"I'm glad to see you open up to me," he adds with a smirk.

She stares at him, her expression unreadable.

Rihan takes a bite of the steaming hot rice, chewing slowly. "It tastes delicious."

He chews the meat, savouring the flavour. The soup smells like a combination of chicken, beef, vegetables, spices, herbs, and more.

The scent makes his mouth water. "It's perfect."

He stares at her, waiting for her response. "Do you agree?"

She stares at his bowl, her eyes wide as saucers. She pokes at the white grains of rice, trying to pick out the individual pieces of food inside.

"What's the matter?" He asks, noticing the look of confusion on her face. "Are you having trouble eating?"

She shakes her head, swallowing the saliva that gathered in the back of her throat. "No, it's not that. I'm just surprised."

She pokes the food around, scooping a spoonful of the mixture into her mouth. "It's so hot."

Rihan grins, leaning back in his chair. "That's the way it should be."

The next moment, her eyes opened in disbelief. "How did you prepare this!" she exclaims, her eyes widening. "This is so amazing!"

"I'm glad you liked it," he replies.

Larisa's eyes widen further, her jaw-dropping. "This is so different from the stuff I ate at home. This is so much better!"

She reaches for the bottle of soy sauce, pouring a little bit of the liquid into her dish.

Rihan stares at her, smiling. Of course, that dish is the culmination of my past life's knowledge, he thinks. The ingredients were carefully selected, the preparation method was refined, and the result was something that was simply magnificent.

"It's really good, isn't it?" He stares into her eyes, his gaze intense.

"Yes, it's incredible," she stares at him, the intensity of his stare making her heart skip a beat. She pauses, thinking of a question to ask. "Why are you so good at cooking?"

He shrugs, poking at his own meal with a fork. "It's fun to experiment and learn new things," he explains, stabbing the food into smaller pieces.

Soon they finish their meals, and Larisa washes the dishes. Afterwards, she clears the table and stares at the sink, feeling awkward.

"This is the best thing ever," she stares at the empty dish, licking her lips. It was unladylike of her, but she couldn't help herself. Her mouth watered at the thought of another serving. "You're a great cook."

"Thanks." he stares at her, his smirk growing wider. "You're welcome." He stares at her, enjoying the view of her beautiful face. It's glowing now that she's filled her stomach, her cheeks rosy pink.

Now that his stomach is full too, he feels completely rejuvenated. Perhaps I should return to my room and continue cultivating, he muses.

"Oh! I was wondering, how'd you end up with the state you were in earlier? Was it truly because of the rain?" he stares into her eyes, curious.

Returning the stare, her lips parting. "At first I was cultivating but was woken up by a noise. I thought I heard someone calling my name. But when I turned around I saw nobody."

"That was what broke your concentration? Not the rain?"

"Yeah, it was so sudden," she stares at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers. "It was like a bolt of lightning hit me. I had chills all over my body like somebody was touching me with ice."

She stares at him with a blank expression, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"I'm sure the rain didn't cause it," he says, picking up his cup of tea now.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." she stares at him, her expression blank once again. "It's so strange though. I can't explain why I feel like there's someone there. Like, I can sense a presence."

Rihan stares at her, sipping his tea. "I don't know if I can fully understand your feelings, but would it be a ghost?" He stares at her with a smirk, his mind going to a certain memory.

Her pupil immediately dilates, her breath catching. "What?!" she stares at him, her eyes wide.

"I don't believe in ghosts," he chuckles, raising his mug of tea. "But you might be right."

"You're scaring me! You're scaring me!" she stares at him with wide eyes, her face red. "I'm not scared of ghosts. I'm not afraid of death or anything."

He smirks, stifling his laughter. "I'm sorry, it's just that you looked terrified." he stares into her eyes, his smirk turning into an amused grin. "I guess you don't need to worry about it."

"I'm not worried." she stares at him, her expression blank.

"So what happened after that?" he stares at her, studying her expression.

She stares at him, blinking her eyes. "It's just, I - I tripped on some rocks while running to get away from the voice," she stares at her fingers, "After that, I tried my best to get away from the place.

It felt like the person or whatever wanted to keep me away."

She pauses, looking at her feet. "I ran as fast as possible, and while it was raining. That's I got back to the dorm and met you," she pauses, staring into space for a moment before continuing.

"The whole time, I kept sensing a presence, like a shadow following me. Whenever I stopped, the sensation would be amplified." She pauses, taking a deep breath.

"It sounds like you've been through a lot," he replied simply.

"Yeah, well I'm going to continue practicing in my room," she stares into the distance, the rain filling the lake nearby, flooding the bridge. "I don't want to be disturbed by anybody." She pauses for a second, then looks back at him. "I'm not used to people."

He stares at her with a concerned look and an eyebrow raised, "Alright, but don't you feel like your entire body is burning up whenever you're cultivating? Your leg will get numb and it feels like the bruises in your feet are getting worse."

He stares at her with a serious face. "And don't you have nightmares every single time you sleep?"

"H-How did you find out?" she stares at him with a shocked expression, her face flushed. "Nobody told you that right!?"

"No, and I can help you fully recover. I'm not joking," Rihan spoke with a stern tone.

Larisa stares back, her jaw slack.

He stares at her with a stony expression, his eyebrows furrowed together. "Don't tell me that you haven't noticed."

She stares at the table, biting her lip.

"I think you should stop for today," he stares at her, his gaze stony. "I'll show you tomorrow." He stands, grabbing his bag. "If you still have trouble, come talk to me. I'll make sure you'll fully recover."

After he said that, he leaves the cafeteria.

At the same time as he was leaving, a gust of wind blows, causing the window to rattle. The sound makes Larisa jump, her heart skipping several beats.

She stares at the door, her ears twitching. "I'll make sure you'll fully recover." Those words ring in her head.