By evening, the group had set up camp in a clearing among the trees to rest.
Cao Longyan watched Wang Hao pull unappetizing but filling food from his backpack and couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.
No way. Were they going to eat this for the next few days...?
Sigh, good thing he'd come prepared.
He took the ingredients and tools he'd prepared in advance from his Storage Soul Tool, set up a grill in the clearing, and planned to make everyone a delicious barbecue.
"Everyone, I'll make some barbecue to improve our meals!"
At Cao Longyan's words, everyone's eyes widened as they turned to look at him. Li Meng and the others glanced at the food they'd just taken from Wang Hao, suddenly found it unappetizing, and stuffed it right back into his hands.
Wang Hao stood there, staring blankly at the growing pile of food in his hands as they walked away.
So love really does disappear, huh...? You guys weren't like this before!
Junior Longyan, give them back to me!
The six members of the Inspection Group gradually gathered around, their faces full of curiosity and anticipation. Wang Hao came over too, lips pursed and eyes dim.
Cao Longyan's cooking had long been famous. The smell often drifted into the Inner Court while he was cooking, and Inner Court teachers and Sea God Pavilion Elders had spread the word. They knew everything about it except what it tasted like and what it looked like, so of course they weren't about to pass up this rare opportunity.
Xuan Zi and Zhang Lexuan, however, didn't crowd around Cao Longyan like the other seven. They simply found an open spot nearby and sat down.
Zhang Lexuan even made a place for Cao Longyan beside her.
Cao Longyan worked with practiced ease. After marinating the ingredients, he laid them on the grill and deftly turned them, wisps of Ultimate Fire curling around his fingertips as he controlled the heat precisely.
Before long, the rich aroma spread through the air, stirring everyone's appetite.
The barbecue was crisp on the outside and tender within, richly seasoned, with a hint of warmth from the Ultimate Fire. It tasted superb.
Everyone picked up the barbecue and dug in, praising it over and over as they ate.
Li Meng grabbed a skewer of meat and gulped it down, shouting through a mouthful.
"This is incredible! Junior Longyan, you're amazing at grilling! It's even better than any barbecue I've ever had!"
Wang Hao held two skewers. After his first bite, his expression changed instantly, and he nodded furiously, grinning.
"Exactly! With Junior Longyan around, we'll never have to eat that unappetizing stuff again! My stomach is finally satisfied!"
The girls in the group were especially enthusiastic. Though Su Qingyue was reserved by nature, she couldn't resist eating two more skewers. She nodded slightly at Cao Longyan and spoke in a voice that tugged at the heartstrings.
"Thank you, Junior Longyan. It's delicious."
Lin Xiaoran was more lively. She buzzed around Cao Longyan, peppering him with questions about how he made the barbecue. One moment she handed him a napkin, the next she helped pass him ingredients, her eyes sparkling whenever she looked at him.
Cao Longyan smiled patiently as he answered. Every so often, he handed her some freshly grilled food, his expression gentle and his voice soft. The atmosphere was lively.
Watching all this, Wen Wenxuan, Zhao Rui, and Chen Mo couldn't help secretly envying how popular Cao Longyan was.
With Junior Longyan's looks and talent, he absolutely outclassed everyone his age. He was bound to attract even more girls. He'd have his hands full then...
After all, although Su Qingyue and Lin Xiaoran couldn't compare to Zhang Lexuan, they were still beautiful.
"Junior Longyan, you're incredible! This barbecue is so good. Why don't you come improve the food in the Inner Court too? Then we could eat your cooking every day..."
Zhang Lexuan suddenly stepped between them, her expression displeased.
"Xiaoran, can't the skewers keep your mouth busy? My little brother Longyan is exceptionally talented. There's no way he'd waste his time on things like this. Don't even think about it."
Lin Xiaoran was startled when Zhang Lexuan suddenly appeared. Once she recovered, she stuck out her tongue, winked, and smiled at Zhang Lexuan.
"Sister Lexuan, I was only joking. Don't take it seriously."
Zhang Lexuan seemed to realize she'd overreacted. She returned to her usual gentle demeanor.
"Oh, is that so, Xiaoran? Then take your time chatting and eating."
Zhang Lexuan turned to leave, but Cao Longyan stopped her.
"Sister Lexuan, your skewer. I grilled it just the way you like it."
He smiled as he offered Zhang Lexuan a skewer, lowering his voice for the last sentence.
"Th...thank you."
