bdsm-fiction Chapter 48 The Feast
Chapter 48 The Feast
Lu Siye stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, taking about three seconds to convince himself that this was not an illusion.
The banquet hall was unbelievably large; it would take about two minutes to walk from one end to the other.
The ceiling is at least four stories high, and it's not an ordinary suspended ceiling, but a whole dome mural.
The painting depicts the creation scene from Siamese mythology, featuring statues of gods, mythical beasts, stars, and a sea of clouds.
It unfolds layer upon layer, inlaid with gold leaf and gemstones.
The floor is dark marble, and dozens of crystal chandeliers of various sizes hang from the dome, arranged in a pleasing, staggered pattern.
There are a lot of people.
But it wasn't the banquet Lu Siye had imagined.
No one spoke loudly, no one laughed unrestrainedly, and no one raised a glass to toast others.
They were wearing formal wear from designer brands that Lu Siye couldn't name, and adorned with gemstones and luxury watches that Lu Siye also couldn't identify, while discussing topics that Lu Siye couldn't understand.
Those topics are like a code, which only those with wealth and power can decode.
Lu Siye stood at the entrance, holding a white porcelain plate with about six different kinds of food on it.
A medium-rare steak, two fried shrimp, a few spoonfuls of something that looked like a salad but I couldn't tell what it was, a small bowl of cream of mushroom soup, two slices of toast, and a piece of cake whose flavor I didn't know.
The plates were piled high.
He stuffed a piece of steak into his mouth, chewed it, and squinted his eyes.
good to eat.
The beef fibers snap between your teeth, and the juices seep out, bursting on your tongue with the flavors of black pepper and sea salt.
He stuffed another fried shrimp into his food.
The shrimp meat is bouncy and fresh, and the outer batter is fried until crispy; you can hear a crunch when you bite into it.
He took another sip of soup.
The creamy mushroom soup was rich and smooth, and the aroma of mushrooms filled the mouth.
He ate another piece of cake.
sweet.
Very sweet.
A rich, layered sweetness.
Lu Siye stood at the entrance, eating cake spoonful by spoonful with a focused expression, forming a stark and almost absurd contrast with the guests around him who were holding wine glasses but eyeing each other.
Liara appeared out from behind him at some point.
She was wearing a red dress.
The dress is made of a very drapey satin fabric, and the cut is very simple, but it is precisely this simplicity that amplifies her figure to the fullest.
Her shoulders and collarbones were completely exposed, her skin glowing white against the backdrop of the red dress. She wore a platinum necklace with a small, teardrop-shaped ruby pendant that rested perfectly in the hollow of her collarbone.
Her hair was down, golden curls cascading over her shoulders and back, creating a strong and striking visual contrast with her red dress.
Her lips were painted a bright red lipstick, full and delicate, exactly the same color as her dress.
She walked up to Lu Siye and stopped.
Lu Siye, with cake still in his mouth and a spoon stuck in it, looked up at her.
His first reaction wasn't "good-looking".
It is indeed very beautiful.
Instead, it was this woman standing there that drew all the light out of the banquet hall.
My second thought was, "Won't she be cold?"
My third reaction was, "She's looking at me."
Liara looked at his chubby, hamster-like face, which was stuffed full of cake, her lips twitched, and then she raised her hand and patted his shoulder.
"Are you a pig?" she said, her tone a mix of exasperation and amusement. "You can eat so much."
Lu Siye swallowed the cake in his mouth, wiped his mouth with a tissue, then looked at the plate piled high in his hand, and then at Liara's flawless face, his expression unchanged.
"I'm hungry," he said.
Lia rolled her eyes.
"Let's go," she said, reaching out and hooking her arm around his, pulling him away from the plate. "We need to serve."
Lu Siye was dragged along by her, still holding the plate in one hand. With his other hand, he quickly grabbed the last piece of cake from the plate, stuffed it into his mouth, and then placed the empty plate on a passing waiter's tray.
The movements were fluid and seamless, executed in one go.
Liara saw it and rolled her eyes again, this time even more.
"Are you a reincarnated starving ghost?"
"No," Lu Siye mumbled, chewing on his cake, "I didn't eat enough at noon."
Liara didn't ask him why he hadn't eaten enough at noon.
Because she knows why.
After they returned from the palace at noon, Lu Siye went straight to his room, closed the door, and didn't come out until evening.
She didn't knock on the door or ask him what was wrong; she simply asked the kitchen to leave a meal on the hallway outside his door.
When she went to check later, the food had already been served, the plates were empty, the chopsticks were neatly arranged on the plates, and there was a note next to them with two words written on it.
