“Sit.”
There was no one else in the main hall. Mo Xi spoke indifferently.
Gu Mang did not stand on ceremony. He pulled out another chair and sat down directly, immediately reaching over to lift the lid of the bowl.
There were eight dishes.
They were scallion-braised sea cucumber, scallion-fried yellow croaker, scallion-roasted venison ribs, scallion-fried beef, scallion tofu, scallion egg-drop soup, and scallion pancakes.
It seemed that someone had completely committed themselves to a battle with scallions.
The only dish on the table without that faint green color sat beside the charcoal brazier.
It was a roasted goose.
After swinging an axe all day, Gu Mang had long been starving. He completely ignored Mo Xi’s reaction, sat down, and began eating with his hands.
He ignored the jade chopsticks and porcelain dishes placed on the table. Instead, he grabbed a yellow croaker first and took a large bite.
But after chewing only a few times, he spat it out.
“Disgusting,” Gu Mang said.
Mo Xi remained expressionless. With both hands folded together, he sat at the other end of the table and watched him elegantly.
“Try another one.”
Gu Mang switched dishes and grabbed a piece of scallion-roasted venison, biting into it.
After chewing for a while, he spat it out again.
“…”
“Also bad?”
“Mm.”
“Then try another.”
This time, Gu Mang hesitated.
He looked over the dishes on the table several times before finally reaching out carefully and pulling a scallion pancake from the bamboo basket.
Unlike the previous two times, he did not immediately eat it.
Instead, he held the pancake in his hands and smelled it. He wrinkled his nose, unwillingly smelled it again, and finally stuck out the tip of his tongue, soft and pink like a flower petal, to lick it.
Watching the way his tongue touched the food, Mo Xi’s brown eyes moved slightly, as though something had come to mind. A trace of gloom spread across his usually serious expression, and he turned his face away.
“I don’t like this green thing.”
After several attempts, Gu Mang looked slightly pale and announced:
“I can’t eat it.”
That was only natural.
Mo Xi thought:
It would be strange if you liked it.
Perhaps many people in this world had invited the former Marshal Gu to meals, but very few knew what foods he disliked.
Ever since childhood, Gu Mang had received the strictest upbringing from the Murong family. His nature was also extremely kind, so he always smiled and thanked others for their kindness. He would never point out which dishes at a banquet he disliked.
His habit of wanting to vomit whenever he tasted scallions or chives was something even Murong Lian, who had raised him for so many years, did not know.
But Mo Xi knew.
“What is this green vegetable called?”
Mo Xi’s expression remained indifferent.
“Scallion.”
Gu Mang pursed his lips.
“Then I don’t like scallions.”
Mo Xi did not answer.
He lifted his fingertips and used a small spell to make the fire in the charcoal brazier burn brighter.
The entire goose had been stuffed with berries. It was skewered on branches and slowly roasted beside the flames created by burning fruitwood.
By now, the goose meat had become golden and crispy.
Mo Xi sprinkled a little salt over it, then picked up a small knife. Without hurry, he sliced off a piece of leg meat from the roasted goose and handed it over.
“Try this.”
Gu Mang accepted it.
After the nightmare of “scallions,” he became extremely cautious before eating. He held the goose leg and examined it for a long time.
Seeing the glossy golden skin, the steam rising from it, and smelling the fragrance of meat mixed with the smoky aroma of fruitwood, his throat moved unconsciously.
But he still asked carefully:
“No scallions?”
“No.”
Only then did Gu Mang take a bite.
The golden crispy skin immediately made a “crack” sound between his teeth. The hot juices and oil seeped through the texture of the goose meat, and the moment it touched his tongue, a rich fragrance filled his mouth.
Gu Mang finished the goose leg in two or three bites.
He even licked his fingers clean.
Then his eyes lit up as he stared at the roasted goose still sitting over the fire.
“More.”
Mo Xi was unusually patient today.
He did not mind being treated like a cook. In fact, he thoughtfully pushed the small dish of plum sauce he had prepared for the roasted goose toward Gu Mang.
He sliced a full plate of goose meat for him.
Watching Gu Mang eat happily, Mo Xi himself did not take a single bite.
“Do you like this roasted goose?”
Gu Mang’s cheeks were stuffed full as he answered unclearly:
“Like.”
Mo Xi said calmly:
“That’s good. The other dishes on the table were made by the cooks. Only this one was made by me.”
“You’re impressive.”
Gu Mang casually tossed out a compliment to Chef Mo before lowering his head and continuing to eat the roasted goose.
