The Female Leads Truly Loves You - Chapter 186

Chapter 186: Embrace this thrilling challenge
A flock of geese flew across the sky.

Crows perched on the branches.

“You need to concentrate when you read, not look all around.”

Selena, who had been surveying her surroundings, gazing at the sky, and peering at the treetops—anything but her book.

Suddenly turned her head back.

She pouted, a picture of aggrieved innocence, as she looked at the girl sitting serenely before her.

“Reading is so boring, I can’t get into it at all, sis.”

Angel glanced at her younger cousin.

“It’s your own fault for not studying seriously. You didn’t even pass your exams this time; you got what you deserved.”

Angel was just as harsh with her cousin.

She didn’t consider herself a kind woman, and she was well aware of her own nature. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand social niceties; she simply couldn’t be bothered.

Angel’s gaze remained fixed on her phone.

She glanced at the message she had sent out, which had gone unanswered.

Ever since Sam had entered her life, Angel had started using this messaging app more frequently.

But the person in question didn’t seem to cherish her, never replying to her messages instantly, which inexplicably irritated her.

Suddenly, as Angel was pondering how to contact Sam, she heard a voice from beside her.

“Sis~”

“What is it?”

Seeing the ingratiating expression on Selena’s face, Angel knew the girl was up to something.

She only wore that look when she was begging for something.

Children’s emotions were just too easy to read.

Selena hesitated, looking at her formidable sister.

“Well… the weather is really nice today.”

“And?” Angel remained cool as ice.

Selena seemed unwilling to give up.

“Well… it’s not hot.”

“Indeed, it’s not hot.”

“So…”

“So?”

Selena was on the verge of tears. Even though the other hadn’t said much, nor changed her expression or tone, Selena could feel the pressure mounting on her.

It was almost too much for Selena to bear.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the doorway.

“Selena, you mean you want to go out and play, right?”

Both heads turned to see an elegant and dignified figure, with her usual gentle smile, appearing amiably before them.

Angel frowned slightly and said with a measure of respect,

“Mother, what brings you here?”

Selena, on the other hand, saw a savior and excitedly stood up, flinging her arms wide as she lunged toward the woman.

“Aunt~~~”

Celeste, embracing Selena, smiled at Angel.

“She’s still so young, don’t treat her with your methods; you’ll scare her.”

Angel turned her face away, muttering under her breath, “I went through the same, what’s there to be scared of?”

Celeste didn’t respond to that comment but instead looked at Selena.

“Don’t feel like studying today?”

Selena glanced at Celeste, then at Angel, whose expression wasn’t very pleasant, and said softly,

“It’s not that I don’t want to study… it’s just that I can’t focus right now…”

“So what do you want to do?”

Celeste seemed to coax gently, but the little girl glanced at Angel’s expression, hesitated for a moment, and then bowed her head slightly.

“Maybe I should just stay home and study…”

Celeste smiled.

“It’s still early, and today is the weekend. You can’t always be focused on studying. It’s not bad to balance work and play. Just say it, your aunt is here.”

Hearing this and seeing that Angel didn’t seem angry, Selena tentatively said in a low voice,

“I heard there’s a comic convention at the campsite today… With such nice weather, I was thinking maybe we could go out… Let’s go together, consider it a walk and enjoying the outdoors.” She proposed quietly.

Celeste said with a smile, “The weather is indeed lovely, isn’t it? I’ve been cooped up at home these past few days and it’s getting stuffy. Going out for a bit seems like a good idea. How about we all go out and have a look?”

“Really?!” Selena’s eyes widened in excitement.

“You guys go if you want, I can’t be bothered,” Angel replied, ready to grab her phone and leave for her room.

Celeste frowned slightly. “It’s been a long time since we’ve gone out together. Don’t you want to join us?”

Angel shook her head. “Not interested. It’s just a boring activity with a bunch of boring people.”

“Angel!” Celeste seemed on the verge of scolding her daughter.

But at that moment, Selena spoke up in a weak and helpless voice, “Maybe… we shouldn’t go?”

Celeste paused and looked at Selena, “Why?”

Selena lifted her head, her eyes filled with reluctance, but she said, “Because if we go… then sister will be all alone at home. I don’t want her to be bored by herself…”

“I see…” Celeste looked at Angel, her eyes seemingly conveying a message, believing her daughter would understand the meaning behind her gaze.

Angel frowned, clearly displeased as she looked at her cousin.

