Just as everyone was giving up, the situation suddenly took an unexpected turn. Zhen Xiaoyan, who had already left, suddenly turned back and walked towards Ye Lang's table.
She came to Ye Lang's table and looked at him eating with his head down. It was obvious that she had noticed Ye Lang's presence, just not how she found out.
"Ye Lang, what are you eating?" Zhen Xiaoyan was a little annoyed at first, annoyed that Ye Lang, knowing she was there, didn't say a word. If she hadn't noticed, she wouldn't have known he was right next to her.
But when she saw what Ye Lang was eating, all her annoyance was temporarily set aside, and she became concerned about what he was having.
"I'm eating your tofu," Ye Lang answered honestly.
"..."
At this moment, the whole restaurant fell silent, and you could hear a pin drop!
This Young Master 13 really dares to say anything, eating Zhen Xiaoyan's tofu. So bold and honest...
"My tofu? What did you say? I'll tear your mouth!" Zhen Xiaoyan didn't think this was a problem at first, but as soon as she saw everyone's weird looks, she immediately realized and scolded Ye Lang.
Ye Lang shook his head and said, "I didn't say anything wrong. This is your tofu. I can't be wrong about the taste, I eat yours every day and I'm familiar with it."
"Shut up, you're not allowed to talk!" Zhen Xiaoyan exclaimed.
"Haha... silly little girl, you really are a silly little girl, but you're cute!" her cousin saw the situation and started laughing uncontrollably, not caring about appearing dignified.
"I can't shut up, if I do, how can I eat? Waiter, bring the food!" Ye Lang refused directly.
"..." Zhen Xiaoyan was stunned for a moment, then reached over and grabbed the only dish on the table so Ye Lang couldn't reach it.
"Fatty, give it to me, I haven't finished yet!" Ye Lang reached out to grab it.
"No, this isn't for you to eat!" Zhen Xiaoyan refused.
"Why?" Ye Lang asked, puzzled.
"This isn't tasty!" Zhen Xiaoyan interrupted.
"Your tofu is very tasty..." Ye Lang said honestly, and that was the dish that greeted him, so when Zhen Xiaoyan heard this, she grabbed the tofu and the plate and smashed it at him.
"I told you not to say that again!!"
"Okay, okay... won't say it, eat tofu..." Ye Lang summoned an alchemy formation on his hand, catching the plate of tofu without spilling a drop of its juice.
"No eating!!" Zhen Xiaoyan pounced and took the tofu back.
"Why, Fatty, what's wrong with you today?" After biting nothing, Ye Lang complained.
"This isn't for you to eat, yours is here." Zhen Xiaoyan placed the dish of tofu aside, then took out one delicious dish after another from her space bag, far surpassing the previous tofu dish in taste and appearance.
"Wow, this...," her cousin was surprised and picked up the chopsticks to taste it.
"This is so delicious, this is real earthly delicacy!!" Her cousin immediately praised. And this time, her praise was without reservation!
"Ye Lang, who is this lady?" Only now did Zhen Xiaoyan notice her cousin's presence.
"My cousin," replied Ye Lang simply, without any further explanation.
"How should I address her?" Zhen Xiaoyan asked gently.
"Just call her cousin," Ye Lang replied nonchalantly.
For some reason, Zhen Xiaoyan blushed slightly and said, "Hello, cousin, thank you for your praise, please feel free to enjoy."
"Hehe, good, you must be Zhen Xiaoyan. I've heard about you, and now you're truly beautiful. Little Lang does have some skill!" Her cousin's initial focus was, of course, on Zhen Xiaoyan's appearance and figure, as is the nature of all women.
"Yes, he's really amazing, always surprising!" Zhen Xiaoyan nodded, with a sense of admiration for Ye Lang.
"You're also good, remember to take care of me, your silly little brother, in the future." Elder sister smiled slightly, with a hint of ambiguity.
"I can't take care of him, I can only cook." Zhen Xiaoyan shook her head, she really couldn't take care of Ye Lang, because he made people worry too much.
"It's good if you can take care of one aspect, find someone else for the others." Elder sister said with a smile.
"..." Zhen Xiaoyan fell silent for a while, while Ye Lang seemed completely detached, as if they were not talking about him.
"Okay, I have a question for you. Wasn't that plate of tofu you made? Why is there such a big difference?" Elder sister asked.
