“All settled?”
“Mm.”
“Everything taken care of?”
“Mm.”
“Then why are you standing there?”
“I—I’m just hot, can’t I be hot?”
At the doorway, Zuo Qiuli stood there, a chicken in her left hand, a duck in her right, eyeing the two people in the room with suspicion.
She had just hurried home in response to Limuqun’s call, only to find this scene:
The young girl lay resting on the bed, while Limuqun leaned by the window, catching the breeze.
A faint stench of osmanthus flowers lingered in the air. Everything seemed peaceful, as if nothing had happened at all.
But why did the atmosphere feel a bit off?
She narrowed her eyes, sizing up the two with suspicion.
Luozhilan’s cheeks were flushed red, half her face hidden under the blanket.
Limuqun avoided her gaze, hunched over, as if hiding something.
Were the two of them like this before she left?
“Come outside with me.”
She tossed the chicken and duck onto the stove, grabbed the shifty-eyed Limuqun, and dragged him toward the door.
“Ow, slow down a bit.”
With one stride, Limuqun felt a sharp pain somewhere, and couldn’t help but complain.
“What exactly were you two doing? Why does it look so awkward to me?”
They stood outside, and Zuo Qiuli got straight to the point.
“N-nothing, really.” Limuqun was still hunched over, fidgeting as he replied, “She was throwing up, right? Then she got something stuck in her throat, almost couldn’t breathe. You told me to try and hold out until you came back, so I, uh, I tried a few things.”
“What did you try?” Zuo Qiuli instantly caught the key point in Limuqun’s words, her fox-like eyes narrowing.
“J-just some first aid methods I learned in my previous life.”
Zuo Qiuli frowned, unceremoniously asking, “Did you give her mouth-to-mouth?”
Faced with this accusation, Limuqun jumped up at once, defending himself righteously: “Don’t slander me for no reason!”
“Then why are you acting all shy and delicate like a little woman?” Zuo Qiuli was baffled, “Still hunching your back—what is it? Life’s pressure got you unable to straighten up?”
“Don’t poke your nose in.” At the mention of his hunched back, Limuqun blushed even harder.
“Anyway, it’s all taken care of, right? So what’s the problem?”
“Fine, fine, I’ll mind my own business.”
Zuo Qiuli rolled her eyes at him, not intending to pursue the matter further.
After all, Limuqun acting a bit neurotic from time to time was perfectly normal.
“It’s getting late, I should hurry and make dinner.”
“You’re still going to cook?” ×2
Almost at the same time, both Limuqun and the young Luozhilan, who had been eavesdropping through the window, blurted out in shock.
“What, you two think you can complain about me now?” Zuo Qiuli raised her eyebrows unhappily.
“It’s not that—you almost killed her with your cooking, remember?”
“That’s because you bought ingredients that weren’t fresh! Tonight’s ingredients were all hand-picked by me. The meal will definitely taste good.”
Zuo Qiuli crossed her arms, snorting in defiance.
She was full of confidence in her own cooking, firmly convinced that the problem had been Limuqun.
Oh my god, how could a fox be so ordinary yet so confident?
The thought of how he’d nearly been sent off to the afterlife after eagerly anticipating Zuo Qiuli’s “delicacies” made Limuqun shiver.
Even the Emperor of the Second Empire had been cowed by the experience.
He straightened up at once and blurted out:
“It’s not that I doubt your skills, it’s just…”
“Just what?”
“It’s just, it’s just…” Limuqun took a few steps back, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead.
Move it, you useless mouth! If you don’t act now, you’ll be crying when you have to eat Zuo Qiuli’s food later!
Perhaps threatened by Limuqun’s inner warning, inspiration suddenly struck, and he raised his head:
“Oh, it’s just that you look too tired!”
“Tired?” Zuo Qiuli was bewildered by this completely unrelated answer.
“Yeah, you’ve been running around all day. How could you not be tired?”
Limuqun gently guided Zuo Qiuli into the house, pressing her down onto a chair, while massaging her shoulders with polite enthusiasm:
“Feel that soreness in your shoulders? Look how tense your muscles are! You’re clearly exhausted.”
