"You people are ridiculous," Bai Feifei muttered bitterly. "When I don't help, you nag me to do something. When I do try to help, you shut me down."
"You're welcome to leave if you don't want to stay," Mu Qingyun's voice came lightly from beside the pot. She didn't even glance at Bai Feifei as she stirred the stew.
"You—" Bai Feifei was left speechless, choking on frustration. But there was little she could do. Mu Xueyao would never let her return early.
Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath and stepped aside to sit quietly.
Fine. She would not get angry. Not now.
Mu Qingyun looked up from the pot and suddenly asked, "Wait—my abilities aren't working. How are we supposed to roast the meat later?"
"No problem."Su emerged from the storage room and pulled out a flamethrower from his dimensional pouch. "This will do. It's not as powerful as your fire ability, but more than enough for cooking."
"My, my—you really packed well."Kazer leaned lazily against the doorway, eyeing the device with amused interest. "Are you sure you're on a survival mission and not a luxury vacation?"
[Oof, the tension is thick.][I swear they're about to start throwing punches.][Is this what love rivals feel like? Let them fight over Mu-ge. I'll pay to watch!]
"Why do you care?" Su narrowed his eyes at Kazer, his tone icy. "Worry more about yourself. Stop throwing shade at me."
Mu Qingyun stared at the two, frowning. What was with the hostility between them?
"Enough. Hand me the flamethrower and sit down for dinner," she said softly, extending her hand toward Su.
The moment she spoke, both men instantly dropped their tension and moved to her side—one on the left, the other on the right—like loyal guardians flanking a queen.
[One command and both dogs came running. Mu-ge's charm is terrifying!][Mu-ge? Are you blind? Clearly he's a guy.][Let me enjoy my delusion in peace. This love triangle is too good.]
Dinner was soon ready. Mu Qingyun first served Bai Feifei a bowl of rabbit stew.
Surprised, Bai Feifei hesitated but accepted the bowl. A cautious sip later, she had to admit—it tasted amazing.
Only after seeing her take a few sips did Mu Qingyun begin distributing food to the others.
"Why serve her first?" Xiong Ruoyou muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible to anyone but Fan Xuanye sitting beside her.
"You idiot," Fan Xuanye replied in a low voice, sipping his own stew. "She's the poison tester. Who knows what she could've slipped in while cleaning the pot."
"Oh."Xiong Ruoyou's expression returned to normal. But as she tasted the stew, something in her heart felt... off.
She had never been the jealous type. Yet just now, seeing Mu-ge serve another girl first made her irrationally upset.
This was not right. She could not afford to be like this.
She lowered her gaze, staring into the bowl. What once tasted like a rich, savory broth now felt bland and tasteless.
"What's wrong?" Fan Xuanye noticed the shift in her energy and frowned. "You seem off."
"Nothing." She shook her head reflexively, but after a moment, whispered, "I think... I'm getting jealous."
Jealous?
Fan Xuanye raised his eyes and looked between her and Mu Qingyun. "You've fallen for Mu-ge?"
"Seems like it." Xiong Ruoyou lowered her voice further, sneaking a guilty glance at Mu Qingyun. "But you better not tell him!"
Fan Xuanye sipped his stew thoughtfully. Of all the possibilities, this was not what he had expected.
Given Xiong Ruoyou's straightforward nature, he had always imagined she would be the type to confess her feelings bluntly. Yet here she was, harboring a shy, almost girlish crush.
"If you like him, just tell him," he said plainly. "If you keep quiet and someone else gets there first, you'll be the one crying."
That... made a lot of sense.
Xiong Ruoyou stared at her stew again. It still felt tasteless. But Mu-ge had personally served it to her—he had handed it over with his own hands.
Fine. She pursed her lips and took another hearty sip.
After dinner, everyone settled into rest.
Bai Feifei, for once, behaved herself. She went outside, rolled out her sleeping bag, and lay down quietly without causing further trouble.
The others returned to their own rooms, either resting or cultivating.