NIP #593 - Weird Wolf Master
#593 - Weird Wolf Master
"Welcome back, Tang Yin." Madam Chen Xiang stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, nodding to him with a smile. Her voice was as gentle as ever, but the wrinkles around her eyes betrayed an unconcealable fatigue.
The atmosphere in the cafeteria was somewhat heavy. Several high school students huddled around a table, heads down, shoveling food into their mouths. Hua Lu was whispering something to Xiao Mie, occasionally looking up towards the entrance.
Qian Jin sat alone by the window, his fingers tapping incessantly on the table, making a slight noise. In the corner, Grandpa Wolf stared unblinkingly at the empty bowl in front of him, his wrinkled face devoid of any expression. Sunlight streamed in through the yellowed glass windows, casting slender shadows on the floor.
"Sorry, I wasn't able to help," Tang Yin said softly, a complex emotion welling up inside him.
"Don't mind it." Chen Xiang shook her head gently. "You went to help Zhao Gang, thank you." Her gaze carried a kind of understanding warmth, as if she already knew what they had done.
"It's nothing." Tang Yin paused, looking around. "Um, where are Wang Lina and Xia Hui?"
"The female reporter said she needed to check something in the camera, and then locked herself in her room. Wang Lina should be helping her with laundry." Hua Lu turned around to explain, her voice a little hoarse, obviously having gone through a sleepless night as well. Tang Yin then remembered that Xia Hui had indeed been covered in blood before, the shocking scene still vivid in his mind.
"Please enjoy your meal." Qin Yi came out of the kitchen with a plate of food and placed it on the table.
Madam Chen Xiang handed over a white porcelain bowl, Tang Yin took it and found a seat at random. The cafeteria was filled with a complex smell of pickled vegetables and meat, which wasn't unpleasant.
"Thank you for your hard work, Tang Yin." Qin Ming suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with sincerity.
"You too, Qin Ming." Tang Yin responded without showing any emotion.
"You've remembered my name, I'm honored." Qin Ming's tone carried a hint of playfulness. Tang Yin's heart tightened, secretly pondering the meaning of these words. It was just remembering a name, it shouldn't make him think of death regression, right?
Tang Yin picked up a pair of chopsticks and stuck them into the vegetable and marinated beast meat bibimbap in front of him. The food wasn't very hot anymore, but it was still palatable.
"Sorry, this is all I can offer you. It's all leftovers from yesterday, but we can't waste it." Chen Xiang's tone was apologetic.
"How much food is left?" Tang Yin stopped his chopsticks and asked this crucial question.
"The refrigerator is out of power, the milk and meat probably won't last long, but there's no need to worry about rice and vegetables." Chen Xiang sighed. Tang Yin nodded silently, not having noticed this problem last time. Fortunately, it wasn't a complete lack of food, which was the silver lining.
"Besides the power outage, are there any other problems?" He continued to press.
"...Well, I'm a little worried about the gas, it's almost time to change the gas tank..." Chen Xiang hesitated. "Once it's used up, we'll have to make a fire."
"Is Da Shan having a tantrum?" Tong Xiaoliang suddenly interjected, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
"Xiaoliang, don't use dirty words." Chen Xiang immediately stopped him.
Listening to their almost daily conversation, Tang Yin lowered his head and took another bite of bibimbap. The sour taste of the pickled vegetables and the salty aroma of the marinated meat spread in his mouth, surprisingly appetizing. The taste wasn't bad, at least it could make people temporarily forget the current situation. But how long could this peaceful time last? The fog outside the window seemed to be silently mocking their luck.
Tang Yin put a piece of meat into his mouth, and was surprised to find that the taste was unexpectedly good. You couldn't tell at all that it was food prepared in this environment, he thought he would have to close his eyes to barely swallow it. The soup in the bowl exuded an alluring aroma, much more salty and delicious than the bland soup at Belle Manor, and the taste was more authentic.
Chewing the piece of meat carefully, Tang Yin was lost in thought. This should be the prey that old man Gao Zhijie hunted yesterday, which was later handed over to Wang Lina to handle. The meat was tender, without any fishy smell, and the taste was refreshing, it should be venison. Remembering being made a fool of by those people in the mountains before, he could finally get one back. On closer comparison, whether it was the amount of meat or the taste, the food in Wuyin Village might be a little better than that of Belle Manor.
Tang Yin quickly swept the food in his bowl, and took the initiative to ask for another bowl. Since it was rare to encounter something delicious, he would eat as much as he could while he could. His movements were swift and neat, and he was not affected by the surrounding atmosphere at all.
