Chapter 153: Warming Wine Around the Stove, Entertainment Activities

Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Warming Wine Around the Stove, Entertainment Activities

"Hey, hey, hey! Cedriel! No, I was just calling out! I wasn’t rushing, I wasn’t rushing her!"

Chased relentlessly by Cedriel, Xu Yi once again became the group’s resident punching bag. The fluffballs seemed especially interested in running after him.

"Ahhh! Liang He, save me! Why are you guys only bullying me?! It’s not fair!"

With his heart sinking in despair, Xu Yi didn’t dare slow his feet for even a second, terrified of being caught. Although being caught wouldn’t actually cost him his life, the sheer terror induced by the fierce beasts made it impossible for him to stop.

"Pfft... Does Doctor Xu often play with Cyril and the others like this?"

Silver Shuttle, who was witnessing such an amusing scene for the first time, stared with sparkling eyes at Xu Yi running along the wall, followed by a whole train of fluffballs.

"You could call it a type of entertainment."

Hoder took a sip of warm red wine, lounging lazily in a recliner as he gazed at the stars. He was already completely unfazed by the interactions between Xu Yi and the fluffballs.

"Entertainment... That works too?"

Feeling a sudden twinge of sympathy for Xu Yi, Silver Shuttle couldn’t help but chuckle. He picked up a roasted chestnut that had popped open, only to nearly burn himself.

"OOH—HISS! Ooh—so hot!"

"Take it easy. Do you really want to roast your own hand like meat?" Hoder rolled his eyes at Silver Shuttle in exasperation. As soon as he saw Liang He emerge from the stairwell, he immediately stood up and ushered her over to rest. "Liang He, this spot is the best. Sit here. Oh, right, here’s your glass."

Watching Hoder’s utterly sycophantic display, Silver Shuttle twitched his lips in speechlessness. Beside him, Huo An also wore a look of utter disdain for his foolish nephew.

"Thank you." Liang He took the wine glass and took a small sip. Seeing that the fluffballs were still playing their game of tag with Xu Yi, she worried he might throw up his recently eaten dinner and quickly spoke up. "Darlings, stop chasing him. Come over here and rest for a bit."

Liang He’s words were more effective than anything else. She didn’t even need to shout; the fluffballs automatically received her command, stopped in their tracks instantly, and turned back to her side without hesitation.

It took a delayed moment for Xu Yi to realize that the fluffballs were no longer chasing him. He hurriedly found the nearest empty spot and collapsed directly onto the ground, panting heavily, devoid of even the strength to speak.

"Don’t lie down. Stand up." Lan Zhuo, who rarely spoke, kindly reminded him out of respect for Xu Yi being his senior brother. "Lying down immediately after exercising can easily cause physical discomfort. Stand and rest for a moment to catch your breath."

"I really can’t stand anymore..."

Hauled up forcefully, Xu Yi hung his head, wanting to cry but lacking the tears. The moment Lan Zhuo let go, he tried to flop back down again.

"Kuang Ye, keep an eye on Doctor Xu. Make sure he stands up straight and doesn’t move."

Seeing this, Liang He specifically chose the Mengji Snow Leopard, who got along with Xu Yi the least, to act as his supervisor. After all, the leopard still held a grudge against Xu Yi for disguising himself as Liang He to try and trick him.

"MEOW!"

At her command, the Mengji Snow Leopard immediately took his post. His piercing leopard eyes stared intently at Xu Yi, terrifying him so much that he didn’t dare budge. He stood as straight as a board, rivaling even Hoder’s rigid military posture from the past.

It wasn’t until Xu Yi’s breathing steadied that Liang He finally called the Mengji Snow Leopard back. The second the leopard walked away, Xu Yi collapsed onto his back once more.

"Haha, Xu Yi, sure enough, the only way to keep you in line is..."

Hoder didn’t need to finish his sentence; Xu Yi knew exactly what he was going to say. He simply waved a hand dismissively, lacking even the energy to retort.

