Instantly, a sweet, tempting aroma surged into her nose like an invisible tide.
Kiana☆'s bright eyes locked onto the golden flesh of the sweet potato. Unable to resist, she took a big bite.
A rush of heat spread through her mouth, but she didn't care—because the sweet, soft flavor captivated her.
"It melts in your mouth! The sweet taste spreads across the tongue, just right—not overly rich or cloying. This! Is! So! Good!"
Despite being burned, Kiana☆ chewed in big bites, a smile of happiness and satisfaction spreading across her face.
--------------------------------------
Not long after, all four roasted sweet potatoes were devoured by Kiana☆ like a whirlwind.
But clearly, Kiana☆ was still not satisfied. With lingering desire, she fixed her gaze on Fu Lin, who was elegantly breaking apart a sweet potato and gently scooping it with a spoon, and licked her lips.
Sensing Kiana☆'s intense gaze, Fu Lin raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled indulgently. Without hesitation, he handed the remaining half of the sweet potato in his hand to Kiana☆ and said softly,
"Here, for you."
"Fu Lin, you're the best~"
Kiana☆ happily accepted the sweet potato, her eyes curving like crescent moons as she smiled.
Mimicking Fu Lin's actions, she picked up a spoon and began carefully scooping bite by bite.
Fu Lin, meanwhile, smiled as he scooped a spoonful of sweet potato into his mouth, savoring the sweetness, and gently replied,
"As long as you're happy."
After the last bite of sweet potato went into her mouth, Kiana☆'s eyes were once again involuntarily drawn to a splash of red. She subconsciously tugged on the sleeve of the person next to her and called out sweetly,
"Fu Lin..."
"You little glutton, you want to eat everything you see."
Upon hearing her call, Fu Lin tossed his trash into a nearby bin, gently patted Kiana☆ on the head, and then strode toward a distant vendor carrying skewers of bright red candied hawthorns.
Not long after, Fu Lin returned to Kiana☆ with two sticks of brightly colored, sugar-coated candied hawthorns.
Seeing this, Kiana☆ joyfully reached out and took one of them. She then stuck out her soft pink tongue and tentatively licked the crystal-clear sugar coating wrapped around the hawthorn.
The moment the sweet flavor touched her tongue, Kiana☆'s eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth curled into a smile. She began carefully and slowly licking the sugary coating.
Seeing this, images of Fu Lin's time in captivity surfaced in his mind. A faint blush appeared on the tips of his ears as he gently looked away from Kiana☆, silently chanting the "Blade Mantra."
[Ahem, Don't overthink it. The author is serious — nothing happened in the Imaginary Space.]
However, Kiana☆ was completely absorbed in the delicious candied hawthorn and didn't notice any of this. Before long, she eagerly bit into a hawthorn that had lost its sugary coating.
The sweet and sour taste burst in her mouth. As Kiana☆ chewed contentedly, she mumbled with a satisfied expression,
"Shenzhou really is full of delicious things! I've decided — I'm going to try all the delicacies across Shenzhou!"
After calming her inner thoughts, Fu Lin stared at Kiana☆ in disbelief for a long moment.
Then, the corners of Fu Lin's mouth curled up into a teasing, amused smile, and he said softly,
"Oh? Are you really planning to eat your way across all of Shenzhou?"
Kiana☆ nodded vigorously, as if responding to Fu Lin's skepticism. At the same time, she swallowed another hawthorn quickly.
Even with her cheeks puffed up, she muttered,
"Of course! There's just too much good food here."
(Rolling around…(～o￣▽￣)～o... rolling… o～(＿△＿o～)...)
...
A month later...
On this day, Kiana☆ lay limply on a soft sofa, her long white hair spread out loosely. Beside her was a bucket of freshly bought fried chicken by Fu Lin.
While reaching into the bucket for a piece of chicken to munch on, Kiana☆ was engrossed in a comic book, and vaguely asked,
"Fu Lin~, it's been so long, when are we heading to the next city?"
