238: Friend, Condescending
A voice suddenly drifted from the woods opposite them.
"The fragrance is coming from right here; it smells so good!"
A voice came from deep within the forest, carrying clear excitement.
Soon after, the sounds of footsteps and talking mixed together, drawing closer and closer.
Su Ningyu looked up and saw a group of people walking out from between the trees.
There were seven or eight of them, both men and women, all around twenty years old.
Leading them was a handsome young man surrounded by the others like stars around the moon; his refined clothing suggested a wealthy background.
Beside him was a gentle-looking girl with long hair draped over her shoulders and smiling eyes, curiously observing the two people by the bonfire.
Su Ningyu finished his observation and ignored them, continuing to lower his head to eat the roasted meat.
The Gloomy Forest was not his private territory, so it was normal for people to show up.
However, Xu Jingyu's expression changed upon seeing these people.
Xu Jingyu put down the roasted meat in his hand and subconsciously sat up straight.
When the young man surrounded by the group saw Su Ningyu and Xu Jingyu, he first gave them a casual glance, then his gaze landed on Xu Jingyu and he froze for a moment.
Immediately after, the corners of his mouth curled into an arc.
The smile did not reach his eyes.
"Oh my, look who it is. Isn't this our Chicken-farming specialist, Xu Jingyu?"
The young man's voice was loud, intentionally letting everyone behind him hear. "What, not at home raising your Dancing Peacocks? What are you doing in the Gloomy Forest? Looking for bugs to feed your chickens?"
The people behind him laughed in coordination.
Chicken-farming specialist.
The corner of Su Ningyu's mouth twitched slightly.
Calling a Dancing Peacock a chicken—that was a rather unique angle for mockery.
The expression on Xu Jingyu's face did not change at all.
He didn't even blink, simply looking at the other party calmly, as if looking at a stranger who had nothing to do with him.
This composure was more powerful than any retort.
Seeing that Xu Jingyu was ignoring him, the smile on the youth named Shan Yu stiffened for a moment.
His gaze lingered on Xu Jingyu for a second before falling onto the golden-brown roasted rabbit meat on the fire rack, and he couldn't help but sniff the air.
Just as he was about to say something else, the long-haired girl beside him spoke up.
"Shan Yu, how can you say that about Xu Jingyu?"
Lu Yitang spoke, her voice crisp and carrying a hint of reproach. "We are all classmates; it's not right to speak like that."
When Shan Yu heard Lu Yitang defending Xu Jingyu—and with a tone of tenderness he had never received—a flash of gloom passed through his eyes.
But he quickly suppressed it, and that impeccable smile returned to his face.
"My mistake, my mistake." He raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, his tone intentionally light. "Xu Jingyu, I'm a bit clumsy with my words and say things that aren't pleasant. Don't take it to heart."
Xu Jingyu still didn't speak.
However, he felt a sense of inner joy that Lu Yitang had actually defended him.
What should I do? The goddess is concerned about me.
After Shan Yu finished speaking, he stopped taking Xu Jingyu seriously.
His gaze swept back and forth between Xu Jingyu and Su Ningyu, finally landing on Su Ningyu.
"Little Xu, we're all college classmates, why are you acting alone? You didn't even say hello. And this is—"
He looked at Su Ningyu. "Your younger brother?"
Su Ningyu took a bite of roasted meat and didn't respond.
He was just an onlooker.
No, a meat-eating onlooker.
He just wanted to quietly watch this Shura Field drama unfold.
Su Ningyu could still sense Xu Jingyu's different attitude toward that girl.
Xu Jingyu spoke up: "He is my friend, not my brother. We are just a temporary team, not acting alone."
"Friend?"
Shan Yu raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on Su Ningyu for a few more seconds as if evaluating something.
But Su Ningyu's young face clearly didn't pique any interest in him.
After that, Xu Jingyu ignored Shan Yu.
He didn't even spare the other party a glance, simply turning around calmly to continue eating the roasted meat in his hand.
This disregard was more frustrating than any retort.
Shan Yu's face flushed red, but he couldn't lash out in front of Lu Yitang. He could only glare fiercely at Xu Jingyu before leading his group away.
However, Shan Yu and his group didn't go far.
They found a clearing across the lake and set up camp right there.
Su Ningyu watched the bonfire across the way that was almost high enough to burn the treetops, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
The fragrance of Seasoning Potions mixed with the charred aroma of roasted meat, drifting across the lakeshore on the night wind and permeating everyone's nostrils.
Shan Yu's companions began to salivate, and Lu Yitang couldn't help but look over a few more times. Even Shan Yu's own Adam's apple rolled uncontrollably.
Finally unable to restrain himself, he stood up and paced over to Su Ningyu.
"Hey, kid."
Looking down at Su Ningyu condescendingly with his chin slightly raised, he said, "Let me taste the meat you're roasting. Name your price, and I'll pay it."
His tone was not one of negotiation, but an order.
It was as if deigning to eat the meat Su Ningyu roasted was already a great favor.
Su Ningyu didn't even look up as he handed the last piece of rabbit meat to Coal Ball and wiped the grease off his hands.
"Sorry, the rest is food for my Beast. If you want to eat, make it yourselves."
Coal Ball, holding the rabbit meat in its mouth, glanced at Shan Yu with its vertical pupils and let out a low growl from its throat.
The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a threatening undertone that sent a chill down Shan Yu's spine.
He subconsciously took a step back, then felt embarrassed and forced himself to stand his ground.
"You!" Shan Yu's face turned the color of pig liver.
It had been a long time since he had met someone who dared to speak to him like that.
Although the Shan Family wasn't a top-tier Family in the Northland, they were still prominent.
From childhood to adulthood, where had he gone without being pampered and catered to?
But now, he was first ignored by Xu Jingyu and then snubbed by some greenhorn who came out of nowhere.
"As expected of someone Xu Jingyu knows; you're all just shallow people." Shan Yu snorted coldly and stormed off.
Su Ningyu didn't even lift an eyelid.
He didn't even bother to respond to a provocation of this level.
The night grew deeper.
The clamor on the opposite side of the lake showed no signs of diminishing.
Shan Yu's group seemed to treat the Gloomy Forest entirely as their own backyard, singing and dancing by the bonfire as laughter and music drifted through the night wind.
Some were singing, some were clinking glasses, and others were using their Beasts to perform tricks.
Several glowing butterfly-type Beasts flew around the camp, lighting up the area as bright as day.
Su Ningyu leaned against a tree, watching the "scene of joy and harmony" across the way, and remained silent for a moment.
"Are these classmates of yours in their right minds?"
He finally couldn't help but speak up, his tone filled with confusion.
"This is the wild, not a place for their revelry. With such a huge commotion, aren't they afraid of attracting every wild Beast for miles?"