"Shenhe? What are you doing here so late?"
"Waiting for you!"
Shenhe handed Feng Yi a small wooden stick. It was sent by Cloud Retainer at the request of the Adeptus.
"It must have been tiring for you to come all this way so late. How about I treat you to something to eat?"
Feng Yi was surprised that Shenhe had specially delivered the spear, modified by Cloud Retainer, to him. He was supposed to pick it up tomorrow.
Feng Yi felt that he couldn't let her make the trip for nothing, so he offered to treat her to a meal.
"Mmhmm~"
Shenhe's fingers intertwined, just like her thoughts. There were some things she didn't know how to say.
Feng Yi took Shenhe to several snack stalls and bought some exquisite pastries for her with the Mora he had exchanged from Ningguang that morning.
Shenhe remained silent throughout the journey. Even after all this time, she still hadn't figured out how to express herself. It was only when Feng Yi bid her farewell that she called out to him.
"Feng Yi, please... please wait a moment..."
Shenhe grabbed Feng Yi's sleeve. Although her voice was soft, her emotions were anxious and conflicted.
"Shenhe? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Seeing Shenhe's hesitant demeanor, Feng Yi guessed that she was in some kind of trouble. For Cloud Retainer's sake, he felt he should help if he could.
"Master... Master told me... told me to follow you..."
Shenhe lowered her head, her silver hair covering her shy gaze and flushed cheeks.
Feng Yi thought: Cloud Retainer, I certainly didn't befriend you for nothing!
This was a deed well done!
Shenhe couldn't help but recall her master's words from that evening: "Feng Yi has many things worth learning from. Go with him and study diligently for three years. I believe you will gain a lot!"
And so, Shenhe was sent out of the mountain gate by Cloud Retainer. If Feng Yi refused to take her in, she would have to sleep on the streets.
"I have nowhere to go, Feng Yi... Can you help me?"
Shenhe pushed aside her bangs and looked at Feng Yi with hopeful eyes, sparkling with anticipation.
Feng Yi mused: You're worth it. I've always been weak to a beautiful woman's pleas, especially a tall, mature beauty...
With the effect of "unexpected cuteness," Shenhe's unintentional coquetry was too powerful, directly breaching Feng Yi's inner defenses.
Feng Yi found it difficult to refuse such a helpless young maiden, so he would bear this hardship!
"It's too late today. You can rest in my Serenitea Pot for now. I'll find a suitable place for you another day!"
With that, Feng Yi opened the lid of the teapot.
"Thank you, Feng Yi. Master was right, you are a good person!"
Shenhe smiled, her lips curved into a stunning smile, and then she turned into a stream of light and entered the Serenitea Pot.
'Keeping a beauty hidden?'
Feng Yi walked towards Bubu Pharmacy, a strange thought popping into his mind.
Back at Bubu Pharmacy, Feng Yi cooked a few simple dishes for Hu Tao, who hadn't eaten yet, and then coaxed her to sleep.
He then opened the Serenitea Pot and entered it.
Today, the immunity element for the Golden Bell was randomly drawn as Pyro again.
He had to hurry and check the hatching status of the giant golden egg inside the volcano.
"Shenhe, if you need to, you can choose one of the palaces on the mountain to live in!"
As soon as Feng Yi entered the Serenitea Pot, he saw Shenhe strolling on the grassland and reminded her.
"Thank you, Feng Yi. I will if I need to!"
Shenhe nodded in agreement. She preferred the lush green grassland to the distant, lonely palaces.
If possible, she wanted to build a simple wooden house here. It didn't need to be luxurious, just enough to shelter her from the wind and rain.
Gurgle~
Shenhe's pretty face flushed, and she quickly covered her rumbling stomach. She had only drunk a few sips of milk tea that afternoon and was now a little hungry.
Gurgle gurgle gurgle~
The sound seemed contagious, and Feng Yi also felt a bit hungry. He hadn't eaten much for dinner.
"Feng Yi, here, eat!"
Shenhe produced the pastries Feng Yi had bought her from somewhere, opened the box, and offered him a piece.
Shenhe brought it close to his mouth, and Feng Yi, not wanting to disappoint her, opened his mouth wide and took a big bite.
Accidentally, he ended up with Shenhe's finger in his mouth.
The moment Shenhe's fingertip touched the soft thing in Feng Yi's mouth, it felt like an electric shock, and she instantly retracted it.
"Mmh... $%★... @◎amp;..." (Sorry, I was too hungry...)
Feng Yi mumbled an apology while chewing on the pastry.
"It's okay, it's okay, I don't mind..."
Shenhe said, shaking her head. She knew Feng Yi hadn't done it on purpose.
Then, Shenhe took out a pastry and put it in her mouth, taking a small bite.
For some unknown reason, Shenhe tried putting her finger in her mouth as well, but why didn't she feel that electric shock?
Shenhe, with a dazed expression, held her finger in her mouth. This question was too profound, she couldn't understand it.
"Just eating pastries isn't enough! Shenhe, wait for me for a moment, I'll go roast you a rabbit!"
Feng Yi glanced at the pastries in Shenhe's hand. Even if she ate them all, it wouldn't be enough to fill half his stomach.
It was more practical to roast a few rabbits.
After obtaining the Serenitea Pot, Feng Yi had regarded it as a strategic resource reserve, so he must have stored some meat.
But dead meat spoils easily, so Feng Yi had opened up a grassland and raised a group of rabbits there.
Rabbits were easy to raise, and with no natural predators, they reproduced very quickly.
Rabbits can give birth 5 to 6 times a year, with each litter consisting of about 6 to 10 kits, and they can become pregnant again immediately after giving birth.
Only the terrifying reproductive speed of rabbits could satisfy the big eater that was Feng Yi.
"Feng Yi, you don't have to..."
By the time Shenhe reacted, Feng Yi had already started the fire, skinned the rabbit, threaded it onto a skewer, and was roasting it over the fire.
"Shenhe, do you think I'm cruel? Why am I eating such cute rabbits?"
While roasting, Feng Yi glanced up and saw a flicker in Shenhe's eyes. He knew it was normal for her to feel reluctant.
After all, girls and some animal lovers couldn't bear to see or eat these cute rabbits.
But regardless of other aspects, from the perspective of ecological balance, without the restriction of natural predators, these rabbits were more destructive to the environment than demons.
Feng Yi recalled that in a past life, a country's ecological balance was literally dominated by rabbits.
The rabbits in this country, without natural predators to control them, multiplied, leading to a devastating overpopulation and severe damage to grasslands and forests.
This country had even launched six extermination campaigns, but in the end, they were still unable to deal with these rabbits.