Invitation

The three of them quickly returned to room 404 on the fourth floor.

The special braised fish was still steaming.

Chen Miemie didn't find the smell particularly appetizing, but whether it was Baibai secretly swallowing her saliva or the bizarre entities on his body muttering in his ears, it all proved that Mian Ruyan's special cuisine held a massive appeal to the bizarre.

Catching the scent, the orange cat opened its eyes. It was having trouble moving now, so Baibai held it in her arms and fed it.

After the first bite, a visible spark of energy returned to Yarn Ball's eyes.

Cats love eating fish to begin with, and with the boost from a Mystery-level ability, the whole fish was soon reduced to an intact skeleton, with not even a drop of broth left.

Mian Ruyan had explained that her special effect cuisine would only work once within a short period of time. If more was eaten, the subsequent portions would only serve to fill the stomach and taste delicious.

Right now, Yarn Ball and Baibai needed to save every ounce of their strength, so it wasn't a good time for chatting.

They had done all they could. Whether it could survive the day now depended entirely on Yarn Ball's own willpower and luck.

"We'll be right next door. Give us a shout if you need anything."

Chen Miemie and the other two didn't stay to bother them, heading over to room 403 next door.

Inside 404, besides the one person and one cat, there was also Loop.

Loop's medical abilities could also be of some help.

Inside room 403.

"Chen Miemie, it hasn't been that long since graduation, but I feel like you've changed so much. Aren't you afraid at all walking around outside?" Mian Ruyan's eyes brimmed with curiosity.

"I wouldn't say I'm not afraid. I actually make sure to keep my doors locked normally, but this was an emergency."

"You're still really brave. By the way, what's your [Mystery] level at now? One point something?"

A question mark practically popped up over Chen Miemie's head. "What do you mean one point something? I have a codename now. You can call me [Night Ruler] from now on."

Mian Ruyan rolled her eyes at him. "Stop bragging. Only veteran Mystics at Tier 3 or above have codenames. Tell the truth, what's your Mystery level?"

Chen Miemie told the truth: "Less than 4."

"Heh, why don't you just say less than 6?"

Just as the conversation was about to hit a dead end, Mengmeng's stomach growled.

Having been in a constant state of tension for half the day, Mengmeng and Mian Ruyan had barely had a drop of water, so they were indeed hungry.

Mengmeng looked at Mian Ruyan, and then both of them looked at Chen Miemie.

"Why are you looking at me? Didn't you bring any food?"

"No, we came in a hurry and didn't bring any food."

"No problem, I have roast chicken."

Chen Miemie didn't try to hide it much, conjuring a large platter of pineapple roast chicken out of thin air.

To humans, this roast chicken smelled far more appetizing than the braised fish from earlier.

The aroma hit like a bomb, making the eyes of the two starving girls light up as they secretly gulped down their saliva.

They each got half a chicken.

Mengmeng was just about to shove a chicken leg into her mouth.

"Wait!" Mian Ruyan suddenly called out to stop her. "This smell... why does it seem like it's from that roast chicken place in the South District?"

Chen Miemie praised her expertise. "You've got a sharp nose. It was made by the chef from that very place."

Mian Ruyan hurriedly put down the roast chicken. "Are you crazy?! Let me tell you, according to my family's analysis, there's something wrong with the roast chicken from that shop. You can't eat it."

Hearing this, Chen Miemie became very displeased:

"Who said that? I eat it every day. Don't go slinging mud here. If you affect the roast chicken shop's business, even if we are classmates, I'll still demand compensation from you."

Hearing that Chen Miemie ate it every day, Mian Ruyan grew anxious too.

"I'm serious, my family's intelligence wouldn't be wrong. That shop never restocks its supplies, and there are absolutely no signs of use in their kitchen."

Chen Miemie didn't want to pay attention to her, turning the back of his head toward her.

"Mengmeng, if she's not eating, you can have it all. You're still growing, so eat up."

"Chen Miemie! I'm telling the truth! If you don't believe me, I'll show you the evidence tomorrow."

