“Two guests! Here come the dishes!”
Holding the pot filled with sabertooth pig trotters, the little girl stood on her tiptoes and gently placed it on the table.
“Phew… that was hot… Huh? Auntie, why did you sit next to this big brother?”
“Of course, because Auntie likes this big brother you mentioned.”
“Auntie is big brother’s wife?!”
“No, I’m his mother~”
The little girl suddenly understood.
‘So that’s it.’
But she still didn’t quite understand.
This big brother was already so grown up, yet this auntie acted like this… it was really easy to misunderstand.
“Nian’er, eat quickly. You can give me your answer after you finish. Mother will wait as long as it takes.”
‘She’s basically not giving me a chance to refuse.’
Chen Juenian picked up a piece of trotter covered in sauce and eagerly stuffed it into his mouth.
He really hadn’t eaten anything normal in a long time, and the trotter in front of him surprisingly reminded him of Longjiang pig trotter rice.
But right now, he shouldn’t be thinking about the pig trotter rice he could never eat again, but about how to refuse Xuanyuan Jiong’s unreasonable request.
No matter what, he could not bathe with the current Xuanyuan Jiong.
The only reason he had bathed with her before was because he didn’t even have the strength to resist, and she had simply carried him into the pool.
Although he still seemed incapable of resistance now, Xuanyuan Jiong wasn’t the kind to force him like Mu Qiu Ying.
“Mother…”
“Grilled fish is here!”
The little girl ran over carrying a sizzling plate of grilled fish.
“Take your time, esteemed guests!”
“What did Nian’er want to say?”
After the little girl left, Xuanyuan Jiong stared intently at Chen Juenian with her emerald eyes full of expectation.
“Let’s just forget it.”
A slight tremor passed through her, and then Xuanyuan Jiong gave a bitter smile as she placed a fish head on his plate.
“Mm. Since Nian’er doesn’t want to, then forget it… forget it…”
“Bear paw is coming too! Huh? Auntie, is one of the dishes that bad?”
“No, everything here is delicious. Little sister, who made these?”
The little girl patted her chest proudly.
“I made them myself!”
“Really… amazing.”
Xuanyuan Jiong chatted with the little girl while Chen Juenian reflected on himself.
‘I was wrong.’
After talking for a while, the little girl went back to the kitchen.
She probably wouldn’t come out to disturb them again.
“Mother.”
“Mm. Nian’er, I’m listening.”
Chen Juenian put down his chopsticks on the bowl and gently held Xuanyuan Jiong’s hand under the table.
“Nian’er has thought it over. Actually, bathing together is not impossible.”
“Really? Nian’er?! You really mean you’re willing to bathe with your mother…”
“Mm. Since Mother wants to bathe with Nian’er, then we’ll do it together.”
“Two guests, that’ll be three Spirit Stones total.”
In the Mortal Realm, the currency was copper coins, but in the Nine Heavens Beyond the Sky, Spirit Stones naturally circulated.
At least this Beyond the Heavens –
First Stratum was still within the Nine Heavens Beyond the Sky, and the mother and son had eaten spirit beasts, so it wasn’t strange to charge Spirit Stones.
More than that, Chen Juenian was curious about the little girl herself.
“Little sister, do you run this restaurant all by yourself? Where is your family?”
The little girl handled everything—serving, cooking, and paying the bill—yet she clearly looked only twelve or thirteen.
After receiving three sparkling Spirit Stones, she stuffed them into her clothing pocket and replied,
“I don’t know… Actually, I’m still working hard! I’m going to expand my restaurant from here to the Second Heaven, Third Heaven… One day, I’ll find them!”
‘Nian’er, give her a few more Spirit Stones.’
Chen Juenian exchanged a glance with Xuanyuan Jiong, then took out some more Spirit Stones.
“Take these. Don’t be polite.”
“Wow—so many?! Thank you, big brother!”
“So, what’s your name?”
“My name is Ting Yu. Big brother, when I find my family someday, I will definitely, definitely find you and repay you!”
Chen Juenian just smiled, then turned and left with Xuanyuan Jiong.
After finishing the task of channeling clear water into his Storage Ring, Chen Juenian returned to the back of the small courtyard and watched Xuanyuan Jiong reshape the ground into a small pool with her own hands.
Unlike before, when she had to rest halfway through digging soil, now at her Refining Void cultivation base, transforming this place was as easy as snapping her fingers.
“I roughly made it look like that immortal pool from the mountain back then. Nian’er, does it look similar?”
“It does.”
Chen Juenian released all the water from his Storage Ring, filling about four-fifths of the pool.
Then, Xuanyuan Jiong crouched by the edge and lightly touched the water.
The once calm surface instantly gave off a bit of steam.
“Alright, Nian’er, let’s take off our clothes and soak in!”
“Wait a moment.”
Chen Juenian took out a roll of white cloth and handed it to Xuanyuan Jiong.
“If possible, Mother, you can wrap this around yourself.”
“Eh—but it’ll be really uncomfortable to bathe like that.”
Xuanyuan Jiong smiled and refused the white cloth Chen Juenian offered, then casually unbuttoned her top in front of him.
With no other choice, Chen Juenian turned around, took off his clothes, and wrapped himself in the white cloth.
Looking up at the bright moon in the sky, Chen Juenian realized tonight might be unbearably long.
“Nian’er, I’ve used Spiritual Energy to set a One-way Barrier blocking the outside. So don’t be shy—no one can see except Mommy.”
“Nian’er is just used to doing it this way.”
After confirming that Xuanyuan Jiong had entered the water, Chen Juenian slowly turned and stepped into the pool.
He understood one principle: he couldn’t stay too far from his mother.
But he also couldn’t stay too close.
The white mist rising from the water would eventually dissipate.
“Phew… Nian’er.”
Seeing that Xuanyuan Jiong didn’t seem to want him to come closer, Chen Juenian breathed a slight sigh of relief.
“Mother, what’s wrong?”
“Mommy remembers the old days… back when Nian’er bathed, I had to hold you in my arms…”
“…”
‘Back then, I couldn’t even walk, so of course she had to hold me.’
“That was so long ago.”
“Was it really that long?”
Whether it was an illusion or not, Chen Juenian felt her voice getting closer.
“But Mommy feels like it was only a few months ago. Nian’er—can you let me hold you?”
Chen Juenian looked to his right.
Xuanyuan Jiong was now right beside him, looking at him with those slightly expectant eyes.
He dared not look down.
“Of course.”
Chen Juenian couldn’t refuse, even though he knew that if he refused, Xuanyuan Jiong would definitely accept it.
She would accept it, but then he would see her disappointed face.
“Nian’er is the best!”
Closing his eyes, Chen Juenian was held in Xuanyuan Jiong’s arms.
But it was just a hug.
And because of the white cloth, it actually felt the same as when they slept together.
‘No way. How could it possibly be the same!’