Liu Jialin raised a hand, lifted the thin blanket covering her, slowly got out of the hospital bed, then walked lightly over to the dining table and sat down, reaching out to open the lid of the still-warm meal box.
The dishes in the meal box were exceptionally plentiful, a standard two-meat, one-vegetable spread. Steam curled upward, and the food glistened with an enticing sheen.
There was tender, richly flavored braised pork; fresh, crisp vinegar-sautéed fish slices; and refreshing Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes that cut through the richness—all dishes Liu Jialin usually loved.
Zhang Xiao leaned close beside her, her eyes shining as she eagerly recommended it with an expectant look on her face.
"Captain, hurry and try this braised pork. It's made with Boar Beast meat, and it tastes incredible—rich without being greasy, melting right in your mouth, and the more you eat, the better it gets. I couldn't help eating a whole lot of it in the cafeteria earlier."
Seeing her adorably greedy expression, Liu Jialin could not help but chuckle and casually tease her.
"Weren't you shouting about wanting to lose weight before? If you eat this much braised pork, how are you ever going to slim down?"
Zhang Xiao awkwardly raised a hand to scratch the back of her head, then said with complete composure.
"We've been clearing the underground cavern at high intensity these past few days. We're getting tons of exercise and burning through a lot of stamina. Even if I eat a little more braised pork, I can burn it all off. It won't get in the way of losing weight."
Liu Jialin smiled and stopped teasing her. She picked up her chopsticks, lowered her head, and carefully enjoyed her dinner.
Zhang Xiao sat in the chair beside her, casually grabbed a handful