Chen Mian withdrew his gaze.
“A dungeon?” Flora tilted her head to look at him. “Do you want to go?”
“Yes.” Chen Mian continued walking forward. “The notice says there are unknown magical crops inside. If we can bring back some samples, we might be able to cultivate them.”
Flora nodded, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
“But before that, I need to take care of what needs to be done first.”
“What needs to be done?” Curiosity tinged Flora's voice.
“Well, I can't have you guys stuck in the apartment while I'm at the dungeon,” Chen Mian said with a smile.
Chen Mian had thought about connecting the apartment to the outside world. When it was just him and a few others, teleporting them himself worked well enough.
But now with the demi-human sisters, and likely more people arriving in the future, relying solely on himself to teleport everyone would become quite a hassle.
Carving out a physical path would be too massive an undertaking. After considering his options, setting up a large, two-way teleportation array seemed like the best solution.
The two walked back along the cobblestone path toward the empty alley.
Chen Mian placed his hand on Flora's shoulder.
Shortly after they left, a robust man dressed as an adventurer appeared at the entrance of the alley.
He stared into the empty alley, clear confusion in his eyes. “Was that really that esteemed individual? Or did I see wrong?”
“What's wrong, Guild Master?”
“It's nothing.”
...
The two returned to the apartment. Pushing the door open, they found the living room quiet.
Loviki was still sitting on the sofa. She had flipped to the second half of her book, her posture virtually unchanged.
Seeing them return, she merely lifted her eyelids. “Done shopping?”
“Yes.” Chen Mian took the items out of his storage space and placed them on the dining table.
Flour, sugar, salt, oil, spices, towels, a wooden comb, and the bundle tied with string.
Flora untied the bundle and unfolded the clothes one by one, laying them out on the table.
“So pretty...” Miya's voice came from the staircase.
She stood on the stairs, her hair dripping wet, wearing the light green dress Flora had given her. Because the dress was too big, the collar had slipped down to her shoulder.
Luolin followed behind her, dressed in the light gray loungewear.
“You need to dry your hair after a bath.” Flora picked up a new towel and walked over. Squatting down, she wrapped Miya's ears in the dry towel and gently rubbed them.
“Mmm...” Miya narrowed her eyes in comfort.
Luolin stood to the side, watching. Her fingers unconsciously drifted to her own ears.
After drying Miya's ears, Flora looked up at Luolin. “You too.”
Luolin startled for a moment, then took half a step forward. As Flora gently dried her with another dry towel, Luolin's body tensed for a brief second before slowly relaxing. “...Thank you.”
Chen Mian pointed at the clothes on the table. “Try them on, see if they fit.”
Luolin looked at the neatly folded clothes on the table, her eyes widening slightly.
“These are for us?” her voice trembled.
“Yes.” Chen Mian sat down on the sofa and picked up the tea Loviki had poured. “Go try them on first.”
“Thank you!” Pursing her lips, Luolin picked up the light blue dress, cradled it in her arms, and walked into the first-floor bathroom.
After a while, the door opened.
Luolin walked out wearing the light blue dress. It fit her perfectly, the hem reaching the middle of her calves.
Standing by the bathroom door, she clutched the hem of her skirt, her white cat ears drooping slightly. “...How does it look?”
“Beautiful,” Flora said with a soft smile and a nod.
Loviki glanced up from her book and nodded.
“Sister, you look so pretty!”
Luolin lowered her head slightly, her ears drooping even lower. Ultimately, she was just a teenage girl, unable to hide her joy at being praised.
“Your name is Luolin?” Chen Mian's voice came from the sofa.
Luolin looked up. “Yes.”
“How old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
“What are you good at?”
Luolin blinked in surprise. “I can mend clothes, cook, farm, do arithmetic, and...” Her voice grew quieter. “...and a bit of swordsmanship, but I'm not very strong.”
Chen Mian nodded. “You can help manage the apartment's vegetable garden in the future. But do everything only after your injuries have healed.”
Luolin's eyes widened. “I... I can?”
