"So, you're still a Taoist priest?"
Liu Zhimin and Kim Minjeong looked at Yu Qianjue, who was grilling meat, with some surprise.
The korean beef sizzled on the grill, its snowflake-like fat melting into golden-orange oil that flowed to the edge of the pan.
Yu Qianjue picked up a piece of meat, looked at it, nodded, and placed it on the plates of Kim Minjeong and Liu Zhimin opposite him.
"There's no need to be so surprised, it's just a side job."
No, no, no, even as a side job, it's a bit too outrageous...
Both of them had beliefs; Liu Zhimin came from a Catholic family, and her English name KARINA was even adapted from her baptismal name, Katarina.
Kim Minjeong, on the other hand, had been a bit weak since childhood, and her mother always went to temples to pray for her, so she was influenced by it from a young age.
Even now, she still wears a string of prayer beads from a temple on her wrist.
But even though both had religious beliefs, neither had any intention of becoming a nun.
Yu Qianjue, however, had left home to pursue his path much earlier.
"I can only be considered half a Taoist priest.
Although I've always been in a Taoist temple, I don't really abide by the rules and precepts.
Fortunately, everyone in the temple is quite tolerant of me, and moreover, the Zhengyi sect is not as strict as the Quanzhen sect, which allows me to act more freely."
Ning Yizhuo opened her mouth to say something, but Yu Qianjue picked up a lettuce leaf, put meat and kimchi on it, wrapped it up, and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Mmm... mmm mmm mmm..."
Even with her mouth full, Ning Yizhuo still wanted to convey something.
"Then don't your family object? You left home at such a young age."
"My family neither agrees nor objects.
Strictly speaking, I'm just a lay disciple; in the temple, I mostly study and practice.
As for leaving home at a young age..."
Yu Qianjue took a sip of his drink and said with a somewhat helpless expression:
"I still spend a lot of time at home every year.
Although most of my time is spent in the mountains or traveling with my master and senior brothers, who says a Taoist priest can't go home?
I'm not an ascetic."
The two thought about it, and it was true.
Although Yu Qianjue had always been in a Taoist temple, he was only a lay disciple, and there didn't seem to be much difference between him and believers like themselves.
"Objection! I have an objection!"
After chewing for a long time and finally swallowing the meat in her mouth, Ning Yizhuo raised her hand and pointed at Yu Qianjue.
"Don't let Big Brother make it sound so understated.
How can a lay disciple personally taught by a Celestial Master be the same as other lay disciples?"
"Celestial Master?"
"For example, it's like being a disciple of the Pope."
"MO!!"
The meat Kim Minjeong had just picked up to put in her mouth dropped onto her plate, and Liu Zhimin, who had taken a sip of her drink, almost choked.
So his identity was that extraordinary?!
"Sigh... why is your little mouth so quick? It's not something worth showing off..."
Looking at her younger sister sticking out her tongue, Yu Qianjue sighed and continued to wrap a piece of meat and stuff it into her mouth.
"But I haven't been back to the mountain for almost two years.
My master also said that my age is a time for fun, which is why I came to Seoul to study abroad."
He was Korean-Chinese mixed-blood.
After telling his family, "The world is so big, I want to see it," his family arranged for him to go to the Peninsula, which was close to home and allowed him to look after Ning Yizhuo, who was a trainee.
Yu Qianjue felt that this matter couldn't be discussed in detail, so he quickly changed the subject, otherwise, he didn't know how much more he would have to say on it.
After this little interlude, the four of them started talking more freely.
One moment they were talking about which trainee would show off their love every day after dating, and the next moment they were discussing which artist seemed to be two-timing.
To say how to get closer to others, eating and drinking and then gossiping about others together is definitely one of the best ways to quickly build rapport.
Yu Qianjue didn't eat much; he spent the entire time grilling meat, constantly placing pieces on everyone's plates.
After stuffing another wrapped piece of meat into Ning Yizhuo's mouth, Yu Qianjue felt a gaze from diagonally opposite him.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Kim Minjeong staring intently at the wrapped meat in his hand.
He gently raised an eyebrow, his eyes widening slightly.
This pure gaze, devoid of any extra emotion, held only a craving for food.
Ha, Min-jeong, you really are starving.
Kim Minjeong stared at the meat in Yu Qianjue's hand, but her mind began to wander.
