Chapter 76 | My Nemesis Ascended, What Do I Do?!

Xin City.

The summer heatwave flaunted its power in every corner of the city.

Yet this unstoppable heatwave was kept completely at bay outside the perimeter of a place called “Xuexue's Ice Shop.”

It was a modest shop nestled between two cafes.

The sign was simple: black letters on a white background, with a crooked snowflake drawn next to them.

There was no roaring air conditioning unit outside, nor any neon lights flashing to attract business. There was only a faint, gentle chill, quietly spreading like winter frost on a windowpane of a morning.

Passersby would always subconsciously slow their steps.

Right then, a low, ostentatious engine roar echoed from the end of the street.

The sound started from afar, like thunder rolling behind the clouds, but drew close in an instant, aggressively tearing through the sultry afternoon air.

A Ferrari LaFerrari came roaring from the end of the main road. Its sleek, sharp-edged body gleamed almost blindingly in the sunlight, looking like a beast charging out of a blazing fire.

This red beast finally came to a steady halt by the curb outside “Xuexue's Ice Shop.”

The butterfly door swung upward.

A dark brown, handmade leather shoe stepped out.

A moment later, the shoe brought with it a loud floral shirt splashed with red, blue, green, and orange.

The shirt was incredibly flashy, as if its wearer had draped an entire tropical coast over his shoulders.

Yet, the shirt's owner was exceptionally handsome, with clean-cut features and skin like cool jade.

That loud floral shirt, which would have been an absolute disaster on anyone else, took on a hopelessly dashing, carefree charm on him.

One step, two steps...

At first, he took a couple of leisurely steps.

Unfortunately, he couldn't keep up the act for even three seconds.

After the third step, he suddenly accelerated. By the seventh and eighth steps, he was practically jogging. Finally, he became like a gust of wind, dashing straight toward the shop door.

“Little Xuexue, come out and check out my new ride! It's insanely cool!”

The glass door was pushed open by the floral-shirted man.

A wave of refreshing, cool air washed over him.

The inside of the shop was a completely different world.

The sunlight, filtered softly through the glass, fell upon transparent ice sculptures, refracting into delicate rainbows.

There were numerous display stands inside, each showcasing an ice sculpture: a crane spreading its wings, a fox crouching in the snow, a plum tree in full frost-bloom...

There was also a half-person-tall snow mountain, its mountainside shrouded in clouds that were also sculpted from ice. The swirling snow and mist created an incredibly beautiful, poetic atmosphere.

However... this particular piece was not for sale.

Display cabinets lined the walls, showcasing various ice spheres that would never melt.

Some ice spheres sealed a maple leaf inside, its veins so distinct it seemed to still be breathing.

Others held a wisp of blue light that, when gently shaken, ebbed and flowed like deep-ocean tides.

There was even a fist-sized ice sphere sealing a tiny white flower. Its petals were paper-thin, yet frozen forever in the moment of full bloom.

These ice spheres came in various sizes and were sold to customers to use in their summer cold drinks.

At the center bar, a beautiful woman with white hair and crimson eyes was bowing her head, carving ice.

She wore a light white gown that draped just past her calves, with a light blue bear apron tied around her waist.

The bear's expression was silly and naive, completely clashing with her cool, almost aloof temperament, yet it strangely lent her a touch of softness.

Her ruby eyes were cast down, her eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath them.

Her white hair was tied back, with a few stray strands falling by her ears, swaying gently with her breaths.

She held a small carving knife in her hand, its tip resting on a block of profound ice, meticulously carving the smirking face of a certain someone.

Her fingers were incredibly steady, every ounce of force controlled with meticulous precision.

Ice shavings peeled away under her blade, falling onto the bar counter like fresh snow landing on weathered wood.

However—

“Little Xuexue!”

Screeech.

The carving knife slipped.

The ice sculpture was ruined.

The ruby-eyed lady instantly clenched her fist, and the temperature in the shop plummeted several degrees.

But in the end, she merely took a deep breath and pinched her forehead in resignation.

After all, the man who had just barged in so recklessly was the husband she had chosen herself.

The floral-shirted man bounded behind the counter in a few strides, grabbed her arm, and excitedly dragged her outward.

The ruby-eyed lady simply let him pull her along.

Her cool, strappy high heels clicked against the floor, making a series of crisp thud, thud, thud sounds.

With every step she took, tiny snowflakes gently drifted around her ankles, landing on the floor before vanishing into thin air.

It was as if someone had secretly crushed winter to pieces and scattered it across the tiles on a summer afternoon.

The shop door was pushed open, and a heatwave rushed in, only to retreat meekly the moment it drew near her.

Passersby on the street cast curious glances.