“Of course,” Chen Mian said. “A few acres of vegetable garden shouldn't be too hard for you. However, the crops here grow very fast. If you need anything else later, including extra hands, just let me know.”
“Mhm!” Luolin nodded vigorously.
“For now, focus on recovering.”
“Yes!”
...
Three days passed, and the wound on Luolin's leg had already scabbed over.
She attributed her rapid recovery to the food. The meals they ate here every day seemed to contain mana, making her body feel incredibly comfortable after every bite.
Moreover, just as Mr. Chen Mian had said, the vegetables here grew incredibly fast. The planted crops matured in just three days. Even though it was only a few acres of land, the yield was astonishing.
What's more, an entire row was filled with golden tomatoes.
Miss Loviki had picked some for her to eat. Those tomatoes were exceptionally delicious, and she felt her wounds healing even faster after eating them.
She also noticed that everyone in this apartment woke up very early.
The gentle Miss Flora was always the first. Before dawn, the sound of clattering spatulas in the kitchen could already be heard.
Mr. Chen Mian was usually the second to come downstairs. He would always say "Good morning" before sitting at the dining table to drink the Moonlight Grass tea Miss Flora had just brewed.
Miss Loviki was the third. Wearing her training gear with her hair tied meticulously, she would drag Chen Mian out for sparring right after breakfast.
Luolin felt she should wake up early too.
On the morning of the fourth day, she opened her eyes the moment she heard Flora going downstairs. Miya was still curled up under the blanket, her ears twitching occasionally, likely dreaming.
She dressed quietly and pushed open her bedroom door.
In the kitchen, Flora was kneading dough. Seeing Luolin enter, the tips of her ears twitched. “Why didn't you sleep a bit longer?”
“I couldn't sleep.” Luolin stood at the kitchen entrance, unsure of what she should do. “Can I... help?”
“Has your injury healed?”
“Yes.”
Flora glanced at her. Without pressing further, she took an apron from a nearby shelf and handed it over. “In that case, help me wash those vegetables. We'll use them to make soup later.”
Luolin took the apron and tied it around her waist. The fabric was very soft, and a small flower was embroidered on the strap. Miss Loviki had told her that Miss Flora had embroidered it herself.
She walked to the sink and turned on the tap. The cool water felt refreshing against her hands, but as she washed, her eyes began to well up.
Luolin couldn't quite explain why.
...
Five days later, morning.
“The grapevines have grown another segment,” Loviki said, setting down her bowl. “I saw it when I went to water them this morning.”
“They should start bearing fruit in a little while,” Flora said.
Chen Mian took a sip of his tea. “Yeah, probably about two more weeks.”
Loviki glanced at him but remained silent.
She was quieter than usual today, biting into her bun with extra force, as if she were chewing on something that irritated her.
“I want to try a new move during our sparring today,” she said.
Chen Mian nodded.
During their spar, Loviki's sword was significantly faster than usual. Her moves were sharper and more complex, but her brow remained furrowed, as if something heavy weighed on her mind.
“You've improved,” Chen Mian said.
Loviki sheathed her sword without responding.
Standing in place, she stared at her hilt before suddenly asking, “Have you ever thought about what you would do if you found out one day that what you've been chasing all along doesn't even exist?”
Chen Mian glanced at her. “If it doesn't exist, change your goal.”
Loviki fell silent for a moment. Her lips twitched, but in the end, she said nothing, merely hanging the sword back on her waist. “I'm going to water the grapes.”
She turned and walked toward the orchard, her steps faster than usual, her back looking somewhat stubborn.
Chen Mian stood where he was, watching her figure disappear into the orchard. He didn't chase after her, simply turning back toward the apartment.
Flora was chopping vegetables at the stove. Seeing Chen Mian enter, she tilted her head. “Where is Loviki?”
“She went to water the grapes.”
Flora's knife paused. She looked at Chen Mian. “She seems to have a lot on her mind lately.”
“Mhm.”
“Aren't you going to ask?”
Chen Mian shook his head. “She just took a bit of a blow.”
【Loviki’s Emotions: Irritated, Confused, Frustrated.】
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