Five minutes later, inside the dining room of Room 610.

To show the sincerity of his apology, Li Xiao had prepared a whole table of dishes himself.

“Fortunately, everything is light and bland. Otherwise, with your throat inflamed, you wouldn’t be able to eat anything.”

Li Xiao brought over bowls and utensils from the kitchen and sat down right next to Song Jin, “Give it a try. See if it suits your taste?”

The moment Song Jin looked down and saw that the table was filled entirely with his favorite foods, his skyrocketing rage index was instantly wiped completely clean.

“I couldn’t tell that you actually knew how to cook.”

“I just followed a recipe. I have no idea if they are fully cooked or not.”

Li Xiao popped open the jar of chili sauce he had plundered from Wei Feng, scooping two large spoonfuls onto a small dipping dish. Assessing that it wasn’t quite enough, he added another two spoonfuls.

Song Jin picked up a piece of Chinese yam and stuffed it into his mouth. He nodded repeatedly as he chewed, but upon swallowing, the heat irritated his inflamed throat, causing him to instantly draw in sharp breaths from the scalding pain.

“Open up.” Li Xiao gently turned his chin toward himself, blowing softly to cool it down. “Eat slower. I promise I won’t compete with you for tonight’s meal.”

Song Jin: “…”

You really have the nerve to make such a promise.

Song Jin let out a soft snort, “Did you use to casually blow on other people’s mouths like this in the past?”

Li Xiao picked up a piece of dried small fish and dipped it into the chili sauce, “How could that be possible? I have never encountered a grown adult who manages to scald themselves just by eating a meal.”

Before Song Jin could even feel a surge of happiness, his face darkened instantly upon hearing the latter half of the sentence. He deliberately set down his chopsticks, preparing to turn around and leave.

Li Xiao swiftly caught him by the wrist. Facing Song Jin’s glare that clearly screamed, ‘If you don’t start speaking properly right now, you are absolutely dead,’ he suppressed a laugh and added, “I very rarely dine with others in private. This is my very first time properly cooking a meal. Won’t you grace me with your presence?”

Song Jin was thoroughly satisfied. He seized the opportunity to slide right back into his seat, delivering a double entendre, “Then I’d feel terribly embarrassed, letting you give away your very first time to me just like this.”

“Even my first kiss has already been accounted for by you. What does this count for?” Li Xiao remarked casually as he popped the chili-sauce-soaked dried fish into his mouth. He suddenly felt that he hadn’t taken enough chili sauce; he really should have completely emptied out Wei Feng’s little warehouse.

Song Jin was currently chewing happily on a piece of meat, but upon hearing those words, he snapped his gaze sharply toward Li Xiao.

“…What first kiss?”

Meeting Song Jin’s utterly astonished gaze, Li Xiao posed a slow, questioning retort, “Have you forgotten the atrocious crime you committed against me inside the restroom so quickly?”

Song Jin: “…”

Song Jin narrowed his eyes, sizing Li Xiao up as he concluded that the other man was talking absolute nonsense.

How could a universally adored scoundrel like Li Xiao—someone who acted incredibly casual and was constantly full of lies—possibly still possess his first kiss?

Yet upon second thought, Li Xiao truly did carry an exceptionally cold and detached demeanor. He possessed the standard conduct of an old Buddhist monk; if you handed him a string of prayer beads, he could practically attain enlightenment right on the spot.

At this thought, Song Jin couldn’t hold back any longer. He threw an arm over Li Xiao’s shoulder, preparing to force another kiss upon him.

Li Xiao leaned backward to evade him, “Eat your food properly.”

Song Jin insisted, “Let’s make up for the ritual, to commemorate the first kiss that has passed away.”

Li Xiao: “…”

Ritual my ass.

Seeing Song Jin exert more and more strength, Li Xiao warned, “I just ate chili.”

Only then did Song Jin give up. He couldn’t stop the corners of his lips from curving upward, “Was that really your first time kissing someone else?”

After uttering those words, Song Jin belatedly realized a fact—for the only two instances they had kissed, he had been the one to take the initiative both times. Li Xiao hadn’t actually kissed him yet.

Seeing the brilliant gleam flashing across Song Jin’s eyes, Li Xiao deduced the other youth’s intention almost instantly.

Sure enough, in the very next instant, he heard Song Jin state imperiously, “Kiss me right now. Don’t force me to resort to violence.”

