CH 104

Chapter 104: Going for a Free Meal with His Highness

Long Jingze looked at the sudden intrusion of several people. It was the first time he found them so displeasing that he wished he could slap them away right in front of him.

"Boss, who is this? Is he our sister-in-law?" Bai Mingzhe completely ignored Long Jingze's darkened face and the imminent danger. His gaze fell on Xiao Qingyang beside him with excitement as he asked.

Luo Haoyu couldn't bear to watch any longer. He quickly grabbed Bai Mingzhe and pulled him back, fearing that he would end up not knowing how he died.

Unfortunately, Bai Mingzhe didn't appreciate it and urgently exclaimed, "Haoyu, why are you pulling me?"

Luo Haoyu rolled his eyes in exasperation, released Bai Mingzhe, and swore that if he continued to deal with this idiot, he would become an idiot too.

Apart from Luo Haoyu, Xiao Qingyang didn't recognize anyone in front of him, so he refrained from speaking casually.

"Qingyang, long time no see," Luo Haoyu greeted Xiao Qingyang with a smile as he approached.

"Long time no see. Haoyu, are you also a student here?" Xiao Qingyang asked happily. It was much better to meet someone vaguely familiar here than to encounter strangers.

Luo Haoyu nodded before he could speak, but Bai Mingzhe rushed to say, "We are all students here, third-year students. Haoyu is your senior."

"Hello, seniors," Xiao Qingyang politely greeted everyone.

The others were curious because they knew that the boss had brought someone to their secret base. They didn't expect this person to not only be good-looking but also have a pleasant personality. As a result, their fondness for Xiao Qingyang increased significantly.

"Hello," the others also greeted Xiao Qingyang.

In fact, everyone wanted to ask how Xiao Qingyang knew their boss, but except for Bai Mingzhe, the others were quite perceptive.

Anyway, they had seen the person now, and their curiosity was satisfied. As for other information, they would eventually find out. If they don't leave now, their boss might start taking action.

"I just remembered that today's training isn't finished yet. I have to go back and train. Qingyang, enjoy your time here. There are many beautiful places to see. Boss can take you around," Luo Haoyu, the sly fox, made the first statement, giving his boss a boost and hoping that his boss would spare him from reprimanding him later and will consider his assistance.

"I still have unfinished training, Haoyu. Let's go back together. Goodbye, Qingyang," Zhao Yehan, who had been silent all along, chimed in and waved at Xiao Qingyang with a faint smile.

Zhao Yehan was known for being reserved, rarely speaking or showing expressions. For him to display a smile today was already considered extremely friendly.

After seeing their two friends bidding farewell, Guan Qingtian quickly found an excuse to leave with them. Only Bai Mingzhe was reluctant to leave and wanted to stay to continue observing the gossip between their leader and Xiao Qingyang. However, in the end, he was pulled away by the other three friends who couldn't stand it anymore.

"Why are you dragging me? It's not often that we get to see our leader like this. Don't you want to see more?" Bai Mingzhe looked at his friends in confusion.

"If we didn't drag you away, you probably wouldn't be able to leave now even if you wanted to," Guan Qingtian said, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

How did he end up with a teammate who lacked common sense and liked to court trouble? How did he even join their team in the first place? He simply lowered the intelligence of the whole team.

"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future," Luo Haoyu said in a low voice. He had a feeling that once their leader won Xiao Qingyang's heart, they wouldn't need to seek out opportunities to gossip about their leader. The chances would come knocking on their door.

Therefore, there was no need to rush at this moment.

On the other hand, after Bai Mingzhe's commotion, Long Jingze's mood became slightly worse than before, but of course, he wouldn't show it in front of Xiao Qingyang.

The two of them explored the secret base together, and Xiao Qingyang indeed liked the environment here very much. He felt comfortable and happy staying here, and Long Jingze's slightly dampened mood was quickly lifted by him.

"It's almost time for dinner. Let's go back. I'll take you to the cafeteria," Long Jingze glanced at the time. Although he didn't want to end the time he spent with Xiao Qingyang, he also didn't want him to go hungry.

Just as Xiao Qingyang was about to nod in agreement, a notification sound came from his terminal. He opened the message and, after reading it, smiled and said to Long Jingze, "Xiaotian has already prepared dinner. Let's not go to the cafeteria. Do you want to come to our dormitory and have dinner together? Xiaotian is really good at cooking."

Upon hearing Xiao Qingyang praise someone else's cooking as delicious, especially when that person was his roommate, Long Jingze suddenly felt a sense of crisis.

He knew how passionate Xiao Qingyang was about food and how easily he could be captivated by good food. And now, there was a roommate with exceptional culinary skills right beside him. This made Long Jingze have to be cautious.

