"Have a seat."
There was no one else in the main hall, so Mo Xi spoke calmly.
Gu Mang did not stand on ceremony. He pulled out another chair and sat down. Then, he lifted the lid of the bowl.
The eight dishes were braised sea cucumber with scallions, fried yellow croaker with scallions, roasted venison with scallions, fried beef with scallions, tofu with scallions, scallion egg soup, and scallion pancakes. It seemed that the dishes were completely obsessed with scallions. The only dish that was not green was a roast goose placed on the charcoal fire by the table.
After a whole day of swinging axes, Gu Mang was already famished. He did not care about Mo Xi's reaction at all. He sat down and started eating with his hands.
He ignored the jade plates on the table and grabbed a yellow croaker to take a big bite. However, after chewing for a while, he spat it out.
"It's disgusting," Gu Mang said.
Mo Xi did not bat an eyelid. He crossed his hands and sat at the other end of the table. He looked at him elegantly and said, "Try another dish."
Gu Mang changed to another dish. He grabbed a piece of roasted venison with scallions and chewed on it. However, after chewing for a while, he spat it out again. "…"
"It's also disgusting?"
"Yes."
"Then try another dish."
Gu Mang hesitated this time. He looked at the dishes on the table several times. Then, he stretched out his hand and carefully pulled out a scallion pancake from the basket.
He did not eat it directly like the first two times. Instead, he held the pancake in his hand and sniffed it. He wrinkled his nose and sniffed it again. Finally, he stuck out his tongue and licked it.
Mo Xi looked at him licking the pancake. He seemed to have thought of something. His brown eyes moved slightly and a trace of gloom appeared on his serious face. He turned his face to the side.
"I don't like this green one," Gu Mang said with a pale face after trying it a few times. "I can't eat it."
Mo Xi thought, 'It would be strange if you liked it.'
Perhaps there were many people in this world who had invited Gu Mang for a meal, but not many people knew about Gu Mang's taboos. Since he was a child, Gu Mang had been subjected to the strictest discipline of the Murong family. He was very kind by nature, so he would always smile and thank others for their kindness. He would never point out the dishes at the banquet that he did not like.
Even the Murong Lian, who had raised him for so long, did not know that he would vomit whenever he tasted onions, but Mo Xi knew.
"What's this green vegetable called?"
Mo Xi said indifferently, "Green onion."
Gu Mang pursed his lips, "Then I don't like green onions."
Mo Xi didn't reply. Instead, he raised his finger and used a small spell to stir up the fire in the brazier. The belly of the goose in the brazier was filled with berries. It was skewered with branches and slowly roasted by the fire made by the fruit wood. At this time, the goose meat was already golden and crispy. Mo Xi sprinkled some salt on it, then picked up a small knife and slowly sliced a piece of thigh meat from the roasted goose and handed it over.
"Try this."
Gu Mang took it. After experiencing the nightmare of "green onion", he was very cautious before eating. He held the roasted goose leg and looked back and forth for a long time. Seeing that it was greasy, golden, and still steaming, the aroma of the meat and the smoke of the fruit wood, his Adam's apple couldn't help but move up and down. But he still asked cautiously, "No green onion?"
"No."
So he took a bite. The golden crispy skin instantly made a crunching sound between his lips and teeth. The hot gravy and oil soaked the texture of the goose meat, and the moment it fell onto the tip of his tongue, his cheeks were fragrant.
Gu Mang finished the goose leg in a few bites and licked his fingers. Then he stared at the roasted goose in the fire pit with shining eyes.
"More." Gu Mang requested.
Mo Xi was rare today. He didn't mind being ordered around like a cook, and even considerately pushed a cup of roasted goose sauce made with green plums in front of him to Gu Mang.
He gave Gu Mang a plate full of roasted goose slices. Watching Gu Mang eat happily, he didn't eat a single bite.
"Do you like this roasted goose?"
Gu Mang puffed up his cheeks and said vaguely, "Yes."
Mo Xi said lightly, "That's very good. The other dishes on the table were all made by other cooks. This is the only dish that I made. "
"You're good." Gu Mang casually said something to appease Chef Mo, then continued to bury his head in the roasted goose. Obviously, Mo Xi's voice was not as charming as the crispy skin of the roasted goose.
