Y/N wanted to text her best friend but accidentally texted the wrong number, when she finds out who it is she is shocked but they become good friends and possibly more...

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 New International Version (NIV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

In life, surviving is frightening. In ancient Europe, without the letter of broken relationships leads to a different story. How can people deal with depression, schizophrenia or illness ? Love is complicated to explain. Please pray for those who are suffering. Yet, the light of hope, faith and love.
Revenge is not the best answer.

The blue crystal master. Trisha, the heart master, told her many times he was her fate, that he was her destiny - the only person who would survive her every touch. She pondered on the idea, asking herself, 'Could it be him?'
"Miss, I - just want to know your name," said the man before her.
She was still in a daze, unable to revert at his advances. She took a step closer and studied his angular face. He had a pair of deep-seated eyes, shaded in sky blue, with long lashes and thick brows. His dark blonde hair was cut short while his chin up to his jaws had grown a quarter of an inch of beard.
He had a slender and pointed nose that barely flared even as he reacted to her earlier avoidance.
"Miss," the man said. "How about I treat you for lunch?"
It was because of her curiosity that Amanda reluctantly agreed and took the seat on the other side of the table.
As she continued to study him, she realized how thin his lips were, and how slightly pale they were. The same could be said with his skin. If not for her godly powers, hearing perfectly the beating of his heart, he would remind her of twilight's Edward Cullen, a vampire. His skin was so fair, it looked like he had not had any sun in years.
"What would you like to have?" He asked while smiling at her.
She turned to Tracy and saw the baffled look on her face. Her friend knew too well it was not like her to accept a stranger's invitation. She said, "It's okay, Tracy… I'll take my lunch with him… Can I have a tuna sandwich and orange juice, please?"
"Okay, if you say so," said Tracy as she walked towards the table and took Amanda's order slip. Turning to the unknown man, she said, "Your orders will be ready in twenty minutes."
"Oh, and.. I want my steak medium-rare," added the man.
"Sure thing!" Tracy confirmed with a smile before disappearing to the kitchen.
Amanda remained staring at him. She asked herself, 'If he is the blue crystal master, how come I am not sensing it? I should be able to feel the power within, just like the others.'
She thought perhaps a better concentration would do the trick. She recognized she required to touch him again and let the crystal do a better assessment. She needed to be sure… She needed to know if he was the blue crystal master.
"I know I'm handsome but you don't need to keep looking at me like that," the man said, obviously giving a tease.
Hearing his incorrect assumption, she looked away, saying nothing, merely looking through the glass window.
"My name is Christopher. Christopher Towns," he introduced himself.
Amanda's eyes narrowed at him, doubting his last name. "Towns? Seriously?"
He smiled again and looked down at the table where his fingers were locked together. He gazed back at her green eyes and answered, "Towns. Yes, unfortunately, that is really our last name… You can call me Chris for short."
"And... you are Amanda!" He said, pointing out her nameplate.
"Can I ask you a favor, Chris?" She asked straight away, ignoring the fact he found out her name. Amanda had to get it over and done with.
"Anything!" responded Christopher.
"Can I - can I hold your hand?" She asked.
Christopher's earlier smile turned into a smirk. He then extended his hand to her and said, "My pleasure to hold a beautiful lady."
Amanda ignored his compliment and gulped at the sight of his hand. She lazily bought up her hand on the table to hold his. The moment she touched him, she was yet again amazed.... Nothing. Absolutely nothing happened to him. 
"Look, "she said. "I'm going to pray."
"Hah? Are you - "
"Please, just do as I say. Can you close your eyes?" Amanda said. It was the only thing she could think of as an excuse to touch him longer.
"Pfft! Okay… If you say so," said Christopher.
Seeing him shut his eyes, Amanda looked around the near-empty restaurant before diverting her gaze back at him. The other customers were too far from where they sat, and Tracy was still in the kitchen. She concluded it was safe.
The Southern Deli was just but a small restaurant cafe. Most of its customers arrive at night, after getting off from work. 
This was exactly why Thomas Kent only kept three employees in the day, including his own son to manage it.
While maintaining her hold on to Christopher, Amanda also closed her eyes and covered them with her other hand. Silently, she instructed the occupant inside her body to feel the blue crystal.
As her powers promptly responded to her call, she felt her entire body heating up and her eyes slightly burning, but in just less than the minute she had found her answer. The crystal determined he was not a master of any other crystal and there was none inside of him.
Amanda opened her eyes and let go of his hand in dismay. She told herself, ' Of course… not him again… I should not have hoped. I remain to be cursed.'
Realizing he was still at it, closing his eyes and waiting for her instructions, she said, "I'm done praying. I prayed you would help this restaurant get more customers… that you would be a medium for it to survive another year."
Christopher went chuckling. He leaned back and continued to control his laughter as he turned his gaze in different directions. He said, "You are a strange one."
Her eyes had already turned disinterested in him, knowing he was not the one she thought he was. She gave no other acknowledgments or any form of response after that. She just wanted to finish her lunch.
"Here you go," said Tracy as she served Amanda's sandwich and Christopher's steak. "I'll be back with your drinks."
Christopher eagerly sliced through his steak and realize there was too much blood. He hissed and said, "This is not medium-rare." He looked up to find Tracy calling out to her. "Excuse me?"
Amanda turned to find Tracy as well, but she was nowhere in sight. She was about to send back the steak when he stood up and walked towards the counter. She then looked around and seized the moment.
Putting her hand on top of the steak, she gave it a lit, further cooking his steak. She then quickly took a tissue and wiped the blood that was earlier visible on his plate.
When she looked at her sandwich, she realized the bread was not toasted to her satisfaction. She also gave it a little heat, further browning the bread. She did the same on the other side.
She heard Tracy walk back with Christopher, saying, "I'm so sorry about the steak, let me - "
Tracy stopped herself from seeing the cut on the steak. It did not look rare to her. She turned to Christopher, who also had the same observation. The steak seemed more caramelized than how he remembered it.
Christopher sat back and sliced through the meat on another side. He saw just a touch of pink on the steak, suggesting it was cooked medium-rare. He pouted his lips and his brows drew together saying, "I - I guess I was imagining things."
"Maybe it was the juice from the meat… It happens," said Amanda before taking a bite on her sandwich.

What could be more tragic than a love that is forbidden?

Amanda Fisher was living a secret life. For the most part, she was a restaurant waitress, serving meals day and night. She had a beautiful face that was constantly recognized, but behind the face is a powerful force. 

Amanda was the master of the red crystal element, one of the most powerful among the six. 

Every two decades or so, It was said that the crystal chooses its host. In her group, Amanda was the third master who came about. 

After five years of carrying out her responsibility, Amanda was an accomplished warrior, but soon her powers became unmanageable and only the master of the blue crystal can tame her flames. 

For years she went in search of the said master, only to find herself growing tired. She gave up her power to be with someone she loved, someone she earnestly thought was normal and not like her... or so she thought.

****************************

With hands tied behind her back, Amanda watched the man she loved being pushed into giving up the power they sought. 

"Hand me the power or your woman will die!" threatened Vasco, the leader sent from Oscoria, a forsaken place from the world of Pelagy. 

Vasco held up a sword against Amanda's neck, further worrying Christopher. 

She witnessed him forcefully letting out the force that the enemies sought for, but eventually, he hurled his hands on the ground, saying, "I don't even know this power! I can't take it out and simply hand it over! Take me! Take me instead!"

The mercenaries turned their attention back to her, with an intent to kill. 

Amanda had never begged her entire life, but that day she pleaded to the master of heart in silence, 'Please! Please, I beg you! Give me my strength back! Give me the power to fight! Even for just for this time!'

**************************
Thank you for giving this novel a chance! This is my first try at a fantasy romance novel and I hope you will support me. 

