Arcane: Let's Burn Down Runeterra!

For more chapters (10+) or if you want to support me, visit https://www.patreon.com/FFAddict. Thank you!

Chapter 43 Dinner

"Chicken soup's ready!" Justin announced as he walked briskly from the kitchen, holding a pot of freshly simmered chicken soup, and set it close to Vi and Caitlyn. This was the last dish of the day, having been stewing on the stove for a good two hours. 

"Hey, we've got all the dishes out. Why aren't you guys eating yet?" Isaac teased. "With the host not seated, who dares to start?" 

"In a family gathering, there's no need for such formality," Justin laughed as he sat down. Their dining table was a makeshift setup of three coffee tables pushed together. He sat at the head, with Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn on his right, and Isaac, Grandma Enya, Black, and White on his left. 

There were a lot of people, but not too many dishes. Due to limited ingredients, Justin had racked his brains to come up with this—the main course, a little stir-fry, hot soup, and cold dishes. Potato stew with beef, clear chicken soup, fish-fragrant shredded pork, onions with scrambled eggs, blanched greens, and cucumber salad were all laid out, not too shabby at all. 

Jinx, Vi, and Isaac used chopsticks, Grandma Enya had a spoon, while Caitlyn used a knife and fork. Black and White were the oddest—they had chosen chopsticks but clearly didn't know how to use them. Watching Jinx playfully tapping her utensils with one chopstick in each hand as if playing drums, they thought it was some kind of pre-meal ritual and started imitating earnestly. 

"Should we also…?" Caitlyn seemed a bit anxious, heavily valuing table etiquette due to her noble upbringing. This dining setup, however, was unfamiliar to her. 

"No need…" Vi felt a bit embarrassed. "Jinx is just playing around."

"All right, stop that," Justin said, holding Jinx's hand in place. "Aren't you hungry? Let's start eating." 

"Hmph~" The interrupted performance left Jinx a bit displeased. 

"Powder, try this. I remember it was your favorite when you were little." Vi offered Jinx a piece of green vegetable. Such a thing was a rarity in the Undercity. 

"Ugh." Jinx scoffed, shifting her stool to sit closer to Justin and farther from Vi. 

Vi couldn't do much, so she turned and offered Caitlyn a bite of fish-fragrant shredded pork. "You probably haven't tried this before, right? It's really great, especially paired with rice."

White attempted to mimic Vi's actions, trying to pick up a piece of green vegetable but failed repeatedly. Finally, she wisely settled on using one chopstick, shakily capturing the vegetable successfully and transporting it to her bowl. Black, on the other hand, simply used a spoon, filled a bowl with beef and potato stew, poured it over his rice, and began shoveling mouthfuls into his mouth. 

"Shall I serve you a bowl of soup?" Grandma Enya looked visibly aged since Silco took her shop, leaving her dispirited. Yet now, smelling the fragrant meal, she seemed a little revitalized. 

"I'm not that old that I can't chew meat! I want beef… and this, and that!" 

Isaac silently tended to Grandma Enya, hardly eating for himself. He had helped quite a bit during the cooking earlier, and Justin could surprisingly associate the word "dutiful" with him, only to find it unsettling upon realization—this guy is a man, after all. Although they grew up together and Justin had personally verified as much when they were kids, anyone who saw Isaac, whether they knew the truth or not, would instinctively think he was a beauty. Especially in recent years, as Isaac's charm had only grown, he resembled an enchanting vixen, with every gesture capable of capturing hearts.

During the meal, Isaac had tied his hair up into a bun on top of his head. Under the orange lamplight, the fine fuzz on his face was clearly visible, especially around his ears. 

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Isaac flinched suddenly as Justin grabbed his ear unexpectedly. "Let go, let go! I'm sensitive there!" 

"Why do you have so much hair on your ears?" Justin curiously asked. 

"How should I know..." Isaac covered his ears with his hands, giving him a coy glare. 

"Maybe you've been exposed to too much shimmer and mutated... Jinx, you're stepping on me," Justin commented. 

"You're stepping on me..." Justin emphasized again. But Jinx didn't react at all, as if she was focused on eating. "It seems like you're pressing down even harder..." 

The dishes on the table were quickly cleaned out, each plate looking as if it had just been washed. While they weren't particularly desperate for food now, this was a testament to the Undercity residents' respect for food. 

"A drink before bed~ Tea or wine?" Justin offered them two choices, and they all surprisingly chose wine in unison. Perhaps during gatherings, drinking adds to the ambiance? 

"You're drinking too?" Justin looked at Jinx helplessly, knowing she had a history—getting crazier when drunk. "Okay, a special exception today," he said as he poured half a glass for Jinx. The rest was all for himself. 

Unfortunately, he couldn't consume it all. Someone always needs to remain sober, no matter how lively it gets. This place is nothing more than a campfire in a dark dungeon, a cabin on the road to survival. Tranquility does not mean safety, and harmony does not mean peace.

Seated at the head of the table, Justin squinted while slowly swirling the wine glass in his hand. To his right, Vi and Caitlyn were engrossed in conversation, and Caitlyn's face was flushed crimson. Her glass of wine was almost empty—in truth, it was the worst wine she had ever tasted, but when the atmosphere is right, even a glass of water can be intoxicating. 

Vi chatted with Caitlyn while also trying to engage Jinx. After drinking, Jinx was no longer as distant as before and leaned against Justin's arm, responding sporadically to the conversation. 

On his left, White and Black seemed to be attempting to drink cross-cupped; Grandma Enya reminisced endlessly about her youthful beauty. Isaac maintained professional courtesy to engage with the old lady, but his glass remained full. 

"So warm," Justin thought. Perhaps it was the lighting as he suddenly felt his face heating up. He rarely felt this way—the place was always gloomy, except when he and Jinx nestled together in the bathtub, in each other's arms, then he could feel a bit of warmth. 

"Mmm..." Jinx suddenly slumped into his embrace. Surprisingly, she didn't cause trouble after drinking; instead, she fell right asleep. It seemed she was quite tired these past days. 

Justin gently stroked her soft hair, feeling just as fine as always. The girl slept soundly, her long lashes seeming clear enough to count one by one. Her pink lips were tinged purple by the wine, looking temptingly luscious.