Do you want to eat?

The semi-finals concluded, and both participants stepped off the stage. The next match would feature Lan Mengqin against another competitor.

Chen Ming and Dong Qianqiu were both sitting in the waiting area. Since Dong Qianqiu still had to compete for third place shortly, she remained there as well.

"Is your first soul skill recovery?"

Dong Qianqiu looked at the empty porcelain vial and asked. Chen Ming nodded slightly at her words, then snapped his fingers.

A green leaf with a few dewdrops appeared in his palm, which he then handed to her. Dong Qianqiu took the leaf, staring at the dewdrop full of life energy on its surface with a question mark appearing over her head.

"No wonder I've never seen you display your soul rings or soul skills. Are you a healing type? Or do you have Twin Martial Souls?"

"I'm a healing type, not Twin Martial Souls. The Life Tree is rooted in the earth, so it's only logical that I master the elements of life, wood, and earth, right?"

Chen Ming explained with a beaming smile. He wasn't lying; he truly didn't have Twin Martial Souls—he just happened to possess four martial souls, so it definitely wasn't "twin" souls.

"Healing type... you call this a healing type?"

Images of Chen Ming swinging a spear, wielding a sword, and using a fishing rod flashed through Dong Qianqiu's mind. Her eye twitched instantly. Are you serious?

"Who said a healing type can't fight? By the way, how is your recovery going? Do you want me to help you recover a bit more?"

"I'm fine now. Your recovery is very effective."

Hearing his concern, Dong Qianqiu indicated that she was doing well. Afterward, the two watched the battle in the arena outside the window; the two combatants on the field were locked in an inseparable struggle.

"Want some ice cream? I made it myself."

Chen Ming took out a plastic cup filled with milky-white ice cream. Hearing this, Dong Qianqiu accepted it and thanked him.

"Thanks. Is this the same one that Qiu'er devoured five liters of last time, to the point where she had to go home to recover from the stomachache?"

She thought of what Chen Ming had mentioned before. Chen Ming nodded slightly in confirmation. Both Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin seemed to love sweets.

"Right, I made a lot this time too. But to prevent that girl from eating it all at once, I've locked the freezer. You two can help Qiu'er share the burden."

"...It's delicious. It feels even better than the ice cream bought outside."

Dong Qianqiu took a bite, and a rich, milky fragrance exploded in her mouth. It was arguably the best ice cream she had ever tasted.

"That's because I'm a professional chef."

Hearing this, Chen Ming crossed his arms and looked smug. Because there was a big glutton at home, Chen Ming's culinary skills had improved rapidly, and he was already a master-level chef.

"Mm-hmm, it really is delicious. No wonder I rarely see you eating in the cafeteria."

Dong Qianqiu gave a thumbs-up in approval. Being able to cook was truly impressive. As she spoke, she turned her attention back to the situation on the competition field.

Lan Mengqin seemed to want to drain more of her opponent's soul power so that Dong Qianqiu might have a slight advantage in the next match.

Thinking of this, Lan Mengqin felt quite resentful. Couldn't Chen Ming have gone a bit easier? He had left her dear Qianqiu in such a weakened state, and in the end, it was still her, Sister Mengqin, who had to shoulder everything.

Soon, the battle ended. Lan Mengqin froze her opponent and secured the victory. There was a half-hour break in between.

After stepping off the stage, she headed straight for the lounge. Seeing this, Dong Qianqiu quickly finished the ice cream in her hand and tossed the plastic cup into the trash can nearby.

However, perhaps because she had eaten too quickly, a trace of white stain remained at the corner of her mouth. Seeing this, Chen Ming stood up.

Since Lan Mengqin would surely push him aside in a moment, he happened to notice the stain on the corner of Dong Qianqiu's mouth.

"Your mouth, you've got something on it."

"Eh? Really?"

"I have a tissue here."

At the doorway.

"Your Sister Mengqin has returned in a great victory... wait?"

Lan Mengqin pushed the door open with a triumphant air. Returning from a great victory naturally made her feel quite proud, but she was instantly stunned by the scene inside.

She saw Dong Qianqiu sitting on the bench with Chen Ming standing in front of her, his back turned to the door. At the same time, Lan Mengqin noticed the white "trophy" on her good friend's mouth.

Especially when Dong Qianqiu saw her and hurriedly took the tissue to wipe her mouth, the sight made Lan Mengqin feel as if the sky were collapsing. No way? Was her home being stolen?!

"Yo, you're back? You were pretty slow."

Chen Ming turned around and said to Lan Mengqin, but she quickly approached and demanded:

"What are you two doing?!"

"Not doing anything. What could we possibly be doing in a lounge?"

Chen Ming was confused. He looked at Lan Mengqin, whose face was flushed red and who was glaring at him, with a question mark appearing over his head.

"Did you two do something behind my back that you're sorry for?"

Lan Mengqin stared daggers at the two of them. Dong Qianqiu tossed the used tissue into the trash can and thought for a moment. She had just been secretly eating ice cream behind her good friend's back...

"Sister Mengqin, what are you talking about? Is there some kind of misunderstanding?"

However, seeing how angry the other girl looked, Dong Qianqiu knew things weren't that simple, so she immediately asked for clarification.

Hearing this, Lan Mengqin calmed down a little and thought carefully. Her good friend shouldn't be that kind of person... To avoid a misunderstanding, she immediately pressed for an answer.

"What was that thing on the corner of your mouth just now?"

Lan Mengqin pointed to the corner of her own mouth, demanding to know what it was. Hearing this, the two finally realized she was asking about the ice cream, and Chen Ming immediately said:

"That's something I made myself. Do you want some? I have plenty more; I'll give you as much as you want, enough to fill you up."

"Eat... plenty... give as much as I want..."

Lan Mengqin immediately recoiled in horror, looking at Chen Ming as if he were trash. I never expected you to be this kind of person, Chen Ming. I really misjudged you!

"Sister Mengqin, what Chen Ming made is actually really delicious. You should try some too."

Dong Qianqiu offered her praise and recommendation, causing Lan Mengqin's pupils to dilate in shock. Is this really something people can eat together? She felt her entire worldview being rearranged.

"Delicious...?"

"Yes, it's very sweet and very tasty."

Lan Mengqin's whispered murmur was caught, and upon hearing Dong Qianqiu confirm it was sweet, she immediately wore a look of utter astonishment.

"What's so strange about that? Wait a second, I'll get a portion for you."

As Chen Ming spoke, he reached for the storage Soul Tool at his waist, and Lan Mengqin suddenly covered her eyes with both hands and began to curse furiously.

"Who wants to eat that! Who would want to eat something like that! Don't take it out in a place like this, you jerk! You pervert! You lecher! You creep!"

Lan Mengqin kept her eyes covered with her hands, her face as red as a monkey's backside, yet her blue eyes were peeking straight through the gaps between her fingers toward Chen Ming's lower abdomen.

She took a glance, tilted her head slightly, and took another look, only to see Chen Ming pull out a plastic cup and a giant metal bucket filled with a white solid, causing her to freeze instantly.

Chen Ming and Dong Qianqiu stared blankly at Lan Mengqin, and the atmosphere solidified right then and there.

ps: The third update for February 27th, totaling 6,000 words.