If Fantasy is not your thing, you may try my other novels. Note that all my novels are all romance related. :)

If you like naughty R-18 with a touch of action, try The President's Lover is a Fighter. 

If you like simply crazy and hilarious, try out Tricking my Cold Lover.

As expected, this little foodie is always able to convince others with her strange logic. Mag shook his head with a smile. He turned to look at the clock on the wall, and said, "Alright, that's enough practice for today. Go and play with Amy, Anna. I'll call the two of you when dinner's ready.
"Amy, from today onward, Anna is going to live at our place for a few days. Take her upstairs and show her around," Mag said to Amy.
"Really? That's fantastic!" Amy's eyes immediately lit up. She picked up Anna's hand as soon as the latter put down her knife, and led her outside with an elated expression as she said, "Big Sister Anna, I'll take you to my playground, then I'll take you to sleep on my little bed."
Mag looked at the two little girls with a warm smile on his face. It was undoubtedly good news for him that the girls got along so well.
After dinner, Anna and Amy went to play in the square while the restaurant prepared for the busy dinner service.
"Boss Mag, how could you take an unannounced break like this? I've been starving for an entire afternoon, so I'll have to order an extra bowl of Yangzhou fried rice to console myself."
"I know, right? I hurried over here during my lunch break today, but your restaurant was closed! You have to compensate me for my lost time, Boss Mag."
"I'm suddenly really glad that I was too busy to come here for lunch today. I'll get two steaks, one medium and one medium-well, and I'll get the medium one first."
As soon as the customers began to enter the restaurant, they all expressed their displeasure at the unannounced break the restaurant had taken earlier during the day.
Mag merely smiled in response to these complaints. He had to condition himself to get used to complaints like this as he was going to have to take a much longer break to facilitate his trip to Rodu.
The customers came and left, and the long line outside gradually shortened, yet business was still booming for the restaurant.
A slightly antiquated horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of the restaurant, and Ian slowly disembarked. He looked at the extremely popular restaurant, and a smile appeared on his face as he said, "I love these super popular restaurants with so many customers. If a restaurant doesn't even have any customers, then there's no point in trying out its food."
"Master, it looks like we'll have to line up. Should I talk to the restaurant owner to reserve the entire restaurant for the night?" a middle-aged butler asked.
"I'm not the king, so why would I reserve an entire restaurant just to have a meal? You have to fix this habit of yours, Brooker." Ian chuckled as he made his way toward the restaurant and joined the end of the line.
"Yes." Brooker nodded and hurried over to his master's side.
The restaurant doors opened as a customer emerged from within, and the decadent aroma wafting toward Ian made his eyes light up immediately.
Compared to the lively line outside the restaurant, the interior of the restaurant was remarkably tranquil and peaceful.
All of the customers seated inside were completely immersed in their meals, and would only utter an occasional word of praise when they simply couldn't help themselves.
The customers lined up in the restaurant were also waiting quietly for new seats to open up. Even if they were speaking, they made sure to do so in hushed tones in order not to disturb the dining customers. 
The restaurant's decor was very intricate, there was just enough space between the tables, and the overall dining environment was very pleasant.
Ian cast his gaze around the restaurant before nodding with approval. Regardless of what the food here was like, the restaurant had satisfied all of the other criteria required to provide a splendid culinary experience.
Furthermore, the fact that elves and orcs were willing to sit and dine at the same table indicated that this restaurant's food seemed to possess some kind of magical property that prompted one to set their prejudices aside.
Ian waited for a while before the customers at several tables finished their meals almost at the same time, and Yabemiya made her way over to him and Brooker as she said, "Come on in. There are two seats that have just opened up over there." 
"Have a seat, Brooker," Ian said to Brooker, who was standing beside the table with his hands clasped behind his back.
"I'm happy to stand here and serve as you eat, Master," Brooker said as he bowed his head slightly.
"I'm not so old and useless yet that I need someone to feed me." Ian chuckled.
Brooker hesitated momentarily before sitting down across from Ian. However, he made sure that only one of his buttcheeks came into contact with the seat so he could stand up and serve Ian at a moment's notice.
"Here is our restaurant's menu. You can have a look and see what you'd like to eat." Yabemiya handed a menu over to Ian. At the same time, she had noticed that this old man was rather interesting and seemed to be quite an esteemed figure.
"Alright, let me have a look." Ian opened the menu, and his eyes lit up at the sight of the beautiful images of the dishes laid out before him.
This menu was completely different from the menus of other restaurants, which presented the names of the dishes along with a textual description. The accompanying images on this menu were extremely life-like and alluring, striking one with the urge to taste all of them.
The names, images, and prices of the dishes had been made very apparent, and the menu was very easy to navigate.
For a restaurant of this scale to charge such high prices yet still be so popular indicates that the food here must indeed be very good. Ian nodded to himself as he scanned through the prices on the menu.
"I'll get a black pepper steak and a savory tofu pudding." Ian closed the meu before handing it to Brooker as he said, "Brooker, you pick something for yourself as well."
Brooker flipped open the menu, and was rather stunned by the prices being charged. After a brief hesitation, he said, "I'll… get a Yangzhou fried rice and a sweet tofu pudding."
"Certainly. Sir, may I ask how you would like your steak cooked?" Yabemiya asked Ian with a smile.
"What do you suggest for an old man like me?" Ian asked with a smile.
"You look very healthy for your age, so I'm sure you'll be able to handle anything. The medium steak will be more tender, while the medium-rare steak will be slightly tougher, and the medium-rare beef will have a stronger flavor. You can pick any of those based on your own tastes," Yabemiya introduced with a smile.
"Then I'll get a medium-rare steak. I like my food with a harder texture," Ian decided with a nod.
"Alright, please wait for a moment." Yabemiya nodded as she made her way into the kitchen.
What kind of nonsensical policies has Jeffree implemented? This half-dragon waitress's serving attitude and quality are far superior to that of the average waiter. These discriminatory policies should've been abolished long ago, Ian thought to himself as he looked on at Yabemiya's departing figure.
"Surely there's no better wine than the wine brewed at our winery, though," Ian murmured to himself with his brows furrowed in contemplation.
"Here's your medium-rare black pepper steak."
A short while later, a steak was placed in front of him.


In Chaos City on the Norland Continent, there is a strange restaurant.

Here, elves and dwarves share tables. Beastmen are prohibited from making a din, and giant dragons can only seat around the tiny square in front of the restaurant. Even demons have to bring their own stools…

But it is such a strange restaurant that has long lines outside every day.

Elves are stuffing kebabs, paying no mind to their manners; giant dragons are sitting around a hot pot, strainers in their hands; demons are eating nice-looking dango…

"There's no other place on this continent where you can find food like that! The boss here is a genius!" a customer provides such a review. Then, he gives a furtive look at the door. "Also, don't you think of kidnapping the boss away or dine-and-dashing, or you will suffer a tragic death."

"Eat, pay, or you will be beaten to death." says a cute little girl in her childish voice as she trots forward. A five-meter tall dragon shivers when it meets her eyes.

It was six days after the food truck mission and the three-star meal ended. No missions were given after that. Since they worked hard in the truck for a week, they might have given them a break, or maybe the judges were just busy.

There were no missions, but an episode aired on TV. The 7th episode. The team mission at the time was shown. It was the one where Kaya and Jacob formed their own teams and Jacob messed up. Also…

Cho Min Joon looked behind him. Peter was looking at his phone with his butt against the cooking station. He had no other choice. It was Kaya and Peter who were mentioned the most after the broadcast. Martin was a pro. He wasn't the type to edit Peter's parts out just because he felt bad.

All the things Peter said were broadcasted. Despite the fact that he was now more mentally mature, it was too much to just ignore. He made personal attacks after all. Cho Min Joon understood Peter. He knew that he was less mature and didn't have many good human experiences, so he had a hard time controlling himself.

