As Jiang Mian led Lin Yu to the kitchen, she passed by Zhao Ci’s room.
Her steps faltered almost imperceptibly, but she quickly started walking again.
She had called for him so many times.
If he wanted to come out, he would have done so by now.
‘Besides, a Beastman wouldn’t die from starving for half a month.’
After Jiang Mian brought Lin Yu to the kitchen, she pointed matter-of-factly at the pot of nutrient soup and said to Lin Yu, “Finish the soup in that pot, then wash it.
After that, help me extract the nutrient solution.”
Rong Fei was still in the kitchen.
He stood leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.
His gaze calmly swept over Jiang Mian and the Snake Beastman, his long lashes half-lowered, concealing his expression.
‘It seems she’s gone from liking that Butterfly Beastman to liking the Snake Beastman…’
The single, narrow red eye Lin Yu revealed stared at Jiang Mian for a long time.
In the end, he said nothing and turned to drink the nutrient soup.
While Lin Yu was drinking the nutrient soup, Jiang Mian began to process the plants.
“Mianmian, let me,” Rong Fei said, having appeared beside her at some point.
Jiang Mian paused for a moment, then stepped aside.
She then went on to process the other ingredients.
The flames reflected the young woman’s beautiful, focused face.
Extraction, decomposition, dialysis…
By the final stages, neither of the two Beastmen could help.
When Jiang Mian was seriously preparing the medicine, she would become completely engrossed, paying no mind to the two Beastmen beside her.
She had also brought a medicine kit with her.
Adding certain medicines could induce a qualitative change, improving the shelf life and taste.
It wasn’t until midnight that Jiang Mian finally finished extracting the nutrient solution from all the plants.
‘It wasn’t very refined, but as long as it was drinkable and could provide nourishment, it was good enough.’
She covered the large pot of nutrient solution.
When Jiang Mian turned around, she was startled to see the two Beastmen standing behind her.
Her gaze faltered.
“You’re still here?”
“Mianmian didn’t tell me to leave, so of course I stayed,” Rong Fei said with a gentle smile, the corners of his lips curling.
Lin Yu just stared at her without speaking.
Jiang Mian paused, then smiled sheepishly.
“I got busy and forgot.
But from now on, you don’t need my permission to leave.”
Her face was a blend of innocence and allure, and the beauty mark by the corner of her eye seemed to dance gracefully under the incandescent light.
The soft, faint smile on her lips was like a gentle, rippling breeze.
‘Was she always this beautiful?’
Rong Fei suddenly leaned in.
Before Jiang Mian could react, his handsome face filled her vision.
His silver hair cascaded down, brushing coolly against her neck.
The cool pads of his fingers gently landed on her face, his thumb lightly caressing the soft flesh of her cheek.
His silver eyes held a gentle smile.
“You’ve got a little smudge on your face.”
There was a long table behind Jiang Mian, leaving her no room to retreat.
Hearing this, she instinctively raised a hand to touch the spot on her cheek he had just touched, her eyes filled with slight confusion.
“Is there?”
“It’s clean now.” Rong Fei had already straightened up.
His silver hair brushed across Jiang Mian’s neck again, sending a cool shiver down her spine and raising goosebumps.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Jiang Mian changed the subject.
“Everyone should go get some rest.”
It wasn’t really changing the subject; it truly was time to rest.
Jiang Mian found it strange.
‘Isn’t he a clean freak?’
“Alright, Mianmian,” Rong Fei said, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
The three of them left the kitchen.
Jiang Mian said goodnight to them and returned to her room.
Rong Fei also walked toward his own room.
Just as his hand landed on the doorknob, a tall figure passed by behind him and said flatly, “Her face wasn’t dirty.”
He paused, realizing what the Snake Beastman meant by that.
Rong Fei slowly turned around.
Watching the departing black figure, he said casually, “If I say it was dirty, then it was dirty.”
Lin Yu heard him but paid him no mind, returning to his room and shutting the door.
Rong Fei let out a soft laugh and went back to his own room.
‘Tonight, Jiang Mian really gave me quite a surprise.
Those practiced movements, so neat and decisive as she handled the medicine, weren’t something one could master in just a year or two.
Her movements while extracting the nutrient solution were as smooth as flowing water.
Was she deliberately hiding her skills before?
Did she only decide to act now because the food ran out?
There was no denying it.
The woman she was now possessed a fatal attraction.’
「The next day.」
Lunch was nutrient soup again.
Everyone came, except for Zhao Ci, who still didn’t show up.
Even Lin Yu was there.
Jiang Mian had now switched to just lunch and dinner each day to save food while maintaining basic nutrition.
The Beastmen, naturally, were also down to two meals a day, just like her.
The daily task of preparing the nutrient soup was entrusted to Rong Fei.
Now that she had given him the task outright, Rong Fei wouldn’t dare to openly defy her or pull any tricks.
Later in the day, Jiang Mian went to find Chi Lin.
The nutrient solution extracted last night could last them for a short while, but it would be a stretch to make it last for half a month.
Therefore, after this nutrient solution ran out, the next batch of emergency solution had to be ready.
This was where Chi Lin’s Cloud Rose Seeds came in handy.
Moreover, the fruit from the blossomed flowers could be planted to grow more.
If they were frugal, they could make it to the Exile Star.
Jiang Mian knocked on Chi Lin’s door for a long time, but no one answered.
She was hesitating whether to come back and knock again later when her gaze inadvertently fell to the floor.
Bright red blood was seeping out from under the door.
Jiang Mian’s heart skipped a beat.
She hurriedly pushed the door open and went inside.
The first thing she saw was the glaring red against the white tile floor.
The sound of rock music blared through the room, deafeningly loud.
The moment Jiang Mian entered, she felt her eardrums throb and ring.
A young man stood on the white tile floor.
His sheer, white gauze top was stained red with blood, and his gray trousers were splattered with drops of it, like vibrant, bloody flowers.
Blood flowed from both of his wrists, and his neck was a startling expanse of red.
Yet, he was still propped up with one hand on a table, his gaze fixed on a holographic, transparent livestream panel in front of him.
His other long, bloodstained hand traced a path from his bleeding throat down into the V-line of his blood-soaked, taut abdomen.
His lips, also stained red, curled into a swaying smile as he asked, “Master Xuanxuan, do you like it?”
Immediately, the sounds of numerous donations rang out in the livestream.
Chi Lin watched the bullet comments on the stream and let out a breathy chuckle, his seductive voice alluring.
“You want me to cut my waist and stomach too?
Of course, Master Xuanxuan.
Just one more Battle Armor…”
The sound effect for the donation played instantly.
Chi Lin picked up the bloodstained dagger from the table and pressed it against his lean, toned abdomen.
The tips of his charming, almond-shaped eyes lifted in a flirtatious, alluring way as he asked slowly, “Master Xuanxuan, where would you like me to cut?”
The cold dagger traced the lines of his abs.
“Alright, you want me to cut here…” Chi Lin chuckled softly.
“Anything to satisfy you, Master Xuanxuan…”
Just as the dagger was about to slice down, a slender, pale hand grabbed his wrist.
Chi Lin slowly turned his gaze to Jiang Mian beside him.