Tang Wulin grinned as he approached the tunaâs head and pulled apart the salt crust, and revealing its delicate meat underneath. He slid a knife between the cheekbones and cut out a chunk of meat the size of his palm with one swift circular motion before placing it on a second plate.
He offered the plate to Ye Xinglan. âTry this; itâs the best part of the fish. Bluefin tuna has a lot of collagen because it swims in the deep sea, and this section is packed full of it. The collagen, when combined with its tender flesh, bursts with flavor on the tongue.â
Once he handed the plate to her, he grabbed his own and carved out another piece for himself. He sat down with a grin and continued to eat.
Such carefree indulgence brought forward a splendid feeling.
Itâs really good! Ye Xinglan thought to herself as she savored the supple meat. She sent a furtive glance toward Tang Wulin. Thereâs no way this guy can be this nice; he must be hiding something. I need to be careful of him.
This fish is so delicious though! Iâll finish eating first before dealing with him.
The two continued to gorge themselves. The only dissatisfaction Ye Xinglan harbored was that Tang Wulin had never raised his head once to look at herâhe was too preoccupied eating.
She had thought that Xu Lizhi was the pinnacle of gluttony, but today Tang Wulin had proven she was wrong. Tang Wulin thoroughly surpassed Xu Lizhi in this regard. She found it truly frightening. Heaps and heaps of meat entered his stomach like factory products traveling on a conveyor belt, yet his pace never faltered. It even seemed to accelerate.
Ye Xinglan mulled things over as she chewed and swallowed. This guy really is an unrivaled glutton. Well, I admit that the fish is delicious.\nThe sea salt complimented the meatâs savouriness, preserving the juiciness and creating an umami-filled adventure. Her plate had the most delicious tidbit, courtesy of Tang Wulin. The fragrant collagen and the tunaâs soft flesh would forever be engraved in her memory, standing out as her most spectacular food experience.
Half of the tuna had been consumed by the time Xu Lizhi returned. He howled at the sight before promptly diving in to join the glutton forces.
In the midst of the excitement, Tang Wulin set aside a finger-licking morsel for the other boy. The moment Xu Lizhi dug into the piece of tuna cheek, his face went slack with contentment. It was as if he had transcended to a higher realm.
A while later, the restaurantâs boss stood stupefied as he stared at the trio with his mouth agape. Three kids had actually succeeded in devouring a fifty kilogram fish. Ye Xinglanâs cold haughtiness cracked open like a shell, revealing a demeanor irreconcilable with the initial impression of her. She leaned back into her chair. This was the first time in her life that she had felt so full. If she moved another inch, her belly would burst.
âHey, whatâs your name?â Ye Xinglan asked Tang Wulin.
âTang Wulin.â Despite eating the most, Tang Wulin was still as calm as ever. He may have ingested more protein than usual during this meal, but the sheer amount of food he ate didnât stray too far from the norm.
âHow are you able to eat so much? Donât you feel bloated at all?â Ye Xinglan asked in disbelief.
Tang Wulin beamed, âLet me tell you guys a secret; actually, I have a dragon in my stomach and itâs the one eating all this food.â
His half truths left Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan in a daze. \nâA dragon in your stomach? How did it get there?â Xu Lizhi asked.
Tang Wulin shrugged his shoulders. âI donât know. I was born with it. This is the reason why I can eat so much. By the way, your match today was so awesome! By the time I blinked, you guys had won.â
A look of pride crossed Xu Lizhiâs face. âOf course. Weâre Shrek after all. Weâve always been peerless.â
Those words seemed to trigger Ye Xinglanâs alertness. She kicked the little fattyâs leg under the table before craning her neck toward Tang Wulin. âWeâre leaving now. You settle the bill.â
âI already said Iâm hosting!â Xu Lizhi was a man of his words.
