Bad Luck

"You guys are way too vicious!" Du Shen couldn't help complaining. If he hadn't grabbed food so quickly, he probably wouldn't have gotten a single bite.

Xue Jingshu shot him a sidelong glance but said nothing.

Xiao Xu and Zhou Zhou sat together, dividing up the food they had fished out.

Shen Yanlang had fished out three, while Duan Xu had gotten two. However, Shen Yanlang placed one in Duan Xu's bowl. "Eat more. It'll warm you up."

Duan Xu looked at him, touched. "What about you? Aren't you going to eat more?"

"I'm an alpha. I can handle it." Shen Yanlang smiled faintly.

Duan Xu cleared his throat awkwardly and thanked him softly, unable to stop himself from muttering inwardly, Why does he have to smile so beautifully? Honestly!

Xue Jingshu put the food he had picked up into Han Xi's bowl, then set his own bowl down and continued adding ingredients to the pot.

The scent of their hot pot drifted far away. The other groups camping nearby all noticed it, and some who couldn't resist their cravings went to the shop to get hot pot as well.

Conditions on the mountain were limited, and so were the ingredients they could bring up. Aside from these meatballs, there were only a small amount of vegetables, lamb rolls, and fatty beef rolls, but it was already quite good.

As Duan Xu ate, he couldn't help glancing at Shen Yanlang. Shen Yanlang noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I thought you didn't eat this kind of thing."

Shen Yanlang came from a good family, and Du Shen and Xue Jingshu were about the same. They had been raised in luxury. They had eaten hot pot together before, and Shen Yanlang would only order fresh ingredients. Things like these meatballs were not fresh to him—possibly not even sanitary.

Shen Yanlang understood and said gently, "It's fine once in a while."

"Besides, if I don't eat it, I'll go hungry." Shen Yanlang smiled as he spoke.

Duan Xu smiled too. True enough—under the current conditions, there was no room to be so particular.

After eating two rounds, everyone finally stopped being so savage, and their eating slowed down.

"Just eating like this is boring. How about we play a game?" Ye Xinyu suggested.

After swallowing a bite, Zhou Zhou asked, "What game?"

Du Shen chuckled. "Of course, Truth or Dare!"

"Not original." Xue Jingshu showed no interest.

But Shen Yanlang was intrigued and was the first to agree. "I think it's a good idea."

Whether it's truth or dare, I can get closer to Xuxu.

Duan Xu: "..."

Everyone's gazes immediately fell on the two of them, their expressions full of understanding.

Duan Xu cautiously began, "I think..."

Before he could finish, Zhou Zhou immediately cut in. "I think it's a good idea!"

Xiao Xu said, "Same."

Du Shen raised his hand. "Same!"

Ye Xinyu said, "Same, same!"

Xue Jingshu said, "Same."

Han Xi said, "Same."

Duan Xu: "???"

Hadn't Xue Jingshu just said it wasn't original?

And Han Xi had actually said "same" too?!

Shen Yanlang couldn't help smiling. Though he knew perfectly well, he still asked, "Xuxu, what were you about to say?"

"...I think it's fine." What else could Duan Xu say? It wasn't like he could be the only one refusing to play.

Seeing this, Xue Jingshu directly laid out the rules. "We'll shake dice on our phones. The highest and lowest rollers are chosen. The highest asks a question or gives a dare, while the lowest answers the question or completes the dare."

"Everyone can choose truth at most four times. Once those chances are used up, you can only choose dare."

Xiao Xu asked in confusion, "Why four times?"

Han Xi, who rarely spoke, said, "Half the number of people."

Xue Jingshu curled his lips. "Exactly."

The others exchanged glances, feeling as though they had just been fed a mouthful of dog food.

After settling the rules, the game began. They shook dice directly in the group chat, making it obvious who had rolled the highest and lowest.

After the first round, Duan Xu's luck was pretty good. He was in the middle, so it had nothing to do with him.

Han Xi had the highest roll, while Ye Xinyu had the lowest.

"I can't believe I'm the first one!" Ye Xinyu lamented. "I choose... dare."

Han Xi thought for a moment and said, "Sing a song."

That was too easy. Du Shen was dissatisfied and waggled his eyebrows. "Sister-in-law, this is such a great opportunity. Help me out, will you? When it's my turn, I'll definitely help you too!"

"Get lost!" Ye Xinyu smacked Du Shen. "I already said it, so no changing it!"

Du Shen rubbed the arm she had hit and let out a pitiful "oh."

Duan Xu and the others couldn't stop laughing at the sight.

Ye Xinyu began singing. The others ate as they listened, prompting Ye Xinyu to smack Du Shen while singing and tell him to fish some food out for her.

Shen Yanlang glanced sideways at Duan Xu beside him and picked up a slice of fatty beef from the pot for him. "Eat this."

"Mm. You eat too," Duan Xu said without ceremony.

Shen Yanlang didn't move. He simply watched Duan Xu eat, his gaze intent.

His lips are red again, and all moist. I want to kiss him.

I have to kiss him if I get the chance later!

Duan Xu paused mid-bite, then looked up at Shen Yanlang. "Eat your own food. You're not allowed to look at me."

"Okay, I won't look at you." Shen Yanlang smiled and withdrew his gaze.

Xuxu gets embarrassed so easily.

Hmph! Whose fault was that? His head was full of perverted thoughts!

Once the song ended, everyone applauded enthusiastically. Ye Xinyu had sung well, and her voice was sweet.

The second round began. Xue Jingshu rolled the highest, while Du Shen rolled the lowest.

One look at Xue Jingshu told Du Shen that he was up to no good. Without a second thought, he said, "I choose truth."

Xue Jingshu smiled slightly. "When did you lose your first kiss?"

As soon as he spoke, Ye Xinyu lowered her head shyly. Du Shen, on the other hand, was quite open about it and was even surprised Xue Jingshu hadn't made things difficult for him. "During National Day."

Duan Xu: "???"

Because Duan Xu's astonished expression was so obvious, Du Shen looked over. "What's with that surprised look?"

"Hm?" Ye Xinyu looked up, temporarily forgetting her embarrassment.

Duan Xu immediately wiped the surprise from his face, but before he could say anything, Shen Yanlang explained for him. "At the amusement park that day, he was the bear."

The two of them froze for a moment, then both understood at once and exclaimed in unison, "So it was you!"

"So that's why you wanted us to leave first that day. Hehe!" Du Shen shot Shen Yanlang a sidelong look.

Shen Yanlang's expression didn't change. "Didn't I help you two out?"

Du Shen and Ye Xinyu: "..." They couldn't even argue with that.

Zhou Zhou was very curious. "What happened? You'd met before that?"

Duan Xu cleared his throat and briefly explained what had happened that day. Only then did the other four understand.

Then came the third round, the fourth round...

They played more than ten rounds in a row, and the hot pot was almost gone. Everyone had taken a turn, yet neither Duan Xu nor Shen Yanlang had been chosen.

"Someone's having bad luck today!" Du Shen mocked him mercilessly.

Shen Yanlang was quite frustrated. He had thought he could use the chance to get close to Duan Xu, but it had all been wishful thinking.

Duan Xu secretly laughed. His luck today was really good!

"We're done eating. Let's clean up the food and trash first. Once we're done, we'll head into the tents. It's too cold outside," Xue Jingshu said as he stood.

Although the hot pot had kept them warm, they were still out on an open grassy field. The temperature had been low to begin with, and they couldn't withstand staying out for too long.

No one objected, and they all stood up to clean up the trash.