White Dew Manor is located on the backside of Goldfinch City, occupying an entire, sizable hilltop.

The Black family is incredibly wealthy. First, they cut down every tree on the mountain and burned it all to the ground; then they replanted the area, planted new trees, and built the manor’s structures, gardens, forests, farmland, and a golf course… They even dug a large lake to raise ornamental fish.

It is said that the main building of White Dew Manor is incredibly opulent, with over 400 rooms and nearly a thousand servants. However, as it is the private property of the Black family, it is not open to the public as a tourist attraction.

For this newlywed appreciation banquet, a section of the manor’s hillside was opened to guests.

The hillside was devoid of trees and shrubs; it was covered with a soft, velvety green meadow dotted with many small white flowers. These flowers looked quite ordinary, with delicate, soft petals no larger than the tip of a little finger. A flower or two was nothing special and didn’t attract much attention. But when thousands upon thousands of them formed a vast expanse, the sight was truly spectacular.

The green grass stretched like a carpet, the white flowers like stars, scattered across the meadow. When the wind blew, the flower stems swayed, and the green grass rippled in response; set against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds, the scene appeared vast and beautiful.

The Black family attached great importance to this wedding appreciation banquet, which was held in the face of the vast Impermanent Sea. As early as a week prior, the estate’s servants had begun making preparations.

By the time dawn broke on the day of the banquet, the men were working feverishly and giving it their all.

Soft white silk was tied into floral patterns every few meters and laid out across the lawn.

Wire was woven into the shape of arches, filled with fresh, blooming flowers, and placed in front of the erected floral wall.

The floral wall stretched for dozens of meters and stood 3 meters tall. The roses alone required tens of thousands of blooms—all of them the most expensive Christmas roses, priced at over 3,000 sol per stem.

In addition to the fresh flowers, colorful balloons were also essential; they were tied to the sides of the floral wall and the arch for decoration, and balloons shaped into various forms were scattered throughout the venue.

Waiters from the Boladen Restaurant rushed over, pushing silvery-white serving carts, lining up neatly in several rows on both sides of the venue. Meanwhile, some people set up barbecue grills at the edge of the venue,

The head chef of the Boladen Restaurant, the portly Matthew Boladen, arrived wearing a snow-white chef’s uniform. He would be responsible for preparing delicious grilled steak, lamb chops, and seafood right on the spot at the appreciation banquet.

In a little while, his assistants would arrive to prepare the soufflés. This dessert tastes best when made fresh; otherwise, it collapses and loses its light, fluffy texture.

As for the food in the food carts, it consisted of a variety of delicacies prepared by Boladen Restaurant over the course of an entire night, with the combined efforts of all the chefs and assistants. Using the catering carts produced by the Alchemy Association, the food is automatically kept warm inside, so there’s no need to worry about it becoming inedible if left out for too long.

Venue preparations continued until 9:30 a.m. After clearing away some trash, the housekeeper of White Dew Manor could finally catch her breath.

The female housekeeper, who was over fifty, said to the head butler standing nearby, “Go prepare up front. Tell the four guards that they can open the main hall.”

The male butler responded and left.

White Dew Manor, the mistress’s bedroom.

Elizabeth, dressed in her finest, sat upright at her dressing table.

This woman with beautiful golden hair glanced at her reflection in the mirror, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, then held that pose as she tilted her head to examine her earlobe.

A diamond stud sparkled on her snow-white earlobe.

“Leonard.”

“What is it, Liz?” Her young husband leaned in from the adjoining suite, his hands busy tying his bow tie.

This single room contained a total of three suites, each no less than 200 square meters in size—not counting smaller rooms like the walk-in closet and bathroom. Although the couple was clearly in the same room, they had to raise their voices to speak to one another.

Elizabeth looked at the mirror and said, “Come here for a moment.”

Leonard obediently walked over, stood behind his wife, and naturally placed his hand on her shoulder: “What’s up?”

