“Is that true?” Melo took a sip from her cup as well. After a moment, she set her cup down, sensed the flow of mana in her body, and said blankly, “It really did get stronger... and this effect seems to be continuous...”
Hearing this, the other demi-humans picked up their cups and began to drink.
“It really increased!”
“Mana has actually appeared in my body! I couldn't even cultivate mana before, no matter how many times I tried!?”
“This wine is too amazing! I feel like one cup is worth a long time of hard work!”
Chen Mian stood nearby with his cup, watching the demi-humans' ecstatic expressions without saying much. Only when the crowd quieted down did he slowly speak, “This wine can increase your mana, but the process is very slow. Once the effects are fully realized tomorrow, each of you should record the extent of your mana increase with Luolin.”
“Okay!” the demi-humans replied, nodding one after another.
“Also, Tina, take the fermenting grape wine and run it through every step of the Brewing Workshop. Finally, seal it in these golden oak barrels and store them in the Wine Storage. Seal a total of ten barrels.”
“Okay!” Tina nodded vigorously.
“Sari, arrange some people to make more oak barrels. Once the wine in the workshop is done fermenting, age it in regular oak barrels to expand our production scale. The fruit orchard will only produce more and more fruit, so you don't have to stick to just grape wine. Remember to label whatever fruit wine you brew. As for the leftover pomace after brewing, use it to feed the fish in the fishery.”
“Got it!” Sari nodded heavily, then turned to shout at the crowd, “Did everyone hear that? We start working in a bit!”
“Yes!”
“No problem!”
“As for this barrel of wine, leave one jar with Melo as a sample. Divide the rest among yourselves. Just one cup a day—don't drink too much.”
Holding their wine cups, the villagers looked at one another, their faces still filled with lingering surprise and disbelief.
When Chen Mian returned to the apartment, Flora was taking the freshly baked Moonlight Grass pastries out of the oven. The entire kitchen was filled with a rich, refreshing fragrance.
“How are the effects?” Flora asked, taking off her oven mitts and turning her head to look at Chen Mian with a smile.
“Not bad. Even Sari, who is Silver Rank, had a noticeable increase in mana.” Chen Mian walked over to the stove and looked down at the plate of light green pastries, which were emitting a pleasant aroma.
Flora picked up a piece, blew on it gently, and held it to Chen Mian's lips. “Mr. Chen Mian, try one while it's hot.”
Chen Mian leaned down and took a bite. The crust was lightly crisped, and the texture inside was soft and chewy. It carried the fresh scent of Moonlight Grass, and the sweetness was very subtle, with only a faint, lingering hint of honey.
“Delicious,” he said with a nod and a smile.
Flora's eyes shone with clear amusement. She picked up a piece for herself and took a small bite. “Oh, right, Mr. Chen Mian. Loviki and Louise aren't up yet, even though it's already this late. Should I go call them down to eat?”
“Those two drank the most last night. Just leave some pastries in the warming box and let them sleep a bit longer.”
“Okay~”
Once they had both eaten their fill, Flora placed the remaining pastries into the warming box, saving a portion for Velyan as well.
After finishing this, she turned around and naturally reached out to take Chen Mian's hand, her fingers gently hooking into his. “Then, would Mr. Chen Mian be willing to go for a walk with me?”
Chen Mian looked down at their joined hands, then squeezed hers back. “Sure.”
“The weather is lovely today.”
“Mmh.”
“Shall we take a walk over by the fishery?”
“We can.”
Flora held his hand and gave it a gentle tug, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Let's go!”
The two walked out of the apartment side by side. What greeted their eyes was the lush green crop field nearby.
In the distance, the demi-human villagers were already busy at work.
Flora turned her head, her gaze landing on his profile. “Mr. Chen Mian.”
“Hmm?”
“It's nothing.” She looked away, tightening her grip on his hand. “I just wanted to say your name.”
Chen Mian turned his head to look at Flora. Her head was lowered, a soft smile gracing her lips, and her ears were slightly flushed under the sunlight.
The two walked slowly along the path. Occasionally, the shouts and laughter of the villagers carrying wooden barrels drifted from afar, blending with the rustling of the wind through the leaves.
“By the way, Flora.”
“Yes?”
“You woke up in the middle of the night and said quite a lot.”
