[What is that?]
[No idea. Why would boiling seawater turn into white crystals? What even is that stuff?]
[Good question—I don't know either.]
[Can someone explain what this really is?]
[Uh, just a thought... could it be poison?]
[You might be onto something. If it's not a sedative, then it's definitely some kind of toxin.]
[Agreed. +1]
[+1]
...
"Alright," Su nodded, taking the basin. He pulled out a small spoon-like tool from his storage pouch and carefully scraped at the white substance inside.
The fine, white crystals looked oddly familiar. He leaned in to sniff—there was a strong scent of salt.
Salt?
Is this how salt is made here?
"Hey! Are you all deaf? Didn't you hear me talking to you?" Bai Feifei snapped, frowning at how completely she and the princess were being ignored by Mu Qingyun and Su.
She and the princess were both renowned beauties—men usually fell over themselves to win their favor. When had she ever been treated like this?
"Chattering like birds. Annoying." Mu Qingyun didn't even pause, shooting Bai Feifei a cold glance.
In her past life, women were expected to be demure and refined—modest smiles, quiet manners. Not loud and vulgar like this.
"You—!" Bai Feifei froze. She wanted to curse back, but the look in Mu Qingyun's eyes made her hesitate.
For some reason, she suddenly felt that if she said one more word, Mu Qingyun might actually cut her tongue out.
[He's so arrogant!]
[I swear, I love this kind of attitude. He's got the strength to back it up—so what if he's proud? His face is his only flaw.]
[I'll just laugh and stay quiet.]
[Seriously, treating two gorgeous women like that? No wonder he's single.]
[How can you still defend him after the way he insulted our planet's honor?]
[He's such a fake. That ugly face just makes everything worse.]
...
"What are they doing?" Mu Xueyao glanced at her screen. Though most comments were insulting Mu Qingyun, a few were actually defending him.
Unacceptable.
Her expression darkened slightly as she looked over at Mu Qingyun. A plan began to form in her mind.
No one offends her and gets away unscathed.
"They're cooking," Xiong Ruoyou quickly replied. Then she realized—she'd completely forgotten to bring the basin Mu Qingyun had asked for.
Oh no.
"Cooking?" Mu Xueyao raised an eyebrow and smirked, then turned to look at Bai Feifei.
Bai Feifei met her gaze and immediately understood. She walked quickly over to Mu Qingyun, gave a cold snort, and raised her foot to kick the crouching figure.
Tch.
Mu Qingyun noticed her movement in the corner of her eye. Her gaze turned ice cold. She shifted slightly, lowering her body, and rolled just as the kick came down.
Without a target, Bai Feifei lost her balance, shrieked in panic, slipped—and tumbled toward the ocean.
"Ahhh—!"
The coastline was soft from recent rain. Bai Feifei landed with a thud, then slipped again on the wet ground and fell straight into the sea.
"Feifei!" Mu Xueyao shouted in shock. But instead of helping, she turned her glare on Mu Qingyun. "Why didn't you stop her? That's the ocean behind you—she could've drowned!"
How amusing.
Mu Qingyun calmly cleaned the fish in her hands. Flames ignited in her right palm as she began roasting it. She replied coldly, "And how was I supposed to stop her? Just stand still and let her kick me? Are you stupid, or just brainless?"
[Oh my god—is Mu Qingyun insane?!]
[How dare he speak to the princess like that?]
[Has he never seen nobility before? That mouth of his has no filter!]
[I'm honestly speechless.]
[Everyone I know praises the princess. This is the first time I've seen anyone speak to her like that.]
[If I were there, I'd beat that ugly freak to the ground.]
[You sure? Did you see his fire abilities yesterday? And the way he roasted those Zerg bugs? Think again before challenging him.]
The moment that was said, the livestream chat went dead silent.
It was easy to talk tough—until someone reminded them of the reality.
"You…"
"Mu Qingyun, that's the princess," Xiong Ruoyou spoke up before Mu Xueyao could, her brows furrowed in warning.
Mu Qingyun didn't answer. She simply cast a lazy glance her way. These people only know the side of Mu Xueyao she shows to the public. None of them know the truth.
Why waste her breath arguing?
"Any longer and she's going to drown," Su said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. Then he simply shrugged, expression innocent.
"Princess!" Xiong Ruoyou turned toward Mu Xueyao in a panic.
"Relax." Mu Xueyao lifted a hand, and blue energy surged out. The seawater responded, rising under her control and gently carrying Bai Feifei back toward the shore.
"Let's go."
With a flick of her wrist, the water tossed Bai Feifei onto dry land. Exhausted from struggling, she passed out the moment she hit the ground.
Mu Xueyao looked at the still-suspended seawater above, then glanced coldly at Mu Qingyun.
Something isn't right.
"Watch out—move!" Her expression shifted suddenly. Before she could finish the warning, she had already withdrawn her power.
Without her control, the seawater lost its form and came crashing down—straight toward Mu Qingyun and Su.
Damn it.
Mu Qingyun frowned. She was about to toss the fish aside and pull Su out of the way.
But just as she moved, the water above them twisted—paused—and spun harmlessly in midair before falling gently back into the ocean.
Splash! The waves rolled out as the sea calmed.
Mu Qingyun narrowed her eyes at the bizarre scene.
She wasn't stupid enough to believe this was some random supernatural fluke. There were only a few people present—who could've pulled that off?
She wasn't the only one stunned. The livestream chat exploded.
[Did anyone catch what just happened?!]
[What was that? Why did the water stop midair and fall back into the sea?]
[Told you. Someone's helping that ugly guy. No way he could do that on his own.]
[Then tell us—who's helping him?]
[How would I know?!]
[...]