"Thank you for your kind words, Grand Priest."
Dai Chengfeng smiled and ladled a full bowl of the Jade Marrow Mushroom Heart Soup for himself.
Amidst the rising steam, the exotic aroma that blended the essence of the wilds left Dai Chengfeng thoroughly satisfied.
"Huuu…"
He leaned close to the edge of the bowl, gently blew on it, then carefully sipped a small amount.
"Not bad!"
A soft sigh of satisfaction escaped his throat.
Dai Chengfeng closed his eyes, as if savoring every nuance of the soup's exquisite taste as it flowed through his mouth.
His unreserved expression of enjoyment, along with the slight movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed, was pure silent torture for Ning Rongrong, who had already been tormented by the aroma and couldn't resist any longer.
Ning Rongrong watched Dai Chengfeng take a second sip with an enraptured expression. Unable to help herself, she swallowed hard, and her stomach betrayed her with a faint "gurgle."
In the quiet evening, the sound was barely audible, but to Ning Rongrong, it felt like thunder.
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she shuffled over to Dai Chengfeng's side and spoke in a sweet, slightly ingratiating voice tinged with boundless longing:
"Dai Chengfeng… um… how does the soup… taste?"
Hearing this, Dai Chengfeng deliberately set down his bowl slowly, drawing out his response with exaggerated deliberation. He raised an eyebrow at Ning Rongrong, a teasing smile on his face:
"Oh? Isn't our little princess from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect the one who said, 'I believe Sister Nana's judgment,' and 'I'm not interested in your wilderness cooking'?"
"How good it tastes has nothing to do with you, does it?"
Ning Rongrong's face instantly turned bright red, like a fully ripe apple.
She hadn't expected Dai Chengfeng to remember so clearly the bold declarations she and Hu Liena had made earlier, only to call her out on them right now.
Flustered, she stomped her foot lightly and stubbornly retorted: "Who… who changed their mind! I'm just asking out of curiosity!"
"It smells okay, but who knows how it tastes!"
"This young lady has tasted all kinds of delicacies; I wouldn't crave something like your roadside stall food!"
Though she said this, her big, watery eyes were glued to the pot of fragrant soup.
Hu Liena, who was also restless from the enticing aroma, saw Ning Rongrong's predicament and decided to maintain her prideful facade. She quickly chimed in:
"That's right! Rongrong, don't listen to him!"
"He's obviously bluffing! What's the use of smelling good? The taste might be strange! We said we wouldn't drink it, and we won't!"
She deliberately raised her voice, as if trying to persuade Ning Rongrong but more likely to bolster her own resolve.
Dai Chengfeng found these two girls, who were clinging desperately to their pride despite their suffering, utterly amusing.
He picked up a clean bowl and filled it to the brim with soup—rich and white, with plenty of mushrooms and meat slices.
Then, he walked directly toward Zhu Zhuqing, who had been quietly standing aside. Though her eyes held anticipation, she had remained silent.
"Zhuqing, here."
Dai Chengfeng handed her the bowl, his tone gentle and natural. "Try it and see if it suits your taste."
Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned, not expecting Dai Chengfeng to offer her first.
She glanced at Hu Liena and Ning Rongrong, whose expressions had suddenly become complicated, hesitated for a moment, then reached out to accept the bowl, softly saying:
"Thank you."
She mimicked Dai Chengfeng, gently blowing on the soup before taking a small sip.
The instant the soup touched her tongue, Zhu Zhuqing's usually cold eyes noticeably brightened.
Although her personality was reserved and she rarely showed emotion, the slight quickening of her swallowing and the subtle satisfaction in her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes clearly indicated—
This soup was extremely delicious.
"Very good."
Her concise evaluation spoke volumes. Then, she lowered her head and took another sip, expressing her highest approval through action.
At this point, Ning Rongrong and Hu Liena were completely unsettled.
Ning Rongrong watched Zhu Zhuqing, who was clearly immersed in the deliciousness, and then looked at the rapidly diminishing soup in the pot. She was as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle.
She tugged at Hu Liena's sleeve: "Sister Nana… look at Zhuqing… it really seems delicious… there's almost none left in the pot!"
Hu Liena gritted her teeth and forced out a sentence: "Hmph! Zhuqing is too nice; she doesn't want to hurt his feelings!"
"We… we need to have some backbone!"
Dai Chengfeng listened to their muttering and nearly burst into laughter.
As he poured himself another half bowl, he deliberately "muttered" loudly enough for everyone to hear:
"Sigh, Zhuqing is always so quiet, neither doubting nor causing trouble. Trust is built like this."
"Not like some people who kept shouting they wouldn't eat, and now they're staring longingly. Why bother?"
These words were like two tiny daggers, precisely piercing the hearts of Ning Rongrong and Hu Liena.
"Hmph!"
Hearing Dai Chengfeng's words, Hu Liena gave a light snort but still refused to admit defeat.
But Ning Rongrong…
Seeing the dwindling soup, her pitiful shred of "backbone" was completely crushed.
She no longer cared about her dignity. In a single leap, she rushed forward, clinging to Dai Chengfeng's arm like a playful kitten, shaking it while speaking in a soft, cloying voice full of flattery:
"Dai Chengfeng~ Brother Dai~ Elder Chengfeng! I was wrong! I was so wrong!"
"The soup you made is the most fragrant—it's the best in the whole world! Please let me have a bowl, just one bowl! Pretty please~"
"I beg you~"
"Look at how cute I am! How can you bear to make me watch you drink it?"
As she spoke, she batted her big, watery eyes, putting on an exaggeratedly pitiful expression, her acting skills impeccable.
Ning Rongrong's sudden display of coquettish behavior made Dai Chengfeng's arm break out in goosebumps, but he inwardly reveled in it.
Suppressing his laughter, he feigned seriousness as he looked down at the "koala" hanging off his arm:
"Oh? You realize you were wrong now? Weren't you quite proud earlier?"
"No more pride! No more pride!"
Ning Rongrong shook her head like a rattle drum. "My pride crumbles in the face of Elder Chengfeng's delicious food! From now on, wherever you say east, I'll never go west! Let me drink the soup!"
Watching Ning Rongrong's shamelessly defeated demeanor, Dai Chengfeng finally couldn't hold back his laughter.
He had only intended to tease them a bit and naturally wouldn't deny her a taste.
He lightly flicked Ning Rongrong's smooth forehead: "Alright, alright, stop with the act."
"Hand over your bowl, and since your apology seems sincere enough."
"Yay! Elder Chengfeng is the best!"
Ning Rongrong cheered and immediately let go, flying like a happy butterfly to fetch her own bowl and eagerly holding it out to Dai Chengfeng.
Dai Chengfeng filled it to the brim. Ning Rongrong took it, eagerly drinking a large gulp without caring about the heat.
"Mmm—!"
The moment the soup touched her lips, Ning Rongrong's eyes widened into perfect circles. She intentionally put on an exaggerated, blissful expression, as if she were about to faint from happiness, all to flatter Dai Chengfeng.
"It's so delicious! Oh my gosh! To drink something this good in the wilderness feels like pure happiness~"
Dai Chengfeng chuckled.
Now, only Hu Liena remained rooted in place, caught in her stubborn pride.
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