Chapter 21: Controlling Yan Luo

There is nothing more awkward than being caught red-handed.

Yan Luo did not expect Hua Susu to return so quickly. He had clearly seen her leave the kitchen, looking as if she would be gone for a long while; yet, he had barely stepped into the kitchen for a moment before she returned, carrying a pile of dirt.

Yan Luo felt awkward for a brief moment, but he quickly regained his composure. Looking at Hua Susu, he said, "Who wants to steal your chicken? I was just watching you smear things on it and wanted to know if you were poisoning it."

Hearing this, Hua Susu rolled her eyes at him. "Are you alright? I’m making this chicken for myself. Why would I poison my own food?"

"Who knows if you're really making it for yourself? What if you're poisoning it to give to Xin Bai?" A look of unease flashed across Yan Luo's face as he rubbed his nose.

"If that’s what you want to think, there’s nothing I can do about it."

"If you have nothing else to do, move aside. I need to start preparing the mud."

Fortunately, she had returned quickly; otherwise, this beggar's chicken would have been completely ruined by Yan Luo. She had originally thought finding soil would take some time, but she found some less than ten steps away from the house. She dug up a bit and hurried back to the kitchen, only to find Yan Luo meddling with her meal.

"Preparing the mud?"

"Hua Susu, and you say you aren't poisoning it? What normal person coats a chicken in mud?"

"Tell me, have you come up with some other vicious scheme to use against us?"

Hua Susu retrieved a bowl from the kitchen cabinet, poured the soil into it, and added water to mix it. Hearing his accusations, she replied wordlessly, "If you have persecution mania, go see a physician. Don't bother me here."

"Me? Persecution mania?"

"Hua Susu, everything you've done in the past has been viciously atrocious!"

"If it’s not persecution mania, then are you just not drinking enough water?"

"What?"

"You're too idle. You need to drink more water to flush that out."

"You're the one who’s idle!"

She actually called him idle. Out of the six of them, she was the only one who did nothing, yet she had the nerve to judge others.

After mixing the mud, she had to carefully coat the leaves wrapped around the chicken, a task that required great concentration. Unable to be distracted, Hua Susu ignored Yan Luo. Watching her smear the mud onto the leaves bit by bit, Yan Luo found it quite novel. He began to watch with genuine interest and didn't say another word.

Once the mud was applied, Hua Susu shoved the chicken into the oven. Seeing that Yan Luo was still standing there, she lifted her eyelids to glance at him and asked, "Why are you still standing there? Didn't you say you weren't idle?"

"Who said I was idle? I’m standing here to supervise you."

"Who knows if you’ve poisoned this chicken or if you’ll give it to Xin Bai to deceive him?"

"Fine. If you enjoy watching, then watch as much as you like."

For someone as stubborn as him, Hua Susu felt that talking was useless; they needed to hit a wall themselves. Beggar's chicken requires time to bake. Hua Susu had originally intended to go back to her room to rest, but she worried that if she left, Yan Luo might tamper with the chicken and ruin her hard work. She decided to stay and pulled up study materials on her optical computer to focus on her work.

With exams approaching, she wanted to learn as much as possible. She checked the requirements for the alien biological identification exam, which would be held on a level-three planet. They would have to identify alien organisms face-to-face, which involved a certain degree of danger. Given their current strength, let alone passing, even self-preservation was a problem. For the sake of survival, she decided to study hard.

Yan Luo was shocked to see Hua Susu ignoring everyone else and focusing intently on her studies. Was he seeing things? Hua Susu actually had a day where she studied seriously. Was she sure she wasn't just putting on a show for someone else? Like that guy, Ruan Nan? However, he waited for a long time and never saw her pull up her optical computer to take pictures and send them to Ruan Nan. She just kept studying earnestly.

It wasn't until the mouth-watering aroma of roasted chicken filled the air that she put away her optical computer and turned toward the oven. Yan Luo felt truly stunned. Hua Susu was taking the initiative to study? What did this mean? Could it be that they were actually salvageable?

Before he could recover from his stupor, the scent of the chicken became irresistible. How could this chicken smell so delicious? He followed the scent and saw Hua Susu cracking open the charred mud shell and unwrapping the slightly yellowed broad leaves inside. Instantly, a rich, savory aroma, mingled with the fresh scent of leaves, wafted toward him. Yan Luo felt he had never smelled anything so savory in his life.

Before he could even take a deep breath, Hua Susu popped a piece of chicken into her mouth right in front of him, looking incredibly satisfied. This chicken... she really was making it for herself.

One bite in, and Hua Susu felt like she had come back to life. Although seasonings were lacking, the fresh fragrance of the leaves was more than enough to compensate. Each bite was tender and juicy. The meat was so succulent that it was delicious even without spices.

Seeing Yan Luo still standing there, Hua Susu held a chicken leg and smiled at him. "See clearly now? I’m eating this myself. You can rest assured and leave."

Rest... assured and leave? He couldn't rest assured at all! The chicken smelled so good that he was drooling; he wanted a bite so badly. Yan Luo suspected Hua Susu said that on purpose. Usually, he would have left by now, but the aroma was so intoxicating that he didn't want to go.

Seeing Yan Luo drooling, Hua Susu lowered her eyes and smiled. Forget it; she had intended to tease him, but since he wanted it so badly, she might as well give him some. Perhaps this would win him over. After all, she had always been generous when others wanted something.

Hua Susu tore off the other chicken leg and handed it over. "Eat up. This chicken was quite large, and I can't finish it alone. Don't let it go to waste."

Yan Luo had seen her eat the chicken with his own eyes, so he was certain it wasn't poisoned. Seeing the chicken leg held out to him, he grabbed it with wide eyes and took a large bite. *Mmm, so fragrant, so juicy, and so much flavor!* It was a hundred times better than the chicken-flavored nutrient paste. This Hua Susu might be a bit vicious, but her cooking skills were impressive.

"Ding! Yan Luo's favorability +10. Current favorability: -75!"

The system chimed. Hua Susu listened gracefully, suddenly feeling that Yan Luo was the easiest to deal with. He loved to eat, and favorability points were easy to earn. She couldn't help but push the rest of the chicken toward him. "There's more here. Eat it all; don't waste it!"

After finishing the first leg, Yan Luo had been wondering how to ask for more when she gave it to him. He didn't stand on ceremony and began to eat.

Once Hua Susu was finished, she checked the time on her optical computer. Seeing it was getting late, she left the kitchen. She had an appointment with Su Yu tonight, and as an honors student, he probably didn't like tardiness, so she needed to get back early.

After eating half the chicken, Yan Luo felt conflicted. After struggling for a long while, he decided to visit Hua Susu that night. According to the schedule, it was his turn after Xin Bai. He hadn't planned on visiting, but the chicken was truly excellent. He decided to go after all. Didn't Xin Bai say the experience was quite good? Surely he wouldn't be "cruelly destroying the flower," would he?