A gentle breeze stirred the hearts of the young men and women.
Sea God Lake, wisps of smoke rose from chimneys, soon followed by the enticing aroma of meat.
" Yuhao, eat something! Let me try it, and you can also taste my cooking later."
Xiao Xiao managed to snatch a few meat skewers from the crowd and handed them to Huo Yuhao.
He then forcefully took the sizzling, oily skewers from Huo Yuhao's hands and began to carefully flip and grill them.
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, not wanting to disturb Xiao Xiao's enjoyment, and naturally sat down to the side, occasionally sprinkling some seasoning on Xiao Xiao.
Wu Feng and Ning Tian ate their kebabs and chatted. They hadn't hung out together for several days, so they naturally had a lot to talk about.
As for Wang Dong'er, she could argue with anyone, and right now she was arguing incessantly with Cui Yajie, although no one understood what they were arguing about.
However, they all had happy smiles on their faces.
Of course, behind this happiness, there is always a lonely soul, carrying sadness and sorrow, and out of place among the crowd.
Vina sat quietly by the lake, her legs wrapped around her chest, her eyes calm yet tinged with melancholy. Even the tempting skewers were placed quietly on a plate beside her.
Xiao Xiao looked at Vina sitting not far away, gently poked Huo Yuhao next to her with her finger, gestured towards Vina's side, and said, " Yuhao, why don't you go check on Vina?"
She said she was coming, but she just sat there without saying a word.
As she spoke, a hint of worry appeared in Xiao Xiao's eyes.
Huo Yuhao glanced at Vina in the distance, nodded to Xiao Xiao, put down the condiments in his hand, and said, "I'll go check on her, I'll be right back."
"Everyone, these skewers are fresh out of the oven! Come and eat!" Xiao Xiao called out to the group in the distance, then pulled out a few of the best-looking skewers and handed them to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao then took it and walked towards Vina's direction.
Soon, Wang Dong'er's complaining voice came from afar, " Xiao Xiao, did you bake this? Look, it's all burnt, and here too."
"Eat it or don't, it's up to you."
Actually, I think it's alright.
" Xiao Xiao, your cooking is really good, isn't it?"
Compared to the harmonious atmosphere in the distance, it was far too quiet here.
Huo Yuhao sat down next to Vina and handed her the skewers he was holding, saying, "Don't be shy with us. Since you've come out with us, shouldn't you be happy?"
Vina looked at Huo Yuhao sitting next to her with some surprise, then glanced at the other girls in the distance, wondering why Huo Yuhao had come over.
However, she still politely replied, "I just wanted to clear my head; I like your atmosphere."
Vina spoke frankly, saying that she was envious of the harmonious life Huo Yuhao and his friends lived, which is why she wanted to come and experience it for herself.
A gentle breeze stirred Vina's hair, causing it to sway and intertwine in the air, complementing her melancholy gaze, while illusory light and shadow were reflected on the water's surface.
Huo Yuhao placed the skewers in Vina's hands, put his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky, and said casually, "Since you like it, why not try to integrate? You've already taken the first step, why not take another one?"
Vina placed the skewers back onto the plate beside her, her slender, delicate hand naturally smoothing her long hair, which had been ruffled by the breeze. She said, "I'm different from you. I... this is all I can do."
"There aren't that many things in this world that are beyond our control; it's just a matter of whether you want to be yourself."
Huo Yuhao ignored what Vina was saying, picked up a skewer of grilled meat and started eating, then lay down on the soft grass.
"Just enjoy the moment. Whether you're a commoner or a nobleman, the most important thing is to know what you want."
For example, what we want right now is happiness in this moment.
Xiao Xiao arrived at their side without them noticing, and smiled, "Yes, Vina, we should enjoy this moment, don't you think?"
With Xiao Xiao's sudden appearance and Huo Yuhao's words of comfort, the last icy barrier in Vina's heart began to slowly melt.
Although she always remembered her mission at Shrek, she genuinely wanted to become friends with Huo Yuhao and the others.
After arriving at Shrek, she realized how dull, colorless, and dull her previous life had been.
"So?" Vina asked, frowning.
"So!" Xiao Xiao happily picked up the skewers and placed them in her hand, "We should enjoy the food, enjoy the present, and enjoy every moment to come."
Xiao Xiao's smile and Huo Yuhao's ease shocked Vina's pupils.
Vina's last shred of ice finally melted at this moment. "You're right, so... so can we be friends?"
Xiao Xiao happily grasped Vina's hand and said, "Of course, not just me, but all of us."
Hearing Xiao Xiao's words, Vina finally showed a natural smile, took a small bite of the skewer in her hand, and sincerely commented, "Delicious!"
"Of course."
Vina walked happily back to her dormitory. At that moment, she felt that the sunlight was no longer as dazzling as before, but rather warm and pleasant.
For a moment, she put the so-called undercover mission out of her mind, and suddenly wanted to quietly enjoy this hard-won time.
But such beauty will eventually be shattered.
The moment she pushed open her dorm room door, Vina felt her body stiffen, and her gaze trembled as she looked at the table in her room.
A metal pigeon was standing on the table, staring intently in Vina's direction.
The appearance of this Soul Tool instantly brought Vina back to reality.
After a brief moment of stunned silence at the door, Vina finally snapped out of it, quickly locked the dormitory door, and drew the curtains.
Then, he quickly tapped a few times on the Soul Tool, and with the infusion of Soul Power, a metal pillar about the thickness of a little finger slowly popped out from the base of the metal pigeon.
Vina reached in and pulled it out, skillfully opening the lid to read the information inside.
After reading the information, Vina's mind went completely blank. She stammered, "No... how could this happen so suddenly? I wasn't prepared at all..."
"It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be like this, it should be like this that I have more time... I should have had more time..."
Above the intelligence report was written the plan for the future, which roughly meant that Vina would no longer need to carry out missions and would return to marry Long Aotian in a few days.
The text subtly conveys to Vina that she is a loser, and that marrying Long Aotian is her only remaining value.
What overwhelmed her was not the message itself, but the fact that it was written by her father.
Despite being the daughter of the King of the Heavenly Soul Empire, Vina, a member of the Ruthless Imperial Family, still longs for her father's approval.
But now, she felt as if she had been abandoned by her own father.
Although Long Aotian was her fiancé, she did not object to marrying him.
But this sudden news made Vina feel abandoned.
Her desire to maintain her friendship with Huo Yuhao and the others, coupled with the pain of not being recognized, left her feeling lost and helpless.
Her eyes were glazed over as she watched the sun set, her heart, which had just been beating, slowly quieting down.