Chapter Eight

This Human Race person really holds grudges.

Gui Youqi watched Zhou Mu actually take his own tentacle to the stir-fry window, bring his own ingredients and have the chef cook it, and even instruct: "Chef, this is super fresh, use Human Race methods — one blanched, one wok-fried on high heat, give me back the rest, I'll make takoyaki myself. Watch the heat carefully, don't waste it, I worked hard to pick this up."

The chef: "..."

Classmate, I'm right at the window, I saw everything that just happened — the whole Canteen saw it, okay!

He didn't dare refuse, and tremblingly took the enormous octopus tentacle. The tentacle was so big it couldn't fit in one pot, ha.

Just Zhou Mu alone would be bad enough, but You Qi was also watching from the side, and Gui Youqi's resentful gaze from afar — the chef was under enormous pressure.

Actually the method was simple — high-end ingredients only need the simplest cooking.

Take blanched octopus: it does demand fresh ingredients, but the method is simple. Prepared tentacle blanched in boiling water for a few dozen seconds, then ice-chilled, and it's ready to dip and eat.

The blanched dish came out first. Zhou Mu picked it up, grabbed a strip and ate — crisp and springy, as if it might leap out of his mouth at any moment. Blanching aims for "cooked but not over, tender but not tough," and this one hit the mark. Dip in a little soy sauce and wasabi, and with every bite the ocean-fresh sweetness spread across his tongue.

Zhou Mu took his first bite and gave Gui Youqi, seated nearby, a look of amazement.

Gui Youqi: "..."

That look made Gui Youqi so aggrieved he wanted to cry. Your uncle — does your uncle hear this?

Though Zhou Mu ate with refined manners, his pace wasn't slow, and he looked thoroughly happy.

When that plate was nearly finished, the chef brought over the stir-fried tentacle. Marinated and seared, the tentacle gleamed golden, with scallion segments, ginger slices, and dried chilies scattered through it in vivid color — enough to make anyone's mouth water.

Chun Shijiu, unwilling to be forgotten, sought presence: "Is it good? Share some with me — you already used my Nine Star Cauldron to make rice crust..."

Zhou Mu simply hugged the plate to his chest, turned his back, and ate — wouldn't even let him look.

Chun Shijiu: "..."

Chun Shijiu laughed in spite of himself. Stingy enough.

"Just you wait, there'll come a day you cry." Chun Shijiu stood up, dropped a harsh line before leaving, his gaze finally carving into Zhou Mu — landing on his puffed cheeks.

Good. When the time comes, he'll bite here first!

"So fresh, so fresh." Zhou Mu, stared at while eating, didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable. After Chun Shijiu left, he kept eating and said, "We of the Human Race have a saying: you are what you eat. I think eating octopus tentacle works better than medicine."

Zhou Mu had lived among the Human Race long enough that he'd grown used to saying "we of the Human Race" — and the habits he'd picked up didn't feel out of place.

"Do you want more?" You Qi asked.

Meaning, octopus self-regeneration is famous — theoretically it would grow back in just a few days...

Zhou Mu hesitated, remembering Cui Jue's reminder that he still had some Yao Clan subsidies, and shyly smiled: "No, my appetite's small."

Besides, Gui Youqi wasn't going to drop out — he'd always be right there.

Zhou Mu, thinking this, looked up to find his (one-sided) good schoolmate Gui Youqi — and inadvertently caught sight of Yan Xingke.

Yan Xingke was actually also searching for Zhou Mu. He'd heard others say Zhou Mu was spotted at the Canteen — Teacher Luo hadn't even sent him to check on his shidi, he'd come straight to the Canteen himself.

Their eyes met now. Yan Xingke waved and walked over.

He also saw You Qi beside Zhou Mu...

Just like the rumors — his shidi wasn't even hurt (the bite from Senior Xiao Xiao didn't count), and You Qi was actually staying by his side, as if they really were close roommates.

Since Yan Xingke had never smelled Zhou Mu himself, just hearing others describe it didn't hit as hard — he accepted the scene well enough, having already been shocked when he should have been.

"Shidi, Senior You." Yan Xingke carefully sat down on one side, caught the spicy aroma of the stir-fried tentacle, couldn't help stroking his beard and swallowing — his shidi was living easy, eating stir-fry and all.

The Canteen was generous too — actual seafood, this quality, this portion, with prices so high now, he half wondered if they could break even.

"Are you okay? I heard Senior Xiao Xiao bit you." What Yan Xingke really wanted to ask was "I heard You Qi almost bit you." He glanced at Zhou Mu's plate, swallowed dry again — sigh, his shidi didn't even offer him a bite.

"Oh, nothing nothing, I told the teacher too, really nothing major, don't worry." Zhou Mu said, still chewing the crisp, springy tentacle.

The stir-fried tentacle was actually a bit spicy. Zhou Mu looked at You Qi: "So spicy..."

His lips had indeed turned red.

You Qi considered.

Theoretically, in this symbiotic relationship, all You Qi needed to do was keep Zhou Mu safe, but...

Zhou Mu whined: "I want soup."

Yan Xingke was stunned. He watched You Qi hesitate two seconds after his shidi finished speaking, then stand up — really, stand up! — and ask his shidi what soup he wanted!

The Canteen's soup was free, you just had to get it yourself at the window. It looked like You Qi was going to fetch soup for his shidi who couldn't walk properly.

This...

Yan Xingke pondered — had You Qi changed his nature, or had he reached some critical point in cultivation where he needed to do good deeds and accumulate virtue by granting others' wishes?

Zhou Mu pressed his palms together: "Kelp soup."

Yan Xingke tentatively imitated Zhou Mu, pressing his palms together to make a wish: "I want corn and dragon bone soup."

