A One-of-a-Kind Gift

After leaving the medicine shop, the shopkeeper personally escorted me to the door, greeting me with a beaming smile for quite some time.

Shen Jingchuan waved his hand, blended into the crowd, and after walking a short distance, spotted a quiet, deserted alley. He bent down and slipped inside.

He removed his thickened eyebrows in front of the makeup mirror, revealing his normal appearance. Then, he activated the Spirit Concealing Jade, causing his aura to shift and simulate the cultivation fluctuations of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

He then took out a drab, coarse cloth robe from his Storage Ring and changed into it. After all that fuss, he looked completely different from the customer who had just bought the pills. Only after he was properly dressed did he emerge from the alley.

He didn't take the original route, but instead chose to travel through winding alleys. He changed his cultivation aura halfway through to make sure there was no tail behind him before turning into another pill shop with a large storefront and an impressive appearance.

"Shopkeeper, do you have Mid-Grade Qi Gathering Pills?"

"Yes, one hundred Spirit Stones each."

Shen Jingchuan asked again, "How many?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper wondered if it was a major client.

Fortunately, the shop was quite large and had a lot of stock. I rummaged through the boxes and cabinets and managed to find twenty of them.

Shen Jingchuan didn't say anything, counted out 1,900 Spirit Stones and handed them over. The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, but readily accepted them.

The Qi Nourishing Pill is of little use to him now, and buying more would be a waste. With these twenty mid-grade Mid-Grade Qi Gathering Pills as a foundation, he can level up again, hehehe.

After buying the pills, he wandered around most of the market, changing his clothes and aura three times. Just when he figured no one could find him, he returned to the inn under the midday sun.

When they arrived at Xiao Mingshu's room, there was not a sound from inside.

Shen Jingchuan knew what was going on— the High-Grade Qi Gathering Pill was powerful and refined, and Xiao Mingshu didn't have his cultivation Cultivation Method that was naturally suited to high-grade pills. Two pills would take her a whole day to refine them carefully, and it was uncertain when she would be able to emerge from seclusion.

He didn't linger; he went straight back to his room, closed the doors and windows, and bolted the latch.

Since he had nothing better to do and staying here wouldn't be of any help, Shen Jingchuan changed his mind and decided to go back to the modern world first. Meng Ke was getting anxious.

In a flash of light, he found himself standing in the bedroom of the West Mountain Separate Garden.

He raised his hand and cast a Cleaning Technique on himself, changed into casual clothes, thought for a moment, and then picked up a black backpack from the corner and slung it over his shoulder.

After tidying up, he took the box of Life-Extending Pills, poured them out of his Storage Ring, divided them into jade bottles, and threw them all into his Spatial Ring to upgrade their grade.

After finishing all that, he took out his phone and called Meng Ke.

"Hey," Meng Ke's voice was tinged with excitement, "You're back?"

"Just got home." Shen Jingchuan smiled as he walked downstairs. "I also brought back the gift I brought for my future mother-in-law."

"You're quite the smooth talker," Meng Ke chuckled. "My mom was asking about you yesterday. Perfect timing, just come pick me up from my studio, and we can go home together for dinner tonight. I'll tell my mom now."

"So suddenly?"

"Stop talking nonsense, are you coming or not?"

"Okay, okay, I'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, he drove straight to Meng Ke's Jade-Nurturing Hall. The two spent most of the afternoon cuddling in the inner studio, only preparing to leave when the sun was almost setting.

Shen Jingchuan used his consciousness to check the Ring space; the pill had been upgraded.

Upon arriving at the front desk, he asked the round-faced saleswoman for a suitable brocade box and pretended to take the jade bottle out of his backpack to put it inside.

They went out together to Meng Ke's house.

In the car, Meng Ke casually picked up the velvet box, shook it, and glanced at him with a smile:

"The big gift you prepared for my mom is put in such a small jade bottle? And the packaging box was just something you grabbed from my shop. It's so perfunctory, there's no sincerity at all."

"Hey, good things are about what's inside, not what's in the packaging."

Shen Jingchuan gripped the steering wheel, his tone casual yet remarkably firm:

"Let me tell you, this thing is one of a kind in the world. No matter how much money you offer, you can't buy it anywhere else."

Meng Ke immediately perked up, sat up straight, and stared at him. "What's so mysterious about this?"

"You'll know when we get home," Shen Jingchuan said, keeping everyone in suspense.

Meng Ke didn't press the matter further. Having spent so much time with Shen Jingchuan, she knew best that he never lied, and if he dared to say something like that, it must be extraordinary.

She tapped the brocade box lightly with her fingertips, thinking to herself: He could casually pull out wild ginseng that was two or three hundred years old and give it to her, so this gift he specially prepared for her mother must be much rarer than that old ginseng.

Once home, Meng Ke took out her keys, opened the door, and called out loudly, "Mom, we're home!"

A faint aroma of food wafted through the house, and a middle-aged woman's gentle voice came from the kitchen:

"You're back? Take off your shoes and rest for a bit. This is the last dish, it'll be ready soon."

Shen Jingchuan bent down to change into slippers and glanced around the living room.

It's a bright, spacious apartment with an understated decor. The natural wood tones are paired with simple soft furnishings, and a few thriving green plants sit in the corner. The bookshelves against the wall are filled with books, creating an elegant and scholarly atmosphere. It's clear that the owner has a good understanding of life.

Meng Ke put her bag on the entryway cabinet and walked towards the kitchen.

As soon as she lifted the curtain, she heard her mother laugh and ask in a low voice, "You brought her back? Look how happy you are."

"Of course," Meng Ke said, her voice tinged with barely concealed pride. "I picked this out from the very bottom of my heart."

"Alright, stop being so cheeky." Mother Meng chuckled and patted her on the shoulder. "Take this dish out; it's time to eat."

Meng Ke came out of the kitchen carrying a white porcelain plate, placed it on the dining table, and waved to Shen Jingchuan:

"Jingchuan, come here."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mother Meng came out of the kitchen, carrying three sets of bowls and chopsticks.

Shen Jingchuan looked up and saw that Meng Ke's mother looked to be nearly fifty years old, with half of her hair at her temples turned white. Her eyebrows and eyes were calm and gentle, and her nose and lips were almost identical to Meng Ke's. She had an intellectual and composed temperament, and it was clear at a glance that she must have been a rare beauty when she was young.

Meng Ke pulled Shen Jingchuan forward a bit and said with a smile, "Mom, let me formally introduce you. Shen Jingchuan is my classmate from high school and college, and he's the same age as me."

"Alright, alright, I know. How many times have you said that?"

Mother Meng smiled and scolded her daughter, her gaze falling on Shen Jingchuan. The young man was over 1.8 meters tall, with regular features, dressed in simple casual clothes, clean and neat without being ostentatious. He looked steady and energetic, making a very comfortable first impression.