But the public didn't know that, and even if they did, they wouldn't have cared. All they heard was what he said on TV. Peter became a villain, and many people expressed their rage and demanded he pay the price.

Some people were suspicious. Although his words were harsh, they wondered if Kaya might have started it, but Kaya couldn't completely cover up Peter's wrongdoing. After all, he even burned the Tandoori chicken after that… So people had no choice but to feel angry. Cho Min Joon sighed as he said,

"… Don't read the comments."

But Peter couldn't hear him. There was no way he could. Kaya couldn't either, and even if he tried not to, he would eventually get back on the internet without realizing it.

Compared to him, Cho Min Joon was better off. To be more exact, his love line was more conveyed than his abilities, but after his perfect palate was revealed, things turned around. Everyone started to think that there must have been a reason for everything he did. The foreign aspect of being Asian became wings for Cho Min Joon. People thought that Cho Min Joon was a genius that was out of their realm.

And to be honest, he didn't hate that. It was a little burdensome, but it also made him excited and smile. People liked him. People who he didn't even know anticipated his next big thing. That was a fascinating thing for him.

"We're going to start filming! Please put your phones away!"

The staff's voice rang through the house. Peter immediately put his phone in his pocket. Not long afterward, the judges entered. As usual, they said a few words to hype them up before Joseph spoke in a calm voice, "You'll see a box on your cooking station. When I count to three, please open the lid. One, two, three!"

The lids all opened at the same time. Some sighed of relief while others frowned. Cho Min Joon was the latter. Inside was a large piece of meat. To be more exact, a piece of meat and bone.

A t-bone. It was a part that also had sirloin and tenderloin attached. Joseph spoke in a serious voice, "The t-bone isn't the most delicious part of a steak. That all depends on the person, but I can say this for sure. The t-bone steak is the hardest to make. If you cook it all at the same temperature, the sirloin will cook faster than the tenderloin, but we want all of the parts to be cooked equally.

Everybody sighed. This mission was all about technique. If they made one mistake, it was over. But what Joseph said next gave them some relief, "But don't be too nervous. This mission is just a warm-up, but 1st place will get a prize. You'll be exempted from disqualification in the next mission."

In response, the contestants' eyes sparkled. Cho Min Joon sighed out of relief. It wasn't enough to go after 1st place. In Korea, it wasn't easy finding t-bone. Most meat shops just sold sirloin and tenderloin separately. They rarely sold t-bone. It was hard to find at large supermarkets as well.

So he didn't have much experience with it. When he looked at the meat, it was less than 2 centimeters thick. It wasn't thin, but it wasn't thick either. When it came to steaks, the thicker ones were easier to cook.

It was inevitable. The thinner it was, the less time they had to keep it over the fire. It was common to just sear the outer region and then end up overcooking the inside.

"You won't use a separate sauce for it. Just use salt and pepper. Remember, the most important part is to cook all of the regions equally, and flavor is important, too. You may begin! You have 10 minutes."

Cho Min Joon immediately turned around. There was no particular method of cooking t-bone, it was all about experience. When steak houses hired chefs, they usually evaluated them based on how they cooked t-bone, so that made him realize how difficult this was.

It wasn't hard to get the right flavor. All he had to do was overlook the part of making it cook equally. The sirloin would be medium while the tenderloin would be medium-rare. Some customers liked to enjoy the differences in those two parts.

But there were those who wanted both parts to be cooked the same. The perfect chef was able to provide customers with both types of t-bone.

What he had to focus on now was the cooking method. When he looked around, Kaya was getting a grate. He saw something that he couldn't understand. Peter was heating up the oven. Allan must have wondered the same thing because he approached Peter himself.

"… How do you plan on cooking it?"

"After cooking it in the oven, I'm going to sear the outer side on a pan and then rest it."

"Do you think you can control how the oven cooks it on both sides?"

"As long as I just place the tenderloin part on the pan first and cook it a little more, it should be fine.

"I'm not sure. Let's keep an eye on it."

Peter's face grew dark. He thought there was potential, but Allan's remark made his confidence go down, but he couldn't change his plans just because of one remark.

Most of the contestants were seasoning the meat. 5 minutes passed. As soon as 5 minutes passed, the contestants began to move faster.

Cho Min Joon put some pepper and salt on his. He then put it on top of a greased pan. As it made a refreshing cooking sound, Allan asked, "Do you have experience cooking t-bone?"

"No, not really."

"Focus on the range of the fire that touches the pan. That'll help you a great deal."

He was intending to do that anyway, but Cho Min Joon just smiled. There was no need to respond sharply to an intention to help.

Like Allan said, controlling the heat was key. Cho Min Joon tilted the pan and put the tenderloin where the fire was the hottest, but it couldn't be too different in temperature either. Then the tenderloin could end up more overcooked than the sirloin.

All chefs gave different tips regarding how to cook steak. Some said one could flip it more than twice while others said to fillip it every 30 seconds to a minute. Cho Min Joon flipped it every minute. When he did it that way, the juices gathered in the middle making the meat nice and juicy.

Rather than who was right and who was wrong, it all depended on the person. Cho Min Joon checked the time as he flipped the steak. He didn't use any arosser methods. It would only distract him, and the added oil could make the meat cook differently, and Cho Min Joon wasn't so skilled that he could calculate what the additional oil would do to the meat.

The predicted score was 6. It couldn't have been better. He cooked it without any sauce, so the score couldn't have been higher.

What Cho Min Joon wanted was medium. After flipping it three times, he put the meat on top of a paper towel. As long as he waited a minute for the juices to come back… He was certain that both sides would be cooked well.

The buzzer rang. The 12 contestants took their hands off of their plates, but Cho Min Joon stared at his. The cooking score of the t-bone steak after resting was 6. It was as the recipe predicted.

The judges called the contestants up one by one. They cut into the sirloin and then the tenderloin. If they were cooked differently, they didn't even taste it. That was the case for Peter.

"I asked you if you could do it well. Look at this."

Allan showed the cut meat to Peter. One side was medium and the other side was rare, and the rare part still had blood in it. Emily sighed.

"I know this isn't a disqualification round, but this is too much. You can't experiment with food like this."

"… I apologize."

Peter responded with a pale face. He was already pressured because of the negative comments online. They didn't know what else to say to that face. They sent Peter back and called up the next contestant. It was Anderson's turn. Joseph cut into both sides and smiled.

"Both sides are medium well-done. They're not burnt either. You cooked it perfectly. I'm impressed, Anderson. You haven't been able to show off your full potential until now. I feel like you've returned."

"Thank you."

Anderson answered without a smile. It was too early to be happy. He wasn't the 1st place yet. They praised him after tasting it. All the contestants commented that the medium-rare steak was nice and moist.

Cho Min Joon understood that evaluation. After all, Anderson's steak showed up as 7 points. The fact that he achieved that score with just salt and pepper meant that he would have reached 8 points with proper sauce.

Next up was Cho Min Joon. He carried his plate with confidence. As soon as Emily cut into the meat, she nodded.

"Medium. It's equal throughout. There's a slight difference… but I don't think any customer would complain about this. You haven't cooked t-bone before, have you?"

"No, ma'am."

"Then this is impressive. And the texture… Hm. It's not bad, and it's juicy, too. Good work."

Compared to Anderson's praise, Cho Min Joon's was a step down. He felt a little disappointed, but he had no choice. Experience meant a great deal when it came to cooking.

The last contestant to be evaluated was Kaya. She carried her plate to the front. Joseph looked at the plate with great interest.

"You're the only one who cooked it on a grate, Kaya. Are you confident in your job?"

"My top skill is using fire. If I didn't cook, I might have become an arsonist."

"I'll take your word on that."

Joseph cut the meat with soft hands. Kaya was right. Medium. The meat was perfectly cooked to look pink inside, both the sirloin and tenderloin. Joseph slowly put it into his mouth.

