Chapter 156: Gossip In the Canteen (Part 1)

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Gossip In the Canteen (Part 1)

Sui Sui readily agreed to Yizhou’s request. At first, he had assumed that his senior brother wanted him to treat him to a meal somewhere, but Yizhou instead suggested going to the sect’s canteen.

The suggestion caught him a little off guard. Given Yizhou’s status and usual demeanor, Sui Sui hadn’t expected him to be particularly interested in eating at a place frequented by ordinary disciples. Still, since Yizhou had already made the suggestion, Sui Sui saw no reason to refuse.

And so, the two headed toward the canteen together.

The moment they stepped inside, Sui Sui once again found himself at the center of attention. It seemed that wherever he went lately, he couldn’t escape the curious gazes of his fellow disciples. However, this time, there was one rather significant difference.

Yizhou was walking right beside him.

It was currently the busiest time of the noon. The canteen was packed with disciples, most of whom had already settled down with their meals. The usual atmosphere was lively and noisy, with conversations overlapping one another and the occasional burst of laughter rising above the general din.

However, the moment the two entered, that familiar commotion came to an abrupt halt.

Several disciples looked up casually at first, but the instant they recognized the person walking beside Sui Sui, their reactions changed completely.

One unfortunate disciple happened to be in the middle of taking a mouthful of food when he caught sight of Yizhou. His eyes widened, and before he could swallow, he promptly spat everything out.

Unfortunately, the disciple sitting opposite him bore the full brunt of the attack. His face was immediately splattered with food, leaving him frozen in place. Yet, rather than getting angry or even reaching for a handkerchief, he simply stared in the same direction as his companion, his expression just as dumbfounded.

For a brief moment, the entire canteen seemed to fall silent.

The same thought flashed through everyone’s minds.

So the rumors were true!

The famous Senior Brother Yizhou had actually come to the canteen to eat with a lower-level disciple. If someone had told them this a few days ago, they would probably have laughed it off as an absurd joke. After all, what reason would someone of Yizhou’s standing have to associate so closely with an ordinary probationary disciple?

And yet, here he was.

Not only had he appeared alongside Sui Sui, the very person who had been at the center of various rumors and scandals over the past few days, but the two seemed close enough to share a meal in public without the slightest hesitation.

At this point, who would dare claim there was nothing unusual between them? Anyone foolish enough to deny it would probably be called stupid at by the entire canteen.

The once bustling dining hall had fallen into an almost unnatural silence. Hundreds of eyes followed the two newcomers, their owners seemingly having forgotten all about the food in front of them.

Meanwhile, Sui Sui felt as though he had been sentenced to public execution.

He wanted to cry, but there were no tears.

"Senior Brother Yizhou..." He tugged lightly at Yizhou’s sleeve and spoke in a cautious voice. "How about we eat back in our room instead?"

Yizhou turned his head to glance at him. A faint smile played on his lips, as though he hadn’t noticed the countless gazes fixed on them.

"Since we’re already here, what’s this nonsense about going back to the room? Come, let’s find a table."

Sui Sui nearly ground his teeth.

I really want to stab this man to death.

Who wanted to bet that Yizhou was doing this on purpose? Judging by that perfectly composed expression and the faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself at Sui Sui’s expense.

In truth, Yizhou was indeed doing it on purpose, though not for the reason Sui Sui suspected. He simply wanted everyone to understand that Sui Sui was under his protection. It was becoming increasingly tiresome to deal with people who kept trying to get their hands on person. If Yizhou had been any less patient, he might have already razed the entire place to the ground or lock Sui Sui up just to put an end to the nuisance.

Unfortunately, Sui Sui had no way of knowing what was going through his senior brother’s mind, nor could he do much about the situation. It wasn’t as though he could simply grab Yizhou by the sleeve and drag him out of the canteen, especially when the man himself seemed perfectly content to stay.

With most of the tables already occupied, Sui Sui could only follow Yizhou as he looked around for an available seat. Inwardly, however, he began to pray with all his might.

Please, please, let there be no empty tables.

If they couldn’t find anywhere to sit, surely they would have a perfectly good reason to leave, wouldn’t they?

Unfortunately, just as Sui Sui was silently praying that they wouldn’t find an available table, he spotted a familiar face among the seated disciples. Shi Qing was waving enthusiastically at him from one of the tables, with his friend Yuan Wen sitting beside him.

"Sui-ge! Come sit with us!" Shi Qing called, raising his hand to catch Sui Sui’s attention.

Sui Sui’s steps faltered.

No... Why does it have to be now?

Before he could think of an excuse, Yizhou had already turned toward the table, seemingly pleased to have found somewhere to sit.

"Come, Junior Brother. Isn’t that your little friend over there?"

Sui Sui looked at Shi Qing, who was still waving at him, then at Yizhou. His last hope of escaping the canteen had just vanished. Since they had already been invited, refusing now would only make things awkward. In the end, he could only suppress his reluctance and follow Yizhou toward the table.

Shi Qing’s smile widened when they approached, but his expression soon shifted as he noticed the person accompanying Sui Sui. His eyes briefly widened before moving between the two of them.

"Oh? You’re with Senior Brother Yizhou?"

Yizhou stepped forward with his usual courteous smile, looking every bit the refined gentleman.

"I hope you don’t mind me joining you."

"Not at all! It’s an honor to share a table with Senior Brother Yizhou!" Shi Qing replied promptly, straightening his posture as he returned the smile, becoming more enthusiastic

After ordering their food, the four settled around the table and began chatting while waiting for their meals. At first, the conversation was fairly casual, but it didn’t take long for Shi Qing to bring up the topic that had been circulating throughout the sect since yesterday.

"Hey, have you heard what happened during yesterday’s martial arts lecture? I heard something went wrong with the practical test."

"Mm, we were actually there," Sui Sui replied.

"Really?" Shi Qing’s eyes immediately lit up with interest. He leaned forward slightly, clearly eager to hear more. "What was it like? I heard half the forest was burned down, and the barrier in the other half was somehow broken. There’s even a rumor going around that a powerful spirit beast accidentally smashed through it before going on a rampage. Did you notice anything strange while you were there?"

Sui Sui let out an awkward laugh.

How am I supposed to answer that? It’s not as though I merely heard about what happened. I was practically at the center of it!