Silence spread through the dinner party, and everyone felt a chill rise throughout their bodies, their hearts sinking to the bottom.
“There’s no need for everyone to worry too much,” Mrs. Cai said, revealing a gentle smile, easing the atmosphere, “These are just some unwritten rules; as long as everyone can abide by them, there won’t be any problems.”
“Alright, you’ve traveled a long way to get here, so you must be hungry, right? Our chef here is quite skilled, and I believe you can enjoy a good dinner.”
As Mrs. Cai said, the dining table was laden with various exquisite dishes—appetizers, main courses, and desserts—everything imaginable.
If they weren't in such a bizarre environment, treating this as a luxurious buffet would definitely be the ultimate enjoyment, but most of the people, feeling the impending crisis, had little appetite.
Moreover, the most important thing was that no one knew if these foods were actually edible.
Yan Changqing only pondered for a moment before he imitated Cai Xiaohong, tying a napkin and beginning to cut the steak on his plate with a knife and fork.
The steak was medium-rare, with tender meat, and with a gentle slice of the knife, bloody juices oozed out.
Ignoring the astonished glances from everyone, Yan Changqing impaled a piece of the cut steak with his fork and, without the slightest hesitation, put it into his mouth, all while observing the expressions and actions of the host family of three.
The male host and female host possessed excellent table manners, not speaking a word while eating, elegantly chewing the food in their mouths, but their eyes constantly shifted among the Guests, carrying a hint of scrutiny and a deep-seated coldness hidden within.
The Little girl sat next to Yan Changqing; she kept her head down, self-absorbedly eating her cream cake.
From the moment she entered until now, aside from her surprising words when greeting everyone, she hadn't interacted with anyone else, as if she wasn't interested in them.
Ai Haoming, seeing Yan Changqing take the lead in dining, his usual condescending gaze turned somewhat surprised.
Soon, he scoffed again and began to take food, enjoying the delicious meal.
“Changqing, aren’t you afraid there’s something wrong with the food?”
Ning Xiaona grabbed Yan Changqing’s arm with her right hand; Yan Changqing could feel the coldness emanating from her palm.
He hesitated for a moment, quickly glanced at everyone, and then lowered his voice to speak into Ning Xiaona's ear, “Do you remember that order? It requires us to survive in the castle for seven days.”
“Hmm, what’s the problem?”
Facing Ning Xiaona’s confusion, Yan Changqing offered an explanation.
“A week is neither long nor short; the limit for a person to survive without food is roughly that long, but even if you survive until then, you won’t have the strength to escape.”
“There are monsters outside, so we can't leave.
Therefore, our food source can only come from the castle.
I think you should also be aware that this castle is unusual, filled with strangeness everywhere, and the food they prepare might have problems.”
“However, have you ever considered that even if you don't eat the food here, can you guarantee safety by finding other ingredients in the castle?”
“Being suspicious everywhere will only exhaust your mind; on the contrary, replenishing our physical strength is very important for us.
Firstly, it can stabilize anxious emotions, and secondly, at least we’ll have a chance to escape if we encounter a crisis.”
“What you said makes sense too.”
Ning Xiaona released Yan Changqing’s arm; she seemed to feel the calmness in his words, and her stiff expression relaxed.
“I never noticed it before, but you’re quite reliable at critical moments.”
Yan Changqing just smiled and didn't reply.
In reality, he was paralyzed in bed, struggling even to turn his neck, so he naturally rarely interacted with people.
As for whether he was reliable, everyone knew it implicitly.
“Then should I eat some too?”
“Go ahead and eat.”
Yan Changqing nodded and added, “If you’re worried, you can also wait and observe first.”
Ning Xiaona shook her head and smiled at Yan Changqing.
“It’s okay, I trust your judgment.”
She carefully took a piece of smoked salmon, first sniffed it, then took a small bite, and her eyes slightly lit up.
The smoky flavor was not as strong as imagined, it didn't overpower the fresh taste of the salmon itself, and it was delicate and slightly sweet on the palate, with an endless aftertaste.
Seeing that three people had already started dining, the remaining four no longer hesitated and began to choose their favorite dishes to enjoy.
