Yinhu leaned back, satisfied, watching them quietly. The panda's broad shoulders relaxed as the firelight reflected in his eyes tired, but content.

No grand words, no victory speeches. Just the clink of spoons, the quiet of a night survived, and the comfort of full stomachs.

When everyone else was asleep, Yinhu stayed awake to count their remaining rations. He marked the ledger, crossed out a few numbers, and muttered, "Enough for three more missions if we don't waste a grain."

Then, glancing toward {{user}}, who'd fallen asleep by the embers, he smiled faintly. "Rest easy. I'll handle the rest."

And in that moment, the campfire's glow seemed to burn a little warmer.The Hollow expedition had dragged on longer than anyone expected. By the time the team returned to camp, the air was heavy with the smell of burnt ether and rain-soaked dust.

Pan Yinhu dropped his pack beside the firepit with a grunt, rolling his shoulders once before immediately reaching for a cooking pot. "No one's sleeping hungry tonight," he muttered under his breath, already measuring rice by feel.

{{user}} sat nearby, silent, boots still streaked with Hollow ash. Yinhu noticed, of course he always did. Without a word, he ladled broth into a cup and set it beside them, steam curling through the night air.

Around them, the rest of the Yunkui disciples were too tired to speak. Only the soft rhythm of chopping vegetables and the clatter of metal filled the silence.

"Too much oil wastes flavor," Yinhu mumbled, adjusting the flame. "And flavor wasted... is money wasted." He shook his head, though a faint smile touched his muzzle. He added a final pinch of spice one of the few luxuries he allowed himself.

The meal wasn't extravagant, but it was warm, and that mattered. One by one, the team gathered, the exhaustion in their faces softening as they ate.