When Jiang Zhi woke up, she found Jiang Huai by the table in the corner of the deck, adding ice cream scoops to an ice cream cone.
Her eyes were still a bit hazy from just waking up. She had slept exceptionally soundly. These past few days with the Dragon Clan, she had suffered from insomnia every night. She wasn’t sure if it was because everything was finally settled now, or because of what she was holding… that made her sleep so much better.
She stood there quietly, arms crossed, staring intently at the ice cream cone in front of Jiang Huai. She was likely unsure what it was until Jiang Huai handed her the finished product.
“What is this?” Jiang Zhi slightly raised her eyes, confused.
“Something delicious, cold and refreshing. Want to try?”
Jiang Zhi lowered her head slightly and took a small bite. A little cream inevitably got on her lips. The cold and sweet taste bloomed on her taste buds. She was slightly stunned, and her tongue licked away the cream on her lips. She sat down, quietly holding the cone, her movements appearing obedient and serious.
Meanwhile, Jiang Huai turned back to research other flavors.
The double-scoop ice cream given to Jiang Zhi was melon and strawberry. He made a lot of other flavors as well. After all, once they were made, he could put them in the System Backpack, so there was no need to worry about melting.
Before Chu Xianning woke up, Jiang Zhi had already asked Jiang Huai for four ice creams in a row. Jiang Huai was generous; he still had plenty of ice cream powder from the System that he could make more with.
She sat there quietly, her delicate pink tongue carefully licking the ice cream. Her legs were crossed beneath the qipao, her white and tender calves slightly raised. After finishing the fourth one, she finally felt satisfied and slightly lifted her chin, “Why are you always thinking about these things? Don’t you care about your cultivation?”
“Comforting oneself is also a form of cultivation,” Jiang Huai replied with utmost seriousness. The door to Chu Xianning’s room opened, and Chu Xianning, clad in a white daoist robe, walked out. Jiang Huai, as if presenting a treasure, piled all the prepared ice creams in front of Chu Xianning, looking at her expectantly, “Master, please try?”
Normally, on Guanxue Mountain, Jiang Huai always liked to make various desserts to make Chu Xianning happy, always with that expectant gaze. He knew Chu Xianning didn’t like things too sweet, so he reduced the sugar content slightly. Chu Xianning hesitated for a moment before choosing a vanilla flavor and taking a small bite.
“Ice cream isn’t eaten like this,” Jiang Huai adopted a serious demeanor again.
“Hmm?” Chu Xianning was slightly taken aback. Jiang Huai winked at her, “You lick it with the tip of your tongue, slowly savoring the coolness and sweetness as they bloom on your tongue.”
Chu Xianning instinctively believed his nonsense. Holding the ice cream cone, she lowered her head slightly. Her delicate lips, like flower petals, parted slightly, and her pink tongue stealthily extended, gently licking the ice cream scoop. Once, twice, thrice.
When she realized this action was a bit embarrassing and strange, she looked up and happened to see the smug expression on Jiang Huai’s face. A moment later, her eyebrows flicked up. She understood. She walked closer to him and said coldly, “Open your mouth.”
“Ah?”
As soon as Jiang Huai opened his mouth, Chu Xianning, holding the ice cream cone, angrily shoved it directly into his mouth. Jiang Huai mumbled for a long time, unable to speak. It took him a while to swallow it. Looking at Chu Xianning, who was sitting on a chair with a smile in her eyes, Jiang Huai was not annoyed at all. He immediately and happily handed Chu Xianning another one, asking her to try the flavor.
Jiang Zhi sat quietly on the side, watching the master and disciple duo before her… No, there was no master-disciple resemblance between them at all. They were clearly a loving couple.
She watched quietly, gradually becoming distracted, until she saw Jiang Huai fiddling with a heating formation on the table. He placed a copper pot with ice, vegetables, and spices. She was slightly surprised and tilted her head, “What are you preparing now?”
“Boiled lamb. This is the specialty young lamb of the Tian Xuan Sect, fresh and fragrant.”
“You look so skilled. Doesn’t anyone usually cook for you and serve it to you?”
“Can they make it as delicious as I do myself?”
“Have you heard that the more distractions one has on the path of cultivation, the harder it is to break through?”
“I’m not seeking enlightenment.”
“Then what are you seeking?”
“Peace of mind.”
Listening to Jiang Huai’s sincere and gentle reply, Jiang Zhi subconsciously sneered with disdain, “It’s only because your talent is extraordinary and your luck is heaven-defying. If others were like you, they wouldn’t be able to achieve your cultivation level. I’ve seen many cultivators regret their choices when their lifespan was nearing its end.”
Jiang Huai looked into Jiang Zhi’s eyes and then suddenly leaned closer, “Sister.”
“Hmm?”
“Compared to seeking eternal life, I actually find that cultivating diligently for thousands of years, regardless of the cold and heat, is more torturous. Time is long, and if one rigidly pursues an abstract goal and neglects the present, what’s the point even if enlightenment is achieved? What happens after enlightenment? Looking back at thousands of years of arduous cultivation, wouldn’t it be filled with sighs? Then… you’d be invincible and lonely, with no fond childhood memories to recall, wouldn’t that be even more tragic?”
“Easy for you to say. When you’ve lived for thousands of years, you’ll gradually lose interest in everything you’ve done. Then, the only purpose of living will be to cultivate the Great Dao alone, detached from the mortal world. At that time, you’ll also be lonely and cold.”
