Chapter 29 This meal was quite... a feast for both the host and guests...

The meal could be described as... a pleasant one for both host and guests? No, to be precise, it was more of an awkward one for both.

At the rectangular dining table, Zhao Zhinian and Lin Shuang sat on one side, while Zhou Zekai, without needing to be invited, naturally occupied the other side, as if that seat was born for him. Opposite them sat Zhong Yeli and Wen Kebei, who looked at the captain of Samsara across from them, and for a moment felt as if they weren't there for lunch, but rather to attend a press conference for the new season of Glory.

The dishes were plentiful and quite delicious, showcasing Zhao Zhinian's excellent survival skills as an international student and Lin Shuang's culinary prowess. However, Zhou Zekai's presence created a subtle atmosphere, making the entire atmosphere as if every dish had an invisible seasoning called "awkwardness."

Zhong Yeli and Wen Kebei buried themselves in their food, their emotions a jumbled mess.

Who would have thought that just yesterday he was crushed 10-0 by Samsara on the field, and today he's having dinner at his own home with the captain of the opposing team, the player who plays One Shot Through the Clouds?

In the past, dining at the same table as the Gun King would have been an honor for them, but the current situation was even more precarious than being shot through the air or blown to the head. Especially since they were now eager to gossip, but couldn't say much because Zhou Zekai was present.

Zhou Zekai was quite quiet, appearing much more composed compared to the other two professional players. He would occasionally quietly put some food on Zhao Zhinian's plate, to which Zhao Zhinian could only glance at him helplessly before silently accepting it. Their actions were so natural that they were immediately and accurately captured by the two "human surveillance cameras" opposite them.

Wen Kebei, with a gossipy look in his eyes, frantically conveyed the message to Zhong Yeli: "Did you see that? Pick up some food!"

Zhong Yeli rolled her eyes at him, suppressing his overly obvious gaze, and silently mouthed, "Shut up and eat!"

In the midst of this eerie silence, Lou Guanning's call came like a godsend. Zhong Yeli felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly answered, eagerly pressing the speakerphone button.

"Hey, Team Leader Lou?"

"Ye Li, you're with Zhi Nian, right? I just wanted to confirm that the bus will pick you up at 2 PM to go to the airport. Is that okay?"

Everyone paused for a moment.

Zhong Yeli did not answer immediately, but subconsciously looked across at the other side, first glancing at Zhao Zhinian, and then uncontrollably scanning Zhou Zekai next to Zhao Zhinian with a hint of inquiry, silently seeking the opinions of the two parties involved.

After all, she wasn't sure if the captain of the Samsara team on the other side would also be coming with them!

The brief silence made Lou Guanning on the other end of the phone a little confused: "Can you hear me? Is the signal bad?"

"Ah! I can hear you!" Afraid that others might say something surprising, Zhao Zhinian quickly chimed in, her voice slightly louder than usual, "Sure, Captain Lou, two points are no problem!"

"Okay, then get ready and come downstairs on time. When you get to Beijing..." Lou Guanning, without suspecting anything, gave a few more routine instructions before hanging up the phone.

After the phone call ended, the atmosphere at the dinner table became even more awkward. Zhong Yeli's subconscious glance was almost a silent declaration: We've seen through your relationship but haven't said anything; playing along is exhausting!

The rest of the meal was conducted in a silence that spoke volumes, with only the occasional sound of chopsticks touching the bowls and plates clearly audible.

After finally finishing their meal, Zhao Zhinian and Lin Shuang got up to clear the dishes. Zhou Zekai also immediately stood up and began stacking plates very naturally, his movements so fluid as if he had received professional training, as if "washing dishes" was his hidden professional skill.

"I'll go wash the dishes." He said succinctly, carrying the neatly stacked bowls and chopsticks towards the kitchen. Zhao Zhinian, worried that he wouldn't be able to handle it, quickly followed him.

Lin Shuang watched Zhou Zekai's back as he skillfully walked into the kitchen, then looked at the two who, after finishing their meal, seemed a little lost but ultimately remained seated, displaying a strong sense of "guest consciousness." She couldn't help but mutter a sarcastic remark to Wen Kebei, her tone clearly teasing: "Look at Captain Zhou, and then look at you... He has... He's so considerate. There's a reason you don't have a girlfriend. That's what you call a 'gap'!"

