Little Herrscher Came In!!!!

After hearing that, Fu Hua picked up a bowl, served herself some noodles, and began introducing the ingredients.

"Freshly picked tomatoes from the mountain, pork belly, and Spring Never Ages."

The three people slurping noodles froze, their chopsticks pausing midair.

"What's wrong? Doesn't it taste good...?"

"H-how could that be? It's fine, actually. Pretty good."

The Herrscher of Reason stirred her noodles a few times and continued eating.

"Y-yeah, it really is pretty good. Ah, I haven't had gravy noodles in ages."

Seeing that no one had any objections, Fu Hua lowered her head and focused on eating.

"Ancestral Master~ What are we eating tomorrow?"

"As for tomorrow, there's still plenty of these gravy noodles left, isn't there? We'll have them again tomorrow."

"Old Fossil! No—"

At that moment, the Herrscher of Reason slapped the table and shot to her feet.

"Why not?"

"Because, because... oh, right! Bernice and the others are coming over tomorrow!"

"Old Fossil, are you really going to serve them gravy noodles!?"

"Is that so...?"

"Of course. Ancestral Master, when I went down the mountain today, I even heard them talking about coming over."

"Enough. You don't need to lie to me. Tell me the truth."

Fu Hua set down her bowl and sat upright, her tone stern.

Her aura spread out, and the atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.

Fortunately, the Herrscher of Reason stepped forward in the end.

"I'll tell you the truth, Old Fossil. Could you stop fussing over that Spring Never Ages all day long?

"We've got money for food now, and besides, don't you get sick of eating it every day?"

"Can't we just have one good meal~?"

As Little Herrscher's words fell, the dinner table once again sank into a chilly silence.

Across from them, Li Sushang and Cui Ji did not even dare move their chopsticks.

Second by second, time passed.

Then, as if Fu Hua had finally made up her mind, she picked up her bowl and chopsticks and resumed eating.

Her voice came out calm and faint.

"If you'd said so earlier, I would've made it earlier. Was there any need to beat around the bush like this?"

The three of them froze.

"Wait, Old Fossil, are you saying we don't have to eat Spring Never Ages tomorrow?"

"Mhm. I'll make a feast tomorrow."

"Yay~ Ancestral Master is the best—"

"Then, Master, why do you still pickle Spring Never Ages?"

"Habit."

"So that means we don't have to eat those lousy leaves anymore? Old Fossil, why didn't you say so!"

"When did I ever say you had to eat them?

"And besides, you never asked."

"If we don't ask, then you won't bring it up yourself? Like, 'Little Herrscher, how about some braised ribs today?'"

"I'm not your nanny. Besides, you all looked so happy eating Spring Never Ages that I thought you liked it."

"Who would like eating this every day?!"

"Enough. Eat first. Tomorrow, write down whatever you want to eat on the note by the kitchen door."

"That works, right?"

"Really? Then I'm really writing it down—"

Li Sushang's eyes sparkled.

After dinner, Fu Hua took a short walk around the courtyard before heading to the bathhouse to wash up.

Standing outside the curtain, she removed her clothes.

Her pale, bare feet slipped into the water.

Inside the huge wooden tub, Fu Hua leaned back with her eyes closed.

Her white hair, damp with water, clung together and floated across the misty surface.

Her cool, serene face remained utterly calm, revealing no emotion.

The faint curve of her cleavage was barely visible beneath the water.

Suddenly, the bathroom door was flung open, and a gust of cool air swept in.

It lifted the loose strands by Fu Hua's ears.

"Old Fossil~! I'm here to take a bath with you—"

Then Little Herrscher's cheerful, excited voice reached her ears.

Fu Hua neither opened her eyes nor showed any sign of discomfort.

She sighed and said, "Little Herrscher, it's too cramped in here. There isn't room for both of us."

"Tch, how would you know without trying? Old Fossil, I'm coming in~"

Without giving Fu Hua a chance to say anything else, Little Herrscher tossed her towel aside, lifted a foot, and jumped in.

Warm water splashed up, swallowing Fu Hua from view.

"Woohoo, hot and all wet—"

"This feels so good!"

Wiping the water from her face, Fu Hua opened her eyes and brushed the stray hair before them to either side.

"Couldn't you wait until I was done washing?"

"I like it this way. What, is that not allowed?"

"...Then please don't kick me with your feet."

"I'm going to anyway, hehehe..."

Fu Hua's expression darkened as she grabbed the Herrscher of Reason by the ankle.

Then she forcefully pinned it to the bottom of the tub.

Afterward, she slowly rose and crawled over in front of the Herrscher of Reason.

She reached out and gently caressed the other girl's still-dazed face.

"Be good~ Little Herrscher, stop making trouble."

The face so close before her wore a faint smile.

It was not the dazzling sort of beauty that stunned one at first glance.

Rather, it was the kind of smile that carved itself straight into one's memory, making one revisit it again and again without realizing it.

The elegant scent of sandalwood drifted toward her. The Herrscher of Reason's gaze wandered across Fu Hua's body.

As though finally snapping back to her senses, her face swiftly flushed crimson, and she hurriedly shoved Fu Hua away.

"Y-you, don't get so close~ I can't take it."

Because of their earlier commotion, quite a bit of water had spilled out of the tub.

Fu Hua returned to her original spot and released the Herrscher of Reason's ankle.

Did this girl not realize just how...

Thinking this, the Herrscher of Reason raised her head again and looked at Fu Hua.

Why did she not react at all?

Pouting, the Herrscher of Reason slowly edged closer to Fu Hua.

The scent on the other girl's body grew even stronger, and she became flustered once more.

"What is it, Little Herrscher? You seem a little restless."

"N-no, I'm just a little hot... That's right, just a little hot."

Narrowing her eyes, the Herrscher of Reason directly sat on Fu Hua's lap and rested her head against the other girl's soft chest.

"If you're hot, why are you pressing closer to me? Isn't that contradictory?"

Fu Hua slowly tidied the other girl's hair and brushed it aside as she frowned.

"None of your business. I want to lean here. It has nothing to do with whether I'm hot or not."

"Then what does it have to do with?"

"...Stop asking. Honestly, Old Fossil!"

"Fine, I won't ask—"

Fu Hua pinned up her hair and secured it with a white bath towel.

Then she began tidying the Herrscher of Reason's messy hair.

Outside the window, a light breeze drifted in and brushed against Little Herrscher's face.

She turned slightly, lifted her eyes, and looked at Fu Hua's serene, tranquil expression.

"Old Fossil, do you never feel anything... really intense?"

"Intense emotions?"

"Like right now. Aren't you embarrassed at all?"

"Why would I be? We're both girls, and besides, it's you, Little Herrscher."

"What if it were someone else?"

"Someone else? Probably not. I wouldn't let anyone else come in while I was bathing."

"But I came in, and you also..."

"Little Herrscher is different from everyone else."

With a soft smile, Fu Hua finished putting up the other girl's hair and spoke.

The Herrscher of Reason fell silent.

Early the next morning, Fu Hua received a message from Nicole.

Apparently, Cunning Rabbit House had taken on a collaboration job and was planning to come to the Outer Ring. They also wanted to visit Taixu Mountain while they were there.

Fu Hua naturally welcomed the idea, and Cui Ji also wanted to meet Captain Anby.

In the courtyard.

Cui Ji held the Xuanyuan Sword as she looked at Anbi across from her, her eyes carrying a meaningful emotion.

"Captain Anby, I'm not who I used to be. Please prepare yourself for defeat."