That evening, Cheng Wei boiled the remaining loquats in a pot of sugar water.
First, adding water and boiling them would provide a sense of fullness.
Second, the temperature was dropping, and warm, soupy food would help everyone stay warm.
After the loquat sugar water was ready, he ladled it out, bowl by bowl. Coincidentally, there were exactly ten bowls in the cupboard.
The golden fruit flesh and pale orange syrup looked particularly enticing in the pure white porcelain bowls.
Cheng Wei used a spoon to distribute the fruit evenly, ensuring each bowl had roughly the same amount of syrup and fruit. He then carried the bowls to the dining table and continued to ponder what else he could do to fill everyone's stomachs.
Although there was no food in the house, the kitchen cupboards were stocked with various seasonings: a full jar of salt, another full jar of sugar, pepper, bay leaves, and other spices.
They hadn't had a proper lunch or dinner, two meals in a row. If they didn't eat tomorrow, it would definitely affect their physical strength. After all, they had only leveled up; their physical functions hadn't been completely transformed.
Cheng Wei took out the instant noodles, thinking that he would cook them tomorrow.
While he had something to do, the others seemed much more bored.
They had repeatedly searched every possible place, even trying to move the sofa and cabinets to check behind them, but they found nothing.
The torrential rain outside showed no signs of stopping. Lü Ang tried venturing out into the rain, but returned soaked and empty-handed.
Apart from the house, there was only the forest at the foot of the hill. The forest seemed to stretch endlessly, like a separate world.
Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were both at their wit's end.
They were trapped.
They could do nothing but wait for the rain to stop and the game to begin.
…
After dinner, they arranged the night watch schedule and went back to their rooms to rest.
Two people shared each bedroom, and one person slept on the sofa downstairs, leaving exactly three people for the night watch.
Shen Mo returned to his room and found Bai Youwei awake.
She sat by the window, her chin resting on her hand, silently watching the rain outside.
The room was crowded with various dolls and stuffed animals. It should have felt cramped, but seeing her sitting alone amidst the plush toys, he inexplicably felt that the room was vast and lonely.
By now, Shen Mo's anger had mostly dissipated, but recalling the incident still irked him slightly.
He disliked Bai Youwei joking about such things.
He looked at the bed, then at the wooden stool she was sitting on, and asked, "How did you get over there?"
The wheelchair was downstairs, and she hadn't brought her cane in. Unless someone carried her…
Bai Youwei turned her face, her dark, thick eyelashes framing her watery eyes. She leaned down further, resting her face on her arm, and gazed at him quietly, without speaking.
Shen Mo walked over.
She softly said, "I really didn't do it on purpose."
Honestly, Shen Mo didn't quite believe her.
He knew her mischievous nature better than anyone.
"I was sleeping soundly. When you called me, I thought I was dreaming…" Bai Youwei explained in a soft voice. "Later… I realized it wasn't a dream and was about to answer you…"
She paused, a flicker of an unknown emotion in her eyes.
Shen Mo patiently asked, "What happened?"
Bai Youwei pouted and slowly said, "I was thinking, would you secretly… kiss me while I was asleep? So I hesitated for a moment."
Shen Mo: "…"
Bai Youwei sighed again. "But I didn't expect you to react that way. You almost crushed my shoulder."
Shen Mo: "…"
He was speechless.
"Shen Mo, do you know?" She turned her face away, no longer looking at him, her eyes fixed on the rainwater streaming down the windowpane. She whispered, "If you turned into a doll, I would definitely cry."