Chen Miemie gnawed on a roasted wing himself and silenced Mian Ruyan with a single sentence: "I'm the one who opened that shop."

The atmosphere instantly became a bit awkward.

Mian Ruyan's face turned red.

To say there was a problem with someone's shop right to the boss's face.

Fortunately, they were old classmates, so Mian Ruyan quickly recovered. She leaned in closer: "How does your shop conjure roast chicken out of thin air? Is it that female manager's [Mystery]?"

Chen Miemie pushed her away. "Trade secret. No comment."

While the two were talking, Mengmeng had already finished her half of the roast chicken.

She let out a cute burp and prepared to continue.

"Mengmeng, put down that other half, that's mine!"

Mengmeng shielded the roast chicken. "You just said you weren't going to eat it, and Chen Miemie already gave it to me."

"I never said I wouldn't eat it! Hurry up and share some with me."

After the three of them fooled around for a bit and their stomachs were full, Chen Miemie brought up the previous matter again.

"Mian Ruyan, I wasn't joking with you. I sincerely invite you to come be a chef at my house."

Mian Ruyan, who had been cautious just moments ago but now had a large chicken leg stuffed in her mouth, raised an eyebrow:

"Are you serious? My family, and even the teachers at school, all say my ability is useless. I was fully prepared to just go into management and take over my family's business."

"Are you willing to accept that?"

"What can I do even if I'm not? I can't fight, and I can't support others. If I force my way down the path of Mystery, I can't see any hope.

My family has it all planned out. They fully support my sister's path of Mystery, and dump all the mundane affairs onto me."

Chen Miemie had zero sympathy for her. "Are you seriously trying to play the victim here? So if the path of Mystery doesn't work out, you just go home and inherit a multi-billion fortune, huh?"

"Hehe, playing the victim is a bit of a stretch, but I never really liked fighting anyway. It's just that the power gap is too big, so I always get bullied by my sister."

"That Grand Witch sister of yours?"

"Yeah."

"Give it a rest. She's already a Grand Witch. You say that as if you could ever catch up to her."

"That's true. I have to admit, out of everyone I know, she has the highest talent."

Chen Miemie coughed lightly, correcting the flaw in her statement: "The person with the highest talent is sitting right in front of you. Even a Grand Witch can only rank second."

"Hmph, do you know how long it took my sister to reach Tier 5 after graduation?"

"A year?" Chen Miemie guessed tentatively.

Mian Ruyan's face darkened with exasperation. "Let's see you reach Tier 5 in a year! It only took her 5 years! She's the fastest in the last 50 years."

Chen Miemie stayed silent.

A once-in-fifty-years genius, and that's it?

"I heard before that besides my teacher Dawn, there's no [Mystery] Tier 6 in Sixiang City. Your sister hasn't broken through either?"

"Yeah, she wants to advance, but it's so rare for humanity to produce a Grand Witch. Without a high degree of certainty, no one wants her to take the risk."

"What does your sister believe in?"

"Like all witches, she believes in the Silver Sun."

Chen Miemie rejoiced inwardly; he had just gained another piece of strange knowledge.

No wonder Chen Miaomiao arranged for there to be a sun in the room at the Paradise Building.

Unexpectedly, Mian Ruyan immediately added, "Sorry, when I say 'all' witches, the sole exception is your mother. Her faith is a mystery."

"We're getting off track. Mian Ruyan, as far as I know, you haven't joined a society yet, right?"

"Yeah, my family has a small society of its own. I can join anytime, so it really makes no difference whether I join or not."

"Since we're classmates, I see the potential in your [Mystery]. Even though you're still weak, I can make an exception and recommend you."

"If you still want to walk the path of the occult, come find me once you've thought it through. I can recommend a secret society where your abilities will truly shine."

"Really? What kind of society?"

"I can't say. Come find me when you've made up your mind. With other societies, you simply can't leave once you join. But with the one I'm recommending, the very moment you learn its name, there is no turning back."

Mian Ruyan swung her delicate fist in the air:

"Hmph, you're exactly like the elders in my family. I hate it when you guys speak in riddles."