"Here, fragrant grilled fish. Hurry and try it."
After a great deal of effort, Huo Yuhao finally explained his relationship with everyone present to Wang Dong'er. He spent another long while coaxing her before turning back around.
Wang Dong'er shot Huo Yuhao a fierce glare, took the grilled fish, and bit into it. "Hss, haa!" Her little mouth fell open as she kept blowing out air, her delicate tongue darting out repeatedly. Clearly, she had burned herself badly.
"Eat slowly. Here, have some vanilla milk tea." Huo Yuhao passed her the drink in his hand.
Wang Dong'er hurriedly took it and gulped down two large mouthfuls before recovering. She looked at Huo Yuhao resentfully, as though saying it was all his fault.
Huo Yuhao shrugged helplessly, took Wang Dong'er by the hand, picked up the chair, and led her back.
The rain continued without stopping, but beneath the large umbrella, things were lively indeed. Everyone held grilled fish and skewers, chatting happily.
Zhang Lexuan's gaze remained cool, without any other emotion. Only when she looked at Huo Yuhao did it brim with tenderness.
Ma Xiaotao controlled the temperature of the flames in her hand, turning out freshly grilled skewers one after another and saving Huo Yuhao quite a bit of trouble.
Under everyone's teasing, Xiao Xiao's pretty face flushed crimson. She burrowed straight into Huo Yuhao's arms, too shy to come out.
The sight left all the girls terribly envious.
"Come and try this. It's another way to eat grilled fish. Everyone, have some."
Huo Yuhao sprinkled seasoning over the grilled fish, added the accompaniments, and poured hot oil over it. The fish sizzled, while flames kept burning beneath the grilling pan, continually drawing out its fragrance.
Tang Ya grabbed a bowl and chopsticks, eagerly picked up a piece of fish, blew hard on it with her little mouth, and popped it in. "Mmm! This is just too delicious! Yuhao, I love you to death!"
She planted a kiss right on Huo Yuhao's cheek, leaving a gleaming, oily kiss mark on his face.
Ma Xiaotao chuckled. "Xiao Ya, you're so sly. You snatch up every good thing. Xiao Xiao, you'd better keep a close eye on Yuhao."
Xiao Xiao asked timidly, "Senior, Yuhao is my boyfriend. Could you please not be so intimate with him?"
Tang Ya smiled, wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth, and leaned close to Xiao Xiao's cheek. "Xiao Xiao, no can do. I like Yuhao too. I want him to cook for me for the rest of my life. So, if you don't mind, you can call me big sister."
"Ah!!!!..."
Xiao Xiao's face filled with astonishment at Tang Ya's words, but she soon came to her senses. Yuhao was the White Tiger Duke's third son, after all. If the need truly arose in the future, he probably could not marry her alone.
Perhaps what Tang Ya had said was not so difficult to accept after all. In truth, as long as Huo Yuhao liked her, she would not stop him from liking other people.
This was how people thought on the Douluo Continent. In this world where the weak were meat for the strong, strength was the rule that broke all others.
"Big... Sister Xiao Ya, I..."
Xiao Xiao fidgeted, her little hands constantly rubbing the hem of her skirt, too embarrassed to say it aloud.
If possible, she still hoped Huo Yuhao would like her alone. But looking at all the seniors around her, who seemed to like Huo Yuhao too, she seemed to have no way of doing anything about it.
Zhang Lexuan covered her mouth and chuckled. "All right, little sister Xiao Xiao. Xiao Ya was teasing you. You don't have to take it seriously." She stroked Xiao Xiao's silky hair, comforting her.
"Sister Lexuan, it's no fun if you say it out loud!" Tang Ya puffed out her cheeks and put her hands on her hips, pretending to be angry.
Jiang Nannan held her Soul Tool, recording everything that happened. These were all beautiful memories with Lord Shadow!
"Xiao Ya, everyone, look over here!"
Jiang Nannan raised the recording Soul Tool, and everyone turned toward her voice.
Click!
The image froze at that instant.
"Wang Dong, eat a little more too. If it's not enough, I'll grill some more."
