A Dragon in the Kitchen

"Huh? Why is everyone staring at me?" Gu Yunxi finally noticed the crowd gathering around her, her face filled with confusion.

"Yunxi, did you just play the Tower of Trial? How come I've never seen those scenes before?"

"I didn't know you were so strong, Gu Yunxi!"

"Where did you even find this game mode?"

The students immediately erupted into chatter, their curious voices overlapping one another.

Gu Yunxi, overwhelmed by the noise, raised her voice in frustration. "Stop! Stop! Can you all just be quiet for a moment?"

Her sudden outburst silenced the room. Even the students immersed in their Tower of Trial challenges paused to look her way, confused by her yell.

The entire Origin Mall fell silent, and now, all eyes were on Gu Yunxi.

Luo Chuan and Yao Ziyan, seated nearby, turned their attention to her as well, their expressions tinged with curiosity.

Realizing she was now the center of attention, Gu Yunxi's face turned red. She suddenly felt self-conscious.

She coughed awkwardly to calm herself, laughing dryly. "I just got a little excited. Don't mind me!"

But no one responded.

The awkward silence was unbearable, and Gu Yunxi finally turned toward her best friend, Jiang Wanshang, with a pleading look for help.

Jiang Wanshang, as sharp as ever, understood her friend's silent plea immediately. She smiled and teased, "Yunxi, that outburst was so unlike you. What's gotten into you?"

Gu Yunxi sighed, resigned to explain. "I just tried the cooking tutorial, picked a random dish to make, and… somehow ended up experiencing a scene where I slayed a dragon."

"A cooking tutorial? You can't be serious!"

"Isn't that just for cooking? How could there possibly be combat scenes?"

The students looked at her incredulously.

Most of them had clicked on the tutorial before, only to be greeted by an ordinary kitchen. They'd quickly lost interest and returned to more exciting pursuits. After all, with only three hours to play, who would waste precious time on cooking?

Gu Yunxi shrugged helplessly. "I know it sounds crazy, but during the scene, there was an explanation. Apparently, I was… gathering ingredients."

The room fell silent again.

Gathering ingredients?

Who uses a dragon as an ingredient?!

"This is the truth!" Gu Yunxi added, exasperated.

Her eyes lit up as they landed on Luo Chuan. "The boss must know more! Let him explain!"

---

Suddenly, more than a dozen pairs of eyes shifted toward Luo Chuan.

Luo Chuan, feeling the weight of their stares, remained calm on the surface.

Inwardly, however, he silently called upon the system. "System, care to explain this? What's going on here?"

He was as curious as the rest of them. After setting up the cooking tutorial the previous day, only Yao Ziyan and now Gu Yunxi had actually used it. Even Luo Chuan himself hadn't explored its features.

But as the owner of Origin Mall, Luo Chuan knew he couldn't show any doubt or uncertainty.

How could a shop owner admit, "I don't know"?

He straightened his posture, exuding an air of authority. Maintaining composure was the foundation of his image as the enigmatic owner of the store.

"Calm down," Luo Chuan reminded himself, his expression as unshakable as ever.