Yi Zen projected his authoritative side and showcased his mighty side to his kitten, "Nothing changes the fact that you wasted lots of resources to come here. As a consequence, you'll be responsible for cleaning all the dishes today."

Yi Zen's cold words resulted in his Kitten's lips curling up.

Bing Shi's frame trembled slightly, her aversion to cleaning dishes evident. "How would I know that you'd have so much energy left? To be fair, why don't you impose the same punishment on yourself, big brother?"

She gently toyed with Kuro's cheeks, a smile dancing on her lips, "Nothing of this would have happened if Miss Fu Lian hadn't vanished. Don't take it personally, Miss Fu Lian; I'm not blaming you."

'Why would I be blamed when it has nothing to do with me? Yi Zen decided to come! And this little bītch worsened the situation by arriving too!' Fu Lian gritted her teeth internally. If it were before, she would spit those words out without remorse.

Yi Zen saw no fault in Bing Shi's logic and readily agreed, "You are right. It's our fault too."

"Why not let bygones be bygones and skip the punishment?" Fu Lian suggested, hoping to gain some favor in Yi Zen's eyes through her compassion. What else could she say? Agree and look at how they cleaned the dishes together? Wouldn't that look strange? She would be looked down upon by the soldiers.

"We can reconcile during the punishment," Bing Shi replied with a smile, "It's been a long time since we bonded with each other."

Yi Zen's expression soured at her remark. "If that's what Fu Lian wishes," he said, giving her a soft smile, "then I'll go along with it."

Bing Shi sighed, "You never behaved so nicely towards me. Miss Fu Lian, why don't w-..."

"Don't drag her into this," Yi Zen intervened firmly. "She's tired and needs rest."

Bing Shi's voice took on a melancholic tone. "And what about me? I haven't slept for two days."

"💢," Fu Lian clenched her fists, feeling her patience wearing thin.

"..." Ren Han drove in silence and listened to how his grandma outwitted people with her calm and calculative responses.

Even Fu Lian, who would usually flare up reasoned with Bing Shi peacefully.

But how could the cold Fu Lian compete in talking? Especially with a woman who grew up with a man whose specialty was to outsmart his girlfriend, the moment he got a chance?

· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·

Back at the base, after dinner, soldiers handed their dirty plates to the individuals stationed behind the sink for dishwashing duty. Who were these individuals? None other than General Yi Zen and Fu Lian themselves!

In an effort to make amends for causing worry, Fu Lian took it upon herself to cook dinner and then clean up afterward, earning praise and adoration from the soldiers. They were so delighted to finally savor her delicious food again that they went out of their way to heap praise on her, even referring to her as the "Ice Queen."

After their general punished them for treating his woman poorly, they apologized for their bad behavior. Thanks to it, Fu Lian's attitude changed into that of a few words, just like their general's, cold, and indifferent. The woman who threatened to kill them on every occasion had seemingly vanished.

Behind closed doors, rumors began to circulate, attributing this change to Bing Shi's intervention. The timing of her whiteboard message and Ren Han's involvement seemed to support this theory.  Who the heck was Bing Shi? They have no idea; they could only bow before this goddess in worship.

Fu Lian, who thought that she had the upper hand the whole time, frowned when she heard those rumors. "💢," her veins popped up. No matter how much better she got from then on, most of the praise would go to Bing Shi!

· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·

Bing Shi and Ren Han, who had abstained from consuming Fu Lian's dishes, walked together toward their respective tents.

"Why don't you eat her food?" asked Ziek. He had tasted her food on a few occasions, finding it quite delicious, more than any meals he had ever had before.

Bing Shi glanced around before motioning for him to lower his head. She leaned in and whispered, "She adds a few drops of water from a healing pond to her food. That's why it tastes so good. Don't tell anyone. It's good for their bodies. But as someone who is on bad terms with her, I can't eat her food in silent protest."

Ren Han's expression shifted as he looked down at his untouched rations. He slowed his pace as if contemplating something. "Are you going to eat alone?"

"Yes," Bing Shi said and pointed at her head, "I wear a mask."

"But I know what you look like. We can eat together," Ziek suggested.

"Remember, grandson, don't let yourself get too attached to me before it's too late," Bing Shi cautioned as she headed towards her tent. "Otherwise, you'll end up hurt."

"Don't I remind you of your boyfriend?" Ziek asked, a teasing grin forming on his face. "If you don't interact with me, how will you ever confirm if I'm him or not?"

Pausing in her steps, Bing Shi regarded him. "In two and a half years, I'll be taking a break. Until then, I can't invest too much time in interactions. Right now, I'm preoccupied with my responsibilities. I can't afford to divert my attention to something uncertain."

"What if I find a better girl than you? And suddenly remember?" he asked. Who would wait for so long? Was it because of her missions? Though she didn't reveal what her purpose was, she sent him a quick transmigration story into his phone.

After all this magical stuff happening to him, nothing could surprise him anymore. Grandma liked to joke though, so he still took everything with a pinch of salt.

"I like that question," Bing Shi shrugged her shoulders, her hands holding her tray tightly, "Feel free to do whatever you want. If you regain your memories and believe that someone else is better, I'll respect your decision. After all, my boyfriend deserves the best."

"And don't you deserve the best?" he asked playfully, raising an eyebrow. He liked her answer.

"That's for him to decide," Bing Shi answered with a slight smile. With a tray in her hands, she began to head towards her tent. "You're quite persistent. Most people would have given up by now. Usually, I shut people down in just a couple of sentences," she added, chuckling.

She waved at Ziek before saying, "Happy birthday. I hope you've enjoyed your day."

Ziek watched her depart with a mix of emotions.