After scrubbing every last bit of spider guts and dried blood from their bodies, everyone felt reborn. Even the air around them seemed fresher.
Zhao Ren stood tall near the firepit set up by Shen Haoran, flipping meat with expert movements. Unlike his usual lazy banter, his focus was sharp now. His expression was serious as he added a few more spices from a small bottle he pulled out of his bag.
The rich smell of grilled meat filled the air, making everyone's stomach growl at once.
When he finally served it on makeshift plates, everyone fell silent for a few moments. They chewed slowly, savoring the flavors.
"…Damn. This is actually good," Ji Ming muttered, a bit shocked.
"It's more than good," Chen Wei agreed, still chewing. "It's amazing."
"If it was Yun Shou or Ji Ming cooking, we'd be eating burnt charcoal by now," Mei added dryly.
Yun Shou raised his chopsticks in defense. "Hey! I've improved. Last time, I didn't even burn the soup."
Everyone stared at him.
