Just then.
“Senior Brother~”
Accompanied by a sweet call, a warm and fragrant presence drew near.
Gantang, like a clingy little bird, naturally squeezed in beside Lu Qiancha on the other side.
In her hand was a skewer of sea fish, grilled to a crispy golden outside and tender inside, which she brought straight to Lu Qiancha’s lips. “Senior Brother! Try this! It’s just freshly grilled! So fragrant!”
Gantang’s pink eyes sparkled brightly, filled with pure anticipation and the joy of offering a treasure.
Looking at this innocent little flower beside him, a gentle warmth welled up in Lu Qiancha’s heart.
Without refusal, he took the skewer from Gantang’s hand and gently bit into the golden-browned edge of the fish.
Crunch!
The crispy fish skin cracked open.
The white, tender, piping hot fish flesh almost melted in his mouth. The rich fatty aroma, combined with the sea’s unique salty freshness, exploded on his tongue.
However, a few fine yet irritating fishbones accompanied the soft fish flesh into his mouth, spoiling this rare delicacy.
“Mm… tastes good.”
Lu Qiancha spat out the bones, swallowed the fish, and smiled warmly with approval.
“Really?!”
Gantang’s smile instantly bloomed like a sunflower drenched in sunlight.
“Hehe! I knew Senior Brother would like it!” Satisfaction and pride almost radiated from her.”
Before the warmth could fade…
“Little Qiancha~~”
Xun Xue’s drawn-out, uniquely doting call cut in seamlessly.
A large shellfish meat, white and plump with a faint sweetness, was neatly lifted on a slender wooden skewer by her.
Fast, accurate, steady. In an instant, it was brought to Lu Qiancha’s mouth.
The smooth, plump shellfish meat gleamed invitingly under the campfire, still steaming with fresh sweetness.
Lu Qiancha: …What else could she say? He closed his eyes and opened his mouth.
“Ah!”
The cool shellfish meat entered his mouth.
Unlike the soft fish flesh, the shellfish was firm and bouncy. At the moment his small teeth bit down, it was as if fresh juices burst between his lips and teeth.
“Very delicious.”
Lu Qiancha’s voice was filled with genuine praise. Compared to the earlier fish with bones, the texture of the shellfish was practically perfect.
“Senior Brother~ try this freshly picked sea conch meat! It’s so tender!”
Gantang’s pink eyes shone like stars falling from the sky as another skewer of crystal-clear, snow-white conch meat was offered to Lu Qiancha’s lips.
“Little Qiancha~ open wide~ ah~~”
Xun Xue’s lazy, doting voice sounded almost simultaneously, as a golden, oily, garlic-scented grilled scallop was precisely delivered as well.
Lu Qiancha didn’t refuse either, accepting bite after bite from the two girls.
***
Ten minutes later…
“I can’t eat anymore, really, I can’t eat a single bit more.”
Lu Qiancha froze in place, her eyes filled with utter despair.
Her small belly was already completely stuffed with seafood, so full she could barely stand.
Even her stomach felt heavy with the lingering fresh fishy scent. The salty sea air left such a strong taste in her mouth that her tongue nearly went numb.
Lu Qiancha glanced at the two baskets of fish, shrimp, and shellfish beside her, which had barely been touched, then silently rubbed her belly.
Only heaven knew where Master and the junior sisters had gotten so much seafood.
She almost squeezed out the faintest words from her throat, clutching her bloated belly as she struggled to stand.
“I need to go for a walk, to help digestion. Master, junior sisters, and… Xun Xue Daren, you all enjoy eating…”
“Oh, I’m done eating too!”
Xun Xue immediately dropped her empty skewer, clapped her hands, and smiled as she tagged along. “A walk to digest? I’ll go with you~ Come on, let’s go to the beach and watch the sunset.”
Lu Qiancha:
She couldn’t help but glance at the skewers in Xun Xue’s hand — six skewers in total, not a single one missing.
In other words, Xun Xue hadn’t eaten a bite…
“I… I want to go too!”
Gantang almost bounced up. She quickly shoved a half-eaten crab leg into Master Xuanya’s hand. “Master, you eat slowly!”
Then, like a little tail afraid of being left behind, Gantang stuck closely to Lu Qiancha’s other side, her pink eyes looking at her imploringly. “Senior Brother~ wait for me~”
“Alright, then let’s all go for a walk together.”
Lu Qiancha exhaled in resignation and nodded helplessly. “…Okay, together it is.”
She then turned to Xuanya and asked, “Master, are you coming with us?”
“…I shall sit here quietly. You all go ahead as you please.”
Xuanya shook her head, then closed her eyes to rest and calm her spirit.
“Alright then.”
Hearing this, Lu Qiancha nodded and chose a direction to move toward.
As their footsteps gradually faded away, Xuanya quietly opened her eyes and sighed softly while watching the three figures disappear.
Is this ill-fated bond… or pure bond?
Her usually steady and reserved senior disciple… how could it be…
She shook her head, as if trying to shake off the vexing thoughts.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, a smooth jade talisman appeared in her palm. Her Sheng Xian awareness sank into it, and the talisman glowed with a gentle light.
Xuanya’s expression remained blank as she focused her mind. Clear, calm words flowed out:
“Senior Brother, that demon immortal Xun Xue, her heart is as clear as day.”
A moment of silence.
The talisman hummed, and Xuan Bing’s reply appeared, tinged with inquiry: “Oh? Her heart? Please, junior sister, explain in detail.”
Xuanya’s eyes showed no ripple as her Sheng Xian awareness flowed like icy spring water:
“Right now, she willingly takes the junior disciple Lu Qiancha as her Dao Companion. Her appearance at Tianquan Peak… is merely to stay and be with her.”
Xuan Bing:
The spiritual light on the talisman stalled for several breaths before responding again.
Xuan Bing: “Xiao Ya, this is serious business—don’t joke around with senior brother.”
Xuanya’s delicate brows furrowed ever so slightly. “Senior Brother, in my life, I have never spoken falsely or joked.”
The talisman fell silent again, as if the other side was taking many deep, cold breaths.
Finally, Xuan Bing’s words came with a near-tragic tone of warning:
“Even if their feelings are deep, there is the Ren Yao Boundary, and the Sheng Xian path is different for each. Junior Sister!”
“You must warn your disciple well, turn back from the edge! Do not ruin her path as a Sheng Xian! Don’t fall into the wrong path!”
Xuanya read Xuan Bing’s words and pondered. Suddenly, a flashlike image flickered through her mind — the blue-furred little wolf carved in delicate jade that Gantang was holding…
Hiss!
Could it be that Qiancha had secretly been involved with this demon immortal for years?!
They even have a child…
The sea breeze blew over the campfire’s outer flame.
It brushed over Xuanya’s slightly heavy side profile at this moment.
She felt as if the fish meat she had just swallowed was stuck somewhere in her throat…
***
On the other side, the sunset was molten gold, casting the three’s long shadows on the soft sand.
Lu Qiancha’s steps were slightly unsteady and heavy. Xun Xue walked on her left side, matching pace.
The faint breeze, mingled with frosty sweetness and maturity, always blew intentionally or unintentionally against Lu Qiancha’s ear and neck.
The fluffy large tail beneath Xun Xue’s skirt occasionally brushed against Lu Qiancha’s inner thigh…
Each accidental or intentional touch stirred a faint feeling of intimacy in Lu Qiancha’s heart.
At this moment, Lu Qiancha’s own ear tips were standing tensely upright, afraid that if she lost control, she would fall straight into Xun Xue’s embrace to act spoiled.
Although Master wasn’t here, if her junior sisters saw it… she felt her dignity would be shattered.