Zhang Lexuan took the skewer, her cheeks faintly flushed. She turned and walked away without looking back, returning to her previous spot.
The other six were absorbed in the delicious food. Only Lin Xiaoran, who was closest, noticed something off about Zhang Lexuan.
Sister Lexuan's acting really strange today...
She glanced at Cao Longyan again.
Could Sister Lexuan be jealous of her and Little Brother Longyan? Surely not...
Zhang Lexuan sat back down, holding the grilled meat Cao Longyan had made especially for her, but she didn't take a bite.
She watched Cao Longyan surrounded by Lin Xiaoran and Su Qingyue. She watched him treat everyone with warmth and courtesy, and saw the undisguised fondness in the girls' eyes.
Even though she knew they didn't mean anything by it, the irritation in her heart quickly turned into a sour pang of jealousy.
Her chest felt tight, and even breathing had become difficult. The unease she'd felt earlier had now turned into inexplicable anger.
Little Brother Longyan had grown up right before her eyes. How could he be so nice to other girls too?
She furrowed her brows without realizing it, her lips pressing into a thin line as she stared fixedly at Cao Longyan. Even the meat in her hand had lost its flavor.
She wanted to go over, but after that awkward moment, she felt too embarrassed. All she could do was stay where she was and sulk in silence.
The feeling was unfamiliar and intense. She couldn't tell whether it was possessiveness or something else. She only knew that seeing Cao Longyan surrounded by other girls made her uncomfortable and made her want to lose her temper.
Cao Longyan was busy grilling for everyone and didn't notice anything unusual about Zhang Lexuan. He kept laughing and chatting with those around him. Every so often, he looked up and saw her staring blankly at her skewer, but assumed she was tired and had no appetite. He thought nothing of it and lowered his head to carry on.
The other members of the Inspection Group were also absorbed in the joy of the feast. No one noticed Zhang Lexuan's displeasure or the jealousy in her eyes.
Only Xuan Zi, sitting to one side, took it all in.
He watched Zhang Lexuan sulk in silence, then glanced at Cao Longyan, who hadn't noticed a thing. He took a bite of his skewer, chuckled, and gently shook his head.
That little Lexuan had probably fallen for that brat Longyan...
That brat Longyan was a blockhead, but he was only eleven. He was still too young to understand these things.
Cao Longyan finally finished cooking. He picked up a freshly grilled skewer of Zhang Lexuan's favorite meat and quickly walked over to her, smiling as he held it out.
"Sister Lexuan, try this. It just came off the grill, so it's still hot. I saved it for you."
"And I noticed you didn't seem to have much of an appetite, so I made it a little lighter."
Zhang Lexuan looked up at Cao Longyan's innocent smile, the steaming meat in his hand, and the care he showed her. The jealousy in her heart faded by more than half, but she couldn't help putting on a stern expression. Her voice carried a hint of coyness.
"Little Brother Longyan, thank you, but I'm not eating. I really don't have much of an appetite today. And when you grow up, you need to keep proper boundaries with girls. Got it?"
Cao Longyan froze, looking puzzled as he scratched his head.
"Sister Lexuan, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? And what boundaries?"
He couldn't understand why Zhang Lexuan had suddenly gotten angry, and his voice carried a hint of grievance.
He really had been busy. All the older students had crowded around him, and he hadn't been able to get away, but he hadn't forgotten Zhang Lexuan.
Seeing his innocent, bewildered expression, Zhang Lexuan's anger completely faded. She felt a little helpless and amused, and could only wave her hand and turn away, her voice softening.
"It's nothing. I'm just a little tired and want to rest."
After she spoke, she stood and walked toward her tent, doing her best not to look back.
What was wrong with her...? Why was she sulking at Little Brother Longyan...?
Cao Longyan stood there, utterly bewildered. He turned to look at Xuan Zi nearby, his eyes full of confusion, as if asking, "What's wrong with Sister Lexuan?"
Xuan Zi winked at him, the corners of his mouth curled in a knowing smile. He didn't say anything, only waved a hand to tell him not to overthink it.
Cao Longyan was even more confused, but didn't dwell on it. He assumed Zhang Lexuan was tired from all the missions and stuffed the meat into his own mouth. It wouldn't taste good once it went cold, even if it was a little bland for him.
Fine, once Sister Lexuan gets her appetite back, I'll make her a meal all to herself!
Yeah, that's what I'll do!
Before you continue