Some looked at the car, some looked at the people. They watched the man holding her hand, looking so smug he seemed to want to summon the entire world to witness it, and they watched her, clearly exasperated yet never once pulling her hand away.

Beside the red supercar, the floral-shirted man gestured toward the vehicle with both hands, as if showcasing a priceless, once-in-a-lifetime treasure.

“Well? Isn't it awesome?”

The ruby-eyed lady took a look.

The car was indeed beautiful.

It was a brilliant red, an expensive red, a red like the most vibrant blaze of summer.

Yet in her eyes, no matter how sleek and dazzling it was, it was ultimately just a vehicle that took up space, consumed fuel, and didn't even have guaranteed comfortable seats.

So she paused for a moment and said gently, “Yes, yes, yes. Everything about my man is the absolute coolest.”

The floral-shirted man instantly beamed.

“Hehehe, that's great! I managed to swin—er, exchange this from one of our shop's VIP customers using my superb sales skills. It wasn't easy!”

The ruby-eyed lady looked up at him.

“Oh, you.”

She sighed.

It looked like she would have to go to the Management Bureau again to resolve a complaint for this man.

She recalled that this month, it was already—

Forget it... she had lost count of how many times it had been.

The floral-shirted man trotted over to the passenger side, eagerly opened the door, and bowed in an incredibly theatrical gesture of invitation.

“Come on, Little Xuexue, I absolutely have to take you for a spin!”

The ruby-eyed lady glanced back inside the shop.

With a flick of her finger, she left a clone behind.

The ruby-eyed lady slid into the car.

The seats were lower than she had expected, and the cabin was cramped; she felt that in terms of comfort, it couldn't even compare to their previous family sedan.

But as for its appearance, it did match her man quite well.

Wild, ostentatious, and unreasonable.

The engine roared to life.

She originally wanted to remind him not to speed.

But the words reached her lips, only to be swallowed back down.

Ah, whatever.

Let him have his fun for once.

The car pulled away from the curb and merged into the city traffic.

Xin City's summer flashed past the car windows, the shadows of the trees stretched into long lines by the wind.

The floral-shirted man loved to talk while driving.

He pointed at a newly opened dessert shop by the road, claiming their mango shaved ice couldn't possibly be as good as hers.

Then he pointed at a modified car ahead, critiquing its spoiler as completely soulless.

When he saw an elderly couple crossing the street hand-in-hand, he suddenly fell silent for a few seconds, then let out a soft huff.

The ruby-eyed lady looked at him. “What is it?”

Keeping his eyes on the road ahead, he said lazily, “Nothing. Just thought that old man's way of holding hands wasn't overbearing enough.”

The ruby-eyed lady: “...”

He quickly added, “But he holds on pretty steady.”

The car finally stopped by the riverbank.

Xin City had a very wide river that flowed through the heart of the town.

Evening had not yet arrived, but the sun was already slanting, casting a shimmering glow across the river like a blanket of crushed gold leaf.

In the distance, a ferry glided slowly, leaving a long white wake in its path.

Cars traveled back and forth across the bridge, their sounds carried away by the wind, becoming distant and gentle.

The plane trees by the river cast large shadows, and a few anglers sat on the stone steps, with bottled water and folding stools placed beside them.

Some were walking dogs, some were jogging. Young couples leaned against the railings taking photos, and elderly folks slowly practiced tai chi...

The floral-shirted man parked the car and walked around to open the passenger door for her.

As the ruby-eyed lady stepped out, a breeze blew from the river, fluttering the white hair by her ears.

She stood by the railing, watching the river flow eastward, her expression unusually peaceful.

The floral-shirted man leaned against the car, staring at her for a long time.

Without turning around, she asked, “What are you looking at?”

“You stand on the bridge watching the scenery, while the one watching the scenery watches you from below.”

The ruby-eyed lady paused, then smiled and muttered, “Nonsense.”

“How can looking at my own wife be called nonsense? This is the most important business in the mortal world.”

The ruby-eyed lady was too lazy to correct him anymore.

Suddenly, the floral-shirted man cleared his throat.

“Little Xuexue, close your eyes.”

Though the ruby-eyed lady protested, she still obediently closed her eyes under his persistent coaxing.

The floral-shirted man's fingertips brushed past her neck and through her hair.

Finally, a cool sensation settled against her collarbone.

“Alright, open your eyes!”

She opened her eyes and found a necklace resting against her chest.

The chain was silver, and the pendant was a snowflake, but the design was rather complicated.

A small red stone was embedded in the center of the snowflake, surrounded by several exaggerated gold borders. It looked as though the designer had wavered between 'elegant' and 'filthy rich,' and ultimately decided to have both.

She fell silent for a moment, quickly realizing, “Did you make this?”

