Seeing Yun Li sprinkling something over the roasting meat, Chu Nanxi walked up to the grill as if she had finally caught Yun Li in the act. Pointing at the various bottles and jars of seasoning, she said, "What on earth are you scattering over that meat? Let me tell you, everyone here is of noble birth. If something goes wrong because we ate your food, you won't be able to afford the consequences."
Yun Li glanced at Chu Nanxi and said speechlessly, "What could I possibly scatter? I'm going to eat this meat too, you know. These are the most ordinary seasonings imaginable. You've got eyes in the front of your head, yet all they do is grow without looking. If you don't trust it, you don't have to eat."
"Pfft..." Hearing this, Yanze, who was drinking water nearby, couldn't help but spit it right out.
Flushed with anger, Chu Nanxi pointed indignantly at Yun Li and stammered, "You... how insolent."
Yun Li curled her lips. "Eldest Miss, this is a forest, not your home. Nobody is here to coddle you."
"You..."
"Nanxi..." Beigong Ying warned in a low voice. Wanting to say more, Chu Nanxi simply bit her lip, stomped her foot, and returned to her original seat.
Yanze nudged Shen Huaixu with his elbow, glanced over at the angry Chu Nanxi, and exchanged an understanding smile. Having grown up with Beigong Ying since childhood, they knew his temperament best. Beigong Ying did not like petty, unreasonable women. The only reason he had tolerated Chu Nanxi in the past was because she was gentle, sensible, and never caused him trouble. But seeing her behavior now, could her gentleness have been an act all along?
Back in her seat, Chu Nanxi glared angrily at Yun Li, wondering what kind of bewitching spell this person had cast. Having joined the group only a moment ago, Yun Li had already won everyone over—and yet she and Beigong Ying shared a bond forged since childhood!
Watching Yun Li happily roast the meat, her eyes curving into crescent moons whenever she smiled, Beigong Ying suddenly found himself thinking of Chu Qinghuang. Though he had never seen Qinghuang's true face, her eyes smiled in that same captivating way, instantly lifting anyone's spirits. Before he knew it, Beigong Ying was completely lost in gazing at Yun Li.
*Crack!*
The sudden snapping spark from the campfire pulled Beigong Ying back to his senses. Looking at the person before him, he turned his head away in a trace of disappointment. Why on earth was he seeing the shadow of Qinghuang in this person? This was clearly a man.
Seeing Beigong Ying's expression, Shen Huaixu and Yanze exchanged a sigh. They, too, noticed that Yun Li's features somewhat resembled those of the Chu Family's Eldest Miss. Ever since the Eldest Miss passed away, Beigong Ying's spirits had been noticeably subdued. They knew he hadn't been entirely without feelings for Chu Qinghuang, but as a royal prince of the realm, the thought of taking a woman unable to cultivate as his primary wife felt somewhat unpalatable, which was why he had deliberately kept his distance from her. Later, he had tried to figure out a way to take her as a secondary consort and provide for her for the rest of her life, but the Chu Family was destroyed before he could carry it out. Only then did Beigong Ying regret not taking better care of Chu Qinghuang.
"Come, come, the meat is ready! Anyone want some?" Yun Li neatly sliced off a piece of hind leg meat, placed it on a plate, and walked over to Beigong Ying. "Here, try it and see how it tastes. If you're worried, you can have your guard taste-test it first."
Beigong Ying took the plate with a faint smile, cut off a small piece, and popped it into his mouth. "Delicious. Thank you."
Yun Li smiled warmly at him. "If you like it, eat more. There's plenty more over there."
"Alright."
Turning around, Yun Li walked back to the grill, saw that Yanze had already sliced a piece and handed it to Shen Huaixu, and then cut another piece for herself. "You two really aren't afraid I'll poison you."
"Beigong Ying ate it, so what do we have to fear? Besides, your roasted meat is genuinely delicious. We've been stuck eating dry rations for days, and the meat those guys roast is dry and completely tasteless—simply awful," Yanze said between rapid mouthfuls. Despite eating quickly, his table manners remained thoroughly elegant; as a scion of a noble family, the ingrained elegance could never be forgotten even when starving.
Yun Li also sliced off a piece to eat, deliberately leaving none for Chu Nanxi. Watching Beigong Ying, Yanze, and Shen Huaixu eat without a single pause, Chu Nanxi sat in her spot with a darkening expression. Seeing her mistress's unsightly face, Hupo carefully offered, "Miss... would you like me to cut you a piece?"
Chu Nanxi turned and shot Hupo a glacial glare. Hupo hastily lowered her head. "This servant misspoke. I only thought that since Miss was feeling unwell earlier and is somewhat weak now, perhaps you should eat something to... regain your strength."
Chu Nanxi said nothing, turning her head to look at Beigong Ying. The sight only added to her inner turmoil: the piece of meat Yun Li had given him was already gone, and he had even instructed his guard, Gong Yi, to cut him another.
With a cold huff, Chu Nanxi looked away. She would rather starve to death than eat anything made by this person named Yun Li. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than a familiar cramping pain gripped her lower abdomen, followed immediately by a series of rumbling noises. Clutching her stomach, Chu Nanxi stood up. "Hupo, quick! My stomach is acting up again."
Hupo hurried over to support the already weakened Chu Nanxi as they searched the surrounding area for a suitable spot. Out of the corner of her eye, Yun Li cast a swift glance at the departing figure, a flash of amusement in her eyes. Serves you right. Through her observations this evening, Yun Li had discovered that Chu Nanxi possessed a vicious mind yet lacked any real strategic intellect. To think the Chu family actually expected her to sit upon the Empress's throne—they didn't even stop to consider whether she had the capability to hold it.
About half an hour later, just as Beigong Ying was thinking of sending someone to look for Chu Nanxi, Hupo returned supporting her mistress, whose face was deathly pale and whose steps were unsteady. Seeing Chu Nanxi's condition, Beigong Ying stepped forward to ask, "What happened? Why are you this weak?"
"Your... Your Highness, our Miss has been suffering from incessant diarrhea ever since a moment ago, yet she barely ate anything tonight. I beg Your Highness to save our Miss."
Frowning slightly, Beigong Ying turned to Gong Yi. "Do we have any anti-diarrhea medicine?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, no. We only brought some wound medicine and antidotes."
Beigong Ying led Chu Nanxi to a nearby rock and helped her sit down. Chu Nanxi offered him a weak, fragile smile. "Thank you, Brother Ying."
"Let's dispense with these formal courtesies right now. I'll go ask Huaixu and Yanze if they have any medicine."
"Alright."
Beigong Ying walked over to Yun Li's group. "Huaixu, Yanze, do either of you have medicine for diarrhea? For some reason, Nanxi can't stop having diarrhea."
Shen Huaixu stood up and looked toward Chu Nanxi. "I don't have any. Do you, Yanze?"
Yanze spread his hands. "I don't either. I only brought a few bottles of wound medicine."
Beigong Ying let out a sigh. At that moment, Yun Li stood up, walked over to him, and pointed to a spot two finger-widths below the navel. "That spot two finger-widths below the navel is called the Qihai acupoint. Massaging it can stop diarrhea. You can have her try it, but don't say I suggested it—she has some sort of aversion to me, so she probably wouldn't use this method otherwise."