Ye Xinglan scowled at him. âDo you have money?â
âEhâŠâ Xu Lizhi was at a loss for words. âHow did I forget about thatâŠâ
Tang Wulin was speechless. Canât he be more reliable⊠If I had known this earlier, I wouldnât have eaten so much!
âWhat kind of expression is that?â Ye Xinglan said as she glared at Tang Wulinâs stiffened face. âYou should know, itâs an honor to treat us to dinner.â
After a moment of incredulity, Tang Wulin nodded his head. âYeah! It really is an honor. You guys sit down first. Iâll go settle the bill.â Saying so, he stood up and walked away.
Since they were sitting in a lounge, he had to turn and make a beeline for the front desk.
Once he was out of sight, Ye Xinglan smacked the top of Xu Lizhiâs head. âWhy did you sneak out! Letâs see how Iâll deal with you once we get back.â
Xu Lizhi pulled an indignant face. âBig sister Xinglan, I made a mistake, but didnât you eat happily, too? Everythingâs fine if you had a good time. What are you hitting me for?â \nYe Xinglan snorted. âWeâre from Shrek; just how many people do you think are scheming about us? I donât think that Tang Wulin is any good. I bet he approached us with ulterior motives.â
After a few blinks, Xu Lizhi retorted âNo way. When we first met, he gave me some dried fish to eat. That was before he knew which academy Iâm from.â
The corners of Ye Xinglanâs mouth began to twitch. âHow are you so sure about that? I bet the Skysea Alliance has been watching you and making plans on how to approach you. If you donât believe me, then just wait. Once he he comes back, heâll definitely think of some way to get closer to us.â
Xu Lizhi faced the direction Tang Wulin had departed. âHuh, shouldnât he be back by now?â
Disdain dripped from Ye Xinglanâs words, âHe probably went to the washroom after eating so much.â
âOh.â
After another quarter of an hour, Tang Wulin still hadnât returned.
âHe sure is taking a long time in the washroom! He ate a lot, so a lot comes out?â Xu Lizhi mumbled.
âGo look for him.â Ye Xinlan ordered Xu Lizhi, the beginnings of a storm rumbling in her chest. The reason she had been so forceful in having him pay was that she didnât have any money either! Since they were here to represent Shrek, she hadnât brought any cash.
It wasnât long before Xu Lizhi dragged his chubby self back.
âI-I canât find him. Big Sister Xinglan, I think he left! I bet itâs because you were so rude to him. He probably dipped after paying the bill. See? I told you he wasnât trying to get close to us.â
Ye Xinglan said, âThis is the so-called âcapturing by letting looseâ, you know? Letâs go then.â \nShe got up with Xu Lizhi and set off.
âHey, you two children. Hold up. Arenât you going to pay the bill?â The boss came over and stopped the two.
â
On his trip back to the hotel, Tang Wulin couldnât help but feel invigorated as the cool sea breeze brushed against his face.
As for the bill? He wouldnât have acted that way had Xu Lizhi not promised to pay. It was a pricy meal after all! He didnât believe that students from Shrek Academyâs students could be short on money.
What really put him in a bad mood, however, was how Ye Xinglan tried to take advantage of him and how cheaply she treated him. She acted as if having a meal with me was charity work! Since thatâs how she views it, then she can pay the bill herself. Iâll save myself some money. The thought of her made him roll his eyes.
For this reason, Tang Wulin didnât hesitate to leave immediately. Why should I kiss the asses of those Shrek Academy students if they look down on me! If they donât want to be friends, then Iâll just keep my distance. Naturally, Tang Wulin had his own bottom line and paid his share of the billâone third. Â Â
He was really self-indulgent today, so he began meditating as soon as he returned to the hotel. Of course, he didnât forget to block Xu Lizhiâs number from his soul communicator. He didnât want any trouble; heâll pretend that he had never met them.
In reality and unknown to Tang Wulin, Ye Xinglanâs arrogant eyes had aroused his own pride. \n