Thank you.
Liara read those two words several times, then folded the note and put it in the drawer.
The central area of the banquet hall is the core area.
When Lu Siyue was led into that circle by Liya's arm, he felt an invisible force, like air pressure.
It wasn't hostility, nor was it rejection; rather, it was something like an automatic filtering mechanism.
The moment you walk in, everyone's eyes will linger on you for a fraction of a second.
Then, based on the information collected in a fraction of a second, a label is attached to you.
Then decide whether to smile at you, to what extent to smile, and whether to look away or continue looking at you after smiling.
He didn't know what Lu Siye's labels were like, nor did he care.
He simply followed Leah, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
Too close, and it seems clingy; too far, and it seems distant.
His expression was calm, his gaze steady, and the corners of his mouth neither turned up nor down intentionally.
While Liara chatted with the people next to her, he stood there with his hands hanging at his sides, his gaze naturally fixed ahead, not looking around or scrutinizing anyone, like a qualified male companion who wouldn't embarrass his female companion.
He didn't quite understand what those people were talking about, and he was too lazy to listen.
What tariffs, what shipping, what "mineral resource development rights in the third zone," what "expansion project of the eastern port"?
Every word seemed like something packaged, gilded, and reeking of money.
It sounds sophisticated, but it really just means the same thing over and over again.
Money, more money, money in other people's pockets.
He noticed that these people's net worth could no longer be measured in terms of "how much money".
Because money is just a number to them, a symbol used for bookkeeping that has no real meaning.
What they truly possess is something money cannot buy.
Land, minerals, ports, shipping routes, connections, information, and the military.
Private army.
Lu Siye spotted at least three people in the crowd whose postures differed from those of the others.
With wider shoulders, a lower center of gravity, a more frequent scanning of the eyes, and hands naturally hanging down at the sides of the body in a more forward position.
It allows for quick drawing of the weapon or other reactions.
They were dressed in expensive suits and ties, looking like entourages of businessmen or officials, but Lu Siye knew they were soldiers.
They weren't ordinary bodyguards.
They are the kind of people who have survived on real battlefields and seen blood.
He looked away and remained standing there.
Envoys from various countries arrived one after another.
Lu Siye recognized several of them.
It wasn't because he knew much about international politics, but because their clothing and appearance were so distinctive.
He's from the West, with blond hair and blue eyes.
He was from the Middle East, wearing a white robe, a red and white checkered headscarf, and had a thick beard. He used many gestures when he spoke.
They came from Africa, dressed in brightly colored traditional clothing, with thick gold necklaces around their necks.
Each messenger was followed by at least two attendants, some of whom had bulging waists and hidden things under their clothes.
The palace security should, in principle, not allow anyone to bring weapons in.
But Lu Siye knew that there was something called "diplomatic immunity" in this world, and there was another thing called "turning a blind eye".
After Liara finished talking to the people around her, she turned around and saw that Lu Siye was still standing in the same spot, maintaining the exact same posture as when she left.
She smiled, walked over, and took his arm again.
"Are you bored?" she asked.
"No," Lu Siye said.
"You're lying," Liara leaned closer, her voice low, "your eyes are saying I just want to go back to my room and sleep."
Lu Siye glanced at her.
My eyes can't speak.
“Your eyes will tell,” Liara said, “you just don’t know it yourself.”
Lu Siye did not respond.
Lia pulled him through the crowd, stopping every now and then to greet this person and exchange a few words with that person.
Lu Siye noticed that everyone who spoke to Liara, regardless of gender, age, or nationality, would linger on her for a longer time than usual.
Some people look at her face.
Some people were looking at her neck.
Some people look at her collarbone.
Some people noticed the deep cleavage below her collarbone, which was subtly partially concealed by the strapless design of her red dress.
Some people are looking at her waist.
Some people are looking at her buttocks.
Some people are looking at her legs.
Liara ignored those stares, or rather, she had gotten used to them.
Her smile always maintained the same curve, her tone always maintained the same warmth, and her gaze always maintained the same sense of distance.
Lu Siye followed beside her, without speaking, smiling, or making any unnecessary expressions or movements.
He simply stood there, letting her take his arm when she needed him, and stepping back half a step behind her when she didn't.
He doesn't block her light.
He didn't try to steal her thunder.
Because he knew that he wasn't the main character tonight.
Then he saw them.
Garrison Legion.
Seven people walked in through the side door of the banquet hall and lined up in a row.
He noticed the thing behind them.
A cage.
It was being carried by two people... no, not carried, it was suspended in mid-air.
