Qi Xu took a few steps closer and looked at the cloud cakes in the steamer. They looked very appealing and even gave off a kind of... happy and joyful smell.
Qi Xu didn't understand why he would use those two words to describe a food, but it was an incredibly real feeling.
Just looking at these cloud-shaped cakes makes me feel good, and I can't wait to eat them...
"Take it, young lady, don't be shy." Taking advantage of Qi Xu's momentary daze, the old woman handed her the cloud cake.
"Thank you, Grandma."
Qi Xu did not refuse and accepted it with a happy expression. Her mother-in-law smiled even more, her eyes full of love, as if she were watching her own junior perform.
"I love seeing you young people laugh happily. I was like that when I was young, but unfortunately..."
Qi Xu took a bite of the cloud cake, confirming her thoughts, and then, feigning innocence and curiosity, asked, "Grandma, what's the pity?"
"It's a pity I'm getting old... I can't remember many things clearly anymore, but it's okay. Seeing you all happy makes me feel at ease."
Qi Xu ate the cloud cake with a smile, acting as a very attentive listener, sometimes smiling, sometimes nodding in agreement. Although she didn't answer, she didn't let the other person's words fall to the ground either.
"Young lady, is there anything that's made you happy lately that you can share with me? Ever since all the residents of our Hungry Town lost their sense of taste, laughter has become increasingly rare..."
Qi Xu shook her head helplessly, "No, Mother-in-law, I'm just not a naturally cheerful person. Don't be sad, let's not smile."
The old woman selling cloud cakes froze for a moment, then pointed at Qi Xu with her hand in the air, "I get it, it's a joke you young people have, right? It's so nice, being young is so nice."
"Buy some cloud cakes! Sweet and fluffy cloud cakes!"
The old woman made a joke and then ignored Qi Xu, slowly pushing her cart away. Qi Xu even called out to her from behind, but she pretended not to hear.
Qi Xu originally wanted to trick a couple more cloud cakes over, since hunger wasn't masked in this instance.
What if it's edible? Just now, Qi Xu seemed to have eaten the cloud cake directly, but in reality, the moment the sweetness entered his mouth, he had already thrown it into the [Sky-Chasing Domain].
Having just arrived in the instance and not yet figured everything out, how could Qi Xu dare to accept food from someone with ulterior motives? He just wanted to see how the story would unfold next.
Qi Xu held the last half of the cloud cake between her fingers, watching the old woman push the wooden cart toward the fork in the road not far away. The fork was shrouded in mist, and the words "Joyful Lane" could be vaguely seen on the road sign.
This old lady is quite interesting.
When Qi Xu handed over the cloud cake, he touched her hand and then felt a very faint, thread-like thing wrap around his wrist. However, the touch was so light that it seemed like an illusion.
However, after the old woman left, Qi Xu put all the cloud cakes back into the [Chasing the Void Domain], and the faint feeling of restraint on his wrist disappeared.
Qi Xu continued to explore. This central street was quite long, and the two sides were bustling with activity, selling all kinds of snacks.
The owners were very enthusiastic, greeting customers with beaming smiles.
There were quite a few players on this street. Qi Xu glanced around and saw more than a dozen. Some, like himself, were obviously newcomers and still figuring things out, while others were familiar with the area and going to buy food.
Upon entering, Qi Xu discovered that not only was his personal data completely blocked, but his backpack was also unusable. To survive, he had to integrate into the instance and find a way for players to survive.
Qi casually picked a player who looked friendly and approachable, and asked, "Hey friend, I just arrived. Can I ask you how this dungeon works? What are we going to eat if we get hungry? I don't have a single penny in my pocket."
This player was wearing a white tank top and flip-flops, with a large fanny pack around his waist that looked bulging, clearly indicating he was quite well-endowed.
He looked extremely surprised: "What? You just got into the dungeon? My goodness, I've never seen anyone more unlucky than you! This dungeon has been open for almost a month! Some players have already cleared it and returned to the highway, and you're only just being released from the 'black room'? Hahahaha!"
The player seemed to be in good spirits; although he didn't answer Qi Xu's question, he was smiling happily.
Seeing that Qi Xu was silent, he patted her on the shoulder and said, "Friend, don't be nervous. This is a pure welfare dungeon. Hmm, I've played some management simulation games before, right?"
Our job is simply to work, earn money, buy food, rent a place, sleep, and rest; there's nothing else to worry about.
Qi Xu didn't believe it at all. "That's not right. The description of the instance says that it's about helping the residents of Hungry Town regain their sense of taste!"
"Logically speaking, that's good, but you came in too late. Do you know MasterChef? He's with Whirlwind, the top chef in our Chinese server, and he's in our region too."
The normal walkthrough method was released to everyone for free a long time ago. It was posted on the bulletin board at the entrance of the town. Once you have been in this instance for a month and can enter the answer, just fill it in.
Then just make sure you don't starve or die from exhaustion this month. It's a truly generous dungeon; I haven't played such a comfortable dungeon in ages.
"Fine, it's rare to run into an unlucky guy like you. I'll give you some more tips to save you a lot of trouble."
Qi Xu nodded with a smile, "Okay, big brother, please go ahead."
Regardless, hearing news about MasterChef Ninja brought Qi Xu a slight sense of relief. If it really was MasterChef Ninja who knew the way to clear the game, it was quite possible that he would announce it.
But this high-profile approach made Qi Xu somewhat suspicious; it didn't seem like the personality of the protagonist from the anime/manga series "Cooking Master Boy"...
This player had a strong urge to confide in others, and immediately began to chatter on:
"If you want to make money, go wash dishes at the city's canteen or work as a waiter. For accommodation, just find a guesthouse on the street. See? You can buy and eat everything on this street. Eating will reduce your hunger level."
"If it's really urgent and you can't earn any more money, just go to the story pawnshop in Happiness Lane, tell a couple of stories and you'll get paid, get it, you unlucky guy? I'm leaving now, bro, today's my last day, just trying some good food before I go."
...........
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