Volume 25, Chapter 227.3: Two Women Fighting For Glory (1/2)

Dean Cai’s face was overcome with astonishment, and she wasn’t stingy with her praise. “Yuhao, you have the standards to become a professional chef! It’s no wonder I remember your business flourishing when you used to sell grilled fish outside the academy’s main gate. This is the best grilled fish I’ve ever eaten.”

Huo Yuhao chuckled, but he didn’t continue grilling his fish, and instead walked over to the wok steaming over the other fire. He put some wild vegetables in before he added another can of seasoning. The water was boiling by this time, and his seasonings had just been added when another fragrance permeated the air, and the soup turned a light red color.

He returned to the grill to continue his grilling. The fish Zhang Lexuan and Li Yongyue had caught were quite large; every single one weighed more than a kilogram, while the biggest ones were around two to two and a half kilograms. There were only a little more than ten fish, but they were enough to feed everyone here.

The fish were grilled one after another, and Huo Yuhao’s allocation was simple: he went according to age, and the eldest came first.

Zhang Lexuan was naturally the second one in line after Cai Mei’er. Even though Zhang Lexuan jokingly remarked on the fact that she was the second oldest, she was still immensely attracted by the grilled fish’s aroma.

Han Ruoruo, Li Yongyue, and Mo Xuan were next.

Wang Dong’er was almost drooling as she stood beside Huo Yuhao. She watched as the seventh fish was almost ready, and a threatening look flowed from her eyes as she stared at him. Her rosy lips curled upward, as if she were saying, “This one must be mine.”

Huo Yuhao whispered, “Others before self. You have to wait for a while longer, and I will pick a large one for you.”

Wang Dong’er grimaced when she heard him say “others before self”, but she didn’t stop Huo Yuhao as he walked towards Wang Qiu’er.

Wang Qiu’er was seated furthest away from the bonfire, and she wasn’t interacting with the others either. She was just quietly munching on her dried rations, and she only lifted her head subconsciously when Huo Yuhao arrived in front of her.

“This is for you.” Huo Yuhao handed her the fish in his hands. The grilled fish skin was glowing as an alluring aroma wafted through the air.

“For me? Aren’t you afraid of your little girlfriend becoming upset?” Wang Qiu’er didn’t take the fish, but questioned him as she stared into his eyes.

Their gazes met, and for some reason, Huo Yuhao felt a delicate dizziness in his mind when he stared into those powdery-blue eyes, even though the mysteries in those eyes were absolutely different from Wang Dong’er’s eyes. The moment was fleeting, but it was enough to surprise him.

Wang Qiu’er took the grilled fish that he handed over as she lowered her head and said, “Thank you.”

“Have we met before?” Huo Yuhao asked curiously.

Wang Qiu’er answered matter-of-factly, “I think this is our third meeting. If you don’t want your little girlfriend to think you’re flirting with me, you should go back.” She took a bite of the grilled fish in her hands as she spoke. She was momentarily stunned when the delicious flavor entered her mouth, and a peculiar light flickered across her eyes.

Wang Dong’er was still hungry, so Huo Yuhao didn’t dally. However, he was starting to believe Wang Dong’er’s judgment that Wang Qiu’er wasn’t simple at all, and she definitely had to have some secret. He instinctively developed an increased sense of wariness as these thoughts ran through his head.

He returned to the campfire and picked a bigger fish for Wang Dong’er. She was already waiting eagerly, and soon the grilled fish was finally done.

“Here you go. Careful, it’s hot.” Huo Yuhao passed the grilled fish to Wang Dong’er. A soothing smile unwittingly appeared on his face as he watched her excitement.

Wang Dong’er couldn’t be bothered with her image anymore as she sat right there and began to eat. She was almost burned, but she just kept going on about how tasty the grilled fish was.

Huo Yuhao chuckled softly. “This fish must be the most delicious one.”

Wang Dong’er continued nibbling away at her fish as she asked a little fuzzily, “Why?”

Huo Yuhao laughed and said, “There’s an added spice in this one, a kind that the other fish don’t have.”

Wang Dong’er was surprised, and said, “You actually hid something from the others? Aren’t you afraid of them calling you stingy?”

Huo Yuhao shook his head. “No, I’m not. This spice can only be used when grilling for you, because it’s called fondness.”

Wang Dong’er was slightly taken aback, but she quickly recovered as her cheeks immediately turned rosy. She whispered, “Is it just fondness?”

Huo Yuhao fiddled with the next grilled fish in his hands as he smiled and said, “Love comprises a lot of fondness. The spices next time will taste even richer.”

Wang Dong’er didn’t pursue the matter further as she chomped on the grilled fish in her hands, before she flashed a sweet smile at Huo Yuhao. She had already removed her veil at this point, and her enchanting beauty dazed Huo Yuhao to the point where he forgot to flip the grilled fish he was working on, and the fish he made for himself was a little burnt.