When Joseph took his first bite, his face was bright, but as he took his second and third bites, his face turned strange. Same with the other judges. Kaya looked at the judges with anxiousness.

"You cooked it well. But Kaya, I think you forgot something. When you cooked the meat, did you cook the outside first before you cooked the inside?"

In response, Kaya looked surprised. She was so busy cooking the sirloin and tenderloin at the same time that she forgot to cook the outside in order to contain the juices. Cho Min Joon just stared at Kaya. Unfortunately, her steak was a 5. It was understandable. There was plenty of fire flavor, but there wasn't much juice.

'I didn't know Kaya can screw up like that.'

Besides fighting with team members because of her personality, this was the first time he saw her mess up. Joseph spoke in a caring voice, "You seem to know where you messed up. That's okay, Kaya. All chefs make mistakes. Please go back."

"… Yes, Sir."

Kaya walked back with a sad look on her face. It was clear who took the 1st place. There were a few contestants who cooked it equally, but there was only one person who did it perfectly—Anderson. Cho Min Joon glanced at him. He tended to be consistent in his output, but the more he watched, the more impressive he got. He lost to Kaya and took 2nd place, but that meant he would've won if she wasn't there.

"We've chosen who came in 1st place. It was unanimous. Anderson, congratulations! You're excluded from the next disqualification round. Please go up to the 2nd floor!"

"Thank you."

Anderson answered calmly and began walking. While the other contestants stared with jealousy, Allan said, "Then let us announce our next mission. Some of you might not like this one."

Allan then glanced over at Cho Min Joon. Cho Min Joon twitched his eyes. He felt anxious. Allan continued in a calm manner, "This mission… is a dessert."

Because of his love for cooking, he had thrown away his career as a teacher and had become a chef.
But despite his desires, his lack of cooking skills was the harsh truth he had to face.
But when he reached the age of 30, he had been sent back 7 years back into the past.
Another chance.

Brad sat down across from me behind the circular table. A full set of silver cutlery, a white plate, and a flute was delicately laid in front of us. A waiter stepped towards us and began pouring champagne into our glasses as I fixated my gaze on the stem glass being filled to the brim with bubbly golden liquid. 

Brad politely thanked the waiter and turned to me. "You have to try the Wagyu steak here, it's phenomenal,"
I picked up the à la carte menu. "Bourbon Steak", read the name of the restaurant printed underneath a logo of an orange cow. 
"What's a 'foe-y grass terrine'?" Puzzled, I asked.
"It's called foie gras terrine, and it is duck liver cooked in pottery,"
"Are you sure I don't have to pay for this?" I tugged my collar nervously, knowing I would never be able to afford this considering my current savings. I was just a college student, after all. And this was a really fancy restaurant, one I'd never go to by myself.
"Nonsense," He waved his hand and began to order.
"Just order whatever you want, it's on me,"
Brad was only seven years older than me, I thought. His previous job must have paid him well.

While waiting for the food, we chatted about topics that covered everything from our families to our hobbies and even past relationships.
"I've only ever dated two guys and one girl before," He explained. "How about you?"
"I've never dated guys before," I admitted.
"Really? I find that hard to believe, with that adorable face of yours."
I blushed and gave him an awkward smile.
The food eventually arrived. I had ordered a thick and aromatic medium rare Japanese Wagyu A5 steak with a side of charred asparagus covered in chili, anchovies and garlic butter. Brad had ordered the same, along with a dish of tuna tartare with avocado and soy sauce. He insisted I try the Wagyu so I realized there was no point in declining.
"I'm so hungry," I said, stuffing a piece of steak into my mouth. The chewy steak paired with the butter gave it a tender and juicy taste as I indulged in the fatty steak bite after bite. The flavorful steak melted in my mouth and was so soft, I wondered if I could ever eat meat like this again.
I felt someone staring at me so I looked up, only to see Brad's brown eyes gazing back at mine. 
"Glad you enjoy it," Brad licked his lip.

----- 

"You're mixed, right?" I asked.
"My mother is from Puerto Rico and my father from China," He clarified. "What about you?"
"I'm mixed as well. Chinese and Irish,"
"You've always known you were gay, right?" Brad then questioned. 
"Sort of, but I've never really confronted those feelings until four years ago when a friend tried to experiment with me."
"Who's that friend then? Do you still keep in contact with him?"
"Yes," I answered dismissively, not desiring to further explain.

He sensed that I was uncomfortable with said topic, so asked, "Ped, do you want dessert?"
"Sure, I'm fine with anything,"
"Anything?" He asked in a slightly different tone, raising his brow.
It was something dirty again, wasn't it? I raised my glass to take a sip, and replied, "What do you have in mind then?"
"Hmm, I don't think what I want is on the menu," He smirked.
"I need to use the washroom," He said, exaggerating the word "use" almost comically. Fixing his shirt, he winked at me and left for the toilet.

I sat in silence, partially in awe of how open he was and curious to see what he would do this time. It was an invitation for something else, right?

Disclaimer: this novel is very gay and NSFW

Gay college student Ped Luca falls in love with a young professor Brad and tries to maintain a discrete relationship in campus, while his friends Nathan and Antonia help them cover up.

Volume 1: After a fateful encounter one morning, Ped goes on a series of dates with his new professor Brad that are filled with steamy moments and situations.

Volume 2: Ped and his new professor boyfriend Brad spend their first summer together as a couple, meeting new people and trying new things along the way.

Volume 3: As Ped’s third year of college begins, he tries to find balance in his relationships with Brad and Nathan while he is offered an interesting side-job.


