Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 14

If Qin Mo and his men weren’t bandits, then considering what they were doing, they could very well be imperial agents sent to investigate the matter secretly.

Realizing this, Lu Tang suddenly felt she needed to take action.

The Lu family was in business, and aligning with someone in the government would be immensely beneficial.

Moreover, if Lu Deren really gained an official position, it would complicate her mother’s desire to divorce him. It could even result in losing the family property and their lives.

Rolling up her sleeves, Lu Tang decided to do something significant.

Even if she was wrong, she had nothing to lose.

With that resolve, she headed to the kitchen in the stronghold.

Qin Mo and Song Qingzhan finished their discussion as dusk fell. Stepping out of the room, Qin Mo spotted a slim figure in the kitchen and frowned, “What is he doing?”

Following Qin Mo’s gaze, Song Qingzhan saw Lu Tang and chuckled, “I heard he’s helping the cook. He’s already prepared a large table of food.”

Qin Mo raised an eyebrow, “Cooking? Could he be planning to poison us and escape?”

Song Qingzhan laughed, “No chance. Old Gao is there. He won’t get an opportunity. I suspect he might have guessed our identities.”

“That little playboy has such brains?” Qin Mo was skeptical, striding towards the kitchen with his long legs.

Just as Lu Tang was about to taste a piece of freshly cooked braised pork intestine, someone suddenly grabbed her by the nape.

Lu Tang: !

Slowly, she turned her head.

“Stealing food?” Qin Mo glanced at the pork intestine in her hand.

Instinctively, Lu Tang offered the piece to Qin Mo, “Want a bite?”

Qin Mo: !

Lu Tang: !

Song Qingzhan: It seems, apparently, indeed, there is no such thing.

A moment later, Lu Tang sat at the dining table, feeling Qin Mo’s gaze filled with disgust and contempt.

Song Qingzhan tasted the braised pork intestines and complimented, “I didn’t expect Young Master Lu to have such culinary skills.”

The other bandits echoed his praise.

“Indeed!”

“Right, it’s much better than Old Gao’s cooking! Damn, I’ve almost developed an eating disorder from eating his food every day!”

Lu Tang quickly glanced at Qin Mo and forced a smile, “You’ve been busy all day, ridding the area of harm. I couldn’t help much, so I thought I’d show my appreciation this way.”

Feng Chunshan, with his mouth full of food, mumbled to Lu Tang, “Honestly, I’ve never seen a hostage like you! You really admire our boss, don’t you?”

Lu Tang: “.Um.”

A young bandit next to Feng Chunshan said, “Since Young Master Lu admires our boss so much, why not join us!”

Lu Tang glanced at Qin Mo’s expression and awkwardly laughed, “Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

“What’s inappropriate? You’re not here to harm us. You’re here to join us!”

Lu Tang: …

This sounded too much like a cliché line from a novel.

She decided not to respond, opting to eat quietly instead.

[Champion System detected a new task. Please prepare, host.]

Lu Tang: Damn!

Does it have to be now?

[Please complete the task of eating and win the title of First Food Champion.]

Lu Tang: !

“There’s even a competition for this?”

[Looking down on food enthusiasts?]

“Dare I say no!”

Feeling nervous, Lu Tang glanced at Qin Mo. With a determined mindset, she grabbed her chopsticks and glared fiercely at the table and the people around it.

Shivering in fear.

Except for Song Qingzhan and Qin Mo, the remaining eight or nine people were all visibly strong and sturdy, true food enthusiasts!

[Don’t forget, you just earned yourself a double penalty today, little cutie.]

Lu Tang: Love you too!

Without hesitation, just as Feng Chunshan reached for a chicken leg, Lu Tang swiftly grabbed it first.

Feng Chunshan: ?

Lu Tang brazenly tore off a large bite, “I’m starving.”

Feng Chunshan: !

Qin Mo: !

Everyone was stunned, except for Song Qingzhan, who poured Lu Tang a cup of water, “Eat slowly, there’s plenty.”

Feeling embarrassed, Lu Tang took the cup and saw Qin Mo reaching for the fish. She took a deep breath and, with the determination of a general attacking a city, intervened.

Qin Mo’s chopsticks were stopped by Lu Tang’s. He raised an eyebrow at her.

Chewing the chicken, Lu Tang didn’t dare look at Qin Mo. She fixed her gaze on the fish, like she had never eaten before, “I’m hungry!”

She grabbed a large portion, ignoring whether she could eat it all, and put it in her bowl.

Before she finished speaking, Feng Chunshan’s chopsticks reached for the braised pork intestine.

Lu Tang directly moved the plate of intestines in front of herself.

Feng Chunshan: ?

Frowning, he cautiously reached for the salted pork.

Lu Tang’s chopsticks flashed like lightning, and Feng Chunshan, startled, scooped up three-fifths of the plate in one go.

[Oh no, you might fail the task!]

Lu Tang’s eyes flashed with determination!

For the next fifteen minutes, she ate with a do-or-die spirit, grabbing whatever she could, regardless of what others thought.

The fierce bandits had never imagined a day where they had to fight for food at their own table.

And their leader just watched in silence.

They wondered if this was a new training method: “Remember your roots while eating.”

With this thought, they competed even harder!

Especially when snatching food from Qin Mo, they wanted to show off their skills!

Feng Chunshan almost climbed onto the table.

Lu Tang was close to tears.

Do you all have systems too?

Fortunately, Song Qingzhan occasionally helped by giving her food.

She might not have been the fastest, but she had double the servings.

[Congratulations, host, for completing the food task. Reward detection in progress. Please wait…]

Hearing this annoying voice, Lu Tang felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She slumped in her chair, exhausted, dropping her chopsticks onto the table.

As she stopped, the others paused, looking at her.

Licking her lips, Lu Tang glanced at her overflowing bowl, “Did I eat too much?”

Qin Mo sneered, leaning back in his chair, his long fingers playing with the cup, “No worries, given our brief bond, you can have as much as you want.”

Lu Tang: !

“Weren’t you starving? Keep eating.”

Qin Mo’s tone was casual, even smiling.

But Lu Tang felt the underlying threat: “Finish it or else!”

Remembering Er Ya’s head, Lu Tang grabbed her chopsticks.

Eat!

Feng Chunshan, nibbling a bun, complained, “Said it was a reward for us? But you ate more than anyone! Aren’t you wasting food with that small frame!”

Lu Tang: …

So thin people can’t eat a lot?