Feeling the wetness on his fingers, Xiao Fan paused.
The girl in red's tears had begun to fill her eyes, dripping down like raindrops.
Clearly, her emotional wounds were deeper than her physical ones.
Xiao Fan could see that she was a very proud person.
This experience must have been a severe blow to her pride, causing her great distress and possibly even a loss of confidence.
Xiao Fan had initially intended to leave her alone for a while.
However, seeing her in such a state of collapse, he knew that if he didn't help her, she might never recover.
Although they were strangers, he couldn't just sit by and do nothing now that he had found her.
Xiao Fan put down the vegetable porridge and took out a rough cloth handkerchief, intending to wipe away her tears.
The girl in red, however, shouted angrily, "Get away! I, Huo Ling'er, do not need the pity of a mere mortal!"
Xiao Fan's expression remained unchanged, but his actions became more forceful.
Like a strict mother, he grabbed the back of her head with one hand and vigorously wiped her face with the cloth in the other.
"If you can still get angry, there's still hope," Xiao Fan said with a mischievous smile, increasing the pressure until Huo Ling'er's face was nearly deformed.
"You! You..." Huo Ling'er was furious. As the most cherished princess of the Heavenly Fire Kingdom, she had never been humiliated like this!
"Tell me your name! I will make sure to reward you handsomely!" she said, her tone more threatening than grateful.
Xiao Fan remained unfazed and smiled calmly, "Xiao Fan."
It seemed that Huo Ling'er had already forgotten her previous sense of defeat and was now focused on her "hatred" for him.
She was indeed a straightforward and easy-to-distract girl.
Ignoring her fierce expression, Xiao Fan picked up the porridge and smiled, "This porridge will get cold if you don't eat it."
"Hmph! I won't eat your food," Huo Ling'er said, turning her head away haughtily.
Growl~
Her stomach let out another embarrassing rumble.
The redness on her already flushed face deepened.
She felt utterly betrayed by her own body.
Glancing at the plain vegetable porridge in Xiao Fan's hand, Huo Ling'er found herself involuntarily swallowing.
She was angry at herself.
As the most cherished princess, she had tasted all kinds of delicacies.
But now, she was tempted by a simple bowl of vegetable porridge. It was humiliating!
She tried to resist, but...
Growl~
Xiao Fan noticed her inner conflict.
It seemed he needed to push a bit more.
Sighing, he picked up the porridge and said, "Alright, if you won't eat it, I can't let it go to waste. I'll just have it myself."
He began to eat the porridge with great relish, exaggerating his enjoyment.
"Ah, the flavor is just right. Smooth and fragrant, truly delightful..."
He made the simple porridge sound like a gourmet dish.
Huo Ling'er pouted, glaring at him.
He was clearly doing this on purpose.
But as she watched the bits of vegetable clinging to his lips, she couldn't help but swallow again.
It wasn't that she wanted the porridge. She was just very hungry.
Growl~
Yet, her pride wouldn't let her give in.
So, she sat there, watching him finish the entire bowl of porridge.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
At that moment, she felt incredibly wronged.
She had never been treated like this.
Xiao Fan realized he might have gone too far.
In fact, there was more porridge in the pot. He had just wanted to tease her a bit.
But he had overdone it.
He brought another bowl of porridge to Huo Ling'er and said gently, "The porridge is still warm. Please eat."
Seeing the fresh bowl, Huo Ling'er understood he had been teasing her.
She felt both angry and frustrated, but her growling stomach made her cry again.
"You... you're bullying me," she said tearfully, stubbornly refusing to eat, "I'd rather starve than eat your food!"
Xiao Fan sighed. She was indeed a stubborn girl.
He apologized, "I'm sorry. I was wrong. Could you please try my porridge?"
"Hmph! That's better!" Huo Ling'er smiled through her tears, then opened her mouth wide, "Ah~"
Xiao Fan was taken aback. Had he been tricked?
But there was no turning back now. He had to feed the cunning, stubborn girl.
"Mm! Mm!" Huo Ling'er's eyes lit up at the first taste.
Xiao Fan's earlier descriptions were accurate.
The porridge was smooth and fragrant, truly delightful.
She couldn't wait for the next spoonful.
Before she knew it, she had eaten three bowls, scraping the pot clean.
Seeing her contentment, Xiao Fan couldn't help but smile.
Huo Ling'er, however, pretended to be dissatisfied.
"This porridge was too plain. The vegetables were overcooked and mushy. Fail! The broth was bland. Fail!"
Xiao Fan watched her, amused.
She had eaten every bit, yet she was finding faults.
She was truly a character.
Seeing her get more excited as she critiqued, Xiao Fan flipped the empty bowl in his hand and said nonchalantly, "The bowl is so clean, I don't even need to wash it."
Huo Ling'er's face turned red again, feeling a bit guilty.
She had criticized the porridge harshly but ate it all.
Wasn't she contradicting herself?
"Um," feeling embarrassed, she changed the topic, "As a reward for saving me, I will ensure you are handsomely rewarded once I recover."
"A princess?" Xiao Fan looked her over. She certainly acted the part.
"I don't need any rewards. Just don't overstay your welcome when you recover."
Looking at the clean bowl, he added, "I can't afford to feed you with your appetite."