“Look at my new earrings,” Elizabeth said, frowning. “I don’t think they go well with this outfit. What do you think?”

“Let me take a look.” Leonard leaned in. A young man with black hair and green eyes—his emerald gaze reflecting off the mirror as he focused on his wife’s face. After looking at her for a moment, he tilted his head to examine her earlobes.

Elizabeth’s ears were snow-white, with round, adorable earlobes that had a faint pinkish tinge. As Leonard looked at them, he couldn’t resist leaning in to give them a gentle kiss.

Elizabeth shrank her neck back: “Stop fooling around—we’re talking seriously here.”

Leonard smiled and sat up straight. “Why don’t you try on that pair of pearl earrings I gave you last week?”

Elizabeth’s eyes lit up: “Great idea! I was just thinking of trying on the pearl necklace Mom gave me—they’ll go perfectly together.”

She cheerfully went to find her jewelry, and Leonard followed her like a little puppy, sticking close to her every step of the way.

“Stop following me—go get your things ready.”

“But I want to follow you.”

“No, today is my last time appearing before fans as the singer Elizabeth White, and it’s also my first time appearing in your social circle as your wife, Elizabeth Black. I have to make sure we both look our best.” Elizabeth turned around, tapped her husband’s chest with her manicured fingers, and, in the same motion, straightened his crooked bow tie. “You hear me? Go get ready.”

Leonard’s eyes were filled with adoration for his wife, and tenderness overflowed from his gaze. He took Elizabeth’s hand and kissed it: “All right, ma’am, everything will be just as you wish.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, lifted the hem of her skirt, and kicked him out: “You clingy monster, get lost!”

Leonard rolled away with a smile.

By the time Nan Liujing arrived at White Dew Manor, it was already 10:30. The appreciation banquet had already begun, but people were still trickling in.

Nan Liujing let out a sigh of relief and patted his chest.

After giving it some thought, he took off the windbreaker he’d been wearing over his clothes and stowed it in his backpack.

After all, he was here to attend a banquet at a wealthy family’s home. Even though he hadn’t prepared a gift, he couldn’t exactly show up looking disheveled.

At the very least, he had to make himself look presentable.

Back on Earth, Nan Liujing would have had two or three decent suits, but he hadn’t been able to bring a single one into the game. He rummaged through his closet and found that only the two sets of spare clothes he’d discovered in Alfonso’s suitcase were presentable.

So today, Nan Liujing put on a deep blue silk shirt, paired with crisp black dress pants, and found a pair of well-fitting black leather shoes in the trading district.

He simply couldn’t find a suit that fit properly, so this would have to do.

Fortunately, the weather today wasn’t too cold, and once inside, with all the eating and drinking, he’d soon stop feeling the chill.

After giving his collar and cuffs a final adjustment, Nan Liujing stepped forward, quickly blending in with the other guests, and successfully entered White Dew Manor.

A male servant who looked to be in his early twenties was assigned to show him the way.

“Does the honored guest happen to be carrying any alchemical items with spatial backpack properties?” the servant asked as they walked.

Nan Liujing paused for a moment, then replied calmly, “No, why do you ask?”

“According to the rules, such items are not permitted at the appreciation banquet,” the butler explained. “It’s not that we’re being stingy or suspecting our guests of dishonesty. It’s just that, after all, Black is a business, and we’ve made some enemies in the business world. For this appreciation banquet, Lady Elizabeth hopes to bid farewell to her fans face-to-face, so no restrictions on attendance have been set— so it’s inevitable that people with ulterior motives might slip in…”

In other words, the concern isn’t that guests might steal something from the banquet, but rather that a business rival might take the opportunity to send an assassin who could pull out a weapon and start a rampage.

Nan Liujing nodded in full understanding.

All these wealthy people were dressed to the nines—long gowns and high heels—making it hard for them to even run.

