Chapter 129 (First Release)...

Ning Wanwan felt that her guess was a bit far-fetched, because although Ansel and Xiaozhou were acting strangely, they did not appear to be injured.

But it's really strange. They said those harsh words to each other yesterday, and today they both seem weak.

Ansel: "Of course there was no fighting."

Xiao Zhou: "Yes."

The two spoke almost in unison, but gave completely opposite answers.

Ning Wanwan: "What exactly is going on with you guys?"

Ning Wanwan frowned as she looked at them: "Is it true or not?"

Anger flashed across the girl's face.

What kind of trouble are these two up to?

Did Ansel really hit Xiaozhou? But why does he look injured himself? How could a little kid like Xiaozhou hurt him?

"It's nothing, don't worry, Wanwan, it's just a small thing." Ansel said, glancing at Xiaozhou, gritting his teeth, "Right?"

Xiao Zhou: "Yes, Ning Wanwan, don't worry."

He gently tugged at Ning Wanwan's sleeve, tilted his head up, and said, "Neither of us has anything to worry about."

Ning Wanwan: "...Then I really don't care anymore."

Ansel was already eating breakfast. He said lazily, a piece of bread dangling from his mouth, "Don't worry, Wanwan. Although I hate him, he's right about this. You really don't need to worry."

"You just need to wait for me to get rid of all the annoying guys."

Ning Wanwan: "..." How can I not worry when you say that!

However, somehow, Ansel and Xiaozhou seemed to have reached some strange balance after negotiating in a place unknown to her.

In short, Ning Wanwan felt that the two of them, especially Ansel, calmed down a lot during breakfast.

This made Ning Wanwan breathe a slight sigh of relief.

After breakfast, Anseil impatiently went out to kill monsters, urged on by the villagers, while Xiaozhou continued to flip through the cookbook in the living room.

"Ning Wanwan, you should go and rest first," Xiao Zhou said. "You still look a little sleepy."

Ning Wanwan thought for a moment, "Okay, call me around noon."

At noon, Xiao Zhou didn't wake her. Ning Wanwan had already woken up and was thinking about what to eat when she stepped out of her room and smelled a rich aroma.

She went to the kitchen and found Xiaozhou facing the stove, standing on a small stool, stirring the steaming soup in the pot with a spoon.

Ning Wanwan: "!!!"

She rushed forward: "Xiao Zhou, what are you doing? This is dangerous..."

Before Ning Wanwan could finish speaking, she saw the soup in the pot in front of Xiao Zhou. The soup was as thick as milk, and the snow-white fish meat was rolling around in it. A rich aroma of fish soup wafted over.

Ning Wanwan: "!"

"This is... something you made."

Ning Wanwan opened her mouth, asking in disbelief.

Xiao Zhou: "Hmm, it's almost done following the recipe. Ning Wanwan, would you like to try some first?"

As he spoke, he reached for a small bowl to serve Ning Wanwan some food.

Ning Wanwan: "No need, no need, I can do it myself."

Xiao Zhou was faster than her and had already ladled out a small bowl for her: "Try a little beforehand, and let me know if there's anything you don't like."

Ning Wanwan didn't need to move much throughout the whole process. Holding the small bowl, she was pushed to the table by Xiao Zhou, looking a little dazed, and then slowly drank a sip of the hot soup.

The next second, Ning Wanwan opened her eyes wide in shock.

"It tastes so good..."

It was indeed very delicious. The fish soup was fresh and had a hint of sweetness from the fish. Even the fish meat was tender and chewy. It was incredibly delicious.

Ning Wanwan couldn't resist taking sip after sip, and even though the soup was still hot, it didn't stop her from blowing on it and continuing to drink.

Xiao Zhou asked earnestly, "Ning Wanwan, what do you think? Is it okay?"

Ning Wanwan: "Yes, absolutely! Xiaozhou, you actually did this all by yourself..."

Ning Wanwan still found it hard to believe when she talked about it.

"You're really amazing, Xiaozhou..."

Xiao Zhou: "It's not difficult if you just follow the recipe."

As she spoke, Xiaozhou's snow-white eyelashes drooped, obscuring her inorganic silver-gray eyes, and the tips of her fair ears quietly turned red.

Ning Wanwan took a few more sips. Xiao Zhou had brought over a pot of fish soup that she had prepared at some point, and silently added soup and fish to Ning Wanwan's bowl.

Ning Wanwan: "Xiao Zhou, don't just let me eat, you should eat too."

Xiao Zhou is a great help in making lunch, so we can't let her go hungry.

Xiao Zhou obediently nodded, added the last spoonful of soup for Ning Wanwan, and then served himself some, slowly starting to eat.

He ate very slowly, even slower than the bread slices Ning Wanwan had casually prepared that morning, seemingly uninterested in his appetite.

He would study recipes to make fish soup, but only to make it for Ning Wanwan.

The incredibly delicious fish soup satisfied Ning Wanwan. She finished the last drop in her bowl and had just put it down when Xiaozhou looked up at her, as if she had been watching her the whole time.

"Ning Wanwan, would you like some more?"

Ning Wanwan quickly waved her hand: "No need, I've already eaten a lot... Just eat your own food and don't worry about me."

Xiao Zhou gave an "oh" and lowered her eyes to continue slowly sipping her soup.

