The golden afterglow spilled over the water's surface, and by the stream, wisps of cooking smoke rose gently.
Five minutes earlier.
Under Luo He's instructions, the red panda had gathered reeds and branches to use as fire-starting materials.
Luo He himself had built a simple stove using stones.
"Ying?" The red panda stood behind the crouching Luo He, tilting its head in confusion as it watched his actions.
"This is called 'drilling wood to make fire,'" Luo He explained patiently, holding a wooden stick. "It's a basic survival skill in the wild."
The red panda seemed to half-understand. It turned its head toward the fire and, with a soft "whoosh," spat out a small flame.
The fire ignited.
The red panda stuck out its tongue, looking up at Luo He, who had silently stood up, and blinked its eyes.
It seemed to say nothing, yet it seemed to say everything.
"..."
Luo He turned his back to the red panda, kicked the useless wooden sticks and planks into the river, and then calmly said, "Alright, let's start cooking."
Admittedly, Luo He had been outdone by the red panda's "flame-spitting" technique when it came to starting the fire. But cooking was where Luo He truly excelled.
As a chef of national banquet caliber, Luo He's culinary skills were on par with those of Liu Maoxing, the legendary "Little Master Chef."
For the upcoming dish, "Honey-Glazed Whole Roast Chicken," Luo He had even prepared a secret weapon.
The red panda looked at Luo He, who was acting mysteriously, its face full of curiosity. "Ying?"
"You'll find out soon," Luo He said.
He pulled out a packet of leaves from his pocket and carefully unwrapped it.
Inside was a golden, honey-dripping honeycomb—the very same "killer honey" that had haunted the dreams of Bear Boss.
The red panda's eyes widened in shock as it stared at Luo He.
"Ying!" How did you get that?!
"Don't underestimate a chef's dedication to sourcing ingredients," Luo He chuckled. "After Bear Boss smashed the hive, I swooped in and grabbed it."
The red panda spat in Luo He's direction, exasperated. "Ying." So the killer bees were chasing us because of you, not me!
Near the stream, wild fruit trees grew. Though not as flavorful as snake fruit trees, they still had a unique taste.
Luo He skewered the prepared whole chicken, which had been marinated with wild fruits, onto a long stick.
Using a reed as a natural brush, he coated the chicken with honey, carefully gliding it over every inch of the bird's skin.
The reed chicken's meat was naturally tender. After marinating with wild fruits and being glazed with honey, its flavor was elevated to a whole new level.
The flames licked at the chicken, and the skin gradually took on a golden sheen.
Sizzling juices dripped into the fire, sending up white smoke. The aroma of meat, fruit, and honey mingled together, creating a rich and mouthwatering fragrance.
With the skill of a master, Luo He controlled the heat, rotating his wrist to ensure the chicken cooked evenly.
This motion caused the aroma to burst forth, as if golden ribbons of scent were wrapping around them.
"Ying..." The red panda's eyes were glued to the increasingly fragrant roast chicken, drool hanging from the corner of its mouth.
Luo He glanced at the red panda and, seeing its unwavering gaze, deliberately raised his arm.
The red panda immediately stood on its tiptoes.
Luo He lowered his arm.
The red panda dropped to all fours, its eyes filled with longing. "Ying..."
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore," Luo He said with a laugh.
Without fear of the heat, he tore off a steaming, juicy chicken leg and handed it to the red panda. "Here, consider this a thank-you for saving me."
The light in the red panda's eyes shone brightly.
It glanced at Luo He, confirming that it could really have the chicken leg, then clasped the fragrant roast chicken leg with both paws and took a big bite.
"Ying ying ying~~"
Every part of the red panda's body radiated happiness, its big red tail wagging so hard it seemed like it might take off.
The red panda loved sweet foods, and this sweet, delicious roast chicken had completely redefined its understanding of food.
So delicious! How can it be this good?!
Luo He rested his chin on his hand, casually turning a skewer of roasted wild fruits over the fire. The flickering flames illuminated his profile as he smiled and said, "Take your time. If you want, we can always catch another reed chicken."