Roger signed the confidentiality agreement, and Charles paid him a part of his salary in advance as a dog trainer. Roger greedily counted the money, and then carefully stuffed the money into his pocket.
Duncan lovingly caressed the neck of the German Shepherd, looking at the dog tenderly as if he was watching his lover or his children. "Just eat more, my dear, eat more," he said.
Charles pointed at the door and ordered Roger to leave, "You can go now. There will be a new movie shooting tomorrow, bring your dog and report to the crew then."
Roger took a second look at the steak and wine on the table and begged cheekily, "Mr. Charles, it's noon now. I want to have lunch before I go. Is that okay? As a new employee of the company, I should be entitled to get a free lunch, right?"
Charles looked at Roger in disgust and shouted to the kitchen a moment later, "Prepare lunch for our guests!"
Roger rushed to the table, sitting opposite the German Shepherd, and said happily, "I'll also have a steak with onions and a glass of red wine! The steak can be cooked very rare. I like it bloody!"
What? What did he just say?
A sensitive nerve of Famous was struck by their conversation, and it couldn't help but raise its tearful eyes. Famous had been watching the German Shepherd, but had never paid attention to the food on its dinner plate.
It wasn't until then that Famous discovered that the plate contained a fried steak with onions, broccolis, and mushrooms. The top quality steak was cooked perfectly. With every bite, the steak would exude a rich aroma of butter that'd make anyone drool. The problem lied with the onions, the main ingredient in frying the steak.
Famous didn't know about onions until the former pyrotechnician, Guan Biao, of the Dog Warrior crew tried to feed onions to the dogs. Later, Zhang Zian told Famous that onions were toxic to dogs because the disulfides in onions would cause red blood cells to rupture.
Charles ignored Roger, but told Duncan ingratiatingly, "Mr. Duncan, we have changed chefs recently. The best dish is the fried steak with onions. Does your dog enjoy it?"
Duncan nodded satisfactorily and said approvingly, "It enjoys the dish very much."
"That's great." Charles smiled. "According to the chef, onions and red wine are a perfect match. Red wine not only removes the unpleasant odor of onions, but also retains the spicy aroma of onions. The scent of grapes and the unique flavor of onions blend together with the carefully prepared steak. This dish is the best taste in the world. If your dog likes it, I'll have the kitchen prepare it for it every day."
"Yes." Duncan nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Charles. You're very thoughtful."
The chef's culinary skill was excellent, and Duncan's dog really liked to eat the dish. The dog had almost finished the onions, steak, and red wine, but not the broccoli.
"Don't eat! Don't eat! Don't eat the onions!" Famous suddenly roared wildly, wanting to stop the German Shepherd from eating the dish. Although the dog would seem fine for a while, the disulfides would quietly enter its body, ready to slaughter its red blood cells, which could harm its bone marrow. Obviously, people of this era hadn't realized the harm of onions to dogs. That was why they were offering the best food they could afford to this German Shepherd, the big star. 
The toxicity of onions was related to the quantity consumed. With its large size, this German Shepherd probably would be fine if it only ate the onions today. However, if it continued eating onions day after day, the disulfides would accumulate in its body and once the dog's urine turned bloody, this era's poor medical treatment couldn't save it. 
Famous's loud, violent barking made Duncan frown in disgust. "What a peasant this dog is. Even if it looks similar, it can never be as civilized as our star who never barks." Charles smiled. "13 is probably coveting the dish and would like to eat a few bites of the steak. Its behavior is understandable. What dog doesn't like to eat meat?
"It's impossible for 13 to eat steak," Duncan murmured coldly. "How can a stunt double be treated like the star?"
"Yes, exactly." Charles agreed. He turned back and yelled at Roger, "Did I pay you to do nothing? Make your dog shut up!"
Roger jumped up from his chair and strode towards Famous rapidly. He threatened Famous ferociously, "Shut up! Stop barking! If you bark again, I'll peel off your skin!"
Famous still tried to stop the German shepherd, but it had already eaten all the onions and left the table. The star was lying on the carpet lazily to digest the food in its stomach. Famous knew that its dissuasion was futile because no one could understand its words, and it couldn't change history. 
Since Famous no longer barked, Roger returned to the table.
At that moment, the chef pushed the dining cart over. Charles walked to the dining cart and lifted two plates from it. He put one plate in front of Roger and the other in front of Famous.
"As a stunt double, you only deserve to eat this," said Charles. There was a ham cheese sandwich on each of the two plates.
Roger stared at his own sandwich. Although he felt humiliated, he was starving. He picked up the sandwich and stuffed it into his mouth. After a few bites, he noticed that there was still some broccoli and broth left on the German Shepherd's plate. Ignoring Duncan and Charles's disdainful looks, he took the plate and dipped his sandwich in the broth, then swallowed the bread with relish. 
Famous looked at its sandwich. What a measly and shabby lunch compared to the fried steak with onions, but at least its food was not poisonous. Famous lowered its head and swallowed the sandwich.
Among all the elves in the pet shop, the strong-minded and resolute Old Time Tea was the elf that Famous admired the most. Old Time Tea never flinched at anything. Even if everyone disapproved of its decision, even if it lost its own life in the process, Old Time Tea would do what it considered correct.
Famous had escaped before. In order to escape its nightmarish memory, Famous would rather forget everything. However, it decided not to escape anymore. It wanted to live in this world, to witness everything, and to face the devil inside its heart. If Famous didn't defeat the devil, it could not become an angel.
"That's right, you need to understand your position." Charles and Duncan smiled at each other, thinking that Famous had succumbed to its fate.
Duncan looked at his watch and said goodbye to Charles, "I leave now. There are a lot of b*tches waiting for my dog to mate with them. I can't remember how many puppies it has reproduced."
Charles sent Duncan and his dog out. Before the door closed, Duncan's dog burped loudly. The aroma of onions flowing from its mouth. 


1. Download a suspicious game
2. Catch a few magical pets as partners
3. Go through interesting daily routines and lead the pet shop to a whole new level

Pagi ini Jennie sudah siap dengan sepiring omlet dan segelas susu putih.Tak lupa dia membuatkan untuk Jimin.Jennie tahu Jimin masih terlelap dalam tidurnya.

Jennie akan berangkat pagi.Karena hari ini dia ada praktek membuat steak.Dia tidak ingin waktunya terbuang sia-sia hanya untuk menunggu Jimin bangun.

Sudah hampir sebulan Jennie selalu menunggu Jimin bangun sehingga dia selalu telat datang ke kampus.

"Jimin, aku berangkat yah"bisik Jennie ditelinga Jimin yang masih terlelap dalam tidurnya.

Saat Jennie ingin pergi, tangan kirinya ditarik oleh Jimin, sehingga Jennie terjatuh diatas ranjang.

"Aauuww"teriak Jennie.

"Eng"erang Jimin yang memeluk Jennie dengan erat.

"Jimin, lepaskan.lepaskan aku Jimin"Jennie meronta-ronta.

"Sebentar, Dahyun.Aku sangat merindukanmu"ucap Jimin yang masih terpejam.

Mendengar nama orang lain tentu saja membuat hati Jennie sedikit teriris.Jennie terdiam.Memang selama sebulan ini hubungannya dengan Jimin bertambah baik.

"Dahyun ? Siapa dia ? Apa dia kekasih Jimin ? Arrghh.Untuk apa aku peduli.Jennie please, Jimin hanya suami distatusmu saja.Tetapi tidak untuk perasaannya"batin Jennie.

"Jimin, aku Jennie.bukan Dahyun"ucap Jennie pelan.saat ini Jennie masih berada dalam pelukan Jimin.

Jimin mendengar suara samar Jennie.Perlahan dia membuka matanya.Jimin mencium aroma sabun strawberry yang menyeruak dihidungnya.

"Jennie"ucap Jimin terkejut.

"Jimin, aku mau berangkat"ucap Jennie pelan menatap Jimin.

Entah apa yang membuat Jimin merasa ada yang aneh pada dirinya.Sedekat ini dengan Jennie dia merasa sangat nyaman sekali.Dia tahu ini tidak benar.Tetapi dia tidak bisa menghalangi perasaan yang belum jelas ini kepada istrinya.

"Kau mau kemana ?"tanya Jimin dengan punggung tangan yang mengusap pipi Jennie.

Jennie memejamkan matanya, entah kenapa dia bisa menikmati setiap sentuhan suaminya ini.Tetapi, seketika dia mengingat Jimin menyebut nama.

Dahyun

Jennie membuka matanya.

"Jimin, aku ingin kuliah.Hari ini aku praktek membuat steak.Jadi aku tidak ingin terlambat"jawab Jennie.

"Aku akan mengantarmu"

"Jimin, tidak perlu.Aku bisa berangkat sendiri"

"Aku yang mengantar atau kau tidak pergi ke kampusmu sama sekali ?"

"Baiklah, Jimin"jawab Jennie pasrah.

❤❤❤

Jennie terus menatap jam tangannya.Jam sudah menunjukkan pukul 07.30 pagi.Ada 30 menit waktu Jennie tersisa sebelum praktek itu dimulai.Jennie berulang kali menatap pintu kamar berharap Jimin segera keluar.

Ceklek

"Jimin, kau lama sekali.Ayolah Jimin aku hampir telat"ucap Jennie kesal.

"Gidalida(tunggu) biarkan aku sarapan terlebih dahulu"ucap Jimin menuju ruang makan.

"Jimin, makananmu suda aku taruh ditempat makan.Kamu bisa memakannya dimobil"

"Biarkan aku minum susu ini"ucap Jimin meneguk susu putih hingga tandas.

Baru saja Jimin meletakkan gelas.Jennie sudah menarik tangannya.Soobin membukakan pintu penumpang untuk Jimin dan Jennie. 

"Mana sarapanku ?"

"Ini"ucap Jennie sambil meletakkan kotak makan diatas paha Jimin.

"Mwo ? Aku mau kamu suapi"

"Ish, Jimin kamu punya dua tangan yang masih berfungsi.Gunakanlah dua tanganmu dengan baik"

"Hem,,,Soobin berhenti"

"Baiklah, Jimin"ucap Jennie dengan terpaksa.

