The girl hesitated for a moment and said, "My family is a cultivation clan. My father was too harsh on me, so I ran away from home."
"You ran away from home without bringing any dry rations or water. You have no common sense of survival," Shen Yan said with a tone of accusation.
"I ate a lot this morning, thinking I wouldn't be hungry. Who knew I'd get hungry as I walked. Then I saw the little brother behind you. I thought this bundle of yours," the girl pointed to her bundle, "must have a lot of food, so I followed you."
"There is food, but not that much," Shen Yan said.
"Can you give me a piece of dry ration?" the girl asked timidly.
Shen Yan casually reached into the bundle and frowned, thinking, 'No way, that guy Mu Anxiao has almost eaten everything. How can there be...' He reached in again to confirm. There were only five pieces of dry ration left. No wonder she had a stomachache; she deserved it.
"What's wrong?" the girl asked cautiously, observing Shen Yan's stiff expression.
Shen Yan snapped back to attention, took out a piece of dry ration, and handed it to the girl, saying, "Eat this." He said it verbally, thinking, 'That guy probably won't notice one piece is missing.'
The girl took the dry ration and took a bite, saying, "It doesn't taste good."
"It's enough to stave off hunger," Shen Yan said coldly. He turned to the returning Mu Anxiao and urged, "Hurry up and eat."
"Okay," the girl nodded and quickly stuffed the dry ration into her mouth.
Mu Anxiao walked towards Shen Yan while tidying her clothes and said, "I think I saw some houses over there, but it feels like we still have to walk a bit." She glanced impatiently at the girl with her back turned. "How did you catch up with us? Honestly, my dry rations aren't enough for you."
Shen Yan deliberately turned his face away.
Mu Anxiao didn't notice anything strange about Shen Yan. She stopped and snatched the bundle from Shen Yan's hand. After weighing it, she exclaimed, "That's not right."
The girl's eyes widened, unable to swallow the dry ration.
Shen Yan swallowed and remained silent.
Mu Anxiao frowned, reached into the bundle, and touched it. She frowned, "Shen Yan, you stole..." she said, looking at the girl's strange figure, her brows furrowed. She walked around to the girl's front and said, "Lift your head."
The girl was still chewing the dry ration in her mouth, not daring to look up.
"Quickly," Mu Anxiao urged.
The girl reluctantly raised her face towards Mu Anxiao, forcing down the dry ration and saying, "I want to drink water."
"You ate my..." Mu Anxiao said, looking up at Shen Yan who was staring at her. "You're good, you gave her my dry rations. What will I eat?"
"Only five pieces. I gave her one, so those four pieces can last you two more days," Shen Yan said without any guilt.
Mu Anxiao grunted twice and said, "I'm really suffering by following you. If you want to be charitable, use your own things. Why did you make the decision to give my food to this person without my consent?" She squatted down unreasonably. "I'm not moving."
"I'm thirsty," the girl said, looking down at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao looked up and glared at the girl, pointing to a puddle of water beside her. "If you're thirsty, drink this water. I have no water left."
"Little brother..."
"Can you stop calling me that? Be nice to me when you eat my food, and then be so impolite when you're not eating. Who are you?" Mu Anxiao said, glaring at the girl who then lowered her head.
Shen Yan looked helplessly at Mu Anxiao and said, "How many days did that auntie tell you to eat? You've been eating all along this journey, you..."