"Shrimp dumplings."
Chu Qingqing smiled gracefully as she served the freshly cooked dumplings onto plates and placed them in front of the three people.
The decision to temporarily join Tianluo was, of course, made out of necessity. Originally, the plan was to eliminate witnesses, but the appearance of Wang Wanrou made that plan unfeasible. So, as a second choice, the priority became to stabilize Cheng Jinyang first before deciding on the next steps.
Once she understood his actual relationship with Miss Wang, she would determine the best course of action. If necessary, she would seek assistance from the family—after all, Miss Chu Qingqing was a future powerhouse of the fourth grade. How could she allow herself to be indebted to someone for a lifetime over a single leverage?
As she served the dumplings, she subtly observed everyone's reactions without making a sound:
Miss Wang accepted it calmly, without even saying a 'thank you,' appearing arrogant and impolite; Xing Yuanzhi nodded in gratitude, but her expression was too cold, clearly showing she didn't have much fondness for herself, probably because of Cheng Jinyang.
Cheng Jinyang also expressed his thanks, but... Chu Qingqing noticed his expression was somewhat peculiar.
It seemed both relieved and somewhat resentful?
However, Chu Qingqing didn't have the ability to read minds, so she couldn't discern the reasons behind it. Quietly, she took her seat, only to see Cheng Jinyang pick up a dumpling with a spoon, frowning as he took a bite.
"Too intense," he shook his head, saying, "You shouldn't put in so much MSG; it'll overshadow the natural freshness of the shrimp filling in the dumplings."
"But I didn't add MSG," Chu Qingqing tilted her head slightly, "I just added a little seafood soy sauce."
Cheng Jinyang: ...
"The cooking time was too long," he picked up a dumpling again, "Look, the dumpling skins are all soggy. You must have thawed the dumplings, but frozen dumplings don't need to be thawed because the skins will stick together..."
Chu Qingqing's small mouth slightly opened, instinctively wanting to say, 'I didn't thaw them,' but then cunningly smiled and said, "It's my first time handling frozen dumplings, not very skilled at it. How about next time you teach me, Cheng Jinyang?"
"Sure, that's fine. After all, you're a young lady from a prestigious family, not knowing how to cook is understandable," Cheng Jinyang nodded approvingly, satisfied with Miss Qingqing's tact, "Mastery of culinary skills isn't something you can just pick up casually. You'll have to learn properly in the future."
"Yes, Master," Chu Qingqing immediately played along, flattering.
Xing Yuanzhi coughed on the side, reminding them to get back to the main topic.
"By the way, speaking of a trade-off, I can actually tell you something," Cheng Jinyang said seriously, "The reason why we live together is not because I have any illicit relationship with them, but it stems from a secret."
"A secret?" Chu Qingqing asked curiously.
"Yes," Cheng Jinyang said with a smile, "As long as you know this secret, our relationship will be one of mutual dependence, and you don't have to worry about me revealing your secrets. However, it's important enough that once you know this secret, we can't easily let you leave."
"Is it related to your ability to enter other people's dreams?" Chu Qingqing pretended to hesitate.
"Yes," Cheng Jinyang replied affirmatively.
Do I even need to say it? Of course, I must know!
Chu Qingqing sneered inwardly.
As for 'not letting me leave,' sorry, do you have the ability to restrict my actions?
"I will imprint a Mind Steel Seal on you," Wang Wanrou said calmly from the side.
Chu Qingqing: .....
Almost forgot about Miss Wang.
"Mind Steel Seal?" Chu Qingqing said warily, "This might be..."
"I know what you're worried about," Wang Wanrou said calmly. "This Mind Steel Seal is just a temporary precaution. The content is simple: not allowing this secret to be leaked to anyone other than the four of us."
"If it's just this seal, there's nothing wrong with the content," Chu Qingqing said. "But I know that after applying the Mind Steel Seal, supplementary explanations can still be added, distorting the original content, which could potentially put me under your control."
"That's simple too," Wang Wanrou said. "I'll add a clause in the Mind Steel Seal: 'No acceptance of any additional supplementary explanations,' and 'automatic unsealing after three years.' That should do it."
"Okay." Chu Qingqing pondered for a moment, realizing there wasn't really a problem with the three-year time frame for the automatic release of the seal. But why three years?
Could it be that she believed after three years, she could confidently control me, not fearing that I would reveal the secret to others?
Of course, those thoughts didn't really matter. The most crucial thing was her own secret, one that must not be revealed, lest it bring shame upon herself and her family.
With that in mind, Chu Qingqing gritted her teeth and agreed.
.....
The process of stamping the Mind Steel Seal went smoothly without any tricks from Miss Wang.
The content of the Mind Steel Seal was clear and concise. Due to the 'additional explanations will not be accepted' constraint, the conditions binding Chu Qingqing were entirely consistent with her understanding, ensuring no unexpected changes in the future.
This finally made her sigh in relief.
Bringing the three girls to the bedroom, Cheng Jinyang said frankly:
"Alright, this secret is... when I'm asleep, if you sleep around me, you'll be drawn into the same dream."
"The same dream?" Chu Qingqing's face immediately darkened.
"Not the personal memories you're thinking of," Cheng Jinyang quickly explained, seeing her expression change. "But another one filled with demons and danger."
"Demons?" Chu Qingqing was puzzled.
"Anyway, you'll see once you've slept," Cheng Jinyang sighed.
Seeing that he was deliberately keeping things secret, Miss Qingqing was also a little angry. However, this secret was ultimately something that 'could unite everyone into a community of shared interests.' Although she couldn't imagine what it could be, they had already come this far, so there was naturally no reason to turn back.
However, the scene she saw next made her feel embarrassed and shy with fear:
Xing Yuanzhi fell asleep on the small bed nearby, while Cheng Jinyang and Wang Wanrou shared the double bed, causing Chuzi Qingqing's face and neck to flush with embarrassment. After all, Miss Wang is one of the Five Great Families, how can she be so shameless, actually sharing a bed with a man!
"Why are you still standing there?" Cheng Jinyang asked inexplicably. "Hurry up and get into bed."
"This..." Chu Qingqing gritted her teeth, "What kind of joke is this! How could I possibly share a bed with you!"
"If we don't sleep together, there's no way to enter the dream." Cheng Jinyang sighed, "We've tested it, at least we need to be in the same room."
"Then I'll sleep on the floor." Chu Qingqing said firmly, "Do you have a sleeping bag?"
"We do have sleeping bags..." Cheng Jinyang fetched one from the wardrobe, "Here."
Chu Qingqing: ???
You really have sleeping bags at home! Are you ready to host 'unexpected overnight guests' at any time?!