"Really?"
"Hehe."
Meng Hongchen giggled, her beautiful eyes curving into crescent moons.
Women dress up for those they admire. Seeing Su Yu's approval made her heart bloom with happiness.
"Of course, my Meng'er is the most beautiful," Su Yu casually whispered sweet words.
Standing nearby, Wang Dong'er couldn't help but roll her eyes. She even got goosebumps.
These two. Ugh. So annoying.
"Are you guys going to move or not?" Wang Dong'er urged impatiently.
"Meng'er, let's go."
"Okay."
Meng Hongchen extended her delicate hand, and Su Yu grasped it, pulling her along as they walked forward.
Wang Dong'er snorted softly, trailing behind them while sneaking glances at the couple from the corner of her eye.
Their relationship was growing closer, and yet Wang Dong'er still hadn't made any progress. A wave of crisis surged in her heart.
She couldn't keep pretending to be a man any longer. If this continued, she'd always be one step behind Meng Hongchen.
It seemed she had to find a chance to approach Su Yu as her true self.
Wang Dong'er pondered silently.
As they walked, Su Yu occasionally glanced at Wang Dong'er's expression.
Wang Dong'er was the type who couldn't hide her thoughts—every emotion was written plainly on her face.
"This silly butterfly, what's she scheming about now?" Su Yu muttered inwardly.
The three of them walked at a brisk pace. After about ten minutes, they arrived at a large lake.
This was the largest lake at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
The water sparkled under the slanting rays of the sun, giving the lake a tranquil and profound beauty.
A crowd had gathered along the lakeshore—couples on dates and students having picnics.
Su Yu's sharp eyes scanned the lakefront and quickly spotted Juzi and Keke.
Juzi had already started a fire and set up a grill.
Su Yu led Meng Hongchen over, and Juzi and Keke soon noticed them.
"Su Yu!" Keke waved excitedly, hopping up and down.
Su Yu brought the two closer.
"You're here?" Juzi greeted with a faint smile.
"Yeah, need any help?" Su Yu glanced at the supplies Juzi had prepared—skewers, fish, pheasants, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
The amount was overwhelming for their small group.
"You know how to cook?" Juzi asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
Someone like Su Yu, a genius, should only be focused on cultivation, right?
Yet he could cook too? That was unexpected.
"I know a little," Su Yu replied with a faint smile.
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Young Master Su, to lend a hand," Juzi said without hesitation.
In her view, this could only help bring them closer.
Su Yu chuckled and patted Meng Hongchen, signaling her to rest with Wang Dong'er.
"Yu, how about I help too?" Meng Hongchen offered.
"No need. You've never even touched household chores. Just wait to enjoy the meal."
"Look at Wang Dong—he knows his limits and isn't even trying to help."
Wang Dong'er glared at Su Yu upon hearing this. What was that supposed to mean? Was he implying Wang Dong'er was only good for eating?
Su Yu ignored her and reassured Meng Hongchen before sending her off to sit with Keke.
Though Wang Dong'er was outwardly defiant, she followed Meng Hongchen over, knowing full well she was clueless about cooking.
Meanwhile, Su Yu joined Juzi to help prepare the food.
Juzi focused on making a meat stew and roasting pheasants, while Su Yu handled grilling fish and skewers.
Juzi had pre-prepared seasoning powders. Just a sniff from Su Yu, and he identified more than ten spices.
The blends were well-proportioned, and Su Yu used them to mix up a special dipping sauce he often made.
Then he began grilling.
As the fresh skewers met the flames, they began to sizzle and brown.
Before long, golden oil seeped out of the meat, and a rich aroma wafted through the air.
Meanwhile, Juzi's stew released its savory fragrance.
The mingling scents were mouthwatering, stirring up everyone's appetite.
"Wow, that smells amazing!" Keke's eyes sparkled as she nearly drooled.
The aroma was so enticing she could hardly resist.
Even Wang Dong'er swallowed hard, her light blue eyes filled with longing.
She was a foodie herself.
When it came to delicious food, she couldn't resist at all.