Li Xiao: “…What on earth are you trying to do?”

“Harvesting your first kiss.” Song Jin pulled the man toward himself with immense strength, “If I can’t capture your heart first, I’ll capture your body instead.”

Li Xiao had no choice but to dodge backward once more, “What absolute nonsense are you spouting? The food is going to get cold.”

Because they were leaning so close, Song Jin caught a whiff of the pungent chili aroma and couldn’t help but let out several sneezes in a row.

Li Xiao pulled his hands away, “Sit properly and eat.”

Song Jin: “…”

He truly hadn’t expected that the obstacle standing between the two of them—aside from both being Alphas—would actually include chili sauce.

With his throat inflamed, and under Li Xiao’s strict supervision, Song Jin ate far slower than his usual pace. He suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

Li Xiao asked, “What are you laughing at? Is it really that delicious?”

Song Jin smirked with immense pride, “So what if so many people like you? Resorting to playing psychological mind games and attempting pheromone control—deploying all those useless tricks. In the end, your first kiss was still snagged by me through sheer luck. What an utter failure on their part.”

Li Xiao: “…”

Li Xiao parsed the underlying meaning behind his words, asking smoothly, “Do you truly believe that as long as you force me, I will simply submit?”

Song Jin countered, “Is that not the case?”

Li Xiao: “…”

Forget it. I’ll let this brat relish his victory for a few days.

At that exact same moment, on the Imperial Planet of the Tianjiang Constellation, inside the Meng Residence.

Meng Tu knocked on the door and stepped into the study of his father, Meng Jian. He pulled out a chair before the tea table and sat down directly across from him.

“It has been confirmed. His Majesty did not dispatch any additional personnel to Z152 to execute a rescue operation.”

Meng Jian held a piece of velvet cloth, gently wiping down a tea pet, “Have you even thoroughly checked the legions?”

“The Security Bureau, the garrison, and the legions have all been thoroughly checked.” Meng Tu cast a casual glance toward the golden feather-finch-shaped tea pet resting in his hands, “It should merely be a unilateral lie fabricated by Li Xiao for the sake of self-preservation. As long as he claims that Li Ji dispatched personnel to save him, the Royal Family is forced to temporarily protect him in order to appease public opinion.”

Meng Jian placed the polished tea pet onto the tea table. A pot of boiling water was poured slowly over the top; the areas struck by the water transformed from brilliant gold into a deep, vivid crimson, resembling streams of fresh blood trickling down.

Every single time he witnessed this visual, it never failed to bring an immense sense of pleasure to Meng Jian’s mood.

“He actually thinks his brother possesses any shred of capability to protect him?”

Meng Tu averted his gaze imperceptibly after a single glance, “However, since Li Xiao managed to enter the base on N152, he might already be aware of quite a few matters. Before the official handover of administrative jurisdiction takes place, we must prevent any contact between him and His Majesty.”

“Absolutely nothing was left behind inside the base on N152, so what is there to fear?” Meng Jian set down the water pitcher, picking up a hand towel to wipe his hands clean. “Even if he is aware of those minor details concerning the BiQue tribe, so what? Does he actually dare to investigate? Is he unaware of what kind of end those two individuals met in the past?”

His terminal vibrated. Seeing that the incoming call was from his grandson, Meng Tao, Meng Jian casually accepted it.

“What is it?”

Meng Tao stepped into his dormitory bedroom, locking the door firmly behind him.

“Grandfather, Li Xiao has already arrived at the school. He is keeping an exceptionally high profile alongside that Alpha partner of his.”

Meng Jian responded, “I have already received word of that.”

Meng Tu expressed some confusion, “Could Li Xiao’s marriage be a smoke screen? From the way he looks upon his return this time, everything indicates he is aiming squarely for the throne. Why on earth would he suddenly seek out a partner from Shengya?”

“A petty little trick meant to deceive the senses,” Meng Jian sneered. “It doesn’t matter who he seeks out; it will be entirely useless.”

Meng Tao kept his face taut, “Can we initiate our operations immediately?”

Meng Jian manipulated his tea set with a relaxed, leisurely air, “What kind of thoughts do you have? Speak up and let me hear them.”

This was an implicit nod of approval.

At the thought of being able to exact revenge upon Li Xiao very soon, Meng Tao felt a surge of excitement. He proceeded to detail his entire plan from beginning to end without withholding a single detail.

