The Cannon Fodder in the Global Apocalypse Game lives a leisurely life-Chapter 456: My Dignity is Dying!

Ning Bo, Choi Zimo, and Aaron looked at the spread on the table and couldn’t help but swallow their saliva.

Sour spicy cabbage stew, smashed cucumber salad, garlic stir-fried greens, steamed rice, shrimp dumplings, and steamed sea bass with ginger and scallion.

Such a rich spread, and it smelled so mouth-watering!

Then, they looked at the food they had contributed for the potluck.

"What are you looking at? Haven’t I fed you enough?" Meiren snorted. These scoundrels! If this sister had the same resources as that Miss Long, I wouldn’t only make skewers. I could also make red-braised lion’s head meatballs, Dongpo pork, or even Buddha Jumps Over the Wall!

Let’s see what faces the three of you will be making then!

The three also felt guilty for not being their leader’s wingmen. They stopped comparing dishes.

But Ning Bo couldn’t help but wonder: why did Miss Long prepare extra portions and another table just to place the pots?

"Uhm, Miss Long, you didn’t need to make so many portions. It’s such a pity. We won’t be able to finish all of them." The three were very touched by Miss Long’s gesture. They thought she was considerate of the guests and never guessed it was for the gluttons.

However, Haoran’s attention was on Meiren. He needed to find a way to separate from this team.

Meiren thought: These three are hopeless. I can’t count on them in matters of first love.

Chunhua muttered: Ah, these portions are already sensible. If they were alone, she wouldn’t save any faces. Two pots of each dish would not be enough. By the way, when are we eating? I’m so hungry.

She snuck a glance at Haoran.

The latter was very sensitive when it came to Chunhua’s gazes.

"Let’s eat." He picked up his chopsticks and started placing food on Chunhua’s bowl.

Chunhua was very happy. "Don’t mind me. You should eat too." She reciprocated Haoran’s sweet gesture. Eating with him for so long had taught her some of his preferences. For example, Haoran preferred mild flavors over strong ones. He liked lean meat better than fatty. And lastly, he really liked dumplings.

She carefully separated the fish bones before placing a generous portion on Haoran’s bowl. Then came the shrimp dumplings and lean meat from the stew.

Haoran inched closer, watching Chunhua with a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Even if he didn’t say it, her careful gesture made his chest tighten pleasantly, a quiet warmth he could not hide.

"If you want more fish, tell me. I’ll pick the bones for you," she added before starting to eat from her own bowl.

Meiren nearly snapped the chopsticks she was holding, watching yet another episode of their PDA.

The three failed wingmen whispered to their leader: "Leader, if it hurts so much, don’t watch."

Meiren lifted her head and stared at the sky, preventing the tears from falling. "What do you understand? I’m building up resistance for future psychological attacks." Ah, Sir Lin Chun really is the best. Taking his time to pick the bones. Even though she was not the end receiver, it still made her appreciate him more. If only she could swap teammates, she’d gladly exchange these three for Sir Lin Chun.

When she managed to calm down, she caught sight of a scene.

Her three team members were frozen, chopsticks mid-air, eyes glazed, as if someone had paused reality.

"Hey, what happened to you?" she asked, suppressing the urge to use her fire skill to awaken them.

The three men blinked, then shouted together, "It’s so delicious!"

Ning Bo closed his eyes and recalled the sensation. The first bite hit like a warm slap—sour, sharp, teasing every nerve. Then the spice rolled in, spicy enough to make him gasp but... perfect. Unlike any stew he had ever had.

Choi Zimo could still remember the taste. These shrimp dumplings were delicate, perfect. Every bite burst with flavor. The shrimp was sweet, the dough tender and springy, and the whole thing somehow melted together. Nothing he had eaten came close. He could eat a hundred and still not get enough.

Aaron licked the corner of his lips. He had eaten steamed sea bass countless times, but it was usually dry, a little bland, soft enough but forgettable. This one... every flake melted in his mouth, sweet, tender, with just enough salt to make every bite sing. The ginger cut through the natural fishiness perfectly, and the scallions gave it a gentle lift. Each bite was fresher than any sea bass he had ever had. This one made him feel he had been cheating himself all these years.

The three continued eating, murmuring under their breath, eyes half-closed in bliss, completely ignoring Meiren.

"So damn good... can’t stop... how can something taste this good... why does this remind me of my mother... I want to cry..."

"Why are you crying? Is it really that good?" Meiren’s curiosity peaked. Hearing even Sir Lin Chun uttered praises, she reluctantly picked up a shrimp dumpling.

The moment she took a small bite, the world around her dissolved like sugar in hot tea. Suddenly, she was no longer seated at the table. She was swimming in a vast, glittering sea of broth, with tiny shrimp darting past like playful dolphins. She kicked her legs and flailed her arms, trying to stay afloat, but the liquid was warm and comforting, carrying her in gentle waves.

Meiren snapped out of the hallucination and stared at the shrimp dumpling in shock. No... how did she make the shrimp taste like this?!

Even the shrimp dumplings made by the top chefs in the country couldn’t be this delicious.

Suddenly, she heard a notification.

[Your strength is increased temporarily by 5 for 10 minutes.]

What?!

Even though Haoran had restrained the buffs, it still stunned Meiren.

This shrimp dumpling gives buffs!

And it’s even 5 points of strength! Although temporary, it was a huge boost in Meiren’s eyes.

What sort of trickery is this?!

She refused to believe it and tasted every dish, but the results were the same.

Meiren cursed Miss Long in her head, tears running down her face as she stuffed food into her mouth.

"Why... why is it so delicious? My dignity is dying... wu wu wu!"

In the end, Meiren, who hadn’t finished her five stages of grief, became a black-and-white 2D wallowing in depression from two consecutive KOs.

Meanwhile, Chunhua took the chance to taste the skewers Meiren had made.

Although not as good as what Haoran had made, they were still delicious. She remembered that Meiren only used a few seasonings. If Meiren got her hands on a wide variety of seasonings in the future, would her skewers surpass Haoran’s?

Chunhua finished the skewer quickly and took another one, not forgetting to thank Meiren.

"Miss Bai, your skewer is tender, juicy, and just the right amount of seasoning. It also has a unique smoky flavor. I wonder what it would taste like with sauce."

Meiren was like a wilted plant in dry soil finally blessed with rain.

"Really, Sir Lin Chun? Then next time, when I gather enough ingredients, I’ll make a special sauce for you," she replied with a wink. Ah, Sir Lin Chun really knows how to soothe this sister’s heart! She had regained her vitality.

Haoran’s eyes shot daggers: Needs to separate!

The four ninja turtles whose bellies were not full: Needs to separate!

The three failed wingmen looked at the empty plates and pots: Huh? Where’s the food all gone?