The cage under the canvas was about ten centimeters off the ground, as if it were being supported by something, and it moved slowly in the air without making any sound.
Yuan Qi.
Someone is using primordial energy to support that cage.
Lu Siye's gaze lingered on the cage for a second before shifting away.
His expression remained unchanged.
Liara felt the change in his arm muscles, turned her head to look at him, said nothing, but tightened her grip on his arm.
The garrison troops stopped on the east side of the banquet hall, where there was an area reserved specifically for them.
The cage was placed on the ground, the canvas was not lifted, and the four corners were secured tightly with ropes.
The seven people spread out and stood around the cage, forming a semi-circular formation.
Their eyes scanned the surrounding crowd, not missing anyone who approached the cage.
Lu Siye saw Liu Chuang.
Liu Chuang stood on the left side of the cage, with his hands behind his back, standing upright.
Lu Siye also saw Zhang Lei.
Zhang Lei stood on the right side of the cage, holding a glass of champagne, talking to a Siamese official next to him.
He traded his floral shirt for a formal suit, but his demeanor remained unchanged; he still exuded that "I'm awesome now" aura.
He was just a little more restrained by the constraints of the suit.
And there's Lao Zhao.
Old Zhao stood directly behind the cage. Unlike the others, he wasn't looking at the crowd around him; he had his eyes closed.
But Lu Siye knew he wasn't dozing off, nor was he thinking.
He was perceiving.
He used his primordial energy to perceive everything around him.
The flow of air, the propagation of sound, a person's heartbeat, the wavelength of each person's vital energy, the emotional fluctuations of each person, and the murderous and benevolent intentions of each person are all within his perception range.
Lu Siye sensed the presence of the net.
It was like a transparent membrane covering his skin, trying to penetrate his skin, seep into his blood vessels, and find the source of his vital energy along the direction of blood flow.
He pressed his primordial energy even deeper.
The net lingered on his skin for a few seconds before sliding away.
Liu Chuang noticed him.
It wasn't because he did anything particularly eye-catching, but because Liara's red dress was just too conspicuous.
Liu Chuang's gaze lingered on Liara for a moment before shifting to Lu Siye beside her.
His expression changed.
He wasn't surprised; he already knew Lu Siye was here.
It's something more complex, something that's like helplessness and speechlessness.
He said something to the person next to him, and then walked towards Lu Siye.
Liara sensed someone approaching, turned her head to look, then released her grip on Lu Siyue's arm, took a half step back, and gave the two of them space to talk.
Liu Chuang walked up to Lu Siye and stood still.
"You're really something," Liu Chuang said.
Lu Siye looked at him without saying a word.
"You've won over Liara?" Liu Chuang's tone carried a knowing, unspoken teasing quality unique to men. "You stayed in the room all night last night, didn't you?"
Lu Siye knew what he was talking about.
He offered no explanation.
Explanation is meaningless.
In matters like this, explanation is tantamount to cover-up, and cover-up is tantamount to admission.
The more you say "it's not what you think," the more the other person will think "it is what I think."
This is an unsolvable loop; the only way to break it is to remain silent.
So he didn't say anything.
Liu Chuang waited for two seconds, received no response, and then smiled.
There was something in that smile that was hard to describe, like envy, or something else entirely.
"Okay, you're awesome," he said, reaching out and patting Lu Siye on the shoulder.
Lu Siye neither dodged nor retreated.
Liu Chuang withdrew his hand, shifted his gaze from him, glanced at Liara standing beside him, nodded as a greeting, and then turned and walked back to the garrison legion's position.
Lu Siye watched his retreating figure, his gaze following him for a few steps before he stopped.
It stopped on that cage.
He stared at the canvas for about two seconds.
Then he felt it.
A gaze.
The creature was watching him.
It's watching him.
Lu Siye's gaze met those unseen eyes for a second.
Then he moved away.
He picked up a glass of champagne from the waiter's tray.
He didn't actually intend to drink; he just needed a place to look out.
Then he felt another gaze.
It didn't come from a cage.
They came from Zhang Lei's direction.
He looked up and saw Zhang Lei looking at him.
Those eyes were cold.
Zhang Lei raised his left hand.
There is a mark on the palm of my left hand.
Xia Lan Seal.
He looked at Lu Siyue, his lips moved slightly, but no sound came out. However, Lu Siyue read his lips.
Don't move around.
Three words.
His expression remained unchanged.
But he understood the two layers of meaning behind that gesture.
First level: I know what you want to do, don't do it.
Second level: I'm better than you, don't try.
Lu Siye picked up the champagne glass and took a sip.
