Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Chen Hua and Bi’an went to the study to discuss matters. The two sat facing each other on either side and discussed the details of the project for a long time. Unexpectedly, many of their ideas coincided, which saved a lot of time as there was no arguing and they finalized the plan very smoothly.
The smooth finalization of the plan improved Chen Hua’s mood. He became more amiable towards Bi’an and even felt a sense of kinship with someone who seemingly shared his interests.
Over the years, intimidated by Ying Qiao’s tyranny and burdened by his own image, Chen Hua didn’t even have a buddy to complain about his stupid boss.
Now that Bi’an had appeared, it felt like he was finally not alone anymore.
In particular, listening to Bi’an cursing Ying Gou was very comforting and beneficial to both his physical and mental health.
Chen Hua put away the documents, checked the time, and said, “Senior Brother should be out buying groceries till now. Let’s sit for a while longer, and he can cook dinner when he gets back. His cooking skills are no worse than those of a hotel chef.”
When he spoke of Yin Xuan, his expression became vivid, and his attitude was incredibly friendly. It wasn’t that they were particularly intimate, but it was this natural familiarity and lack of formality that made their closeness all the more apparent.
To Bi’an’s ears, it sounded extremely harsh.
He pursed his lips, finally seizing the opportunity to ask the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time: “You and your senior brother have a very good relationship? Does your senior brother usually do the cooking?”
“A friendship spanning hundreds of years is certainly good.” Chen Hua said somewhat helplessly, “This time, my senior brother came to Jiangcheng on business, and I invited him to stay at my home for a while, but he insisted on paying rent. I refused, so he started buying groceries and cooking for me every day.”
Although Yin Xuan was a half-monster and a cultivator, he didn’t hold the idea of keeping his distance from the kitchen. Back when Chen Hua was still innocent and followed him around calling him “Senior Brother,” Yin Xuan would occasionally cook human food for him. Later, after he fell out with Yuan Li, Yin Xuan disappeared, and he left with Ying Qiao. Occasionally, when he thought of the thatched hut on the mountain, what he missed most was the food cooked by Yin Xuan’s own hands.
He tried to make it later, but he probably didn’t have the talent. He couldn’t even cook a decent meal, let alone recreate the taste from his memory.
Bi’an scrutinized his expression, his eyes growing increasingly dark. He wanted to say something but came to realize he knew very little about Chen Hua and Yin Xuan’s past; the only things he knew were what Ying Gou had told him.
As the two were talking, they heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. Yin Xuan carried the groceries into the house. Seeing that the study door was open, he smiled and came over to greet them. He then said to Chen Hua, “I bought ingredients for braised pork trotters with soybeans today, which used to be your favorite.” He then looked at Bi’an and said, “I didn’t know Mr. Zhang’s tastes, so I just bought some random groceries.”
His face was gentle, and his gray Taoist robe was tinged with the smell of cooking. It was as if the provocative look he had given Bi’an earlier was just an illusion. He didn’t seem to have a serious problem like Ying Gou had said.
A strong sense of crisis rose in Bi’an’s heart.
He instinctively felt that Yin Xuan was a formidable enemy, and now he could only hope that Ying Gou’s guess was correct.
“I’m not picky about food.” Faced with a powerful enemy, Bi’an finally calmed down. He couldn’t afford to lose his composure since he hadn’t yet figured out Yin Xuan’s strength.
If he thought of Yin Xuan as the opposing lawyer in court, he could remain calm and find the opponent’s loopholes and weaknesses from the slightest clues.
He nodded slightly to Yin Xuan and said politely, “Thank you for your trouble. Just make it according to Chen Hua’s taste. My taste is similar to his.”
Yin Xuan nodded, picked up the groceries, and went back to the kitchen to prepare them.
Chen Hua, however, looked at Bi’an with some surprise and confusion in his eyes.
Has Bi’an changed his personality today? Why are his words and actions so pleasant to listen to? He’s not sarcastic anymore and seems even quite endearing.
He raised his opinion of Bi’an slightly and said, “We can’t help him, so just wait to eat.”
Bi’an responded and sat down silently beside Chen Hua. He lowered his eyes as if looking at his phone, but in reality, he was mentally comparing the Yin Xuan that Ying Qiao had mentioned with the current Yin Xuan, trying to find any discrepancies between the two.
But after discussing it for a while, he found that Ying Qiao’s account was exactly the same as his own and even compared with that of hundreds of years ago, there were no discrepancies or flaws.
All of this was enough to show that it was unlikely that Yin Xuan was someone else impersonating him.
If there really was a problem, given Chen Hua’s understanding of Yin Xuan, he should have noticed it long ago after spending time together these past few days.
But what Bi’an saw today was that Chen Hua was very close to Yin Xuan, which clearly meant that he did not believe that Yin Xuan was an imposter, otherwise he would not have been so naturally close to him.
Even the vigilance that Ying Qiao had mentioned had lessened considerably.
This was clearly not the outcome he wanted.
If Yin Xuan was fine, wouldn’t he suddenly have another competitor? Moreover, Yin Xuan had the advantage of being close to the source, so he clearly has a greater advantage.
That was absolutely not possible.