He wisely stopped in his tracks and spread his arms wide: “I didn’t bring any of that with me; you’re welcome to check.”

The male servant actually stopped right there too, looking sheepish. “Then I’ll have to take the liberty.”

Nan Liujing had nothing on him but a tablet.

The male servant quickly found it, then furrowed his brow: “Is this… a book? May I open it and take a look?”

“Go ahead,” Nan Liujing said calmly.

So the male servant opened what he thought was the cover—which was actually just the protective case. What was revealed wasn’t a book’s pages or a spatial grid, but a pitch-black screen.

The male servant saw his own face reflected on the screen.

He looked up at Nan Liujing: “May I ask what this is?”

Nan Liujing looked back at him with great sincerity: “It’s a mirror.”

“?” The male servant glanced down at it, looking thoroughly puzzled. “But it’s black.”

“Don’t you know? This is the latest trend back home—black mirrors!” Nan Liujing said earnestly. “Look, it’s clearly black, yet it reflects a person’s face very clearly. If it isn’t a mirror, what else could it be?”

The male servant’s face clearly said, “I don’t get it, but if it makes you happy, that’s fine.”

He tried tapping the screen here and there, feeling along the edges, and turning it over and over to examine it. Nan Liujing remained calm; he had had the foresight to turn off the tablet long before entering White Dew Manor. Unless the butler pressed and held the power button, it was nothing more than a black mirror.

But it was unlikely that a local resident who had never come into contact with this kind of electronic device would have the notion to ‘long press.’

The butler did spot the mechanism, but after tapping it twice with no response, he simply let it go.

Whatever this screen was, as long as it wasn’t a spatial artifact or a lethal weapon, that was fine.

With that thought, the butler relaxed and handed the tablet back to Nan Liujing.

Arriving at the hillside where the appreciation banquet was being held—it was unclear exactly which part of the program they were at—the newlyweds, Leonard and Elizabeth, were standing under an archway in front of a wall of flowers, locked in a kiss.

Their relatives and friends surrounded them; some clapped, some cheered, and a few mischievous souls even whistled at the couple.

Several reporters were crammed in the front, the click-clack of camera flashes forming a continuous stream.

They say people’s joys and sorrows do not intersect: while family and friends were having a lively time over here, the high society of Goldfinch City stood over there, holding their wine glasses and dressed to the nines, discussing serious matters.

Elizabeth’s fans had rushed in from all corners of the Impermanent Sea and watched their idol from afar, tears streaming down their faces.

Uninvited guests who had snuck in were crowding around the food trucks, eating and drinking to their hearts’ content.

Nan Liujing also cast just a single glance from afar at the stars of this appreciation banquet—vaguely, a stunning blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty and a refined, dark-haired gentleman; their height and build seemed quite well-matched.

But he only glanced at them once. Rather than watching the indigenous people, who had nothing to do with him, he was far more interested in those adorable food trucks.

There were over a hundred food trucks lined up!

Is there any better opportunity than this to score a free meal?

Let’s go!

Once the butler who had led the way left, Nan Liujing headed straight for the food carts.

He grabbed a round plate from beside the carts, strode over to the first cart in the leftmost row, and lifted the lid. A refreshing aroma wafted out, making Nan Liujing involuntarily sniff the air.

Inside the food cart, a partition divided the space into two sections, each holding a different kind of salad. One featured prosciutto and burrata cheese mixed with greens and, upon closer inspection, roasted peaches; the other was a potato salad made by mixing mashed potatoes, bacon bits, cucumber slices, and cherry tomatoes.

Nan Liujing didn’t turn anything down, piling a bit of each onto his plate.

It’s worth noting that Nan Liujing had already figured this out: if he wanted to obtain a recipe by eating, there was one crucial prerequisite—he had to finish the entire serving.

Sometimes, even after finishing a serving, he might not figure out the recipe, but if he doesn’t finish it, you definitely won’t figure it out.

