Su Qinglan looked at the food in front of her and sighed.
The meat was ready, golden and fragrant. But when she glanced around the cave, there was only one small bowl and one large one. That was all the original owner had left behind.
How were they supposed to eat?
If it was just her alone, she wouldn’t have minded. She could have sat on the ground and eaten straight from the pan, no problem. But now there was also Hu Yan. And on top of that, she still wanted to stir-fry some greens and—most importantly—make that giant omelet with the beast egg.
Her eyes practically glowed when she thought about the egg.
But without bowls, it would be too messy.
She turned to Hu Yan, who was still sitting by the fire, staring at the pan with hungry eyes. "Hu Yan," she said seriously, "we need bowls. Otherwise, how are we supposed to eat? Can you carve some from stone?"
Hu Yan blinked, then gave a short nod. He stood up at once.
"I’ll get stone," he said simply, and without hesitation, he left the cave.
Su Qinglan thought he was going to search nearby, but in truth, Hu Yan’s steps carried him toward his own cave. He knew there were some rough stones there that could be carved into bowls. But as he walked, his thoughts spun.
He didn’t actually want to leave.
He wanted to stay right there, by the fire, to watch every move Su Qinglan made. The way she cooked fascinated him. The way the meat sizzled, the way the strange seasonings changed the smell—he wanted to know it all. If he could remember everything, then maybe... maybe he could try it himself later.
But duty came first. She wanted bowls, so he would bring bowls.
Inside the cave, Su Qinglan stretched and hummed a little tune. She went deeper inside, searching for a flat stone that might work as a plate for the vegetables. She was still thinking about what herbs to add when she suddenly heard the faintest shuffle of paws.
At first, she thought Hu Yan had come back. And ignored it.
But behind her, a shadow slipped into the cave.
It was a fox.
Not just any fox, but a snow-white one, its fur shining like silk. The tips of its ears glowed faintly purple, and behind it swayed six long tails, moving gracefully like ribbons in the wind.
His purple eyes narrowed with excitement as they landed on the pan still sizzling over the fire. The rich fragrance of stir-fried pork filled his nose, and he licked his lips without even realizing.
This wasn’t the first time he had come close. All morning, he had been stalking this fat female from a distance, hiding among the trees, watching her strange cooking. Last night, the scent had nearly driven him crazy. He hadn’t slept, tossing and turning, his stomach growling.
But he was not shameless.
He was not like that tiger, Hu Yan, who had wagged his tail and sat at her feet like a begging pup.
No, he was proud. He would never lower himself to ask for food.
Still...
The scent of the meat was too much.
His eyes shone. His six tails swayed faster.
He lowered his head and dipped his mouth into the pan, snapping up a piece of pork. The hot, juicy meat melted instantly on his tongue.
The flavor exploded in his mouth.
His eyes went wide.
Delicious!
He took another bite, then another, eating greedily, forgetting all about pride. The soft meat, the salty taste, the ginger that warmed his throat—it was unlike anything he had ever known.
He almost moaned in pleasure, but just then... Rustling.
Footsteps could be heard coming from deeper inside the cave.
The evil female was coming back!
His ears twitched, tails flaring out like a startled peacock. He panicked for only a second before he made the decision.
No time to eat slowly.
With one powerful bite, he clamped his jaws around the entire stone pan. It was heavy, still hot, the sizzling fat burning against his tongue. But he didn’t care. He was a beastman. A little heat was nothing to him... especially when he had fire ability. He was almost immune to heat.
With a blur of white, he dashed toward the cave mouth. His six tails streamed behind him like banners, his paws striking the ground so fast they barely touched. His speed was terrifying, the kind that could shame even a leopard.
And just like that, both the stir-fried pork and the pan were gone.
Su Qinglan stepped out from the inner cave at that exact moment, holding a flat stone.
She froze.
The fire still blazed. The air still smelled of fried meat. But the pan... was gone.
So was the food.
Her eyes widened, then twitched. "...What the hell?"
Did someone actually steal her food on the second day of arriving in the beast world? Damn, they really had no shame.
Her voice cracked with outrage, echoing through the cave like some tragic opera singer. She stomped her foot, the flat stone clattering uselessly to the ground. "Who?! Who dares?! Which thieving ancestor of a dog has the guts to steal my food!?"
Her stomach gave a mournful growl as if to second her grief.
"I didn’t even get a single bite!" she wailed, clutching her head dramatically. "Do you know how much fat I wasted? Do you know how much I suffered to chop that ginger with a rock?!"
She pointed furiously at the fire. "And they took the pan too. THE PAN! What kind of beast steals cookware? What’s next, my cave? My bed?"
Her nostrils flared. "Fine! Whoever you are, you better choke on it! May you cramp, trip over your own tail, and faceplant straight into dung!"
Somewhere outside, the faint sound of paws faded.
Su Qinglan narrowed her eyes.
"Enjoy it while you can, thief. Because next time, I’m the one stir-frying you."