“Hmph, strictly speaking, I conveyed my design philosophy to the designer and had them craft it! Well, do you like it?”

The ruby-eyed lady stared at the necklace for a long time.

The floral-shirted man asked impatiently, “Well? Isn't it incredibly tasteful?”

She looked up at him. “It's ugly.”

The floral-shirted man: “...”

She looked down at the necklace again.

As the river breeze blew, the corners of her lips curled upward bit by bit.

“But it's wearable.”

The floral-shirted man instantly sprang back to life, faster than a video game character using a revival coin!

“I knew you'd like it.”

“I didn't say I liked it.”

“The corners of your mouth are curling up.”

“It's just the river breeze.”

“The river breeze can blow your mouth into a smile? That's one powerful breeze.”

The ruby-eyed lady shot him a cold glare.

The floral-shirted man tactfully shut his mouth.

They walked along the riverbank for a while.

The floral-shirted man bought two ice cream cones—one strawberry, and the other also strawberry.

“You'll definitely find strawberry too sweet, so I guess I'll just have to eat both.”

The ruby-eyed lady snatched one of the strawberry ice creams. “I feel like eating it today.”

With that, she took a big bite. The sweetness made her brows knit together, yet she still nodded in approval.

“Not bad. Quite layered.”

Watching her, the floral-shirted man couldn't resist planting a kiss on the lovely, ruby-eyed lady.

With a soft smack, the sweet fragrance of strawberries drifted far into the summer river breeze.

The two continued to stroll aimlessly.

They wandered into a riverside park.

Inside, a little girl's kite string had gotten tangled in a tree branch, and she was on the verge of tears.

Seeing this, the floral-shirted man strode over in a few steps and looked up at the tree.

“It's only this high. Big Brother will get it down for you right now.”

He leaped up, looking as awesome as a superhero in the little girl's eyes.

The kite was retrieved, and the little girl's eyes filled with admiration.

She looked up at him. “Thank you, Uncle.”

The smile on the floral-shirted man's face froze.

“Call me Big Brother.”

The little girl blinked. “But Mommy told me that someone a few years older is 'Big Brother,' and someone more than ten years older is 'Uncle.'”

The floral-shirted man choked on his words, keeping one thought to himself.

Which was: By that logic, you should be calling me Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa...

The ruby-eyed lady finally couldn't hold it in and let out a soft laugh.

The floral-shirted man turned to look at her, his face filled with grief and indignation. “You're still laughing?”

She suppressed her laughter and said calmly, “Big Brother, are we going or not?”

The title was spoken very softly.

But hearing it, the floral-shirted man's grief and indignation instantly vanished.

He practically started floating as he walked...

The sun gradually sank in the west, the gold on the river's surface slowly fading as a faint orange-red crept across the horizon.

The city's stifling heat was thinned by the evening breeze, and streetlights began to flicker on one by one.

They got back into the car.

This time, the ruby-eyed lady didn't complain about the cramped seats.

She leaned against the backrest, watching the floral-shirted man drive much slower than before.

He occasionally glanced at her.

“Tired?”

“No.”

“Hungry?”

“A little.”

“Then you must be missing me.”

The ruby-eyed lady closed her eyes. “Shut up.”

The floral-shirted man chuckled and obediently quieted down.

Only low music remained in the car.

It was an old song. As the crackling, vinyl-like intro melody of guitar picking began to play, he remembered listening to it often over five thousand years ago. Five thousand years later, it was still the same song, timeless and enduring.

The floral-shirted man couldn't help but hum along to the tune.

“The King of Babylon enacted the Code of Hammurabi, carved on black basalt over three thousand seven hundred years ago...”

“Terrible.”

“Holy crap, you think this song is terrible?!”

“I meant your singing is terrible.”

“......”

The red supercar cut through Xin City's dusk, driving from the riverbank into a tree-lined avenue, and then along the wide main road toward the north of the city.

Finally, the car pulled into a high-end residential neighborhood.

The floral-shirted man drove into the underground parking lot, parked, and led the ruby-eyed lady upstairs.

The elevator ascended.

The mirrored walls reflected their figures.

One wore a flashy floral shirt, vibrant like midsummer; the other wore a white gown, with ruby eyes, as cool as early snow.

The floral-shirted man leaned down to adjust her necklace. The ruby-eyed lady slapped his hand away in annoyance, but she didn't take the necklace off.

The elevator doors slid open.

The door at the end of the hallway opened almost before they could press the doorbell.

A middle-aged couple stood inside the doorway.

The man wore loungewear and held a spatula in his hand, with a bit of flour dusting his apron.

The woman's hair was loosely pinned up, with faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, but her smile was as gentle as autumn waters.

Seeing them arrive, the couple beamed with joy.

