"Forget the stupid fox," Cāng Yáo rasped as tears streamed down her flawless cheeks. She tightened her grip on Bai Yue's tunic. "Give me another bowl. Now."
Bai Yue blinked, frozen. She looked at the panting, sweating, hiccuping Dragon Princess, and then down at the empty wooden bowl.
"You.…you want more?" Bai Yue asked cautiously, fully convinced this was a trap. "You do realize your face is the color of a ripe tomato, right? And you just burped black smoke."
"Do not question me, mud-rat!" Cāng Yáo wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye with the back of her heavily jeweled hand.
She let go of Bai Yue and dramatically pressed a hand to her own chest. "This.…..this is pure agony. My tongue feels as though it is being stabbed by a thousand tiny, furious fire-demons. It is completely undignified! It is torture!"
She paused, her golden pupils dilating as she stared at the bubbling red cauldron.