Clearly, Mo Xi’s voice was not as attractive as the crispy skin of the goose.
“Not impressive.”
Mo Xi looked away.
“I know nothing about cooking. This roasted goose was taught to me many years ago by one of my senior brothers when we were stationed at the border.”
Snow quietly fell outside the window, gathering into a layer of crystal on the windowsill.
Inside the room, Gu Mang focused on eating meat, while Mo Xi’s voice was unusually calm, like a trapped beast sinking into the mud of old memories, no longer capable of showing its former ferocity.
“At that time, both he and I were only low-level cultivators. We took care of each other in the army.”
“…Actually, it would be more accurate to say that he took care of me more.”
“He was three years older than me. He had experienced more of the world, and his magic was more refined. Back then, I thought there was probably nothing in this world that he didn’t know.”
“From the mysteries of ghosts and gods to something as simple as a roasted goose, he could explain everything clearly.”
“At that time, it was also winter. During a siege battle, the enemy raided our supply routes and cut off our provisions. The army lacked food, and supplies were distributed according to the cultivators’ ranks.”
Mo Xi looked at Gu Mang.
His usually cold gaze became faintly distant.
“We were both hungry.”
“One night, we were on night watch together, patrolling both sides of the camp.”
“And somehow, in the middle of a heavy snowfall, he managed to hunt down a fat goose.”
“He could have eaten it all himself, but instead he happily called me over.”
“You should know that I was at the age where my body was still growing, and my appetite was much larger than his.”
At this point, Gu Mang suddenly paused and lifted his head.
“…What?”
Mo Xi looked at him.
Gu Mang licked his lips and pulled his plate closer.
“Another leg.”
Mo Xi slightly raised his brows.
He cut off the remaining goose leg and gave it to him, then continued his story regardless of whether Gu Mang was listening.
“He picked some berries from a tree.”
Gu Mang lifted his head again.
Just like before, he stared straight at him.
Mo Xi pressed his lips together.
“There are no more. A goose only has two legs, and besides, the one on your plate isn’t even finished.”
Gu Mang suddenly said without context:
“Berries are delicious.”
“…”
Mo Xi looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before saying:
“You’re right. Berries are delicious.”
“That person also liked berries. He would often go through great trouble to climb trees and pick them himself, insisting that berries knocked down with magic and berries picked by hand had completely different flavors.”
“He taught me how to make roasted goose. The ingredients were simple. Besides the goose, only a little salt and a handful of fresh berries were needed.”
Gu Mang asked:
“Eat it together with the berries?”
“No. The berries are stuffed inside the cleaned goose cavity. The goose is skewered on branches, then smoked and roasted with pinewood and lychee wood.”
Mo Xi said:
“We sat beside the fire. He would occasionally add more branches. Once the goose became golden, he sprinkled salt on it.”
“After taking it down, we removed the stuffed berries and ate the roasted meat directly.”
“He told me back then that you had to be very careful when eating it.”
“Careful about what?”
Mo Xi said calmly:
“After waiting beside the fire for so long, smelling the fragrance for so long, and watching it slowly turn golden while oil dripped from the skin, it was impossible not to become hungry and impatient.”
“In that moment, people would always want to take a bite immediately.”
“It was easy to burn your tongue.”
“Then did you burn your tongue?”
“How could I?”
Mo Xi’s gaze became slightly unfocused.
“Though you…”
Gu Mang was chewing on the goose leg and licked his lips.
“See? I didn’t burn mine either.”
“…That wasn’t what I meant. Forget it.”
Gu Mang continued eating.
He ate half of the entire goose, then stared blankly at the remaining portion over the fire for a while before putting it down.
Mo Xi asked:
“Not eating anymore?”
Gu Mang nodded.
Mo Xi vaguely found it strange.
This person’s appetite now seemed enormous. How could half a roasted goose already fill him tonight?
Before he could think further, Gu Mang suddenly asked:
“What was your senior brother’s name?”
The words struck like an arrow through the heart.
Mo Xi suddenly raised his head and met Gu Mang’s eyes.
When Gu Mang asked that question, his gaze was clear, his expression filled with undisguised curiosity.
Yet under that gaze, Mo Xi gradually felt an unbearable tightness in his chest.
Gu Mang… are you pretending?
If you are pretending, how can you remain this calm?
“That person…”
Mo Xi paused.
“He was called…”
It was only the final two words.
Yet those two words became stuck in his throat, and no matter what, he could not say them.
Mo Xi was trapped by that name.
