Chapter 157: Mushrooms Are Poisonous!

The Hollow Earth.

Bumblebee transformed into a military helicopter, carrying Liang Xiaoyu and Xiaolongnü as it soared upward.

Following the recent distribution of bonuses, it had immediately upgraded its equipment. Although its combat power had not increased drastically, its mobility was greatly enhanced, and it was now fully capable of transforming into an aircraft.

Hanging all over its body was a chaotic assortment of items.

There was more than half of a flying snake carcass, half of a giant lizard, a half-human-sized dead rabbit, a baby elephant tied up with tree vines standing only half a meter tall, a lotus seed pod the size of a carriage wheel, and a glowing, fiery-red small tree...

Most of these were requested by Xiaolongnü.

She intended to transplant the small tree into her little courtyard, keep the baby elephant to play with, and cook the rest into delicious meals.

Liang Xiaoyu sat with her phone positioned in front of her, chattering away to her livestream audience about what she had seen and heard in the Hollow Earth, occasionally arguing with Bumblebee before asking Xiaolongnü to judge the dispute.

Xiaolongnü wore a gentle smile, while mentally pondering various carefully researched recipes, trying to find the optimal combination.

With colorful mushrooms as the main ingredient, adding a bit of flying snake meat, along with some wild vegetables she had foraged from the dinosaur park...

Mushroom and snake soup stew?

It should taste quite delicious, right?

……

Two hours later.

Wearing an apron, Xiaolongnü stood in the kitchen, dropping thinly sliced pieces of meat into a steaming pot.

After letting it simmer for a short while, she added the wild vegetables one by one.

These were all varieties she had eaten before, which were very suitable for making broth.

The mushrooms were tender and fresh, so they should be added last to preserve their delicate flavor.

Aside from practicing her swordplay and binge-watching television dramas, she spent most of her remaining time studying culinary arts, and she had already become quite proficient in brewing delicious soups.

The house was quiet, save for the bubbling sound coming from the pot.

Night had fallen, and Granny Sun had not yet returned.

In the Condor Heroes plane, Guo Jing was advancing like a hot knife through butter, and the revolutionary cause was in full swing.

Unable to withstand her daughter's repeated requests, Huang Yaoshi had no choice but to spare some time to help out. Hearing about this, Granny Sun had enrolled in a night continuing education class at the park, intending to learn some knowledge and contribute as well.

Word had it that Elder Hong Qigong had also enrolled in the classes.

He had already regained his youth and had even cut off his long hair a few days ago, but he simply could not break his sloppy, unhygienic habits from the Beggar Gang, something Granny Sun had complained about to Xiaolongnü many times.

Smiling softly as she shook her head to dismiss these rambling thoughts, Xiaolongnü opened the pot lid, humming a cheerful tune as she slowly added the hand-torn strips of mushrooms into the broth.

The colorful mushrooms possessed a very rich, earthy aroma.

Earlier, the great ape had eaten several in a row, so they must have tasted exceptionally delicious.

Before long, the mushroom soup began to emit a rich fragrance.

Xiaolongnü subconsciously swallowed and licked her lips, ladling a small bowl. Just as she picked it up to taste how it turned out, she suddenly heard a knock on the door.

She frowned, set the small bowl down, and turned back to open the door.

Standing outside was a sweat-drenched Liang Xiaoyu.

She had just finished her night run and happened to drop by hoping to freeload a place to sleep.

The moment she stepped through the door, she crashed right into Xiaolongnü's arms, sniffing up and down like a Border Collie.

"What are you doing!" Xiaolongnü grabbed her shoulders and forcefully pushed her away.

"What is that smell? It smells so good." Liang Xiaoyu's nose twitched as she sniffed hard.

Xiaolongnü gave her a helpless, exasperated look, then pointed toward the kitchen. "I made some mushroom soup."

Liang Xiaoyu's eyes lit up as she immediately walked into the kitchen.

Upon seeing the mushroom soup emitting wisps of steam in the white porcelain bowl, the corners of her mouth curved upward into a smile as she happily said, "How did you know I was coming? You even prepared this for me!"

