CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 53: THIS FEMALE IS TRULY EVIL !

Fine! I admit it! I was wrong to kiss you without permission! I won’t ever do it again! I’ll ask first next time! Rong Ye mutters in his heart but dares not say it aloud. Now his pride and food are colliding. He doesn’t know what to choose.

Just... just give me food from your hand again, he thought, looking at the crispy barbeque in her hand.

Because when he roasted it himself, it didn’t even deserve to be called food.

Meanwhile, Hu Yan sat calmly at her other side, skewering and turning his meat slowly.

Golden flames flickered in his eyes as he focused. Soon, a perfect golden-brown piece of meat sizzled on his stick.

The scent was rich, juicy, mouthwatering.

He placed it aside carefully, his big hand clumsy but earnest.

Rong Ye’s violet eyes burned with jealousy.

He wanted to snatch it. He wanted to kick the tiger. He wanted to...

But he didn’t. His pride wouldn’t let him.

And then...

"Eh? So this is how you do it?"

A new voice joined in.

Han Jue, who had been quietly watching with curiosity, suddenly crouched down beside them.

He held a stick in his hand, carefully balancing the meat over the fire.

He turned it once. Twice.

The smell... was strange.

Half raw, half burnt... but still better than Rong Ye’s.

Su Qinglan tilted her head and gave them a speechless expression. "...It looks like a crime scene."

Han Jue raised his brows, unbothered. He sniffed it once, then bit into it.

Blood dripped down his chin.

"Mm. Eat-able," he said simply, his calm face unchanged.

Su Qinglan’s lips twitched.

Meanwhile, the crowd of beastmen and females had gone silent.

Every pair of eyes was locked on her small fire. On the roasted meat that smelled a hundred times better than their raw chunks.

They swallowed their tongues as the delicious aroma teased their noses.

The smell was torture.

Su Mingxuan finally let out a long breath.

His daughter was really all right. Not only all right, she was eating, smiling, laughing, feeding others.

The heavy stone that had been pressing on his chest for years suddenly cracked, and for the first time, he felt... light.

Before he could even say a word...

"Qinglan-jie!"

Bai Ling came running from behind. Her cheeks were flushed, her little hands clutching at her skirt as she rushed over.

She stared at the golden meat in Su Qinglan’s hand, her eyes sparkling, her mouth already dripping with hunger.

"I also want to roast meat," she said with hopeful eyes. "But... we don’t know how to make a small fire."

Her voice was soft, timid, but filled with longing.

Su Qinglan blinked. Then she smiled gently.

"It’s simple," she said.

And then she looked up at the crowd around her.

"If anyone else wants to make a small fire and roast meat," her voice came out soft and calm, "I can teach you too."

The whole place went silent.

Everyone looked at each other.

The original Su Qinglan had a reputation. She was the most mean female in the tribe, never getting along with anyone.

So they were surprised that she was actually willing to teach them. No one thought she would ever say something like this.

But food was different. Even if she wanted to make fun of them or play tricks on them, they were willing to fall for it.

Because good food was worth dying for.

And in the very next second... Whoosh!

Dozens of beastmen suddenly stepped forward, their jaws tight, their eyes burning with hunger.

Their females had already pushed them forward from behind.

"Go! Learn!"

"Don’t stand there like a log, hurry!"

"Bring the skill back or don’t come home!"

All the beastmen knew the truth: Su Qinglan’s cave always had delicious smells drifting out, but none of them dared ask. Now, when she was openly teaching... no one could miss this chance.

Su Qinglan looked at the sight, her eyes widening in surprise.

"You all really want to learn?"

A deep voice answered immediately, "Yes!"

Another roared, "For our females, we can do anything!"

Her lips curved softly.

"Then listen carefully."

She crouched down and showed them step by step.

"First, gather small dry wood. Stack them like this neatly. Don’t make it too big. If the fire is big, your food will burn easily."

She lifted her finger and pointed directly at Rong Ye’s pitiful stick.

The meat was black, hanging like charcoal.

Rong Ye: "..."

What did he do to be used as a bad example?

The crowd almost laughed, but they held it in.

Su Qinglan ignored him and continued.

"Next, light it like this. Then, take a plain stick and skewer the meat. But don’t forget to wash it with water first."

Her voice turned firm, almost sharp.

"If you don’t wash it, the taste will be bad, and your females will get sick."

Raw meat has very dirty things, and if you eat it like this, it will harm your body. It is necessary to maintain hygiene. Beastmen did not feel much because they were strong, but females easily got sick after eating raw meat.

The beastmen stiffened at that. Hygiene? They had never thought about it much.

But when she said it, it made sense.

Yes. The females always fell sick easily. Maybe this was one reason they never knew about.

Su Qinglan kept going, her tone patient.

"After that, roast it slowly. Don’t rush. Turn it over and over. If it turns this golden color, lower the flame by removing some of the firewood with a small stick. Don’t let it char. And finally, sprinkle some salt."

Salt.

Every beastman had it. They always stored it for their females’ health. They gave it mixed with water so females wouldn’t faint.

But sprinkling it on meat?

No one had ever thought of that.

By the time Su Qinglan finished her demonstration, the beastmen looked like they were staring at a goddess. And then without waiting for the next word, they started shouting...

"Move! Get the wood!"

"Bring the meat!"

"Wash it, she said wash it!"

In a blink, all the beastmen scattered like wolves, running to prepare.

The females stayed behind, sitting patiently by the fire, their eyes wide, their hands gripping their skirts tightly.

They looked at Su Qinglan with so much hope it almost hurt.

Finally... finally they could taste it.

Su Qinglan looked at them, her lips curving softly.

Without a word, she picked up a skewer she had roasted earlier and walked toward them.

One by one, she handed it out.

The females froze, their hands trembling as they accepted the golden sticks.

When they took the first bite... Tears instantly rolled down their cheeks.

"So delicious..."

"This taste... I never imagined..."

Some cried openly, chewing while sobbing, their shoulders shaking.

They had never eaten something so fragrant, so soft, so rich.

No wonder the smell from Su Qinglan’s cave always made them restless.

Now they understood.

Beside them, Bai Ling puffed her chest proudly and announced,

"This is my second time eating it! Qinglan-jie is so good to me!"

The other females’ eyes widened.

Second time?!

They immediately shouted, their voices full of excitement.

"Qinglan is really good!"

"She even shared her roasted meat with us!"

"She’s nothing like before, she’s so kind!"

Their words rose like a wave, filling the air with laughter and joy.

And behind them, Rong Ye bit his tongue so hard it almost bled.

He stared at Su Qinglan handing his food to others.

One stick after another, leaving nothing for him.

His violet eyes narrowed dangerously.

What kind of heart is this?! Your own family is starving, and you’re feeding outsiders?

His tail lashed against the ground as he muttered under his breath:

"This female is truly evil..."