Did you just call my baby an 'it'?

"When did you learn to make roasted frog?" questioned Zou Guanting, his gaze fixed upon the succulent roasted frog legs gripped in his hand.

Curiosity piqued, he cautiously took a bite, pleasantly surprised by the delectable flavor.

Little did he know that it was all thanks to Liu Yifan, who had concealed the herbs in his pocket, enabling Mo Hai to season the frog to perfection.

The very idea of "seasoning" felt peculiar as it rolled off his tongue.

Had he not witnessed Mo Hai's evident delight while devouring it, Zou Guanting would never have mustered the courage to try it himself.

However, everything took a startling turn when Mo Hai revealed that Alpaca meat is equally delicious and boasted high protein.

Liu Yifan was taken aback, never realizing that his own kind possessed such qualities - lean, tender, and almost imbued with a sweet essence that melted in one's mouth. This newfound knowledge left him slightly unnerved, fearing that if they were ever faced with a scarcity of food, he might become a part of the menu.

Zou Guanting chimed in, revealing that he had tried Alpaca meat before, albeit without the opportunity to prepare it himself over a fire.

***

"Looks like you won't give up on me, huh?" he asked.

"Absolutely not," replied the captivating redhead, her eyes fixed on the young man. "I'm Willow. And you?"

But he seemed oblivious, completely absorbed in his basket-weaving. However, Willow, persistent as ever, took a deliberately loud bite of her apple, making Ravi's head throb.

"I'm Ravi, and could you please leave my home?" Ravi's irritation with Willow dripped from his tone.

After a few minutes, Willow finally had to leave.

As she strolled through the village, she caught snippets of whispers carried by the wind. Pushing back her fiery, curly locks, she approached the nearest person. "What's going on?"

"The son of the jaguar tribe leader has vanished," they whispered back.

Willow remembered seeing him last week in the Alpaca tribe, infamous for their fearsome spit cannons. "Oh," she murmured, the world's capriciousness sinking in.

"And the prince of the Alpaca tribe has gone crazy..." the person added, cradling a baby elephant in their arms.

"Such an adorable baby. How old is it?"

"Did you just call my baby an 'it'?"