Learning that Lei Ping had started a livestream, Gu Xingzhao was taken aback. Has the world gone this crazy?

Her roommate, wearing an expression of disgust as if she’d just swallowed a fly, commented, “Well, I just checked it out. A bunch of people are cursing her, and she’s there playing the victim, trying to twist the situation.”

“Ah Zhao, I’ve already asked someone to help gather chat logs or video evidence. The more of that stuff, the better.”

Gu Xingzhao felt touched; she hadn’t expected that her roommates, with whom she hadn’t kept in close contact for two years, would be the first to step up and help.

“Thank you all. I’ll treat you to a meal next time.”

Her three roommates laughed, “We won’t be polite then. When the time comes, take us for a drive in your car.”

“Deal.”

---

Meanwhile, in the past.

The aroma in the air had everyone itching with curiosity, even the Liu family members who gathered around to see what was going on.

Shunyu, noticing the crowd gathering in the distance, immediately guessed that the Lu family’s deity must have sent something rare again!

Her curiosity piqued, she wanted to take a look. Just as she stood up, a shadow loomed before her. Liu Xiangbai stood in front of her, his cold and stern gaze making her heart race. This man was even more imposing than Lord Lu.

With his lips tightly pressed, Liu Xiangbai spoke in a deep voice, “Your Highness, to become strong, you must remain focused, not be swayed by external things, and, most importantly, not let others see through your thoughts.”

He could tell that this young princess had a fire in her heart, just like himself, filled with resentment and discontent towards the capital. That’s why he was determined to teach her earnestly.

Shunyu bit her lip, realizing that Liu Xiangbai was right. “I understand what you’re saying, sir.”

She immediately sat back down and continued her studies with renewed determination.

Lu Yang urged his nephew several times, “Can we open it now? I can already smell the aroma.”

He had been craving noodles earlier, but the two buckets he had hidden away a few days ago were nowhere to be found, which left him feeling frustrated. Now, smelling this fragrance, his mouth was watering.

The other family members around him were also waiting, their stomachs growling at the tantalizing aroma.

Lu Zhou couldn’t resist either, “Xingyao, is it time?”

But Lu Xingyao remained firm, “Let’s wait a bit longer. The ancestors said we should only open it when the noise stops.”

When the ancestors spoke, one had to listen without the slightest negligence.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound from the box gradually died down. When it finally stopped, everyone craned their necks, their eyes fixed on it, eager not to miss out.

Only then did Lu Xingyao reach out to open the lid. As he lifted it, a burst of steaming fragrance filled the air, making his eyes widen and his mouth slightly agape. “It’s… hot?”

“!” Lu Yang was also stunned. He distinctly remembered that his nephew had added cold water just now!

Lu Xingyao swallowed hard, astonished. What kind of object was this? Without fire or kindling, it had heated up on its own? This was too magical. Could it be another of the ancestors’ divine arts?

The aroma was overwhelming, the ingredients soaked in the rich broth, with both meat and vegetables, making everyone’s mouths water.

Lu Qing was the first to grab his chopsticks and pick up a piece of meat. After blowing on it twice, he put it into his mouth, the sour and spicy flavors making his eyes squint in pleasure. Who would have thought that in the middle of this desolate wilderness, he could enjoy such a delicious meal? He felt warmth spreading through his body.

Seeing the old man’s reaction, the others, including Lu Zhou, couldn’t hold back anymore. They all took out their eating tools, grabbing bites here and there. The moment the food entered their mouths, someone couldn’t help but sigh in happiness.

Lu Yang was so excited that his hands were trembling as he held his chopsticks, “!!!” Delicious! This is definitely the taste of heaven!

But two self-heating hot pots weren’t nearly enough, and soon everyone was urging Lu Xingyao to prepare two more.

The aroma was so strong that even the criminals in the distance were drooling, biting into their coarse bread with resentment. They regretted ever causing trouble; otherwise, they would be eating and drinking with the Lu family now instead of those sickly members of the Liu family. Damn it!

