After Zhu Qiu hung up the phone, her stomach growled.
Gurgle, gurgle~
She was hungry.
She smacked her forehead.
“Right, I forgot to buy food at the school cafeteria. What an idiot.”
It was almost noon now.
If she went back to the cafeteria, maybe there would still be food left?
But she had just gotten back, and walking all that way again was tiring.
Still, if she bought something nearby…
Zhu Qiu pulled out her special gold coin from her pocket.
Zhu Xiaxia had given it to her as allowance, saying it could be used infinitely.
But if she used it, wasn’t she basically telling everyone she was Zhu Xiaxia’s daughter?
Better to keep a low profile.
But right now, she was starving.
She had money, but couldn’t use it to buy food.
How laughable was that?
Just as Zhu Qiu was at a loss, a knock came at the door.
‘I don’t remember knowing anyone around here, right? It’s not night, so no one’s asking for help. Who could it be?’
Curious, she opened the door briskly and saw Yiluo Enya standing there obediently.
“Yiluo Enya? What are you doing here? I thought you were sorting out your dormitory?”
“Well, it seems the school admitted a few too many students this year, and the dorms aren’t enough. Since I’m an exchange student from the Elf Race, there was no place for me…”
Yiluo Enya lowered her head sadly.
“And I checked the nearby area just now—there are no empty rooms to rent either. So… so…”
“So you want to stay here, right?”
“Yes, yes…”
Yiluo Enya quickly added, “I’ll pay you rent. I promise not to disturb your life. And anything related to the house, I’ll ask you first and only do it with your permission.”
With nowhere to go, and Yiluo Enya only knew one dragon here—Zhu Qiu—asking her for shelter was the best choice, and the only option.
If Zhu Qiu refused, she would have no choice but to sleep on the streets.
Zhu Qiu rubbed her chin and decisively agreed.
“Alright, I’ll let you stay here. But there’s a condition.”
“I know. I’ll buy myself a small bed and put it in the corner. I definitely won’t take your blanket.”
“No, no, no,” Zhu Qiu wagged her finger.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean?”
Yiluo Enya asked.
“Forget about rent. Just prepare food for me. Or rather, every time you eat, remember to bring me a portion too. Deal? That’s our arrangement.”
Prepare food?
That simple?
Yiluo Enya agreed without hesitation.
“I promise. Thank you.”
“Hehe~ Since you agreed, you must be hungry too, right? I’m hungry as well. So… I’ll trouble you.”
“No trouble at all.”
Yiluo Enya turned around and eagerly went to buy food.
Zhu Qiu gave Yiluo Enya a place to stay; Yiluo Enya gave Zhu Qiu food.
A fair trade.
At least, Yiluo Enya thought so.
Zhu Qiu lay on the bed, her hands crossed under her head.
‘Hehe~ From now on, I can eat without spending any money. I’m a genius.’
She waited patiently on the bed.
Before long, Yiluo Enya walked in carrying a large bag of food.
Zhu Qiu’s eyes lit up at the sight.
She got off the bed immediately and gestured for Yiluo Enya to put the food on the table.
“Zhu Qiu, these are for you. I’ve already eaten.”
“Wow! Thank you so much, Yiluo Enya.”
“Haha, I should be thanking you. Without you, I wouldn’t even know where to sleep tonight. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go buy a bed now.”
“Sure, go ahead, go ahead. I’m about to dig in.”
Yiluo Enya left, and Zhu Qiu sat down at the table, her face full of anticipation as she opened the bag.
“Let me see what delicious food Yiluo Enya prepared for me.”
First, the staple: a box of white rice.
The most ordinary thing in any meal.
Then the dishes—the main event.
First dish: Stir-fried potatoes with tomatoes.
Not bad.
Zhu Qiu loved this, really liked it.
Ten out of ten!
Second dish: Boiled cabbage in broth.
How to put it?
A bit bland, but healthy.
Acceptable, seven out of ten.
Third dish: Red peppers stir-fried with green peppers.
How to describe this?
Hard to rate, but at least edible.
Two out of ten.
Fourth dish: Bitter… bitter melon?
Yiluo Enya probably liked it, so she grabbed an extra portion out of kindness.
Barely a 0.1 out of ten.
Overall, at least it was edible, right?
But why was it all vegetables!
What hurt Zhu Qiu the most was the lack of meat.
A meal with no meat—how was she supposed to accept that!
But why was it like this?
After calming down, she thought of a reason.
Yiluo Enya probably didn’t have much money and couldn’t afford meat dishes, so she bought more vegetables to show her sincerity.
At that thought, Zhu Qiu’s conscience suddenly ached.
‘What have I done! I forced a poor, weak, helpless elf with no money to bring me food every day?’
“No way, no way!”
She shook her head violently and swore it would never happen again.
She had to get some regular gold coins from Zhu Xiaxia.
That special gold coin was nice, but too attention-grabbing.
First, finish this meal, then contact Zhu Xiaxia.
Soon, Zhu Qiu ate everything Yiluo Enya had brought, except for the bitter melon—she didn’t touch a single bite.
Now it was time to ask for money.
Zhu Qiu’s eyes rolled in their sockets as she thought of a good idea.
‘What excuse should I use? Or should I just be straightforward?’
She started a communication.
“Zhu Xiaxia, have you eaten?”
“I already have. Why is my precious daughter calling me at this hour? Missing your Mom~”
“Of course! I miss you so much, every moment of every day.”
“Don’t worry. On the weekend, Mom will come pick you up.”
Zhu Xiaxia deliberately suppressed her emotions, though inside she was overjoyed.
But as the Dragon King, she had to maintain some dignity, even in front of her daughter.
“Mom, I’m a little short on cash right now. But that gold coin you gave me—I love it too much. I want to keep it as a treasure and don’t want others to know about it. So…”
“Of course. Mom understands. Don’t worry, I’ll send Xiaguang to deliver it to you right now. Full speed ahead. It’ll arrive soon.”
Zhu Xiaxia was in a good mood today and agreed without a second thought.
It was hard on Xiaguang, but for such a trivial matter, she probably wouldn’t refuse.
“Thanks, Mom!”
Zhu Qiu replied excitedly.
‘That’s how you get money. Easy~’
Once Xiaguang delivered the gold coins, she would help Yiluo Enya a little, so her conscience would stop aching.
“Mom, I’ll go now. I still have some things to do.”
“Okay.”