I Met My Online Boyfriend—He Was the Horror Instance Boss - Chapter 4

“Must be some kind of newcomer perk,” Jiang Fu said.

Gu Heng snorted. “They give out perks like this now? Lucky you.”

The servers led us to our seats.

At every place setting stood a candlestick, a set of cutlery, and a sheet of paper.

I picked up the paper and read it.

[DINNER GUEST GUIDE

Honored Guest,

Welcome to His Grace the Duke’s dinner banquet. To ensure a pleasant evening for you and your fellow guests, please study and strictly observe every rule in this guide.

1. Upon entering, you will receive a candle as proof of your invitation. Please protect your candle.

2. The banquet will end no later than midnight. Until it ends, please ensure that your candle continues to burn normally.

3. To prevent personal belongings from being mixed up and causing unnecessary disputes, your candle should be tended by you alone. Do not give it to anyone else for safekeeping.

4. You must use the silver knife and fork placed before you.

5. The Duke recently lost a set of golden cutlery. If you find and report any of it, the Duke will reward you accordingly.

6. Dinner is served in individual portions. Please sample only your own dishes.

7. When each dish is served, the server will announce its name. To protect guests with dietary restrictions or allergies, if the dish you hear announced does not match the one before you, it is not yours. Summon a server and have it removed.

8. If you discover a guest without a candle, that guest was not invited. Do not be alarmed. You may try sharing your meal, seasoned with sea salt.

9. Each dish is at its best for ten minutes after being served. Please complete the act of tasting it promptly.

10. The chef will observe the guests as they appreciate the food.

11. You may trust the servers. The servers are absolutely loyal.

12. Once the banquet ends, all guests may leave.]

A server came to my side and lit my candle.

A lilting aria began to play, as though from an old gramophone.

The ceiling lights went out. The candles on the table became the room’s only source of light.

Buzz Cut said, “It’s this easy this time? We just eat dinner?”

Jiang Fu breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Gu Heng. “It sounds like the ‘uninvited guests’ are afraid of sea salt. We just have to guard our own candles and hold out until time’s up.”

Gu Heng nodded. “‘Complete the act of tasting’ probably means we can fake eating.”

Listening to their discussion, I glanced at Qin Zheng beside me.

She had picked up her dinner knife and was about to carve something into her candle.

My heart lurched. “Don’t.”

The rules said we had to protect the candles. I didn’t want her taking that risk.

I took the napkin from the table, folded it to match the candle’s height, and passed it to Qin Zheng.

“When the candle is as tall as this, a quarter of it has burned down,” I said.

That would let us estimate how long the candles took to burn.

She accepted the napkin and gave me a cool, quiet thanks.

The first course arrived.

I looked up to find Gu Heng holding a black iron rod.

I blinked. What was that?

An award for whoever came first?

Only when Gu Heng brought it to his teeth did I realize it was bread.

What a magnificent loaf of blackened, charred bread.

I started to worry. Would I have to eat something like that too?

Fortunately, the server set a tray before me and murmured,

“Cream of potato soup with buttered bread.”

I lowered my head and inspected everything carefully. Only after confirming there was nothing wrong did I pick up the golden-brown toast.

The butter had melted deep into it, making every bite crisp and fragrant.

The rich soup carried the creaminess of dairy and the sweet savor of onions.

It was so delicious that I couldn’t resist taking several more spoonfuls.

“Don’t eat too much,” Qin Zheng said beside me. “We don’t know how many courses are coming.”

That was an expert player for you. Such self-control.

I nodded and put down my spoon with great reluctance.

Ridiculous as it was, for one fleeting moment I found myself thinking,

*I wish Xie Jue could taste food this good.*

I paused. Only then did I remember that today was supposed to be our fourth anniversary.

He’d said he’d prepared an incredible meal and even ordered a cake.

On the cake were the words *Four Years Together*.

We had been so close to meeting. I should have been on a date, petting a dog while I was at it.

Instead, I’d been dragged into this hellhole and might die here.

Why was heaven doing this to me? Did my anniversary and death anniversary have to share a date to make them easier to remember?!

My eyes stung, but I fought the tears back.

“Chocolate raspberry cake.”

The second course arrived.

I looked down. A slice had been cut from one corner of the cake on the plate, revealing dark red raspberry filling between deep brown layers of chocolate sponge.

Nothing was wrong with it.

But on top, written in frosting, were the words:

*Four Years to Die Together*.

I burst into angry tears.