Chapter 172: Stepped on Her Head

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Tian Mei unzipped her baggage, revealing an array of carefully packaged food items. From signature dishes of renowned hotels to snacks from cake shops and some ready-made bread, her baggage seemed like a mini gourmet supermarket.

Tian Mei grabbed a few treats and walked over to Zhou Lian, offering her a selection with her trademark sweet smile. “Zhou Lian, I have an assortment of edibles here, and my baggage is quite heavy. I’d appreciate it if you could lighten my load by having some.”

Zhou Lian looked at Tian Mei with an expression of slight surprise, then cast her gaze toward the baggage behind her. It seemed as though she had figured out what Tian Mei was up to. “Thank you,” Zhou Lian said, accepting the food and placing it inside her tent. Then she went back to her own affairs, essentially ignoring Tian Mei.

Feeling somewhat slighted, Tian Mei had expected Zhou Lian to at least thank her and perhaps even invite her to share the tent. Now, with Zhou Lian

continuing to ignore her, Tian Mei was at a loss for what to do next.

Tian Mei’s eyes caught sight of Xia Xin and Jing MO, noticing that Xia Xin was fiddling with a foldable bucket. An idea struck her; she could try to win over Xia Xin, as Xia Xin seemed to possess resources that could benefit her.

With that thought, Tian Mei returned to her baggage and grabbed another assortment of snacks. She felt heartache to give out so many snacks. But she had no other choice because she needed a place to sleep.

“Xia Xin,” Tian Mei started, almost calling her big sister out of habit before meeting Jing Mo’s cold, dark gaze. It served as an instant reminder of a previous exchange when Jing MO had pointed out that Tian Mei was actually older than Xia Xin. Biting her lip, she revised her approach. “Xia Xin, here are some snacks I brought along. I thought you might like some.”

Xia Xin glanced at the offerings and replied flatly, “We have our own food, thanks.”

“But you’d hardly have time to prepare anything now. Why not have some of these snacks to tide you over? Later, you can…” Tian Mei’s voice trailed off as a tantalizing aroma filled the air.

Turning away, Xia Xin approached her portable stove, ladling out a bowl of noodles, and handed it to Jing Mo.

“Thank you for lunch,” Jing MO said, graciously accepting the bowl. Although the noodles Xia Xin cooked were nice, Jing MO didn’t want to trouble her much. He decided to cook for her the next round. When he told Xia Xin his thoughts, she agreed to it and began to enjoy the lunch together.

Feeling embarrassed, Tian Mei held her bag of snacks and thought about the unfinished sentence. Her cheeks flushed a vivid red. She was about to suggest they have something since it’s going to take a while to cook. Yet, Xia Xin had made a steaming bowl of homemade noodles with meat and vegetables in just seconds.

Dejected, Tian Mei returned to her pile of baggage, looking around for another option. Her eyes landed on Lu Shi, who was enjoying his meal in a hammock. After some hesitation, she decided to try to win him over as well. She wasn’t initially inclined to share her goodies with Lu Shi since his sleeping arrangement was a mere hammock. But having been rebuffed by both Zhou Lian and Xia Xin, Tian Mei felt desperate.

Understanding Tian Mei’s intentions, Lu Shi put aside his meal and pretended to nap in his hammock as she approached. Taken aback, Tian Mei was puzzled. She couldn’t believe that Lu Shi suddenly ignored her when he had been kind to her throughout the trip.

Lu Shi’s thoughts were straightforward: If Tian Mei had tried to befriend him in the first place, he would have been more than willing to extend his hospitality for the remaining days. But instead, she had first tried to gain the favor of Jing MO, and that irked him. Lu Shi was aware that he was not as good as Jing MO, but it didn’t mean he was no better. Lu Shi believed that he was on par with Jing MO and they were equally good.

Feeling cornered, Tian Mei decided she had no choice but to extend her charm offensive to Lu Shi as they were part of the same group. Holding her snacks, she said in a voice loud enough to wake him, “Lu Shi, I’ve brought some snacks for you, would you like to try them?”

Hesitant but unable to ignore Tian Mei any longer, especially given the chance of what his fans might say, Lu Shi opened his eyes and prepared to dismount from his hammock. Because Tian Mei was standing under his hammock and he couldn’t see her, he just jumped down straight away. But the moment he set his foot down, he felt something soft beneath it—something pleasantly furry. Intrigued, he rubbed his foot against it a couple more times.

Stunned, Tian Mei looked up to find a mud-caked foot pressing down on her head. She unleashed a piercing scream that echoed through the skies..