Huo Yuhao picked up some fish for her, and only then did Wang Dong'er begin eating freely. She suddenly realized that, if things were like this, having a livelier crowd did not seem quite so hard to accept.
Today's downpour seemed endless. The rain grew heavier and heavier, slowly filling Sea God Lake.
Huo Yuhao used Soul Power to extend a small barrier, blocking the rain that was about to slant inside.
"Sister Lexuan, Xiao Ya! Why are you all here?"
Someone suddenly stepped beneath the umbrella. A closer look revealed that it was actually Bei Bei.
Seeing that it was Bei Bei, Tang Ya's expression instantly changed. She turned away at once, pulling Xiao Xiao along and continuing to tease this amusing little sister.
Bei Bei swept his gaze over the gathering: Jiang Nannan, Ma Xiaotao, Zhang Lexuan, Tang Ya, and a little freshman girl. The little girl looked like a porcelain doll, adorable and fragile, inspiring tenderness.
Seeing Huo Yuhao surrounded by them truly left him green with envy. Wang Dong'er was wearing men's clothing at the moment, and although her face was very pretty, Bei Bei still subconsciously overlooked her.
"Little Brother Huo, I didn't expect you to be having a gathering here. I've really intruded." Bei Bei's smile did not reach his eyes.
Huo Yuhao glanced at him and mustered a warm smile. "Big Brother Bei, it's fine. Would you like to sit down and have something?"
Bei Bei waved his hand. Looking at Tang Ya, who did not welcome him, he had the sense not to sit down.
"I just have something to discuss with Sister Lexuan. Sister Lexuan, shall we step outside to talk?" Bei Bei asked.
Zhang Lexuan looked into his eyes, nodded, and rose from her chair. "Yuhao, I'll be back in a little while. Enjoy yourselves." She took out an umbrella, opened it, and followed Bei Bei outside.
Huo Yuhao watched the two walk into the distance, a glint flashing through his eyes. He immediately activated Spiritual Detection and began observing them.
"Sister Lexuan, what exactly happened last night?"
Bei Bei questioned her somewhat urgently, raising both hands into the air before letting them fall helplessly.
"Bei Bei, I deeply regret your great-great-grandfather's passing too. But I don't know what happened either. If you really want to know, you should ask Xuan Zi."
Holding her umbrella, Zhang Lexuan gave him her answer directly, her gaze cool and her expression indifferent.
Bei Bei's gaze trembled as he pleaded, "Sister Lexuan, please take me to see Xuan Zi. I want to know the answer..."
"I'm sorry, Bei Bei. Xuan Zi has already entered seclusion. There's nothing I can do either," Zhang Lexuan said helplessly.
Bei Bei felt that Zhang Lexuan was terribly unfamiliar at this moment, without any of their former closeness. "Sister Lexuan, you're the Sea God Pavilion Master now. You must have a way, don't you?"
Zhang Lexuan held her arm, shaking her head and sighing to indicate that there was nothing she could do either.
The repeated refusals made Bei Bei lose control somewhat. His mind was in turmoil.
Why? Why did Zhang Lexuan simply refuse to tell him the answer?
"Zhang Lexuan, you must know something! Hurry up and tell me everything you know!"
Bei Bei's eyes widened with fury. He clamped both hands around Zhang Lexuan's shoulders and shouted loudly.
Zhang Lexuan frowned slightly. "Bei Bei, you're too agitated. Go back and calm down. I've already told you everything I know. You need to look ahead." She broke free of his hands and turned to leave.
Bei Bei roared hysterically, "Zhang Lexuan! Stop right there! As your fiancé, I have the right to make you tell me everything!"
Bei Bei grabbed Zhang Lexuan's wrist directly. Soul Power spilled continuously from his hand, faint blue lightning bursting forth.
"Big Brother Bei, it's still raining. Whatever it is, why don't we talk about it tomorrow?"
At some point, Huo Yuhao had walked over. He caught Bei Bei's wrist between two fingers and twisted hard, making Bei Bei pull his hand back in pain.
Looking up, he saw Huo Yuhao shielding Zhang Lexuan behind him, a warm smile on his face.