“Good afternoon, students. The cafeteria has prepared delicious meals for you. You are welcome to choose from them. If needed, please proceed along the corridor to Room Three for dining.”
“When leaving your seat, please adjust your seat to the upright position. You may bring your pets into the restaurant.”
“For your convenience and that of others, please take your food in an orderly manner and dine politely. Students with pets, please keep your friends supervised, as pets are strictly prohibited from running around the restaurant. Before taking your meal, you may ask the Little Elves for utensils; after finishing your meal, please return the utensils to the Little Elves. Thank you for your cooperation.”
At noon, the gentle announcement from the flight attendant came over the cabin broadcast. Zheng Qing eagerly folded up his small tray table and rubbed his stomach.
He was indeed hungry.
Although he had appeared calm and at ease at home, only he knew the tension and unease within him.
For his last meal before departure, he had only eaten three or five dumplings that his family had cooked, then had half a bowl of millet porridge with some side dishes, and put down his chopsticks.
Under Professor Zheng’s stern gaze, he had reluctantly eaten one more boiled egg.
By now, that little bit of food had long been digested.
“Let’s go together, let’s go together, let’s go eat something!” Li Meng waved her small fists, joyfully exclaiming, “I’ve been wanting to try the buffet on the special plane for a long time! My Li Meng's Older Cousin said the buffet on this special plane is delicious!”
“Where is your Li Meng's Older Cousin? Aren’t you calling her to come with us?” Zheng Qing stood up and looked around.
“Her home is in Beta Town.” Li Meng seemed a little down when she mentioned her Li Meng's Older Cousin: “Nine Provinces College only recruited two Publicly Funded Students this year, and my Li Meng's Older Cousin’s score ranked third, so she didn’t get a publicly funded spot. That’s why she locked herself in the high tower all summer doing experiments.”
“So, only the top two ranked freshmen in the college entrance exam this year are Publicly Funded Students?” Zheng Qing’s heart began to leap with joy. He hadn’t expected to become the legendary top student! He grinned, wanting to share his achievement with his new friends.
“My sister said she’s going to challenge the two people who ranked above her to a duel when school starts!” Li Meng clenched her small fists, looked at the two people next to her, and said fiercely, “You two come with me to cheer for my sister then! We’ll squash those two stinky boys.”
Zheng Qing gave a dry laugh, dismissing the idea of showing off his grades, and held Poseidon in his arms a little tighter.
“Of course, if you’re first place, I can say some good words to my sister and let you off.” Li Meng hesitated for a moment, pouting at Xiao Xiao.
“Much obliged.” Xiao Xiao replied perfunctorily, stuffing his old turtle into his pocket.
Zheng Qing clicked his tongue, hesitating whether to tell Li Meng that he was the second-ranked Publicly Funded Student.
In the aisle, several Young Wizards in crisp long robes walked past them.
A strong scent wafted into Zheng Qing’s nostrils. He couldn’t help but sneeze several times, spraying out all the flattering words he had just organized to say to Li Meng, forgetting them completely.
“What is that smell? It smells like my neighbor’s French Curly-haired Wizard.” Li Meng wrinkled her nose and also sneezed.
“Calvin · Early Summer. Nina Company’s main men’s perfume this summer, quite popular among Young Wizard noblemen. Fresh wild orange scent. Lightly patting it on the side of the neck will bring a refreshing orange fragrance, very suitable for gentle and refined warm men. If sprayed directly on the body, the scent interacts with the clothes, producing an irritating fragrance, the effect is very poor. Just like what you smelled, it’s no different from a poodle that has rolled around in a perfume barrel.” Xiao Xiao replied boredly.
“Is there anything you don’t know?” Zheng Qing looked at the small boy with the bowl cut in admiration.
Xiao Xiao glanced at him, but did not answer.
…
Following the aisle through the cabin door, Zheng Qing entered a spacious room.
This was the style a Wizard should have, he silently praised in his heart.
Compared to the narrow and confined space of the front section, this restaurant was much more spacious and bright, almost like a large reception hall. Neither the magnificent chandelier, nor the tall French windows, nor even the small garden in the center of the hall, could be contained within an ordinary airplane.
Zheng Qing easily judged that some Spell must have been cast here to expand the space.
To the left of the restaurant was a row of serving counters, neatly arranged with various delicious foods that were appealing in color, aroma, and taste. Near the entrance were fruit platters, followed by grilled dishes, stir-fries, stews, seafood, vegetarian options, and so on, with soups, pastries, and beverages at the end. The Young Wizards were carefully queuing, greedily filling their plates with delicacies.
To the right of the restaurant was a U-shaped mahogany bar. Behind the bar was a huge liquor cabinet, with drinks of various colors in glass bottles, leaning against wooden trays, sparkling with translucent luster under the lights. Some high chairs were casually placed outside the bar. Zheng Qing saw a drowsy Cobra coiled on one of the chairs.
And a wonderful melody wafted from somewhere, filling the entire restaurant with a joyful and relaxed atmosphere.
Zheng Qing looked up. Hundreds of palm-sized Little Elves were holding brass plates with silver filigree, flickering with a light green glow, like giant fireflies, appearing in every corner of the restaurant.
“Are all Little Elves green?” Zheng Qing took a tray from a Little Elves, followed behind Xiao Xiao, and put a slice of watermelon on his plate.
“That’s not a professional way to ask.” Xiao Xiao shook the tongs in his hand and casually picked a few grapes for his plate: “Little Elves are a large family, with three genera under it. Plant genus, Egg genus, and Life genus, also known as the Sowing System, Incubation System, and Regeneration System. The Little Elves corresponding to each type are completely different. Little Elves that are sown are all green, Little Elves that are hatched are basically white, occasionally golden; as for Regeneration System Little Elves, they are all blue, relatively rare, and are also called Blue Elves.”
After adding a few slices of apple to his plate, Zheng Qing handed the tongs to the Little Elves, watching them twirl happily with the tongs, performing a beautiful dance in mid-air to the lively music in the restaurant.
Li Meng was chattering beside the two, constantly stuffing things into her plate.
“You just mentioned sowing, does that mean these green little guys are grown?” Zheng Qing imagined burying dead Little Elves in the soil, then growing skeletal elfwood, with Little Elves hanging from the branches with their tongues sticking out, emitting a green glow.
He shivered and shook his head. He used a wooden spoon to add some mashed potatoes to his plate.
“I know this!” Li Meng held up her plate and answered very enthusiastically: “Bury the seeds in the soil, water them with potion, and in less than a month, you can harvest a group of Little Elves!”
“A month!” Zheng Qing’s mind wandered, and a quail egg he had picked up with the tongs slipped back into the basin.
“Here, it’s this.” Li Meng handed her plate to the flying Little Elves beside her and took out a small wooden box from her pocket. Opening the lid, on the soft red velvet cloth, lay a small handful of light green seeds, like peas.
Xi Xi! Xi Xi!
Whoosh, a large group of Little Elves gathered around, trembling their antennae, carefully looking at the seeds in the box.
Li Meng protected the box with one hand and quickly took out a seed from it with the other, handing it to Zheng Qing: “These are standard model elf seeds, very adaptable to the environment. Generally, potions of three properties or more can make them sprout.”
The Little Elves watched eagerly as Li Meng put the box away, only able to call out “Xi Xi.”
The seed felt as smooth as jade to the touch, and much heavier than it looked.
Zheng Qing played with it for a moment, admiring it, then returned the seed to Li Meng.
“It’s for you!” The little girl waved her hand generously, then turned her head to instruct several Little Elves to carry her plate to find a table.