So he had no choice but to keep piling more onto his plate until the portion met the system’s requirements; once “Potato Salad x1” appeared in his backpack, he’d move on to the next dish.

To prevent others from seeing him bring in prohibited items, Nan Liujing dared only to operate discreetly, using his body to block others’ view.

Eight food carts in a row offered various salads and appetizers. Aside from the salad-style options, there were also bite-sized appetizers.

On slices of baguette toasted to a golden brown, he placed mozzarella cheese and roasted tomatoes, drizzled with a few drops of balsamic vinegar; or spread cream cheese, topped it with roasted mushrooms, and finished with a few chopped figs; or layered potato and egg pancakes and rolled prosciutto on the bread slices; there were shrimp cocktails served in tiny cups; a platter of bite-sized sushi……

One plate simply couldn’t hold it all. Nan Liujing took half the spread and had to go through the motions of carrying the plate to a corner to pretend to eat, when in reality he was secretly selling the dishes on the plate at a high price in the trading area whenever no one was looking.

A short while later, he walked back to the food truck with a clean, empty plate, looking completely at ease.

Since this appreciation banquet didn’t require a gift or an invitation, quite a few people had come to join the fun. A large portion of them were there with the intention of “feasting on the delicacies prepared by Boladen’s chefs,” so there was a particularly large crowd gathered around the food truck.

Nan Liujing spotted several players in the crowd.

It was hard to miss them—players were just too easy to spot, their overall demeanor standing out starkly from the locals.

Of the three players, one was wearing a track top and flashy beach shorts in twenty-something-degree weather, with flip-flops on his feet; another was dressed in full camouflage, as if about to play Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds; and there was a girl who, under a big green padded coat and a puffy Lolita dress, was wearing clunky snow boots, to his surprise.

The three of them looked like a strange trio—acting suspiciously and sneaking around—drawing stares from the locals wherever they went.

Nan Liujing: “……”

How does that saying go again?

Please, players, dress like normal people during cutscenes.JPG

Even though the locals could be considered NPCs, this is just way too casual.

The three players locked eyes with one another; they immediately recognized each other’s identities. So the three drew closer and closer, soon gathering together to whisper among themselves.

It wasn’t exactly unusual to run into other players here. The Black family hadn’t kept this appreciation banquet a secret; on the contrary, to ensure that all of Elizabeth Black’s fans across the Impermanent Sea knew about it, they had ‌publicized it far and wide.

These three players‌ had made their way here through their own channels and means.

Nan Liujing had never shared any information about the Goldfinch Island appreciation banquet with the public; he wasn’t in the charity business. The only thing he’d share for free was bad news—to warn other players‌to stay alert, avoid danger, and improve their‌survival rates.

But there’s no reason to give away good news for free, right?

Intelligence is very expensive, and Nan Liujing isn’t the generous type.

He didn’t go out of his way to approach other players either; instead, with lightning-fast reflexes, he snatched up the last slice of honeydew melon and ham, making up a full serving. He raised an eyebrow defiantly at the little boy who’d been a split second too slow, then headed toward another food cart.

The little boy was stunned by that glance, and it took him a few seconds before he started crying.

The parents heard the crying and rushed over, but by then Nan Liujing was already far away.

Interacting with other players? That sort of thing didn’t matter at all.

At this very moment, only these delicacies could tug at Nan Liujing’s heartstrings.

His attire wasn’t much different from that of the locals, so the other players didn’t notice him.

After the appetizers came the bread section, with over ten varieties to choose from.

These loaves were meant to serve as staples—unlike the fluffy, soft sweet breads eaten as snacks. Nan Liujing saw a huge pile of rye bread so hard it could crack walnuts, some of which were studded with plenty of nuts.

This whole-grain bread wasn’t just hard, tough to chew, and dry—making it hard to swallow—it also had one major advantage: a very long shelf life.