"That plate was made by me, but it was made with these leftover vegetables, just a random stir-fry, not meant for Ye Lang to eat." Zhen Xiaoyan gave an answer that embarrassed everyone.
It turned out that up to now, the dishes she sold in the restaurant were all made casually by her, just to avoid wasting ingredients. There were also some failed works of hers, and she would never let Ye Lang eat them.
She wanted Ye Lang to eat the best things!!
It was because of this that when she saw Ye Lang eating her plate of tofu, she immediately stopped him, saying she wouldn't allow it, thinking that Ye Lang couldn't eat such food.
And even with such dishes, everyone still loved them, which also indicated Zhen Xiaoyan's culinary skills had reached a level that others couldn't reach.
"Why are you so oblivious? Can't you tell the difference? Do I usually give you such things to eat!!" Zhen Xiaoyan complained to Ye Lang, as if she herself had eaten second-rate food.
"?? I can tell the difference, but I'll still eat it." Ye Lang replied.
"Can tell the difference, yet still eat it??" Zhen Xiaoyan asked in confusion.
"Why not? It's still delicious, it's all made by you, there's no difference." Ye Lang replied absent-mindedly.
After hearing this, Zhen Xiaoyan fell silent for a long time...
Yes, Ye Lang had already recognized the difference from the beginning, but that dish was made casually by Zhen Xiaoyan, and he still ate it without complaint. In fact, when it came to food, he wasn't too picky, as long as it was edible, he would eat it. Although now Zhen Xiaoyan had made his palette a bit more demanding, her casual works were still within his acceptance range, and he naturally wouldn't raise any objections.
And even if Zhen Xiaoyan's dish was very failed and terrible, he would still eat it, though he would directly tell Zhen Xiaoyan that she lacked skill, he would still finish the dish she made.
Zhen Xiaoyan knew this, and yet every time she heard Ye Lang's words, she felt a little moved, well, just a little, at least that's what she said to herself!
And just because she knew this, the first thing she did was to finish the plate of tofu, so that Ye Lang wouldn't think of finishing it.
Ye Lang looked at Zhen Xiaoyan, seeming to understand something, but soon he focused back on eating, ignoring Zhen Xiaoyan, who also started eating and even fought with Ye Lang over the food.
"Hey, I've bitten that, you still eat it..." Ye Lang shouted.
"Hmph, why not? You're always shameless, taking a bite here and there, trying to hog all the food for yourself..." Zhen Xiaoyan replied. This was not the first time this had happened - Ye Lang was too shameless.
"If that's the case, I'll have to use a special move, I'll spit in it..." Ye Lang smiled maliciously, he thought of a person who once spat in his own food on the table, and then no one dared to touch it.
This move was just a joke from Ye Lang, it was too much for him, he couldn't accept it.
"Do you dare!!" Zhen Xiaoyan was angry, "If you dare to do that, I won't cook for you!!"
"Tch, you've already signed the contract with me, you have to cook for me your whole life!" Ye Lang said disdainfully.
"Hmph! I want to cancel our contract!!"
"Let's talk about it in the next life..."
"..."
After eating and drinking their fill, Ye Lang and the two women went out for a walk, went shopping, and left everyone behind...
After playing for an afternoon, Ye Lang sent Zhen Xiaoyan home and then prepared to go home himself, to grind off the scar on his sister's forehead.
And as they were about to part ways, before Zhen Xiaoyan had entered her house, she suddenly remembered something -
"Ye Lang, are you ready for the trial in a few days?"
"Trial? What trial?" It seemed that Ye Lang had no idea what the trial was about.
Zhen Xiaoyan said impatiently, "I knew it, you can't be bothered about the academy's affairs! Let me tell you, this trial is to prepare for next year's competition."
"What...?"
"What competition? You really don't have any idea, I don't know what to say to you! Next year, there is a competition of rankings held once in ten years at the academy." Zhen Xiaoyan said.
She continued, "I'm sure you don't know the importance of this competition..."
Ye Lang nodded...
"Hey, let me explain it briefly to you. This competition determines the rankings of the academy, that's all I'll explain. In fact, in the current competition, what everyone pays the most attention to is how many young talents will appear. They will be the key figures of the future on the continent!"
