The Burnt Fish, and the Green Tea and White Lotus Show Their Tricks

Jiang Fang:...

Very good, built-in provisions.

With such practiced skills and such a bountiful haul, Jiang Fang finally understood how the little kitten had survived.

Wait—

So that frail, barely able to stand appearance from before had been an act to scam sympathy?

Well, damn. He hadn't realized the little thing was such a talented actor.

The little kitten, who thought it was very capable of feeding Big Kitty, had no idea it had already been exposed. It stood by the shore, puffing out its tiny chest.

"Meow meow meow!" Big Kitty, this is for you!

Jiang Fang couldn't understand cat language and merely assumed the little thing was showing off.

Seeing the kitten soaking wet, Jiang Fang worried it might fall ill despite it being summer. He sighed and softened, gathering Kitten into his arms and gently using his shirt to blot the water from its fur.

Once it was mostly dry, Jiang Fang picked up his own fish and the little one's spoils before heading back.

By the time he reached camp, the sun was already hanging high overhead.

Before he had even left the forest, he heard a somewhat chaotic clamor coming from the camp, along with—the smell of something burnt.

Jiang Fang raised his brows and walked out of the forest to take a look.

Lin Sen was staring at Bai Ziyu with an unhappy expression, and the two seemed to have gotten into some sort of conflict.

Qin Yan spotted Jiang Fang immediately. He promptly set down what he was holding and walked over.

"Why are you back so late?"

He naturally took the things from Jiang Fang's hands and walked forward beside him.

"Kitten went into the river. I was worried it would get sick, so I found somewhere nearby to let it bask in the sun for a while."

Only then did Qin Yan notice that Kitten was much cleaner now. Its gray fur had turned white.

The little stray from who knew where had transformed into a little princess from some unknown household.

The two chatted and laughed as they approached the camp, forming a stark contrast with the tense atmosphere on the other side.

Jiang Fang didn't need to think very hard. One look at the charred fish tossed on the ground told him roughly what had happened.

They really knew how to stir up trouble.

He sighed inwardly.

Bai Ziyu's group had been fairly lucky today. They had found a nest of eggs and caught two fish, enough for a decent lunch.

But who could have expected the problem to arise while grilling the fish?

Since they had returned early, they split up the work.

Long Aozhi went to gather firewood, Lin Sen went to the seaside to collect seafood, and Bai Ziyu didn't want to walk, so he volunteered to grill the fish.

Yet as the sun grew more and more scorching, they hadn't considered the location when setting up the fire.

As a result, whoever grilled the fish had to stand exposed beneath the blazing summer sun.

With both the sun and the fire, Bai Ziyu couldn't take it.

So he propped the fish over the fire and ran beneath the shade of a tree to rest.

Perhaps because he hadn't slept well and the morning hike had exhausted him, he actually fell asleep right there.

And so, the fish burned.

It was burned beyond recognition, looking almost like charcoal. There was no way to eat it.

Lin Sen had already spent the whole way under the sun. When he returned and saw this, he exploded on the spot.

That was how Jiang Fang came upon the scene before him.

"A-Sen, I'm sorry. I really didn't do it on purpose."

Bai Ziyu didn't think he had made such a huge mistake. Wasn't it just one fish? He had already been exhausted; it couldn't all be his fault. If this fish was ruined, they could just catch another one.

Why was Lin Sen acting like Bai Ziyu owed him money? Wasn't he just some rich second-generation heir relying on his family?

But while that was what he thought, he wasn't stupid enough to say it in front of Lin Sen.

He apologized cautiously, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. Though he was apologizing, he looked thoroughly wronged.

Jiang Fang happened to see it and immediately shuddered.

He hurriedly stroked Kitten to calm himself down.

[Hahahahaha, Jiang Fang, why are you trembling? This is such an indescribable kind of funny.]

[Ew, why are Bai Ziyu and Lin Sen arguing? Was Fangfang just watching them fight?]