“Lin Zhou?” Meng Tu murmured thoughtfully, “Is that the son of Adjutant A’Zai?”

“Precisely.” Speaking of Lin Zhou, Meng Tao’s face filled with deep distaste, “He has been acting completely rabid lately, snapping and biting at everyone across the school campus. Utilizing him to strike means we won’t even need to deliberately fabricate an excuse. Furthermore, a mentally ill individual committing murder is not a crime under the law.”

Meng Jian decreed, “Then go ahead and give it a try.”

Meng Tao smirked, “Understood!”

Back at the First Military Academy, inside Dormitory 610.

Once the two of them finished their meal, Li Xiao set down his chopsticks and tilted his chin toward Song Jin, “Clear the dishes and utensils.”

Song Jin stared back with a face of sheer disbelief, “You invited me over for a meal, yet you actually expect me to wash the dishes?”

“What do you mean by ‘invited’ or ‘not invited’?” Li Xiao countered with a question of his own, “Do the two of us not share a relationship where we have kissed?”

“…” Song Jin struggled internally, “No one dares to command me to do chores.”

Li Xiao asked calmly, “Do you still want to eat the next meal?”

Song Jin: “…”

Damn it.

Song Jin was truly incapable of resisting the temptation of delicious food. Resentfully, he gathered the plates off the table and carried them into the kitchen, “How do you operate the dishwasher? I don’t know how.”

“I don’t know either. There are only a few plates anyway, so let’s just wash them by hand.” Li Xiao followed closely on his heels, extracting newly purchased coffee beans from the cabinet.

Song Jin briefly contemplated throwing the dirty plates directly into the trash bin, considering they didn’t cost much money anyway.

Catching sight of Li Xiao beginning to manually grind the coffee beans out of the corner of his eye, he silently withdrew his hand.

Washing the plates yields a reward of hand-ground coffee prepared by Li Xiao.

This trade is highly cost-effective.

Once Song Jin successfully coaxed himself into a better mood, he dumped half a bottle of dishwashing liquid straight into the water.

Li Xiao had no idea what kind of petty calculations the youth was running. Mid-way through grinding the beans, he turned his head around with deep concern, only to witness the entire sink completely flooded with thick foam, while Song Jin’s cuffs were entirely soaked through.

“…Just how much dishwashing liquid did you pour in?” Li Xiao walked over, lifting Song Jin’s hands to unfasten his cufflinks before helping him roll his sleeves up to his forearms.

Song Jin actively extended his other hand over, “Just a tiny bit.”

Li Xiao sighed, “…Your unit of measurement seems to be drastically misaligned with that of an ordinary human.”

Once the dishes were washed, Li Xiao wanted to locate some medication for Song Jin to take.

Song Jin curled up comfortably into the sofa while sipping his coffee contentedly, waving his hand in a casual gesture, “No need. After consuming a proper meal, my throat feels significantly more comfortable. With my self-healing capabilities, it will be perfectly fine by tomorrow.”

Every medication carried a fraction of toxicity; if it could be avoided, it was better not to consume it, so Li Xiao didn’t force the matter.

While the two were conversing about the details surrounding the abandoned base on Z152, 09’s notification alert chimed beside their ears.

Meng Tao has entered the ward!

Li Xiao instructed it to activate synchronized viewing, causing a surveillance screen to instantly materialize within his line of sight.

Back in the dining hall, when Lin Zhou was being escorted away, Li Xiao had instructed 09 to quietly trail after them.

Two lackeys were currently standing guard outside the door, leaving Meng Tao to step into Lin Zhou’s ward entirely alone.

Lin Zhou was staring blankly out the window with a hollow gaze. Hearing the approaching footsteps, he turned his head around sluggishly. The moment his eyes fell upon Meng Tao, his hands resting atop the blanket clenched into tight fists, his voice dropping into a raspy, vicious snarl, “What did you come here for?!”

Meng Tao circled around to the bedside, looking down at him with a beaming smile, “After all, we did serve as exchange students together. I simply came to show some concern for an old classmate. How is it that after not seeing each other for a few days, your complexion has turned so wretched?”

“Stop playing dumb with me!” Lin Zhou bolted upright in bed. His hands, which were pinned down by various medical tubes, lunged forward to grip Meng Tao tightly by the collar, every syllable heavily laced with malice, “If you know what’s good for you, hurry up and hand the items over to me! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Meng Tao let out a soft laugh, violently ripping Lin Zhou’s hands away before shoving him heavily back into the mattress.