"You've adapted to the food here quite quickly." Qian Jin's voice came from not far away. Tang Yin looked up, originally thinking he would hear the other party's usual sarcasm again, but this time Qian Jin's tone was surprisingly calm, without the aggressive feeling of the past.
"Aren't you eating?" Tang Yin put down his chopsticks and asked casually.
Qian Jin shook his head gently, looking disgusted: "I have food at home. To be honest, after living in the city for a long time, I feel that the food here has no taste at all." The way he said "here" was subtle, obviously not just talking about Wuyin Village, but also including the entire Baifeng Manor. Tang Yin keenly caught this detail.
"Also, I don't have much of an appetite right now," Qian Jin added, a shadow flashing in his eyes.
"Uncle, eat a little? It might be the last meal." Tong Xiaoliang suddenly said, his voice carrying a hint of unintentional cruelty.
"!" Gao Mei trembled.
"Hey, Xiaoliang!" Qin Ming stopped him sternly.
Before he finished speaking, Gao Mei, who was already pale, suddenly covered her mouth and rushed to the toilet. She was obviously forcing herself to eat before, but excessive tension and fear made it impossible for her to swallow anything. The air flow she stirred up when she ran lifted the napkins on the table and then gently fell.
Qian Jin's gaze turned to Tong Xiaoliang, his voice reproachful: "Xiaoliang, you were abolished as the heir because you don't know how to understand others, haven't you learned your lesson yet?" His words were not heavy, but every word hit the mark.
"Uncle, I don't want to listen to your lectures, I'll go apologize." Tong Xiaoliang curled his lips, got up and walked in the direction of Gao Mei. His back was slightly lonely, and his footsteps were particularly clear in the quiet cafeteria.
With the departure of the two, the atmosphere in the cafeteria suddenly became unusually awkward. The sound of tableware colliding became more and more piercing, and everyone lowered their heads, as if focusing on dealing with the food in their bowls, but actually avoiding each other's eyes. The fog outside the window seemed to be getting thicker, shrouding the entire room in a gray atmosphere. A kind of unspeakable oppression filled the air, making it hard to breathe.
"What's the situation next?" Tang Yin put down his chopsticks and looked around at everyone present. The air in the cafeteria seemed to freeze, with only the sound of the wind outside the window whispering. Chen Xiang hesitated, her eyes flickering, obviously having something difficult to say.
"There should be a routine gathering to decide who is the murderer of that incident." Qian Jin said slowly, his tone cold. His slender fingers tapped gently on the table, making a rhythmic sound.
"And then?" Tang Yin pressed, already vaguely guessing something.
"Don't worry, Tang Yin." Qin Ming suddenly interjected, squeezing out a forced smile on his face. But his voice was obviously unnatural, as if deliberately concealing something. The sunlight shone on his profile through the window, outlining a deep shadow.
"Absolutely nothing absurd will happen." He added, but his tone seemed a little lacking in confidence.
"Oh, that sounds reliable." Tang Yin said sarcastically, his eyes unusually sharp.
"Well, don't worry." Qin Ming repeated again, as if convincing himself. Tang Yin frowned, constantly pondering a question in his mind - was he a wolf this time? Just as he was racking his brains trying to sort out his thoughts, the door of the cafeteria was pushed open, and Zhao Gang's figure appeared at the door.
"Zhao Gang." Chen Xiang bowed slightly.
"Sister Chen Xiang, please get me a big bowl." Zhao Gang's voice was tired, but he still maintained a light tone. "Qian Jin, are you eating well?"
"Don't call me so intimately." Qian Jin responded coldly.
Zhao Gang's gaze turned to Tang Yin, and found that the bowl in front of him was empty: "Oh, Tang Yin, you've eaten a lot."
"Thank you for the treat." Tang Yin nodded slightly.
"You actually got to eat Sister Chen Xiang's food before me, you're really lucky. Is it delicious?" Zhao Gang showed a teasing smile.
"Well, if you want to marry a wife, you should marry someone like this." Tang Yin replied casually.
"Cough cough!" Qin Ming suddenly coughed violently.
"Oh my, oh my, you're really overpraising me." Chen Xiang's face flushed slightly, and she quickly waved her hand.
"You kid, could it be that you have feelings for Sister Chen Xiang..." Zhao Gang's expression became meaningful.
