Jiang Mian finished simmering a pot of soup made from diluted nutrient solution.
She then washed her hands, ready to call the Beastmen over for the soup.
As she turned around, she was surprised to see Rong Fei leaning casually against the kitchen doorway.
There was no telling how long he had been standing there.
Jiang Mian paused for only a moment before speaking.
“Perfect timing.
Go get the other Beastmen and tell them to come have some soup.”
Rong Fei didn’t move right away.
His beautiful silver eyes flickered, his gaze fixed on Jiang Mian, seeming somewhat surprised.
“So, Mianmian knows how to cook?”
Jiang Mian’s expression remained unchanged as she replied with a faint smile, “Isn’t it easy enough to just stir some water into nutrient solution?”
‘Though she did, in fact, know how to cook.’
‘But these five Beastmen had only spent half a month with her body’s original owner.
How well could they possibly know her?’
“Hurry up and get them over here for soup.” After saying this, Jiang Mian paid Rong Fei no more mind and ladled a bowl of soup for herself.
She noticed there were many seasonings in the kitchen, which was a nice discovery.
She could extract nutrients from them, too.
Rong Fei’s long lashes drooped slightly.
Without a word, he turned to go get the others.
He wondered if the person who previously couldn’t even distinguish between different foods had been putting on an act all along.
Jiang Mian was cradling her bowl and had just taken a sip of soup when she saw several Beastmen walking over, all with broad shoulders, narrow waists, and long legs.
Putting aside everything else, these Beastmen were all stunningly handsome.
The sight of them was a feast for the eyes.
‘If only they didn’t want to kill me.’
“Go ahead and get some soup for yourselves.” Jiang Mian offered a small smile as she stepped aside to clear the way.
“You didn’t poison this, did you?
Trying to kill us all?” Li Yan looked at Jiang Mian, his tone unreadable.
“That’s right, it’s deadly poison.
You better not drink any,” Jiang Mian retorted sarcastically, shooting him a sidelong glance.
The glance from her dark, beautiful, star-like eyes was vivid and utterly captivating.
Li Yan faltered for a second, then scoffed.
“In that case, I’ll have to try this ‘poison soup’ you’ve made.”
With that, he walked inside.
Chi Lin slowly approached, his seductive, almond-shaped eyes narrowing lazily.
“For a soup made by sister’s own hands, even if it were deadly poison, it would surely taste sweet.”
The corner of Jiang Mian’s mouth twitched.
She waved a hand, gesturing for him to hurry up and drink.
Of the five Beastmen, only three had come.
Two were missing.
It was obvious who the two were.
Lin Yu and Zhao Ci hadn’t come.
The other three Beastmen finished their soup and washed their own bowls without being told.
The Star Network had automatic dishwashers, but this Exile Starship, of course, did not.
Li Yan finished washing his bowl and walked out.
Jiang Mian subconsciously moved to get out of his way, but after just a few steps, he stopped right in front of her.
His tall, sturdy frame completely blocked the fluorescent light above, casting his shadow over her.
Having him stand so close was incredibly intimidating.
Jiang Mian instinctively took a few steps back to create some distance.
‘Huh?’
She looked up at him in confusion, her expression asking if he needed something.
Li Yan lowered his gaze to meet hers and slowly said, “It was disgusting.”
Before she could react, the man turned on his heel and walked away.
Jiang Mian immediately realized he was talking about the soup she had made.
A surge of anger flared up.
She understood now—this guy was definitely targeting her on purpose.
“It’s just diluted nutrient solution, how good did you expect it to be?” Jiang Mian shot back, refusing to be cowed.
“Not only is it disgusting today, but let me tell you, tomorrow it’ll be even more disgusting.
And you’ll have to drink this disgusting stuff for another half a month!”
Li Yan’s steps halted, and he turned back to look at her.
Jiang Mian’s eye twitched.
Seeing all his muscles still intimidated her a little.
‘But then I remembered the chip in his brain area, and I wasn’t afraid anymore.’
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Mian looked at him, her confidence surging back.
However, the Wolf Beastman just stared at her fixedly for a moment without saying a word.
Li Yan stared at Jiang Mian for a while.
Usually, by this point, that woman would have issued a command to the chip in his head and started tormenting him.
But this time, she did nothing.
Li Yan gave Jiang Mian one last deep look, then turned and left.
Leaving Jiang Mian completely baffled.
A handsome face suddenly appeared right in front of Jiang Mian.
Deep green eyes, the color of misty mountains, regarded her with a smile, his voice carrying a deliberately seductive lilt.
“Sister, you can hit me tonight.
Chi Lin is already prepared.”
Jiang Mian was startled by the face that had suddenly loomed so close.
After hearing his words, the corner of her mouth twitched again.
She took a few more steps back to create some distance and looked at him calmly.
“I said we’d get along peacefully.
I’m not going to hit you anymore.”
“But I’m trying to please you, sister.” Chi Lin slowly stepped closer to Jiang Mian again, his seductive eyes blinking with mock innocence.
“Didn’t you say that being good to you was our chance to earn the status of a Beastman Free Man?”
“Being good to me doesn’t mean *this* kind of good.” Jiang Mian was still holding her empty bowl.
As the man advanced on her, she clutched the bowl with both hands, forced to retreat continuously.
“But isn’t hitting people what you like most, sister?” Chi Lin pressed closer.
He raised a wrist, still wrapped in white gauze, to the bandage around his own neck.
His long, pale fingers tugged at the gauze, pulling it away to reveal a wound that hadn’t fully scabbed over yet, faint traces of blood seeping out.
But he just smiled, his green eyes seeming to ripple with desire, as if tempting her to commit some wicked act.
“Don’t you just love Chi Lin’s neck covered in fresh blood, sister?
It’s about to scar over.
Why don’t you come and peel it open again tonight?
It will be even more beautiful.
I’m sure you’ll love it, sister.”
Jiang Mian thought he was seriously twisted.
Nevertheless, she replied, “From a scientific perspective, blood is one of the dirtiest things in the human body.
All metabolic waste is transported in the blood, so it’s not beautiful at all.”
Hearing this, Chi Lin’s misty-mountain-green eyes widened in a brief moment of shock.
Then his gaze fixed on Jiang Mian with renewed interest, the smile on his lips widening.
“Sister, you even know about that?
Chi Lin is truly surprised.”
He kept walking toward Jiang Mian, and to maintain the distance, she could only keep backing away.
Jiang Mian’s brows drew together.
She had no choice but to look up at him and say in a soft but firm voice, “Stop.
Don’t come any closer.”
But the Beastman before her acted as if he couldn’t understand, continuing his slow, domineering advance.
His voice, however, was exceptionally innocent.
“But sister, I’m trying to please you.
I want to be closer to you.
You keep backing away…
Chi Lin is so hurt.”
Jiang Mian frowned slightly.
An arm suddenly came between them from the side.
Rong Fei gently placed a hand on Jiang Mian’s shoulder while his other hand took the bowl from her grasp.
His voice was slow and calm.
“Mianmian, I’ll wash your bowl for you.”
Jiang Mian glanced sideways at Rong Fei, her expression faltering for a moment before she subconsciously loosened her grip.
Rong Fei smoothly took the bowl and, with his hand still gently on her shoulder, guided her away.
“Mianmian, you still have to process those plants later, right?
Come on, I’ll help you.”
Jiang Mian paused.
‘How did he know I was going to extract nutrient solution later?’