“Threatening me? What exactly do you think you can do to me?”

A single sentence completely shattered Lin Zhou’s psychological defenses, causing him to pounce forward hysterically, “I’ll kill you first and then commit suicide! In any case, I won’t be able to survive much longer, so no one gets to have a good life!”

Lin Zhou had been injected with sedatives, rendering his reactions sluggish. Before long, he was easily subdued by Meng Tao, who pinned him down by the throat, rendering him entirely incapable of movement.

“Ugh…! Let go…!”

Meng Tao stared down with absolute disdain at Lin Zhou’s choked, crimson face, leaning in close to whisper directly into his ear, “If you want to keep living, it’s not like there isn’t a way.”

Lin Zhou froze instantly, his struggling limbs ceasing their movements.

Meng Tao continued, “As long as you can redeem your past mistakes through new merits, I will help you apply for the items. Do you understand?”

Lin Zhou glared at Meng Tao, his eyes thoroughly bloodshot from sheer rage.

“Don’t you dare play me for a fool.”

“Do you really think I rushed all the way over here just to play you for a fool? Do you even deserve that?” Meng Tao straightened his posture, “Whether you do it or not is entirely up to your own consideration.”

With that, Meng Tao turned on his heel to leave the room.

“The time limit is three days. We won’t wait past the deadline.”

Inside Dormitory 610.

Once the surveillance footage concluded, Song Jin turned to ask Li Xiao, “What kind of issue has emerged within Lin Zhou’s body?”

Li Xiao shook his head, “I can only be certain that his pheromones have undergone a transformation. They resemble the stench of a deceased individual far more closely than before.”

Song Jin narrowed his eyes slightly.

Li Xiao had mentioned in the past that pheromones could offer a highly intuitive reflection of an individual’s physical health. Emitting the scent of a dead person meant he might truly be bordering on the brink of death.

“The items Lin Zhou mentioned should precisely refer to the blood. Can consuming blood truly stabilize his physical condition?” Song Jin murmured thoughtfully, “But why is it that he suddenly lost access to the blood supplies, forcing him to beg Meng Tao for them?”

Recalling Meng Tao’s phrase regarding redeeming past mistakes through new merits, Li Xiao offered a casual deduction, “Could it be that because the assignment to assassinate me failed, he faced severe sanctions?”

Song Jin noted, “Don’t say it, there really is a possibility of that. In that case, you better be exceptionally cautious over the next three days.”

Li Xiao had already made full preparations the moment he resolved to enter the military academy.

He took a sip of his coffee, remarking nonchalantly, “As for the blood… I happen to possess some as well.”

Song Jin’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint, “Are you referring to those two crates that were delivered to the wrong address?”

Li Xiao nodded.

“Let’s see what kind of moves they deploy first. There’s no rush; we’ll play along slowly.”

The following morning, Song Jin blinked his eyes open in a daze, finding himself thoroughly slapped in the face by the words he had uttered the previous day.

He had assumed that a single night’s rest would alleviate the throat pain entirely. Instead, there wasn’t the slightest hint of improvement; rather, the condition had grown significantly more severe. Even letting out a soft cough triggered a radiating wave of agony, and swallowing water felt precisely like swallowing razor blades.

At exactly seven-thirty, they stepped out the door punctually. Li Xiao and the other three were already waiting at the far end of the corridor.

“I truly hope breakfast won’t be entirely filled with spicy options,” Qin Le prayed under his breath. “My requirements aren’t high; as long as there are plain white mantou buns, I can survive.”

Qian Can couldn’t help but criticize, “You are a young master of a wealthy clan after all, yet your upkeep is simply too low.”

As they stepped out of the dormitory building, Da Bei, who had been waiting outside, stepped forward to greet them. He swore up and down that he would guide them to a dining hall possessing truly light flavors this time, determined to completely wash away his past disgrace.

Li Xiao walked at the rear of the group, listening to the energetic chatter passing between the individuals ahead while casting his gaze toward Song Jin.

Ever since they had stepped out of the room, Song Jin hadn’t uttered a single syllable.

“Is your throat feeling any better?” Li Xiao asked.

Song Jin nodded his head without speaking.

Li Xiao observed his facial expression closely, “What do you want to eat tonight?”

