"Ahhh…"
Soft breaths escaped, mingled with the sizzle of meat and the glow of firelight. The smoky aroma of roasted soul beast flesh wrapped around them.
Hu Liena's cheeks were flushed, her brown-gold eyes hazy in the flickering fire. She leaned forward mischievously, lips glossy. Holding a skewer in one hand, she slipped the fingers of Subei's opposite hand into her mouth, sucking gently, cleaning them of lingering juices. "Baji, baji… zizi…"
The wet heat wrapped his fingers, a soft tongue brushing, teasing, tickling in ways no skewer of meat ever could.
Subei's heart lurched. "Nana!" His breath hitched, whispering at her reddened ear. "What are you doing?"
Her blush deepened, yet her slyness never wavered. "Mm… the seasoning stuck to your hands. I couldn't waste it. After I… clean you, you'll be spotless again." She tilted her shy, charming face upward, glowing by firelight, lips still clinging faintly to his fingertips.
Subei swallowed hard. His heartbeat hammered. The sweetness was overwhelming. If this is love—that something so silly feels like a treasure—I really might have fallen for this fox girl.
He stroked her hair affectionately, letting her hide in his chest, satisfied.
But around them, eyes were already watching.
Bibi Dong coughed lightly behind her hand. Not from anger—but to cut the growing embarrassment before it unraveled further. She was the Pope, after all. If I were not the Pope… even I might have reached to steal his fingers.
Yan lowered his head and sighed deeply. Watching Hu Liena's loving gaze, his heart shrank. She no longer had space for him. Compared to Subei, Yan was nothing. A proud genius swallowed by a comet's light.
In the corner, Ghost Douluo hunched with a mountain of discarded skewers and bones before him, gnawing silently. Better to gorge himself unseen than to compete. Eat and stay quiet. Chatting loses flavor; flavor is all I have here.
And then there was Tang San.
His eyes lingered on Hu Liena and Subei, but not with attraction. His chest brewed something sour, messy, unnameable. A child who had never tasted love, he could not define it. He only knew that whenever his Teacher lavished attention elsewhere, something ached inside. Vinegar.
The Pope coughed again, lightly. The atmosphere eased. Hu Liena blushed like a girl caught sneaking treats, shrinking into Subei's robes, shy as a daughter-in-law.
Subei, however, only smiled. He skewered a slice of perfectly browned meat, charred at the edges, and lifted it toward Bibi Dong.
"Teacher," he said warmly, "this one I chose carefully. It's the finest cut from the whole plate. For my Teacher only."
Soft words, simple gesture. But the effect was electric.
The mighty Pope blinked once, then allowed herself the faintest, most elegant smile. Her disciple remembered her. He knew where her heart stood. "Xiaobei is truly clever," she murmured, accepting gracefully.
Tang San seized his chance. He grinned, pulled carefully cooked pieces from his rack, and presented them with ceremony. "Teacher! This is the choicest piece I selected. I offer it to you!"
His eyes gleamed with hope.
But from the side, Yan chuckled with faint sarcasm. "Brother Tang San, you copy quickly. Next time, consider passing me some meat, too. Share the love."
Tang San flinched. Then, with a dutiful smile, he passed meat to Yan as well. Still, he added firmly, "The Teacher comes first. Always."
Hu Liena pouted, poking a skewer skyward. "Then why don't you serve for me and Teacher Bei? Isn't it proper to respect us too?"
Tang San shook his head solemnly. "With respect… I only bow to my Teacher. Master first, all others later."
The fire cracked audibly into the silence. Ghost Douluo immediately stared at Bibi Dong, waiting for rage, ready to leap into his shadow vortex to avoid the blast.
But the Pope only smiled faintly again. She glanced softly at Subei. "Your disciples are well-trained. Loyalty so deep, they'll even slight me. You surpass me already, Xiaobei. At this rate, I've nothing left to teach you except how to wield my strength."
Her words disarmed the tension. Subei chuckled lightly. "Teacher is strong. I'm still weak. That's why I need protecting."
The night softened again.
This time, it was Subei himself who unfurled his final surprise. From his system's hidden spoils, two ornate bottles of liquor appeared—clear spirits that shone in the firelight. He unsealed one, the aroma bursting into the air like a spell.
Hu Liena swayed slightly, intoxicated simply from the fragrance. Yan sniffed and nearly moaned, Ghost's brow rose, and even Bibi Dong tilted her head curiously.
"This," Subei declared, "is my treasure. Modern wine, more pure than any Tiandou vintage. Who wants to try?"
Ghost Douluo nearly tripped over his robes at the scent. "Wine? This… this is finer than anything I've tasted in three hundred years!"
"Bei…" Hu Liena's eyes turned glassy with desire. She tugged his sleeve coyly. "I've never drunk before. Can I sip with you?"
His smile softened. "Of course."
"I'll drink too!" Yan bellowed, practically demanding to prove masculinity.
Tang San's voice was smaller, but more piercing. "Teacher… may I drink with you as well?"
And then Bibi Dong set down her plate delicately and raised her own prepared flask with grace. "In fact," she said, her smile sly, "I've brought Royal wines to compare. Let us see—Xiaobei's hidden treasures, or mine?"
The night burned brighter, the fire's glow merged with crimson drink, and the moon reflected on cups raised high.
The camp outside Star Dou had become less a hunting ground of beasts, and more a battlefield of hearts—each sip another pledge, another challenge, another claim upon the boy at the center of their world.