It was perfect for stockpiling.

Having studied abroad for many years, Nan Liujing had long since come to terms with this bread—so unpalatable it made one want to hang oneself. He grabbed a fresh plate, scooped up the bread without batting an eye, and in an instant, the bread piled up into a small mountain on the plate.

He walked to a secluded spot, tipped the contents into his bag, and the dry bread was safely stowed away.

Afterward, he pretended to be nonchalant, slipping back to the bread section several times between grabbing other foods, quietly clearing it out.

He intended to use this bread not only to test recipes but also to stockpile as emergency rations for future natural disasters.

Since it doesn’t spoil easily, the more the better.

After clearing out the bread section, Nan Liujing nonchalantly headed toward the other delicacies, passing by two young waiters rushing up to restock along the way. Each was carrying a wicker basket filled to the brim with stale bread, chatting as they walked: “That’s strange—the bread ran out so fast.”

“Exactly. Newcomers to the buffet never fill up on bread.”

Nan Liujing glanced at the fresh bread in their arms—hmm, those dark, rock-hard things.

He’d go back for another round in a bit.

Now he was ready to tackle the main course.

He piled a plate high with rich, sauce-laden beef stew. Besides the tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef, it contained large chunks of potatoes and carrots—all stewed until they fell apart at the touch of a fork, blending seamlessly with the sauce.

The grilled chicken thighs, with their slightly charred skin, were brushed with an amber-colored honey glaze; within minutes, an incredibly crispy crust formed, making a satisfying crunch when picked up with chopsticks.

A whole eel is split open and deboned, then threaded onto a bamboo skewer and placed on the grill. As it cooks, it’s repeatedly brushed with a sweet-and-salty sauce. The charcoal fire gradually reduces the soy sauce and sugar in the sauce, turning them into caramel infused with the aroma of charcoal, which clings tightly to the fish flesh, giving it a rich, glossy, sauce-colored sheen.

……

……

Nan Liujing was completely lost in the moment, so utterly captivated by the alluring aromas of the various meats that he had no choice but to stand right next to the food truck, wolfing down a large plate of curry beef brisket and fried seafood. Only after filling his stomach could he focus his full attention on continuing his moving project.

He also stood in line to get a serving of each type of meat cut prepared on-site by the chef. Originally, he had to line up several times, but when he reached the end of the line for the last time, the chef seemed to recognize him. While grilling a steak, he remarked, “You’ve got quite an appetite, sir.”

To avoid being spotted by the locals, Nan Liujing reluctantly gave up on a second serving of the fragrant steak and settled for a large plate of tomato meatballs instead.

The food truck even had whole roasted chickens. Typically, when guests approached, they would simply use a knife and fork to slice off a few pieces of meat from the whole chicken, just to sample the flavor, so they could save room for other delicacies.

But when Nan Liujing walked over, he didn’t hesitate to pile two whole roasted chickens onto his plate.

The two roasted chickens were stacked on top of each other, resting on a large portion of lasagna, with a circle of fried chicken wings and meat patties arranged around the edge of the plate.

After several rounds of practicing how to serve himself, Nan Liujing’s plating skills had become nothing short of masterful.

He even managed to squeeze several grilled sausages into the gaps before turning to head to a corner to “enjoy” his feast.

Before long, he walked back over with an empty plate to serve himself some pan-seared cod.

After making a full round of the food cart on the left, Nan Liujing headed over to the right.

The food cart on the right was filled with all kinds of sweet breads, cakes, pastries, and fresh-cut fruit, as well as ice cream in the freezer and beverages and cocktails on the table.

Nan Liujing stood in line to get a strawberry soufflé. Without a word, he took a bite and was immediately transported into a state of bliss: “ Is this heaven…?”

Although he had never heard a single song by Elizabeth, he was now, without a doubt, her fan.

Thank you, generous Elizabeth. I wish you and your husband a lifetime of happiness.