“Meat—” The moment Song Jin opened his mouth, he completely exposed his condition.

His voice had transformed from the gravelly whisper of yesterday into a thoroughly cracked, raspy squawk, so hoarse that he was virtually incapable of producing vocal sounds.

“As expected, it worsened.” Li Xiao knitted his brows.

Song Jin always maintained the conduct of a cool, unbothered guy in front of outsiders, yet before him, he constantly revealed a clingy, provocative side—unless he was actively throwing a tantrum.

Song Jin guiltily averted his gaze from Li Xiao’s eyes, whispering hoarsely, “…It’s merely my voice that hasn’t recovered yet. The pain vanished long ago.”

Fifteen minutes later, the entire table of individuals watched as Li Xiao blew on a bowl of white congee to cool it down before sliding it right in front of Song Jin, “You aren’t permitted to consume anything hard. You’re coming along with me to the medical infirmary in a short while.”

Song Jin looked upon the dish with immense disdain, “How am I supposed to eat something so bland?”

Li Xiao countered gently, “That area of yours is swollen, so you cannot consume anything too stimulating.”

Jiang Hao: “…!”

Qian Can: “…!!”

Qin Le: “…!”

Da Bei: “…!!”

The four individuals seated at the table raised their heads from their bowls simultaneously.

That area is swollen!

Cannot consume hard things!

The voice has turned hoarse!

Qian Can stared with wide eyes toward Qin Le, violently shifting his eyebrows up and down: [What on earth transpired between them last night?!]

Qin Le shot back a look: [Aren’t you the boss’s roommate? You’re asking me?]

Qian Can turned his head to nudge Jiang Hao, his eyebrows practically flying off his face: [Xiao Jiang, did you catch any suspicious commotions last night?]

Jiang Hao shook his head innocently: [I was busy completing my assignments, I didn’t pay any attention.]

Qian Can slapped his own thigh in frustration.

At such a monumentally critical juncture, how could he possibly focus solely on completing assignments?!

Once breakfast concluded, Li Xiao stated he needed to escort Song Jin to the medical infirmary, instructing the others to head out first.

Qian Can wore a thoroughly miserable expression as he delivered an intense reminder, “You absolutely must take stellar care of my boss. He has never suffered such a massive loss in his entire life, sob sob.”

Qin Le patted his shoulder to offer comfort, “Such a day was bound to arrive sooner or later.”

“Lele, sob sob—” Qian Can buried himself into Qin Le’s embrace, executing a display of fake weeping.

Li Xiao: “…?”

This group of brats is acting incredibly bizarre. There truly is a massive generational gap.

The two drove over to the nearest campus medical center.

Song Jin was a Prince of Shengya after all, meaning seeking medical attention on this turf required immense caution. Li Xiao remained glued to his side throughout the entire duration.

The school doctor was an approachable Alpha elder, roughly sixty years of age, who appeared highly proficient in his medical skills.

After scanning the throat conditions utilizing diagnostic instruments, the school doctor intended to have Song Jin complete a routine blood draw for analysis, only to face an immediate refusal.

Seeing the old school doctor’s confusion, Li Xiao offered an explanation, “He is an exchange student, so it is inconvenient to complete a blood draw.”

“I see.” The old doctor turned back to face Song Jin, posing a series of questions, “The drastic variations in environment and diet triggered physical discomfort, with the spicy food consumed yesterday serving as the primary catalyst. The issue isn’t severe. Maintain a light diet over the next few days, and ensure you refrain from drinking fruit juices or similar beverages. Consume some cooling herbal tea to disperse the internal heat.”

Song Jin: “…”

Who on earth wants to drink cooling herbal tea? That’s garbage meant for old men.

Li Xiao asked the doctor, “Is coffee permissible?”

The doctor waved his hand dismissively, “Coffee is even less permissible; it will only aggravate the medical condition.”

Li Xiao: “…”

Song Jin’s voice transforming into a raspy squawk might very well have been triggered by that cup of coffee he consumed last night.

A knock echoed against the door. Li Xiao turned his head around, only to find himself momentarily dazed upon seeing the person who had stepped inside. A fragment of memory flashed past his mind at blinding speed, yet he was entirely unable to capture it.

“Apologies for the intrusion. I am the First-Year Dean, Yan Qing.” Yan Qing looked upon Song Jin and Li Xiao as he stepped inside, “I noticed the medical logs popping up on the administrative backend, so I rushed over to check. Is someone experiencing physical discomfort?”

