"Empress, do you understand? Or would you like Zifeng to cut it for you first, and then you eat? Is that okay?" Shangguan Zifeng felt it was his duty as a modern gentleman to offer thorough service, especially since the girl across from him was a naive young lady who had never experienced a Western meal outside.
"I can do it myself, I've been watching your movements," she said.
Shangguan Linlang didn't want to appear incompetent, so she insisted on using the knife and fork to cut the steak herself. The Empress didn't believe that a pair of small cutlery could stump her when she was so used to handling weapons. Idealism was abundant, but reality was harsh. It was Shangguan Linlang's first time eating steak and using cutlery, and she almost took young master Shangguan Zifeng's life, as she couldn't control her strength. Not only did the steak fly out of the plate and smack onto Shangguan Zifeng's face, but the fork in her hand also followed, aimed straight for his eye.
This mishap happened so abruptly that just as Shangguan Zifeng wiped off the steak juices from his face, he saw a deadly weapon flying towards him. Shangguan's boy was petrified, expecting to become a cyclops. He just stared at the fork, waiting to be pierced and bloodied. In the nick of time, the Empress suddenly made a move. Just as the fork was about to graze his eyeball, she caught it firmly. Then, with an utterly calm face, she put down the fork, hung her head in disappointment, and said, "I'm sorry, Zifeng, I didn't do it on purpose, but this cutlery is really hard to use."
"It's okay, Empress, just eat mine. I haven't touched it yet, it's still clean. I'll just order another one," Shangguan Zifeng said, feeling immensely grateful that the Empress had saved his life in a critical moment. At this point, how could he care that the peril he faced was caused by the culprit right in front of him? Seeing Shangguan Linlang's unhappy face, he hurriedly pushed the well-cut steak in front of her, indicating her to eat first, and then he instructed the restaurant manager to prepare another serving.
"Zifeng, thank you," Shangguan Linlang said with a shy smile to Shangguan Zifeng.
"Empress, please allow me to tidy myself up a bit; I look rather unsightly right now. You can eat here, and I'll be right back," Shangguan Zifeng said as he stood up, gave this excuse to Shangguan Linlang, and headed towards the restroom. His face was still uncomfortable from the earlier steak incident.
Shangguan Linlang obediently nodded her head, and then leisurely began eating the steak that Shangguan Zifeng had cut for her.
"Wuji, did you see that? That lady actually managed to catch the fork that slipped from her hand so fortuitously. I was scared to death just now, thinking his companion would lie in a pool of blood. Luckily, it was a false alarm," Li Mufan suddenly remarked to a deep-in-thought Xuanyuan Wuji.
"Do you think she just happened to catch that fork?" Xuanyuan Wuji looked again at the beautiful woman below, who was slowly eating her steak, and spoke with a complex gaze.
"What else? You're not going to tell me that this frail-looking girl knows martial arts, are you? Don't joke with me, I can't believe that," Li Mufan said dismissively.
"Her skills are probably even better. What happened just now was her instinctive reaction, and I've never seen anyone move that fast, not even the master who taught me. In that sort of situation, if it were someone else, his companion could only pray for themselves," Xuanyuan Wuji revealed, leaving Li Mufan speechless with these words. At this moment, Xuanyuan Wuji's interest in Shangguan Linlang intensified. A martial arts enthusiast, he had always believed his skill was exceptional, but was caught off-guard by such an extraordinary master, who was even a young woman. His frozen heart began to stir, and he grew increasingly curious about Shangguan Linlang, instinctively wanting to know more about her, much more.