The meat A Yu wrapped looked so delicious; he clearly put several pieces of meat and some side dishes, but the lettuce never broke.
It wasn't like her own wrapped ones, which looked messy.
Although the taste should be similar, there was quite a difference in appearance.
Yu Qianjue really took good care of them; not only did he always give them meat, but several times when their drinks ran out, he poured them.
He would also hand over tissues when needed and occasionally wipe Ning Yizhuo's hands with a wet wipe.
Perhaps these were all trivial matters, but they showed that Yu Qianjue was constantly paying attention to them.
Although her own older brother also doted on her, she knew that her brother couldn't be so meticulous; he would even intentionally tease her sometimes.
"I'm going to the restroom."
Liu Zhimin got up to go to the restroom.
She only had light makeup on today, and since she didn't need to touch up her powder, she hadn't brought any.
But her lip gloss had worn off, so she planned to reapply it in the restroom.
"Euni, wait for me, I need to go too."
Ning Yizhuo wiped her mouth, took Liu Zhimin's hand, and walked towards the restroom.
Seeing the two go to the restroom, the atmosphere at the dinner table became a little silent.
Actually, Yu Qianjue was a bit awkward at the moment.
He still held the wrapped meat in his hand, and Kim Minjeong's gaze hadn't left it, staring intently.
Put it on the plate?
The lettuce would likely fall apart, and it probably wouldn't taste good by the time Liu Zhimin and the others returned.
Stuff it in his own mouth?
That felt a bit ungenerous.
After much deliberation, Yu Qianjue secretly gritted his teeth and made a move that might have been a bit rash and off-putting.
He extended the hand holding the wrapped meat towards Kim Minjeong.
"Min-jeong, you've been staring at it for a long time... want to eat it?"
The sudden action and words made Kim Minjeong freeze, and then her face instantly turned red.
It seemed, she had been staring too intently... she was found out, boo hoo hoo...
She had left a bad impression on Ningning's brother on their first meeting.
He must think she was a glutton, right?
He must, right?!
"Ah... no! I... I didn't! I didn't stare for long... no, that's not right!
I didn't stare..."
The young girl's secret thoughts were exposed, and she explained in a flustered manner, but the more she explained, the worse it sounded.
Finally, she gave up a little, staring at the tableware in front of her, gently sliding the iron chopsticks across the plate.
"Here, Min-jeong..."
The girl in front of him visibly looked disappointed.
Yu Qianjue's hand continued to extend forward, reaching in front of Kim Minjeong.
"Ah--"
The hand extended in front of her and the sound guiding the girl to open her mouth made the blush on Kim Minjeong's face, which had faded due to her giving up, resurface.
"Eat quickly, or it won't taste good when it gets cold."
"I... I'm not eating it because I want to...
It's you... it's you who offered it to me...
And if it gets cold... it won't taste good...
That's why I'm eating it..."
Kim Minjeong mumbled a long string of words, seemingly trying to explain to Yu Qianjue that it wasn't her original intention.
Yu Qianjue quickly nodded, indicating that he understood.
With her lips slightly parted, Yu Qianjue carefully fed it into Kim Minjeong's mouth, and Kim Minjeong slowly chewed.
But fate always seemed to play tricks; their actions, meant to completely avoid physical contact, ended up backfiring.
The difference in rhythm caused them to make a mistake; Yu Qianjue's hand, wearing a disposable glove, accidentally brushed Kim Minjeong's lips.
The blush that was almost gone suddenly turned a lychee color, and her face and neck instantly became even redder.
Feeling the touch of the girl's lips, Yu Qianjue stared blankly at his fingers.
His slightly wide eyes indicated that his mood was not calm.
It's over! I'm a turn-off guy!
I really didn't do it on purpose!
What's going on today!
Didn't I check the almanac before leaving?
Trying to act cool and failing instantly is one thing, but now I've become a turn-off guy!
I shouldn't have been so presumptuous in offering it to Min-jeong!
This meat would have been better in my own mouth!
Yu Qianjue quickly bowed and apologized, even using honorifics in his tone.
"I am truly sorry, Minjeong-xi, I didn't mean to.
Um... I'll excuse myself for a moment."
He felt that both of them needed a moment to calm down.
Yu Qianjue got up and ran towards the restroom.
Meanwhile, Kim Minjeong watched his hurried retreating figure, her eyes flickering.