Selena immediately lowered her head, unable to meet her gaze, and said in a pitiful tone, “I’ll just do my homework and not go out… sister.”

“Fine. Let’s go then,” Angel sighed.

Instantly, Selena felt the pressure lift off her shoulders and her face lit up with excitement. “Really?!”

Angel turned her head away, still with a frosty demeanor. “Do you know where the comic convention is? Get ready, I’m going to change my clothes.”

“I know, I know! It’s at that popular camping site that’s all the rage right now! Yay, Angel, you’re the best~~~”

Angel shook her head and walked towards her room.

Celeste, meanwhile, watched her daughter’s retreating figure with slightly narrowed eyes, then a relieved smile spread across her face.

Although her daughter’s attitude was still cold, the fact that she had agreed to Selena’s request was a significant change!

“Sam, you did well,” Celeste thought to herself with silent praise.

===

“Wow! What a delicious smell!”

Isabella had been pestering Sophie to take photos of her.

But suddenly, a tantalizing aroma wafted through the air, invading her nostrils and instantly capturing her attention.

Sophie, holding her phone, asked somewhat annoyed, “Are you still taking photos or not?”

Isabella quickly closed the distance to Sophie. “Let’s take them later. Can’t you smell that? There’s a really nice scent. What is it?”

Sophie glanced in Sam’s direction. “It’s that idiot over there grilling meat. What else could the smell be?”

“Ah! Right, the smell of barbecue!” Isabella immediately sidled up to Sam, the rich aroma growing stronger.

She looked at the skewers of meat that were nearly done and asked curiously, “This is so strange, why does it smell so good?”

Sam stood there calmly grilling. “Obviously, if barbecue didn’t smell good, what would be the point of it?”

Isabella sniffed vigorously. “But I’ve smelled barbecue before, and it never smelled as good as yours… How did you do it? Did you add some special ingredient to knock out me and Sophie, and then do something bad to us?”

Sam found it both exasperating and amusing how wildly her imagination ran, thinking she had quite the talent for fantasy, almost a waste not to be a director of risqué films.

“The ingredients are all right there, take a look for yourself.”

Isabella glanced and saw nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual condiments.

At that moment, apparently also lured by the aroma, Sophie joined them by Sam’s side.

She knew Sam was a good cook, but she hadn’t expected the barbecue to have such an extraordinary fragrance.

Sam said to Sophie, “Stop sniffing, you look like a puppy. Bring the plate over, it’s almost ready.”

“You’re the dog! Why should I bring it? I’m not a waitress.”

“If you don’t bring it, everything will get burnt, and no one will get to eat.”

“Hmph!”

Despite expressing her dissatisfaction, Sophie still brought over the plate.

Sam transferred the perfectly grilled skewers onto the plate and then picked up fresh ones to start grilling again. Meanwhile, Sophie and Isabella couldn’t wait to start tasting.

Isabella grabbed a skewer of grilled chicken wings. Just one bite was all it took.

“It’s a bit hot…hoo…hoo…mmm! Delicious!!”

Isabella’s eyes widened, unable to describe the flavor she was experiencing, feeling it was unlike any grilled chicken wing she had ever tasted. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she quickly finished off the skewer and eagerly reached for another.

“It’s too good! I’ve never had barbecue this delicious before, no… this transcends the realm of barbecue!”

“Look at you, acting like you’ve never seen the world. Is it really that exaggerated?” Sophie looked at her with disdain, thinking Isabella just liked to make exaggerated expressions and statements to liven up the mood.

Isabella said with a smile, “You just haven’t tried it yet. If you did, you’d react the same way I did.”

“You wish.” Sophie didn’t believe a word Isabella said. How good could this barbecue really be?

After speaking, Sophie coolly bit into a grilled chicken wing. The moment her teeth sank into the meat and the juices mixed with the seasoning burst forth, the corners of her eyes twitched uncontrollably.

Isabella noticed the subtle change in expression and leaned in with a smile. “How is it? Tasty, right?”

Sophie didn’t want to answer; she was convinced there was something wrong with her taste buds. So she took another bite.

“Mmm…!!” She almost let out an exclamation of delight similar to Isabella’s.

Isabella teased, “What’s the matter, is it so hard to admit that Sam’s grilling is delicious?”

“It’s not, not as good as you’re making it out to be, just average…” Sophie kept eating as she spoke, not missing a beat.

Isabella gave a thumbs up. “Is it really that hard for you to admit something? Sam~~ is it ready yet? I want more, I want more~~~”

Sam looked over to see the plate of grilled chicken wings had been polished off in an instant. He was visibly taken aback. “You finished them already?”

