We Can Consummate the Marriage

"You... gave me the Appearance-Preserving Pill?"

Shen Jingchuan nodded, looking completely at ease.

"If I don't give it to you, am I supposed to eat this for myself? Am I, a grown man, supposed to eat this?"

Xiao Mingshu pursed her lips.

"But don't you have two wives and so many... little vixens at home?"

Shen Jingchuan sat down opposite her, his tone very natural.

"They're still young, no rush. I'll find them other options later. Right now, you're the most important person, so naturally you'll be the first choice."

Xiao Mingshu glared at him and raised her hand as if to hit him.

"You mean, I'm getting old?"

Shen Jingchuan quickly waved his hand.

"No way, sis, let me finish."

He looked at her, his expression turning serious.

"What I mean is, you're at the peak of your beauty right now, your looks and charm are at their best. Let's freeze this moment, and the years to come won't change it."

"Think about it, when you reach the Foundation Establishment and form the Golden Core, your cultivation will have improved, but you'll never be able to get back to your current state."

"Now that my appearance has been fixed, I can stay this way forever, beautiful and lovely. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Xiao Mingshu stared at him blankly, speechless for a long time. The slight distance between them had unconsciously dissipated, and they had become even closer.

She turned her head away, her voice lowering.

"You're so good at saying nice things."

Xiao Mingshu scolded him, but the slight melancholy in her heart dissipated instantly.

She wasn't being distant from him before, but she couldn't help thinking that no matter how close she was to Shen Jingchuan, she could never compare to his lawfully wedded wife. She had never thought that the precious Appearance-Preserving Pill, which she had gone to great lengths to acquire, would be hers.

Unexpectedly, he gave it to her first, and her heart warmed again.

While touched, she was also somewhat puzzled.

If it was for her, why didn't you give it to her yesterday? Why wait until today? Did you forget?

She was sensible after all, and kept quiet, instead finding an excuse for him herself—he had just won the bid for that Spirit Vein yesterday, and might have other plans with the Shen Household family, which was a matter of utmost importance; it was normal for a single pill to cause a delay.

Thinking about it this way, that little knot in my heart was gone.

After regaining her senses, she noticed that there were still faint black specks of mud on her arms and bare chest, making her feel sticky.

She quickly raised her hand and made a hand seal, casting a Cleaning Technique on herself, and the stain was instantly removed.

Turning her head, she saw Shen Jingchuan still propping his chin up, staring intently at her.

Xiao Mingshu's face flushed.

"What are you looking at?"

Shen Jingchuan chuckled.

"I've never seen my sister with her face covered in Little Black before, isn't that funny?"

Xiao Mingshu raised her hand and slapped his arm.

The two were joking around when Huan'er came over from under the stove with breakfast. She glanced at Shen Jingchuan but didn't pay him any mind.

"Stop fooling around, you two, hurry up and eat while it's hot."

As she spoke, she set the bowls down. When she put down the last soup bowl, she looked up and saw Xiao Mingshu's face clearly. Her hand trembled violently, and she almost spilled the soup.

She just stood there, stunned, her mouth agape.

Xiao Mingshu was puzzled by her gaze.

"What's wrong? You brat, haven't you seen me before?"

Huan'er then came to her senses, quickly put the bowl down, rubbed her eyes, and looked again.

"Miss, of course I see you every day."

She swallowed hard, her voice trembling slightly.

"But to my eyes, you look more like the young lady you were ten years ago... no, even more beautiful than you were ten years ago."

Xiao Mingshu glared at her.

"You brat, are you indirectly saying I used to be ugly?"

Huan'er was so frightened that she waved her hands repeatedly.

"No, no, what I mean is, Miss looks even more beautiful than before, really!"

Shen Jingchuan nodded from the side, then slowly added a sentence.

"Yes, Huan'er is right, she's like a fairy."

He spoke calmly, but his heart was pounding.

Xiao Mingshu was naturally very beautiful, the kind of beauty that comes with maturity, with the charm of a mature woman in her eyes, brows, and figure.

Now, after taking the Mid-Grade Appearance-Preserving Pill, her face suddenly gained a youthful radiance, yet her mature charm remained undiminished.

It's like a perfectly ripe peach, already sweet, but now it exudes a fresh and juicy charm that's incredibly tempting.

Xiao Mingshu felt flustered by what they were saying. She took out a makeup mirror from her Ring, looked at herself, and was stunned.

After years of cultivation, she naturally had few wrinkles on her face.

But the face in the mirror right now is no longer about whether it has wrinkles or not—the skin is as smooth as a freshly peeled egg, the eyebrows and eyes are relaxed, and the complexion is radiant. It is clear that the person looks much younger, and it is vaguely the same as the person ten years ago.

Only the charm in his eyes and expression remains exactly the same as it is now, without the slightest loss.

She touched her face in front of the mirror, and was stunned for a long time.

She frowned and muttered to herself.

"Wait a minute... Is this really Low-Grade Appearance-Preserving Pill? A low-grade one only preserves one's appearance, how can it make someone look younger? The effect is way too good."

Shen Jingchuan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly came over to interrupt.

"Sister, when I took the picture yesterday, I examined it closely up close. The quality of that pill is indeed excellent; the texture and aroma are impeccable. I reckon it's one of the best, the finest among the low-grade pills, so it's no wonder it's so potent."

Xiao Mingshu looked up at him.

"You know about elixirs too?"

Shen Jingchuan looked unconvinced.

"What's there to not understand? I didn't quite understand it before, but I deal with these things every day. Practice makes perfect, how could I not improve?"

Xiao Mingshu stared at him for a couple of seconds, but ultimately didn't press the matter further.

She just made up her mind yesterday not to ask.

That's enough.

She put away the makeup mirror, a forced smile playing on her lips.

"Alright, it's a good thing after all, but how can I repay you, sister?..."

Shen Jingchuan thought to himself, "Here we go again." He interrupted her without saying a word.

"Stop, stop, my dear sister, can you please say that again? If you dare say that again, I'll take you to consummate our marriage tonight."

Xiao Mingshu: "Okay."