"Soobin, jalan lagi".

Dengan kesal Jennie membuka kotak makan itu.Dia mulai mengambil omlet dengan sendok dan dia suapkan ke mulut Jimin.Wajah Jennie sangat kesal.Dia hampir terlambat hanya gara-gara Jimin dan sekarang pria itu minta disuapi makan.



Jennie membuka kotak makan dan mulai menyuapi Jimin.Dengan raut wajah kesal Jennie terus menyuapi Jimin hingga tempat makan itu habis.

Jennie menyeringai.Dia mempunyai ide untuk mengerjai Jimin.Jimin terlalu sibuk dengan ponselnya.Sehingga tidak melihat apa yang Jennie lakukan.

"Aaaah, Jennie apa ini ?"tanya Jimin yang hampir saja memuntahkan isi di dalam mulutnya.

"Hahahahhahahah"Jennie hanya tertawa melihat Jimin.

Jennie sengaja meletakkan saus sambal yang banyak diatas sendok.Lalu dia menyuapinya ke mulut Jimin.Jimin yang tidak sadar, hanya bisa terkejut seketika mulutnya terasa sangat pedis.

"Jennie, kau berani mengerjaiku ?"

"Hahahah, itu salahmu jimin"

"Kau, menyalahkan aku ?"

"Jimin, jangan.Jangan Jimin.Aku hanya bercanda.Hentikan Jimin.Geliiii....teriak Jennie sambil tertawa karna Jimin mulai menggelitik pinggangnya.

"Aniyo, Kau sengaja.Jadi rasakan pembalasanku"ucap Jimin menyeringai.

Jennie semakin terpojok.dia tidak bisa kabur lagi.Jimin masih saja belum menghentikan kegiatannya.Soobin yang tanpa sengaja melihat pasangan itu tertawa, ikut mengukir senyumnya.

"Tuan sudah sampai"ucap Soobin yang sudah menghentikan mobilnya.

"Jimin, aku harus turun"ucap Jennie.

"Belajarlah yang rajin"ucap Jimin yang sambil mengacak-acak rambut Jennie.

❤❤❤

Jennie dan Irene terlihat sangat senang kali ini praktek mereka.Saat ini mereka merapikan pakaian mereka di salah satu ruang ganti.

"Jennie, aku boleh tanya sesuatu ?"ucap Irene ragu.

"Aku tak pernah melarangmu bertanya"ucap Jennie sambil merapikan apronnya. 

"Hem,,,nanti saja setelah praktek ini selesai"ucap Irene.

❤❤❤

Di dalam kitchen semua tampak serius dengan pekerjaannya.Hari ini mereka harus membuat steak dengan kematangan sempurna, tidak boleh keras karena menggunakan daging sapi has Sirloin.

Mr.Thomas pernah memberi tahu tingkat kematangan steak mulai dari Rare (very red, cool center, Medium Rare (warm, red center, Medium (pink center), Medium Well (slightly pink center) Well done (cooked throughout, no pink).

Dari ke 5 jenis kematangan itu.Jennie pernah sekali gagal pada tingkat Medium Well.kareja Jennie terlalu lama mengangkat dagingnya sehingga warna pink di dalam daging sudah tidak terlihat.

Yang sekarang mereka harus benar-benar fokus, karena tingkat kematangan Well Done akan mengakibatkan daging sedikit keras karena semua lemak sudah terpanggang habis.

Jennie telah menyelesaikan praktek hari ini.Dia telah berhasil membuat Steak dari daging sapi Sirloin.Jennie tersenyum melihat tampilan Steak buatannya.ini pasti sangat lezat.

￼

Betsy Oh-So-Savory Steak

Setelah kelas berakhir Jennie dan Irene merapikan kembali pakaiannya.Hari ini hanya ada satu praktek dan itu sudah selesai.Jadi mereka sudah tidak ada jam Lagi.

Seperti yang tadi Irene katakan dia ingin berbicara sesuatu dengan Jennie.Irene mengajak Jennie ke salah satu Cafe yang tidak jauh dari sana.


Mereka duduk di temani oleh Ice Vanilla dan Ice white Coffe.

"Jennie, sebenarnya ini sudah lama aku ingin katakan.Tapi berjanjilah padaku kamu jangan marah"ucap Irene ragu.

"Katakan saja"

"Em,,,sebenarnya bagaimana perasaanmu kepada....Kai ?"ucap Irene dengan ragu-ragu.

"Kai ?"Jennie sempat terkejut.Irene menganggukan kepalanya.

"A...aku biasa saja"elak Jennie.

"Jennie maaf.aku melihat incident kalian di Tuscany"

Jennie terkejut dan menundukkan kepalanya.dia tidak menyangka kalau Irene melihat kejadian itu.

"Jennnie, jangan marah.disana aku sudah beberapa kali melihatmu menatap Kai.Dengan tatapan yang berbeda.Waktu makan malam, jalan-jalan kemarin kalian sangat akrab.Apalagi saat di kereta kalian sangat romantis"ucap Irene sambil membayangkan semuanya.

"Ehm, A...aku"

"Jennie, kamu jangan takut.Krystal tidak tahu semua ini.Sebenarnya aku sangat mendukung hubungan kamu dan kai.Aku sangat senang melihat kamu bahagia bersama Kai"ucap Irene menyela pembicaraan Jennie sambil memegang punggung tangan Jennie.

"Irene...Aku...Aku tidak bisa meneruskan perasaanku"ucap Jennie pasrah.

"Wae ? Karena kamu sudah dijodohkan.Jennie, dengar perjodohan hanya untuk bisnis.Siapa tahu ketika orang tua kita setuju saling bekerja sama.Jadi perjodohannha bisa dibatalkan.Begitu juga dengan perjodohanku"

Jennie memejamkan matanya.Tidak semudah itu, Irene.Kalau kamu tahu sebenarnya aku bukan hanya dijodohkan.Tetapi aku sudah menikah.Dan aku tidak ingin menjadi orang ketiga diantara Kai dan Krystal.



"Jennie, kamu kenapa ?" Tanya Irene khawatir.


"Irene, tidak semudah yang kamu pikir"

"Bagaimana perasaanmu ,apa kamu menyukai Kai ?"tanya Irene to the point.

"Aku tidak tahu.Aku tidak ingin menjadi orang ketiga diantara Krystal dan Kai".

"Kamu tidak akan menjadi orang ketiga.Bagaimana kalau Kai juga menyukaimu ?"

"Kurasa tidak.Kai sangat dekat dengan Krystal.Tidak ada selah untukku.Kamu lihat sendiri mereka sangat romantis"

"Kamu cemburu ya ?"

"Irene, hentikan pembicaraan ini"

"Jennie, bagaimana kalau kita mencari tahu perasaan Kai padamu ?"

"Caranya ?"tanya Jennie tertarik.

"Hm,,,kau juga ingin tahu perasaan kakakku padamu ya ?"ledek Irene.

"Entahlah, tidak perlu"ucap Jennie.

"Hahahha, jangan cepat marah.nanti keriputmu akan cepat terlihat.Begini tiga hari lagi Kai akan ulang tahun.Dia akan kembali ke Paris.Kita buat pesta kejutan.Dan kamu belilah hadiah spesial untuknya.Kalau hadiah yang kamu berikan dipakai oleh Kai.berarti kamu orang spesial untuknya"

"Kenapa bisa begitu ?"

"Iya, Kai tidak pernah mau memakai barang pemberian orang lain,kecuali orang itu spesial untuknya.So ,kita cari hadiah untuk Kai ?"

Jennie sempat berpikir.Dia sepertinya juga ingin tahu bagaimana perasaan Kai kepadanya.Karena Jennie merasa di PHP oleh Kai.