Isabella nodded vigorously. “Of course! We have to honor your efforts by eating everything up, right Sophie?”

Sophie came over as well, but her words were reluctant. “It’s just because I skipped breakfast and was a bit hungry, that’s all…”

Sam pointed with his finger, “Then what’s with holding up an empty plate like that?”

While Sophie was making her insincere excuses, she was extending her empty plate towards Sam, almost reaching the grill. “Cut the chatter! I’m sick of meat, is it wrong to want some veggies to cut through the grease?”

“Alright, you got it,” Sam conceded.

He handed over the freshly grilled items to them again, letting them enjoy it in the background. This process continued two or three times.

Finally, Isabella was full. She rubbed her belly.

“Ugh… I can’t eat anymore, Sam, I really can’t. Stop grilling.”

Sam looked at the heaping plate of skewers beside him. “What about all these then?”

Sophie looked at Sam and said, “You eat them.”

She felt a twinge of regret inside. She actually wanted more of the barbecue, but she had eaten too much already and her stomach couldn’t take any more.

Besides, as delicious as barbecue can be, it’s easy to get tired of it. Thinking about all the greasy food in her stomach, Sophie felt as if she had been sullied.

After eating so much meat, she was sure she’d gained weight, but it was just so tasty… Why does everything Sam cooks have to be so delicious?

Sam sighed. “I can’t finish all this either. It’s your fault for buying so much food in the first place.”

Isabella said helplessly, “That was indeed our mistake, but it’s such a shame to waste all this delicious food…”

Just as Isabella was feeling regretful, two unfamiliar girls suddenly appeared in front of Sam. “Um… hello there.”

Sam was taken aback for a moment, then smiled at the two. “Can I help you with something?”

Sam had initially thought the two girls might want his contact information or to ask for a selfie, but to his surprise, their gaze was fixed on the grill.

“Um… could we buy some of your barbecue?” one of the girls asked.

“Barbecue?” Sam glanced at the plate beside him, momentarily confused.

The two girls nodded eagerly. “Our own barbecue turned out awful! We could smell yours from far away, and it looks so delicious. If you’re full, could you sell us some? Please~~~”

Before Sam could respond, Isabella sprang into action, lifting the plate.

“Of course, we can sell it. You might not know this, but this handsome guy is our team’s star chef. His grilled meat usually requires a reservation, and without this chance encounter, you’d be waiting in line for four or five hours! We can only sell a limited amount though, a maximum of four skewers per person.”

“Is it really that good?!” one of the girls exclaimed.

“Absolutely! But since we’re all here by fate, we’ll give you a 20% discount on these fresh and tasty skewers!”

…

“It’s a bit pricey… but so delicious! Really good!”

“Did we buy too few? Only being able to get four skewers each is a shame… Eight skewers in total just isn’t enough…”

“No worries, let’s see if he’ll grill more. Later, we can bring more people over! We’ll buy him out as soon as we arrive!”

“Great!”

Watching the two girls leave with their skewers, Sam turned to Isabella with a look of annoyance. “Senior, you’re quite the shrewd businesswoman, aren’t you? That price is three times what a barbecue joint would charge.”

Isabella, her eyes practically sparkling as she looked at the cash she’d just made, replied, “Sam, you just don’t get it. We’re not forcing anyone to buy. If they don’t want to spend the money, they don’t have to. It’s their choice to buy. And if they bring more customers, that’s the real takeaway from our camping trip!”

“Look, more people are coming!”

A few more people approached Sam, eyeing him tentatively. “We heard… you can buy skewers here? Do you have any left? We’d like to buy some too.”

Sam was about to say they were all out when Isabella quickly interjected. “Of course, we have more! Our star chef is getting ready as we speak. Just wait a moment, there’s a limit of four skewers per person, first come, first served!”

Sam looked at Isabella helplessly and whispered in her ear, “Is this really okay? Are we here to camp or to do business?”

Isabella felt a tickle in her ear and her earlobes flushed slightly.

However, she seemed to be so immersed in the joy of her unexpected ‘earnings’ that she didn’t immediately step away from Sam, but instead said, “Why pass up the chance to make money? Besides, we bought too much food. Wouldn’t it be wasteful not to sell it? Don’t worry, I’ll buy some more later. We’re going to make a killing today.”

