Leaving the bounds of Heaven Dou City, the main road gradually grew wider and quieter, with lush fields on either side and distant mountains dark as ink.
At first, Huo Wu was still immersed in the faint sorrow of parting and uncertainty about the future, but Zhang Bufan clearly had no intention of letting her dwell on those feelings for long.
"Wu'er, look at that cloud. Doesn't it look like a roasted chicken leg?" Zhang Bufan pointed at a strangely shaped cloud on the horizon.
Huo Wu looked up and examined it carefully. "How does it look like that? It obviously looks like a rabbit."
"A rabbit?" Zhang Bufan stroked his chin, pretending to ponder. "Hmm... now that you mention it, it does look a little like one. But it's a rabbit roasted crispy on the outside and tender on the inside."
Huo Wu: "...All you ever think about is food!"
(Huo Wu's inner thoughts: Is there anything in this guy's head besides food and... me?)
Zhang Bufan grinned and, as if performing a magic trick, pulled an oil-paper package from his seemingly unremarkable Storage Soul Tool—though it was actually the vast space contained within the Nine Cauldrons. Inside were steaming-hot, fragrant sauce-flavored meat pies.
"Try one. They're from Old Li's Family on East Street in Heaven Dou City. I specifically went to buy the last batch this morning."
Huo Wu looked at him in surprise. "When did you go?"
"While you were sleeping like a little pig." Zhang Bufan brought a meat pie to her lips. "Come on, ah—"
Huo Wu's face reddened. She glanced around, and only after confirming no one was nearby did she quickly take a small bite. The rich sauce aroma and crisp pastry melted in her mouth, making her narrow her eyes in bliss.