“Why doesn't it matter? If you can achieve good results, your position in the Empire will rise. At that time, nobody will stop you even if you walk sideways!” Zhen Xiaoyan urgently said, wanting Ye Lang to understand that besides the support of the family, one must also have personal abilities to become the center of power.
However, Ye Lang was not interested in this at all, and he casually said, "Even now, nobody dares to stop me from walking sideways. I bet you, watch me…”
After saying that, Ye Lang started walking back and forth...
“You really can walk sideways now, but that was just a metaphor, you silly fool!!” his cousin scolded, and continued, “Xiaoyan's suggestion is good. You should participate and achieve some results, it will help your future.”
“I...will...not...go!” Ye Lang said, firmly stating his position.
“Why? Are you afraid of trouble? It's actually very fun. The next year's competition will be in the holy city of the Elar Empire. It's not a place that's open to the public.” Zhen Xiaoyan tried to entice Ye Lang, knowing that other things didn't seem to interest him.
“The holy city? Isn't that the birthplace of the Church of Transcendence? The current residence of the Holy See?” Ye Lang was quite knowledgeable about these kinds of things.
“Yes, usually, except on pilgrimage days, there's no chance to enter. You did say you want to travel around one day, isn't this a great opportunity?” Zhen Xiaoyan said.
“That's true…” Ye Lang nodded, then immediately added, “But if it's open at that time, even if I don't participate, I can still go in.”
"..." Zhen Xiaoyan fell silent for a moment, thinking to herself, why isn't he being clueless this time? It's the times when he should be clueless, and the times when he should be astute!
Yes, that was her thought, her thoughts on Ye Lang...
“Not necessarily, by then, due to the large number of people, they could restrict entry,” Zhen Xiaoyan said, although she knew the reason was weak, it had to be said.
“Restricting others only. I, the 13th young master of the Ye family, would never be restricted,” Ye Lang said disdainfully.
“Can't you consider your future? Do you really want to continue like this every day, just wanting to be a spendthrift? What if one day, you squander the family's wealth?” Zhen Xiaoyan was somewhat annoyed, not at Ye Lang's irresponsibility, but at herself for being angry over this.
"If it's all squandered, then I've achieved my goal..." Ye Lang said nonchalantly.
“You... you... you're beyond redemption!!” Zhen Xiaoyan was exasperated.
“Excessive praise! You'd better go in, I have things to do,” Ye Lang waved, as if trying to hurry Zhen Xiaoyan inside.
“Hmpf!!” Zhen Xiaoyan stomped her foot, turned around, and huffily walked in.
“Cousin, we're going home, fix your face,” Ye Lang completely ignored Zhen Xiaoyan's anger, and calmly said to his cousin.
“Little Lang, actually Xiaoyan is just worried about you, you shouldn't treat her like that,” his cousin said sentimentally.
“I know, but I really don't like these things, they not only bring trouble but also have many downsides,” Ye Lang said as he walked back.
“Downsides? What downsides are there in this?” the cousin asked, not understanding. But what Ye Lang said next made it even more difficult for her to understand, and what made it even more difficult for her to understand is—what kind of person her cousin really is.
“You think with my status, family, and power, if I have personal abilities, I can control the world of power. But, is it really a good thing to have that power in your hands?” Ye Lang said casually.
"..." his cousin pondered.
"In any case, I can't be that kind of person. Like you said, I'm a foolish fool, often confused. If I take those people's position, what do you think would happen?" Ye Lang waved his hand and smiled.
"..., I think you should continue as you are, it's okay. Even if you squander the Ye family's wealth, your sister will still support you," his cousin changed her opinion after a while, immediately supporting Ye Lang's frivolous behavior.
“That's what you said, don't regret it later!” Ye Lang, in a spontaneous moment, suddenly turned shrewd and seized on her words.
His cousin tapped Ye Lang, and then said, “Hmph, daring to question my words! Even if I support you for ten lifetimes, you cannot spend money recklessly like you do now. Each month I will only allow you to spend a maximum of... ten thousand gold coins!”
A thousand seemed a bit too little for his cousin, so she raised it to ten thousand.
This didn't mean his cousin didn't understand the value of a thousand gold coins. For an average person, it would take at least ten years of hard work to earn that much money. She was fully aware of this situation, yet she still felt it was too little, and it would make life difficult for Ye Lang.
“Cousin…” Ye Lang looked at his cousin with watery eyes.
“What is it, are you touched?” his cousin teasingly said.
