The night was deep and serene, with a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves. Beneath the phoenix tree, what should have been a tranquil world was thrown into chaos. All manner of resting beasts and birds were frantically fleeing in every direction.
A robust sika deer leaped out from the bushes.
A faint smile curled at the corner of Mo Changxing’s lips, making the night seem both alluring and perilous.
“One pheasant is enough to eat!” Just as Mo Changxing was about to chase the enormous sika deer, Yun Qingxue quickly reached out and pressed down on his rising hand.
Was he joking? Did he think she was a glutton? A deer that size would take her half a month to finish!
“Enough?” Mo Changxing asked uncertainly.
Yun Qingxue nodded vigorously. “Absolutely enough! I’m not a glutton!”
“Even if my junior sister were a glutton, this senior brother could still afford to feed her!” Mo Changxing immediately retorted.
Yun Qingxue rolled her eyes in exasperation, missing the earnestness in Mo Changxing’s gaze.
With the ingredients secured, Mo Changxing led Yun Qingxue to a clean patch of grass. He prepared the pheasant, lit a bonfire, and skewered the cleaned bird on a branch to roast slowly over the flames.
Following Yun Qingxue’s instructions, Mo Changxing conjured up various seasonings. Gradually, the entire bird changed color as Yun Qingxue repeatedly basted it with oil and applied spices, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.
“Junior sister?” Mo Changxing called with a smile, watching Yun Qingxue focus intently on the roasting bird.
“Hmm?” Yun Qingxue responded absentmindedly, her attention wholly captured by the nearly finished pheasant. She didn’t even bother to glance at Mo Changxing.
“Junior sister, the moon is high, and the scenery is perfect. You can sing, right? On such a beautiful night, how about a song for your senior brother?”
Yun Qingxue paused in her roasting. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she shot Mo Changxing a disdainful look. “I’m hungry. No energy!”
Sing in the middle of the night? What was he thinking?
Mo Changxing rested his chin on one hand, watching her. “No problem. You can sing after you’ve eaten. I can wait.”
Yun Qingxue…
This wasn’t about being full or not!
A drop of oil sizzled as it fell from the fragrant pheasant into the fire, producing a delightful sound.
It was done!
A happy smile spread across Yun Qingxue’s face.
The flickering firelight illuminated her beautiful features. Under the moonlight, her smile was enough to halt time and steal the breath of all living things. Mo Changxing’s radiant eyes lingered on her, unable to look away.
“What a delicious smell!”
With those words, Yun Qingxue watched in dismay as her hard-earned dinner flew away with a whoosh. Her hands remained frozen in the act of reaching for the roasted bird.
“So fragrant, so fragrant!”
The ‘bandit’ held the pheasant that had taken so much effort to roast, sniffing it appreciatively and murmuring praises.
Yun Qingxue stared speechlessly at her opportunistic master, who had appeared out of nowhere to steal her painstakingly prepared dinner.
“Such a fragrant bird must taste incredible!” Purple Song Sage grinned like a fox, his shimmering eyes turning to Yun Qingxue. “What a filial disciple! I’ll gladly accept this roasted pheasant!”
Yun Qingxue: “…That was my dinner!”
How shameless could her master be, stealing her meal like that!
“Your master hasn’t had dinner either!” Purple Song Sage immediately adopted a pitiful expression.
To be fair, her master’s looks were undeniably stunning. Especially now, having shed the ragged robes he’d worn during their first meeting, he stood tall and elegant in a moon-white robe with subtle patterns.
But…
No amount of beauty could sway Yun Qingxue. They said beautiful women brought trouble, but weren’t handsome men just as dangerous? The saying “beauty is a double-edged sword” applied to both genders!
“Give it back!” Yun Qingxue demanded bluntly, extending her hand toward Purple Song Sage. No amount of charm would move her!
“Disciple~” Purple Song Sage feigned even greater pitifulness while hiding the roasted bird behind his back.
Mo Changxing rose from beside the fire, his eyes narrowing disapprovingly at Purple Song Sage.
He’d barely looked away for a moment, and this old man had appeared out of nowhere to snatch Qingxue’s hard-earned pheasant!
Really…
He’d sat here with Qingxue all this time and hadn’t even gotten to taste her cooking yet!
“Master!” Mo Changxing raised an eyebrow, extending his hand toward Purple Song Sage. The message was clear: Return the roasted bird!
“Ungrateful brat!” Purple Song Sage took a childish step back, clutching the pheasant even tighter behind him as he eyed Mo Changxing warily.
Suddenly, his hands felt empty.
“Girl, this bird is roasted perfectly!” A clear, rich voice came from behind Purple Song Sage.
Turning, he saw that the delicious roasted pheasant had changed hands—now held by that scoundrel Yun Ye.
Too focused on guarding against Mo Changxing, he’d neglected his rear! Purple Song Sage pouted in annoyance.
“Give that back to me!” He turned and demanded the bird from Yun Ye.
Yun Qingxue…
Where did her shameless master get the nerve? She was the rightful owner of that pheasant! If anyone should get it back, it was her! All she wanted was dinner—was that too much to ask?
“Return it to you?” Yun Ye arched an eyebrow at Purple Song Sage’s audacity. “Does this belong to you? How laughable!”
“My disciple offered it to me…” Purple Song Sage retorted weakly, though the ‘offering’ hadn’t actually been settled before Yun Ye swooped in to steal it.
Yun Ye ignored his shamelessness, his dark eyes shifting to Yun Qingxue by the fire.
Yun Qingxue had been curiously studying the suddenly appearing Yun Ye. When their eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze in embarrassment.
“Father, Qingxue hasn’t eaten dinner yet,” Mo Changxing interjected, confident that his father wouldn’t stoop to his master’s level of shamelessness.
“This bird smells excellent!” Yun Ye held the golden-brown pheasant, his gaze at Yun Qingxue tinged with complexity.
“You flatter me…” Yun Qingxue replied weakly, her eyes pleading for her hard-earned dinner to be returned.
An object flew toward her. Instinctively, she caught it—a dark-hued glass vial.
“Girl, how about trading this pheasant for the contents of this vial?” Yun Ye proposed.
Yun Qingxue…
She didn’t want to trade! She was starving—even gold wouldn’t tempt her right now!
But Yun Ye gave her no chance to refuse. The moment he finished speaking, he turned and walked away with the roasted bird.
His steps seemed heavier than before, as though he were restraining himself from stopping. He looked down at the pheasant in his hands, his expression unreadable.
P.S.: “The Flower King’s Decree” hasn’t performed well, to be honest. The dismal statistics have disheartened Shaohua multiple times. The initial persistence came from the immense effort poured into this book. Later, it was the companionship of numerous friends that kept Shaohua going—their support provided tremendous encouragement. Shaohua thanks everyone for your unwavering support and kindness. Much love to you all! ♥
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