Akhirnya dengan ragu Jennie menganggukan kepalanya.Toh, Irene juga belum tahu statusnya sudah menikah.Lagi pula Jimin juga menyukai wanita lain.Buktinya tadi pagi Jimin mengigau nama wanita lain.

Jennie berharap yang terbaik.Kalau memang dia bisa bersama Kai.Mungkin dengan terpaksa dia akan meminta Jimin menceraikannya.Agar Jimin bisa bersama wanita yang bernama Dahyun dan Jennie bisa bersama Kai.Irene juga akan mencari pria yang dia cintai bukan dengan pria yang dijodohkannya.Sangat indah.

(Bagaimana menurut kalian ? kalian setuju dengan rencana ini ? )

Tetapi bagaimana dengan Krystal ? Jennie juga tidak bisa menyakitinya.Jennie tidak tahu.Biarlah berjalan seiring dengan waktu.Masalah ini begitu rumit.

"Jadi, ini gara-gara wanita ini.Jimin meninggalkanku ?"ucap seorang wanita yang menghampiri Jennie.

Jennie dan Irene bingung menatap wanita tersebut.Saat Jennie ingat, ini adalah wanita yang waktu itu bersama Jimin.Gawat, kalau wanita ini berbicara macam-macam.Irene akan tahu semuanya.

"Irene, ayo kita pergi"ajak Jennie.

"Tunggu, aku belum selesai.Apa benar kamu me"

"Ayo, Irene"Jennie menarik tangan Irene meninggalkan wanita yang ternyata adalah Seulgi.

"Siapa dia, kamu kenal ?"tanya Irene yang masih berjalan dengan tangan yang masih ditarik oleh Jennie.

"Aniyo , mungkin dia salah orang"elak Jennie.

Grandpa Hoon listened attentively to his wife's angry words as she described the dirty deeds Gu Wing had secretly plotted in the past years. She was spurting out words that sometimes didn't make sense, yet seem terrifyingly true because of the way she presented it. 

He asked after she had finished yelling out random statements, "Where did you get all this information?"

"I've known about it, but was told to not tell anyone about it. I couldn't hold it in any longer because my son is being tortured by that witch! He's miserable. Our family would have been so harmonious and peaceful." She panted and rubbed her chest to soothe her vexation.

"Alright. I'll look into it, so don't vent about this in front of others. When I am sure about what you just said, I will tell you whether those words were the truth." He handed her a cup of hot tea and frowned in deep thought.

Meanwhile, at the center of the city, Qiu Rei was wandering in just his bathrobe. It was in the middle of the changing seasons, so the weather had been wild. The weather could be unpredictable. For example, the sun could get covered up by gray clouds leading to a heavy rainstorm that could last for minutes to hours even though the weather channel said the opposite.

He was roaming down the block with three dollars in his pocket. His eyes concentrated on the ground as he walked from alleyways to different streets and back to his original starting point; his favorite steakhouse. He was craving for the juicy, perfectly done medium rare sirloin steak, paired with his favorite red wine that amazingly brings the taste of the meat to a higher level. 

He saw people enjoying their steaks happily as he stood there, noticeably agitated as he rustled the three-dollar bills and some change in his pocket. He couldn't believe that one day, he would be regretting so much about dropping quarters and dollar coins on the floor without giving a second thought in picking it up. 'If only I collected them back over the years, then maybe right now I could at least have a decent meal.'

His drool streamed out of the corner of his mouth and he quickly wiped it away. He continued walking down the block with his eyes on the floor, hoping to spot some dollars or coins dropped by strangers. After the fifth walk around the neighborhood, he counted the heavy amount of change in his pocket. 

"Pennies... nickels... quarters...plus my dollar bills... Only four dollars and fifty-seven cents. I need at least fifty dollars to get that meal... and that doesn't include the wine..." His stomach grumbled and his intestines shrunk inside his body from the lack of lunch. He rubbed his stomach and patted, "Yeah, yeah, I want to eat too."

On the other side of the street, Ying Ying spotted his helpless appearance. With just his bathrobe and a pair of house slippers, he looked worse than a homeless beggar. She bit her lips; extremely tempted to go up to him and hug him. 'I can't do that. Not now.'

She noticed his hungry stares targeting the steakhouse direction and counted the number of times he had already wiped his drools using his bathrobe sleeve. She nodded and walked into the steakhouse with a hat hiding her face. She typed his favorite steak dish paired with the red wine he fancied on her phone to the counter and requested the waiter to deliver it to the man across the street. 

She gave the waiter a generous hundred dollar tip to help her pass him a white envelope along with the food. Soon, the steak and wine had been prepared, and the waiter walked over to Qiu Rei, handing it to him in a courteous manner. Qiu Rei took the hot sizzling plate of steak with the bottle of red wine immediately; afraid that the waiter may change his mind. 

"I have no money to tip you," he didn't forget to mention about being broke. The waiter smiled, "Someone paid for your food and told me to hand you this envelope. That customer already paid for the tips as well. Enjoy your food." 

Qiu Rei sat on the edge of the sidewalk and started gobbling down the steak. He already didn't care how he looked in front of other people because of how hungry he was. He took the knife and cut out big pieces of the steak and stuffed it in his mouth. The food and wine warmed him up. In the middle of eating, he caught a glimpse of Gu Wing coming out of the steakhouse. 

'Could it be? She bought it for me? She still cares for me? Should I go to her now?' He thought silently to himself as he rushed the last piece of steak into his mouth. He wiped his dirtied mouth with tissues and wanted to run to Gu Wing. It was only then, that he saw a younger looking fellow with a sharp, stylish gray suit holding the door for her. The man was extremely careful around her and treated her in a way that Qiu Rei had never done for her before. 

That moment, his head lowered and he turned around; ashamed to let her see his miserable state. He waited until their Maybach car drove off before sorrowfully watch it get farther away until it was out of sight. 'Right... even if she got me the steak, it was probably out of pity. She's better off with that fellow than me. I can't even afford to support myself. Forget about supporting her and saying I love her.' 

He took the plastic bag with the bottle of wine, utensils, and sizzling plate with him. 'Don't waste food. I should save this sauce so later on I can at least lick the plate clean. I should have saved half or a third of the steak. What should I do for my next meal?'

At the corner of the block, he spotted someone familiar. Someone who made his fury blast out to flames. His eyes squinted in hatred as he stared at the happy, cheerful couple half a block away from him. His fist tightened around the paper bag and he lost his mind. 'Yang Ya Nuo!'