"Oh my, what's with this atmosphere?" Tang Yin pretended to be at a loss. Pretending to be stupid was obviously the best choice now, he thought to himself.
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"By the way, Zhao Gang." Tang Yin lowered his voice and moved closer to Zhao Gang.
"What's wrong?" Zhao Gang's expression became serious.
"When does the banquet start?"
"Nine o'clock, the time specified by Elder Gao." Zhao Gang's voice also lowered unconsciously.
"I see." Tang Yin nodded, a chill rising in his heart. In less than an hour, they would be discussing which of them to execute. This realization made him feel suffocated.
Zhao Gang finally started eating, the sound of chopsticks touching the porcelain bowl was particularly clear in the quiet cafeteria. Everyone else was silent, as if shrouded in some invisible pressure. Tang Yin looked around, his gaze finally falling on the lonely figure in the corner. He stood up, holding his bowl, and walked over.
"Can I sit here, Grandpa?" He asked softly, watching the old man who was staring at the empty bowl. Grandpa Wolf did not look up, but moved slightly to make room for him. The atmosphere in the cafeteria seemed even heavier, and even the sound of the wind outside the window became bleak.
"Oh?" Grandpa Wolf's turbid eyes narrowed slightly, and there was no emotional fluctuation on his wrinkled face. Tang Yin thought to himself, if this old man was a Protector, how should he deal with it when the time comes? This thought made him feel a little uneasy.
"Too bad, I just moved here yesterday, and it's foggy today." Tang Yin tried to start a conversation, his voice deliberately carrying a bit of helplessness.
"Hehehehe..." Grandpa Wolf suddenly let out a meaningful laugh, his old voice particularly harsh in the corner of the cafeteria.
"Grandpa Wolf, where do you live in Wuyin Village?" Tang Yin continued to try to talk, carefully observing the old man's reaction.
"Hoo~" He was answered with a long snore. The old man's head drooped slightly, as if he had fallen asleep. It seemed that there was no way to have a normal conversation, Tang Yin sighed in his heart.
"Haha, sorry, I disturbed you." He was about to get up and leave.
"It's safe here." Grandpa Wolf suddenly said, his voice clear and firm, not at all like the sleepy one just now.
"Huh?" Tang Yin was stunned.
"It's the safest here, that's why I stay here." The old man's tone was firm, as if stating an unquestionable fact. The sunlight shone in through the window behind him, casting a blurry halo on his hunched figure.
Safe? Tang Yin frowned slightly, this word seemed so ironic in the current situation.
"Ah, do you mean the cafeteria?" He asked tentatively.
"..." Grandpa Wolf fell silent again, as if the conversation just now had never happened. Tang Yin couldn't tell whether the old man was answering his question or talking to himself. This inexplicable attitude was puzzling.
If he said that Wuyin Village was the safest, it would be even more incomprehensible. From any point of view, Wuyin Village should be the most dangerous place in Baifeng Manor. Could there be any special reason that made him so sure of the safety here? But according to the last experience, didn't he get killed quickly anyway? In terms of the ending, it was not safe for him at all.
Tang Yin felt that he seemed to have grasped some important clues, but he was not yet able to organize these scattered pieces of information into a complete logic. This vague feeling was disturbing.
Unable to continue to endure this oppressive atmosphere, Tang Yin stood up, ready to change his position. Just then, the sound of a chair being pulled came from beside him. He turned his head and saw Hua Lu quietly watching him with her bright eyes. This sudden situation put Tang Yin in a dilemma - should he sit down or not?
"Mr. Tang Yin, I have something to tell you..." Hua Lu said softly, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible tension. She had already made it so clear, Tang Yin was still hesitating whether or not to -
"Hey! Don't ignore Hua Lu!" Qian Jin suddenly raised his voice.
"Unexpected retort!" Tang Yin blurted out subconsciously.
"Who's retorting you!" A trace of anger appeared on Qian Jin's face. "Even if you just came and don't know who to respect, you should know that you must respond to an invitation from a dignified lady, this is the most basic etiquette!"
"Oh, regardless of whether she's dignified or not, I really can't refute your claim!" Tang Yin shrugged.
"That's right... No, are you making fun of me!" Qian Jin realized that he had been tricked.
Tang Yin turned to Hua Lu, a smile on his lips: "Hua Lu, you look beautiful today too." The sunlight shone right on Hua Lu's profile, coating her delicate face with a faint golden color. The atmosphere in the cafeteria seemed to become less heavy because of this interlude.