"Not good. I don't know anything about cooking. This roasted goose was taught to me by a senior martial brother when we were marching to the frontier fortress in the early years. "
The snow outside the window rustled and floated on the window lattice, accumulating a layer of crystal.
In the room, Gu Mang buried his head in the meat. Mo Xi's voice was unusually calm, like a trapped beast trapped in the mud of memories, unable to be fierce.
"At that time, he and I were just low-level cultivators, taking care of each other in the army. … It should be said that he took care of me more. He was three years older than me, experienced the world earlier than me, and was more skilled in magic than me. At that time, I felt that there was nothing in the world that he didn't know. From the mysteries of ghosts and gods to the lowest level of a roasted goose, he could talk about everything clearly and logically. "
"At that time, it was also winter. During a siege battle, the enemy attacked the supply route and cut off our supplies. The army lacked food and was distributed according to the cultivators' ranks." Mo Xi looked at Gu Mang, his usually cold gaze somewhat absent-minded. He said softly, "Neither he nor I had enough to eat."
"One night, we were on night duty together, patrolling the two sides of the camp. And I don't know how he did it, but he hunted a fat goose in the heavy snow. He could have eaten it all by himself, but instead, he happily called me over. You have to know that at that time, I was in the middle of a break and my appetite was much bigger than his. "
When Mo Xi said this, he suddenly saw Gu Mang opposite him pause and look up.
"… What's wrong?"
Gu Mang licked his lips and pulled the plate in front of him over. "Give me another leg."
Mo Xi raised his eyebrows slightly and cut off the remaining leg of the goose for him. Then, he continued to tell his story without caring whether Gu Mang was listening or not.
"He picked some berries from the tree."
Gu Mang looked up again and stared straight at him just like before.
Mo Xi pursed his lips. "No, a goose only has two legs. Besides, you haven't finished eating the one on your plate."
Gu Mang suddenly said without rhyme or reason, "The berries are delicious."
"…" Mo Xi looked at him thoughtfully for a while and said, "You're right, the berries are delicious. That person also liked to eat berries. He often took great pains to climb up the tree to pick them, but he said that there was a world of difference between the berries that were shot down with magic and the berries that were picked by hand. "
"He taught me how to roast a goose. The ingredients were very simple. Other than the goose, he only needed a little salt and a handful of fresh fruits. "
Gu Mang asked, "Was it eaten with the fruits?"
"No, it was stuffed in the belly of a cleaned goose. The goose meat was skewered with branches and then roasted with pine and lychee wood." Mo Xi said, "We sat by the fire pit and he added some branches from time to time. When the goose was roasted to a golden brown, he sprinkled salt on it. After taking it down, he removed the stuffed berries and ate the roasted meat directly. At that time, he also told me that I had to be very careful when eating it. "
"Careful of what?"
"After waiting by the side for so long, smelling the fragrance for so long and watching the goose gradually turn golden brown by the fire pit and dripping oil, it was inevitable that I would become very hungry. At this time, I couldn't wait to take a bite. "Mo Xi said lightly," It was inevitable that I would burn my tongue. "
"Then did you burn your tongue?"
"How could I?" Mo Xi's eyes were a little blank. "But you …"
Gu Mang chewed on the goose leg and licked his lips. "You see, I didn't burn my tongue either."
"… That's not what I meant. Forget it, it's nothing. Pretend I didn't say anything. "
Gu Mang continued to eat the meat by himself. He ate half of the whole goose and then stared blankly at the little bit left on the fire pit for a while. He stopped eating.
Mo Xi asked, "You're not eating anymore?"
Gu Mang nodded.
Mo Xi vaguely felt that it was strange. This person's appetite was not to be underestimated. How could he be full with just half a roasted goose tonight? But before he could think about it, he heard Gu Mang ask, "That senior of yours, what's his name?"
His words were like an arrow that pierced through his heart.
Mo Xi suddenly raised his head and met Gu Mang's eyes.
When Gu Mang asked this question, his eyes were clear and there was undisguised curiosity in his expression. As for Mo Que, under such a gaze, he gradually felt suffocated and uncomfortable.
