The Cold-Exterior but Warm-Heart Shen Zi and the Righteous Xiao Li

"Using an ice block to cool me down..."

Stepping over the threshold, Little Li suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing just how dangerous his thoughts were.

Is this the kind of idea a proper gentleman should have?

The ice block—aloof yet brilliant, a master strategist—could make anyone feel guilty with just a glance. And occasionally, she’d switch into "bad ice block" mode. Even in dreams, back when she was still a little cub, she’d already caught him off guard.

Such a frigid ice block... Giving her a foot massage was just professionalism, but now he was craving her body? That’s a whole different story.

If she knew the indecent thoughts swirling in his head, she’d surely furrow her delicate brows, scrutinize him with those piercing eyes, and probably say something like, "So this is the kind of gentleman you really are."

Huh?

Wait, that phrase sounds familiar... like he’s heard it somewhere before...

Li Mo shook his head and muttered to himself as he walked into the kitchen:

"It’s perfectly normal for me to think this way."

"Just like craving an ice-cold Sprite after playing basketball in the summer, after forging in the fire veins, wanting to cool down and feel refreshed is completely reasonable."

"And what could possibly cool me down better than an ice block?"

"It’s not like I’m craving her body or anything..."

"Craving... what?"

A clear, slightly puzzled voice suddenly came from behind him.

Ying Bing stood at the doorway, framed by a backdrop of snowy mountains, her gaze tinged with confusion.

She wore a long, water-blue dress with a fur-lined collar. With her hands clasped behind her back, her figure looked even more alluring—her waist, toned with visible abs, was slender enough to be encircled by a single hand. Her short boots were dusted with snow, though she probably wouldn’t notice even if she looked down.

As she stepped through the snow at dusk, her beauty, illuminated by the last stubborn streaks of sunset, made it easy to mistake her for a goddess who commanded both ice and night.

Who knows if she only heard that last part...

Li Mo straightened up and said solemnly, "Ah, I said I was craving some ginseng."

With that, he casually pulled out a thousand-year-old Snow Spirit Ginseng.

He’d snagged it from the ice block during their last meal.

Ice block: "?"

"Forging takes a lot of energy. I need some ginseng to replenish."

"But your yang energy is already overflowing," Ying Bing said, her delicate brows knitting slightly.

"It’s fine. Young people are naturally fiery. The fierier you are, the more you need to replenish—show your body who’s boss."

Li Mo swiftly grabbed an apron and tied it around his waist, covering up any... unseemly enthusiasm.

"..."

Ying Bing froze, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. Her hands, still behind her back, curled and twisted nervously.

Memories from her dreams suddenly flooded her mind.

She averted her gaze as if her eyes had been burned, then finally just nodded expressionlessly and sat at the courtyard table, picking up a book with downcast eyes.

Qin Yuzhi and Tian Miao had gotten used to waiting for meals these past couple of days.

When dinnertime rolled around, they’d show up on their own without needing to be called.

(Though a certain beautiful master deserved some criticism—she kept nocturnal hours and often sneaked into the kitchen late at night for snacks.)

Ying Bing didn’t seem to notice their arrival. She stared blankly at the pages of her book, looking like an exquisitely carved jade statue—beautiful, but devoid of spirit.

"I smell something fragrant with spiritual energy. What’s for dinner today?"

Qin Yuzhi wiped the corner of her mouth. Chef Li’s cooking was so good, she couldn’t even dream of anything better.

"Smells like Snow Spirit Ginseng, and a pretty old one at that," Tian Miao remarked, her knowledge of medicinal herbs coming into play.

"Snow Spirit Ginseng?"

Tian Miao rubbed her eyes and began listing off its properties like an expert:

"This kind of spiritual treasure only grows in extremely harsh, freezing environments—like the Heavenly Mountains. So, naturally, this ginseng is incredibly aloof."

Ice block: "..."

Her serene eyes blinked in confusion, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

"Eating something so cold in this freezing weather doesn’t seem like a good idea."

"Yuzhi-jie, that’s where you’re mistaken. Medicinal principles follow the idea that extremes reverse—things that are overwhelmingly yang often grow in the coldest places."

Tian Miao raised a finger, smiling as she explained:

"So even though this Snow Spirit Ginseng looks like it’s made of ice, with a jade-like translucence, its core is actually blazing hot..."

"So how does it taste?" Qin Yuzhi asked curiously.

Tian Miao replied with utmost seriousness: "Let’s just say—this treasure belongs in the heavens. Rarely does it grace the mortal world!"

Thud.

The book slipped from Ying Bing’s hands and hit the ground.

Qin Yuzhi and Tian Miao turned to look, only to find Ying Bing’s face as expressionless as ever—though her neck had turned a shade of rose under the fading sunset.

"Little Bing, why’d you drop your book?"

"My hands froze."

"?"

The two were puzzled, but just then, they felt a wave of heat from behind. Li Mo walked out carrying a tray of freshly cooked dishes.

Little Li, you’re looking a bit... fiery.

Did you set yourself on fire while cooking?

Qin Yuzhi raised an eyebrow. "Did you sneak a taste of that ginseng earlier?"

Li Mo’s hands trembled, nearly spilling the food all over himself.

"What do you mean ‘body’? In broad daylight, a righteous gentleman like me wouldn’t even entertain such thoughts—"

"Broad daylight?"

Qin Yuzhi and Tian Miao exchanged glances, then looked up at the fully set sun and the moon already climbing the sky.

"Righteous gentleman?"

Ying Bing pressed her lips together, her gaze dark as she absentmindedly squeezed the head of a stuffed doll.

Righteous? More like overflowing with yang energy.

"I was at the Divine Armory’s fire veins today. While forging, I absorbed a lot of fire energy from a martial technique, but it’s nothing serious."

Li Mo sat down calmly.

Ying Bing glanced at him. Even in the way he breathed, she could sense the heat radiating off him—as if she could feel his body temperature just by being near him.

She tightened her grip on the doll.

Qin Yuzhi frowned. "But isn’t Snow Spirit Ginseng supposed to be ‘yin giving rise to yang’? Why would you cook it for dinner?"

"This is called fighting poison with poison. Negative times negative equals positive."

Little Li spoke with absolute confidence.

Qin Yuzhi was at a loss, so she turned to Tian Miao for help. But Tian Miao just looked equally baffled, unsure which school of medicine Li Mo was following.

"This isn’t medicine..."

"Exactly, it’s math. Master math and science, and you’ll never fear the world."

"Even in math, negative times negative equals positive, but positive times positive doesn’t equal negative."

"Says who?"

Li Mo fished a slice of jade-like ginseng from the soup and crunched down on it.

A surge of energy rushed through him.

Hmph, lucky for him, his control over his body was strong enough to keep his nose from bleeding.

Though his face was now burning red.

"It’s kinda hot today, huh..."

"..." Tian Miao was speechless.

Qin Yuzhi glanced at the overheating Little Li, then at the "ice fairy" who had just claimed her hands were frozen.

Suddenly, a flash of insight lit up a long-forgotten memory fragment.

"Ah, I have an idea!"