Flora's footsteps paused slightly, and her ears turned even redder. “W-what did I say?”
“You said you purposely brewed the Moonlight Grass tea extra strong just so I would drink more. You also said you count how many sentences I speak to you every day, and that you've been waiting for me to wash your hair again...”
Flora froze in place, her face completely flushed. Her voice was barely audible. “...Why do you remember all of that?”
“Because it was cute.”
She looked up, her face red as she stared at him. “What about you, then? Do you say strange things when you're drunk?”
“Me?” Chen Mian thought about it. “Probably not.”
“That's not fair.” Flora shook her head gently. “Next time, I want to see Mr. Chen Mian drunk too.”
“If I get drunk and something happens, there won't be anyone to protect the apartment.”
“Then I can wait. Once I become strong enough, I'll protect you,” Flora said, looking up with absolute sincerity.
After saying it, she froze for a moment, then quickly lowered her head. However, her fingers remained tightly wrapped around Chen Mian's hand, not letting go.
Chen Mian glanced at her, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “I was just joking. You only need to do what you like, Flora. Even if I get drunk, no one can threaten me.”
Flora hearing his words, her fingers tightened slightly, then relaxed.
She didn't reply immediately, walking a few steps with her head lowered before speaking softly, “But I still want to become stronger.”
Chen Mian cast a sidelong glance at her.
“I hope that one day, I can be someone Mr. Chen Mian can rely on.” Flora looked up, her eyes filled with earnest determination.
“Then I'll be waiting,” Chen Mian said softly.
Not getting drunk was simply a habit left over from his past adventures... In reality, they were already strong enough on their own and didn't need his constant protection.
The two walked around the fishery. By the time they returned, Loviki had just come downstairs.
Her hair was a messy nest, with a few stubborn strands of black hair curling wildly at the ends. She was still wearing the thin coat from last night, looking utterly dazed.
“Morning~” she greeted half-heartedly, heading straight for the kitchen.
Loviki opened the warming box with practiced ease, stared at the plate of pastries for a long moment, then reached out to pinch one and pop it into her mouth, her cheeks puffing up as she chewed.
Just as she took her second bite, Flora's voice drifted over from the living room. “Loviki, come over here for a second.”
“Mmh?” Still stuffing her face with pastries and not quite awake yet, Loviki mumbled a response. She carried the plate over to the living room and sat down on a low stool beside Flora. “What is it?”
Flora picked up a wooden comb from nearby and gently gathered Loviki's messy black hair, slowly combing down from the crown of her head with very gentle strokes.
Loviki had been nibbling on her pastry, but the combing felt so good that her shoulders gradually relaxed. Her eyes squinted slightly, making her look like a cat getting its fur stroked.
“Did you take a shower before going to bed last night... without drying your hair?” Flora asked, her voice tinged with amusement as her fingers untangled some knotted strands.
“I dried it,” Loviki mumbled around her food.
“Then you must have lain down and played with your hair right after drying it.”
Loviki didn't answer, but judging by how her chewing slowed down, she had clearly been caught red-handed.
“Let me braid it for you,” Flora said softly, gathering Loviki's hair to one side. “The weather is nice today, so tying it up will keep you cool.”
“Whatever you want.” Having finished her pastry, Loviki set the plate aside and rested her hands obediently on her knees.
Flora's fingers wove through her hair, quickly crafting a side braid. She secured the end with a white hair tie, then pulled out a few loose strands to make the braid look more natural. “All done.”
Loviki tilted her head, reaching out to feel the braid, then looked down at the end resting against her chest. The corners of her mouth curved up. “Flora~ you're so sweet! You should really just marry me! I'll agree to monogamy for you!”
“Sure, but does that mean you're the wife, Loviki?”
“Huh?!” The plate in Loviki's hand almost slipped. Her mouth opened and closed, but not a single word came out.
Flora tilted her head, a playful glint flashing in her bright eyes. “What's wrong? Didn't you say so yourself, Loviki?”
“I-I was...” Loviki's face flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye, and her voice began to stutter. “T-that was a joke!”
“But I took it seriously.”
“Chen Mian! Y-you need to discipline Flora! She's been corrupted!”
“I think Flora has a point.”
“Y-you two are ganging up on me!”
Rate on N.U.
