
"..."
"I'm asking you a question."
"He hasn't returned, honored guest."
"Alright," the wolf demon nodded, looking at Lu Bing's still fearful eyes. "Although I'm pleased you fear me, it makes me uncomfortable to see you like this while eating. Relax, try to relax."
Lu Bing followed the wolf demon's words, taking a deep breath, and asked, "How will you eat with the face cloth on?"
Lu Bing's question reminded the wolf demon of the matter. He smiled and said, "I look very terrifying."
Lu Bing closed his eyes.
"However, you can look," the wolf demon added.
Lu Bing opened his eyes again, forcing them wide open to stare at the wolf demon.
The wolf demon had initially thought Lu Bing to be a clever fellow. Seeing him like this, the wolf demon was certain... this young man before him was a complete coward who clung to life. So, to eat in peace, he waved his hand. "Alright, you can go. Looking at your face has made me lose my appetite as well."
Lu Bing had been waiting for the wolf demon to say this. He let out a dry chuckle, turned, ran to the door, opened it, and dashed out.
The wolf demon calmly watched the door that Lu Bing hadn't closed properly and sighed, "This kid." He then pointed his chopsticks towards the door, and it closed.
Instantly, he removed his face cloth and began to eat.
In the village, Mu Anxiao sat at a square table with the family. With her hands behind her back, she looked at the first villager, the fool, and their father, who were eating, and said, "Can I eat now?"
"No," the first villager said coldly.
Mu Anxiao felt indignant. "Why?"
The fool just kept eating, ignoring Mu Anxiao completely.
Their father seemed to have no standing in the family and remained silent.
The first villager, holding a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, said, "We don't have enough food to begin with. You can eat after we're done."
"You mean..." Mu Anxiao glanced at the nearly empty pickled mustard greens on the plate and the half-eaten bun next to it, and asked, "You want me to eat these?"
"If there's nothing left, you won't have to eat."
"If I don't eat, I'll die."
"Don't die," the fool said.
Mu Anxiao turned to look at the fool, who had finally spoken a human word, and said with relief, "You still have a conscience."
The next second, the fool handed his bowl to Mu Anxiao.
"Eat."
Mu Anxiao had felt quite touched, but when she looked down at the watery broth in the fool's bowl, with the floating bun crumbs on top, she said awkwardly, "You eat it, I'm fine being hungry."
"Are you looking down on me?" the fool asked, suddenly lifting his face to meet Mu Anxiao's eyes.
Seeing such food, it would be foolish not to look down on it.
"..."
"Are you looking down on me?"
"I..." Mu Anxiao didn't want to lie, so she nodded.
The fool puckered his mouth and began to wail.
The first villager was most afraid of seeing his brother like this. He quickly put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, went around to the fool's side, picked up the bowl, and said, "She'll eat, she'll eat." As he spoke, he brought the bowl towards Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao's eyes widened, and she tightly pursed her lips.
In the next moment, Mu Anxiao couldn't escape the first villager's abuse. He used one hand to pinch Mu Anxiao's cheeks. Due to the force, Mu Anxiao couldn't break free and had to open her mouth.
Just like that, the salty and spicy soup was poured into her mouth.
With the last mouthful, Mu Anxiao choked and coughed.
The first villager breathed a sigh of relief, put down the bowl, and said, "Brother, her hands are tied, so it's inconvenient for her to eat. See, after I fed her, she finished it."
Mu Anxiao lowered her head, her eyes blankly staring at a certain spot, her heart filled with grievances.
"Finished, finished," the fool clapped his hands.
Their father glanced at Mu Anxiao and said, "Alright, untie her hands."
After the mistreatment, Mu Anxiao finally heard a human word. She raised her face, and just as she was about to cast a grateful glance at their father, he said again, "If you don't untie her hands, no one will wash these dishes."
Mu Anxiao immediately lost all hope and lowered her head.
"Okay, Father."
"Okay, Father, Father, Father," the fool repeated the first villager's words.
The first villager smiled at his brother.
Their brothers' agreement plunged Mu Anxiao into new labor. Squatting by the well, she began to wash the dishes while telling stories to the fool.
The first villager watched Mu Anxiao and the fool from behind and smiled with satisfaction.
As for why Mu Anxiao was so compliant, it was because she thought if she didn't cooperate, and the first villager got angry and made her drink the dishwater, wouldn't that be even more disgusting? Therefore, she couldn't resist.
"What's your name?" the fool suddenly asked.
Mu Anxiao stopped telling her story, smiled, and said, "My name is..." She deliberately glanced at the first villager who had his back to them, and continued, "My name is Mu Anxiao. And yours?"
"My name is..." The fool stopped mid-sentence, unable to recall his own name. He looked up at the first villager and asked, "Brother, what is my name?"
Hearing his brother's call, the first villager quickly turned around and said, "Your name is Mo Chu."
"Mo Chu," the fool repeated, then looked at Mu Anxiao and chuckled foolishly. "My name is Mo Chu."