Outside, in the courtyard, Young Master Bai approached Su Wen, his robes stained from his recent feast.
His round, chubby face wore a fawning smile as he clasped his hands together.
"Brother… my name is Jin Bai, but you can call me Big Fatty Bai," he said, his gaze sliding from Su Wen's face to the storage ring, drool barely restrained.
"I noticed you still have some Blazing Phoenix Soup left…"
"Brother, don't worry, you can give it to me. I happen to know a few poisoned people who might desperately need it!"
Then he hurriedly added,
"I'm happy to pay you in spirit stones!"
Behind him, the thin, gnome-like man Jun turned his head away, his face flushing with embarrassment, clearly ashamed of his young master's utter lack of restraint.
Su Wen stared at Fatty Bai, momentarily at a loss for words, when suddenly, a flash of blue light stepped forward, firmly placing itself between him and the big fatty.
"Don't even think about it," Du Yue said coldly, her eyes sharp as knives.
She stepped forward, her presence quietly dominant, protecting Su Wen as one would a precious cub.
"That woman was lucky my husband is kind," she continued icily. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have even let her smell the flavour."
Then she added, her tone turning utterly domineering,
"Everything my husband cooks belongs to me alone."
At the same time, the silver-eyed young man approached, excitement flickering in his gaze as he thought, 'Let's see what's so special about this soup…'
Lance, having placed April safely on a bed, also walked over, catching the tail end of the conversation.
Su Wen glanced at his wife, tempted to pat her head, but restrained himself.
Big Fatty Bai didn't back down despite her pressure.
He met Du Yue's gaze head-on, clearly trying to intimidate her.
Du Yue didn't flinch. She stood with her arms crossed, radiating an unshakable presence that dared anyone to challenge her.
The two continued to stare at each other, tension crackling between them like a silent duel, neither willing to yield.
Seeing this, Su Wen spoke, trying to defuse the situation.
"Are you sure you still want to eat the soup, even after seeing how much that lady has suffered?"
"Anything my husband cooks, I can eat," Du Yue replied immediately, without the slightest hesitation, her fierce gaze never leaving Fatty Bai.
"I want to try every dish in the world, no matter how spicy," Fatty Bai added in one breath, eyes wide and unwavering.
Lance and the silver-eyed young man stood nearby as well. Though they clearly wanted a bowl of soup, they remained silent for the moment.
After a long battle of stares that led nowhere, Fatty Bai suddenly bent forward, his expression shifting from fierce warrior to that of a shameless merchant.
Rubbing his hands together, he said eagerly,
"Sister-in-law… won't you let your little brother have some soup? Just a tiny bit… please."
Du Yue's eyes widened.
She stared at him in rare shock before whispering,
"W-What did you say…?"
Her face flushed as she instinctively hugged Su Wen's arm.
'Sister-in-law…! Hehehe…'
Fatty Bai's grin widened even further.
"Of course! Since he's my brother, that makes you my sister-in-law."
Su Wen's eyes twitched.
'When did I become his brother…?'
Du Yue glanced at Su Wen and whispered softly,
"Husband, you can give him a little soup… he's not a bad person."
Su Wen stared at her, completely dumbfounded.
He silently wondered why his wife was so gullible and quick to change her mind… and how this Big Fatty Bai could be so utterly immune to shame.
Out of the corner of his eye, Su Wen noticed the two young men standing there like children staring at an ice cream stall.
"Brother, my name is Lance Longspear, but you can just call me Lance," said the crimson-robed man, cupping his hands and bowing respectfully.
"Thank you for saving my companion's life. I owe you one."
He paused, his voice heavy with gratitude.
"If something had happened to her… I don't know what I would have done."
Then, with a trace of his usual arrogance returning, he added,
"Brother, if you ever need anything in the future, even if I must climb to the heavens, I will definitely repay you."
Before Su Wen could respond, the silver-eyed man stepped forward.
"Oh, so this is Brother Lance. No wonder you were able to kill those dark cultivators so quickly, before we even had a chance to act."
He smiled slightly.
"I've heard much about you."
"Oh, my apologies. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Dugu Jian, from the Dugu Family of Swordheart City."
"Oh! So this is Brother Jian and Brother Lance. I've heard of both of you," Fatty Bai chimed in enthusiastically.
"So Brother Bai is here as well… Are you heading to the Central Continent?" Lance asked.