According to Luo He's knowledge as a forest ranger, red pandas typically ate bamboo shoots, leaves, and berries.
But like giant pandas, they were omnivores and could eat meat as well.
"Ying~" The red panda's mouth was smeared with grease, its paws oily, as if it hadn't heard Luo He's words.
Seeing how happy it was, Luo He handed it another skewer of roasted wild fruits. "Have some fruit. It'll help with digestion."
Due to its small size, the red panda had a limited appetite.
It could only stand to the side, licking its lips, as Luo He finished off the rest of the roast chicken.
"Don't worry, next time I'll make something even better for you," Luo He said.
"Ying~" The red panda smiled, its earlier gloom completely gone.
It's a deal.
After eating, the red panda stuck out its tongue to clean its mouth, then carefully licked its chubby little paws.
It dipped its hands in the stream, raised its plump paws, and began scrubbing its round little face.
Red pandas were naturally clean creatures, always washing their hands and faces after meals.
They also loved basking in the sun, just like Luo He.
So well-behaved... Luo He couldn't help but think.
Having a red panda as my first contracted beast might not be a bad choice.
After all, we've been through life and death together.
And judging by its fire-starting skills earlier, it might even be smarter than me...
As he pondered how to communicate with the red panda, a rustling sound came from the bushes across the river.
Luo He turned his head sharply.
Bear Boss, having fought its way through the chaos, emerged from the bushes, its face swollen with bites and stings, to the point where its scar was almost invisible.
Luo He froze for a moment, then lowered his head, covering his mouth as his shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.
I'm trained to stay professional... unless it's absolutely impossible to hold back.
With the stream between them, Luo He felt confident he could retreat if needed.
But just as he was about to make another strategic retreat, he noticed something odd in Bear Boss's expression.
"Roar—"
Bear Boss let out a low growl, but there was no threat in its voice—instead, it sounded almost... negotiable.
Luo He was taken aback. After a moment of thought, he raised the leftover roast chicken in his hand.
Bear Boss's eyes lit up, and it immediately nodded.
This eager demeanor was a far cry from the fierce and imposing image it had projected earlier.
Luo He's expression turned complicated.
So you're a foodie too, huh? You followed the scent all the way here!
Recalling how Bear Boss had fearlessly licked the honey earlier, Luo He realized that its love for food was undeniable.
Although Bear Boss had chased him at the start, Luo He knew that it was better to make friends than enemies. Bear Boss was a renowned overlord of the Yunling Mountains, and having it as an ally could be beneficial.
After a moment of hesitation, Luo He stood up with the roast chicken and walked to the riverbank. He called out to the other side, "Stay there! I'll throw it over—is that okay?"
The black bear sat by the river, straightened up, and clapped its paws. "Roar~"
No problem~
The red panda, who had never seen Bear Boss act like this before, stared at Luo He in awe, its eyes shining with admiration.
Not only is his cooking amazing, but even Bear Boss listens to him!
Luo He took a deep breath and hurled the roast chicken across the river. But his expression suddenly changed.
Oh no, I didn't throw it far enough—it's going to fall into the river!
Red Panda & Bear Boss: )Д(!
At the critical moment, Bear Boss executed a "Hungry Bear Pounce," leaping into the air with a massive shadow that blotted out the sky.
Luo He and the red panda looked up in unison, their mouths hanging open in shock.
In mid-air, Bear Boss opened its drooling jaws and caught the roast chicken.
Then, with a thunderous "boom," it crashed into the river!
A column of water shot up, the sound echoing like thunder, before everything settled back into calm.
Luo He wiped his face, spat out a mouthful of river water, and asked nervously, "Are you okay, Bear Boss?"
Bear Boss lay on its back in the middle of the stream.
The water lapped at its arms and waist as it chewed on the half-eaten roast chicken, its face filled with bliss.
What is this? It's so delicious!
"Ying!" The red panda's jaw dropped in astonishment.
This human just took down the mighty Bear Boss with a single roast chicken!
Facing the utterly stunned red panda, Luo He silently looked up at the darkening sky.
We both fell into the water once... I guess that makes us even!
...
(End of Chapter)