Outside the Taoist temple's side hall, in a secluded corner of the corridor.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Rin patted her chest, trying to swallow the last bit of biscuit. She had run too fast and almost choked.
Just then, a heavy weight suddenly pounced on her back from behind, two arms tightly wrapped around her neck, almost choking her unconscious.
"Little—Junior—Sister—!!!"
Ju Fufu's resentful voice sounded in her ear, her cute little head peeking out from behind Rin's shoulder, glaring at her with puffed cheeks.
"You're disloyal! You actually snuck away by yourself! If this Senior Sister Fufu, not reacting quickly and acting well, I'd be in there facing that
'Stargazy Pie' right now!
Are you trying to kill your dearest Senior Sister?!"
Rin's eyes rolled back from being choked. She finally managed to break free from Ju Fufu's chokehold, gasping for air as she explained.
"Cough cough... Senior Sister Fufu... I... I was creating an opportunity for you! I knew you'd definitely catch up. See, aren't you fine?"
"Hmph! That's still not right!"Ju Fufu put her hands on her hips, her tail tapping Rin's butt unhappily.
"Seeing something so terrifying, I was trembling all over, feeling my soul shiver! I just felt that if I ate that dish, I would fall into the demonic path..."
As she spoke, she hugged herself dramatically and shivered exaggeratedly, a look of lingering fear on her face.
But then, her expression became a little serious. She tilted her head, looked at Rin, and asked.
"Little Junior Sister, what would you do to me if, one day, I, your Senior Sister, accidentally fell into the evil demonic path and became a bad guy?"
Rin clapped the biscuit crumbs from her hands and, without thinking, answered very directly.
"I can't beat you, so what can I do? Of course, I'd immediately report it to Master and ask her to personally clean house."
"Waaah—!!!"
Upon hearing this, Ju Fufu immediately burst into tears, grabbing Rin's leg without any regard for her image, rubbing her tears on her.
"No, Little Junior Sister! How can you be so heartless! We're the best of Senior and Junior Sisters!
When that happens, you must secretly cover for me and plead for me with Master!
Boo hoo hoo... Your Senior Martial Sister has always been so good to you... A Little Junior Sister with a Senior Sister is like a treasure, a Little Junior Sister without a Senior Sister is like a weed..."
Rin's head ached from her noise. With a 'dot-eyed' expression, she said helplessly.
"Senior Sister Fufu, please get up first... By the way, why do you think you'd fall into the evil path?"Ju Fufu lifted her tear-filled face and sniffled, saying.
"It's... it's just a feeling! What if! Anyway, I promise you, if one day you, Little Junior Sister, accidentally fall into the evil path,
I, your Senior Martial Sister, will also desperately plead for you with Master! We've made a deal!"
Rin sighed, trying to recall.
"I shouldn't go that far, right? The worst thing I've ever done was probably secretly putting a tiny bit of laxative in someone's drink if I didn't like them... That level is still far from the evil demonic path, right?" Her tone was a little uncertain.
"Laxatives are also very scary, okay?!" Ju Fufu exclaimed, but seemed a little relieved. She let go and wiped her tears.
Just then, Rin seemed to remember something. She pulled out her phone from her pocket, skillfully opened a surveillance app, and the screen immediately displayed a live feed from the dining table in the side hall.
This was footage transmitted from a miniature camera she had placed earlier in an inconspicuous corner of the side hall.
"Come, come, let's see how the battle inside is going." Rin's tone carried an expectation of watching a good show.
Ju Fufu immediately leaned her head over, their heads together, both staring at the phone screen... Inside the side hall, the atmosphere was eerie.
The Stargazy Pie occupied the center of the dining table like a king. The empty eyes of the fish heads and the wriggling tentacles on the edges constantly exuded a sense of oppression.
Pan Yinhu was the first to act.
He held his rice bowl, full of white rice, and with a bitter, round face, said weakly.
"Cough cough, excuse me everyone, I've caught a cold these past two days and my stomach is upset. The doctor advised me to eat light, so I can only have some plain porridge and rice... I won't be able to enjoy these delicious dishes... Please, help yourselves..."
After speaking, he desperately hugged his rice bowl and buried his head, frantically shoveling white rice, as if it were the most delicious delicacy in the world, resolutely refusing to reach his chopsticks towards the dishes on the table.
Sonoko's smile had frozen on her face. Her gaze shifted back and forth between the terrifying Stargazy Pie and the normal, appetizing dishes beside it.
Finally, after an intense internal struggle, she came up with an idea.
That was to sacrifice others to save herself.
"Ah haha... Rina-nee dishes look... look very nutritious, huh!"
Sonoko gave a dry laugh, picked up the serving chopsticks, and with lightning speed, picked up a large piece of pink, gelatinous substance that was still slightly trembling and had tentacles, enthusiastically placing it into Conan's bowl next to her.
"Conan! Here, you're at an age where you're growing, so you need to supplement your nutrition! Rina-san made this specially, quickly try it!"
Conan looked at the unidentifiable object in his bowl and was completely stunned.
That idiot Sonoko!!! Is she trying to murder me?!!
I'm such a cute little kid, and you're still bullying me.
Eating this thing would probably send me straight to my Ancestor.
He immediately forced a smile and, using her own tactics against her, scooped a large spoonful with his spoon and put it into Sonoko's bowl.
"Sonoko-neechan, you eat too! Sonoko-neechan usually eats little to maintain her figure, so she needs even more nutrition! And this is Rina-oneechan heartfelt effort, we can't waste it!"
Sonoko's forehead showed a 'well-shaped' vein, turning slightly red.
Conan's forehead also showed a 'well-shaped' vein, going head-to-head with her.
Thus, with fake smiles on their faces, chopsticks and spoons flew back and forth, secretly competing, both trying to send more "dangerous goods" into the other's bowl.
Alexandrina watched their polite back-and-forth, touched, and said, "I'm so happy to see you all like it so much! It's okay, there's plenty more, no need to fight for it~"
Ran looked at the scene before her, then at the terrifying dish, her heart filled with struggle.
She was inherently kind and couldn't bear to dampen Alexandrina's enthusiasm or waste her efforts.
Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she took a deep breath, picked up her chopsticks, and smiled, "Rina-san, you've worked hard. I... I'll try some."
She carefully avoided the obvious tentacles and fish heads, picked up a small piece of relatively normal-looking pink gelatinous substance, and slowly brought it to her mouth.
Conan and Sonoko stopped their skirmish, simultaneously looking at Ran in shock.
Conan was even more alarmed Ran?! No! She absolutely cannot eat that kind of thing!