Xu Chenglin didn't let go; with his other hand, he gripped her chin, turned her face towards him, and forced her to look at the bowl of rice.

"Look closely, this is what my soldiers eat. They can fight well eating this, will you die if you eat this?"

Shi Luyu's chin was pinched painfully by him, and her eyes reddened again, but this time she didn't cry.

I wonder if it was because of the training I received from [Master Jia] the previous times that I gained courage.

She's now desensitized to this situation and can handle it calmly.

Shi Luyu mustered her courage and forcefully pulled her face away from his grasp. Her voice was muffled, not daring to argue too much, but there was also a hint of resentment in her voice:

"I'm not your soldier... You captured me, but you won't give me any human food..."

Xu Chenglin was stunned for a moment.

He loosened her collar, took a step back, put his hands on his hips, and tilted his head to look at her.

That expression made it seem as if he were studying an incomprehensible species:

"You fucking insatiable woman, aren't you?"

After venting his frustration, he took a deep breath, turned around, strode to the tent flap, and yelled outside, "Go! Tell the kitchen to cook a normal bowl of rice! Not spicy, not salty, press—"

He turned to look at Shi Luyu, "Where are you from?"

"The Eastern Kingdom..."

"Make it to the taste of people from Dongguk! Quickly!"

Someone outside responded, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

Xu Chenglin turned around, walked up to Shi Luyu, and reached out to pinch her cheek.

The pressure was lighter than before, but her face was still distorted from being pinched so hard by his fingertips. Shi Luyu was somewhat dissatisfied, but dared not say anything.

"If you don't eat this time," he leaned down slightly, his voice low and each word hard and terrifyingly threatening, "I'll grab your neck and force-feed you."

He finished speaking, released his grip, and walked away without looking back. The tent flap fell, swaying a few times in the night breeze.

Shi Luyu rubbed her cheeks, which he had pinched red, and heard the footsteps gradually fade away.

……

More than an hour later, the curtain was lifted again.

This time, it wasn't a mercenary who came in; it was a woman.

She wore a dark red, tight-fitting halter dress with very little fabric, revealing large expanses of honey-colored skin. Her waist was slender, the hem of the dress just reaching mid-thigh, and she wore a pair of strappy sandals.

Her hair was long and black, reaching her waist. Her features were deep and distinctive to Southeast Asia, with thick eyebrows, full lips, and slightly upturned eyes.

She was carrying a tray with food completely different from what she had eaten before: a bowl of white rice, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, and a small bowl of stir-fried meat slices from some unknown animal. All of it looked like normal, warm food.

The woman placed the tray in front of Shi Luyu and glanced at her.

That glance was so quick that Shi Luyu barely had time to catch what was in the woman's eyes before she looked away and turned to leave.

"Thank you," Shi Luyu said politely.

The woman didn't turn around; she lifted the curtain and went out.

Shi Luyu had been hungry all day, and finally had an appetite. She picked up her bowl, ate a few mouthfuls of rice, and then picked up a piece of green vegetable.

The stir-fry was just average, with too much oil, but compared to the previous bowl of braised pork in chili oil, it was simply divine.

She took a sip of soup.

Another bite.

On the third bite... she felt something was off.

A burning sensation welled up in my throat, spreading from my esophagus to my chest cavity, and then to my limbs.

It was definitely not the burning sensation from chili peppers; she felt a deep heat that seemed to seep into her very bones.

My hands started to go weak, and the chopsticks slipped from my fingers, falling onto the tray with a soft thud. My knees also lost their strength, and I swayed to the side, only managing to stay upright by bracing myself with my hands on the ground.

Shi Luyu suddenly raised her eyes and looked in the direction of the tent curtain.

"Help...help me..." she cried helplessly.

No, it wasn't a shout, because she couldn't even utter a shout; her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

She took a deep breath, leaned on the pillar to stand up, her legs were trembling, and her feet felt like they were walking on cotton.

At first, she thought it was food poisoning, until the curtain was lifted from the outside.

The person who came wasn't a mercenary or any other servant; it was that woman. She hadn't left! She was standing outside.

Shi Luyu, leaning against a pillar, quickly guessed the truth: "It was you...you drugged me?"

The woman's face changed.

Her previous indifferent expression seemed to have crumbled like a thin shell, revealing a hideous true face beneath. She stepped into the tent, arms crossed, a bitter and vicious smile playing on her lips:

"So what if it is?"

Shi Luyu was stunned: "Why? I have no grudge against you..."

The woman's voice was hoarse: "Xu Chenglin treats you very differently. Do you think I can't see it?"

Shi Luyu's mind was already a little dizzy. She bit her tongue hard to force herself to stay awake: "He and I... have nothing to do with each other..."

"It's alright?" The woman's voice suddenly rose, her eyes reddening.

"He made me cook for you! He never lets me cook for anyone! Do you know how long it's been since he last came to my tent? Five days! A full five days! Turns out he caught you, this fresh catch, while he was out there!"

Shi Luyu stood swaying, her hands pressing tightly against the pillar, her nails digging into the rough canvas. Her vision was beginning to blur, and everything she saw appeared double.

"I'm not... anything new..." she squeezed out each word, "What kind of drug did you give me...?"

The woman approached her, reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to look up. At close range, Shi Luyu could see the bloodshot eyes and the madness in them.

"A drug to make you obedient." The woman's voice softened, carrying a chilling gentleness.

"Since Xu Chenglin is interested in you, then I'll offer you to him. I can't keep his body, but at least I can keep his heart. You've given him a taste of something new, and he'll remember my kindness."

Shi Luyu wanted to retort, but her tongue was already barely obeying her. She could only let the woman grab her wrist and drag her out of the tent.

A night breeze blew in, carrying the damp scent unique to the jungle.

A campfire burned in the distance, its light illuminating the faces of several patrolling soldiers. Shi Luyu stumbled after the woman, the path undulating beneath her feet; she nearly fell several times, but the woman pulled her back forcefully each time.

They walked through a row of tents, around a pile of ammunition, and came to a large tent at the far end of the camp. Light shone from inside the tent, and shadowy figures could be seen moving about.

The woman lifted the curtain and forcefully pushed Shi Luyu inside.

Shi Luyu lost her balance and fell to the ground. Her knees hit the hard ground, her palms scraped against the rough sleeping mat, and her clothes were already torn and disheveled by the woman, with two buttons undone.

But she didn't have time to tidy herself up.

She looked up, her vision blurred with double images, and saw a person standing deep inside the tent, with his back to her, holding something in his hand.

Hearing the noise, the man turned around.

It's Xu Chenglin.

He frowned, and after recognizing the person lying on the ground as Shi Luyu, his expression changed from doubt to alertness, and then from alertness to something indescribable.

Shi Luyu opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but only a muffled, hot breath escaped her throat.

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