I've been transported to the orc continent.

The first batch of soybean cakes, cassava flour cakes, and steamed dumplings were ready. As soon as the steamer was opened, steam rose into the air, along with the aromas of sweetness, meat, and starch. These aromas blended together to create a flavor that the beastmen found irresistible.

The tribespeople responsible for cooking used two tree branches to place the three foods into a clay pot. Once the pot was full, the younger tribespeople immediately took it to the cave.

It was too cold outside, so the old people, children, and cubs sat on the kang (heated brick bed) inside the cave, waiting for food to be brought in.

The orcs were eager to try what sweet snacks tasted like, so as soon as the soybean cakes and cassava cakes came out of the pot, they were snatched up by the orcs. Those who didn't get any turned to get steamed dumplings. The fragrant steamed dumplings were also delicious, and one bite made your mouth water with oil, making it almost impossible to stop eating them.

Because there was so much food to cook, in addition to cooking at the entrance of the cave where they lived, several temporary fire pits were also built in the cave that used to be used for cooking special meals for the tribespeople, specifically for stewing meat, stewing ribs, and cooking hot pot.

Bai Ling was in charge of guarding the hot pot, while Yue was in charge of tending the fire.

Bubbling and bubbling in the hot pot, it soon began to boil, with various ingredients floating and sinking in the pot, bringing out a series of aromas.

The moment Bai Ling announced that the hot pot was ready, the first orc in line handed over his bowl. Bai Ling scooped out most of the food for him, and the orc happily took the bowl and went deep into the cave to eat.

When the second pot of hot pot was almost ready, someone brought a clay pot to deliver snacks to the tribespeople who were cooking in the cave. Bai Ling took a piece of bean curd candy, and the tribesperson who brought the snacks also gave Bai Ling a piece of cassava flour cake: "Ling, try this, I think this is the best."

Bai Ling smiled and took another piece of bean curd candy with her other hand.

Bai Ling actually made a lot of bean curd candy, but there were also many beastmen in the tribe. Each able-bodied tribesman could only get two pieces of bean curd candy, while the elderly, children, and cubs could each get four pieces.

"Don't leave yet," Bai Ling said to the two tribespeople who brought the snacks. "Take this hot pot with you and let the tribespeople have a taste."

Bai Ling finished the cassava flour cake in her hand in a few bites, then picked up a strainer and began scooping out the ingredients from the pot.

There were quite a lot of ingredients in this pot. Bai Ling scooped out two large earthenware basins, which were then taken away by the tribespeople who came to deliver the food.

The tribesmen standing to the side deftly continued adding ingredients to the pot, while Bai Ling bent down slightly and called out to Yue, who was tending the fire, "Yue."

Yue looked up, her face warm and bright in the firelight: "What is it?"

Just as Yue was asking a question, Bai Ling suddenly bent down and, before Yue could react, his hand was already covering her lips.

Yue opened her eyes wide, her gaze filled with a mixture of confusion and shyness. Her face, already flushed from the firelight, suddenly turned even redder.

After stuffing the bean curd into Yue's mouth, Bai Ling immediately withdrew his hand, his eyes crinkling with a smile: "Yue, I know you like this. This piece was specially saved for you."

The sweet and soft bean curd in her mouth felt warmer than sweetness.

The warmth made him feel as if he were soaking in a hot spring, cozy and warm, and it also made his heart feel as if it were soaking in warm, sweet water, feeling wonderfully sweet.

*

A clansman came to relieve Bai Ling, and Yue and the clansman in charge of putting ingredients into the hot pot said: "We've already eaten about half full, so we can keep watch here. You guys go and eat."

The beastmen would take their bowls to whichever pot they liked to eat, and wait by the fire for the food to cook.

This was the most sumptuous meal that all the orcs had ever eaten, and it was also the best meal Bai Ling had ever had in this world.

Bai Ling held a bowl in one hand, filled with hot pot, and another bowl in the other, filled with soybean cake and cassava cake.

Yue was also holding two bowls, one containing stewed meat and ribs, and the other containing steamed dumplings and cassava cakes.

The two did not eat in the cave where they were staying, as there were simply too many people there. Instead, they ate in the cave where they cooked hot pot. The cave was not small, and the fire pit for cooking was located at the entrance. In the deeper part of the cave, there were some stones, and some tribesmen were sitting on the stones eating.

Bai Ling and Yue found a relatively large rock to sit on and placed the bowls they were holding directly on the ground.

"Yue, try this cassava flour cake. It's a bit sweet, you might like it."

Yue gave a soft "hmm" and then said, "Ling."

The two were sitting on a rock, with a few dozen centimeters between them. When Bai Ling heard Yue call him, he turned his head.

The two became even closer, and could almost hear each other's soft breathing.

"Yue, what's wrong?" Bai Ling asked.

As soon as Bai Ling finished speaking, a warm hand covered his lips, and something sweet and soft was placed in his mouth.

“Ling, I also left a piece of bean curd candy,” Yue said, her eyes crinkling with a smile, her icy blue eyes sparkling with laughter. “You like sweet treats too, so I specially saved this for you.”

*

Bai Ling felt like her head was about to explode.

"Exploded" is not an adjective, but a genuine feeling.

Bai Ling felt as if countless fireworks were exploding in his head. These fireworks were colorful and beautiful, blooming and disappearing together in his head.

His head, heart, and body all flew into the sky with the fireworks, and were then blown into countless colorful pieces.

Bai Ling pinched herself hard with the hand holding the chopsticks. Ouch, it hurt a little.

The pain helped to piece together Bai Ling's head, which had been blown into countless colorful pieces, and also brought back some of his wavering consciousness.

“Moon,” Bai Ling said in a low voice, “I really like eating bean curd candy.”

His voice lowered further: "Especially this part."

“It’s so sweet, so soft,” Bai Ling’s eyes seemed to have turned into a deep pool as he stared straight at Yue, as if he wanted to pull Yue into his own deep pool. “I like him the most.”

Mingming Ling was saying something perfectly normal, but Yue felt there was something else in his words, which made her blush deeply and feel incredibly happy.

"Ling, the food is getting cold, let's eat quickly," Yue whispered. "There's so much delicious food, I'm going to eat until I'm stuffed today."

Bai Ling: "Yes, I'll make even more delicious food in the future, so you'll always have enough to eat."

Moon: Why is my face even redder?