"Then, I'll trouble your roommate," Long Jingze readily agreed, without any hesitation.

He really wanted to see who this person praised by Yangyang for cooking was.

Yangyang was his, and he would never give anyone else a chance!

"It's no trouble. Xiaotian is very hospitable. He would be happy if you come," Xiao Qingyang smiled and conveyed Gu Xiaotian's acceptance.

However, his words didn't improve Long Jingze's mood. In fact, it became even worse because Xiao Qingyang's familiar tone clearly indicated a close relationship with this person called Xiaotian.

"Do you two have a good relationship?" Long Jingze probed with a hint of curiosity.

"Yeah, Xiaotian is a good person, and his cooking is delicious. He's someone easy to get along with," Xiao Qingyang replied with a smile, keeping the topic centered on food.

Long Jingze could tell from his continuous references to food that this Xiaotian person must have won Yangyang's heart through culinary delights before establishing a good relationship with him. This heightened his sense of crisis.

In ancient times, there was a saying that went, "To capture someone's heart, first capture their stomach." Although there are fewer people nowadays who possess cooking skills, it also means that those who can cook are more precious, right? They are more likely to capture someone's heart through their cooking.

No, he couldn't let himself be outdone by this Xiaotian. He needed to learn how to cook as well.

At this moment, Gu Xiaotian, who had firmly been remembered by the Crown Prince as a love rival, was busy in the kitchen.

After a month of freshman training, coupled with a three-day break, it had been a while since they had enjoyed a proper meal.

Although they occasionally went hunting to improve their food during the training process, they didn't have many opportunities to cook due to the intensity of the competition. Naturally, the taste couldn't compare to the present.

That was why not only Xiao Qingyang and Xu Kaiyang rushed back upon learning that Gu Xiaotian was cooking, but even Lin Weiran put aside his tasks and returned to the dormitory as soon as he received the message. They eagerly awaited Gu Xiaotian's delicious dinner.

When Xiao Qingyang brought Long Jingze to Room 619, they saw their two roommates sitting on the sofa in the living room, occasionally turning their heads to glance at Gu Xiaotian, who was busy in the kitchen. The anticipation and longing in their eyes were evident, without any attempt to hide it.

The sound of the dormitory door opening was heard, and without needing to look, they knew who had returned. Xu Kaiyang immediately said, "Qingyang, you're back so late. If you had been any later, we would've eaten without..."

"...you." Xu Kaiyang's voice suddenly lowered as he looked towards the entrance and saw the person following behind Xiao Qingyang. The last two words were almost whispered.

As citizens of the empire and students of the Royal Military Academy, how could they not recognize Long Jingze, the crown prince and male god of the empire? 

However, why would the crown prince be here? 

Why would he be in their dormitory? 

In the past, Xu Kaiyang would never have dared to even think about this. He had never imagined that one day he would be so close to the crown prince, even sharing the same space and possibly eating the same dish. It felt like... a dream.

"Y-Your Highness," Xu Kaiyang called out with a trembling voice, overcome with excitement.

Xu Kaiyang's address caught the attention of Lin Weiran and Gu Xiaotian, and their gaze immediately fell upon the two figures at the door, especially on Long Jingze.

They both put down what they were holding and slightly bowed, respectfully saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

"No need to be so formal. We're at school now, so there's no need for so much etiquette. Besides, you are all Yangyang's roommates. Just treat me normally," Long Jingze replied in a flat tone, as if accustomed to being treated that way.

Although Long Jingze was the crown prince, he never used his status to overpower others at school. He always relied on his martial prowess to suppress any opposition, given that his strength was unmatched within the entire academy.

Moreover, those who were suppressed by him actually wished to be overpowered by his status. After all, being overpowered by influence was much easier and more comfortable than being overpowered by strength alone. At least their bodies wouldn't be in pain and on the verge of collapsing.

Of course, there were few who dared to provoke Long Jingze in the first place, except for those with low intelligence or a lack of self-awareness.

Xu Kaiyang had many questions he wanted to ask Xiao Qingyang, such as why he came to the dormitory with the crown prince, how he knew the crown prince, and what their relationship was. However, with Long Jingze present, he didn't dare to ask directly in his presence. He had to keep those questions to himself, which made even the meal taste bland and unsatisfying.

Long Jingze came to Room 619 mainly to see Xiao Qingyang's living environment and the daring Gu Xiaotian, who dared to "tempt" Xiao Qingyang with his cooking.

However, as soon as he saw Gu Xiaotian's appearance, Long Jingze's sense of crisis instantly dissipated. After all, an unrequited love was bound to have no result.

Apart from being a little nervous during the meal, everyone enjoyed themselves as host and guests.

Knowing that his presence made everyone uncomfortable, Long Jingze didn't linger after the meal.