Descending the stairs, Li Mo reached the entrance.
The hotpot restaurant had reopened for business.
Everything seemed unchanged.
Zuo Qiuyang was still in the kitchen, but behind the counter, the owner had been replaced by Mei Yun, while a group of young helpers bustled about the shop.
Jiang Chulong, her frail frame draped in an oversized linen robe, weaved through the dining area with a tray in hand. Despite the cloth covering her eyes, she moved with effortless grace.
The robe was one Li Mo had worn when he was the owner. She had washed it clean but couldn’t bear to throw it away.
Without even turning around, Jiang Chulong knew who had come downstairs. She timidly scurried over, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Big Brother Li..."
"You seem happy working here?" Li Mo couldn’t help but chuckle at her demeanor.
Who in the world would find joy in labor?
But for someone like the little Princess Jiang, it somehow made sense.
"Mmm... yes... very happy," Jiang Chulong nodded earnestly.
"Useless things... are just... just trash."
"Now... I can help Big Brother Li..."
Li Mo: "..."
What kind of corporate-level understanding was this?
"Do things that make you happy."
"But... helping Big Brother Li... makes me happy..." Jiang Chulong tilted her head.
Li Mo sighed. "Then I’ll leave this shop in your care."
Jiang Chulong stiffened abruptly, the smile vanishing from her delicate face.
"Big Brother Li... are you going back?"
"Yeah."
Li Mo nodded, exhaling with a hint of nostalgia.
"You have the hotpot shop now—no worries about food or shelter."
"With Aunt Mei by your side, you won’t have to fear bad people either."
"I’d say my work here is done."
He had once considered taking Jiang Chulong back to the Qingyuan Sect.
But given her identity, staying in the city was the wiser choice.
Besides, there was still Mei Yun—this little aunt was still being hunted by the Sky Patrol Guards.
Strangely, though, the manhunt seemed more bark than bite.
After much deliberation, Li Mo had decided to entrust the hotpot shop to them.
This was probably the best arrangement.
Just as Li Mo was feeling a sense of accomplishment—
Jiang Chulong’s face paled, her voice trembling.
"Big Brother Li... are you abandoning me?"
"Huh?" Li Mo froze.
"From now on... will Big Brother Li... never come to see me again?"
Jiang Chulong seemed to lose her soul, the cloth over her eyes darkening with dampness.
Little Princess Jiang, your whole vibe just changed!
"What??" Li Mo was utterly bewildered.
She had a place to live, a secure future.
Shouldn’t she be overjoyed?
Why was she crying now?
A princess reduced to running a hotpot shop as a kitchen helper—sure, it was a fall from grace.
But it was still better than before, wasn’t it?
The logic of Little Princess Jiang’s mind was as unfathomable as Ying Bing’s mood swings.
Li Mo decided women were harder to understand than swords.
"Big Brother Li... please don’t abandon me... I..."
Jiang Chulong was trying hard to hold back, but her tears flowed like a broken faucet.
Li Mo: "..."
He hadn’t done anything wrong.
So why did he feel like guilt was drowning him?
The surrounding diners were already shooting him looks that screamed "you monster." If he didn’t calm her down soon, someone might actually step up to "deliver justice."
Regular customers all assumed Jiang Chulong was the previous owner’s daughter.
"You’ve misunderstood. That’s not what I meant."
"R-really?"
"My hotpot recipe is a family heirloom. I’ve entrusted something so precious to you. I’ll be back periodically to check on the business, okay?"
"Thank you... Big Brother Li... you’re the best."
Jiang Chulong’s tears turned to a smile.
"Also, keep training. When you reach the Inner Breath realm, I’ll give you a gift."
Li Mo helplessly patted her head.
"Mmm!" Jiang Chulong nodded eagerly. "I... I’ve opened twelve meridians... I’ll work hard."
"It’s just... the martial arts I’ll practice next... I haven’t decided yet."
She had been practicing a self-created martial art.
As her temporary "Heavenly Venerable" teacher, Li Mo had given it a provisional name: Wild Grass Sword Scripture.
By continuously assimilating other sword techniques and refining them, she could grow stronger indefinitely.
Once I’m back in the mountains, I’ll need to gather more sword manuals to feed her progress.
Li Mo mused silently before adding softly,
"Don’t rush. Haste makes waste."
"Mmm, mmm!"
"Go on now."
Li Mo ruffled her hair again, and only then did Jiang Chulong reluctantly return to the kitchen.
The promise of a gift had lightened her steps considerably.
Mei Yun, watching from the counter, sighed quietly.
If Chulong can live an ordinary life from now on, that would be the best outcome...
Wasn’t that what His Majesty had schemed for all along?
---
With Little Princess Jiang pacified, Li Mo pondered on the carriage ride back.
What sword manual should I get for her?
With my current contribution points, I can access the sixth floor of the library a few times.
"Speaking of which, why hasn’t Ice Block shown up yet?"
Thinking of recent events, Li Mo rubbed his temples.
Ying Bing was his biggest patron.
Why did it feel like their relationship had reset overnight?
Glancing beside him, he saw Shang Wu sprawled out in deep sleep, limbs splayed gracelessly.
At least Master is easy to understand.
His beautiful master only needed wine and naps to stay happy. But Ying Bing’s thoughts? Far more complicated...
Before long, Ying Bing boarded the carriage as well.
The vehicle began moving, heading toward the Qingyuan Sect.
Silence filled the journey.
Ying Bing kept her eyes downcast.
Li Mo had no idea what to say.
I stay quiet, and you don’t talk much either~
---
By evening, they arrived at Autumn Water Pavilion.
Li Mo ducked into the kitchen.
There’s truth in the saying—no place is better than home, even if it’s a humble one.
Back in familiar surroundings, Ying Bing felt an inexplicable serenity settle over her.
Especially with the sounds of cooking drifting from the kitchen and that figure bustling about.
Her mind, so prone to replaying the morning’s incident, finally quieted.
That outfit...
And just a door between us...
Only when her emotions had stabilized did she finally check the system’s notification.
What’s the next punishment for the defeated?
The penalty had been decided earlier—she just hadn’t looked.
[Punishment for the Defeated: Confirmed]
[Condition]: "Bathe with the one who defeated you."
[Requirement]: "Wear the lingerie set provided by the system."
Ying Bing: "..."
Each punishment is worse than the last.
And those so-called "rating rewards"—how are they rewards at all?
If the disciples of her past life, the ones who revered her as the Celestial Phoenix Empress—the woman who demanded severance of all earthly ties—learned she was sharing a bath with a man...
They’d probably stab themselves on the spot, convinced it was a nightmare.
This is going to be the death of me.
An image involuntarily surfaced in Ying Bing's mind.
The bathtub in the Autumn Water Pavilion wasn't particularly large—if two people were in it, they'd undoubtedly be pressed against each other...
"Little Bing, your tea."
Shang Wu raised an eyebrow.
There was something off about Little Bing today.
"Hmm?"
Ying Bing looked down to find the tea had already overflowed, soaking the table.
"Are you alright?"
"Just lost in thought."
Ying Bing shook her head, banishing the mental image.
As long as she didn't lose,
the punishment might as well not exist.
Then... there was no need to dwell on it.
...
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
