Night swallowed the daylight, and Blackrock Stronghold shed its daytime industrial heaviness, now illuminated by countless dim yellow steam lamps and flickering neon signs, casting a cyberpunk-esque, surreal glow.
The air was stiflingly hot, thick with the charred aroma of grilled meat and the rich, fermented scent of ale.
Inside the bustling restaurant on the first floor of The Anvil and Wheat inn, the four members of the Quantum Battleship team occupied a corner table.
At the center of the table, a grill sizzled with large chunks of meat marinated in a secret sauce, the dripping fat splattering onto the scorching stone plate with a tantalizing, mouthwatering sizzle.
"Wow! It smells amazing!"
Lin Xiyue's eyes sparkled as she gripped her tongs, poised to snatch the first perfectly grilled piece.
The relentless travel and constant tension had pushed her hunger to its peak.
But just as she was about to move, a slender, pale hand shot out, firmly pressing down on her wrist.
"Not cooked through yet. Want a stomachache?"
Su Wan's voice was crisp and cool, her brows furrowed slightly, her beautiful face openly expressing her disdain.
"Sit properly and keep your hands away."
"Oh..."
Lin Xiyue reluctantly withdrew her hand, gazing longingly at Su Wan.
Su Wan deftly flipped the meat, even thoughtfully adjusting the grill's flame to ensure even cooking.
Across the table, Lin Qingyue watched the scene, barely suppressing a smirk.
My foolish little sister, don't you understand?
It's not that she finds you annoying; she's annoyed that you're disrupting her rhythm of personally feeding you!
She raised her wine glass, taking a delicate sip of the inn's house-brewed fruit wine, her gaze flitting back and forth between Su Wan and Lin Xiyue, inwardly cheering wildly.
From the moment they entered the restaurant, Su Wan's watchful gaze hadn't wavered.
When Lin Xiyue tried to order another mug of ale, Su Wan shot her a sharp look: "Alcohol impairs reaction time. We need to travel tomorrow."
When Lin Xiyue attempted to pry information from the adventurers at the next table, Su Wan snatched a freshly grilled piece of meat and precisely stuffed it into her mouth: "Shut up and eat. The intelligence reports have everything you need."
Now, Lin Xiyue had even been ruthlessly stripped of her right to grill her own meat.
Amplified by the Echo of the Heart's Abyss rule, this possessiveness had become almost tangible, a public declaration for all to witness.
Ironically, the oblivious Lin Xiyue genuinely believed the Young Mistress simply disliked her. With her mouth greasy and her face full of innocent sincerity, she chewed heartily.
"Um... Su Wan, you should eat too," Xia Lian whispered, sensing the awkward atmosphere.
Since they had sat down, Su Wan had been too preoccupied "supervising" Lin Xiyue to touch her own empty plate.
"Mm," Su Wan replied, picking up the smallest piece of meat and placing it on her plate. She meticulously sliced it with her small knife, her peripheral vision never leaving Lin Xiyue.
Just then, a commotion erupted at the restaurant entrance.
A tall, fiery figure strode in, instantly becoming the visual focus of every male in the room.
It was the fox-eared woman they had encountered earlier that day.
She still wore her revealing leather crop top, accentuating her breathtaking curves.
The massive, fiery-red tail swaying behind her with each step seemed to infuse the air with an aggressive sweetness.
"Well, fancy meeting you here, little sisters," the fox-eared woman purred, her gaze locking onto Lin Qingyue's group in the corner. A playful smile curved her lips as she sauntered over.
Lin Xiyue was wrestling with a perfectly roasted rib when she heard the voice and looked up.
When she saw that familiar yet stunningly beautiful face, she forgot to chew the meat in her mouth.
But her gaze, as if drawn by an invisible force, slid toward the fluffy, voluminous tail behind the woman.
Su Wan's expression instantly darkened.
Her fingers tightened violently around her knife and fork, knuckles turning stark white with tension.
The temperature in the air plummeted several degrees, even the flames dancing in the grill seemed to shrink under the weight of her oppressive aura.
"Mind if I share your table?"
The fox-eared woman didn't wait for an answer before pulling out a chair and settling down right next to Lin Xiyue.