“Not necessarily,” Jiang Huai shook his head. “If you have a loved one by your side, you are already walking in the mortal world. You are not alone, so how can you be lonely and cold?”
“What exactly is love?” Jiang Zhi looked up at him.
“I can’t explain it,” Jiang Huai shook his head helplessly, indicating he couldn’t help with the confusion in her eyes.
Jiang Zhi pouted slightly but didn’t press further. She looked at the slowly melting ice in the pot, cradled her fragrant cheeks, and slowly said, “I want to eat too.”
“I’ve prepared some for you too, Sister,” Jiang Huai replied softly.
***
Night fell, and the bright moon rose over the sea.
Jiang Huai placed a small glass lamp made of Firefly Stone on the table and lit it. The lamplight illuminated the faces of Chu Xianning and Jiang Zhi. The lamb in the pot was swirling, and the light meat fragrance mingled with exotic spices, making one’s appetite stir.
There were also some pre-made braised dishes by the pot. Jiang Huai had prepared a lot before leaving. When traveling, one shouldn’t mistreat oneself. He was always so passionate about cooking. Perhaps it wasn’t because he truly loved transforming fine ingredients into delicious dishes, but rather, when he saw the satisfaction and joy on others’ faces after eating what he made, he would also feel satisfied.
Perhaps this was also due to a little vanity.
Moonlight poured down, and the despicable Little Huai quietly placed a bottle of homemade fruit wine on the table. Chu Xianning cast a cold glance at him. Jiang Huai immediately straightened his back and replied righteously, “It’s a light fruit wine. A small sip can help cut through the richness.”
In fact, Chu Xianning only glanced at him and didn’t say she wouldn’t drink it. So, Jiang Huai poured a cup for each of them. The moonlight was cold and gentle, the tide rose and fell on the sea. The lamb was tender, fresh, and sweet. Jiang Huai’s attention wasn’t on the food. Chu Xianning’s robes fit perfectly, with only a slight exposure of her clavicle at the neckline. Jiang Zhi’s qipao was similar, yet it accentuated her alluring figure, making her look enchanting.
One was abstinent and aloof, the other was charming and graceful. Jiang Huai felt that even the wine in their cups tasted sweeter. If only Jiang Zhi under the table wasn’t secretly teasing his calf with her white and tender little feet while Chu Xianning was slightly tipsy.
Even though she was an old fox who had lived for two thousand years, and her enchanting white and tender feet were now crawling into Jiang Huai’s trouser leg, her delicate pink toes rubbing against his ankle, she could still chat softly with Chu Xianning at the table. Chu Xianning wasn’t good with words, so she did most of the talking, sharing some of her cultivation experiences from when she was in the Eighth Realm.
Chu Xianning listened quietly. Her cultivation had been stuck at the Eighth Realm First Level for a long time due to an old injury that hadn’t healed, waiting for the Five Regions Grand Competition at the end of the year.
Although Jiang Huai didn’t want to be complacent and celebrate prematurely, his cultivation had already reached the Body Integration First Level, making him a true Seventh Realm cultivator. He had already started preparing to study his opponents for the finals of the Five Regions Grand Competition.
The fruit wine Jiang Huai had brought was unknowingly finished. The one encouraging them to drink was Jiang Zhi, who now appeared slightly tipsy. She rested her elbow on the table and looked at the aloof Chu Xianning, her voice soft and polite, “Fairy Chu.”
“Hmm?” Chu Xianning looked up.
“Is Jiang Huai sleeping with you tonight?” The moment she asked this, Chu Xianning’s eyeballs trembled slightly. However, perhaps it was because she had been thoroughly teased by Jiang Huai in the past few days, resulting in her not showing too much panic or shyness now, she just calmly looked at her, “Why?”
Jiang Huai, standing nearby, stiffened, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
“If Fairy Chu doesn’t plan to sleep with Jiang Huai, can I borrow him to hold tonight?” Jiang Zhi’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Chu Xianning’s expression remained cold, showing no shyness. Her eyes glanced at Jiang Huai, “I don’t have an opinion.”
“No, no, no!” Jiang Huai immediately interjected, looking at Chu Xianning aggrievedly, “Master, I have an opinion.”
Chu Xianning slightly raised her head, “Hmm?”
“I want to sleep with Master…” Jiang Huai cautiously tugged at Chu Xianning’s sleeve, acting as if he would roll around on the ground if his Master didn’t dote on him. Chu Xianning stared at him for a few seconds. Although the shame in her heart had reached its limit, her expression remained as cold as ever.
“As you wish.”
This sentence carried multiple meanings. Jiang Huai stared at her without blinking, but saw Chu Xianning merely raise her cup and drink the last drops of wine. Then she stood up, “I’m going to sleep.”
She walked a few steps, and Jiang Huai looked at her playfully, “Aren’t you going to follow?”
Jiang Huai didn’t need her to remind him. The moment he thought of what to say, he got up and hopped to Chu Xianning’s side, walking alongside her. He whispered, “Senior Jiang Zhi talks nonsense when she’s drunk, Master shouldn’t mind.”
“Oh.”
“Can I hold Master tonight?”
“No.”
“You can’t ask, I understand,” Jiang Huai replied, playing along. The next moment, Chu Xianning’s hand reached out and pinched the soft flesh on Jiang Huai’s waist, twisting it halfway.
Jiang Huai practically jumped up with a yelp.
