The atmosphere between the two was too strange. Even Qin Lushu, who was usually very talkative, lowered his head silently and focused on organizing the drafts on the table.
Yun Wei originally didn't want to meddle too much, but as the core of the small team, he couldn't just sit idly by and watch the entanglement between the two.
Who knows if their feud might suddenly escalate and trigger a series of even more troublesome butterfly effects in the future.
After much deliberation, he decided to hit a straight shot.
Yun Wei looked at the composed Richard and asked, "What exactly is going on between you and Brother Xie?"
His attitude was already very clear: he didn't care about the details, he just wanted to know the result.
Richard blinked his silver eyes repeatedly, but looked towards Xie Mulang diagonally opposite him. As expected, the black-clad man sitting there lowered his head and remained silent.
Prince Silver Dragon snorted coldly, "What else could it be? I'm afraid we're not meant to be... We can't be lovers, and we can't be friends either."
Upon hearing this, Yun Wei turned to look at the other side and saw Xie Mulang remaining silent, looking like he wouldn't fight back or talk back.
Richard's expression turned even colder upon seeing the other person's reaction.
"Alright. In that case, I'll take that into account when assigning tasks in the future, and I won't put the two of you together again." Yun Wei sighed inwardly, but finally warned seriously, "However, I must remind you, never let your personal grudges harm the interests of others, otherwise I will have no choice but to ask you both to leave."
Friendships based on self-interest will dissolve when the interest is gone; friendships based on feelings will end when the feelings fade and people are hurt.
Yun Wei hates dealing with complicated interpersonal issues, but he has to clumsily learn how to unite everyone together.
Xie Mulang responded in a low voice.
After listening, Richard waved his slender fingers in the air and assured him confidently, "Don't worry, little guy. From now on, I'll only listen to you."
Yun Wei twitched his lips, but before he could reply, he saw Isaac running over from the other end of the cabin.
The tall knight stood beside the table, looking down at the silver dragon with an unfriendly expression. "He has me, that's enough."
The man and the dragon were locked in a tense standoff, and the scene descended into chaos.
Yun Wei couldn't help but rub his forehead, inwardly blaming his follower.
Yun Wei: [Those two are having a fight, I'm already having enough of a headache, why are you adding to the chaos!]
Isaac felt wronged, but he refused to give an inch.
Isaac: [That stupid dragon's gaze towards you is a bit off; I... I'm worried.]
Yun Wei: [Whatever... Who exactly are you worried about?]
Isaac: [No. Hey, don't be angry, I meant...]
The knight's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. After much deliberation, he realized that he was indeed somewhat jealous.
But what can be done? It would be a miracle if he could remain calm and composed when it comes to Yunwei.
Yun Wei wasn't angry; he was genuinely troubled.
It's naturally fun for a connoisseur to go around appreciating sweetness, but if you end up with a mouthful of shards of glass while doing all that connoisseurship, it can be truly deadly.
While the two were still whispering amongst themselves, Richard spoke up coldly: "Hey, you two, there's a limit to how much you can show affection in front of others."
He had long ago noticed the shimmering, flickering power of the contract between the two. Even if he were to guess using his tail, he knew that the two were discussing something through the power of their contract.
That big guy was one thing, but I never expected that the seemingly calm and collected little mage would have such a rich and intense inner world.
Richard couldn't help but ponder the connection between "becoming a powerful magician" and "possessing intense inner turmoil."
Yunwei immediately ceased its activities.
He looked at the silver dragon with some fear and asked tentatively, "Do you know what Isa and I are doing?"
“Otherwise what?” Richard rolled his eyes and didn’t keep him in suspense. “The contract between you two is too crude. Anyone who isn’t blind can see that you’re communicating through ‘the voice of the heart.’ But you can be thankful, little guy, your mental strength is indeed amazing. Even I can’t see what you’re exchanging.”
Yun Wei breathed a sigh of relief and said apologetically, "Oh, I see. I'm so sorry. Next time, I'll use my mental power to cover the contract channel as well."
Isaac, however, didn't care and said matter-of-factly, "Yun and I are a couple, so it's normal for us to whisper to each other."
Richard wasn't led astray and scoffed, "Hmm, but when people talk behind someone's back, the person involved can always protest, right?"
Seeing the two of them arguing again, Yun Wei felt much more relaxed.
To be honest, he suddenly felt that His Highness the Silver Dragon had really grown a lot since they last met.
Fortunately, it was lunchtime soon, and everyone moved to the dining table.
As the number of people on the boat increased, the dining table was changed from a small table by the porthole to a six-seater.
Yun Wei and Isaac sat facing each other, with Uncle Xie and Qin Lushu, one old and one young, sitting to their right. To their left sat Xie Mulang and Richard, who had arrived unexpectedly.
These past few days, Uncle Xie had been in charge of cooking for the group. Isaac didn't need to eat, and Uncle Xie was a man of many talents and didn't fuss over details, so cooking was naturally no problem for him.
But since a new member had joined, the menu for lunch was changed to one that everyone could enjoy—
Barbecue.
The Book of Rites states that the beginning of rites is in food and drink.
From the moment they learned about fire, humankind mastered the art of burnt offerings. Before the creation of pottery from clay, all intelligent civilizations, regardless of time or place, unanimously roasted food directly over flames.
Because all cooked food starts with roasted meat, which is a delicious and satisfying meal that all intelligent races never tire of!
