I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: AFKing to Become a God
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The moment the knock sounded, Bibi Dong's heart tightened as she turned to look at the door.
At the same time, the hand that Dai Chengfeng had been holding abruptly pulled away from his grasp!
Dai Chengfeng didn't resist or try to stop her. He naturally released his fingers and also turned his gaze toward the door.
"Who is it?"
Bibi Dong's cold voice rang out, tinged with a trace of impatience, as if displeased by the interruption.
The voice from outside was respectful and clear: "Your Eminence, it's me."
It was Yue Guan.
"Yue Guan? Come in."
"Yes."
The door slid open silently, and the effeminate Elder Chrysanthemum, Yue Guan, stepped into the brightly lit dining hall.
However, when he saw the two figures seated at the table—one of whom was not Hu Liena but Dai Chengfeng—his eyes flashed with surprise.
It seemed that this Prince Dai Chengfeng would require even more attention in the future!
Yue Guan thought to himself as he bowed respectfully to Bibi Dong at the head of the table. "Your Eminence."
"What is the matter?"
Bibi Dong's voice had returned to its usual noble tone.
"Your Eminence," Yue Guan slightly bent his waist, "Yu Xiaogang from Shrek Academy… requests an audience."
"Yu Xiaogang?"
In that instant, Dai Chengfeng's eating motion paused almost imperceptibly, and his fingers gripping the napkin tightened.
A flicker of darkness passed through his eyes, but it quickly returned to normal.
As for Bibi Dong, upon hearing that name, a complex emotion flashed across her eyes. Almost instinctively, her peripheral vision darted to Dai Chengfeng beside her.
She quickly averted her gaze and turned back to Yue Guan. "What does he want with me?"
"Your Eminence… is actually asking why Yu Xiaogang has come?"
Yue Guan was inwardly surprised as he looked at Bibi Dong.
In the past, whenever Bibi Dong heard the name Yu Xiaogang, she never asked what he wanted. Instead, she would summon him without hesitation.
He and Gui Mei had speculated countless times about the relationship between Bibi Dong and that so-called "Grandmaster." Though they still couldn't figure out what exactly connected Bibi Dong, the Pope, with Yu Xiaogang, the "useless Grandmaster," it was clear that Bibi Dong held a special regard for him.
But now…
Upon hearing that Yu Xiaogang had requested an audience, Bibi Dong had unprecedentedly asked what business he had with her?
Yue Guan thought to himself while outwardly shaking his head. "Yu Xiaogang… did not state his purpose, so I am unaware. What are your orders? Shall I grant him an audience?"
Bibi Dong's fingertips lightly tapped twice on the smooth surface of the table as she fell into a brief silence.
Ultimately, she nodded. "Have him wait in the main hall of the Pope's Hall."
"Yes!"
Yue Guan bowed again and turned to leave without hesitation.
The door closed once more, temporarily sealing off everything outside.
The dining hall fell into an odd silence once again.
Dai Chengfeng still maintained the same posture of holding the napkin, his eyelids lowered, concealing his expression.
Bibi Dong took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress both the chaotic thoughts and the irritation caused by the interruption.
She pushed her chair back and prepared to stand up.
"Chengfeng, finish eating by yourself," her voice regained some warmth, though the complexity hadn't entirely faded. "I'll go see Yu Xiaogang and find out what he wants."
However, just as she stood up…
A cool hand, firm and commanding, suddenly grasped her slender wrist resting on the edge of the table!
The grip was perfectly measured, halting her movement and firmly "pinning" her to the chair.
Dai Chengfeng had turned his face at some point. His eyes, usually filled with a gentle smile, were now deep and intense.
"Finish eating with me."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unprecedented dominance.
Bibi Dong's heart tightened sharply.
She looked into Dai Chengfeng's eyes, which now lacked all traces of youthful gentleness or pretense, revealing an unwavering resolve that she had never seen before—a man's determination.
"Dai Chengfeng… knows something?"
But soon, Bibi Dong shook her head slightly.
After all, her relationship with Yu Xiaogang had long been handled discreetly, buried as a secret. There was no way Dai Chengfeng could know.
Bibi Dong stood there, falling silent.
Dai Chengfeng neither urged her nor loosened his grip.
He simply stared back at her quietly, obstinately meeting her beautiful eyes.
After a prolonged silence…
Bibi Dong bit her lower lip lightly. The wrist held by Dai Chengfeng ultimately didn't struggle free, nor did she continue to rise.
A barely audible sigh echoed in her heart. Finally, she slowly sat back down, her voice carrying a hint of compromise that even she herself didn't notice:
"Alright…"
Upon hearing this, a faint smile finally appeared on Dai Chengfeng's lips.
He released Bibi Dong's wrist. "Teacher, try this truffle foie gras—it won't taste as good if it gets cold."
As if nothing had happened, Dai Chengfeng's voice returned to the gentle tone of an obedient disciple. Casually, he picked up a delicate piece of foie gras and placed it onto the nearly untouched plate in front of Bibi Dong, his movements natural.
Bibi Dong looked at the food on the plate and then at Dai Chengfeng's profile, which had returned to its seemingly normal state as he chewed slowly and deliberately.
Feeling the lingering warmth on her wrist, she thought to herself: "This disciple… is truly becoming harder to control."
In the end, Bibi Dong said nothing. She picked up her chopsticks and brought the foie gras to her mouth.
Though the texture of the food was smooth and delicate, her thoughts weren't on it. Instead, she silently reflected on herself and Dai Chengfeng's unusual behavior…
The vast dining hall returned to silence, broken only by the faint sounds of chewing and the occasional clink of utensils.
The Pope of the Spirit Hall and her "well-behaved" disciple sat silently across from each other, savoring the exquisite dinner before them.
Until finally, Dai Chengfeng seemed satisfied. "Teacher, I'm full."
"Then… I'll take my leave?"
Bibi Dong set down her knife and fork and nodded slightly. "Mm, be careful on your way."
Dai Chengfeng smiled faintly. "In the Spirit Hall, what danger could there possibly be?"
With that, Dai Chengfeng walked out of the dining hall.
Above, the bright moon hung in the sky, and the cool night breeze carried the sound of cicadas.
The moment Dai Chengfeng stepped out of the dining room and felt the slight chill of the night, his smile vanished, replaced by a sharp, cold gaze. "Yu Xiaogang, Yu Xiaogang… so you still can't stay away from Bibi Dong completely, can you?"
"Very well!"
Although Dai Chengfeng knew that any romantic entanglement between Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong was now nearly impossible, and this visit was likely about official matters…
He still felt uneasy.
For a moment, Dai Chengfeng glanced at the Soul-Shaping Grass in his storage ring and recalled the address Liu Erlong had given him before their separation—the place where she was staying in Spirit City.
"I originally planned to keep Liu Erlong waiting a few more days, to make her more anxious, but now it seems…"
"The plan needs to be expedited!"
Dai Chengfeng shook his head, flicked his sleeve, and stopped dwelling on it.
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