He had spoken those two words countless times before, but at this moment, they were like a gentle dream from many years ago that had long since shattered into pieces, each fragment piercing his heart and lungs until they bled.
He could not say Gu Mang’s name.
And because of the extreme restraint he forced upon himself, his eyes gradually turned red.
Mo Xi suddenly turned his face away.
His voice was harsher than it had ever been before.
“Why are you asking? What does it have to do with you?”
Gu Mang:
“…”
The meal ended in low spirits.
After Gu Mang left, Mo Xi’s gaze fell upon the small dish of green plum dipping sauce beside Gu Mang’s elbow.
He had not explained its purpose while they were eating, so the sauce remained untouched, completely neglected.
Mo Xi closed his eyes.
It was as if a familiar voice sounded beside his ears—
“Junior brother, eating only roasted goose is no fun at all. Try this plum sauce I made. It’s sweet and sour, and when you bite into the crispy skin with it—wow.”
That voice carried laughter.
“It’s so delicious you’ll want to swallow your own tongue.”
Even now, Mo Xi could still clearly remember certain details from that time.
The endless white snow.
The faint ashes rising from the firewood.
The flickering flames of the campfire.
And Gu Mang sitting beside him, smiling as he used a branch to poke at the pinewood.
Gu Mang turned around.
His brows and eyes were covered in warm orange firelight. His dark eyes were deep and bright.
“Come, try this piece of mine. This one has green plum sauce on it.”
“How is it? Is it good?”
“Hahaha, of course. When has your Gu Mang-gege ever lied to you? Above and below heaven, I am the most sincere person there is. I never deceive anyone.”
Mo Xi’s fist unconsciously tightened.
His fingernails dug deeply into his flesh.
Earlier, he had deliberately sliced the roasted goose into very thin pieces. He had sliced many pieces.
He had also deliberately spoken to Gu Mang while they ate because he knew that when a person was doing two things at once, they would inevitably become distracted.
When Gu Mang used to eat this kind of sliced crispy roasted goose, every piece had to be completely coated with this sweet and sour green plum sauce.
If he accidentally forgot, then even after taking a bite, he would put the meat back into the dipping dish and dip it again.
It was a deeply ingrained habit.
Before this, Mo Xi had thought:
If Gu Mang was pretending, it would be difficult for him to remain cautious while listening to Mo Xi speak without revealing anything.
Gu Mang would most likely instinctively dip at least one piece.
But he did not.
Gu Mang seemed to have no idea what the sauce was for.
The frozen plum sauce remained exactly as it had been when Mo Xi first placed it on the table.
But Mo Xi no longer possessed the same hope he had when he placed it there.
He stood alone in the main hall.
Outside the window was a world of endless snow and wind.
Inside the hall was a cold feast colder than the storm outside.
For some unknown reason, a powerful surge of resentment suddenly rose within him.
The hatred became unbearably itchy.
He suddenly raised his hand and swept across the table, overturning all the leftover dishes and cold food.
When Li Wei hurried in after hearing the noise, he saw only Mo Xi standing exhausted before the window.
His face was buried deeply in his palm, his head lowered, as if his hope had been completely severed and he had lost the will to live.
“My lord…”
“Leave.”
“My lord, why must you do this? Whether he remembers the past or whether he is pretending, the result is actually the same. Why do you still—”
No.
It was not the same.
The Gu Mang he wanted.
The Gu Mang he hated.
The Senior Brother Gu he had once admired.
They should all have been complete.
Someone who could stand against him, whose brilliance could clash with his own, someone who could compete with him or shine beside him.
Only then could he breathe a little after the hatred of betrayal.
Only then could he have something to pursue.
Only then could he have the satisfaction of revenge and the hope of seeing justice fulfilled.
Not this helpless confusion of throwing a punch into cotton.
His hatred, his resentment—none of it had anywhere left to truly pour out.
“My lord! My lord!”
At that moment, a servant suddenly hurried in from outside.
Li Wei immediately turned and gave him a warning look, mouthing:
Why are you shouting? Can’t you see Xihe Lord is already in a terrible mood?
The servant looked caught between two impossible choices. After hesitating for a moment, he still lowered his head and reported:
“My lord, the Emperor’s messenger has arrived. He is waiting outside.”
Mo Xi slightly turned his face.
His sword-like brows furrowed.
“The Emperor’s messenger?”
“Yes.”
The servant swallowed nervously.
“He says it is urgent. The Emperor wishes to see you immediately because of… that important matter.”