Ning Tian's Puff-Cheeked Little Mouth

Time passed bit by bit. At last, all the barbecue Yao Haoxuan had ordered was ready. He had not ordered a single vegetable dish; at a glance, it was all meat.

Huo Yuhao had originally planned to carry the plates over to Yao Haoxuan's table himself, but another group of reserved guests arrived, leaving him unable to get away. He could only remain in the kitchen and keep working.

When Lan Mei carried the plates out, perhaps because of the wind, the rich aroma instantly drifted through the air.

Yao Haoxuan's group and the newly arrived guests all brightened at once.

"Your barbecue is all here." Lan Mei smiled as she set the plates on the table. Folding her arms across her chest, she smiled at Yao Haoxuan. "Give it a try!"

"I won't stand on ceremony with you. Come on, try this Grilled Fish." Yao Haoxuan picked up two skewers of Grilled Fish and handed one each to Ning Tian and Wu Feng.

The two girls took the fish. Looking at the Grilled Fish sprinkled with Chili Powder and giving off a rich fragrance, they paused for a moment before beginning to enjoy it.

The crisp fish skin and tender, firm fish flesh blended together the moment they entered their mouths, accompanied by a faint smoky charcoal aroma. Most importantly, there were no tiny bones and no fishy smell at all. In an instant, both girls' expressions changed.

They felt the same way Yao Haoxuan had back then. It was not as though they had never eaten delicacies from land and sea, but this was truly their first time trying Grilled Fish.

And first experiences were often the most unforgettable.

If an ordinary person ate Grilled Fish, they would probably only think it tasted great and have little else to say. No matter how delicious it was, it was still just Grilled Fish.

But for those born into wealth and privilege, food like this instead stimulated their taste buds and brought a particular kind of surprise.

Coupled with the Grilled Fish Huo Yuhao had carefully cooked to perfection, along with Aunt Lan's unique seasonings, it was even more delicious than ordinary Grilled Fish. Naturally, it was enough to draw attention.

Seeing the faintly amazed looks on the two girls' faces, Yao Haoxuan gave Lan Mei a thumbs-up.

Lan Mei smiled. "Take your time. Just call me if you need anything."

"I didn't expect that guy to be so good at making food." Only the skeleton remained of the Grilled Fish in Wu Feng's hand. She licked her lips as she spoke.

Yet no one answered Wu Feng's remark. When she turned to look, she saw that both Yao Haoxuan and Ning Tian had reached out with both hands, each hand holding a skewer as they ate at high speed.

"Xiao Tian, you..." Wu Feng's expression froze slightly as she watched Ning Tian enthusiastically devour skewers.

Ning Tian paused. Noticing the extremely strange looks from passersby walking past, her little face immediately reddened. She quickly resumed her usual ladylike manner of eating.

Yao Haoxuan pursed his lips. "Enough, enough. Why bother with all that etiquette when you're out here? Being happy is what matters. We only have so many years to live—don't make life too exhausting."

As he spoke, Yao Haoxuan attacked from both sides and quickly finished two meat skewers. With a flick of his chubby hand, he tossed the sticks into the collection bin.

The whole sequence was exceptionally smooth.

After a moment of silence, Ning Tian immediately abandoned her ladylike demeanor. That was right, they were already out here, so why should she care about all that etiquette?

Eat skewers, eat skewers.

Wu Feng stared blankly for several seconds, standing still without moving.

Seeing this, Ning Tian grabbed several meat skewers without another word and forcibly stuffed them into her hands. "Hurry and eat. They won't taste good once they get cold."

Wu Feng looked down at the grilled meat, then at the carefree Ning Tian. For some reason, she felt an unexpected sense of ease.

Yao Haoxuan had ordered a great deal. Before they had even finished eating, Huo Yuhao personally carried plates over to another table of guests.

Watching the new guests wolf down the food, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Huo Yuhao's lips. They probably could not guess that he was the one who had made the barbecue.

There were three groups of reserved guests today, but one group had still not arrived, giving Huo Yuhao some extra free time.

"Brother Yao, you..."

Huo Yuhao walked over to Yao Haoxuan's table, about to say something, but he froze. Ning Tian's little cheeks were stuffed full, making her look exactly like a hamster. There were traces of grease and Chili Powder by her rosy lips, and several skewers were clutched in her hands. For a moment, he did not know what to say.

Ning Tian seemed to notice someone looking at her. She had not intended to pay attention and only raised her head for a casual glance, but she found Huo Yuhao staring fixedly at her with those "innocent" eyes.

The young lady immediately became awkward. With a skewer in her hand and her mouth puffed round, she did not dare move at all.

Huo Yuhao smiled knowingly and swiftly shifted his gaze away, looking instead at Yao Haoxuan, whose eating manner was terrifying. "So, how was today's Grilled Fish?"

Seeing Huo Yuhao considerately look away, Ning Tian's lovely, delicate face flushed faintly. Only then did she relax, hurriedly swallow the meat in her mouth, wipe her lips, and take a drink of fruit juice to rinse her mouth.

Yao Haoxuan noticed Huo Yuhao beside him and nodded in satisfaction. "It feels even better than the Grilled Fish we had by the stream last time. Little brother, your cooking has improved again."

"Thank you for the praise." Huo Yuhao sounded somewhat regretful. "It's a pity my equipment won't allow it. Otherwise, I'd make that special Grilled Fish for Brother Yao to try."

"The Grilled Fish that's grilled first and then stewed?" Yao Haoxuan raised an eyebrow.

"Mm." Huo Yuhao nodded. "That thing needs quite a lot of ingredients. I can't gather them all right now, so I can only wait a while."

"That is a pity. I'll have a lot to do next, so I probably won't have time to come by for food." Yao Haoxuan spoke regretfully.

"It's fine. Come over whenever you have time. You can eat anytime." Huo Yuhao chuckled.

Suddenly, before Yao Haoxuan could respond, Huo Yuhao saw four women in their thirties step away from the passing crowd. Before long, Lan Mei came out of the Grilled Fish House as well. The women chatted and laughed together, clearly old acquaintances.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao understood that these four were the final group of reserved guests for the day.

"Go get busy." Yao Haoxuan knew Huo Yuhao had work to do again.

"Alright." Huo Yuhao left. Taking the list Lan Mei had given him, he began preparing the third batch of barbecue for the day.

Only after watching Huo Yuhao leave did Ning Tian speak. "Brother Yao, what is that Grilled Fish that's grilled first and then cooked?"

Yao Haoxuan shook his head. "I don't know either. I haven't tried it. But the two of you will be staying in Shrek City for the next year anyway, so just come eat whenever you have time. And taste it for me while you're at it."

"No problem. Leave it to us." Wu Feng cut in. From the look of it, she rather liked the barbecue here.

Ning Tian lowered her head with a smile at the corner of her lips, anticipation rising in her heart. Here, she did not have to follow the rules her family had taught her. She could freely act like someone her age. That was wonderful.

Whenever she wanted freedom in the future, she could just come here. Mm, that was completely workable. Anyone who tried to stop her from coming would go in her little notebook.

The three did not talk much throughout the meal, and it ended just like that. In the end, Lan Mei came over to collect the payment and chat with them for a while.

Yao Haoxuan knew Huo Yuhao was busy grilling, so he did not disturb him. After chatting briefly with Lan Mei, he left with Ning Tian and Wu Feng.

He did not dare let Ning Tian and Wu Feng remain outside for too long. After all, one was the young lady of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and its future Sect Master, while the other was the granddaughter of an elder of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

In terms of status, they were far more formidable than he was.