Do You Want Some?

The semifinals ended, and the two contestants left the stage. The next match was Lan Mengqin against another competitor.

Chen Ming and Dong Qianqiu both sat in the waiting area. Dong Qianqiu would be fighting for third place later, so she stayed there too.

"Is your first Soul Skill restorative?"

Dong Qianqiu asked as she looked at the little porcelain bottle, now empty. Chen Ming nodded slightly, then snapped his fingers.

A green leaf dotted with dewdrops appeared in his palm. He held it out to her. Dong Qianqiu accepted it and stared at the drops, which brimmed with the aura of life. A question mark appeared over her head.

"No wonder I've never seen you show off your Soul Rings or Soul Skills. Are you a healing-type Soul Master? Or do you have Twin Martial Souls?"

"I'm a healing type, not a Twin Martial Souls user. The Tree of Life takes root in the ground, so it makes sense that it would control the elements of life, wood, and earth, right?"

Chen Ming explained with a smile. He wasn't lying. He really didn't have Twin Martial Souls—he just had four Martial Souls. That definitely wasn't the same thing.

"Healing type... You call that healing type?"

Dong Qianqiu pictured Chen Ming wielding a spear, swinging a sword, and using a fishing rod. The corner of her eye twitched. Was he serious?

"Who says healing types can't hit people? By the way, how are you feeling? Want me to help you recover some more?"

"I'm fine. Your healing worked really well."

Touched by his concern, Dong Qianqiu assured him that she was fine. Then the two of them watched the match outside the window. The competitors were evenly matched.

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

Chen Ming took out a plastic cup filled with creamy white ice cream. Dong Qianqiu accepted it and thanked him.

"Thanks. Is this the same ice cream Qiu'er wolfed down five liters of last time, then had to recover at home because it hurt so much?"

She remembered what Chen Ming had told her before. He nodded to confirm it. Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin both seemed to love sweets.

"Yep. I made a lot this time, too. But to stop that little glutton from eating it all in one go, I locked the freezer. You can help Qiu'er eat some."

"...It's delicious. I think it's even better than the ice cream you can buy outside."

Dong Qianqiu took a bite. A rich milky flavor burst across her tongue. It was probably the best ice cream she'd ever tasted.

"Of course. I'm a professional chef."

Chen Ming crossed his arms, looking smug. Having a glutton at home had made his cooking skills improve by leaps and bounds. He was already an expert chef.

"Mhm, it really is good. No wonder I hardly ever see you eating in the cafeteria."

Dong Qianqiu gave him a thumbs-up. Being able to cook was impressive. Then she turned her attention back to the match.

Lan Mengqin seemed to be trying to wear down her opponent's Soul Power. That might give Dong Qianqiu an advantage in the next match.

Thinking about it made Lan Mengqin feel wronged. Couldn't Chen Ming have gone a little easier on her? He'd left her precious Qianqiu so weak, and in the end, Sister Mengqin had to bear it all.

The match ended soon after. Lan Mengqin used Ice Seal on her opponent and won. They had half an hour to rest before the next match.

After leaving the stage, she headed straight for the waiting room. Dong Qianqiu hurriedly finished her ice cream and tossed the plastic cup into the nearby trash can.

But she seemed to have eaten too fast. A bit of white cream was smeared on the corner of her mouth. Chen Ming stood up when he noticed.

Lan Mengqin would definitely crowd him out as soon as she got there, anyway. He had happened to notice the smear on Dong Qianqiu's mouth.

"You've got something on the corner of your mouth."

"Huh? I do?"

"I've got a tissue."

At the door

"Your Sister Mengqin has returned in triumph... Huh?"

Lan Mengqin strode through the door, full of confidence. Anyone who'd just won a match would be feeling pretty pleased with themselves, but the scene inside made her freeze.

Dong Qianqiu was sitting on a bench, with Chen Ming standing in front of her, his back to the door. Lan Mengqin also spotted the white trophy on her best friend's mouth.

When Dong Qianqiu saw her, she took the tissue and hurriedly wiped her mouth. That sight made Lan Mengqin feel as if the sky had fallen. Wait—had someone stolen her home?!

"Oh, you're back? Took you long enough."

Chen Ming turned to look at Lan Mengqin, but she strode over and demanded:

"What are you two doing?!"

"Nothing. What would we be doing in the waiting room?"

Chen Ming was baffled. He looked at Lan Mengqin, whose face had flushed as she glared at him. A question mark appeared over his head.

"Did you two do something that really hurt me?"

Lan Mengqin fixed them both with a fierce stare. Dong Qianqiu tossed the tissue she'd used into the trash can and thought it over. She had, in a way, secretly eaten ice cream without her best friend...

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

But seeing how angry Lan Mengqin was, Dong Qianqiu realized it couldn't be that simple. She pressed her for an explanation.

Lan Mengqin calmed down and thought it over. Surely her best friend wasn't that kind of person... To avoid any misunderstanding, she immediately asked:

"What was that stuff on the corner of your mouth?"

Lan Mengqin pointed to the corner of her own mouth and demanded to know what it was. Only then did the two of them realize she was asking about the ice cream. Chen Ming promptly said:

"That was the ice cream I made. Want some? I've got lots more. You can have as much as you want—enough to fill you up."

"Eat... lots... as much as I want..."

Lan Mengqin staggered back in alarm. Her eyes as she looked at Chen Ming were full of disgust. Chen Ming, I can't believe you're this kind of person. I was wrong about you!

"Sister Mengqin, Chen Ming's ice cream really is delicious. You should try some too."

Dong Qianqiu gave it her seal of approval and recommended it. Lan Mengqin's pupils quaked. Could people really eat something like that together? She felt as though her whole worldview had been rewritten.

"It's good...?"

Lan Mengqin's murmur didn't escape Dong Qianqiu, who assured her that it was sweet and delicious. Lan Mengqin's face filled with horror.

"What's so strange about that? Wait here. I'll get you some."

As he spoke, Chen Ming reached for the Storage Soul Tool at his waist. Lan Mengqin clapped both hands over her eyes and started yelling at him.

"Who wants any?! Who wants to eat that kind of thing?! Don't take it out here, you bastard! You pervert! You lecher! You creep!"

Lan Mengqin covered her eyes with both hands. Her face was as red as a monkey's bottom, but her blue eyes stared straight at Chen Ming's lower abdomen through the gaps between her fingers.

She glanced, tilted her head slightly, and looked again. Then she saw Chen Ming pull out a plastic cup and a huge metal bucket filled with white solid stuff. She froze.

Chen Ming and Dong Qianqiu stared blankly at Lan Mengqin. The air went still.

P.S. Third update for February 27, bringing the total to six thousand words.