The officials, too, swallowed hard at the smell, whispering among themselves, “What has the Lu family come up with this time? It smells so good!”

But they couldn’t stomach their dry rations anymore.

One of the junior officers was puzzled, “Why hasn’t the Lu family given us some yet?”

“Well, with something so tasty in front of them, it’s understandable. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

The officers were confident that once the Lu family had had their fill, they would share. The thought of soon tasting food blessed by the deity made them tremble with excitement.

That night, the officers watched eagerly until the Lu family was finally done eating. At last, three people arrived with three containers.

When the lids were opened, the steaming food released an aroma that made everyone’s mouths water.

Naturally, one container was for Du Hangwu himself, while the other two were shared among the remaining officers. They immediately picked up the chopsticks given by the Lu family, rushing to grab a bite as if they were fighting for silver, afraid they’d miss out.

They ate so fast they barely tasted the food, eager to grab the next piece, like starving wolves devouring a feast.

When there was nothing left to grab, they dipped their bread into the tangy and spicy broth, licking their lips, feeling as if they had eaten and yet somehow hadn’t. They had already forgotten the taste.

They sighed with regret, thinking they should have eaten more slowly, but then they wouldn’t have gotten as much.

In the end, they all sighed: “The Lu family is so stingy, only giving us two boxes.”

Unlike them, Du Hangwu had his own box, and he had never tasted anything so delicious. As he ate, he marveled at the magical food, savoring each bite of the tangy and spicy flavors. Halfway through, his body warmed up, and under the envious eyes of the other officers, he even took off his down jacket.

In the middle of the night, Du Hangwu got up to relieve himself. He was gone so long that his colleagues feared something had happened to him and went looking.

When Du Hangwu returned, his face was dark and serious. He stopped one of the junior officers, “Keep an eye on that third Lu family member and see if there really is some kind of divine medicine.”

The junior officer immediately agreed!

---

The next day, when Gu Xingzhao woke up, she found that all the university chat groups had exploded with news about Lei Ping.

She took a bottle of milk from the fridge, sipping as she scrolled through the chats.

Classmate 1: I remember she had a boyfriend in college. The guy was two-timing and secretly tried to chase after Gu Xingzhao. Gu told her about it—I was there—and she actually defended the scumbag, saying that if Gu Xingzhao hadn’t tried to seduce him, her boyfriend wouldn’t have changed his mind!

Classmate 2: I remember that too. It caused a huge uproar back then. Gu Xingzhao was really unlucky, trying to be nice and ending up covered in mud.

Classmate 3: Wow, the guy was already cheating, and she still defended him? Why even bother breaking up? She should have just locked it down.

Classmate 4: Exactly! If she loved him so much, she should have stayed with him forever. Why did they break up?

Classmate 5: I heard from a neighboring dorm that the guy ended up dating several women at once and even brought them to his place, and that’s when she caught them, leading to the breakup.

Classmate 6: Hilarious! She was on a livestream last night playing the victim, begging for donations, but instead, she got flamed off the air. The internet really dug up everything. I heard she was already a piece of work in high school, calling random guys “brother” and bullying her female classmates, even cornering them outside of school. Gross.

Classmate 7: I saw that too. Apparently, she even called in her parents, and they backed her up, telling the victim to reflect on why she got bullied. The poor girl ended up with mental issues and had to drop out. That whole family is disgusting.

Classmate 8: If she hadn’t gone live last night, no one would have dug up all this dirt. She’s so desperate for fame that she brought it all on herself. Karma’s a bitch.

As Gu Xingzhao was reading through the chat logs, a message from Lei Ping suddenly popped up. She frowned and clicked on it.

Lei Ping: Gu Xingzhao, I was wrong. I’m sorry. Please, can you help me explain things online?

Lei Ping: Those people came to my house. My mom was so upset she ended up in the hospital. Please, help me clarify things so they stop coming after me!

Lei Ping: I wronged you, but my mom is innocent.