The middle-aged woman smiled warmly and pulled the ruby-eyed lady by the hand into the apartment.

The floral-shirted man was left standing in place like an abandoned pup.

In the end, no one even cared about his protests. The middle-aged man only snapped, “If you're not coming in, then get out!”

The middle-aged man said, “Xue, sit down quickly. Uncle and Auntie made a lot of your favorite dishes today.”

The middle-aged woman agreed, “Yes, Xue. We stewed some soup today and made your favorite shrimp. Last time you said the cold lotus root slices were good, so I made another plate today and chilled it in the fridge.”

The lights inside the home were warm.

The living room wasn't large, but it was kept tidy.

A few potted plants grew on the windowsill, half a plate of sliced watermelon sat on the coffee table, and the evening news played on the TV. From the kitchen came the clatter of a spatula hitting an iron wok. The aromas of oil, soup, and steaming rice mingled together, slowly filling the entire home.

The floral-shirted man finally stepped inside.

As soon as he entered, he naturally slumped onto the sofa.

The middle-aged man said, “Go wash your hands, and set the table while you're at it.”

The ruby-eyed lady said, “Dad, I can do it.”

“No, let him do it!”

“Hurry up!”

The floral-shirted man was cowardly at first, but upon hearing the sharp crack of a leather belt snapping through the air, he instantly sobered up and scurried into the kitchen.

From the kitchen, the floral-shirted man's sighs drifted out.

“Alas, I, a majestic head of the household, have actually been reduced to setting the table.”

The middle-aged woman chuckled and said, “Head of the household, make sure you align the chopsticks first.”

The ruby-eyed lady sat by the dining table, watching the floral-shirted man hustle back and forth between the kitchen and the dining area.

One moment he complained the bowls were too hot, the next he snuck a pork rib to eat, and a moment later he had his hand slapped or his butt kicked by the middle-aged man.

The light fell upon the man, softening even his loud, exaggerated floral shirt.

She suddenly recalled the days of long, long ago.

She thought of the mountain peaks filled with howling wind and snow, of sword light slashing across heaven and earth, of the countless times they clashed, and of the four thousand nine hundred years during which neither of them was willing to back down.

Back then, they both believed that the rarest things in the world were the Great Dao, victory, immortality, and the lofty heights gazed upon by tens of thousands of people.

But only later did she realize that having someone wait for you at the door, having someone keep food warm for you, and having someone complain about your endless talking yet still listen to you finish—these were also incredibly rare and precious things.

Clearly, anyone could do it—

Coming home on time, eating well, speaking words of care, treating another person's joy as your own, and bickering as you lived a warm, lively life.

Yet the mortal world was busy and hearts were heavy; many people, as they walked their paths, ended up losing these simplest of things.

The food was served.

The hot soup steamed, the braised fish lay on its plate garnished with bright green scallions, the shrimp glistened, the cold lotus root slices looked crisp and refreshing, and the watermelon was sliced into neat little cubes.

The middle-aged man scooped rice for everyone, while the middle-aged woman placed a bowl of soup in front of the ruby-eyed lady and casually peeled a shrimp for the floral-shirted man.

This simple, casual gesture touched the floral-shirted man so much he almost 'cried.'

The ruby-eyed lady: “Don't just eat meat.”

The floral-shirted man frowned. “An peerless expert like me needs to replenish a massive amount of energy.”

The ruby-eyed lady picked up a piece of green vegetable and placed it in his bowl. “Eat.”

The floral-shirted man instantly stuffed the vegetable into his mouth.

The middle-aged couple exchanged a look and laughed again.

Outside the window, night slowly fell.

The lights of Xin City lit up one by one, the tall buildings looking like gentle islands.

The heatwave that had raged during the day was finally smoothed over by the night breeze. A few distant car horns sounded, quickly melting into the glow of ten thousand homes.

Inside the house, people talked and laughed. Someone complained that the soup was a bit hot, and someone handed over an empty bowl, only to have another half-scoop of rice added.

The ruby-eyed lady bowed her head and took a sip of the soup.

The flavor was actually very ordinary.

It wasn't some immortal delicacy or spiritual ingredient—just corn, pork ribs, and Chinese yam slowly simmered over a stove.

Yet as she held the spoon, she suddenly felt a spot in her chest gently warmed by this heat.

The floral-shirted man leaned in close and whispered, “Is it good?”

She glanced at him.

“Yes, it's good.”

“I don't believe you, unless you feed me a sip.”

“Oh my, a grown man like you still wanting his wife to feed him.”

“Exactly. Watch out or I'll kick your butt.”

The light above the dining table clearly illuminated everyone's smiling faces.

The slightly ugly snowflake necklace hung quietly around her neck, occasionally reflecting a glint of red light.