---o---
What should you do if there's a fire in the kitchen?
First, we must understand the three conditions for a fire to occur: combustible material, an accelerant, and an ignition source.
In the context of a kitchen, the gas used by some households, whether natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas, is flammable. Cooking oil is another. The accelerant is generally the oxygen in the air, and the ignition source is an open flame or an electrical spark.
Most kitchen fires are caused by cooking oil overheating, creating an open flame that is not effectively controlled, allowing the fire to spread.
The correct procedure is to find a fire blanket larger than the lid of the pot. In the event of a fire, after shutting off the gas supply, spread the fire blanket and cover the oil pot with it.
This is the proper response that a normal person should prepare for.
However, for a certain someone who wasn't necessarily even a person, the method of extinguishing a fire was naturally different from a normal person's.
Core of Reason, simulate the Herrscher of Wind.
Without hesitation, the moment he sensed something was wrong in the kitchen, the young man waved his hand.
The air currents began to churn.
Clearly, his method was to simply suck away the accelerant.
But before he could formally extinguish the fire, a burst of steam billowed up. The white mist mingled with black smoke, creating a bizarre sight.
It was immediately followed by a girl's violent coughing.
"Cough, cough."
Li Zihan froze for a second, then instantly flashed into the kitchen.
The small, white-haired girl in a maid's uniform was sitting on the floor, clutching her hand, her eyes glistening with tears.
In front of her was what appeared to be a wok.
What was in the wok was now beyond Li Zihan's scope of cognition, but he could see that she had built a makeshift stand out of various kitchen utensils, with the wok perched on top.
The floor beneath the wok looked as if it had been burned by high temperatures, taking on a strange, grayish-black color.
Due to the rapid change in temperature, the discolored floor was covered in what looked like savage cracks...
Miss Stargazer didn't know how to use the electrical appliances, but she still had the duty of cooking, so she had simply set up a stove and tried to cook the old-fashioned way.
But she herself was the type who had never lifted a finger for manual labor and had no idea what she was doing. As a result, she had burned the pot, and halfway through, poured water on it to put out the fire...
Li Zihan's heart tightened instantly.
Pouring water into a burning oil pot causes the water-oil mixture to spread the fire, while the contact between hot and cold causes oil droplets to splatter, resulting in burns...
Without a moment's hesitation, Li Zihan took a step forward, swiftly pulling Stargazer up from the floor and taking hold of her hand.
The scent and warmth of a man were transmitted to the girl, who had barely ever had contact with the opposite sex, causing Miss Stargazer's face to flush red.
Being grabbed by a man she wasn't particularly close with before she could even react was undoubtedly an awkward experience for Miss Stargazer.
She was just about to pull her hand away when a sharp pain shot through her forearm, hurting so much she wanted to cry.
"You're burned."
The young man who had pulled her up stated it plainly.
On her fair, jade-like skin, several small red spots had appeared.
If a small area on the hand or arm is burned, it should be immediately washed with cool water, and then the affected area should be soaked in cool water for half an hour.
However, if the wound has blistered or broken, it should not be soaked, as this could lead to infection.
Clearly, this wasn't something that could be fixed by just a quick soak in cold water.
"Pouring water into a burning oil pot to put out a fire... you're a real piece of work."
Looking at the marks on the girl's slender arm, the young man sighed and said.
His calm tone was incredibly infuriating.
Miss Stargazer's eyes widened. She glared at the man whose voice was a little too calm and was about to say something.
But before she could speak, the young man bent down.
What was he doing?
The girl was completely baffled, unable to comprehend what he was trying to do by suddenly stooping like that.
"Your leg is also injured. I'll carry you to the living room to apply some medicine."
The young man spoke with a seriousness that bordered on coldness.
only then did Miss Stargazer realize that there was also a stinging pain on her thigh.
She was wearing a short skirt; the hem and her stockings had blocked some of the splattered oil, but a few drops had still landed on her leg, instantly turning a small patch of skin red.
It wasn't as serious as the burns on her hand, but it was a burn nonetheless. It was just that her attention had been focused entirely on her hand, so she hadn't noticed.
So the pain was only making itself known now that my attention has shifted?
Was he even more observant than I was?
"You're not even willing to let me carry you?"
His voice sterner than ever, the young man looked at the girl who still seemed to be in a daze and sighed.
"Am I that repulsive to you?"
"N-no."
The girl, who admittedly wasn't very fond of him, looked at the young man who seemed to have spotted every single burn on her body in an instant, and her voice stammered.
"Then why aren't you coming with me?"
"Doesn't a burn hurt?"
The young man, who had always seemed like an elusive cloud of mist to Miss Stargazer, began to grumble as if he had just witnessed something utterly incomprehensible.
There was no trace of his previous assertiveness or malicious humor; he even seemed a bit like a mother hen.
"N-no, that's alright."
The girl, whose burns were actually minor and didn't affect her ability to move at all, stared for a moment at this man who seemed to have an unknown side to him, and then tried to refuse.
"I can walk—"
"Cut the crap. If you keep arguing, believe me, I won't teach you Eternal Destruction."
Before Miss Stargazer could say anything else, the young man's voice fell abruptly and coldly into her ears.
Miss Stargazer fell silent.
The method of Eternal Destruction was something she had to obtain. Without it, there was no hope of reviving her world.
What Li Zihan had just said was, in effect, a checkmate.
It could even be said that if he were to use the method of saving her world as leverage to make some outrageous demands, Miss Stargazer would have no choice but to agree.
She was the future ruler of the Empire of Huang, responsible for protecting everything within it.
For that, she was prepared to sacrifice everything of her own.
This was something he clearly understood, which was why he had so bluntly issued his ultimatum: either let him carry her to treat her injuries now, or give up on the method to reverse all of creation.
I take it back. While this guy might have a nagging side, he's actually very forceful, not the least bit gentle, and has a terrible personality.
Urged on by him, the girl, whose leg did indeed feel a bit numb in one spot, climbed onto his back, grumbling to herself.
But then again... for the first time he's using coercion, it's actually to... carry me to get my injuries treated?
How... strange.