By the time they finished, both of them were covered in dirt and sweat, but the sight of the newly planted field made it all worth it. Jianyu stood up, stretching his sore muscles.
"Not bad," Zhenfeng said, his tone softer than usual. "It actually looks... good."
Jianyu glanced at him, surprised by the genuine comment. "Thanks. You weren't half bad yourself."
Before Zhenfeng could respond, a delicious aroma wafted through the air, cutting through their exhaustion like a knife. Jianyu's stomach growled loudly, and Zhenfeng immediately burst out laughing.
"Wow, subtle," Zhenfeng said, clutching his stomach.
"Shut up," Jianyu grumbled, his nose leading him toward the source of the smell. "That's coming from the gathering room, isn't it?"
Zhenfeng sniffed the air and nodded. "Smells like someone's cooking up a feast. Must be your friends."
The two of them, still filthy from their work, made their way toward the front of the cavern. Whatever was waiting for them, it smelled like heaven—and after everything they'd just been through, they'd earned it.
By the time Jianyu and Zhenfeng shuffled into the gathering room, the sight before them was equal parts surprising and baffling.
Chengxin crouched near a small campfire, a makeshift setup that seemed way too resourceful for someone who looked like he couldn't lift a finger to help around before. Above the fire hung a wooden stick, and dangling from it were five tiny glass cups filled with bubbling liquid.
The aroma coming from those cups was absolutely mouthwatering. Qi Qi sat cross-legged nearby, poking at something in her hand and looking immensely proud of herself.
Before Jianyu had the chance to smile at Qi Qi's fast recovery, his eyes widened. "Chengxin, how—wait—how do you even have a fire in here?"
Chengxin glanced up nonchalantly, as if summoning fire from thin air was an everyday occurrence. "Small campfire. No big deal," he said, stirring the contents of one of the cups with a twig. "I found some fish meat in a bag. Thought I'd make something out of it."
Zhenfeng snorted, arms crossed. "Wait, that meat indeed looked like fish. You mean the weird slimy stuff in a bag?"
"Yeah, that one," Qi Qi replied casually in place of Chengxin, "It's got a nice texture. Cooks fast too."
Jianyu's stomach dropped. His voice rose an octave. "That's not fish! That's monster meat! It's from the water creature Zhenfeng fought this morning! It could be poisonous!"
For the first time, Qi Qi actually looked amused. "Relax, Ge. Chengxin already tasted it. He is still alive, Isn't he?"
Jianyu stared at Chengxin, horrified. "You ate it? Without checking? Are you insane?"
"Gege, I'm a cook, I have to try a lot of things, even poisons before I serve it to someone else. Plus, I didn't eat a whole glass," Chengxin said, "Just a tiny bit to make sure it wouldn't kill us. It's fine, trust me. Want some?"
Zhenfeng raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. His skepticism was thick in the air. Jianyu, exasperated, nudged Zhenfeng. "Don't just stand there all judgy. Say something."
"Pass," Zhenfeng said flatly, not even looking at Chengxin. His tone was sharp enough to cut steel.
Jianyu frowned at him. "Could you not be such a grump for once? He's trying to feed us."
Zhenfeng's jaw tightened, and he glared at Jianyu. "Whatever." He turned his gaze to the fire. "Anyway, where did you even get firewood and a lighter? Pretty sure we don't have those."
Chengxin smiled, "I have my ways."
Zhenfeng rolled his eyes. "Helpful. Care to elaborate?"
"Not really." Chengxin said, sounded slightly annoyed, but when Qi Qi gave him a look, he relented like a good kid. "Fine, fine. I've got a stash of lighters. Thought they might come in handy someday. Qi Qi got some too."
Qi Qi beamed. "Fire is everything, you know? Warmth, cooking, scaring away monsters. Basic survival. We're not that unprepared."
Jianyu blinked, still processing. "You two just... have lighters stashed away for emergencies?"
"Yup," Qi Qi said brightly. "Not that it's your business."
Zhenfeng snorted softly but didn't comment further. Instead, his eyes flicked to the bubbling cups. He didn't say anything, but the smell was clearly getting to him. His stomach growled faintly, and Jianyu smirked.
"Thought you didn't want any," Jianyu teased, reaching for one of the cups and handing it to Zhenfeng.
Zhenfeng gave him a sharp glare. "Shut up."
Chengxin passed Jianyu a cup with an overly casual "here you go," then handed another to Qi Qi, who eagerly took it and started blowing on the steaming liquid. Jianyu peered into his own cup. The broth was a clear, golden color, with chunks of what definitely looked like fish floating in it. Small sprinkles of green herbs swirled around, giving the dish a fresh, inviting appearance. He took a cautious sip.
His eyes widened. "Okay, wow. This is... really good."
Qi Qi grinned. "Right? He added some dried herbs from our stash. Told you we are the MVP."
Zhenfeng, who had reluctantly taken a cup after all, didn't say anything at first. He sipped slowly, his expression guarded. But Jianyu didn't miss the way his eyes softened just a little as the flavor hit him.
"Not bad, huh?" Jianyu said, nudging him.
Zhenfeng scowled. "It's edible."
Jianyu laughed. "Coming from him, that's basically a five-star review."
Qi Qi leaned back, looking smug. "Told you. Monster meat or not, Chengxin knows what he is doing."
Jianyu couldn't help but smile as he took another sip. The broth was rich, with a deep umami flavor that reminded him of slow-cooked meals from his childhood. The meat was tender and slightly sweet, with just the right amount of chewiness. It was the kind of food that made you forget about everything else for a moment.
As they sat there, eating in the warm glow of the campfire, the tension between them seemed to ease—just a little. Even Zhenfeng, grumpy as ever, looked less on edge.
For a brief moment, surrounded by the quiet crackle of the fire and the lingering aroma of the meal, it almost felt like they were a team.