Chapter 2

It was already late autumn, the weather growing colder, making lazy people all the more inclined to nestle under the covers and refuse to get out of bed.

However, the aroma of food kept drifting to her nose, coaxing the sleepyhead to open her eyes.Food

Following the scent, Muran sat up groggily from the bed and recognized the breakfast as her favorite Seven Treasures Porridge.

Instantly energized, she hurriedly put on her clothes, slipped into her shoes, got out of bed, ran out of her room, crossed the main hall, and dashed into the kitchen.

Morning light spilled over the kitchen window lattice, falling on the man's plain cyan robe, making his exceptionally refined demeanor seem almost unreal.

The man had his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing a red cord bracelet on his wrist. With downcast eyes, he tasted the porridge with a porcelain spoon. Even the drape of his robe accentuated his tall, straight, and relaxed posture, yet it also added a touch of mundane warmth, grounding him in the human world.

Cangshu Bai added more sugar to the porridge. Hearing the stealthy footsteps, he pretended not to notice. Sure enough, before long, someone hugged him from behind.

Muran peeked her head out from behind his back. "You worked hard going out in the middle of the night. We agreed today's breakfast was my job."Breakfast Foods

Cangshu Bai glanced back. "Then I'll have to eat breakfast and lunch together."

He was teasing her for getting up late.

Muran pressed her face against his back, muttering defiantly, "Actually, I woke up a long time ago. I just saw you were up early, so I slept a bit more on your behalf."

"Then will you also eat more on my behalf later?"

Muran lifted her face and laughed. "That could be arranged."

Cangshu Bai took her hand, his gaze gentle. "Go wash up. The porridge will be ready soon."

Muran nodded obediently. She went to freshen up, then sat at the dressing table, combing her hair before the mirror.

The person in the mirror still had the dewy look of someone just awakened, her eyes sparkling as if holding light. Her jet-black hair was braided into a pretty plait with a green hair ribbon, perfectly matching the light cyan ruqun she wore today.Biological Sciences

Cangshu Bai passed by the doorway carrying a bowl of porridge. Catching sight of her fiddling with stray hairs in the mirror, he set the bowl down, walked over, and gently tucked the strand of hair by her cheek behind her ear, his fingertip accidentally brushing her earlobe. "If you dawdle any longer, the porridge will get cold."Bowls

In the mirror, his eyes curved into a smile. Even the arc of his cyan robe brushing against the back of her chair carried a certain warmth.

Muran finally pinned a beaded hairpin into her hair and happily followed him out of the room.

But she couldn't sit still for long. As the sunlight was particularly nice today, by the time Cangshu Bai finished tidying the kitchen and came out, Muran had already taken her bowl and stepped out of the house, joining the neighborly aunties from the same village for a chat.

The neighborly auntie was surnamed Wang, everyone called her Auntie Wang. She usually took on laundry jobs, and when she had too much, she'd share the work with other aunties. Thus, her house was practically a minor hub for gossip.

Auntie Wang said mysteriously, "Hey, have you all heard? The couple at the Li household at the village entrance had a huge fight the other night."

The other aunties worked while asking curiously, "What happened?"

Muran, sitting on a small stool, nodded along. "Yeah, what happened?"

Auntie Wang lowered her voice. "It's about Li's wife being pregnant."Marriage

"Pregnancy is a good thing."

Muran chimed in, "Right, it's a good thing."

Auntie Wang glanced at the others. "But the problem is, Li Ergou left home to sell goods three months ago, yet his wife is only one month pregnant."

"Oh dear, that's truly a sin!"

Muran took a sip of porridge with her spoon, chewing the lotus seeds with relish. "Such a sin."

One auntie said, "Every time I pass the village entrance, the dog their family keeps barks at me. But when Fan the butcher from our village passes by, that dog doesn't make a peep. If Fan the butcher is that familiar with the Li family's dog, there must be something going on!"

"Right, now that you mention it, maybe the one who cuckolded Li Ergou really is Fan the butcher!"

"Li Ergou was crying and wailing, saying he wanted to drown himself in the river."

"He's an honest man, no need to go to such extremes!"Magazines

Muran swallowed a mouthful of porridge and agreed, "Isn't that right? The child might not be his, but at least the wife is still his."

The aunties all looked at Muran, their expressions somewhat odd.

When a bunch of married women gathered to gossip, the young wives in the village usually found them intimidating and avoided them. Muran, however, was an exception, always eager to join their lively discussions.

But Muran had one good point: she was very responsive. Whether she had much to say or not, she would always chime in, never letting the conversation die. They actually quite liked this young wife.

Auntie Wang kindly reminded her, "Xiao Ran, don't you often go to town for work? And your husband goes to the medical clinic in town every day. You both need to be careful. I heard from my man that there are some demonic cultivators killing people randomly. The town is under strict guard now."

