Chapter Twelve: The Girl in Pink

“Waaah, I can smell not just grilled fish, but also meat buns. I haven’t had a meat bun in so long…” The girl sniffed, her face full of longing.

The brown bear, as if it understood human speech, swallowed several times, its eyes shining with hunger and fixed pitifully on Luo Changning, making his skin crawl.

He took out some meat buns wrapped in oiled paper and handed them to the girl. “Here, you both can eat.”

Of course, “both” included the big brown bear. To his surprise, the girl took the oiled paper and quickly devoured all three buns, completely ignoring the bear’s aggrieved and longing gaze.

When she finished, she noticed Luo Changning’s astonished expression.

The girl scratched her head sheepishly. “Did I eat too fast? It’s not my fault—the buns were just too delicious. And could you help Dumb Bear… and me grill a few more fish? Maybe a dozen or so? Dumb Bear has quite an appetite.”

Luo Changning was left speechless. He had never met such a peculiar girl.

“I can grill the fish for you, but you’ll have to help gather firewood,” he said, glancing at their equally eager faces. “And he can’t just sit around either,” he added, pointing at the brown bear.

“Mm, mm, we’re both very capable! Just remember to grill plenty,” the girl replied energetically. “My brother’s fish is awful—either burnt or raw, and sometimes he doesn’t even scale them properly. He’s hopeless!” With that, she hopped off the bear’s arm and dashed off to collect firewood.

The big brown bear grinned foolishly and lumbered into the river to catch fish. Its massive frame contrasted sharply with the tranquil water, creating a wild, striking beauty. Soon, it had speared four fat fish with its claws, wagged its hips and tail to show off for Luo Changning, then tossed them onto the bank.

Not wanting to watch the bear’s antics any longer, Luo Changning lowered his head and began to clean the fish with his dagger at the water’s edge. He couldn’t gut fish as fast as the bear caught them, but he was by no means slow.

Soon, he had cleaned seventeen fish. The constant sound of splashing and heavy objects landing on the grass reached his ears, and sweat beaded on his forehead. At last, unable to stand it any longer, he looked up to stop the bear, who was still enthusiastically catching and tossing fish.

“That’s enough! Just look—there are nearly thirty fish on the grass that haven’t even been cleaned yet. And you,” he called to the girl, who was still gleefully piling up firewood, “that’s more than enough. You’ve stacked five heaps already—enough to last a regular family half a month…”

The girl pouted, her face flushing as she protested, “It’s not my fault! Dumb Bear caught so many fish, I was just worried we wouldn’t have enough firewood.”

She turned her big, almond-shaped eyes on the brown bear. “It’s all your fault for catching so many fish for no reason.”

The brown bear looked completely innocent, blinked, and tossed four more fish onto the bank before disappearing into the water to play.

Luo Changning couldn’t help but laugh. He turned to the girl. “We have enough firewood. Go pick some sumac berries and pepper for seasoning.”

“I know pepper, but what are sumac berries? Fruit made of salt?” She blinked, her face eager for knowledge.

“Sumac berries have a layer of salt crystals on the outside—they taste salty and a bit sour,” he explained, pointing. “See that tree near the edge of the woods? Those are the ones. Since we don’t have salt, we’ll have to use them as a substitute.”

“I have salt, actually! My brother says rock salt tastes better than sea salt, so he never buys salt when he goes to market. We always eat rock salt at home. But those sumac berries sound tasty too—I’ll go pick some!”

Luo Changning knew there was no stopping her, so he let her be. When it was time to grill, he’d ask for a bit of salt to take away that earthy taste.

Soon, all the fish were cleaned, and Luo Changning washed his dagger and slipped it back into his boot. It was a hidden weapon—righteous martial artists usually scorned them, thinking it beneath their dignity. But Luo Changning had no such qualms. To him, any weapon that could kill was a good one.

He lit the fire, skewered the fish on sticks, and set about grilling eight at once, turning chef for the occasion. The brown bear joined the girl, both of them sitting on the grass, watching the fire with rapt attention.

Glancing at the girl, Luo Changning finally asked the question that had been on his mind since he first met her. “Do you and your family live deep in Mount Regret?”

