Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Emily was speechless.
She knew the food was terrible. Yet these people were being so ungrateful, and all of this was happening during a live stream. Naturally, she was very unhappy.
With a downcast expression, Emily asked, “Is it really that bad?”
Xena quickly chimed in, “Of course not. I actually like it!”
Jason nodded, suppressing his nausea as he insincerely said, “It’s not bad.”
Molly stubbornly remained silent, refusing to even nod.
Ryan sighed, thinking Xena was just too kind. He couldn’t stop her, but he wasn’t willing to bear it.
“I’m not hungry. You all go ahead,” he said, standing up.
Emily felt dissatisfied but kept it to herself, instead eagerly watching Jason and Xena.
The live stream continued, and they had to keep eating after what they had said. They seemed to have lost all their senses, functioning like robots programmed to eat.
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Their bodies were stiff, but their minds were racing with complaints. They resented Janie and Jackson for not having to eat, and they hated that Emily continued the live stream despite their suffering.
Molly did a bit better, eating slowly and in small bites, but her heart was just as heavy.
Seeing Emily not eating, Jason and the others couldn’t let her off easy. They urged her, “Emily, you worked so hard to cook this! Why aren’t you eating? Come on, have some!”
“Yeah, it feels awkward just eating in front of you.”
Reluctantly, Emily joined them. But after just one bite, she nearly gagged, thinking how anything could be so inedible.
All four of them winced.
[How could you do this, Ryan? You promised you’d stick together through thick and thin. However, I have to admit that you’re the only sensible one here.]
[Honestly, if it’s that bad, just don’t eat. No need to torture yourselves. How nice Xena and Jason are! I’m moved to tears.]
[Emily, you cooked it, so you can’t escape. Just eat already.]
[Really? Maybe it’s actually good. You can’t judge without trying.]
As they reached their limit, Jason was about to suggest Emily end the stream when she suddenly took the initiative.
Emily seemed to just realize they were still live, exclaiming, “Oh, we’re still streaming. Let’s shut it down. Thank you, gir Go take a break!”
Finally, her longest live stream came to a close. The moment it ended, Xena, Jason, and Molly stopped eating, some dry heaving, others gulping down water.
Despite the food being awful, seeing them like this made Emily feel even worse. Her expression soured.
Xena and the others were in too much pain to care about her at that moment, especially now that the stream was off. Their
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Chapter 26
retching intensified, as if they wouldn’t be able to eat for days.
When Jackson and David came out with their meal, they were greeted by this scene.
“What’s going on here?” Jackson exclaimed in surprise.
David hadn’t expected it either. He knew the food might be bad but never imagined it would be this horrible. He was grateful he hadn’t eaten.
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Emily felt even more frustrated. Her stomach churned, but she tried to maintain her composure. However, her physical needs were overwhelming, and she bolted for the restroom.
Xena and Jason, feeling even worse, quickly followed. The restrooms were scarce here, so they had to hurry.
Molly was in a slightly better condition but still rushed after them.
They all breathed a sigh of relief that the stream was off, or it would have been humiliating.
Jackson and David watched in astonishment.
Jackson called out to Janie, “Janie, come eat with us.”
Janie stepped out, and Jackson suggested, “Let’s eat outside. It smells terrible in here.”
“Okay,” Janie agreed.
The restroom was far enough away that they wouldn’t see or smell anything unpleasant while eating.
At that moment, Ryan came out and saw Janie and Jackson enjoying their meal. He felt a wave of irritation. Jackson’s food looked so much better than his, which made him feel even worse.
He hesitated and asked, “Where are Xena and the others?”
David and Jackson paused, not knowing how to respond.
Janie, perceptive as always, said, “I think they have gone to the restroom. Looks like they had some trouble with the food.”
Ryan was taken aback, his brow furrowing with concern for Xena. “The food might be terrible, but surely it wouldn’t cause serious illness?‘
Jackson was surprised. “Ryan, why didn’t you eat with them?”
Ryan remained silent.
Jackson continued, “Did you find it too bad? Never mind, let’s continue eating. If you want to find Xena, just check the
restroom.”
He added, “They don’t seem well at all.”
David agreed, “It does look pretty serious.”
Their comments made Ryan’s heart race. “I’m a man; how could I just go to the restroom looking for Xena?”
He looked at Janie, wanting to ask her to check on Xena, but Janie, sensing his intent, preemptively refused.
“Sorry, Ryan. We’re eating now, so can we stop talking about the restroom? If you want me to help find your sister, I can’t do that either. You can just ask outside.”
Jackson waved him off. “Go ahead. We’ll continue eating.”
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Chapter 26
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Ryan bit his lip, casting another glance at Janie, feeling uncomfortable. He knew she had likely endured a lot over the years, go back home. and her appearance now must mean that she would
He wanted Janie and Xena to get closer. After all, they were family. He didn’t want history to repeat itself. Resigned, he finally headed toward the restroom, while Janie, Jackson, and David enjoyed their meal.
Jackson glanced at David. “Aren’t you concerned about Emily? She doesn’t look good.”
David felt the food was less appealing now. “I’m not that close with her. I prefer hanging out with you guys.”
Jackson scoffed, “We don’t like you.”
David laughed it off, unconcerned. He had seen how they treated people they genuinely disliked, and he felt fortunate to have been friendly with them from the start, thinking how mysterious they were.
He genuinely liked them, especially….
He couldn’t help but glance at Janie.