Fu Lin, who was packing, turned at the sound of her voice. Seeing Kiana☆ munching away, her mouth greasy and content, he teased,
"Anytime. What's the rush? You little glutton — you barely finished sweeping through one food locality, and now you're impatient to move on? Wasn't it you who vowed to try all the food across Shenzhou?"
Kiana, who had been immersed in her comic, suddenly sat up straight, eyes wide with disbelief.
She quickly swallowed her food and retorted loudly,
"What? I've only eaten through one locality? No way! That's impossible! It feels like I've eaten so much already..."
Muttering, Kiana lowered her head and started counting on her fingers seriously,
"Roasted sweet potatoes, candied hawthorns, chicken stew with mushrooms, sour pork, braised pork bones, sautéed pork slices, stir-fried dried tofu with chili, pot stewed goose..."
As Kiana☆ recited the names of the dishes like cherished treasures, the corners of her mouth lifted unconsciously, and drool began to trickle down.
She wiped her mouth, and instinctively reached out for another piece of fried chicken.
But to her dismay, she touched nothing.
Confused, Kiana☆ looked and realized the bucket was empty — the fried chicken had all been devoured at some point.
Seeing that there was no more food, Kiana☆ slumped back onto the sofa in defeat, muttering,
"Why is it gone so fast? Damn it, it's never enough!"
Fu Lin zipped up the last of his things and called out, "Kiana☆."
Hearing her name, Kiana☆ reflexively looked up, puzzled, "What is it?"
Fu Lin calmly walked over to her, stopped in front of the sofa, then leaned down slightly. His long, strong fingers lightly pinched the exposed soft flesh at Kiana☆'s waist.
At the same time, maintaining his usual slow and deliberate tone, he said,
"Kiana☆, when was the last time you weighed yourself?"
At those words, Kiana☆'s face changed instantly — as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head.
Her fair face flushed red, and her body jolted as if shocked. She instinctively covered her waist with her hands and stammered,
"N-no! What nonsense are you talking about!"
Fu Lin smirked, his teasing smile growing as he continued threateningly,
"Just look at the fat starting to spill out from your waist. Still denying it? All you do is eat all day and never work out. If this keeps up, you'll turn into a chubby little ball."
He even shook his head dramatically, pretending to sigh in regret.
But in truth, only Fu Lin knew — when he pinched Kiana☆ just now, the feeling was soft and smooth. There was hardly any fat at all.
After all, Kiana☆ was a Herrscher vessel — she had a nearly perfect physique. How could she get out of shape just from a bit of eating?
The real reason he said all that was simply to scare Kiana☆ a little. This girl spent her days either eating like crazy or sleeping like a log!
And besides, Fu Lin was responsible for raising Kiana☆ properly.
Hearing Fu Lin's words, Kiana☆ looked down, casting her gaze at her belly. She pouted, lips forming a small pout.
"I'm still growing! I need lots of nutrition right now. I won't end up like you said!"
She looked back up at Fu Lin, puffing out her cheeks in protest, her eyes full of stubbornness and dissatisfaction.
Fu Lin blinked, carefully observing Kiana☆ standing on the sofa.
Sure enough — in just one month, Kiana☆ had grown noticeably taller. Even her once well-fitted clothes looked a little short now, revealing glimpses of her slim waist.
Even her chest had changed slightly — what was once flat had started to rise subtly, forming a gentle curve.
Seeing this, Fu Lin subconsciously touched his nose and thought to himself,
'Looks like that month of eating wasn't wasted. She's absorbed all the nutrition well. So that old antique must've been underfed…'
At that thought, Fu Lin quickly stopped himself, cleared his throat with two light coughs, then smiled and said,
"Ahem... You have grown taller. Your clothes are too small now. Since it's still early, wipe your mouth — I'll take you out to buy some clothes that fit."