Chapter 25: Bai Nanyan and Dogs Are Not Allowed Inside

The six of them had been starving for days. The supporting female character, unable to bear it any longer, went looking for food, only to stumble upon Yingnian secretly asking Bai Nanyan for cooking tips. Enraged, she decided to punish Yingnian. She had Teng Qu catch an uncivilized Gale Rabbit, then proceeded to skin, bleed, and roast it over a fire right in front of her.

As it roasted, the aroma grew stronger, and the supporting female character couldn't resist taking the half-cooked rabbit down to eat. None of them had any experience with grilling, and the rabbit hadn't been marinated, so it naturally tasted terrible. The meat was gamey and tough; while it smelled delicious, eating it felt like chewing on flavorless wax. In some spots, it was still bloody because of the uneven cooking, making them look like savages tearing into raw flesh. She only took a few bites before stopping, but she spitefully forced Yingnian to eat the rest.

Gu Sihui snapped out of her memories, finally understanding why the others looked so pale.

"Um, I..."

"I found this on my way back. Eat it to satisfy your hunger first."

Gong Zijie interrupted her, flipping his wrist to reveal a bright red fruit in his palm. Shao Feichen and Yingnian’s expressions shifted slightly at the sight of the fruit; they lowered their heads, their shoulders trembling. Teng Qu frowned, seemingly wanting to say something but ultimately holding back.

"What is this?" Gu Sihui’s attention was diverted. Being truly hungry, she couldn't help but reach out to take it.

"This is called a Flame Fruit, a type of fruit from back home," Gong Zijie replied, his expression unchanging. "It’s so delicious, you—mph! Mph-mph, ah—water! I need water!"

Gong Zijie had never expected that Gu Sihui would take advantage of him talking to shove the Flame Fruit into his mouth with lightning speed. By the time his brain registered what had happened, his mouth had already closed by reflex, his teeth piercing the soft skin of the fruit. A heat so spicy it felt like he had become a fire dragon spewing lava filled his entire mouth.

"Hiss—water! I need water! Hiss—" Gong Zijie jumped around, losing all reason to the spice.

"Heh, you really thought you could scheme against me with that little trick?" Gu Sihui clapped her hands triumphantly, looking utterly disdainful. "Please, I’ve moved past these games since my days as a film queen. If you want to trick me, go practice your acting skills some more!"

Gong Zijie, unable to hear a word she said, relied on his innate affinity for water as a Xuanwu to sprint in a certain direction.

"Hahahaha, trying to fight me? You're still too green!" Gu Sihui laughed toward the sky, arrogantly flashing an international gesture of goodwill at Gong Zijie’s retreating back.

"Xiao Hui, so it really is you."

A detestable voice came from behind Gu Sihui, sending a chill down her spine. She turned around slowly, praying it wouldn't be who she thought. Sure enough, Bai Nanyan’s face slowly came into view.

"Why is it you again? Are you a leech?" Gu Sihui pulled at the corners of her mouth in a forced, insincere smile.

"You’re the leech! Yanyan came here yesterday," Xi Mo retorted. Bai Nanyan tugged on him, shaking her head with forced patience. Xi Mo reluctantly shut his mouth, glaring fiercely at Gu Sihui.

"Bad luck," Gu Sihui said, looking at Bai Nanyan with disgust and driving her away without mercy: "This is our camp. Bai Nanyan and dogs are not allowed." After saying this, she caught sight of Shao Feichen, paused for a moment, reached out to drape an arm over his shoulder, and added, "Except for this one."

Shao Feichen shook his shoulder to shrug off Gu Sihui’s hand. "Go away, stop getting all touchy-feely, as if we’re actually that close."

Bai Nanyan’s eyes turned red again. Gu Sihui often suspected she kept her pockets filled with red eyeshadow, ready to touch up her makeup at any moment.

"Xiao Hui, I heard your voice earlier and was worried, so I came to check. I don’t have any bad intentions," Bai Nanyan said in a soft, delicate voice.

"Exactly," the wolf-eared boy beside Bai Nanyan chimed in, glaring at Gu Sihui. "Yanyan kindly came over to bring you things, don't be ungrateful!"

"Leave the things, and you can get lost," Gu Sihui said, then tapped her forehead. "Is your brain broken? Since the first time we met, you should have been able to tell—I don't like you. I absolutely, positively despise you. I’ve made that perfectly clear, yet you still insist on sticking to me like a parasite. If that’s not pathetic, what is?"

"Keep your mouth clean."

A burst of flame surged toward Gu Sihui’s face. With Gong Zijie, who possessed defensive abilities, having just left, no one was there to protect her. What was she to do? Gu Sihui felt her forehead growing hotter, but suddenly, a soft white light appeared, shielding her from the danger. At the same time, Teng Qu blocked the wolf-eared boy, who was trying to close in. Shao Feichen and Yingnian stared at him vigilantly.

"Keep your animal under control," Gu Sihui said coldly.

"Xiao Hui, you really misunderstood us!" Bai Nanyan, not expecting Gu Sihui to lash out, couldn't keep her eyes red and hurriedly explained, "I heard you say you were hungry, so this is egg fried rice I made. I brought it specifically for you."

Only then did Gu Sihui realize what the faint, lingering fragrance on her was.

Bai Nanyan held the egg fried rice, looking at Gu Sihui with a mix of vigilance and mockery, waiting for her to lose her mind. Gu Sihui peeked into the pot in Bai Nanyan’s hands, took it with both hands, and curled her lips. "Alright then, thanks for the gift. I’ll take the rice, now get lost."

Bai Nanyan’s empty fingers subconsciously clawed at the air, grasping nothing. Over there, Gu Sihui had already begun calling her beast-husbands over to eat! *No, no, no!* She had only made one portion! And given the limited ingredients she had brought this time, if Gu Sihui ate it all, what would she eat?!

"Wait a moment!" As she watched Gu Sihui shovel a large spoonful toward her mouth, Bai Nanyan finally couldn't help but speak up.

Gu Sihui paused, looking confused, her big, round eyes filled with bewilderment and reluctance. "Now what?"

"Xiao Hui, I made this by hand, you know," Bai Nanyan said tentatively, her eyes filled with a mix of anticipation and hidden agendas, signaling frantically.

Gu Sihui: "Oh." She opened her mouth wide, preparing to eat.

"I really did make this myself. Haven't you always wanted to know how I cook it?" Bai Nanyan interrupted again.

Gu Sihui’s wide-open mouth slowly rounded into an "o."

"Oh," she said coldly and meanly. "I don't want to. Besides, since you’re always crawling over here to act as my nanny, I might as well just enjoy the service. Why would I ever need to learn how to cook?"

Bai Nanyan: ...

*Damn it.* Now that she put it that way, didn't her own behavior look exactly like a desperate, groveling nanny? Bai Nanyan took a deep breath, warning herself not to get angry, not to lower herself to the level of a brainless fictional character... That cursed, vicious female character was truly detestable!

She forced a smile, deciding to just speak her mind. "Xiao Hui, we haven't eaten yet..."

"What does that mean?" Gu Sihui went straight to the offensive. "Did I stop you from eating? Didn't you come running over here to show off, insisting on treating me? Now that I’m actually eating it, you’re unhappy. Are you just that cheap?"