"Go and make me food. I'll wait for you here," Pia said with self-importance.
"You're waiting for me?" Mu Anxiao asked, pointing to the stone table and chairs beside them. "You mean you're waiting for me here."
"Mm," Pia nodded.
"I don't know how to start a fire," Mu Anxiao confessed honestly.
Pia's lips curved upward. "You've been out adventuring, haven't you? You don't even know how to start a fire. What can you do?"
"If I were really that capable, I wouldn't have come back," Mu Anxiao said softly.
"You mean," Pia furrowed her brow, "you want me to start the fire."
"Can you?" Mu Anxiao asked, tilting her face up.
"Yes, but you need to go inside and see what ingredients there are," Pia said, pointing to the kitchen.
"You're right," Mu Anxiao nodded and turned to rush to the door. Just as she was about to push it open, she suddenly remembered she had snuck out. If she went in now, it might cause unnecessary trouble. But considering Pia's fickle temper, she reached out and pushed the door open.
Two quarters of an hour later, Mu Anxiao emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of noodles and said, placing it on the stone table, "Eat this."
"I made such a big fire, and you only made one bowl of noodles," Pia exclaimed, looking at the bowl on the table.
"My friends haven't eaten yet. I'll take those two bowls back," Mu Anxiao explained weakly.
"Together," Pia suddenly said.
"Huh? You want to eat with us?" Mu Anxiao asked, smiling at the thought of the timid Yan. "That's our room. It might not be appropriate for you to go like this."
"Room? Humans have rooms. What are you, a rabbit, being so particular about?" Pia stood up and pointed at the noodles. "Hurry up."
"Oh," Mu Anxiao, not daring to offend Pia, nodded.
In a flash, Mu Anxiao, carrying the tray, returned to the door, panting, following Pia.
"Yan, watch the door."
Inside, Yan smelled the demonic energy and trembled, hiding in a corner.
Mu Anxiao frowned and glanced at Pia. "As you can see, she's afraid of you."
"Move aside," Pia commanded.
"Oh," Mu Anxiao stepped back half a pace, clearing the way.
Pia knocked hard on the door and said, "Open the door."
The moment Yan heard Pia's voice, she froze.
"If you don't open it, I'll kill you when I come in."
Hearing this, Yan's eyes widened. She ran forward quickly and opened the door.
Immediately, Pia froze upon seeing Yan.
Yan looked at Pia fearfully and said, "Hello."
"You're really ugly," Pia suddenly said.
Mu Anxiao looked at Pia's retreating back helplessly. Seeing Yan's stunned expression, she lowered her head.
"Why aren't you talking?" Pia asked impolitely.
Yan forced a smile. "My grandma always says I'm ugly, too. You're right," she touched her face. "I am quite ugly."
Mu Anxiao was surprised that the beautiful Yan was so self-conscious about her appearance.
"Alright, move aside now," Pia said.
"Yes," Yan nodded and quickly moved aside.
Mu Anxiao breathed a sigh of relief, carried the tray across the threshold, and said to Yan, "This is the follower of the great demon. Her name is Pia."
Yan didn't speak, only nodded.
Mu Anxiao and Yan brushed past each other and walked to the table. She placed the tray down, picked up the steaming bowl of noodles, and held it out to Pia. "Please eat."
"Mm, you eat too," Pia said.
Mu Anxiao nodded and looked at Yan, who was standing at the door. "Come here."
Yan reacted, hummed, and quickly walked to the table. She looked down at Pia and said, "It might not be appropriate for us to eat with you."
"What's inappropriate about it? Eat," Pia said, looking up.
Yan pursed her lips slightly and sat down.
Mu Anxiao picked up her chopsticks, looked down at the egg and tomato noodles, and swallowed. "I learned to make this elsewhere. Try it and see if you like it."
"Thank you," Yan said politely.
"What is this red thing?" Pia asked, picking up a slice of tomato with her chopsticks.
"It's not carrot," Mu Anxiao said, eating without looking up.
Pia furrowed her brow, put down her chopsticks, and slammed the table hard. "Answer properly."
Mu Anxiao jumped and looked up at Pia, saying gently, "That's a tomato. The yellow things are eggs. I stir-fried them together and poured them over the noodles. Try it and tell me if it's good."
"This is the attitude I want from now on," Pia said.
"Got it, young master," Mu Anxiao smiled.
Pia glared at Mu Anxiao and picked up her chopsticks to eat.
Mu Anxiao breathed a sigh of relief and began to eat.
A quarter of an hour later, they finished eating, and Mu Anxiao let out a loud burp in front of Pia. To her surprise, this angered Pia again.
"What are you doing?" Pia asked sternly.
Mu Anxiao blinked guiltily. "I..." she said, glancing cautiously at Yan. "I have a habit of burping when I'm full. I'm sorry."
"Don't do that again," Pia said, pointing at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao nodded aggrievedly.
Yan subtly glanced at Pia, too afraid to say anything.
Pia then smiled at Yan and said, "It's you, girl, who knows etiquette."
"Does it mean..." Yan asked Pia cautiously, "that if I know etiquette, I won't be killed?"
"That depends on the great demon's mood," Pia said.
Mu Anxiao cautiously glanced at Pia, thinking: This is too terrifying. She really is demonic. She can't even control her own temper. Terrifying, truly terrifying. Thinking this, she quickly stood up.
"What are you doing?" Pia asked, looking up.
Mu Anxiao pointed to her throat and said, "Burping."
"Go, go," Pia waved her hand.
Mu Anxiao let out a silly laugh and, as she turned and rushed out of the room, found that the urge to burp had disappeared.
"Huh, I don't feel like it anymore," she said. Clearing her throat, she turned and saw a spirit approaching.
The spirit, seeing her without makeup, was about to speak when Mu Anxiao quickly put a finger to her lips, tapped them twice, and ran forward, whispering, "Don't talk. The demonically possessed are inside."
"Demonically possessed..."
"Don't say any more. You should leave quickly," Mu Anxiao interrupted.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's anxious expression, the spirit nodded and said, "Be careful." With that, he turned and ran away.
Mu Anxiao breathed a sigh of relief and turned back towards the room.
Inside the room, Pia gazed intently at Yan and asked, "Your name is Yan, right?"
"Mm," Yan nodded.
Pia smiled. "You can call me Pia."
"Okay," Yan smiled naturally at Pia.
Pia looked at Yan and asked, "Who taught you these manners?"
"My grandma. Grandma said that when men are talking, women shouldn't interrupt. It's not good," Yan said.
At the doorway, Mu Anxiao looked at Yan's gentle and elegant demeanor and thought of Yan from last night. She sighed, thinking: For the sake of her life, she'll say anything! With that thought, she crossed the threshold and walked in.