[I just came from their livestream. Bai Ziyu fell asleep while grilling the fish, so it burned, and then the two of them started arguing.]

[Ah, if you didn't know better, you'd think Lin Sen was bullying Bai Ziyu. No wonder Jiang Jiang had that expression just now.]

[Jiang Fang: Hiss, white lotuses really are terrifying.]

Lin Sen was furious.

Seeing Bai Ziyu looking so aggrieved only fueled his anger further.

Just then, Long Aozhi returned from gathering firewood.

When he saw Jiang Fang had returned, his steps paused, and he turned to walk over.

He looked left and right but didn't see Jiang Fang's haul. Raising his chin, he looked down his nose at him.

"What? Couldn't find anything to eat? I caught fish today. Beg me, and I'll let you have some."

He was as arrogant as a peacock spreading its tail.

The little kitten, which had been sleeping soundly inside Jiang Fang's shirt, suddenly caught an unpleasant scent. It immediately arched its back and poked its head out from Jiang Fang's chest.

"Meow meow meow!" Big bad guy!

With that, it tried to leap out and take a bite.

"Kitten!"

Jiang Fang's heart skipped a beat. He swiftly caught the little kitten midair.

Only after Kitten landed securely in his hand did he slowly let out a breath.

Startled by the sudden incident, Long Aozhi took a step back. Once he saw what it was, he shot Kitten a hateful glare.

Stupid cat. Just wait until you fall into my hands—I'll chop your head off!

The moment that malice surfaced, Kitten's fur stood completely on end.

Jiang Fang sharply looked up and caught the look Long Aozhi hadn't had time to hide. His face darkened at once as he fixed him with an icy gaze.

Long Aozhi's scalp went numb under his stare, and cold sweat somehow seeped down his back.

He unconsciously took another step back.

Once he realized what he had done, he immediately became embarrassed and enraged.

"Ungrateful bastard!"

After throwing down those words, he ran off.

Jiang Fang watched his retreating back coldly, then lowered his head and gently soothed the puffed-up Kitten.

"Don't be scared, Kitten. Dad will protect you."

"Meow~" Kitty will protect Big Kitty too.

Long Aozhi returned to his own camp in anger. Before he could even put down the branches he had gathered, he saw Bai Ziyu and Lin Sen confronting each other.

He had no idea what was going on.

"What happened?"

Seeing Bai Ziyu's eyes full of tears as he was about to cry injustice, Lin Sen immediately spoke first.

"Aozhi, don't blame Ziyu. He didn't do it on purpose. He was just too tired and fell asleep for a moment. I know everyone worked hard to catch fish, so how about I go catch another one now to make up for it..."

After speaking, Lin Sen moved to pick up the tools. But after taking one step, he swayed unsteadily and clutched his head.

Long Aozhi reflexively caught him.

"What happened?"

Lin Sen spoke weakly. "Maybe the sun was too harsh while I was collecting seafood earlier. I think I have a bit of heatstroke."

"I'm fine. If I rest for a while, I can go catch fish. We can't let everyone go hungry at noon, can we?"

"Lin Sen! What are you talking about?!" Bai Ziyu's face flushed red with anger.

Lin Sen looked innocent. "Sorry, A-Yu. I was just angry for a moment. I shouldn't have said that about you."

Bai Ziyu wanted to say more, but the moment he opened his mouth, Long Aozhi's roar left him stunned.

"Enough!"

"Ziyu, this is your fault. This is food shared by everyone, and your job was already the easiest. Lin Sen went out under the blazing sun to collect seafood without saying a word. I think you should apologize to everyone."

Long Aozhi was a self-centered person. Considering Bai Ziyu's status in the entertainment industry, he had already phrased it rather tactfully.

However, Bai Ziyu didn't see it that way at all.

He stared in disbelief, his shoulders trembling with rage.

A nobody who had just entered the entertainment industry dared to make him apologize?