Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Now watch them all lose their minds

Then it deepened.

The spice fruit released a rich heat. The sweet root softened the smell. The fat from the meat dripped onto the hot stone and hissed, carrying the new flavor into the smoke. The whole cooking space filled with a scent so good that conversation died one by one.

Xiong Han stopped turning another piece of meat.

Ying Zhe’s hawk eyes sharpened.

Bao Xun’s black panther tail gave one slow, interested sweep.

Shui Lang swallowed openly and then looked around to see if anyone noticed.

Lin Xiaojiu’s stomach made a sound.

Xiong Baobao immediately said, "That was not me."

Ying Chengyu said, "It was both of you."

Even Bai Ruyue’s eyes widened slightly as the scent wrapped around them.

Lin Huahua lifted her chin proudly.

Feng Yiren, who had helped with this before and still liked acting as if he was not impressed, leaned toward Mu Qingyi and muttered, "Now watch them all lose their minds."

Mu Qingyi smiled softly. "You lost yours days ago."

"I did not."

"You did."

Hu Baiyu nodded silently.

Feng Yiren looked at him. "Nobody asked you."

When the first piece was ready, Lin Huahua asked Mu Qingyi to cut it because she did not trust herself with hot meat and sharp tools while everyone was staring. Mu Qingyi cut it neatly, blew on the first piece without even thinking, then offered it to Lin Huahua first. That small action made Bai Ruyue smile even more, because that was exactly how a caring male should act. Lin Huahua tasted it, nodded with satisfaction, and then gestured for everyone else to try.

The reactions were immediate.

Before any of the males could reach for their own, Lin Weishan said calmly, "Ruyue first."

The words were so natural that nobody looked surprised.

Ying Zhe took the piece from Xiong Han, checked that there were no hard edges, then passed it to Bao Xun. Bao Xun blew on it once before handing it to Shui Lang, and Shui Lang brought it to Bai Ruyue’s lips with a shamelessly pleased expression, as if feeding his female was more important than tasting the food himself.

Bai Ruyue laughed softly. "All of you are treating me like I cannot hold food."

Xiong Han said seriously, "You should not have to."

Bai Ruyue’s eyes softened, but she still opened her mouth and took the bite.

Lin Huahua watched the whole thing and suddenly understood why her mother always looked so loved. Even when these males teased and argued, their first instinct was still to place her before themselves.

Bai Ruyue had only taken one bite, but her eyes widened at once.

She chewed slowly, then looked at Lin Huahua with surprise and warmth gathering in her gaze. "Huahua."

That one word made every male around her become alert.

Xiong Han immediately leaned closer. "Is it bad?"

Bai Ruyue shook her head and took the piece from Shui Lang’s hand herself, guarding it as if someone might steal it. "No. It is very good."

The cooking space went quiet.

Then Xiong Han reached for his own piece, bit into it, and froze so completely that Lin Xiaojiu thought something was wrong.

"Father Xiong?" the boy asked.

Xiong Han slowly looked down at the meat in his hand. "This is meat?"

Shui Lang snatched his own piece, bit into it, and then almost made a sound that did not fit a grown male with pride. "This is not meat. This is a trap. I would walk into danger for this."

Lin Weishan chewed once.

Then twice.

Then looked at his daughter as if he had just realized she was capable of overturning the tribe’s entire food history.

Ying Zhe said quietly, "How?"

Bao Xun’s tail moved faster now, which showed he was much more impressed than his calm face wanted to show. "Roasted meat always tasted good, but this is different."

Lin Xiaojiu grabbed a piece and immediately shouted, "You kept this from us for so long?"

Lin Huahua pointed at him. "I did not keep anything from you."

Xiong Baobao, mouth full, said, "Elder Sister is unfair."

Ying Chengyu stared at the meat and then at her. "If the whole tribe eats like this, hunting parties will return faster."

Everyone turned to look at him.

He lifted his chin with hawk seriousness. "If food tastes better, males will hunt more eagerly."

Xiong Han nodded slowly. "That is not wrong."

Lin Huahua’s eyes lit up because this was exactly what she had been thinking. "That is what I am saying. This is how everyone should be eating in the tribe. Are you not tired of eating just plain roasted meat every day?"

Before today, if anyone had asked that question, they would have all said no.

Now nobody could say it honestly.

Shui Lang looked at the meat in his hand, then said with tragic seriousness, "Before this, I was not tired. Now I am tired."

Lin Xiaojiu immediately nodded. "I am also tired now."

Xiong Baobao looked at Xiong Han. "Can we eat this every day?"

Xiong Han looked at Lin Huahua. "Can we?"

Lin Huahua suddenly felt like she had become the tribe’s food elder.

She cleared her throat. "You can learn. You do not just throw everything on the meat anyhow. Some leaves taste bad if you add too much. Some are better for wounds and should not be used for food. Some roots need crushing. The meat must be cut open a little so the flavor enters."

The moment she started explaining, the younger brothers gathered close like students. Xiong Han also listened, though he pretended he was only standing nearby. Shui Lang was fully shameless and leaned in with bright eyes. Bai Ruyue watched her daughter teach them with an expression so soft that it made Lin Huahua’s heart warm again.

Then her mother finally asked the question Lin Huahua had been dreading. "Where did you learn this?"

Lin Huahua froze with one piece of leaf in her hand.

Feng Yiren, who had been waiting like a fox beside a chicken hole, immediately spoke in a lazy voice. "I bet the beast dream god also taught you."

Everyone turned to him.

"The beast dream god?" Bai Ruyue repeated.

Lin Weishan frowned. "What beast dream god?"

Mu Qingyi lowered his head, and his shoulders moved once like he was trying not to laugh. Hu Baiyu looked away too, his lion ears twitching because he remembered the earlier lie and somehow felt secondhand embarrassment for Lin Huahua.

Lin Huahua turned her head slowly and glared at Feng Yiren.

Why must this fox be like this?

Why must he always open his mouth at the worst time?

The worst part was that this was exactly the lie she had planned to use if pressured enough. But now that Feng Yiren had said it first with that annoying tone, if she used it, she would look even more shameless.

So she quickly changed direction.

"I once stumbled around in the forest and saw some things," Lin Huahua said, trying to sound very casual. "Then I decided to try them."

Lin Weishan’s face darkened at once. "You tried strange leaves from the forest without knowing if they were poisonous?"

Lin Huahua blinked.

Ah.

Wrong lie.

Her father stood straighter, and his rat tail moved once behind him. "Do you know how dangerous that is? Some leaves can make a beastman sleep for three days. Some can burn the tongue. Some roots are used to poison traps. You cannot simply pick things and put them in food because they smell interesting."