Xingtie: My silly online friend is actually a raccoon!

The campfire was burning brightly.

Luze set up a portable barbecue grill next to the campfire and neatly arranged the marinated meat and vegetable skewers on it.

Oil dripped onto the charcoal fire, stirring up puffs of white smoke and an enticing sizzling sound.

An Linyue sat on a cushion by the campfire, holding a brush in her hand, brushing sauce onto the grilled meat skewers.

She had just finished cooking a skewer when she handed it to Lu Ze across the table: "Try it and see how salty it is."

Lu Ze took it, blew on it, and took a bite. The meat was tender and juicy, the sauce was perfectly balanced between sweet and salty, and it also had the unique aroma of charcoal. He nodded.

"Delicious, the cooking is excellent."

An Linyue smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons. "Of course, I've studied it specifically."

Lu Ze also grilled a few skewers of vegetables, brushed them with olive oil and black pepper, and grilled them until the surface was slightly browned before sharing them with everyone.

"Here, if you're tired of eating meat, have some vegetables to cleanse your palate." An Linyue took the vegetable and took a bite, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Mmm, this is delicious too. You controlled the heat very well; vegetables don't taste good if they're overcooked."

"The essence of grilled vegetables is to retain a bit of crispness," Lu Ze said, handing a skewer of grilled corn to Xilin.

Celine sat on a large rock by the campfire, her legs curled up and her chin resting on her knees.

She took the corn but didn't eat it right away. Instead, she looked at An Linyue handing Lu Ze meat skewers, and then at Lu Ze handing her corn. Her golden eyes reflected the flickering firelight, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Bella sat next to Celine, with a small plate in front of her.

She used bamboo skewers to remove the pieces of meat from the grilled skewers one by one, placed them on a plate to cool, then wrapped them in lettuce leaves and handed them to Xilin.

She did it with such seriousness, as if it were the most important job in the world.

"Bella, you should eat some too." Lu Ze couldn't stand it anymore and handed her a skewer of chicken wings.

Bella took it, but instead of eating it herself, she tore off a small piece to taste the temperature. Once she was sure it wasn't too hot, she put it on Celine's plate.

Lu Ze sighed and stopped trying to persuade him.

He knew this was Bella's way of doing things; in her world, Sirin always came first.

As An Linyue watched this scene, her doubts deepened.

The relationship between these two girls, and their bond with Lu Ze, doesn't seem like a typical cousin relationship at all.

But she wisely chose not to ask for the time being. The atmosphere tonight was too wonderful, and she didn't want to break the peace and warmth.

"Xilin, do you think it's fun here?" An Linyue changed to a lighter topic.

Celine took a bite of the meat Bella offered her, chewed it, swallowed it, and then nodded.

"good."

"It's just alright?" An Linyue feigned sadness. "I prepared for it meticulously for a long time."

Sirin glanced at her, paused for a moment, and added, "Hmm... the campfire is pretty good."

An Linyue chuckled: "Alright, I'm already very satisfied to receive a 'not bad' comment from Miss Xilin."

Lu Ze laughed along and added a piece of firewood to the campfire.

Sparks flew up and drifted into the night sky, merging with the stars.

The four of them sat around the campfire, eating kebabs and chatting in a harmonious atmosphere.

A sudden, urgent cell phone ringtone came from Lu Ze's pocket.

All eyes turned to him.

Lu Ze frowned, took out his phone and glanced at the screen, his smile faltering slightly.