"I..." Before Xiaolongnü could finish her sentence, Liang Xiaoyu grabbed the bowl of mushroom soup and downed it in one go.

"Long'er, your cooking skills are getting better and better," Liang Xiaoyu praised. "If you went outside, you could apply to be a private chef at a star-rated restaurant."

She licked her lips, still unsatisfied, and picked up the nearby soup ladle, intending to scoop herself another bowl.

Xiaolongnü showed zero appreciation for her flattery and snatched the ladle right out of her hand.

"No need to be so polite, I'll just help myself," Liang Xiaoyu said with a cheeky grin upon finding her hands empty.

Xiaolongnü felt rather helpless.

She pushed Liang Xiaoyu aside and said softly, "I made a small batch today. If you like it, I'll make more for you tomorrow."

Liang Xiaoyu froze slightly. "There's still plenty..."

Before she could finish speaking, she snapped back to reality, her expression instantly falling. "Long'er, I even brought you a gift."

Xiaolongnü said apologetically, "I'll make you some more after I get back later."

Liang Xiaoyu pouted, looking deeply reluctant.

If she didn't know she couldn't win against that man, she would have pestered her endlessly by now.

Xiaolongnü smiled slightly, efficiently taking out an insulated lunch box from beneath the cabinet, carefully transferring the mushroom and snake stew into it. She then removed her apron and straightened her appearance in front of the mirror.

Seeing that she was about to leave, Liang Xiaoyu chased after her. "Let's go together. It's been a while since I last saw Mr. Qiao."

Xiaolongnü pushed her onto the sofa with one hand and shoved the remote control into her grasp. "You watch TV for a bit, be a good girl."

Liang Xiaoyu was so angry she rolled around on the sofa, whimpering.

"Oh, right." Xiaolongnü, who had already reached the doorway, suddenly poked her head back in.

A flicker of hope ignited in Liang Xiaoyu's heart.

Had she changed her mind?

How could a good-for-nothing man compare to a best friend!

She looked over expectantly, only to hear Xiaolongnü ask, "Do you feel any discomfort?"

Discomfort?

Liang Xiaoyu glanced down at the sofa beneath her.

There were no bright red stains on the butter-yellow cushion.

There should still be about seven or eight days before her period.

She checked herself carefully; her stomach didn't hurt, and aside from a somewhat inexplicable heat pulsing through her body, there were no abnormalities.

It was probably because she was wearing too many layers.

"Nope," she said.

"That's good." Xiaolongnü smiled and waved at her.

Although she had seen the great ape eating with great relish earlier, she wasn't certain whether those ingredients were safe for humans to consume, which was why she had ladled a bowl to test it herself. She hadn't expected Liang Xiaoyu to jump the gun and drink it directly.

Now, seeing the other woman looking as lively as ever, she let out a sigh of relief, and her lingering worries vanished.

Even though Mr. Qiao had mentioned before that he was immune to all poisons, if it actually turned out to be toxic, there was no telling what he might think.

Xiaolongnü walked with brisk steps toward Qiao Mo's residence.

Liang Xiaoyu felt somewhat baffled, curling up on the sofa and fiddling with the remote control.

She turned on the television and navigated to the movie page, where a sexy woman with a bare back was displayed.

Liang Xiaoyu felt an intense wave of heat washing over her.

She stared at the television screen while a wave of anxiety churned in her chest.

I'm a woman, so why am I getting a dry throat and feeling flushed just looking at another woman?

Could it be that I've swung that way?

Overcome by a sudden sense of panic, she randomly pressed buttons on the remote control, somehow navigating to an episode of *Planet Earth* where a male lion was pressing a lioness down beneath him...

Liang Xiaoyu's face flushed a deep red, and she felt as though the heat inside her was about to melt her away.

The sensation of heat gradually gathered toward her lower abdomen. Her expression shifted unpredictably, and her features slowly twisted in pain.

The mushrooms were poisonous!