Grilled fish

And so, Gu Xingyue and Huo Yutong reached an agreement and decided to head to the cafeteria for some fries... no, some little wild silver fish to try.

By then, mealtime at the Outer Court cafeteria was long over, and only a few people remained.

Huo Yutong had barely stepped through the door when she stopped short and blinked in puzzlement. "Huh? Why does it feel like there are more things in the cafeteria?"

She scanned her surroundings again, suddenly spotted the key detail, and brightened, lightly tapping her right fist against her palm. "Ah! The cafeteria actually has chairs now!"

But then she tilted her head in confusion again. "So why did the academy suddenly give the students chairs to sit on? Bei Bei even told me that this was a long-standing Shrek tradition."

"Who cares? It's a good thing, isn't it?" Gu Xingyue merely smiled without saying anything more.

Huo Yutong nodded and went over to the cafeteria serving window with Gu Xingyue.

Behind the window, someone in a chef's uniform looked up and sized them up. "You're here to...?"

Huo Yutong spoke first. "Um, we'd like to buy a few fish to take back and cook ourselves."

Though somewhat puzzled, the head chef asked no further questions and simply gave a brisk reply. "Sure."

Gu Xingyue immediately added, "Give us the most expensive ones-otherwise, if anyone sees us, they'll think we can't afford fish."

Huo Yutong immediately turned to him and said earnestly, "No, Xingyue. I can't let you spend that much. Some cheaper ones will do."

"Don't worry about it. A certain wealthy lady with vast powers switched on creative mode for me." Gu Xingyue grinned as he reassured Huo Yutong.

The head chef couldn't help cutting in. "Um... do you still want the fish?"

"The best you've got, please," Gu Xingyue said.

Huo Yutong said nothing more, silently resolving that she would repay Gu Xingyue properly someday.

Before long, the head chef brought out several fish that were clearly no ordinary specimens.

Their silver scales shimmered with iridescent light, as though they glowed on their own.

Just as Gu Xingyue picked up the fish and prepared to leave, the head chef suddenly caught on and hastily called out, "Wait, what? What are you doing? You haven't paid yet!"

With that, he stared fixedly at the two of them, as though afraid they would run away.

"Money? I never pay for anything I buy at Shrek," Gu Xingyue said calmly, reaching toward the storage soul tool Mu En and the others had prepared for him, ready to take something out.

The head chef instantly grew wary, muttering inwardly, It's only a few fish. Surely that doesn't warrant killing me to silence me?

Gu Xingyue pulled a "command block" out of his soul tool-the very token Yan Shaozhe had given him earlier.

The moment he saw the token, the head chef's expression changed dramatically. He instantly adopted a respectful look and exclaimed in delighted surprise, "I had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai!"

"It's fine. Can we go now?" Gu Xingyue had no intention of saying anything more.

"Please, go right ahead," the head chef said with a smile.

As the two walked out of the cafeteria carrying the fish, Huo Yutong lowered her head to glance at the gleaming silver fish in her hands.

Their scales shone with an almost translucent luster in the sunlight. They really were no ordinary specimens. She murmured, "We really don't have to pay for such good fish...?"

"Relax. You saw that token just now, right? With that, we can do whatever we like."

"Why do I feel like you're abusing your authority?"

"It's called making reasonable use of resources, Student Huo," Gu Xingyue corrected her with a perfectly straight face. "Besides, are we eating fish? No, we're investigating the quality of the cafeteria's ingredients. Offering ideas and suggestions for the academy's logistics. Understand?"

His twisted reasoning left Huo Yutong stunned. She opened her mouth to argue, but ended up laughing at herself and could only carry the fish and follow him outside.

The two chose a quiet little grove behind the Outer Court.

Gu Xingyue gathered some dry firewood and brought it back.

Meanwhile, Huo Yutong crouched beside the stream and deftly scaled and gutted the fish, her movements as practiced as if she had done it thousands of times.

Before long, they had a fire going. Huo Yutong skewered the cleaned fish on sharpened branches, set them over the fire, and slowly turned them as they cooked.

Flames licked the fish skin with a faint sizzling sound. Fat dripped onto the glowing coals, sending up wisps of white smoke carrying a roasted fragrance.

Gu Xingyue sat on a nearby rock, propping his chin in his hand as he watched her work.

Her movements were focused and light, every step-turning, brushing on oil, sprinkling salt-just right.

The first fish was ready.

Huo Yutong lifted the wooden skewer off the fire and handed it to Gu Xingyue. "Try it."

Gu Xingyue took it, blew on it to cool it, and bit into it. The skin was crisp, the flesh fresh and tender, and the perfectly balanced savory flavor mingled with the charcoal aroma as it spread through his mouth. It was better than any he had eaten before.

He carefully chewed and swallowed, then looked up at Huo Yutong. "Yutong, I'm serious."

"Hmm?"

"Your grilled-fish skills are definitely going to be passed down someday. They'll become a signature brand. And it'll be called 'Little Huo's Grilled Fish,' handed down for ten thousand years. When future generations mention Shrek, they won't talk about how powerful its soul masters are first. They'll talk about how good the grilled fish smells."

His words made Huo Yutong blush. She lowered her head and turned another fish, mumbling, "That's such an exaggeration..."

"It's not," Gu Xingyue said indistinctly around a bite of fish.

Could her cooking really make money?

During her studies in the Soul Guidance Department these past few days, she had come to fully realize how expensive the materials and tools for soul tools were.

Gu Xingyue had helped her enroll, taken care of her food and lodging, and even today's fish had only been obtained through his token.

She wasn't used to this, and she wanted even less to go on like this forever.

She wanted to reach for the things she wanted with her own two hands.

Seeing her lost in thought, Gu Xingyue asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Huo Yutong hesitated, then raised her head, her gaze settling on his face as she said earnestly, "Xingyue, I want to sell grilled fish in the Outer Court."

Gu Xingyue raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Yes." She nodded, her tone carrying a certainty even she hadn't noticed. "I just worked it out. An ordinary grilled fish doesn't cost much to make. I could set up a tiny stall beside the Outer Court cafeteria and only sell during the time after evening classes. There are lots of students in the Outer Court, and everyone likes late-night snacks. Besides-" She pressed her lips together, gaining a little more confidence. "I think my grilled fish should be no worse than the cafeteria's late-night snacks."

She paused, her voice growing a little quieter. "I don't want to rely on you for everything. I also want to... be able to help out myself."

Gu Xingyue looked at her.

The firelight fell across the side of her face, making her eyes sparkle.

He smiled, then stuffed the last bite of fish into his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, he clapped his hands. "All right. I'll sort out the stall for you."

Huo Yutong abruptly raised her head. "You don't have to-"

"No need to stand on ceremony with me." Gu Xingyue waved a hand. "What you said just now was right-'I don't want to rely on others for everything.' That's a good way to think. But helping you secure a spot doesn't count as relying on me. It counts as an investment. Once you make money, just treat me to grilled fish."

Huo Yutong froze for two seconds, then lowered her head and smiled, a faint sting rising in her nose.

She nodded emphatically, her voice soft but firm. "Yes. From now on, however much you want to eat, I'll grill it for you."