"When will it be ready?" Keke asked eagerly, her eyes wide with anticipation.
She couldn't wait any longer.
"Almost done," Juzi replied with a gentle smile as she roasted the pheasant.
The bird's skin was gradually turning golden brown, making it look incredibly appetizing.
Meanwhile, Su Yu was tending to his skewers, brushing them with sauce and sprinkling on seasoning powder.
Soon, the aromatic grilled skewers were ready.
"The skewers are done. Who wants some?" Su Yu asked, holding up a handful of grilled meat.
"Me! Me! Today, Lady Keke will be the judge of your cooking skills," Keke exclaimed, rushing over.
Judging by the appearance and aroma alone, she was convinced these skewers would taste amazing.
Wang Dong'er didn't say a word but moved just as quickly, casually taking several skewers from Su Yu's hand.
"Nom!"
Keke grabbed a bunch of skewers from Su Yu, pulled one out, and lightly blew on it before taking a bite.
Juicy meat burst forth in her mouth, and an indescribable wave of deliciousness swept over her tongue.
She immediately squinted in delight, her exaggerated expression showing just how good it was.
"Wow, this is amazing!" Keke exclaimed, devouring the skewer even faster.
Wang Dong'er, too, took a bite and couldn't hide her reaction. Her eyes lit up, and without a word, she buried herself in eating, occasionally giving Su Yu a thumbs-up.
Even this usually stubborn girl had been won over by Su Yu's cooking.
Su Yu chuckled, shook his head, handed a few skewers to Meng Hongchen, and continued grilling.
About half an hour later, all the ingredients were cooked.
A white blanket was spread on the ground, covered with a feast of grilled fish, meat skewers, roasted pheasant, vegetables, stew, and fresh fruits.
Su Yu served himself a bowl of stew and found it quite flavorful.
Juzi's cooking skills were undeniably excellent.
"Juzi, you should try Su Yu's grilled meat—it's amazing! I think it's even better than yours," Keke blurted out, completely oblivious to the possibility of offending Juzi.
"Really?" Juzi laughed softly and picked up a skewer.
Taking a small bite, she immediately felt the tender meat practically melt in her mouth. The juices burst out, flooding her taste buds with incredible flavor.
It was so delicious she almost wanted to swallow her tongue.
Keke wasn't exaggerating. This was indeed better than her cooking.
As she took another bite, Juzi's eyes turned misty, and an indescribable feeling welled up in her heart.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
Juzi continued eating, her eyes growing redder with each bite.
"Hey, Juzi, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Keke asked, alarmed, just as she was about to grab more skewers.
Juzi's red, swollen eyes and flowing tears startled everyone.
Even Su Yu and the others looked over in surprise.
"Is it... so good it made you cry?" Wang Dong'er asked, her eyes wide. She admitted Su Yu's cooking was delicious, but this was a bit much.
"This flavor... it's this exact flavor. I thought I'd never taste it again in my life," Juzi murmured to herself.
"Juzi, are you okay?" Keke grabbed her hand, worried.
Juzi shook her head, then looked at Su Yu with watery eyes and a gentle, trembling voice. "Su Yu, thank you. Thank you for letting me taste my dad's cooking again."
The bowl Su Yu was holding slipped from his hand.
Wang Dong'er and Meng Hongchen were equally stunned, their mouths agape.
Her... dad's cooking?
Su Yu's expression turned peculiar, and his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
The ingredients were Juzi's, the seasonings were Juzi's, and all he did was mix a dipping sauce—how did she taste her dad's cooking in this?
This made no sense!
First, Huo Yuhao's grilled meat reminded her of her dad, and now his did too?
So, as long as it's better than hers, it reminds her of her dad?
Su Yu was speechless.
Was this Juzi's issue, or was it the world's way of messing with him?
Juzi had an undeniable obsession with this taste of her dad's grill.
Now, her gaze toward Su Yu had softened in a way it never had before.
Her eyes were gentle, and her voice, almost like a whisper, began telling her story.