Bi’an went through the limited information several times, his slender fingers unconsciously playing with his phone. After a long while, he seemed to think of something, and suddenly stopped, looking up at Chen Hua: “Do you think a person’s temperament and habits change over time?”
He deliberately relaxed his expression, pretending that it was just a casual question.
“Why are you suddenly asking this?” Chen Hua thought for a moment and said, “That depends on how long it has been and what happened in between.”
Listening to his answer, Bi’an said to himself, “So that means that time and experience will still change a person’s temperament and habits to some extent, right? It’s almost impossible for a person to go through a long period of time and many things and still have the same temperament and habits as before?”
He thought he had found Yin Xuan’s biggest weakness.
Yin Xuan and Chen Hua had been separated for over a thousand years, but when they reunited, their personalities and habits were exactly the same as before their separation, without the slightest change. This in itself was the biggest flaw.
Long periods of time and complex experiences could subtly and unconsciously change a person. Sometimes, even the person themselves may not be aware of these changes. But old friends who were reunited after a long separation would certainly be very sensitive to these changes.
Bi’an glanced at Chen Hua, whose expression was shifting as if he had thought of something, and quietly concealed the interest in his eyes.
It seems he guessed correctly; Yin Xuan today is no different from before. Otherwise, Chen Hua wouldn’t have been so surprised and suspicious after just a slight reminder from him.
Despite being separated for so many years, Yin Xuan deliberately acted out his past self in front of Chen Hua, even maintaining a high degree of consistency in his temperament and habits, clearly indicating that he had come prepared. He intentionally displayed his past self to evoke Chen Hua’s memories and lower his guard.
It was just unclear what his purpose was in doing this.
Chen Hua’s expression suddenly became much more serious. Bi’an pretended not to notice and continued playing with his phone. After thinking for a while, he sent a message to Ying Gou, telling him about what happened today and asking him to confirm the situation with Chen Hua tomorrow.
….
During the meal, neither of them showed any unusual behavior. Chen Hua’s previous surprise and suspicion seemed to dissipate like smoke. If Bi’an hadn’t seen his expression change with his own eyes, he would have almost thought that he hadn’t suspected Yin Xuan at all.
The three of them ate dinner chatting and laughing, and Chen Hua took the initiative to clear the dishes.
Bi’an recalled the key points marked in the book and actively helped tidy up the table.
A perfect boyfriend should be presentable in public and capable in the kitchen. At the very least, he should know how to wash dishes and wipe tables, right?
Bi’an decided to start with the simplest things.
….
Jiang Lan and Ying Qiao spent the day having fun outside with the kids.
They not only had a big meal but also went to the Shanhai Amusement Park and rode many rides. Jiao Chong had given them a VIP card for the amusement park, so Ying Qiao didn’t need to get tickets; they could just swipe the card to enjoy the fast lane without queuing.
The last time Jiang Lan came to Shanhai Amusement Park was on Children’s Day. And he didn’t get to fully enjoy himself that time due to a small accident. This time, he went again and made up for all the fun he missed last time.
It was past nine o’clock at night when Jiang Lan finally led the kids out of the amusement park, still feeling quite excited.
Suan Ni was nestled in his Fifth Brother’s arms, a large dragon-shaped balloon tied to one of its paws, and a glowing little bow tie around its neck. Jiao Tu and Jiu Ding both wore glowing bull horn headbands. Jiang Chi, unusually, didn’t need to wear a hat, and the slightly larger horns on his forehead, visible in the night, were far less eye-catching than the strange “horns” worn by the tourists.
He touched his horn with some delight and walked among the crowd without any attempt to conceal himself, for the first time without encountering disgusted or fearful glances.
The cubs walked ahead, with Jiang Lan and Ying Qiao following leisurely behind. On their adjacent hands, they wore identical red ribbons on their wrists. The ribbons were simply decorated with one black and one gold scale, as smooth as jade—scales from Jiang Lan’s and Ying Qiao’s tails, respectively.
While visiting the Shanhai Amusement Park, they unexpectedly encountered Yue Lao. The old man had white hair and beard, but he was sharp-eyed and bold. He didn’t hide when he saw Jiang Lan and his companion, but instead happily came up to them, thanking them for boosting his business. He even insisted on giving them the couple’s bracelets that were currently all the rage in Jiangcheng.
Although the minor deities of the mortal realm had no say in their affairs, but people in love always liked to seek good omens.
Especially after hearing that Yue Lao’s red thread could indeed tie couples together, Ying Qiao discussed with Yue Lao in a “friendly” manner, asking him to give them a red thread instead of the surrounding bracelets.
Ying Qiao was a discerning customer. The couple’s bracelets that Yue Lao was selling everywhere weren’t the real red thread at all; they were just peripheral products using the name of the red thread. After all, Yue Lao only had so many red threads, and he treasured them dearly. He probably wouldn’t be willing to sell them.
When Yue Lao gave Jiang Lan and Ying Qiao their red threads, his chubby, rosy face was scrunched up like an orange peel, and his eyes were glistening with tears.
Jiang Lan felt it was a bit unfair to the old man, so he agreed to let him use this as a publicity stunt to sell more merchandise and make some money, which would probably make him feel less pained.
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