"Looks like we'll have a shortage of food along the way," Dugu Jian remarked dryly, casting a sidelong glance at Fatty Bai.
"Brother Jian, now I understand why all the good wine is out of stock in every bar," Fatty Bai laughed.
Su Wen stood to the side, observing the exchange with a complicated expression. He felt strangely like a side character among a gathering of protagonists.
Finally, their attention returned to him as Dugu Jian spoke earnestly.
"Brother, you're amazing. You cured the lady's poison so effortlessly and saved her life."
Su Wen nodded calmly.
"It wasn't a big deal, Brother Jian. It's my duty as a physician."
He added with a faint, modest smile,
"Oh, apologies. I forgot to introduce myself properly. I'm Su Wen, a student of Sunrise Academy."
He pointed to the little bird perched atop his head, "This is my little Suzume."
Suzume raised her tiny feather and chirped,
"~Chirp Yo!"
Su Wen continued,
"This is my wife-"
He paused for a moment as he looked at her.
Everyone in the Southern Eastern Continent knew the name Du Yue, thanks to the bounty placed on her head.
Although the Moon City Lord and his son were already dead, her rare Yin Physique made Su Wen cautious. He didn't want anyone to know her true name, nor did he want them to see her face.
Not until they reached the Great Eastern City or the Central Continent, where it would be highly unlikely for word of her to spread.
But before he could continue, Du Yue spoke instead, her expression shy yet firm.
"I am Du Yue… his one and only wife."
"Oh, so it's Brother Su, Little Suzume, and Sister-in-law Du Yue…"
Fatty Bai froze.
"Du Yue…? Y-You…?"
Even Lance and Dugu Jian were stunned.
They stared at Du Yue clinging to Su Wen's arm, disbelief written across their faces.
"You are Lady Du Yue… but it was said that you were-" Fatty Bai stopped midway, unable to finish.
Lance and Dugu Jian also fell silent, simply staring at her in shock.
"Husband treated my injuries… so no one can harm me anymore."
The three nodded quickly, a little curious, but still didn't ask any further questions.
Seeing the atmosphere turn odd, Su Wen sighed inwardly. "Well, whatever… she's stronger than me and can handle bad people. And if someone truly dangerous comes after her, we can always retreat to our little mountain home."
With a casual wave of his hand, a sturdy wooden table and several chairs appeared in the courtyard.
The gathered crowd instinctively settled down, no longer curious but now expectant.
Su Wen turned toward Fatty Bai and spoke calmly,
"Old Fatty Bai, I can give you a bowl of soup… but don't blame me if something happens afterward."
The moment those words left his mouth, Lance and Dugu Jian's ears visibly perked up.
Fatty Bai nearly slammed his hands on the table as he leaned forward eagerly.
"Brother Su, it's fine! I can handle it… don't worry, Brother Su!"
Dugu Jian hesitated for only a heartbeat before speaking, his silver eyes shining faintly."Brother Su… do you mind if I also try some?" he said sincerely. "Just standing here, the scent alone makes me tremble with excitement. It would be a pity not to taste it."
Lance cleared his throat, coughing lightly as if trying to gather courage."Brother Su…" he said awkwardly. "Since April drank it… I also want to try. So I can… share her pain."
By the end, his voice had dropped into a near-whisper, his ears burning red.
Su Wen, Fatty Bai, and Dugu Jian all turned to look at him with strange expressions.
Su Wen was just about to nod when a sharp voice cut through the air.
"No."
Du Yue, still seated, moved slightly closer to Su Wen, her gaze cold as ice as it swept over Lance and Dugu Jian."It's mine. My husband's cooking is mine," she said firmly. "Do you think my husband runs a soup stall? I won't give even a single bite to you."
Dugu Jian stiffened instantly.
"S-Sister-in-law… y-you…"
Lance followed suit, equally flustered.
"S-Sister-in-law…"
Both fell silent. No matter how thick-skinned they were, they simply couldn't compete with Fatty Bai's audacity.
Yet it worked... Du Yue's fierce expression cracked almost instantly.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she instinctively hugged Su Wen's arm, her voice turning soft and silly.
"Husband… it's fine. You can give them a little bit too."
Instead, Su Wen's face flushed bright red from embarrassment, all thanks to his wife's antics."It's fine," he said quickly, trying to steer the conversation away, "They can have it. Better to share than waste."