Evening had already fallen by the time Lin Yue and Mo Shan finished bathing.
Their hair was still damp when they returned to the clearing, the fire reduced to glowing embers. Lin Yue hurried forward first, kneeling beside the pit where the soil dishes had been burning all afternoon.
Carefully—almost reverently—he brushed the ash aside.
His breath caught.
They were intact.
The bowls stood firm. The plates rang faintly when touched. The small pots held their shape, hardened and strong. Even the shallow pan—smooth, balanced, perfect—rested proudly among them.
Lin Yue stared for a long moment.
Then his face lit up completely.
"It worked," he whispered. "It really worked."
This was the first time he had ever tried something like this. A memory borrowed from another world, turned real by his own hands.
He reached for the pan, lifting it gently. The surface was warm, solid, unmistakably real.
Suddenly, he laughed—bright, unrestrained happiness.
He looked up at Feng Lihan. "Tonight, I won't eat the usual food."
Feng Lihan raised an eyebrow.
"I'll cook for you," Lin Yue declared proudly. "Go bring some fruit."
Then he turned to Mo Shan. "You go get some meat."
Mo Shan paused, then smiled faintly. "As you command."
They left in opposite directions.
Lin Yue carried the pan to the stream and washed it carefully, fingers tracing the smooth curve he remembered shaping with Feng Lihan's hands guiding his own. He dried it, then returned to the fire pit and built a fresh flame.
When the pan warmed, he worked quickly—but thoughtfully.
First, bones.
He cracked them gently and placed them into a small pot, adding water and setting it near the fire to simmer slowly. The scent rose gradually—rich, deep, comforting.
Then he turned to the pan.
Some species in the Beast World could not eat raw meat. Others couldn't digest certain plants. Lin Yue had been watching, learning, remembering.
He sliced the meat thin, careful with the heat, letting it sear just enough to bring out the aroma. He added crushed fruit—slightly sweet, slightly sharp—mixing it carefully so the flavors balanced instead of clashing.
The fire popped softly.
By the time Feng Lihan returned with fruit and Mo Shan followed with fresh meat, the air was already filled with a scent none of them had smelled before.
Feng Lihan stopped mid-step. "What is that?"
Lin Yue looked up, eyes shining. "Dinner."
Mo Shan watched quietly as Lin Yue moved—confident now, steady. The soil pan didn't crack. The pot didn't split.
Everything held.
When the food was ready, Lin Yue served it carefully into the bowls he had made himself.
"Try," he said, offering the first bowl to Feng Lihan.
Feng Lihan tasted it—and paused.
"It's good," he said honestly.
Lin Yue smiled, proud and a little shy.
Mo Shan ate more slowly, eyes lowered, thoughts unreadable. "You adapt quickly," he said.
Lin Yue laughed softly. "I just want everyone to eat well."
The fire burned steadily beside them.
The bowls were warm in their hands.
And for the first time, the Beast Clan tasted not just food—but the beginning of change.