The food was still steaming, and it was hard to tell how long it took to prepare all these dishes.
Tong Sui asked, “Why did you make so much?”
“I wasn’t sure of your taste, so I just made a variety of things.”
Bai Xingluo handed over the bowls and chopsticks, his gaze filled with anticipation and nervousness as he looked at him, “Please try some?”
The utensils had been sterilized and still felt warm in his hands.
Tong Sui picked up the nearest Shengjianbao.
He bit into it gently; the fragrance of chopped green onions mixed with the rich meat aroma burst in his mouth, while the crispy bottom provided a delightful texture.
The taste of this long-missed food revived him, a stark contrast to the nutrient solution he had consumed all day yesterday that left him feeling withered.
He squinted his round eyes, and a few messy strands of hair atop his head seemed to wiggle joyfully as if surrounded by a bubbly pink background.
Bai Xingluo stood aside, the heavy heart he had been carrying finally felt lighter.
Although he excelled in the cooking class at the academy, it had been many years since he last used kitchen tools, as he had relied on nutrient solutions for his day to day.
He was afraid that his hands would be clumsy and that the food would be unappetizing.
This was the most basic duty of a female insect; if he couldn’t even do this well, how could he win the affection of the male lord?
Bai Xingluo watched the smile on Tong Sui’s face.
For reasons he couldn’t understand, a wave of undeniable satisfaction surged within him, surpassing even the joy of winning battles, simply because of Tong Sui’s comfortable and gentle expression.
He melted into this softness.
Watching Tong Sui take small bites of the Shengjianbao he had made, he also noticed how he licked the juice lingering on his lips, making them appear as if coated in a glossy lip glaze.
He swallowed hard.
Despite knowing that staring too long was inappropriate, he couldn’t tear his gaze away for even a moment.
Just then, Tong Sui suddenly turned to him, his clear eyes reflecting his figure.
“Why aren’t you sitting down to eat with me?”
Tong Sui’s voice was soft, tinged with a hint of hoarseness, yet he sincerely invited him, even pulling out the chair closest to him.
Bai Xingluo felt a tickling sensation in his heart; he wanted to sit right next to the male lord to admire his adorable expression up close.
He lowered his gaze but still voiced something completely contrary to his thoughts.
“Male lord, I am a female attendant, and I cannot dine with you.”
How could there be such a rule?
Tong Sui seemed to find this regulation in the corner of the memories transmitted to him by the system.
The status of female insects within the hierarchy differed greatly.
While a female ruler might suffer severe restrictions in major matters, she still enjoyed nearly equal rights in daily life, but a female attendant had to seek permission even for trivial matters.
And lower-ranking female slaves were even deprived of the right to dine at the table.
Bai Xingluo was pressed to sit in the chair.
She was somewhat stunned, the light hue of his eyes reflecting Tong Sui’s figure as he approached the kitchen and returned with another identical set of utensils, placing them firmly in Bai Xingluo’s hands.
“… Male lord?”
Tong Sui said, “You don’t have to abide by those unreasonable rules in front of me.”
In that instance, Bai Xingluo felt a momentary daze, suddenly reminded of memories from long ago.
These unjust rules, deemed reasonable, had been written into the empire’s textbooks and indoctrinated into nearly all insects from a young age.
He once believed this was unfair, but since everyone around him adhered to it, all resources were inclined toward male insects.
In the academy, male insects were even allowed to bully female insects with impunity, facing no consequences for their actions.
Everything was due to the rarity of male insects; thus, it seemed only natural for them to enjoy such inequities and irrationalities.
He attempted to escape, to strengthen himself to ascend to a broader tier.
Yet no matter how hard he worked, male insects could still stand above or even trample the paths laid out by female insects, claiming the fruits of their labour as their own.
He would no longer hold any expectations for male insects.
In the academy, he was always the best among them.
Possessing exceptional mental strength was just the foundation; his countless days and nights of training had earned him this dazzling position through blood and sweat.
But this seemingly indestructible foundation could easily shatter due to a single misfortune.
It felt as if all his efforts had turned into a cruel joke.
Watching the decree that determined his fate in that moment, he wished to tear apart everything he once cherished.
Until Tong Sui appeared, confidently approaching him like a ray of sunlight breaking through the darkness, pulling him out from his shadowy and damp corner.
The seed buried deep in his heart, close to withering away, was carried by the wind after a long arduous journey, finally landing on the island that was meant for him.
It turned out that he just hadn’t landed in soil that belonged to him.
Bai Xingluo sat there, as if lost in his own world, not making a move.
Tong Sui reached out, waving his hand in front of Bai Xingluo’s light blue eyes, leaning forward a little, “Did you hear me?”
The sudden closeness brought Bai Xingluo back to reality.
His eyelashes fluttered in a panic, and his back hit the chair, the pain grounding him slightly.
“Sorry, male lord.”
Tong Sui seemed unconcerned about his rudeness. Instead, he filled a bowl with a hearty breakfast for Bai Xingluo, a satisfied smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, “Alright, eat up.”
Bai Xingluo’s throat bobbed up and down.
The male lord not only asked him to sit but even served him food, causing him to feel as if he were still in a dream where everything was too wonderful.
Just yesterday, he had been in prison.
Tong Sui ate with a graceful demeanour, savouring each bite, and contagious happiness inadvertently emanated from his brows and eyes.