He put down his cup and nodded slightly to Zhang Lei.
Zhang Lei looked at him for two seconds, then turned around.
He continued chatting with the Siamese official, and a smile returned to his face.
Lu Siye stood there, watching Zhang Lei's back for about two seconds.
Then he felt Liara's hand hook around his arm again.
Her body pressed against mine, warm and soft.
"You saw it?" Her voice was very low, so low that only he could hear it.
"I saw it," Lu Siye said.
Lu Siye nodded.
"And," Liara's voice lowered even further, her lips almost touching his ear, "there are dozens of snipers positioned near the palace."
Lu Siye's eyes twitched slightly.
"If he dares to use his vital energy here, or make any aggressive moves, he'll be riddled with bullets."
"Did you arrange this?" Lu Siye asked.
Liara smiled.
Do you think I'm that capable?
"It was Charada who arranged it," she said. "She said the situation was rather unstable lately, and it's always good to have more people protecting you."
Lu Siye remained silent for a second.
"Can those snipers sense primordial energy?"
"No," Liara said, "but Zarada can."
"She has a special physique. Although she has not undergone systematic training, her perception of primordial energy is much more acute than that of ordinary people."
"As soon as Zhang Lei makes a move, she can sense it, and then the sniper will receive the signal."
Lu Siye glanced at Liara.
"Aren't you afraid I'll spread what you've told me?"
Liara looked at him.
"Can you?"
Lu Siye did not answer.
Liara smiled and tightened her grip on his arm.
"You won't," she said. "You're not that kind of person."
Lu Siye withdrew his gaze and looked back in the direction of the garrison legion.
He looked at the seven people and quickly assessed them in his mind.
Liu Chuang.
Largest in size, strongest type.
It should be an earth-attribute Xia Lan technique, with strong defense and decent attack power, but its speed is a weakness.
At his current speed, if he were to unleash his full power, he should be able to strike Liu Chuang's vital points before Liu Chuang could complete his defense.
Kill probability: 70%.
Zhang Lei.
It's unclear what the specific attribute of his Xia Lan technique is, but judging from his walking style and posture, he's quite fast.
If you're going to fight him head-on, you need to first test his capabilities before looking for weaknesses.
Probability of killing: 60%.
Old Zhao.
With his eyes closed, he covered the entire banquet hall with his Yuan Qi Net.
To achieve this level of control over primordial energy requires at least the strength of a Yin-Yang master.
Moreover, there is a special, filter-like layer in his primordial energy wavelength.
Starry Sky Primordial Qi.
It felt similar to the feeling he got from the water leopard, but with a different wavelength, higher frequency, and more concentrated energy.
It's unclear which constellation it belongs to, but it's certain that its strength has surpassed that of Yin and Yang.
If they face off head-on.
Probability of killing: zero.
It's not "almost zero", it's "zero".
With his current skill level, Lao Zhao can't even break through the defenses.
But Lu Siye didn't panic.
There is a fundamental difference between artificial and natural Xia Lan.
The artificial Xia Lan has not undergone a mental trial.
Their vital energy is injected into their bodies by external force, not generated from within their hearts.
Therefore, there is a barrier between their primordial energy and their soul.
That membrane is so thin that you can't usually feel it, but it exists.
This means that there are cracks in their mindset.
Zero Force excels at finding gaps and cracks.
He had been thinking about a question.
If one day he has to face the artificial Xia Lan, and the other party's strength is far superior to his, what should he do?
The answer is: Don't confront them head-on.
Find the gaps.
Use zero force.
He doesn't like zero force.
No Xia Lan would like Zero Power.
Those were the enemy, the invaders, the culprits who destroyed countless families and villages.
The first lesson he learned at Jiugongling was: Zero is the enemy, Zero Force is evil, and the mission of the Xia Lan is to eliminate Zero.
But he gradually realized that zero force itself has no good or evil.
It is just a form of energy.
Just like fire can provide warmth, cook food, or burn down a house.
It is not fire itself that determines good and evil, but the person who uses it.
Invading the mind of the artificial Xia Lan.
Find the gap in the plastic wrap and pour zero force into it.
It won't take too long.
It only takes a few seconds.
Lu Siye didn't like the plan.
He hated zero, hated that cold feeling, hated that insatiable hunger that wanted to devour everything.
But what he hated even more was that at times he had to become the very thing he hated.
Lu Siye suppressed those thoughts.
Then he turned his head and looked at Liara.
"Let's go," he said. "Didn't you say you were going to host us?"
Liara glanced at him, her gaze lingering on his face for a second, then nodded.