“This meal—it’s only right that I make it!”
“You can cook?” Zuo Qiuli was enjoying Limuqun’s massage skills, but still eyed him suspiciously at the mention of cooking.
Limuqun bent down and lowered his voice: “We’ve gone through Soul Fusion and you still don’t know me by now? I can’t do anything fancy, but everyday home-cooking is no problem.”
Zuo Qiuli closed her eyes in comfort, lowering her voice as she replied: “A person’s life is vast, you can’t judge everything by the small details.”
“Right, right. So, my dear Wife, how about I take over as sous chef?”
“Sous chef? You be the head chef.” Zuo Qiuli waved her hand generously, not caring in the least.
“You think I actually want to cook? If someone else wants to, I’m more than happy.”
“Alright then, I’ll go handle dinner now.”
Limuqun dashed into the kitchen, and in no time, the entire table was filled with fragrant and colorful home-cooked dishes.
“Behold tonight’s menu!”
He pulled off his apron and introduced the dishes to the two at the table: “Sa Ginger Chicken, Three Cup Duck, Potato Stewed Eggplant so delicious it’d make the old man cry, plus a bowl of my special Li-style Tiger Salad, and perfectly steamed fluffy rice. I’ll tell you straight, even if Liu Bei set this spread in front of Zhuge Liang, he’d show up uninvited!”
Zuo Qiuli couldn’t help but laugh at his over-the-top boasting, and even the young Luozhilan, who didn’t get his cold jokes, leaned over and sniffed, drawn in by the aroma.
“What are you all staring for? Let’s eat!”
With that, Limuqun took his seat, grabbed a bowl of rice, and dug in.
“Ah, I haven’t lost my touch.” Picking up a piece of chicken, Limuqun couldn’t help but sigh.
To be honest, ever since embarking on the path of cultivation, he’d rarely eaten mortal food—mostly relying on Danchamber for training, or eating Spiritual Meat and Spiritual Fruit.
Now, getting a chance for such a meal again, he couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.
Beside him, Zuo Qiuli narrowed her eyes, also picking up a bite of food and putting it in her mouth.
Hmm…as much as she hated to admit it, it really did taste a little bit better than her own cooking.
But only a tiny bit!
A true foodie herself, after splitting from Zuo Qiu Li and becoming a soul body, she’d barely tasted anything good, but the desire for delicious food had never faded.
Now, finally getting to eat, Zuo Qiuli felt that pent-up appetite explode, and couldn’t resist grabbing several more bites.
Finally, it was Luozhilan’s turn.
Perhaps still traumatized by Zuo Qiuli’s earlier cooking, she hesitated for a long time before timidly picking out a piece of the green Li-style Tiger Salad.
This one didn’t look like it had been cooked much—no matter how bad it was, it couldn’t be that bad, right?
She swallowed nervously, shut her eyes, and stuffed the bite in her mouth.
Delicious!
Crisp and refreshing, savory and salty, with a juicy burst of flavor.
So tasty—the difference between this and the previous meal was like heaven and earth.
Having just finished vomiting and with her stomach empty, the young Luozhilan quickly joined the fray for the food.
The three of them dug in with perfect rhythm, when Zuo Qiuli called out to Limuqun:
“Hey, hey, the drumstick! Save it for our daughter.”
Perhaps the sight of everyone eating together at the table brought back some memories for Zuo Qiuli, and she slipped right into the role of “Mother.”
“Woc, what are you doing? That’s my drumstick!”
Watching Zuo Qiuli deftly snatch a drumstick from Limuqun’s bowl and drop it into her own, young Luozhilan couldn’t help but burst out laughing at his aggrieved expression.
“Look at you—our daughter’s laughing at you!”
Zuo Qiuli scolded playfully, her face also breaking into a smile.
Only Limuqun stirred his rice with his chopsticks, wailing: “My drumstick…”
Maybe this was what family warmth felt like?
Luozhilan munched on the drumstick, unable to hide the smile at her lips.