Chapter 93: You Mortals Have No Appreciation

That evening, Feng Miwan picked up Xiong Yibai from the hospital entrance right on time.

The two bought some fresh fruit and arrived at Zhao Shutong’s doorstep.

As soon as Feng Miwan rang the doorbell, the door swung open.

Zhao Shutong appeared behind the door, an apron tied around her waist.

The moment the door opened, a thick, intensely pungent aroma hit them head-on, freezing the pair in place.

Feng Miwan instinctively took half a step back and covered her nose, her face twisting in shock as she exclaimed:

“Whoa! Shutong! What’s going on in your place?! Who… who took a dump in the living room?! This smell is way too intense!”

Xiong Yibai’s brows furrowed tightly:

“Where’s Queyue? Did you murder her and hide her in some corner, and now… the body’s starting to stink?”

She said this while bending down to change her shoes.

“What kind of nonsense is that!”

Zhao Shutong rolled her eyes in exasperation.

“You mortals have no appreciation—this is the luosifen I just cooked! Authentic stuff! So fragrant! Where’s the stink?!”

At that moment, Ren Queyue came running out from the bedroom, a disposable mask over her face and a look of utter despair:

“Xiaowan, Yibai, you’re finally here! Save me!”

She pointed at Zhao Shutong.

“She insisted on eating this. I’ve been holed up in the room with the window open, and even cranked the air purifier to max!”

Zhao Shutong lifted her chin defiantly:

“Tch, you all just don’t get it! Luosifen’s like durian—the stinkier, the tastier. That’s the essence!”

Feng Miwan smacked her lips and commented:

“Wow, a real connoisseur.”

At this point, Zhao Shutong turned and went back into the kitchen. She carried out a big pot still bubbling with heat and “fragrance,” enthusiastically calling out:

“Who’s in? Come taste this rare delicacy of the mortal world with me!”

The moment she spoke, the three at the door reacted in perfect unison—they all jerked their heads back and shook them frantically.

Xiong Yibai even raised her hand and covered her mouth and nose tightly with her sleeve, then pointed toward the bathroom.

Zhao Shutong watched her gesture, puzzled:

“What’s with pointing at the toilet? If you need to go, just go—no one’s stopping you.”

Feng Miwan held back her laughter and translated: “Yibai means, please, take your ‘delicacy’ and eat it in there.”

She pointed at the bathroom.

Ren Queyue raised her hand: “I second that! Strong support!”

Zhao Shutong shot them a glare:

“Get outta here! Is this your house? Or yours? Huh? This is my house! You come to my house, you deal with it!”

“And I still haven’t settled the score with you two for messing with me yesterday. Now you’re pushing your luck.”

Her gaze shifted to Feng Miwan.

“Wanwan~ Come on, try some! Just one bite! Try it and I won’t hold yesterday against you. Plus, they have no taste—give it a shot. I guarantee it’ll open new doors for you!”

With that, she scooped up a spoonful of noodles with her chopsticks, blew on it, and held it out to Feng Miwan’s face, her eyes brimming with expectation.

Feng Miwan glanced at Xiong Yibai and Ren Queyue, who were frantically signaling don’t do it with their eyes, then met Zhao Shutong’s if you don’t eat this, I’ll cry expression. She fell into a fierce internal battle.

Finally, she steeled herself, squeezed her eyes shut, and ate the noodles.

“Mm…”

Feng Miwan chewed a couple of times. Her tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and surprise bloomed on her face.

“Hm~?!”

She opened her eyes and stared incredulously at the bowl:

“It’s… surprisingly delicious! It does smell a bit… unique, but it tastes amazing!”

Zhao Shutong slapped her thigh in excitement: “Right? Right?! I told you! Wanwan, you really have taste!”

And just like that, the vibe shifted dramatically.

Zhao Shutong and Feng Miwan sat at the dining table, sharing the pot and slurping away enthusiastically, exchanging notes as they ate.

“The sour bamboo shoots have so much flavor!”

“The peanuts are crunchy and delicious!”

“The broth is killer!”

Xiong Yibai and Ren Queyue could only exchange bewildered looks from a few meters away.

Ren Queyue quietly walked over and cranked open the living room windows to the max, trying to salvage the air.

She watched the two devouring their meal and sighed helplessly, then headed to the liquor cabinet.

“Eating this alone won’t do. I’ll grab some drinks.”

She hauled over several bottles—red, white, and beer—setting them on the coffee table.

“Tonight, we don’t stop till we’re smashed!”

After a few drinks, Feng Miwan couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer and asked:

“Hey, Shutong, so… what’s the deal with you and Sister Queyue now?”

Zhao Shutong was in high spirits from the booze. At the question, she immediately set down her glass, threw an arm around Ren Queyue’s neck beside her, and yanked her into a stumble.

“What deal?”

She announced loudly,

“The deal is, Miss Ren Queyue has officially been recruited into my ranks! Heh heh, girlfriend!”

Ren Queyue choked under the stranglehold and struggled to pry her arm off.

“Let… let go, or you won’t have a girlfriend anymore!”

“Awesome!”

Feng Miwan cheered, raising her glass.

“We gotta toast! Celebrating you two… uh, broken pot, broken lid—no, made for each other! Cheers!”

Zhao Shutong jumped in eagerly: “Cheers!”

Ren Queyue smiled and raised her glass too.

Xiong Yibai lifted her own glass with a slight nod: “Congratulations.”

The atmosphere hit its peak, and from there it was non-stop celebratory drinks.

Feng Miwan was the rowdy type when tipsy, and her tolerance wasn’t great. She soon got buzzed and started hugging a bottle, insisting on performing a drift for everyone. She didn’t even make two spins before face-planting into the sofa, mumbling:

“Help me up… I can drift more…”

Zhao Shutong got outrageously drunk. Convinced her luosifen broth was the world’s best hangover cure, she chased Ren Queyue around the living room with a bowl, trying to force-feed her. Ren Queyue fled every which way.

As for Ren Queyue, she was the quiet drunk type. At some point, she curled up on the single-seater sofa hugging an empty bottle, whispering to the mouth over and over:

“Shutong… stop chasing… I was wrong… I won’t call it stinky anymore… it smells so good…”

The scene descended into total chaos.

In the end, alcohol claimed total victory.

Feng Miwan sprawled out on the large sofa, sleeping without a shred of grace.

Zhao Shutong ran out of steam mid-chase, clutching her empty bowl as she passed out on the carpet with tiny snores.

Ren Queyue stayed in her bottle-hugging pose and drifted off on the single sofa.

The entire living room fell silent, save for the one sober soul left: Xiong Yibai.

She surveyed the disastrous, strewn-about scene, then resignedly began cleaning up.

First, she pried the bowl out of Zhao Shutong’s arms, then tried to drag Zhao Shutong to the bedroom.

But Miss Zhao was drunk into a puddle of mud—impossible to lift.