"It’s been so long since I’ve been this relaxed. This is incredibly comfortable." Hoder found the most comfortable position to lie in, resting his hands behind his head as a pillow and crossing his legs as he gazed at the starry sky.

Compared to him, the others were much more reserved, but they were still very much at ease. This was a feeling they had never experienced before. Only here, by Liang He’s side, did this magical charm exist.

"Liang He, I..."

"Hey! Do you guys want to party up and play a game?"

Seeing that everyone had settled down, Lan Zhuo had just opened his mouth to ask Liang He about the pill, only to be interrupted by Xu Yi.

"Party up? What’s that?" After this entire day, Silver Shuttle felt like he had been living under a rock his whole life. Everything now was filled with a sense of unknown novelty.

"It’s a game from Blue Star, super popular. You can play it on your Light Brain. There are exactly five of us... oh, not counting Lan Zhuo. He never plays this stuff."

Lan Zhuo was only interested in research. To him, playing games was simply a frivolous waste of ambition and time. He was completely different from Xu Yi, who believed in a balance between work and play. Lan Zhuo didn’t understand it, but he respected it.

Xu Yi had always been solo queuing before. Now that he had finally managed to gather a full five-person squad, his hands were naturally itching to play.

"Sure, I don’t mind."

After he explained the rules of the game, both Hoder and Silver Shuttle were extremely interested. Huo An was fine with anything, and Liang He didn’t mind either.

"Then it’s settled. I’ll make the team, you guys hurry and download the game."

And just like that, with the exception of Lan Zhuo, they each grabbed their Light Brains, downloaded the game, formed a squad, and started playing.

"Ah! Watch my back, guys! How did I die again?!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Hurry up and save me! I’m being ambushed!"

"Damn! How are Liang He and my uncle so good? They wiped out the enemy base in one go?!"

Hoder, who originally thought their first battle would end in a crushing defeat, never expected that Liang He and Huo An—playing for the very first time—would coordinate so flawlessly. In the blink of an eye, they destroyed the enemy’s crystal.

"Yes! We won!"

As the youngest of the group, Silver Shuttle jumped for joy the moment he saw their victory. He eagerly dragged everyone into playing a few more rounds.

"Haha! We’re on a winning streak now, we’re amazing!"

Ever since becoming a Bounty Hunter, Silver Shuttle had seemingly maintained a hundred percent mission completion rate, but in reality, he had never enjoyed the thrill of a true victory. Right now, he was absolutely overjoyed.

"Shall we keep going?"

"Alright, let’s take a break. We can play more after having something to eat."

Liang He smiled and shook her head. She poked at the roasted sweet potatoes, and seeing they were about done, she put on her gloves and distributed them to everyone.

Silver Shuttle was completely obedient to Liang He’s every word now. Although he desperately wanted to continue playing, he dutifully put down his Light Brain and began eating his sweet potato.

"Pace yourselves, everyone. We had a big dinner, so don’t force yourselves if you’re too full."

Sitting around a warm stove with drinks was all about the atmosphere; having a little taste was enough. There was no need to eat until they burst.

"This sweet potato is so sweet! I feel like it’s even better than the last time."

At the beginning of winter, Liang He had made roasted sweet potatoes. Perhaps it was because they hadn’t eaten much of Liang He’s cooking recently, but right now, even a simple roasted sweet potato tasted incredibly fragrant.

"This is a honey sweet potato, so it’s a bit sweeter. Look, the sugar syrup is even oozing out from roasting."

Liang He had snagged the honey sweet potatoes from the cafeteria chef. The chef had said they were exceptionally sweet, and he certainly hadn’t lied to her.

"So sweet potatoes actually come in different varieties. Let’s buy this kind next time."

Hoder, who was never stingy when it came to good food, had already started searching the Blue Star shopping websites. In addition to honey sweet potatoes, the website recommended quite a few other delicious items. After asking for Liang He’s opinion, he conveniently placed an order for everything together and just waited for the delivery.

"Liang He, there is something I’d like to ask your opinion on."

Looking up at Huo An standing before her, Liang He was a little surprised. She had thought Lan Zhuo would be the first one unable to sit still.