From then on, Xiu Yong's meals finally changed.
Breakfast was finely chopped radish cubes prepared by the celestial attendant.
Lunch was finely shredded radish prepared by the celestial attendant.
Dinner was finely mashed radish prepared by the celestial attendant.
...
Xiu Yong no longer struggled.
Even after Xiu Yong transformed and finally explained the misunderstanding to Zhu Xu, the shadow cast by carrots only grew stronger with time.
Seeing Xiu Yong's strong reaction, Zhu Xu regretted playing that joke.
Was eating only carrots for hundreds of years really that dark?
Fortunately, Xiu Yong didn't hear Zhu Xu's thoughts, otherwise, he would have wanted Zhu Xu to experience it firsthand.
"Alright, alright. If you don't want to eat it, then don't," Zhu Xu waved his hand, and Xiu Yong's expression slowly improved.
"I asked the waiter to prepare some dishes earlier. Shall we go down and eat something?" Xiu Yong said, making way for Zhu Xu to go downstairs.
"Xu Xu has already eaten."
Before Zhu Xu could speak, a familiar aura enveloped him from behind.
Zhu Xu's heart pounded. By the time he reacted, his hand was already being held by Zhao Xue.
Zhu Xu looked up at Zhao Xue's profile.
Xiu Yong saw the tender, lingering gaze on Zhu Xu's face. His invitation for Zhu Xu to go downstairs froze, and his expression turned bitter.
"Zhao Xue, let's try it. Perhaps Xiu Yong, who has been in the human realm for a while, knows some delicacies we haven't encountered," Zhu Xu said, shaking Zhao Xue's hand.
Zhao Xue was silent for a moment, then tightened his grip on Zhu Xu's hand and finally nodded.
"Then let's go down," Zhu Xu glanced at Xiu Yong, then smiled and led Zhao Xue forward.
Xiu Yong followed behind the two, unconsciously comparing Zhu Xu's smile towards him with his gaze towards Zhao Xue.
The more he thought about it, the more disheartened and bitter Xiu Yong felt.
If Zhu Xu were a beautiful flower, then Zhao Xue would be a towering tree that suddenly approached the flower. He, on the other hand, was a tiny blade of grass beneath the flower.
Before the tree got close to the flower, the blade of grass secretly rejoiced at the distance between the flower and the tree, and often felt a pang of jealousy.
After the tree and the flower became close, the blade of grass found itself no longer beneath that beautiful flower.
He was alone. He tried to approach the flower that had once sheltered him from the wind and rain, and thus he transformed from a blade of grass into a clown.
"Zhao Xue, this one is good, try it."
When Zhu Xu said to try, he genuinely picked up his chopsticks and was now bringing a piece of Dongpo pork to Zhao Xue's lips.
Zhao Xue opened his mouth and swallowed. Zhu Xu watched Zhao Xue with his crescent-shaped eyes sparkling.
"Is it delicious?"
Zhao Xue nodded. Zhu Xu then began to enthusiastically try other dishes.
Zhao Xue glanced at the dishes spread across the entire table. His phoenix eyes grew darker, and even wisps of demonic energy began to seep out uncontrollably.
Zhao Xue had helped prepare all these dishes earlier with Zhu Xu.
When Zhu Xu had expressed his desire to visit the human realm, Zhao Xue had memorized all the delicacies of the human realm.
So, was the preparation by that rabbit tastier, or was it tasty because it was prepared by that rabbit?
Zhao Xue now desperately wanted to skin that rabbit, stew it, and then have Zhu Xu taste whether rabbit meat was even more delicious.
"Zhao Xue?"
Zhu Xu's voice brought Zhao Xue, who was ominously staring at Xiu Yong, back to reality.
Zhao Xue turned his head and met Zhu Xu's gaze as he brought a shrimp to his mouth. The demonic energy that had been climbing from Zhao Xue's back instantly vanished.
Zhao Xue stared at Zhu Xu and swallowed the meat offered to his lips again.
However, he couldn't skin that rabbit. At least, not now.
Because as long as that rabbit was still around, Xu Xu would still need his body.
As long as he was useful, Xu Xu would continue to act affectionately towards him.
He would feed him, hold him, kiss him...
Zhu Xu naturally felt Zhao Xue's gaze.
He met those phoenix eyes for only a second before quickly lowering his head.
A moment later, Zhu Xu couldn't help but look up again. Upon meeting Zhao Xue's phoenix eyes, he quickly lowered his head again...
Back and forth like this, Zhu Xu's face turned completely red.
Xiu Yong did not want to witness such a scene. However, just as Xiu Yong was about to look away, he sensed something was amiss with Zhao Xue.
It seemed he would be able to complete his mission soon.
"By the way, there are so many people today."
After Zhu Xu had eaten his fill of all the dishes on the table, he finally had some free time and noticed that the inn, which usually had only five or six people, was now packed downstairs.
There were even a few people standing, and they all seemed to be looking in their direction from time to time.
"Yes," Xiu Yong replied dryly, feeling helpless.
It was all because his fight with Zhao Xue earlier had been witnessed and spread like wildfire, turning into a ghost story.
The waiter was so terrified that he was about to run away. Xiu Yong had no choice but to claim they were practicing magic, which had attracted so many people to come and watch the show.
"Hey, shopkeeper, what's going on? How long have they been eating, and when will the performance start?"
As soon as Zhu Xu asked this, some busybody started causing trouble.
"Guest, please, please be patient," the shopkeeper, who was at the counter handling the accounts, immediately stepped forward to appease the troublemaker.
"Patient what! What do you mean, patient! My brothers heard you had magic tricks here, and we've been standing here for so long. Do you treat your customers like this?"
"Magic tricks here?" Zhu Xu's interest piqued upon hearing this. He quickly looked at the two beside him for an answer.
Zhao Xue shook his head, indicating he didn't know. Xiu Yong offered an awkward smile and continued to bury his head in his food.
The troublemaker was burly, with a thick beard and a ruddy face, clearly someone not to be trifled with.
Just by standing up, his imposing aura made the shopkeeper involuntarily bend at the waist.
"Guest, there must be some misunderstanding. This magic trick is not a performance prepared by our inn. It's our tenants who are practicing."
When the shopkeeper finished speaking, the troublemaker's expression softened, and his tone improved considerably.
"Even so, so many of us have come to patronize your business. Why don't you negotiate with them to waive their room charges, and let us all have a good show?"
As the man finished speaking, the crowd joined in the clamor.
The shopkeeper repeatedly agreed and then turned towards Zhu Xu and the other two.
"May I ask for your opinion, esteemed guests?"
"Me?" Zhu Xu met the shopkeeper's gaze, looked to the side, and then pointed at himself with a puzzled expression.