Although she said she had already eaten a lot, Ning Wanwan still filled another bowl with the delicious aroma while sitting at the table. This time, like Xiaozhou, she slowly drank and savored it.

"Xiao Zhou is really amazing," Ning Wanwan couldn't help but think, glancing at Xiao Zhou again through the rising white steam of the hot soup.

Xiao Zhou was very sensitive to her gaze and looked over as well. Then, as if remembering something, she tried to smile awkwardly and stiffly.

However, this time it seemed more natural than the first time.

Ning Wanwan paused for a moment, then returned a small smile.

Xiao Zhou's gaze lingered on her face for a while, until Ning Wanwan became somewhat uncomfortable, before he slowly withdrew his gaze.

Ning Wanwan held the small bowl, somewhat hesitant, feeling as if she had seen that intense, nameless longing in Xiao Zhou's eyes just now.

However, Xiao Zhou was such a remarkable child; what could he possibly desire from her, and she had nothing to offer him in return.

Ning Wanwan thought to herself, somewhat confused.

Suddenly, a noise came from the gate; Anseille had returned.

"Wanwan, I'm back! Mmm, smells good, what's this..." Ansel walked to the table, smiling brightly at Ning Wanwan, while completely ignoring Xiaozhou as if it were a tiny insect.

"Wanwan, you actually made fish soup too!"

Before Ning Wanwan could say anything, Ansel picked up a spoon, ladled the fish soup into an empty bowl, and took a sip.

"Delicious! Wanwan, your cooking is getting better and better!"

Ning Wanwan: "..." Besides this fish soup, her cooking skills hadn't improved much, and...

“Ansel, I didn’t make this fish soup,” Ning Wanwan corrected quite honestly.

Ansel, who had already drunk half of his drink, said, "If it wasn't you who did it, then who else could it be...?"

Then, he suddenly paused, his gaze slowly falling on the small boat.

Xiao Zhou also raised her head and gave him a very calm look.

Ansel: "..."

Ansel: "Ugh! Ptooey! Ptooey!"

Ansel was so disgusted that he ran to the sink and vomited up everything he had just eaten.

Ning Wanwan: "...No, it can't be that bad..."

After Ansel finished vomiting, he returned while wiping his mouth, sneering repeatedly: "So that's why this soup tasted disgusting, it turns out it was made by you."

Ning Wanwan: "...Hey, that's not what you just said."

Ning Wanwan glanced at the fish soup that Xiao Zhou had just made, pursed her lips, and seemed about to say something more.

However, Ning Wanwan remembered that she had originally not planned to get involved in these conflicts, so she paused, lowered her eyes, and continued drinking her soup, wanting to observe how things would develop.

Then, she heard Xiao Zhou suddenly blurt out something.

"It's not as disgusting as the fish soup you made before."

Ning Wanwan: "Pfft—"

Ning Wanwan was caught off guard and coughed violently.

She looked at the small boat with some disbelief.

How did Xiaozhou know? She clearly never mentioned that Ansel had made fish soup.

Ansel, like a cat stung by a needle, almost jumped up: "You! Wanwan, the soup I made isn't disgusting, is it!"

As the only referee on the field, being stared at by both of them at the same time, Ning Wanwan: "..."

The pressure is immense.

“Wanwan—” Ansel said pitifully, his violet eyes showing a look of grievance.

Even though Ning Wanwan knew he was faking his pitiful and aggrieved state, she almost agreed.

But the image of Ansel's fish soup flashed through her mind, something so terrifying it seemed straight out of a ghost story. Ning Wanwan moved her lips, but couldn't bring herself to say "it's not disgusting."

Ning Wanwan didn't say anything, and Xiao Zhou calmly added from the side, "Do you really have to make things difficult for her?"

"You know very well that the fish soup you made was awful, right? I could smell it from next door."

Xiao Zhou's tone was as straightforward as ever, but the content was as heart-wrenching as ever.

Ansel: "..."

Ansel's expression shifted repeatedly. Because of a delicate balance, and not wanting to act immediately, he simply ignored the small boat and looked at the most important person: "Wanwan..."

The blond-haired, purple-eyed boy turned to look at the girl, dragging out the last syllable, and was about to snuggle up to Ning Wanwan again, but Xiao Zhou beat him to it and grabbed the hem of Ning Wanwan's clothes.

Then, as Ning Wanwan subconsciously looked down, the little boy with white hair and gray eyes lowered his snow-white, thin, and transparent eyelashes and softly called out, "Ning Wanwan."

Although her little face was expressionless and she only called her name without complaining, she was so well-behaved that it was heartbreaking.

Ning Wanwan: "..."

Ning Wanwan looked completely bewildered.

Ning Wanwan felt lost.

What does this have to do with me? Aren't those two arguing? Why is everyone staring at her?

I'm sorry, she's really not good at handling these kinds of situations.

Since we can't solve it, let's address the problem at its source.

Ning Wanwan let out a breath: "That's enough, all of you. My head hurts. Stop talking. That's enough."

Ansel: "Wanwan, does your head hurt? Let me rub it for you!"

Xiao Zhou: "You rest for a bit, I'll go find the village doctor."

The two voices rang out simultaneously, mingling together, making Ning Wanwan's head ache even more.

Ning Wanwan could only be thankful that there were only two of them; if there had been more...

Just thinking about it fills me with utter despair.