Chen Mian had already gathered enough firewood and was leaning against a large tree by the lake.
From time to time, Loviki’s laughter or Flora’s soft voice drifted over from the lake, mingling with the gentle sloshing of the water and the rustling of the leaves in the wind.
“Mr. Chen Mian!” Flora’s voice called out from the lake.
Chen Mian looked up to see Flora and Loviki holding up a large, golden-yellow fish nearly half an arm's length. Its tail was still flapping powerfully, sending up a continuous spray of water.
“Is this big enough?” Loviki raised her chin, unable to hide the pride in her voice. “The two of us chased it for quite a while just now. It almost got away.”
Flora turned slightly to steady the fish. Droplets of water kicked up by the tail splashed onto her face, but she didn't dodge. She merely tilted her head to look at Chen Mian on the shore, a hint of anticipation in her eyes. “Won't you join us, Mr. Chen Mian?”
Her gaze didn't linger on Chen Mian for long, but her fingers holding the fish tightened slightly as she added, “The water really is very cool...”
Having said that, she nudged the fish slightly in Chen Mian’s direction.
Chen Mian was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and nodded. Stepping into the water, he walked over to them and held out his hands. “Give the fish to me.”
“Mhm!”
...
Evening.
Under the large tree by the lake, a bonfire was crackling. The large golden fish had already been prepared and placed in a pot.
Flora and Loviki had already dried their clothes with magic, though their hair was still slightly damp.
“Flora, can we really eat this thing?” Loviki squatted by the fire, her chin resting on her hands as she stared at three red mushrooms that had finally stopped thrashing about.
Flora was holding a dagger, carefully measuring the thickness of the mushroom caps. Hearing this, she looked up at Loviki and blinked. “Mhm. The aroma of this mushroom is very unique. Putting it in the fish soup should add layers to the flavor.”
“Then I’ll eat the part without the mushrooms,” Loviki decided decisively.
“Sure~ Half will be used for the soup. What flavor would you like for the other half, Loviki?” Flora turned back and asked with a smile.
“I want it grilled~” Loviki said after a moment of thought, looking quite expectant.
“No problem!” Flora agreed with a smile, bowing her head to begin prepping the mushrooms.
Flora’s knife sliced gently across the mushroom cap. A clear liquid seeped from the cut, and a rich aroma immediately spread through the air.
Loviki sniffed and thought for a moment. “This scent is like fruit, very fresh.”
“Mhm, that’s why I think it’s perfect for stewing in the fish soup. It can remove any fishy taste and bring out the freshness.” Flora sliced the mushroom caps into thin, evenly-sized pieces, setting the remaining stems aside. “The stems of these mushrooms are quite tough, so grilling them should be better.”
She took out seasonings from her backpack and pointed to the bottle of chili sauce Chen Mian had bought. “For the grilled fish, let's try making it spicy. It'll taste much better if we grill it until it's a bit crispy.”
With that, Flora made a few cuts on one half of the fish, rubbing the chili sauce and some spices they had gathered on the fourth floor over the surface. “It'll be ready to grill after marinating for a bit.”
Next, Flora skewered the sliced mushroom stems on branches, brushed them with seasoning, and handed them to Loviki. “Could you help me grill this? Remember to turn it often so it doesn't burn.”
Loviki took the branch and held it gently over the fire. Under the heat of the bonfire, the seasoning on the surface slowly seeped into the mushroom flesh. The edges began to turn slightly golden-brown, releasing an enticing aroma.
Loviki sniffed, looking down at the skewer in her hand. Unconsciously, she began to rotate it a bit faster to ensure it grilled evenly.
Sitting opposite her, Chen Mian watched her and said with a smile, “Are you really not going to eat any?”
“I'm not. I'm just grilling this for Flora.”
Chen Mian nodded, taking a skewer of mushrooms from Flora as well to place over the bonfire.
After a while, the surrounding aroma grew even richer, carrying the distinct smokiness of charcoal grilling, blended with the fragrance of spices and mushrooms.
Chen Mian glanced at Flora. Her hair was draped over her shoulders as she sat sideways to the bonfire. The fish and mushroom caps had already been sliced and placed into a pot of clean water. Currently, she was focused on skewering the sliced mushroom stems with branches.
He held out his freshly grilled skewer of mushrooms in front of Flora. Flora looked up, still holding half a branch in her hand, and blinked. “I haven't washed my hands yet.”
“I'll hold it.”
Flora was taken aback for a second, then leaned forward slightly to take a small bite. “It's delicious! The outside is crispy but the inside is very tender, and the spices go perfectly with the mushroom's natural flavor.”
“Then eat more.” Chen Mian didn't pull his hand back.
Flora smiled and took another small bite, her eyes shining. “Thank you!”
“You two are being a bit flirtatious...” Loviki muttered as she squatted by the fire, rotating the fully grilled mushroom skewer in her hand.
“The mushrooms in your hand are about to burn,” Chen Mian said.
Loviki looked down and saw that the edge of the outermost piece had indeed turned slightly black. She quickly flipped it over, grumbling under her breath, “It’s all because of you two.”
When she looked up again, she found Chen Mian squatting beside her, holding the partially eaten skewer of grilled mushrooms in front of her. “You should try some too.”
Loviki opened her mouth. “I...”
“The mushrooms moving is just a stress response, not because they are conscious,” Chen Mian said, looking at Loviki. “They have no brain or sense of pain. It's just an instinctive contraction of the mycelium when stimulated, similar to a mimosa plant.”
Loviki stared at the skewer of grilled mushrooms for a couple of seconds, then looked at Chen Mian. The firelight danced across his face, and his expression was very earnest.
“Did you explain all that just to get me to eat it?” Loviki asked softly.
“Mhm. You clearly love good food. If you miss out on this, there won't be another chance,” Chen Mian said with a smile.
Loviki hesitated for a moment, then leaned down and took a small bite.
The outer layer of the grilled mushroom stem was slightly crispy, making a faint crunching sound as she bit into it.
Only then did Chen Mian pull his hand back and stand up. “How is it?”
“...It's alright,” Loviki said softly, her face flushed red under the warm glow of the fire.
She shifted her gaze back to the fire, pretending to focus on grilling her own skewer of mushroom slices, which was already on the verge of turning to charcoal.
“Mr. Chen Mian, Miss Loviki has said before that 'alright' means 'pretty good,'” Flora looked up and teased, exposing her friend.
“Mhm, I remember.”
“You two... I'm going to eat all of your mushrooms!”
“Didn't you say you weren't going to eat them?”
“I changed my mind~ It doesn't have consciousness anyway, it's just a slightly weird mushroom!”
Once she overcame her psychological barrier, Loviki ate the mushroom and fish soup and the grilled mushrooms more enthusiastically than anyone else.
Soon, the fish soup in the pot was completely gone.
Loviki sat by the bonfire with a wooden bowl in her hands, looking down at the fire, appearing thoroughly relaxed.
By now, the magical creation in the sky had begun to simulate moonlight.
The forest was dark, illuminated only by the faint light filtering through the gaps in the canopy and the orange-red glow of the fire.
“Let's rest here for tonight.” Chen Mian packed up the pots and bowls, cleared a flat patch of ground under the tree, and began setting up the tent.
“Mhm,” Flora murmured softly, sitting down not far from the fire. “We've been gone for so many days. I wonder how Luolin and the others are doing.”
“With the barrier Ryan and I set up, the apartment area is very safe,” Chen Mian said, looking at Flora. “We'll be able to head back to the apartment in a few days.”
Rate on N.U.
