Everyone understood Bu Ying's intention to take Bu Zhi away from the Mingyue team, so they all looked at Bu Zhi to see how he would respond.
"Brother, our team just arrived in Cloud City and we haven't settled in yet. We have a lot to do. You go back first. I'll come see you in a few days. As for moving in with you, forget it. The Mingyue team is my home, and I won't leave everyone. You'll understand, right?"
Bu Zhi also understood his brother's meaning and spoke directly to Bu Ying, stating his decision.
"Alright, brother won't force you. You all be busy. I'll take my leave."
Hearing his brother's words, Bu Ying's expression darkened for a moment before returning to normal. His arm, which was on Bu Zhi's shoulder, stiffened slightly, then he patted it and turned to leave.
"Bu Zhi, it's actually okay for you to live with your brother. Not living together doesn't mean you're not a team. You and your brother are family, and his actions are understandable."
Ji Shiyou emerged from the kitchen and spoke to Bu Zhi. He was afraid that Bu Zhi was only refusing due to peer pressure.
"Brother Ji, don't try to persuade me. I really don't want to live with my brother. He Shiqian, that absolute nightmare, will definitely follow him. I don't want to live under the same roof as her. These past few days, traveling here, I've been disgusted to death. If I have to see her every day, I'll break down. And my brother, during our breaks on the road these past few days, he'd call me over to ask about our past. I'm so annoyed. Besides, if I lived with him, I wouldn't get to eat Brother Ji's amazing meals. My brother just said that food and supplies are scarce at the base. What good food could he possibly have? Brother Ji, to celebrate our arrival in Cloud City and moving into this villa, shouldn't we have a celebration tonight and eat something good!"
Bu Zhi unceremoniously hugged Ji Shiyou, acting cute and spoiled, demanding a feast for the evening. He was then pushed away.
"You still have the nerve to talk about a feast? Your brother looks generous, giving us a villa, but it's just an empty shell. I just looked. The kitchen is bare. No water, no electricity, no gas, not even pots and pans. Look at this living room, not a piece of furniture, not even a place to sit. Apart from a roof and four walls to keep out the wind and rain, it's not much better than being outdoors. He's in charge of Cloud City, how stingy can he be?"
Ji Shiyou complained. If it weren't for the large amount of supplies in Mingyue's space, they wouldn't have had their first meal in Cloud City.
"I finally understand what 'a family with bare walls' means. I'm also puzzled, this villa looks quite old, where did all the furniture go?"
Jin Xi and Tian Shang came downstairs. They had checked the bedrooms and found them just as empty as the living room.
"Didn't my brother say the base is short on supplies? Maybe it was moved away."
Hearing everyone's complaints, Bu Zhi, as the younger brother, could only make excuses for his brother. In reality, this was a deliberate arrangement by Bu Ying. He was very curious about Mingyue's space and had repeatedly questioned Bu Zhi about it during their journey. However, Bu Zhi had always kept his mouth shut, proving to be very tight-lipped, which made Bu Ying even more suspicious. Thus, he arranged for an empty villa to see what Mingyue and the others would bring out, in order to gauge the types of supplies stored in the space.
Mingyue had already guessed Bu Ying's intentions but ignored them, instead leading everyone into her space. In the face of overwhelming strength, all clowns are paper tigers; let them jump around. If they become too much to bear, a slap will suffice; no need to waste energy.
Inside the space, everyone selected the supplies they needed. Mingyue was responsible for taking them out of the space and placing them in the villa. The little sparrow baby, entering the space for the first time, finally saw the green mountains and clear waters of its memory and was so happy it went crazy. It refused to come out, so Mingyue let it be, leaving it inside to do as it pleased.
After everyone had worked for a while, the villa was transformed. The living room was furnished with sofas and a coffee table. All the bedrooms were equipped with beds and bedding. Jin Xi and Tian Shang's rooms even had dressing tables and wardrobes. Mingyue also brought out a generator, household appliances, and various kitchen utensils, allowing Ji Shiyou to showcase his culinary skills. Gong Que used his earth elemental ability to build a water tank on the villa's roof, and Shi Henian connected a solar water heater. Mingyue filled it with water, solving everyone's drinking and bathing needs.
Once everyone had finished, Mingyue brought He Si out of the space. Previously, due to the dangers of traveling, she had placed He Si in the Thunder Base within her space. However, unlike Dr. You Hen and the researchers, He Si couldn't stand being confined to the Thunder Base; it felt like being in prison. Now that they had arrived in Cloud City and had spare rooms, Mingyue brought her father out. Upon learning they had reached Cloud City Base and seeing the villa before him, He Si was stunned, filled with admiration for his daughter.
Ji Shiyou, despite saying there would be no celebration, still caught two plump chickens from the space and headed to the kitchen. In fact, when he had caught crabs previously, he had noticed that the chicks he and Mingyue had released into the forest had grown up. They looked very plump and appetizing, and he had been itching to cook them, but they had lacked a permanent base. Traveling with Bu Ying also presented no opportunity. Today, with this housewarming, and no outsiders to see, he decided to show off his skills.
The two chickens were prepared. One was chopped up and made into spicy chicken, which Mingyue loved. The other was stewed whole, catering to the taste of his future father-in-law. He also picked various vegetables from the space to make a mixed vegetable dish, served with rice grown in the space. Everyone's appetite was whetted.
"This rice is so fragrant. Without any side dishes, I could eat five bowls."
Having been on the road for a long time and not eaten rice, Gong Que slurped down a bowl of rice soaked in chicken soup as if it were poured directly into his mouth. Gong Que said with a look of bliss, then reached for the spicy chicken with his chopsticks, grabbing a chicken wing, only to have it intercepted by Shi Henian in mid-air.
"Then you can just eat rice. Leave the spicy chicken for us."
"Why? Give me back my chicken wing."
The two began to fight over a chicken wing, only to turn around and see the table empty. Bu Zhi was pouring the last bit of sauce from a plate into his own rice bowl.
"You guys are too ruthless!"
The two glared fiercely at the others. Ba Jiu silently protected his bowl; the chicken leg in it had been given to him by his sister and couldn't be snatched away.
"Alright, you look like wolves who haven't eaten for days. There's more in the kitchen, go serve yourselves. You won't starve."
Seeing the anger and grievance in their eyes, Ji Shiyou smiled. The chickens in the space were three times the size of normal chickens, so there was no way there was only what was on the table. He had calculated it, preparing enough according to everyone's appetite, so there wouldn't be any shortage. Gong Que and the other two, hearing that there was more in the kitchen, rushed to the kitchen, but they arrived simultaneously and got stuck in the doorway, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
After a hearty meal, Mingyue gathered everyone in the living room for a meeting. Just as they were about to discuss their next plans, they heard a knock at the door. Everyone looked at each other with confusion. It was their first day there, and they didn't know anyone. Moreover, it was already dark. Who could it be at such a late hour?