You Qi: "..."

You Qi slowly turned to look.

The message in his eyes was very simple and easy to read: Do you want to die?

Yan Xingke: "..."

Yan Xingke, locked by a death stare, awkwardly lowered his head and dug at the floor with his toes. "I was just saying."

After You Qi left, Zhou Mu grabbed Yan Xingke and steadied the wobbling table. "Shixiong, stop digging! My table's going to sink in!"

Can you believe it, digging at the cement floor too — the maintenance staff have to know every kind of work!

Yan Xingke covered his face: "Sigh!"

Never talk out of turn again.

He calmed down a moment, then pulled a softcover notebook and a Fu from his bag. "These are my old notes, the Fu is from the teacher — take them all."

"A Fu too? What kind? The Fu core looks unfamiliar." Zhou Mu's eyes lit up — he had some interest in ancient Fuwén.

"Just a leisure Fu, the teacher said it's for you to play with. If you can't sleep at night, stick it on — reusable about ten times." Yan Xingke explained.

He felt a prickling on his back, like someone staring, and puzzledly glanced back.

It was the Ghost Head Fish. Since You Qi had gone to fetch soup, his gaze had selectively sharpened again, radiating resentment this way. Scheming Human Race! Fox-borrowing-tiger-might Human Race!

"Tch, it's Gui Youqi, why does he keep looking this way," Yan Xingke mumbled. "He hasn't got his sights on you, has he, shidi? You'd better be careful — this guy's famous at School for being a brute who holds grudges, not a good sort."

"No way, shixiong, don't talk about a classmate like that." Zhou Mu countered. "I think he's very Q-springy-crisp-refreshing!"

Yan Xingke: "What, you don't—"

He stopped mid-sentence, sensing something off, looked at Zhou Mu, then belatedly looked at Zhou Mu's plate.

Yan Xingke: "...!!!"

Shidi, what does Q-springy-crisp mean!! That's a bit scary!!

Zhou Mu: "I wonder what medicinal effect the Ghost Head Fish gallbladder has — looks a bit... tonic."

Yan Xingke: "..."

Zhou Mu burst out laughing: "Shixiong, look at your expression! Just kidding — how could classmates slaughter each other? This tentacle broke off 'accidentally' just now, I said don't waste it and picked it up to eat. If you don't believe me, ask You Qi."

Just then You Qi came back with the soup. "Mm?"

Yan Xingke didn't dare ask him — what kind of motion would it take to "accidentally" lose a whole foot? Anyone could guess You Qi had contributed quite a bit to this meal...

Shidi, oh shidi, you're brazen enough!

...

After the meal, Shixiong Yan had long since slipped away.

Zhou Mu and You Qi headed back together.

You Qi walked ahead, head down, fiddling with his phone one-handed, the other hand stretched back. Zhou Mu took that hand and limped forward.

There was no helping it — whether it was transforming back into their original form like You Qi did that day to carry Zhou Mu through the air, or Cui Jue's escape technique, neither actually complied with School regulations. Without special circumstances, you couldn't just fly or vanish however you pleased.

Needless to say, the pace was very slow.

Especially since the way back from the Canteen had to pass through Jinjiang Road — full of potholes, as specifically mentioned during training — and who knew how many passing classmates pretended to hurry along while actually sneaking peeks.

Their faces seemed expressionless, but every fine line at the corners of their eyes, barely suppressed, was shaped like an exclamation mark.

Gui Youqi also had to take this road back. He didn't dare get close — even though neither You Qi nor Zhou Mu looked at him, he only dared to scuttle along the very edge of the road.

Zhou Mu was still focused on limping along, head down, contentedly stepping on the lines between paving stones.

You Qi seemed focused on his phone, but was actually pondering a profound question:

Why wasn't Zhou Mu asking for help now?

He was clearly having trouble walking — why wasn't he acting coquettish and begging like before...

After all, this was the first time doing "symbiosis." Keeping a mutually beneficial creature felt so unfamiliar — it overturned all of You Qi's understanding of getting along with others. Every one of Zhou Mu's emotions, whether fear, joy, or even anger, carried a strange looseness, and brought ease to those around him too.

So that even when You Qi was asked to help, he actually felt... a sense of wanting more!

Zhou Mu, childishly stepping from one diagonal of the paving stones to the next, had the world flip the next second — You Qi grabbed him and stuffed him into his arms. The question marks in the passersby's eye-creases became exclamation marks again, almost squinting into cross-eye.

Zhou Mu, stunned: "Huh?"

What was this?

You Qi's tone carried the relief of having done what he wanted and finding it felt good: "Don't run or jump right after eating, it hurts the stomach."

Oh, hurts the stomach. You Qi studied herbs, so Zhou Mu didn't doubt him at all. Without a shred of resistance, he settled into the position, lying on You Qi's shoulder, even nuzzling twice with his chin.

Such a light touch shouldn't have produced any sensation in You Qi, yet he somehow became aware of "comfort." The wind at the treetops swirled past their cheeks, like a light kiss, tickling You Qi.

Zhou Mu, draped over You Qi's shoulder, let his gaze wander, spotted Gui Youqi — who was walking along the edge and nearly fell into a pothole — and immediately shouted with concern: "Careful!"

Gui Youqi had been fine, gripping the edge of the pothole — but Zhou Mu's shout made him fall in entirely.

Zhou Mu: "Oh no, hope he's not hurt."

You Qi tilted his head to observe — Zhou Mu's face really was pure concern. "Not holding grudges anymore?"

Zhou Mu said shyly: "Oh, I'm the type who remembers food but not beatings..."

You Qi: "..."

...That kind of "remembers food but not beatings"?