Uncle TV and the Barbecue Stall

"Staying here forever... doesn’t that mean...?"

"No, it doesn’t."

Ye Chuan noticed Bai Qianshuang’s misunderstanding and added, "Haven’t we only just met?"

Bai Qianshuang shook her head.

She wasn’t being impulsive. Ye Chuan was her savior—he’d taken her in and even forgiven her mistakes. When he said, "As long as you’re okay, you can stay here as long as you like," she thought he was proposing a deeper bond.

Nothing in life came without reason, and Bai Qianshuang couldn’t fathom why Ye Chuan was so kind to her.

After careful consideration, she had concluded that becoming cultivation partners was a viable option.

Even if he was just a mortal.

But when she saw the strange look in Ye Chuan’s eyes, she realized she’d misunderstood. Her ears burned red, and she nearly buried her face in her chest.

She’d mustered her courage only to be left mortified for life.

Bai Qianshuang, usually so aloof, had never spoken like this to a man before.

"Go take a bath," Ye Chuan waved her off.

Wait a minute—if he married Bai Qianshuang, would she stay with him forever?

And then he’d have two thousand a day...

"Mm." Bai Qianshuang’s voice was barely louder than a mosquito’s as she clutched her towel and hurried into the bathroom.

Once she was gone, Ye Chuan let out a relieved sigh. He glanced at the shattered remains of the TV on the floor and bent down to pick them up, muttering,

"Rest in peace, old TV."

"Your eyesore-level resolution should’ve retired ages ago."

"I’ll burn you a paper tablet—consider it your loli wife."

...

When Bai Qianshuang emerged from her bath, she was still wearing her usual white robe. The black semi-sheer silk nightgown was apparently too much for her—it might as well have been lingerie.

Yeah, she wasn’t ready for that yet.

"Was the water temperature okay?" Ye Chuan asked as she stepped out.

"It was fine." A faint pink tint colored Bai Qianshuang’s snow-white cheeks—whether from the steam or something else was unclear.

She couldn’t meet his eyes, her gaze instead fixed on the blank wall beside them.

Though she tried to act composed, the way she slowly turned her head to avoid looking at him was oddly endearing.

"Good. My turn then." Ye Chuan headed into the bathroom, where the air was still thick with steam and a subtle fragrance—definitely not from any shampoo. It was purely Bai Qianshuang’s own scent.

"Do cultivators wear perfume? Or is that just her natural smell?"

As he pondered, he noticed half a bucket of water still left. He added more and started washing up.

Outside, Bai Qianshuang stood frozen by the door. A realization had struck her: she hadn’t drained her bathwater.

The thought of someone else using it gave her a strange feeling. She hesitated, unsure whether to tell Ye Chuan to dump it. But just as she leaned closer to the door, she heard—

"Time to give up~~~"

"..."

"How did it come to this~~~"

"Withering in your hands~~~"

The off-key singing, combined with the sound of running water, left Bai Qianshuang stunned. Her raised hand hovered mid-air before she finally lowered it and retreated to her room.

"Whew." When Ye Chuan finished his bath, he saw Bai Qianshuang had already gone to bed. Not that he minded.

As long as she was fed.

Earlier, he’d seen a chibi version of Bai Qianshuang rolling around hungrily in his phone’s log. He’d been half-afraid she’d starve to death in his room—though, realistically, could cultivators even die from lack of food?

"What’s the plan for tomorrow? Should I take Bai Qianshuang out? Gotta buy her some clothes first." He glanced back at the ruined TV. "And a new TV. And fix the bathroom faucet."

But if he took her outside, would she freak out and slash a passing car? Even without spiritual power, that sword strike had cleaved the TV with surgical precision—something no ordinary person could do.

Ye Chuan sighed. His weekend was shaping up to be busier than expected.

He picked up his phone and saw several new notifications.

[Obtained Bai Qianshuang-related item. Retrieve now?]

Another item?

The drop rate surprised him. Was this some kind of newbie bonus?

He’d expected days between rewards, but today he’d gotten two.

Checking his inventory, he grinned at the sight of another pill—this one a different color from the Tiger Strength Pill.

[Item: Deer Blood Pill

Low-grade elixir. Permanently boosts vitality. Effects diminish with repeated use.]

"Whoa, a blood tonic!" Ye Chuan didn’t know if it could cure his condition, but his pallor had always been terrible. Without hesitation, he popped it into his mouth.

"Bleh—!" The overwhelming bitterness made him spit it onto the table.

But for the sake of his health, he picked it back up, grimaced, and forced it down dry.

Heat surged through his body. Ye Chuan immediately sat cross-legged and formed a mudra.

Not that he knew anything about cultivation techniques—he’d just seen it on TV. Figured it couldn’t hurt.

Half an hour later, he opened his eyes. His whole body felt warm, the usual fatigue gone.

His once-ghostly palms now had a healthy flush.

"Damn, that’s unexpected." The exhaustion had lifted significantly. Even his shortness of breath wasn’t as bad.

The pill worked better than he’d imagined.

"Too bad I don’t have a whole bottle."

Still, things were looking up. His illness might actually be treatable.

After a short break, he checked his phone again. The other messages weren’t from his landlord app—they were from Luo Xi.

Luo Xi: Son, you free? Come help Dad with the skewers.

Luo Xi: Aaaah, drowning here!!! SOS!!!

Luo Xi: (?ω?

Ye Chuan checked the time. Weekend crowds must’ve hit the food street hard.

He occasionally helped Luo Xi at the stall—the family couldn’t afford extra staff.

Ye Chuan: Daddy’s coming.

"Alright, let’s go." The food street wasn’t far. After replying, he towel-dried his hair and headed out.