Gu Mang … Are you pretending?
If you're faking it, how can you be so calm and composed …?
"That person." Mo Xi paused. "His name is …"
What's his name?
But the last two words were stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them out. Mo Xi was choked by that name. He had said that name so many times, but at this moment, it was like a gentle dream that had shattered many years ago. It pierced his heart and lungs until they were full of blood.
He couldn't say Gu Mang's name, but because of extreme forbearance, his eyes gradually turned red.
Mo Xi suddenly turned his face to the side and his tone suddenly became fiercer than ever before.
"What are you asking? What does it have to do with you? "
Gu Mang: "…"
After Gu Mang left, Mo Xi's gaze fell on the green plum dipping sauce beside Gu Mang's elbow. He didn't explain to Gu Mang how to use it during the meal, so the dipping sauce was left untouched and was completely ignored.
Mo Xi closed his eyes and he seemed to hear a familiar voice.
"Shidi, it's not fun to just eat roast goose. Try this dipping sauce made with plums. It's sweet and sour, and when you bite into it with crispy skin … Wow. "The voice had a smile." It's so delicious that you want to swallow your tongue. "
Mo Xi could still clearly recall some details at that time. There was the white and boundless snow, the slightly raised ashes of firewood, and the flickering fire pit.
There was also Gu Mang sitting beside him at that time, laughing and fiddling with the pine branches with a tree branch.
Gu Mang turned his head. His eyes were so dark and bright in the warm orange light of the fire.
"Come, try this piece of mine. This piece is covered with green plum dipping sauce."
"How is it? Is it delicious?"
"Hahaha, of course. When has your Brother Gu Mang ever lied to you? I'm the most honest person in the world. I've never lied to anyone. "
Mo Xi couldn't help but clench his fists. His nails dug deep into his flesh.
He had deliberately sliced the roast goose very thin and a lot of slices. He had also deliberately talked to Gu Mang because he knew that people would always be distracted when they were doing two things in a row.
When Gu Mang ate this kind of sliced roast goose in the past, every piece had to be covered with this sweet and sour green plum dipping sauce. If he accidentally forgot, even if he took a bite, he had to put it back in the dipping sauce. This was a deep-rooted habit.
Mo Que had previously thought that if Gu Mang was faking it, it would be very difficult for him to listen to him while remaining vigilant and not giving himself away. Gu Mang would most likely at least dabble in it out of habit.
But he didn't.
Gu Mang didn't seem to know what it was for. The frozen plum dipping sauce was as good as when Mo Xi had first placed it on the table. However, Mo Xi no longer had the hope he had when he placed it there.
He stood in the hall. Outside the window was a snowstorm, but inside the hall, there was a broken table that was even colder than the snow.
He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a strong sense of resentment. He was so angry that he actually raised his hand and flipped the table full of leftovers! When Li Wei heard the commotion and hurried over, he saw Mo Xi standing in front of the window. He buried his face in his palms and lowered his head. It was as if his hope had been cut off and he was no longer angry.
"Master …"
"Get out."
"Master, why do you have to do this? Whether or not he remembers the past, whether or not he's pretending, the result is the same. Why do you have to …"
No, it's not the same.
The Gu Mang that he wanted, the Gu Mang that he hated, the Senior Brother Gu that he admired, all of them should be complete. They should be able to compete with him, their sharpness reflecting each other.
Only in this way could he breathe a sigh of relief from the hatred of being betrayed. Only then could he have a goal, only then could he have the comfort of revenge, only then could he have hope.
It wasn't the feeling of being at a loss and powerlessness as if he had punched cotton. Whether it was his hatred or his resentment, there was no place for him to really pour it out.
"Master, Master!" At this time, a servant suddenly rushed in from outside. Li Wei immediately turned his head and gave him a look. He mouthed, "What are you shouting for? Can't you see that Lord Xi He is in a bad mood? "
The servant looked like he was in a difficult position. After hesitating for a moment, he lowered his head and reported, "Master, Junshang's messenger is here. He's waiting outside."
Mo Xi turned his face slightly and frowned, "Messenger?"
"Yes." The servant swallowed and said, "It's very urgent. He said that Junshang wants to see you because … of that important matter!"
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