The warmth of the sunlight that was shining through the window landed on the girl's flawless face. Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly as her hands clenched onto her blanket tightly. She chanted, "No! No! Don't.. please.. I beg you stop! Ahh!!" She gasped for breath as she wiped the layer of cold sweat off her forehead. She looked at her phone and laid in bed after realizing that she was in her apartment. 'I'm safe.. it's alright.. safe..' After calming down, she took a quick shower and looked into the mirror. "Yang Ya Nuo! you got this! New day, new beginning!" She got dressed in a male school uniform and applied her makeup and wig. Within the next 15 minutes, her beautiful jade like face transformed into a handsome young man's face. "Aha! That should do it! Handsome like always. Breakfast time~" 
Since young, Ya Nuo learned how to change her voice to sound like a male's voice in case she needed it one day. Unlike girls at her age who liked to hang out with friends and go shopping, she only loves one thing, food! She works three part time jobs and is attending a famous school on a scholarship that covers full tuition. 
She cheerfully walked to the kitchen to see what's there to make for breakfast. When she opened the fridge, she saw nothing, but a piece of sausage inside. Sigh.. "I paid for rent and ran out of money to restock for grocery."
Ding Dong
"Who is it?" she said in a grumpy tone.
"Yo!" Xu Huan Hei greeted her with a hand wave.
"Is it time already? There's still half an hour before the usual time you come to get me for school." 
"Nope! But I do have something I want to discuss with you." he smiled dazzlingly. He was the school's second most popular guy that every female wished to date. The number one ranked male student was Ya Nuo. These two met each other at a young age, but due to some reason Huan Hei never found out about her female gender. 
"I'm hungry. Let's talk food first."
"Here~ i already prepared a bag of groceries and two bacon, egg, and sausage for you" he winked.
Ya Nuo smirked, "Oh? Seems like it's something important hmm? Alright, let me enjoy my breakfast as we discuss your 'favor.'"
In the middle of enjoying her bacon, egg, and sausage, she suddenly spit out the mouthful of food onto Huan Hei. 
"will you be my girlfriend?" he asked confidently.
"Are you crazy?? I'm a guy! 100% male!"
"But you are so pretty, even girls say you have feminine features. I'm sure with a little makeup you'll look very cute!"
"... what's your reason?"
"A girl keeps pestering me and chasing after me to get into a relationship with her. I told her for the past two years that I'm not interested in any relationships, but she refused to listen. I accidentally slipped out and said I actually have a girlfriend... so she asked to meet her.. and I didn't have anyone that is trustworthy enough for this job."
"No."
"Pretty please"
"No!"
"Come on~ I'll buy you lunch~"
"I'm not that cheap."
"Fine, 3 months worth of lunch and groceries!"
"Deal."
In the meantime, at a luxurious restaurant, a man with gray hair sipped his wine, "Did you guys find her yet?"
"No.. sir"
"Then why are you here? Go! Find her and bring her here! Don't come back and report bullshit to me!"
"Yes!"

*THERE IS NO RAPE OR ANY SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THIS NOVEL. BUT WARNING OF 18+ CONTENT*

The book cover is not mine, credits go to the original author. This novel is an original written by me, so please don’t post it anywhere else.

"We have heard of this." Rosie laughed: "According to the master Celsus your crossbow has potential to be ranked as a three star item. Although the Temple has yet to give a formal identification and evaluation but we as Scott consortium believe in master Celsus's eyes and in your talent. So we intend to follow and offer price of a three-star item to buy the rights for it."

    Dudian looked at her. He didn't expect that Scott consortium would be so generous because the views of the master Celsus was very risky. Because when the Temple assessed the items then quite a few professional masters examined the product. Sometimes disputes would arise and the final result would be determined after a voting. Scott consortium's move in this case was a bold one. 

   However because of the dividends from the new textile machine Dudian didn't trust Scott consortium. He pondered a little as he looked at Rosie: "I'll consider as I'm not in a hurry." 

    Rosie laughed: "Mr Dean the sooner your crossbow is mass produced the higher the results from sales would be. I believe that we have offered the reasonable price and the other consortia would offer something within this range. They would offer lower price but not a higher. In addition, we have had cooperated in the past so we have more trust between each other. If your New World consortium wants to produce the crossbows then it would be very difficult. After all, your relationship with the Mellon consortium is not good."

    Dudian knew what she meant: "I know all of that. But I need time to think about it and I don't want to decide in haste."

    Rosie's brows wrinkled: "Mr Dean we have given the the price of a three-star item. Even if the Temple evaluated it as a two star item then you won't suffer but earn twice. Why do you... "

    "Thank you for the trust. If I have any intention to sell the rights to a consortia then..." Dudian contined. "you will be the first to be notified about the issue."

    "Anyway, Scott consortium will always be your best ally and I hope that the future will be a happy one for both sides." Rosie said as she stared at the boy. 

    "Good bye."

    After bidding farewell Rosie left the dining room as she followed after butler. 

    Dudian didn't speak about the issue and glanced at Old Fulin for a moment. 

    Jake who was sitting close to Dudian and Old Fulin seemed like a kid who was tempted by the sweets in front of him: "Mr Dean this is a rare opportunity. Why are you delaying? The chances will decrease as the time passes. Why don't you directly agree?"

   Dudian cut a piece of steak and put up into his mouth. He gentle chewed it and looked up at man: "The best time to eat the steak is when its hot. Not when the mouth is warm. Or else you won't taste the delicacy. There are wolves who are attracted to the smell of steak. In this case there will be lots of hungry wolves who will be attracted to the smell and will come to snatch the steak. At the end the one who pays the most will get the meat." 

    Jake was startled and speechless. 

   Dudian helped old patriarch to get up and go upstairs after the lunch ended. They were half the way when butler trotted over and whispered to Old Fulin.: "Master the Huasheng consortium came over." 

    "Huasheng?" Old Fulin looked at Dudian and said to the butler: "Let them come in. I'll be in study room."

    The butler promised and stepped down. 

    It didn't take long before butler went into the study room and a dignified middle-aged man followed him inside. The middle-aged man glanced at both of them. His eyes lit as he said: "I didn't expect Mr Dean to look so young. He looks as handsome as the rumors say...Lucky day..."

    Dudian smiled: "If you are looking for the old patriarch then I will go out. If you are looking for me then miss Rosie has offered us to purchase the crossbow according to three-star item price. I'm still considering it and I won't accept any offer below that price."

    Middle-aged man's smiled stiffened. He didn't expect that Dudian would be so direct and the Scott consortium to act so fast. He laughed.: "MR Dean is straighforward. I have come over to regarding the manufacturing and sales right of new crossbow but didn't expect that miss Rosie would be so fast. It seems that Huasheng consortium has not nope as we would offer the price of two star item. However if you work with us then I will give you very helpful gift."

    "Oh?"

    Middle-aged man continued: "This gift may not be useful to others but would be valuable to you. It is the map of the area outside the 'death passage'! I assume you know that passage was originally leased by our consortiu,. The senior hunter had mapped the areas that they have explored. Although it is not complete but there should be help if its used properly."

    Dudian's eyes lit up: "I know, I will think about this."

   The middle-aged man nodded. The moment Dudian had told Rosie's name he knew that there were little hope in having talks and he didn't want to waste time. 

    After the middle-aged man was sent Old Fulin asked Dudian: "Which consortium are you planning to sell the new item? If we rely on ourselves then the efficiency would be very low because of our limited resources."

    Dudian knew that current financial resources of Ryan family was not enough to invest in large-scale crossbow manufacturing. There were two choices and those were to sell it either to the consortia or the Temple. The price would be naturally higher if he sold it to the consortium rather than temple. However he could get points if he sold the Temple. He would be able to buy materials that are rare and even consortia can't afford to buy. 

    However there were no absolutes. Any rule had loopholes. Moreover there was underground black market where he could get more than enough. 

    Therefore Dudian didn't intend to sell the crossbow to the 'Temple of Elements'. Although the points would help him to achieve senior architect or master level but for him the scarcest right now was gold coins. He could buy 'fountain of life' with gold. The level of architect was a virtual status which he wasn't interested much at this time. Moreover he was aware that to climb up the ladder wasn't going to be easy as there will be people on top at every step who would be interested in pushing him down. 

    As long as he earned more money than a master then he didn't care whether his title was an intermediate level architect. He didn't care even if they called him an incompetent architect. 

    "My crossbow is not inferior to the snake crossbow. Without a doubt it is at least a three star level item. If I'm lucky it would be a top grade three star item. As long as it gets me enough money I don't care much. " Dudian continued: "I can work on other projects and sell again."

   Old Fulin looked at him:"Are you confident in your abilities?"

    Dudian shrugged his shoulders. He was absolutely confident that as an intermediate level archer his understanding of bows and crossbow was much more than those group of researchers in the Temple. Maybe the design of his crossbow wasn't as good as snake crossbow but in actual combat it was definitely better than snake crossbow.


Catastrophe erupted, it was the end of the world.
Survivors were surrounded by the impregnable wall, a new order was established...
The desire for power, faith, and darkness pervaded each other, layer upon layer of brands imprinted in every corner of the heart.
The virus wreaked havoc, were these humans' true colors?
"I unexpectedly survive, I want to live." –Du Dian

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