Luoxi's Birthday

Though filled with countless doubts, Ye Chuan had no choice but to set them aside for now after seeing his own death. There were too many unanswered questions, and he still couldn’t grasp the meaning of that stone slab. Had there been another civilization before the Tianxuan Continent?

"Better focus on cultivation for now."

Even though his strength had improved, the Foundation Establishment realm didn’t seem particularly impressive on the Tianxuan Continent. Moreover, he realized that after dying, his revival time now took a full three days.

"Kind of a raw deal. If it takes three days to revive, doesn’t that mean I’ll miss out on three days’ worth of adventure rewards?" Ye Chuan rubbed his chin.

Risk and reward went hand in hand.

He had indeed taken a gamble—perhaps sticking to sweeping through safer areas was more his style, increasing his odds of survival.

Of course, dying during an adventure didn’t have much real-world impact on him. This death was just a shame in terms of lost rewards, but there wasn’t much to be done about it. After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm, his lifespan had increased, so he had plenty of time to boost his strength.

Besides, the money tree could still drop equipment.

"Since things have come to this, might as well sleep." A lot had happened today—watching the game with Luo Xi, breaking through to Foundation Establishment and saving Qiao Xin, even grabbing barbecue outside.

Feeling mentally drained, Ye Chuan flopped onto the bed and fell asleep.

The night passed without incident.

...

At the break of dawn, Ye Chuan woke up.

As he yawned and prepared to wash up, he noticed a message on his phone.

Luo Xi: Lazy pig~ Are you up? It’s my birthday today. Come over for dinner tonight?

Seeing the message, Ye Chuan replied.

Ye Chuan: Show me your legs.

Luo Xi: ?

Luo Xi: [Video Call]—

The screen switched, and Ye Chuan casually accepted, immediately seeing Luo Xi’s face appear on the video. She clearly hadn’t gotten ready yet, still curled up under her blankets.

Her hair was loosely scattered, her beautiful eyes slightly hazy, and her cheeks flushed with warmth.

"Who asks to see legs first thing in the morning? You’re the worst," she said, wrinkling her nose in what seemed like a playful pout.

"Did I say I wanted to see legs?" Ye Chuan asked.

"Didn’t you?"

"No." Ye Chuan shook his head, lowering his gaze with an expression blending three parts melancholy, two parts confusion, one part stubbornness, and one part hesitation.

"I ask to see your legs because I want to witness the paths you’ve walked, the scenery you’ve seen, the laughter and tears you’ve experienced—all the flavors of life, sweet and bitter alike."

"Though I look at your legs, what I truly savor is your life, your heart."

Luo Xi: "..."

Though she was used to Ye Chuan’s shamelessness, this was the first time she’d seen someone spin such a grandiose excuse so smoothly.

"Fine, Daddy will show you." Luo Xi kicked off the blankets, revealing her legs beneath her nightgown.

Nice.

Ye Chuan’s fingers twitched.

Luo Xi seemed to notice. "Did you just screenshot that?"

"I didn’t screenshot an image—I captured a fleeting moment of beauty, hoping to preserve it forever in my heart," Ye Chuan said.

"Ugh, that’s too much! I’m coming over to deal with you right now."

The call ended with a beep, and Ye Chuan could already picture Luo Xi leaping out of bed to wash up and change.

Tossing his phone aside, he continued getting ready.

After changing, Ye Chuan stepped into the living room. It was quiet, with no sign of Bai Qianshuang or Lan Xiaoke.

Checking their logs, he found both of them still asleep.

In the chibi-style display, the two were curled up in bed, their chubby cheeks rising and falling with each breath.

"Huh?" This was rare—especially since Lan Xiaoke, as a ghost, didn’t even need sleep. It seemed even immortals and spirits needed rest sometimes.

Leaving them be, Ye Chuan headed out.

"Jerk, delete that screenshot!" The moment he stepped outside, his ear was pinched—Luo Xi had been waiting for him at the door.

Dressed in her uniform, her long legs clad in black pantyhose beneath a pleated skirt, she planted a hand on her hip and tilted her chin up with a light huff.

Though she looked annoyed, it came off more like a playful whine.

Especially since Ye Chuan knew her well—this wasn’t anger.

"I didn’t screenshot anything," Ye Chuan said, raising his hands.

"Really?"

"Why settle for a picture when I can see the real thing?" With that, he gave her backside a light smack.

"Oh, you!" Luo Xi yelped, hopping forward before spinning around to retaliate.

A love tap.

Close friends could get away with playful butt-slaps.

"Oh, right—here." Ye Chuan pulled out his phone and handed it to Luo Xi.

"Huh?" She took it automatically, only to realize it was a phone box.

"Your birthday gift."

"But you already gave me a bracelet?" Luo Xi shook her wrist, the silver bracelet glinting in the sunlight.

"Who said birthdays are limited to one gift?" Ye Chuan grinned.

"Well..." Luo Xi accepted the phone without protest.

She knew him well—if she refused, he’d just get upset.

Gifts were meant to be received with joy, regardless of their value.

"Isn’t this phone super expensive?"

"Not too bad. Fits a beauty like you perfectly."

"Flattery won’t get you an equally fancy gift when your birthday comes, you know."

"Guess I’ll just have to spank you then." Ye Chuan pinched her soft cheek.

"Heh, no way."

Since it was still early, the two settled onto a stone bench. Luo Xi unwrapped the phone, inspecting the latest model before pausing.

"Chuan, where’s the charger?"

"It’s not in there?" Ye Chuan checked the box—no charger.

"The packaging’s so thin, no wonder." Luo Xi looked it up and nodded.

"Says here they stopped including chargers after the twelfth gen—for the environment."

"Environment my ass. They just want to squeeze more money out of people." Ye Chuan rolled his eyes. If they really cared, shouldn’t there be an option to choose whether you wanted a charger or not?

"Eh, I’ll deal with it at home." Luo Xi packed the phone back up, deciding to activate it later after buying a charger. No big deal.

Then, as if remembering something, she added, "Oh, Chuan, Mom’s been feeling better lately, but she still coughs and gets short of breath sometimes. That’s normal, right?"

"The medicine only restored her mobility. For a full recovery, I’ll need to... consult our family’s ancient remedies." Ye Chuan coughed lightly.

"Got it. Thanks for everything." Blushing, Luo Xi leaned in and pecked his cheek.

"Bold today, aren’t we?"

"Got a problem with that?"

"Nah. I like bold."