From time to time, maids would push carts, bringing freshly prepared dishes.
As Mrs. Cai had said, their chef’s skills were exceptionally good, almost flawless, and the satisfaction brought by the delicious food significantly reduced the pressure.
Suddenly, a rich fruity aroma wafted over, accompanied by a hint of rose fragrance, which instantly invigorated everyone.
Everyone put down their utensils in unison and looked up towards the source of the scent, only to see a maid pushing a small cart enter the Dining Room, with a small wooden barrel placed on it.
The sparse-haired, casually dressed uncle was named He Xuexing.
He was the last man apart from Yan Changqing and Ai Haoming, appearing as a good-natured person with little courage and a weak presence.
However, when he saw the wooden barrel appear, he suddenly stood up, his eyes gleaming as he stared intently at the barrel.
“Red wine?”
He Xuexing licked his lips, “No, it’s top-grade red wine, the highest quality kind!”
“This Guest certainly knows his stuff.”
Cai Xiaohong clapped his hands, and the maid, receiving the signal, picked up the wooden barrel and walked to Cai Xiaohong’s side, filling his glass.
Then the maid poured for the Mrs. and the Little girl respectively, and then proceeded to pour for each of the Guests.
Yan Changqing was also attracted by the aroma of the red wine.
He had previously wanted to complain about not giving alcohol to minors, but as soon as he smelled the aroma, he was immersed in it.
He felt three parts drunk even before drinking, and his eyes became hazy, gradually losing clarity.
His eyes felt somewhat dizzy, and his mind seemed completely drawn to the red wine; he even had the thought of wanting to stuff himself into the wine glass and swim freely in the red wine.
It was absurd, illogical, but at that moment, he held no doubts, as if it were perfectly natural.
Yan Changqing reached for the wine glass as if possessed, when suddenly a burning sensation came from his chest, his heart trembled violently, and a chill shot straight to his head.
Now sober, he felt cold sweat all over his body and quickly looked towards the burning spot on his chest, only to see that the snake-shaped pendant on his chest had come alive.
Its head was raised, its tongue flicking, and it was fiercely hissing at the red wine in a threatening manner.
Yan Changqing was not surprised but rather delighted.
He had been accompanied by a snake in his dreams for many years, so he naturally felt no fear towards snakes; instead, he felt a sense of familiarity.
Snakes themselves are said to bring good fortune and ward off evil, and he believed this was a warning from the Snake to him.
This Red Wine was different from the dinner dishes; he absolutely could not drink it!
Looking around, the Guests picked up their wine glasses.
The red wine was like a deep vortex, becoming the focal point that drew their gaze.
Their eyes, as they looked at the red wine, were intoxicated with a burning intensity.
The only person whose eyes were clear was Ai Haoming.
He pretended to be intoxicated, but Yan Changqing, sitting on the same side, still noticed the bloodstain by his chair.
He had cut his palm, using self-harm to force himself to stay awake.
Cai Xiaohong seemed not to notice the snake’s movements.
He lightly sipped the red wine, surveying the Guests’ intoxicated states, a satisfied smile on his face.
“This is red wine uniquely brewed by our Gusen Castle.
I’m sure the Guests haven’t tasted it before, so please do try it.”
Cai Xiaohong’s voice was coaxing, as he swirled the wine glass in his hand.
The sloshing red wine shimmered under the Dining Room lights, its vibrant crimson color like fresh blood, carrying a rich aroma that stimulated all the senses.
The Guests, as if bewitched, raised their wine glasses, just as they were about to bring them to their lips.
Suddenly, a sentence from Yan Changqing broke the unusually eerie atmosphere.
“Mr. Cai, is this your order as the host?”
His voice was not loud, but it exploded in the Dining Room like a clap of thunder.
All the Guests trembled, their eyes gradually clearing, and they then realized that the Red Wine might be problematic.
For a moment, they looked at Cai Xiaohong with shock and uncertainty.
Cai Xiaohong no longer had his previous composed smile.
His face was expressionless, and a profound coldness was hidden beneath his deep-set eyes.
“Not exactly.”