Early the next morning, Chen Fan began a massive sweep of the leftover food from the banquet, stuffing it all into his backpack. Makarov and the others watched in bewilderment, having no idea what he was up to.
Because Chen Fan looked rather embarrassing doing it, they were too ashamed to step forward and ask what he was doing. They simply turned their heads away, pretending they didn't know him.
What they didn't realize was that Chen Fan had caught every one of their expressions. He thought to himself, Fine, pretend you don't know me. There will be a time when you're begging me.
Soon, Chen Fan finished his looting. He set off on the journey home with Makarov and the rest. On his way out, he even managed to swipe a bottle of red wine from the bartender.
Under the blazing sun, the group trudged step by step across the parched, cracked earth.
"Ugh... seriously! Happy, you're lost again, aren't you?" Lucy complained to the blue cat. "No matter how long we walk, we never seem to reach Magnolia Town. You useless cat!"
"Lost again? How rude! I didn't get lost last time. This is actually the first time," Happy argued.
"Even if it's the first time, the fact that we're lost doesn't change!" Lucy shot back.
"Ah... I'm so hungry. Chen Fan, give me something to eat," Natsu pleaded.
"No way. I have to save this for my Little Sha-sha," Chen Fan said smugly. He pulled a piece of bread from his bag and held it out to Erza. "Here, Little Sha-sha, this is for you."
"I don't want it. I'm not hungry," Erza replied, forcing her head to turn away, though her eyes couldn't help but steal glances at the bread in his hand.
The sound of a stomach growling echoed through the air.
Makarov scurried over to Chen Fan. "Little Chen Fan, give me the bread. Don't you remember? It was the bread I gave you back then that saved your life!"
Chen Fan's previously pleasant expression instantly soured. He roared at Makarov, "You've got some nerve bringing that up! You gave me bread, sure, but what should have been a one-day trip took you half a month!
And don't even get me started on the time you didn't have money for the bill and used me as collateral at the restaurant! If I hadn't been smart enough to pull off a world-class Urinal Escape, I'd still be there! And another thing"
Lucy whispered to Happy, "Was Chen Fan always like this? And did the Master really do those things?"
"Aye... he's used me as collateral a few times too," Happy said, tears streaming down his face.
"Oh... really? Happy, watch this," Lucy told him, a plan forming in her mind.
She walked coyly over to Chen Fan's side. "Chen Fan Oni-chan..." she said, drawing out the syllables in a way that made everyone's skin crawl.
Natsu walked over and felt Lucy's forehead. "Lucy, you haven't gone crazy from hunger, have you?"
"I don't want to hear that from you," Lucy said, slapping his hand away. "Chen Fan Oni-chan, I'm so hungry. Could you give me a little something to eat?"
"Sure thing, Little Lucy."
The exchange between the two was so sickening that it turned everyone else's stomach. Chen Fan pulled out a chicken leg and handed it to Lucy.
Standing to the side, Erza watched with a resentful gaze. Chen Fan realized he was in trouble; a woman's jealousy was a terrifying thing.
Erza's resentment was so palpable it could be felt from miles away. Natsu and Gray, who were standing right next to her, jumped in fright, wondering who had offended their Titania this time.
Chen Fan rushed to Erza's side and pulled out a pile of treats, but Erza ignored him completely. "Hmph!" she snorted, turning her head away.
Suddenly, Natsu pointed in a direction and shouted, "A village!"
"If it's a village, there must be food!" Makarov and the others immediately sprinted toward it. Only Chen Fan stayed behind to slowly pack his things before strolling after them.
When he saw the group standing still at the entrance, Chen Fan caught up and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you all just standing there?"
He looked at Erza. "Hmph," she snorted again, looking away. It seemed women really weren't to be trifled with.
Feeling awkward, he turned to Natsu and Gray. "Hmph, hmph!" Left with no choice, he looked at Makarov and Happy. "Hmph."
"Hmph."
Finally, Chen Fan turned to Lucy. She was about to explain when she felt a sudden chill. Looking around, she saw everyone but Chen Fan staring at her with dark, ominous glares. Terrified, she lowered her head and whispered, "I don't know."
Seeing that he had completely lost the popular vote, Chen Fan gave up. He found a table near a cliff at the edge of the village, sat down, and began eating his food and drinking his wine while watching Makarov and the others down in the village below.
After a while, feeling tired, he lay down and took a nap, even using a spell to block out the noise.
When he woke up, he found that all his food had been devoured; not a single scrap was left. He looked at the group, whose faces were still greasy, and asked, "Alright, who ate all my food?"
"Don't know," they all said in unison. Their skin was a bit thin, and their faces flushed with shame.
"Fine, I wasn't going to say much anyway. You don't have to be so tense. Let's go. Now that you're full, you should have the strength to make it back." He looked up at the sky and sighed. "It's been a long time since I've been back. I actually miss home a little." His sentimental tone touched everyone around him.
A silence fell over the group. Realizing he had brought the mood down, Chen Fan rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, "I wonder if my Little Mira and Little Levy missed me?"
The sentimental atmosphere was instantly shattered. A cluster of anger veins appeared on Erza's forehead.
Bam!
She slammed a fist into the back of Chen Fan's head, knocking him to the ground, and marched forward. Seeing the Titania enraged once more, the others didn't dare speak to Chen Fan and hurried to follow her, leaving him behind in the dust.
Watching them walk ahead, Chen Fan wondered how much longer he could keep living like this. He felt a moment of quiet reflection.
Suddenly, he turned around and whispered to the empty air, "I hope you truly turn over a new leaf and don't do anything to harm Fairy Tail. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind killing a few more people." His calm tone was bone-chilling.
But a moment later, he turned back around with a bright smile and shouted toward the front, "Wait for me, Little Sha-sha!" He began running toward Erza.
Hearing that name, Erza shuddered and sped up. She looked back and screamed, "I told you not to call me Little Sha-sha! Why won't you listen? If you call me that again, I'll kill you!" She began walking even faster.
"How about Little Ai-ai then?"
"No!"
"Little Lu-lu?"
"No!"
"Then what about"
"Ah... I'm not listening, I'm not listening!" Erza covered her ears and shook her head, her pace becoming faster and faster until she was in a full sprint. Chen Fan trailed behind her, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.
Makarov and the others laughed happily. Only Chen Fan could make Erza lose her composure like that. It was only at times like these that one could see the other side of the usually stern Erza her side as a normal girl.
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