“Yes, cousin, I love you…” Ye Lang nodded.
“Hmph, you rascal, don't say that. Save it for someone you like!” his cousin scolded and laughed, her face under the veil seemed to blush slightly.
To think she would be teased by this rascal...
“Cousin, love comes in many forms, this is love for family. If you don't want it, then I won't give it to you, I'll only give it to my neurotic older sister,” said Ye Lang, waving his hand.
“No, be good, remember to love me like you love your neurotic sister in the future,” his cousin said.
“...”
...
“Achoo!” Ye Lanyu rubbed her nose, feeling a bit confused, “Am I catching a cold?”
...
Night, as always, was peaceful. Even the members of the Ye family were as calm as the night. Yes, overall, it was calm.
For the Ye family, as long as no one caused a commotion, it was generally very peaceful. Of course, this was excluding special circumstances.
"Where's Ye Lang?" the head of the Ye family asked while having dinner.
At this moment, there were dozens of people eating in the Ye family hall, gathered around seven or eight large tables. This was the situation that occurred every day. The Ye family always maintained this tradition of having dinner together.
The Ye family was large, and this one family comprised several dozen people!!
Even with so many people present, the head of the Ye family could still tell at a glance if Ye Lang wasn't there. While Ye Lang frequently missed dinner, this didn't stop him from asking.
At the same time, Ye Lanyu was also absent from the scene, yet the head of the Ye family did not inquire about her, because he knew she must be with Ye Lang.
"He's helping his cousin, it seems that her cousin is going to have some cosmetic procedures done, something about smoothening her skin. Hmph, this little rascal, he never does that for me!” Long Anqi said, feeling somewhat resentful.
“Oh, does that mean his cousin is leaving tomorrow?” the head of the Ye family asked casually after getting an answer.
"Yes, so that kid used this excuse to not go to school again these past few days," Ye Chengtian answered with a smile, seeming accustomed to Ye Lang's absence from school and not objecting to it.
"Oh, then continue eating!" said the head of the Ye family.
In the depths of Ye Lang's room, three people closed the door and were doing something inside, taking off that...
Cough, don't think in the wrong direction, the three of them are siblings and absolutely wouldn't do anything against morality. They were just lifting their cousin's veil.
As the veil was removed, beneath the bangs, a horrifyingly long scar made Ye Lang emotionally moved and Ye Lanyu felt pity.
After a while, Ye Lang took out a small object, similar to a ballpoint pen, and fiddled with it there.
At that moment, Ye Lanyu and their cousin saw a beam of light emitted from the "ballpoint pen," and after the light shone on the ground, it actually charred the surface of the stone.
And from Ye Lang's expression, it seemed that he intended to use this "ballpoint pen" to treat their cousin...
"Young brother, can you handle it? If you mess up our cousin's face, you'll be in big trouble," said Ye Lanyu with some doubt.
"Don't worry, it was just a trial run, and it's already adjusted!" Ye Lang nonchalantly replied.
"Oh... Wait, didn't you say you were going to smooth out the skin? Why are you using this now?" Ye Lanyu suddenly recollected Ye Lang's previous words. Smoothing out the skin should be done with tools to grind away the scar.
"This is smoothing out the skin. It doesn't mean we have to use those things to grind. The stimulating effect of this light will be better, not only can it remove the scar, it can also whiten the skin, making it delicate and fair..." Ye Lang casually replied, not realizing how tempting these words would be to the two girls present.
"Really? Then help me fix my entire face, and my body too..." their cousin immediately said.
"And mine, cousin, your skin is good enough, mine is comparatively worse. Little brother, help elder sister too!" Ye Lanyu interjected to seize this opportunity.
"Little rain, your skin is worse? You are talking nonsense. If your skin is bad, then there won't be good ones in the world. Crystal clear, just like ice crystals, I don't know if all ice elemental people are like this." Cousin immediately retorted, and what she said was a fact, Ye Lanyu's skin was astonishingly good, hardly matched by anyone.
"Not really, it wasn't like this before, it got better over time. Think about it, maybe it's because of my little brother. He often experiments with strange things on me." Ye Lanyu looked at Ye Lang, not very sure about her own guess, but she was eighty percent sure.
"Is that so?" Ye Lang had a look of ignorance, not faking it, but because he had used so many things, he himself was unclear about whether it had this effect.