The sun was shining just right as Fang Xuan strolled lazily along the bluestone path.
From behind him came the sound of hurried footsteps and a familiar voice with a thick accent:
"Handsome lad! Wait for Granny!"
Fang Xuan’s footsteps paused. He didn't turn around, simply sighing in his heart.
Here we go again.
"Granny, stop chasing me. I really returned the cake, and I even gave you two extra copper coins as interest."
"Pah, who’s counting a single flatbread with you!"
Granny finally caught up to him, clutching her waist as she panted. Her eyes, however, were bright as she looked Fang Xuan up and down, looking more satisfied the longer she stared.
"Granny thinks you're really handsome; the more I look at you, the more you look like my future grandson-in-law!"
Fang Xuan instinctively glanced around, feeling a slight chill down his back.
Senior Sister... she shouldn't be nearby again, right?
If she heard this, he wouldn't be able to explain it away.
"Granny, I really..."
"Don't be shy!" Granny enthusiastically interrupted him.
"Even though my Nannann is only three years old this year, she’s quite a beauty! And my family is rich! We have three large courtyards at the east end of town!"
Fang Xuan: "......"
I can't steal food from kids anymore.......
The retribution for that might be a bit too much.
After finally shaking off the Granny who chased him every day, Fang Xuan continued his wanderings.
He quite liked this small town; it was simple and devoid of cultivators.
Every day consisted of basking in the sun, strolling through the streets, and waiting for Senior Sister to call him home for dinner.
.......
Returning to the small courtyard, he pushed open the bamboo gate.
In the yard, Ning Xian was holding a small wooden ladle, carefully watering several plants by the window sill.
The sunlight spilled over her focused profile, softening her features.
Fang Xuan watched with a hint of novelty.
Was Senior Sister actually starting to grow flowers?
Though she hadn't neglected the potatoes, having planted quite a few.
"Running off to play in the streets again?" Ning Xian’s cold voice drifted over without her looking up.
"I didn't, Senior Sister," Fang Xuan prevaricated first.
Then he leaned in, watching her water the plants.
His feet truly couldn't stay still.
Only then did Ning Xian stop her movements and turn her head to look at him.
Those cold eyes swept over his face, seemingly wanting to confirm if he had gone off performing tricks again or provoked some strange person—like a three-year-old girl’s grandmother.
After a long silence, she whispered, "If you're alone and get snatched away by bad people, what then?"
Fang Xuan leaned even closer, pressing against her shoulder. "If I’m snatched away, Senior Sister must come quickly to save me."
Ning Xian felt an itch from the warmth of his breath against her ear. She turned her small face away and continued watering the flowers.
Only the corners of her mouth curved up slightly. "What do you want to eat today?"
"I want soup."
"Mm."
......
After watering the plants, the two returned to the shade of the eaves.
Fang Xuan stretched and looked at the distant azure sky, letting out a sigh. "Senior Sister, it's really quite boring."
After living this kind of peaceful life for too long, his bones felt like they were turning soft.
Ning Xian tilted her head, her small face turning red as she spoke. "When... when night comes, there will be things to do."
Fang Xuan also gave two dry coughs. Senior Sister’s courage was indeed growing. "In that case, Senior Sister, I’ll go practice my sword for a while."
"No ambition," Ning Xian’s voice came again, speaking with a touch of reproach. "What's the use of only knowing how to practice the sword?"
Fang Xuan turned back, looking at her a bit blankly.
However, Ning Xian had already turned around and walked toward the kitchen, leaving behind a faint sentence.
"If... if you don't dual cultivate with Senior Sister, when will you ever reach the Transformation Realm?"
Fang Xuan nearly tripped over the threshold upon hearing that.
It wasn't a lie; truly, Senior Sister was teasing him every day now.
......
"Dinner is ready." After a while, Ning Xian’s voice came from inside, having already returned to its usual coldness.
It was all Junior Brother’s fault for constantly tempting her every day.
"Coming, Senior Sister."
.......
Lunch was simple: two dishes and a soup.
Fang Xuan shoveled his spirit rice into his mouth, his eyes scanning the plates. "No meat today?"
Ning Xian picked up a portion of wild vegetables with her chopsticks and said calmly:
"The town didn't have any for sale today."
"Oh." Fang Xuan took a sip of soup with a hint of regret.
Ning Xian suddenly set down her chopsticks and said seriously, "Then let's go find the black tai sui and carve a bit more off it."
Fang Xuan looked at Xiao Hei under the table, who was currently working hard to push a vegetable leaf with its soft body, attempting to "eat" it.
"Let's not carve it up..."
Even though he knew this black mass had once swallowed a Transformation Realm body.
But seeing it now, acting like a little booger and rolling around foolishly.
Carving it... always felt like bullying a dim-witted child; it was quite pitiful.
As if understanding Fang Xuan’s words, Xiao Hei pushed the vegetable leaf onto its head and bounced twice with a 'puji puji' sound, as if indicating it was perfectly willing.
After it had eaten that Transformation Realm ancestor’s body, its intelligence seemed to have grown a tiny bit, but it remained very dull and foolish.
Fang Xuan lightly poked it with his finger. "What's your name?"
Xiao Hei, with the vegetable leaf on its head: "???"
Seeing its stupid look, Fang Xuan remembered. "Oh, right. Your name is Xiao Hei."
Watching Fang Xuan’s smiling profile, the secret thoughts in Ning Xian’s heart began to bubble up again.
Junior Brother is so cute......
I really want to......
She withdrew her thoughts, forcing herself to look at the food on the table.
However, her gaze inadvertently fell upon Fang Xuan’s right hand as he held his chopsticks.
From the wrist down to the fingertips, that hand was wrapped in a layer of plain white bandages.
"Are you used to using it yet?" she asked softly.
Hearing this, Fang Xuan stopped his chopsticks, flexed the five fingers of his right hand, made a fist, and then spread them out again.
The movements were fluid and natural, as if it were truly a part of his own body.
"Yeah, Senior Sister's hand is quite useful," he replied casually.
However, why did he feel like those words... sounded a bit strange?
Ning Xian, meanwhile, tightly gripped her own sleeve.
No rejection... the spine works, and the hand works too......
Then... other places......
The more she thought, the more she felt her current desires... were practically like a pervert coveting her Junior Brother’s body.
But... but......
She secretly lifted her eyes to glance at the Fang Xuan opposite her.
Sunlight filtered through the bamboo window, casting small shadows on his eyelashes. His handsome face was focused, without a single cloud of gloom.
If things could stay like this forever... keeping him by her side, using everything she had to brand him with an imprint that belonged only to her......
This thought grew like a wildly spreading vine, layer by layer, entangling her cold heart.......
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