Harmonization

"Hmm?"

Ye Chuan noticed movement by the entrance and saw Bai Qianshuang and Luo Xi walking in together, chatting about something amusing, with Luo Xi smiling brightly.

"Qianshuang, when did you go out?" Ye Chuan was slightly surprised, having not noticed Bai Qianshuang leaving.

Has she started going out on her own now?

"Just getting some fresh air," Bai Qianshuang replied softly. She glanced at Ye Chuan before heading straight to the kitchen with the groceries in hand.

"Chuanchuan, here—this is for you." Luo Xi handed him a small box.

"What is it?"

Ye Chuan opened the box to find a talisman inside. "A protective charm?"

"I passed by a temple while volunteering yesterday and bought it there." Luo Xi raised a finger. "The master there said I had good fortune, so he didn’t charge me in the end."

"You believe in this stuff?"

"Hey, what if it works~" Luo Xi nudged Ye Chuan playfully. "I don’t care."

Ye Chuan wasn’t one to buy into supernatural things, but since it was Luo Xi’s kind gesture, he accepted it.

"Cluck cluck cluck—" The sound of a chicken drew Ye Chuan’s attention.

"Huh? You bought a chicken too?"

"Yep, we’re making a chicken stew and some soup~" Luo Xi said, carrying the ingredients into the kitchen where Bai Qianshuang had already started prepping.

After a clatter of pots and pans, Luo Xi emerged again and finally noticed Lan Xiaoke’s presence.

"This is the first time I’ve seen Xiaoke so clearly," Luo Xi remarked. Before, Lan Xiaoke had always appeared slightly translucent, and given Luo Xi’s limited ability to perceive spirits, she’d only had a vague impression of her appearance.

"I’m back to life now!" Lan Xiaoke declared, hands on her hips.

"Congratulations! But I thought your lisp was because you were a ghost. Turns out you’ve always talked like this," Luo Xi teased with a grin.

Hearing this, Lan Xiaoke turned to Ye Chuan.

"Do I have a strong accent?"

"Self-awareness is a virtue," Ye Chuan said.

"But I don’t have an accent, do I?"

……

By lunchtime, Ke Ning emerged, looking as sleep-deprived as ever, dark circles under her eyes.

"Can I take some food back to my room?" she asked, adjusting her glasses as she eyed the lavish spread on the table. "Then again, I could just survive on energy bars for nutrition."

"Have some soup first. Try Luo Xi’s cooking—no matter how busy you are, you should still eat properly," Ye Chuan insisted.

Ke Ning sat down and began sipping the soup cautiously. Luo Xi’s culinary skills were exceptional, and though Ke Ning had planned to just nibble, the rich aroma soon had her digging into the dishes with rice.

"Lilith," Ye Chuan called out, but she refused to come out.

Well, that was pretty much all the tenants gathered, right?

"I’m done," Bai Qianshuang said after a while, setting down her chopsticks.

"Not hungry today?" Luo Xi asked, noticing Bai Qianshuang had only eaten three bowls of rice. "Did the food not suit your taste?"

"It was delicious," Bai Qianshuang shook her head but still collected her dishes and retreated to her room.

Luo Xi watched her go, then turned to Ye Chuan. "Did you do something to Qianshuang?"

"Spill it." With that, she stepped on Ye Chuan’s foot with her slipper.

"I didn’t do anything to her," Ye Chuan said, wincing as he instinctively glanced at Lan Xiaoke.

Lan Xiaoke, however, was too busy devouring her meal to pay attention to anything else.

"By the way, how did you two come back together?" Ye Chuan asked.

"I ran into Qianshuang at the bus stop while grocery shopping. She seemed lost in thought," Luo Xi explained. "So I took her to the park for some fresh air before heading home."

"I see." Ye Chuan rubbed his temples, looking troubled.

He also noticed that Bai Qianshuang’s affection level had dropped slightly on his phone.

"What did you do?" Luo Xi pressed.

"It’s probably because I didn’t do anything."

Luo Xi blinked in confusion. "?"

"Don’t worry, I’ll handle it," Ye Chuan said.

"Alright, but Chuanchuan, your way of doing things can sometimes be really hurtful," Luo Xi chided, crossing her arms.

"Really?"

"Of course!"

Ye Chuan shrugged.

After lunch, Luo Xi and Lan Xiaoke went to wash the dishes while Ye Chuan approached Bai Qianshuang’s door and knocked. "Qianshuang."

"What is it?" came her indifferent reply.

"Can I come in?"

"……" There was no response at first, but after a pause, she answered, "Come in."

Ye Chuan pushed the door open to find Bai Qianshuang sitting on the edge of her bed, seemingly preparing to meditate.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Hearing the distance in her voice, Ye Chuan smiled. "Are you upset?"

"I don’t understand." Bai Qianshuang avoided his gaze, looking down at her hands instead.

The storage ring on her finger—the one Ye Chuan had given her—glowed faintly.

"Aren’t I your Dao companion?" Bai Qianshuang suddenly asked.

"Yeah."

"Then why didn’t you come to me for… dual cultivation?"

Ye Chuan chuckled. "So that’s what this is about?"

"……" Bai Qianshuang stayed silent.

"Xiaoke just came back to life, and her yin-yang balance was unstable. I had no choice but to infuse her with more yang energy to prevent her body from exploding," Ye Chuan explained.

Bai Qianshuang froze for a few seconds before murmuring, "Liar."

"You didn’t just balance her yin and yang—you also took a lot from her."

"Well, how else could we stabilize her?"

Bai Qianshuang fell silent again. Ye Chuan’s reasoning made sense—if it was for Lan Xiaoke’s well-being, his actions were justified.

Some of her resentment faded, and she muttered, "Oh."

Ye Chuan could feel her attitude softening. Seizing the opportunity, he grinned. "Next time, I’ll definitely come to you for dual cultivation."

"!" Bai Qianshuang’s ears turned red, her usually expressionless face betraying a hint of fluster.

Seeing her like this, Ye Chuan decided not to tease her further and instead brought up something serious. "I’ve found a way to take you back to the Tianxuan Continent."

Bai Qianshuang stiffened.

"Really?"

"Yes, but it’ll take about… six months or so. If you’re serious about revenge, you should focus on improving your strength during that time."

"Or I can take you back whenever you’re ready."

"Alright." Bai Qianshuang took a deep breath and immediately slipped into a meditative state, as if shutting out all distractions.

"Huh?"

Seeing her like this, Ye Chuan considered saying more but ultimately held back.

Fine. He’d wait until she was done meditating to… balance things out properly.