Moreover, this is a magical world, and the two level-seven professionals on the cloud boat have mastered the use of the seven elements.
However, Uncle Xie and Isaac insisted on using charcoal to grill the meat, so Yun Wei and Yin Long, who were eager to try, gave up and only took charge of cleaning the ingredients, starting the fire, and purifying the smoke.
In this feast of magic and swordsmanship, everyone temporarily forgot about the unpleasantness.
Heaven knows how many carefully selected ingredients Isaac had stockpiled in the Heart of All Elements: Jade's ice bamboo shoots and lotus root miniature pigs, Moonflower's flower fairy truffles and brocade lamb chops, Alchemy's wine-soaked foie gras and snow-covered fatty beef...
Almost all the delicacies in the world were laid out.
These ingredients melt in your mouth even when eaten raw, let alone when they're grilled and cooked to perfection.
Tiny drops of oil burst open, falling back onto the surface like spring rain nourishing the already sweet ingredients. A sizzling sound and a wisp of crisp smoke rise as precious spice powder dances on the charcoal, sparking mesmerizing embers.
Yun Wei hadn't eaten barbecue in a long time, and even though he was initially a little reserved, he's now completely let loose.
He forked a large piece of roasted, golden-brown, juicy pork belly, dipped it in the dogwood sauce generously provided by Qin Lushu, then coated it in a dipping sauce made with soybean powder and crushed peanuts, and put it into his mouth with great anticipation.
The scalding, fragrant meat juices burst open between his lips and tongue, a crisp, satisfying crunch that traveled from his teeth to the top of his head. He didn't know how to describe the overwhelming pleasure he felt at that moment; he simply stuck out his tongue while keeping his eyes on the next target on the wire mesh.
Sitting opposite him, Isaac faithfully continued turning the ingredients, his eyes fixed on his master's occasionally exposed pink and moist vulva, his gaze growing ever more profound.
Since they set off from Bili, he hadn't been intimate with Yun Wei for a long time, and now he was feeling a bit parched.
Isaac: [Is it really that delicious?]
He chuckled to himself, wondering how he had managed to conceal the contract passage this time as well.
Yun Wei: [Of course, it's super delicious! It's a pity you can't taste it...]
Isaac: [It's okay, I'm happy to see you enjoying your meal.]
Yun Wei's eyes darkened, and even his chewing slowed down. If such delicious food couldn't be shared with his loved one, then the food lost its original meaning.
But he didn't stay sad for long, because he suddenly had a new idea.
Yun Wei: [Alright, Isa. Come into my spiritual realm, and I... will share my feelings with you right now.]
Yunwei's spiritual sea was far less clear and bright than that of the knights; beneath the calm surface lay many undercurrents and reefs, and its color was also dark.
Even so, he mustered up his courage and was willing to open his heart to the other person.
Because only Isa deserves his complete trust.
Upon hearing Yun Wei's suggestion, Isaac's previously busy hands stopped moving. He stared intently at Yun Wei sitting opposite him, his eyes filled with burning joy.
The two gazed at each other across the rising smoke, the patterns of which were clear and turbulent, like an eternal tremor of time and space.
Isaac asked himself uncertainly again: "Can...I really do it?"
Yun Wei: [Of course, only you can do it. I'm sorry for the late invitation, but you can invite me every day from now on.]
If you can no longer experience the flavors and tastes of the world, I am willing to become your eyes and lips, to always be with you, to accompany you through all the flavors and experiences of life.
Whether it was Yun Wei's imagination or not, those smoky gray eyes seemed somewhat moist.
In his silent gaze, he felt Isaac's arrival.
Although the other person's body was cold, their spirit was so warm, gentle, and tender that it filled his heart completely.
But I wonder if his understanding of spiritual power is somewhat flawed.
In Isaac's mind, both were innocent children; but in his own mind, they were mature young men, gazing at each other with captivating charm...
...
It was clearly just a moment, yet it felt like an eternity.
Isaac exclaimed sincerely, "It really is delicious."
His gaze was dark and dangerous, fixed on Yun Wei's lips, clearly implying something.
Yun Wei, however, had not yet fully recovered from his experience. His eyes were shimmering, like the water of a lake just beginning to thaw.
He glared at the knight, who was smiling seriously, with a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance, but in the end, he turned his attention back to the perfectly roasted ingredients.
Meanwhile, Xie Mulang and Richard, sitting to the side, took in the strange interaction between the two.
Seemingly both feeling the pinch, they reached for the pepper powder on the table at the same time, and bumped into each other on the table.
"You can use it," Xie Mulang said softly, withdrawing his hand.
Richard immediately turned the pepper jar upside down, slowly and methodically prepared the pepper over his own ingredients, then glanced at the other person, "Do you want more or less? I might as well just sprinkle it all on."
Xie Mulang quietly raised her eyes, glanced at the increasingly radiant and impatient Silver Dragon Palace opposite her, and finally said, "Anything is fine."
Silver Dragon snorted coldly, but still skillfully adjusted the flavor for the other party according to the proportions he remembered.
Meanwhile, Qin Lushu and Uncle Xie were chatting about food preparation and cooking, and they were increasingly looking forward to the upcoming trip.
In short, it was a feast that no one would easily forget.
Sitting together, red sleeves swaying, green charcoal fires burning, delicacies roasting, how long can this spring banquet last?
The stories of heaven and earth are endless.
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