However, he still watched Ju Zi's reaction. Although he already knew what kind of expression she would have, everything might take a turn for the better at this moment.
As expected, Ju Zi froze after taking her first bite of the grilled meat. Her eyes reddened visibly, her hand holding the fork trembled slightly, and glistening tears rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"This taste..." she choked, tears streaming down her face as she continued chewing, "I thought I'd never taste it again in my life... This is Dad's taste..."
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao quickly took out a plain white handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her, saying, "Don't be sad." His voice was incredibly gentle. "Eating should be a joyful thing. When you're in a good mood, food tastes better; when you're down, even the best dishes will taste bland."
Ju Zi took the handkerchief, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at Huo Yuhao: "Thank you... Yuhao..." Her voice was as soft as a breeze, "Thank you for letting me feel the warmth of my father again."
The air suddenly froze. Huo Yuhao blinked, scratching his head awkwardly, "Um... Senior Ju Zi, I'm not your father."
"Pfft—" Ke Ke spat out a mouthful of juice, frantically wiping her front. "Oh my god! You..." She looked at Huo Yuhao, then at the stunned Ju Zi, "How can you talk like that! You're such a straight man."
"Ahem, that's not what I meant..." Huo Yuhao cleared his throat awkwardly. "Could you tell me... about your father?"
Ju Zi smiled through her tears and nodded gently. Her eyes gradually became misty, as if she had traveled back in time. "My father... was the best chef in the world..." Her voice was soft and dreamlike, "I was born in a small town on the border of the empire. My mother was the most beautiful girl in town, and my father ran a small restaurant..."
The campfire crackled, Ju Zi's story softened the night. "Although the shop isn't big, business is booming. Dad always says his greatest happiness is cooking for Mom and me..." Her fingertips gently traced the rim of the bowl, "The roast meat you make... tastes exactly like Dad's. I haven't tasted this flavor in ten years, but I would never forget it..."
By the end, her voice was almost inaudible. Huo Yuhao listened quietly, his gaze as deep as the sea.
Ju Zi's eyes suddenly shifted from tenderness to pain, and large tears rolled down her cheeks. "It was the war... the war destroyed my family." Her voice trembled, "My father was forcibly conscripted into the army and never returned from the battlefield against the Star Luo Empire... My mother was too heartbroken and died three years later..." She choked up and couldn't continue.
Ju Zi's body trembled slightly, like a dam that had been suppressed for years finally bursting. She suddenly threw herself into Huo Yuhao's arms, tears soaking his clothes. "Yes, I not only hate war, I also have an enemy, an enemy I must kill."
Her voice, muffled against Huo Yuhao's chest, carried a long-suppressed anger, "It's all because of the war he started that my father was forcibly conscripted to the front lines and died in that war..."
Huo Yuhao gently stroked her back, his voice firm yet gentle. "I understand your pain, Senior Ju Zi. War is cruel; it tears countless families apart."
He cupped Ju Zi's tear-streaked face in his hands. "Then peace is necessary. Your previous theory wasn't wrong, but the direction of its implementation needs to be changed."
"Don't let yourself live in hatred forever." He gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Your parents would definitely want to see you happy and joyful, not tormented by hatred. So would I..."
When Ju Zi brought up revenge again, Huo Yuhao hugged her even tighter. "You said you have an enemy you must kill, and so do I. I will help you kill your enemy, but we can still discuss the matter of war." His voice was gentle yet firm.
You don't have to force yourself to do anything.
"I'm here for you."
Ju Zi slowly raised her head, tears dripping onto Huo Yuhao's clothes, shimmering in the moonlight. "Why..." her voice trembled, "We've only known each other for a few days, why are you helping me like this?"
Huo Yuhao's fingertips gently brushed across the corner of her moist eye, softly wiping away the tear stains on Ju Zi's face with an incredibly gentle touch. The campfire flickered in his deep eyes. "Is there any need to say more?" His voice was deep and powerful, "Because we are the same kind, we can understand each other."
He paused slightly, a gentle smile curving his lips, "Besides, it's because I really like you." He said it so naturally, as if he had rehearsed it a thousand times in his mind.
Ju Zi's heart skipped a beat.
"I will share your pain," Huo Yuhao's voice was like a warm spring, gently flowing into Ju Zi's cold heart, "That way you won't have to bear so much pressure."
His fingertips gently brushed through her hair. "You can become an ordinary girl. An ordinary girl should grow up happily and joyfully at this age, enjoying everything that is rightfully yours."
Ju Zi's pupils dilated slightly, as if a beam of light had suddenly shone into her long-closed heart. Her heart pounded; Huo Yuhao's gentle gaze seemed to melt her. Looking at Huo Yuhao, a smile appeared on her lips, "Are you an idiot? Saying such things for a senior I've only known for a few days?"
"Yes, I am an idiot." Huo Yuhao chuckled softly, deliberately moving closer, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "An idiot who wouldn't watch a girl trapped in a vortex of hatred suffer alone."
"Because from this moment on, no matter what, I will save your life. So believe me, I will help you, I will protect you, I will protect everything you have. You are not without anything now, and I can feel the same pain you feel."
"With me here, I will walk this path with you, no matter what happens. Are you willing to accept a companion to walk with you on the journey of life?"
"Whoa..." Ke Ke was not far away, stared wide-eyed, and the wild fruit in her hand fell to the ground with a "plop".
She screamed internally: What's going on?! Where did that clueless guy go?! Who's this guy with maxed-out sweet talk skills?! Every word he says is like a precise strike, blasting through Sister Ju Zi's defenses! Aren't they supposed to be a couple?
This confession is so hardcore, no girl could resist it.
Ke Ke's face flushed, and her heart began to race. These embarrassing words, no matter who he said them to, would surely make any girl fall for him.
Caught off guard by this sudden, direct approach, Ju Zi's face flushed crimson. She frantically pushed Huo Yuhao away, but her heart raced again when she met his smiling eyes. The night breeze carried away her barely audible reply, "... Super idiot."