He knew every part of Mount Regret except the depths, and was certain no one else lived there.

“Yes, I live here with my brother, Dumb Bear, and Gray Bunny. It’s been many years now.”

“Just the two of you? How old is your brother?”

“He’s fourteen, and I’m ten. But my brother is amazing—he’s already a martial artist of the Minor Innate stage. No one comes this deep into the mountains, and all the animals obey me. Actually, you’re the first stranger I’ve ever met!” Her face flushed, whether from heat or shyness, it was hard to say.

“How did your brother learn martial arts?”

“He taught himself, of course! And he taught me too. We’ve lived on the mountain for as long as I can remember—I was only four then. My brother goes down to the market once a month for supplies. He says there are enemies outside who want to capture us…”

Having never spoken to anyone besides her brother, and delighted to finally meet a boy her own age—an especially handsome boy, at that—she let her guard down and forgot all her brother’s warnings, pouring out everything.

“Is it really just you two? What about your parents?” Luo Changning’s eyes grew serious, his voice careful.

For a moment, the girl’s thoughts drifted from the delicious food. She smiled brightly at him, her eyes curving like crescent moons—utterly adorable.

“You don’t have to be so worried. I don’t remember what my parents looked like, but I have my beloved brother, Dumb Bear, and Gray Bunny. I’m not lonely at all!”

She thought herself clever at disguising her sadness, but even Dumb Bear could sense it, and patted her head with a paw.

Her clear, sorrowful gaze struck Luo Changning’s heart. He said softly, “By the way, my name is Luo Changning—Luo, like camel.”

So she, too, had lost her parents, with enemies lurking outside the mountains, yet she remained so kind. Who could bear to harm a girl like this?

Luo Changning sighed inwardly and resolved to treat her as a true sister from this day on.

The girl was stunned for a moment before she replied, “So your family name is Luo… My name is Ma Xue’e, and my brother is Ma Qingyun.”

“I see. Then I’ll call you Xue’e from now on,” Luo Changning said with a gentle smile.

He hadn’t hidden his name—on the Yaohua Continent, there were at least eight hundred people with the surname Luo, if not a thousand. Long ago, the Luo royal clan—both main and collateral lines—had been exterminated by that villain Duguhancheng. The assassins were all supreme martial artists. Aside from Luo Changning, born posthumously, there could be no survivors.

The fish were ready, and the two youths—and one bear—enjoyed a hearty meal. To be precise, the two children feasted, while Dumb Bear, though he’d eaten over thirty fish, had only just satisfied the edge of his hunger.

He rolled on the ground in mock misery, making quite a scene, but neither Luo Changning nor Ma Xue’e paid him any mind, leaving him to his one-bear performance.

Rubbing her full belly, Ma Xue’e declared with satisfaction that she wanted to eat like this again—compared to Luo Changning’s cooking, what she’d eaten before was fit only for pigs.

She was still very young, and having grown up in the deep mountains, untouched by the ways of the world, and surrounded only by animals, she was innocent and carefree. To her, happiness meant being with her brother, Dumb Bear, and Gray Bunny forever.

She stole a glance at Luo Changning. If she could eat his cooking often, that would be even better. But her brother didn’t like outsiders, though Luo Changning wasn’t a bad person…

Ma Xue’e frowned, lost in thought. Luo Changning found her expression amusing—such a little glutton.

“Xue’e, it’s well past lunchtime. Your brother Qingyun must be worried. It’s time for you to go home,” Luo Changning reminded her.

She clapped her hands. “Alright! But my brother will be angry. What if he hits you?”

Luo Changning coughed. “Your brother isn’t a savage—he won’t attack someone without reason. Besides, if I become his friend, I can come up here often and cook for you. I can make lots of delicious things, not just grilled fish.”

“That’s great! Let’s hurry and find my brother—he must be done practicing sword by now!” Ma Xue’e’s eyes sparkled. She stood up, grabbed Luo Changning’s hand, and ran off.

Dumb Bear, as if understanding their words, stopped rolling, sprang up, barked twice, and disappeared into the woods.