Sam replied with resignation, “Just be careful the staff here don’t call the cops. After all, we’re making money on their turf without a permit, and we’re not vendors they’ve hired. Do you want to get caught?”

“What should we do then? Stop grilling?” Isabella seemed to regain some sense at the mention of the police.

Sam glanced over and then smiled. “Let’s finish grilling what we have and then decide.”

Isabella’s eyes widened. “Haha, I knew you’d agree!”

Indeed, the crowd was growing, and to avoid trouble, Sam quickly finished grilling the remaining food.

He abandoned the four-skewer limit, sold everything to the eager customers, and then swiftly, along with Isabella and Sophie, grabbed their things and took off.

The three of them ran to the opposite bank of the river and found a relatively quiet spot.

“So this is what you call camping? It seems more like a barbecue promotion to me,” Sophie said with disdain.

While counting the ‘huge’ fortune they had just made, Isabella said, “Since you’re so disdainful, Sam and I will split this money evenly, and you shouldn’t get a penny of it.”

“Why not?” Sophie retorted.

“I greeted the customers, Sam grilled the meat, what did you do?” Isabella challenged.

Sophie paused, “I… I carried the plates! And I brought him the ingredients!”

“Hmph… Huh? Look over there, what’s going on?” Isabella’s attention was suddenly diverted.

“What’s happening?” Sophie’s gaze followed Isabella’s pointing finger.

They saw a crowd gathered around what looked like a massive outdoor photo studio, with lots of equipment that had just been moved in and several separate small stages set up.

At that moment, Sam chimed in ‘just right’, “What are they wearing? All those weird and colorful things.”

Isabella immediately played along, “Hey… isn’t that cosplay? Could it be that there’s a cosplay comic convention here today?”

Sophie looked puzzled as she observed the scene. Indeed, she saw many young people with colorful hair, wearing strange yet familiar makeup that seemed familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

More importantly, they were dressed in various outfits that one would definitely not wear in everyday life.

“It really is cosplay…” But something felt off to her.

The exchange between the two in front of her… something was amiss.

Sam looked genuinely curious, “It looks pretty interesting.”

Isabella turned to Sam, “You like COS?”

Sam nodded, “I’m a bit interested in cosplay, and I really enjoy watching anime.”

Isabella pretended to ponder for a moment, then her eyes lit up, and she declared on the spot, “In that case! Let’s start The Ultimate Human Department’s special event. Let’s join the cosplay and make precious memories of this camping trip!”

Sophie, who had already sensed something, looked at the two with a cold smirk, “Your act is full of holes. So you’ve been waiting all this time just to prepare for this moment, right?”

Sam looked at her with a feigned puzzled expression, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

Isabella nodded in agreement. “It’s just a spur-of-the-moment thing. We’re young, right? We should be all about impromptu trips and bold endeavors. Or is it that Sophie is chickening out again, too scared to go through with it?”

Sophie looked at her with scorn. “Still trying to goad me, huh? You don’t really think that trick works every time, do you? Besides, even if I agreed, it wouldn’t matter.”

“What do you mean?” Isabella inquired.

“How do you plan to join in? Just walk over there and participate? Or start preparing cosplay outfits now? This is a comic convention, not a fashion show. Without the right props and costumes, how can you join?”

Sophie looked at them confidently, her eyes almost saying she was dealing with two idiots.

Isabella glanced at Sam. “She makes a good point.”

Sam nodded. “Indeed, without the gear, we really can’t participate.”

Isabella turned back to Sophie. “So, you’re saying if we had the props, you’d join in, right?”

“Of course… not, that’s not what I meant!” Sophie quickly realized she had been led into a trap.

But Isabella wore a sly smile, and Sam couldn’t help but laugh.

The outwardly gentle but inwardly cunning senior wrapped an arm around Sophie. “Too late to back out now! Sam, show her what we’ve got!”

“Alrighty!” Sam said, and of course, he wasn’t about to drop his pants and reveal anything inappropriate.

In front of Sophie, Sam brought over two large backpacks and unzipped them.

As various colored wigs and even some flashy costumes appeared from inside, Sophie’s eyes widened in disbelief, mixed with intense irritation and a hint of fear.

“Are you insane? Who brings this stuff on a camping trip?! You did this on purpose… I just remembered, I have something urgent to deal with, the faucet at home is still running, I need to go back…”

“Wishful thinking, right? Did you really think we’d let you walk away? Embrace this thrilling challenge! Come on, Sam, give me a hand!”

“Don’t drag me into this! Sam! You trickster, you big liar!!”