A potent, distinctly feral scent instantly enveloped Lin Xiyue—not perfume, but a mix of sunlight, leather, and a vibrant, primal musk that was both alluring and overwhelmingly imposing.
"I'm Adela, just a humble traveling merchant."
Adela winked at Lin Xiyue, her voice husky and seductive. "And you, little sister? What's your name?"
"I... I'm Lin Xiyue."
Lin Xiyue felt intensely uncomfortable under Adela's piercing gaze, especially with that tail gently swaying beside her.
Under the Echo of the Heart's Abyss rule, her overwhelming urge to reach out and stroke it threatened to burst through the top of her skull.
Driven by this intense desire, she instinctively edged closer to Su Wan, hoping the Mage's icy aura would help cool her down.
After Lin Qingyue's "educational briefing," she now understood what the fox-eared woman's blatant interest in her meant.
While she wasn't prejudiced against same-sex relationships, she still preferred Su Wan's type—the kind who feigned disinterest with words but whose body told a different story, occasionally even blushing.
Adela's overly enthusiastic and unrestrained demeanor left her feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"Lin Xiyue... such a lovely name."
Adela's gaze flickered between Lin Xiyue and Su Wan, her smile growing increasingly knowing.
She suddenly leaned close to Lin Xiyue's ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Little sister, what I said earlier wasn't a joke. My room is at the end of the third-floor corridor. The door's unlocked—you're welcome to 'inspect' my tail anytime."
Lin Xiyue's face flushed crimson.
A tail inspection! She had actually invited her! Did that mean she could touch it?!
Her pleading gaze darted to her sister for help.
But Lin Qingyue remained aloof, leisurely swirling her glass of fruit wine, even giving her a "Brave Knight, Fear No Challenge" look.
Meanwhile, Su Wan's patience had reached its breaking point.
Under the combined influence of Truth and Echo of the Heart's Abyss, Adela's every taunt felt like a red-hot needle piercing Su Wan's infinitely magnified possessiveness.
BANG!
Su Wan slammed her knife and fork onto the table. A visible layer of frost instantly spread from the point of contact between the metal and the wooden table.
The restaurant's clamor fell silent as every eye turned toward her.
"Get your cheap perfume and that tail away from her," Su Wan hissed, rising to her feet. Her icy blue eyes locked onto Adela, a glacial chill radiating from her. Each word seemed to have been squeezed from beneath a layer of ice.
"Oh?"
Adela wasn't intimidated in the slightest; instead, she laughed even more gleefully.
She leaned back lazily in her chair, flicked her tongue out, and slowly licked her vividly red lips, her eyes brimming with challenge.
"I simply... wanted to invite this adorable little sister to spend a delightful evening with me. Why are you so tense?"
"Dream on!" Su Wan's voice dripped with barely suppressed anger.
"Whether it's a dream or not isn't up to you to decide."
Adela turned her gaze to the bewildered Lin Xiyue, her smile brimming with confident anticipation.
"Little sister, what do you say? Do you prefer this cold, controlling Ice Mage, or me—this fiery passion that will leave you wanting more?"
A blatant provocation, a soul-crushing choice with deadly consequences.
Lin Xiyue's mind froze instantly. She glanced back and forth between the two women, unable to utter a single word.
Xia Lian wished she could dig a hole and bury herself alive; the suffocatingly awkward atmosphere of this battlefield of wills made her feel like she was about to suffocate.
Lin Qingyue, however, watched the escalating confrontation with gleeful fascination, her inner troublemaker fully ignited.
It's here, it's here! The annual blockbuster: 'The Battle for Little Knight Night'! Ice Mage vs. Fiery Fox Demon! Get to fighting already! I've got my snacks ready!
[Ding! Host's enjoyment of witnessing a major confrontation and successfully stirring up the drama has granted them +777 Elation Value!]
Just as Su Wan's Magic Power was about to spiral out of control and Adela's tail began to lash restlessly, an untimely voice rang out.
"Ladies, if you want to fight in my establishment, that's fine, but you'll need to pay for the broken table and the oven first."
The innkeeper had materialized beside their table, clutching a wine barrel larger than her head.
Her face wore a friendly smile, but her eyes clearly conveyed: "One more outburst, and you'll taste my fist—the size of a casserole dish."