Watching Minamoto Hikari suffer in the unbearable heat, Fu Hua stood to one side and offered a suggestion. She could have shielded him from the heat, but she did not...
It was also a kind of test. To become her disciple, it was not enough to simply possess sufficient talent; there were other requirements as well.
If he could not endure even this much hardship or persist... then Fu Hua would have to seriously consider whether she should accept him.
"But... is there anything to eat?"
Minamoto Hikari looked around, but he did not see anything edible. There had been supplies in the carriage earlier, but they had all been destroyed.
"Isn't there water...?"
Fu Hua pointed at the lake beside them.
"Fish?"
Minamoto Hikari looked toward the small lake... but he could not see any fish. The lake appeared exceptionally still, with nothing in it.
"Mm."
Fu Hua nodded and waved one hand... and several palm-sized fish flew straight out of the lake, landing precisely by her feet.
"We'll have fish for lunch. Do you know how to cook it?"
Fu Hua picked up the freshwater fish at her feet and looked at the astonished Minamoto Hikari beside her.
"N-No."
Minamoto Hikari awkwardly shook his head.
How could a man possibly cook? A gentleman stayed away from the kitchen. After Japan learned this custom from Shenzhou, men believed that entering the kitchen to cook was a disgrace. And as the young master of the Minamoto clan, cooking was... even more impossible for him.
Not Craving Her Body, Craving Grilled Fish
"Here, this is yours."
Fu Hua spread sauce over the grilled fish and handed it to Minamoto Hikari. He did not know how to grill fish... so Fu Hua could only do it herself.
"Thank you..."
Minamoto Hikari accepted