Wen Kebei: "..." Feeding people dog food is one thing, but why the personal attacks?

He's a guest, and a woman at that; he can't exactly roll up his sleeves and rush into the kitchen to show off, can he? A guest who's just there to freeload is different from the male host! Besides, he really doesn't have the skill to wash dishes.

Lin Shuang ignored his resentful gaze and got up to see if she needed any help. However, seeing the harmonious scene of the two standing side by side in the kitchen, she couldn't bear to be a third wheel, so she retreated, leaving Zhao Zhinian and Zhou Zekai in the kitchen.

Suddenly, Zhou Zekai spoke in a low voice, his words muffled by the flowing water: "I'm sorry."

Zhao Zhinian paused for a moment, turned the water flow down, and turned to look at him: "Hmm? What's wrong?"

Zhou Zekai's hands didn't stop moving, his long eyelashes drooping, his gaze fixed on the plate in his hand: "I came over... I'm sorry to have troubled you." He was referring to the sudden visit of Yizhan's teammate, his being "caught in the act," and the trouble it might cause her.

Zhao Zhinian breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and continued to rinse the plate in her hand with the water. Her tone was relaxed: "It's okay, don't overthink it. Lin Shuang and the others... they had already guessed most of it, and I didn't intend to hide it from them. Now it's just that their guess has been confirmed."

Zhou Zekai stopped what he was doing. He turned his head, looked at her calmly, and shook his head seriously: "I didn't think much about it." He paused, then clearly uttered two words, a faint smile appearing in his eyes: "Happy."

Zhao Zhinian's heart skipped a beat at his straightforward expression of emotion, and her hands unconsciously slowed down.

Seeing her slightly stunned expression, Zhou Zekai leaned forward, closing the distance between them. He lowered his voice, his tone tentative and cautious, yet each word clearly reached her ears: "After all..." His gaze was gentle yet persistent, the light in his eyes shining like exceptionally bright stars in the night sky, "I don't have a formal title yet."

"..."

Zhao Zhinian felt her cheeks instantly burn up, and her heart was pounding so fast it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

She opened her mouth, but all the words got stuck in her throat. In the end, she could only give in, giving him a reproachful glare with shyness and embarrassment, and lowered her head to speed up the rinsing: "...Hurry up and wash the dishes!"

Looking at her flushed ear tips and her feigned composure, Zhou Zekai's smile deepened.

The three people in the living room listened to the sound of running water and the occasional hushed conversations coming from the kitchen. Although their curiosity was like a cat's claws, as well-mannered "third wheels," they could only try their best to restrain themselves, keeping their eyes down and pretending to be living, breathing decorations.

The two girls could still huddle together and chat quietly about the latest TV dramas, while Wen Kebei sat alone, seriously contemplating the philosophy of life: Why did I come with Lin Shuang and the others today? Was the hotel buffet not appetizing enough, or was Glory not fun enough? Was crushing noobs in the arena not enjoyable?

By the time everything was packed up, it was almost 1 p.m.

Ignoring the gazes of the three people following him in the living room, Zhou Zekai went straight back to the guest room to change back into his Samsara team uniform. As soon as he put on that iconic battle robe, his sharpness on the field returned instantly, making him look completely different from his homely image while washing dishes.

Especially for the Yizhan team members who had just had their heads shaved by the reincarnation yesterday, the visual impact of this outfit was particularly strong.

However, Zhou Zekai's next move once again shattered this newly established "sense of distance".

Ignoring the stares of others, he naturally turned and walked into Zhao Zhinian's bedroom. He logged out of Glory, shut down the computer, took out her Glory account card, found Zhao Zhinian's backpack in the living room, and carefully put the account card into a hidden compartment. The whole set of movements was so smooth, as if he had practiced it a thousand times, fully demonstrating his familiarity with the house and his thorough understanding of Zhao Zhinian's tidying habits.

The fact that he changed clothes and skillfully found the account card completely refuted Zhao Zhinian's previous "seeing him off on the way" theory. The three of them exchanged glances, and Zhao Zhinian completely gave up and could only look at Zhou Zekai helplessly.