Song Jin rasped, “I’m fine.”

Seeing that he was struggling immensely to speak, the old school doctor stepped in to explain the situation to Yan Qing.

Li Xiao observed this middle-aged Omega without betraying any emotion.

Upon closer scrutiny, he felt certain he had never crossed paths with this individual before, and even that fleeting sensation of familiarity from a moment ago vanished completely.

Once Yan Qing grasped the situation, he turned his gaze toward Song Jin, “The menus at Dining Hall 39 and Dining Hall 274 lean toward relatively light flavors. The two of you can give them a try.”

Li Xiao offered his gratitude, remarking casually, “We appreciate you personally making the trip down here, Director.”

“I am your Dean, so this falls squarely within my responsibilities,” Yan Qing smiled warmly. “Moving forward, if you encounter any difficulties concerning daily life or your academic studies, you are welcome to seek me out at any time.”

Li Xiao offered his thanks once more, “We need to head out for our classes, so we shall take our leave first.”

With that, he escorted Song Jin out of the facility.

Seeing that the vehicle wasn’t navigating toward the academic sector, Song Jin managed to speak up, “Where are we going?”

“Heading back to the dormitory to brew you some cooling herbal tea.” Li Xiao kept his hands rested upon the steering wheel, his thoughts still lingering upon the matter concerning Yan Qing.

Song Jin’s expression collapsed instantly.

“Skipping classes on the very first day of the academic term—you are a prince after all.”

Li Xiao countered, “They have been waiting for such a long time; who knows how many traps they have carefully laid out, simply waiting for me to leap inside.”

Song Jin struggled to argue, “But skipping classes hands them a massive leverage. They will definitely blow the matter entirely out of proportion.”

“Let them blow it up all they want, it doesn’t inflict any real damage anyway.” Li Xiao turned his gaze toward Song Jin, “Since when did you become so obedient? Don’t tell me you simply want to avoid drinking the herbal tea?”

Song Jin: “…”

Having his thoughts callously exposed, Song Jin let out a cold snort, propping up his chin as he stared blankly out the window.

Coming over to Danse truly yielded absolutely nothing good.

At that exact same moment, inside a specific training hall, Meng Tao had spent a massive amount of effort preparing quite a few props to pull a power play against Li Xiao. Yet despite waiting for a very long time, there wasn’t a single sign of the target, causing an immense surge of fury to swell within his chest.

A lackey observed Meng Tao’s expression, murmuring in a low whisper, “What on earth is wrong with this Li Xiao? Running late on the very first day!”

Another lackey chimed in, “Let’s wait a bit longer. He might have simply overslept.”

Meng Tao glanced at the time, noting that the vast majority of the class period had already elapsed. When he attempted to vault over a five-meter barrier, his fury caused him to deploy excessive force, nearly resulting in him face-planting miserably onto the ground. He faced a thorough round of mockery from Qian Can and Jiang Hao, who had managed to catch up from behind.

Inside Dormitory 610.

The moment Song Jin caught a whiff of the pungent medicinal aroma wafting out from the pot, he turned his body around, preparing to make a run for it. He was instantly caught around the waist from behind by Li Xiao, who guided his body right back.

“You don’t want to consume plain white congee every single day, do you?” Li Xiao whispered directly beside his ear.

Song Jin: “…”

Li Xiao pressed, “Are you afraid of drinking medicine?”

Song Jin let out a soft snort, “Me? Afraid?”

Li Xiao chilled the brewed herbal tea down utilizing an ice bath, before adding a massive handful of ice cubes into a tall glass. He took a sip himself to test the flavor profile.

“Is it exceptionally bitter?” Song Jin asked, his expression filled with equal parts curiosity and deep revulsion.

Li Xiao didn’t utter a word. Instead, he raised the glass once more, chugging down several massive gulps in quick succession.

Witnessing this display, Song Jin didn’t stop to think. He extended his hand out to snatch the glass directly out of the man’s grip.

He took a massive gulp; the texture was unexpectedly refreshing and freezing cold, instantly alleviating the burning sensation lingering within his throat.

Li Xiao let out a soft laugh, noting internally that this specific strategy truly worked flawlessly when deployed against children.

“Is it bitter?”

Song Jin finished the remaining contents in two gulps, extending the empty glass right back out, “Give me another glass.”

Li Xiao: “…”