As she spoke, the truth about Juzi's tragic past came to light.
"So Juzi, you had such a sad childhood?" Wang Dong'er murmured, her eyes filled with sympathy.
Her father had been forcibly conscripted into the war with the Star Luo Empire and died in battle. Her mother, devastated, passed away soon after.
So Juzi is an orphan?
Although Wang Dong'er could be a bit temperamental, she was kind-hearted at her core. Listening to Juzi's story, her eyes welled up with tears.
"War... always war. It truly ruins lives," Meng Hongchen muttered, frowning deeply.
The ongoing wars over the years have claimed countless lives.
"As long as people exist, conflict will never disappear," Su Yu said calmly.
"However, if the continent could be unified and at peace, even if conflicts still arise, they could be kept within a controllable range."
"But unifying the continent would also cost many lives," Wang Dong'er countered.
"Short-term pain for long-term peace—it's worth it.
Is this current stalemate any better?
The Sun Moon Empire and the three great empires have been fighting for thousands of years.
Do you even know how many lives have been lost during this time?
Moreover, this is the natural course of history. The Douluo Continent is meant to be unified.
It should have been unified ten thousand years ago.
If not for a certain disruptive force, countless innocent lives wouldn't have been lost."
As someone who had transmigrated to this world, Su Yu firmly believed that unification was better than division.
Even within the Douluo Continent itself, the Federation in the Soul Land III era was far stronger than the fragmented empires now.
Su Yu didn't belong to any empire, so he didn't care who achieved unification.
But he knew that a unified Douluo Continent developed much faster.
Unlike the three fragmented nations of the original continent, which, after ten thousand years, were still nearly unchanged—or even worse in some areas.
It felt like they were regressing rather than progressing.
"Hmph, I can't win an argument against you, but I still hate war," Wang Dong'er huffed.
"I hate war too. No one likes war.
But as long as the Sun-Moon Empire and the three great empires exist, war will never disappear. That's the reality," Su Yu said, shaking his head.
"Then I'll train hard. One day, I'll become so powerful that they'll have no choice but to stop fighting and live in harmony!" Wang Dong'er declared, clenching her fists with determination.
"Ambitious! I like that. Haha!" Su Yu laughed. Wang Dong'er's idea made some sense.
If there were an overwhelmingly powerful individual to suppress everyone, they could indeed maintain peace on the continent—for as long as they lived.
After all, this was a world ruled by the strong. With enough power, anything was possible.
Unexpectedly, this silly butterfly Wang Dong'er had managed to arrive at such a realization. Not bad.
"Hmph." Wang Dong'er raised her chin proudly at Su Yu's approval.
Juzi had been quietly listening to the conversation, catching every word between Su Yu and Wang Dong'er.
But compared to their lofty ideas, Juzi felt she couldn't concern herself with such grand matters.
She was focused on one thing—avenging her father.
She would make the Star Luo Empire pay.
She would make Dai Hao pay for her father's life.
And for that, she was willing to give up everything.
Juzi stole a glance at Su Yu, her eyes carrying a mix of gentleness and complexity.
Deep down, she knew someone like her and someone like him was never meant to be.
He already had Miss Meng, and they… were a perfect match.
The atmosphere grew heavy as the conversation turned to war.
After the meal, everyone dispersed.
Su Yu, for his part, was eager to slip away.
Juzi's gaze was starting to unsettle him. Others might not understand what the taste of her dad's grill meant to Juzi, but he did.
Juzi's attitude toward him had taken a complete 180-degree turn, and he couldn't ignore it.
The warmth in Juzi's eyes now was entirely different from before. It wasn't distant or guarded anymore; it was sincere and heartfelt.
For Su Yu, Juzi was more trouble than she was worth. The further he stayed from her, the better.
She wasn't his type anyway.
Besides, Juzi's mental state didn't seem entirely stable, and her way of thinking was different from most people.
Deep down, Su Yu didn't want to have any special relationship with her.
Friendship was fine, but anything beyond that? No thanks.
It wasn't that he disliked her—she just wasn't the right fit.