The three "audience members" on the living room sofa were engaged in a silent, awkward competition. Lin Shuang was focused on studying her manicure, as if she had suddenly discovered Morse code hidden on her fingernails; Zhong Yeli was staring at the ceiling light with a serious expression, as if she were analyzing the circuit structure of the light fixture; Wen Kebei was bending down to tie his shoelaces three times... All three of them were expressing with their whole being the awkwardness of "I didn't see anything," "I'm invisible," and "I shouldn't be here, I should be under the car."

The three people in the living room automatically started playing background music on a loop in their minds: "I'm supposed to play along with your act, pretending not to see, while forcing the person who loves you the most to improvise..."

Wen Kebei even began to seriously consider: if he suddenly stood up and improvised a beatbox performance, could he break the suffocating atmosphere? Or would it make the scene even more disastrous?

The three of them came here today hoping to get a free meal and satisfy their curiosity about their colleague's private life, but they unexpectedly started a "social death experience package": they ate a tasteless meal, were forced to witness the gun king's home life, and were stuffed with unseen dog food until they were stuffed. At this moment, the three of them finally understood what it means that "curiosity not only killed the cat, but can also make the cat so embarrassed that it can dig out a three-bedroom apartment with a high-end renovation with its toes".

Time ticked by in the slightly stagnant air. As 2 o'clock drew closer, a notification came from the Yizhan team group that the bus was ready to depart and would arrive downstairs soon.

This news was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, causing the three people in the living room who were pretending to be calm to unconsciously peek at Zhou Zekai: Would Yizhan be lucky enough to receive a personal send-off from Zhou Zekai himself?

However, Zhou Zekai didn't seem to have that intention. He glanced at the wall clock in the living room. He first turned to the three "audience members" in the living room who were trying to minimize their presence, nodded very simply, and said calmly, "I'm leaving now."

There were no unnecessary explanations, nor any unnecessary elaboration.

"Take care, Captain Zhou!" the three said in unison again, this time with a hint of genuine relief. They then turned their gaze to Zhao Zhinian, their meaning clear: Go see him off, don't worry about us!

Ignoring the intense gazes of the others, Zhao Zhinian followed him to the entrance and opened the door. The light in the hallway was brighter than inside, outlining his tall and imposing figure. The door closed gently behind him, temporarily shutting out the gazes of the three gossipy figures inside.

The cramped hallway was now empty except for the two of them; for a moment, it was so quiet they could hear each other breathing. Zhao Zhinian opened her mouth, but her throat felt dry. With their parting imminent, she didn't know what to say. Finally, she handed over the snacks she had just packed: "Have your reincarnation friends help you with this. Consider it a thank you for their guidance."

Zhou Zekai understood this was a playful jab at the "love lessons" for everyone in the cycle of reincarnation, and his ears turned slightly red as he accepted the message: "We've arrived. Send a message."

Zhao Zhinian nodded: "Okay." She paused, then added, "See you in Beijing."

Zhou Zekai looked at her intently, as if trying to imprint her image in his mind, before nodding and turning to walk towards the elevator. He didn't look back until his figure disappeared behind the elevator doors.

Zhao Zhinian stood quietly at the door for a few seconds before slowly turning around and pushing the door open.

As soon as she turned around, she met three pairs of eyes in the room, each filled with a thirst for knowledge. Liu Dao's gaze was intense, as if he wanted to see right through her.

Lin Shuang, Zhong Yeli, and Wen Kebei had clearly exchanged countless glances while she was seeing people off, and were now holding their breath, waiting for her. Seeing her look over, the three of them immediately began to dramatically shift their gaze.

Seeing their attempts to cover up their true feelings, Zhao Zhinian's subtle sadness at parting was instantly dispelled, replaced by a speechless feeling that was both amused and exasperated. From now on, they would be "colleagues and friends" who would be together day and night. She had no intention of hiding it from them: "I request three minutes of undisturbed self-introduction time."

Unexpectedly, Lin Shuang refused her righteously and smiled at her with ill intent: "Wait a minute! I'll get you a microphone on the bus to the airport later."

Zhong Yeli smiled and added, "We'll talk about it all at once. The others are also very curious, but they've been holding back from asking you. If you're willing to satisfy everyone's gossip, then we'll talk about it later, so you don't have to explain it repeatedly."

"This is the spirit of our Righteous Warriors! Even when listening to gossip, we will never leave out any comrade!" Wen Kebei said with a righteous and awe-inspiring expression.