The clothes fit Su Wei just right, but they hung loosely on Emily.
The wide neckline slipped down, exposing her collarbones.
The fleece pants were far too long, bunching up around her ankles.
She rolled the wet clothes she had taken off into a bundle and held them in her hand, her heart pounding.
In the end, she unzipped the tent a crack and held the clothes out.
"Here."
A hand reached over and took the wet clothes.
Its owner never once took an extra look inside.
Su Wei took the clothes and turned to walk a short distance away.
He had already cleared a patch of ground with his entrenching shovel and stacked a few stones into a simple hearth.
He struck a waterproof match and lit the fluff scraped from birch bark. The flame whooshed up.
He added dry twigs and arranged firewood with practiced movements, as if he had done it countless times.
Soon, a bonfire was blazing, its orange-red light driving away the darkness and cold.
He whittled a few branches and built a simple clothes rack beside the fire, then spread out Emily's clothes one by one and carefully dried them by the heat.
Only after he finished did he straighten up and look toward the tent.
The tent zipper opened again.
Emily climbed out, looking a little unsure what to do with her hands and feet.
The moment he saw her, Su Wei's gaze lingered.
The loose top only showed off the curves of her figure all the more.
Her chest in particular stretched the fabric into a distinct curve, rising and falling slightly with her movements.
Her face, which usually looked rather serious from doing research, was flushed now, and her eyes still held traces of shock, giving her a somewhat vulnerable look.
The tomboy who had followed him around in his memories and the woman before him were two entirely different people.
Su Wei's gaze lingered for only a second before returning to the fire.
His heart was pounding, but he showed none of it.
"Come sit down."
Emily nodded and carefully edged over to sit beside the fire.
The warm firelight shone on her face, and her tense body finally began to relax, little by little.
Cotton Candy had come over at some point and rubbed affectionately against her leg, then curled up, tucked his front paws beneath him, and dozed off with his blue eyes half-closed.
"Are you hungry?" Su Wei asked.
Only then did Emily realize how terribly empty her stomach felt.
She hadn't eaten anything since noon, and after falling into the deep pit and getting such a fright, she was already starving.
She nodded hard.
Su Wei said nothing more and turned toward the large sled.
He lifted a corner of the waterproof cover, took out his hunting knife, and cut off a large piece of bright red venison.
It was the best tenderloin from the black-tailed deer.
He carried the venison back to the fire and took a seasoning jar and the small frying pan from his bag.
He cut the meat into pieces, sprinkled them with salt, and ground some black pepper over them.
He set the frying pan over the glowing coals, and once it was hot, he slid the venison steaks in.
"Sizzle-"
The sound of meat hitting the hot pan was especially pleasing to the ear on this quiet, snowy night.
A rich aroma of meat and oil burst forth and wafted into Emily's nose.
Her stomach gave an uncooperative growl.
Su Wei acted as though he hadn't heard it.
He watched the venison steaks in the pan, timing each flip with the tip of his knife.
The surface of the meat quickly tightened, forming a crisp, browned crust that locked all the juices inside.
He even produced a small clove of garlic, crushed it with the back of his knife, and tossed it into the pan.
The hot oil released the garlic's aroma, which mingled with the scent of the meat, making the fragrance richer in an instant.
Emily watched, dumbstruck.
How was this wilderness survival?
This was practically an outdoor cooking show!
She swallowed with difficulty, staring unblinkingly at the meat sizzling in the pan.
A few minutes later, Su Wei served the cooked venison steaks on metal plates.
He handed one portion to Emily.
"Go on, eat. You must be starving."
The venison steak had a fragrant, seared crust, but inside it was a beautiful pink.
She cut off a small piece and put it in her mouth. Her teeth first broke through the crisp crust, then met a tenderness beyond imagining.
Rich juices burst in her mouth, savory with a hint of spice and a faint touch of garlic. It was delicious.
The meat was so tender it seemed ready to melt on her tongue without even being chewed.
Emily's eyes lit up at once.
All restraint and politeness vanished before this venison steak.
She no longer cared about appearances and ate the food on her plate as fast as she could, like a little animal guarding its meal.
It was so delicious!
She swore she had never eaten a venison steak this good in her life.
Even New York's Michelin-starred restaurants couldn't produce the raw, pure freshness of the ingredient itself.
This was a gift from nature, brought to its most perfect state by a man using a simple method.
Su Wei watched her wolf down her food and started eating his own portion.
[Ding! The "pan-seared black-tailed deer tenderloin" you made using "Simple Dietary Supplementation" has triggered temporary buffs: accelerated stamina recovery (1 hour, recovery speed +10%), slight cold resistance (1 hour, cold resistance increased marginally).]
The system notification sounded in Su Wei's mind.
This might have been why Emily thought the venison steak was so delicious: the system buff carried an effect that was hard to put into words.
"Su Wei..."
Emily ate the last bite and licked her lips, still wanting more, before speaking with a slight blush.
"Did you... did you train to cook? Your skills..."
"No." Su Wei's answer was as brief as ever. "I learned from playing games."
Emily was speechless.
You could get this good from playing games?
She looked at Su Wei's calm profile, a flood of questions rising in her mind.
What on earth had happened to this man?
He had changed so much. Because of his debts, he had become a hunter.
His cooking was even further beyond her expectations.
How could he live so comfortably all alone in a godforsaken place like this?
After a meal of hot venison steak, all the chill had been driven away, and her whole body felt warm.
Once she had eaten and drunk her fill, sleepiness came over her all at once.
Emily's gaze fell on the small orange tent beside the fire.
A very practical question occurred to her.
Su Wei seemed to have thought of it too.
He added a few pieces of firewood, making the flames burn a little brighter.
Then he turned to look at Emily.
"Here," he began.
"I only have one tent."
Chapter 27: Only One Tent, and Me