Muran's expression changed. "That's terrifying!"

Strictly speaking, in the cultivation world, the strong preying on the weak was the norm. To become stronger, no one's hands were entirely clean. Among the myriad paths of cultivation, there were also those who practiced the "path of slaughter." Incidents of killing for treasure happened frequently, and such people were naturally called demonic cultivators.

Muran had some cultivation, but not much. That's why, after leaving her family, she and Cangshu Bai, who also had modest cultivation, chose to settle in a small village far from conflict.Family

Auntie Wang said, "In my opinion, you'd better quit your jobs in town."

Another auntie said, "You're advising Xiao Ran not to go to town, but isn't your own man still running errands there?"

Auntie Wang waved her hand helplessly. "If it weren't for the debt we incurred years ago to treat my illness, I really wouldn't want him running errands in town. A simple life with plain food would be just fine."

Muran finished her bowl of porridge. As she was about to leave, Auntie Wang pulled her aside and whispered to her privately:

"My man said that Squire Chen in town has been specifically asking if the young master at the medical clinic has a family. You need to be mindful. Your man is so strikingly handsome, be careful someone snatches him away."

Muran had never heard Cangshu Bai mention anything about Squire Chen. She nodded, thanked Auntie Wang, and then, holding her empty bowl, skipped back home lightly.

An auntie sighed with envy, "That girl is really blessed. Clothes come to her outstretched hands, food comes to her open mouth. Why don't I have such good luck to find a husband who dotes on her so much?"Anatomy

Auntie Wang chuckled, "Well, you'd have to be as pretty as that girl first."

Muran passed through the fence gate into the yard. As she neared the door to the main hall, she stopped.

Cangshu Bai was sitting on a wooden chair in the main hall. His posture was upright yet not stiff. The hem of his plain cyan robe draped by the chair, making the white porcelain porridge bowl held between his fingertips appear even more warm and smooth.Bowls

The morning light fell on his profile, yet it seemed blocked by a faint layer of aloofness. Even the way he drank porridge was so elegant it made one hesitant to approach.

However, when he lifted his gaze and her figure entered his dark eyes, the corners of his eyes curved slightly, and the aloofness melted into tenderness.

Mu Ran stood at the doorway, pacing left, shifting right, shaking her head and swaying, occasionally stroking her chin, frowning, then staring at him intently.

Cangshu Bai asked softly, "What are you doing?"

Mu Ran put on a stern face. "Don't disturb me, I'm thinking seriously."

Cangshu Bai set down the bowl in his hand and truly fell silent, his expression relaxed, allowing her to look her fill.Bowls

After a long while, Mu Ran finally seemed to confirm something. She declared, "My husband is indeed handsome!"

A faint light flickered in Cangshu Bai's eyes as he reached out a hand toward her.

Mu Ran quickly stepped up the stairs, entered the main gate, and stood before him. He took her hand, and with his other hand, he took the empty bowl from her grasp and set it aside. Simultaneously, he pulled her down to sit beside him.

He didn't speak, only raised his hand to gently touch the green ribbon in her hair, then smoothed the stray wisps of hair at her temple that had become mussed from her running. His fingertip lingered on her ear, not moving away.

"Jinzhi, that tickles."

She couldn't bear it and tried to lean away, but somehow, with the way he applied pressure, she didn't feel pain yet couldn't break free from his hold. She remained encircled within the intimate space filled with his presence.

He asked, "Are you full?"

Mu Ran shook her head. "I only had one bowl of porridge, I'm just seventy percent full. I want another bowl."Bowls

"No rush."

Mu Ran tilted her head. "Why no rush?"

A pair of hands gripped her waist. Suddenly, she was lifted into the air. In her fluster, she wrapped her limbs around him, clinging to him like a koala.

Cangshu Bai supported her with one hand under her bottom, turned effortlessly, stroked the hair at the back of her head, and kissed the corner of her lips. "Let's attend to other matters first. I'll make you something delicious for lunch."

They entered the bedroom. A gust of wind blew, the door swung shut, cutting off the morning light.

Not long after, fragmented whispers echoed in the dim room.

"What are you going to make for me?"

"What would you like to eat?"

"I've heard... I've heard the Eight-Colors Braised Delicacy is exquisite. It's something even many top-tier cultivators might not get to taste, especially one ingredient that requires the meat of a Fire Qilin Beast. It's very dangerous and hard to find."

"Alright, tomorrow I'll go clear out a Fire Qilin Beast's den."

"You're such a joker..." Her voice suddenly changed pitch. "Jinzhi!"

"Hmm?"

"G-gently! Be gentle!"

"Just seventy percent full. Can't be gentle."

"..."

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