Little Rich Woman Ning Rongrong

Early morning, outside Notting City.

A young man and woman strolled leisurely along the official road.

The young man was handsome as jade, while the young woman was cool and stunningly beautiful. They looked exceptionally well-matched.

These two were, naturally, Zhou Chen and Zhu Zhuqing.

Originally, Zhou Chen had planned to take a carriage to Shrek Academy, but his loyal lackey, Xiao Chenyu, had done the math for him:

Shrek Academy was in Suotuo City, over a thousand li from Notting City. By carriage, they could arrive in five days;

But if the two of them walked, even as Spirit Masters with extremely strong physiques, they would need nearly ten days.

And every extra day on the road meant one more day he could spend with Zhu Zhuqing, and one more day to cultivate their feelings. After all, affection grew over time.

Thus, Zhou Chen decisively chose to travel on foot.

Three days later.

Evening.

After traveling continuously for three days, although Zhou Chen and Zhu Zhuqing had enjoyed their conversations and remained in high spirits along the way, they still felt a trace of fatigue.

Though the sun had not yet set, Zhou Chen and Zhu Zhuqing decided not to continue onward. Instead, they rested where they were.

Taking axes, hammers, wooden stakes, fencing, and a tent from the bracelet-shaped Space Soul Tools on their wrists, Zhou Chen and Zhu Zhuqing began setting up a simple campsite.

As the saying went, men and women working together never got tired. Though pitching camp was quite tedious, the two of them laughed and chatted without pause.

Zhou Chen in particular—his barbell-like laughter carried far into the distance, frightening all sorts of spirit beasts into fleeing.

"Zhou Chen, go chop some firewood. I'll start the fire and cook. Let's have skewers today."

Zhu Zhuqing naturally pointed toward the Small Woods more than ten li away and spoke lightly.

Over the past few days, she had gradually grown accustomed to having Zhou Chen in her life, though she had yet to realize it herself.

"Alright, Zhuqing."

Zhou Chen nodded. A brilliant golden spirit ring rose beneath his feet, and he immediately shot forward as a streak of golden light!

Third Spirit Ability—Ground Shrinking Golden Light!

Five minutes later, Zhou Chen returned carrying a huge bundle of firewood. By then, Zhu Zhuqing had already lit a campfire. Beside it stood a grill, upon which several dozen prepared lamb skewers were roasting.

There were also vegetable rolls, dried tofu, squid skewers, cuttlefish balls, potato slices, flatbread, and more... Zhu Zhuqing continuously turned the skewers to ensure they heated evenly.

"What took you so long, Zhou Chen? Where's your seasoning pack?"

Zhu Zhuqing raised her head, faint points of light shimmering in her cool eyes.

"Here it is. What sauce are we having this time? Ketchup, Thousand Island dressing, mushroom sauce, seafood seasoning, or black pepper sauce?"

Zhou Chen set down the firewood with a smile, then took out a small brush and various jars and bottles from his Space Bracelet, all filled with different sauces and spices.

"Let's brush on some seafood seasoning today, then sprinkle on some cumin and salt. That'll do." Zhu Zhuqing narrowed her eyes, looking forward to the food that would soon be ready.

"Alright."

Zhou Chen nodded, evenly brushing seafood seasoning over the skewers before sprinkling them with cumin and salt, adding a little pepper, then slowly grilling them over the fire.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing pulled out pieces of firewood one by one and added them to the campfire from time to time, keeping the flames burning vigorously.

Before long, the skewers gradually cooked through amid the rising flames. The aromas of the seasonings and various foods spread through the air, making one's mouth water.

"Can we eat now?"

Zhu Zhuqing swallowed, her expression still as cool as ever.

"Don't rush. Wait a little longer. They're not ready yet."

As Zhou Chen turned the skewers, he explained, "The vegetables are fine, but beef, lamb, squid, and things like that might still have parasites inside if they aren't cooked thoroughly."

"Mhm, you really know a lot."

Zhu Zhuqing obediently nodded and sat on a nearby rock, propping up her fair chin with one hand as she watched Zhou Chen, who was focused on grilling the meat.

Suddenly, a smile unconsciously touched her lips, and a strange sweetness welled up in her heart.

It would be nice if I could keep watching him, until the end of time...

Five minutes later, Zhou Chen finally finished grilling the skewers. He divided them into two portions, giving one to Zhu Zhuqing and keeping the other for himself.

Then, he took out two bottles of Dark Beer from his Space Bracelet and handed one of them to Zhu Zhuqing.

The two of them ate skewers, drank beer, and chatted, the atmosphere warm and pleasant.

Suddenly, Zhou Chen's ears twitched. He clearly heard footsteps gradually approaching from five li away.

However, he paid them no mind and did not use the Heavenly Vision Technique to examine the newcomer's appearance.

After all, this was near the official road, and there were plenty of travelers. If he checked every single person, he would never be able to keep up.

So Zhou Chen continued drinking and eating skewers, while also saying some heartwarming things to Zhu Zhuqing.

As time passed, spurred on by the alcohol, the two drew closer and closer, until they were on the verge of touching.

Just then, a soft, sweet female voice rang out from nearby. "Um... the skewers you're grilling smell so good. Could you spare me some? I'll pay for them!"

The voice instantly shattered the ambiguous atmosphere between Zhou Chen and Zhu Zhuqing, leaving Zhou Chen fuming!

"Get lost! Not for sale!"

Zhou Chen snapped coldly. Looking up, he saw a young girl in a pale blue-and-white dress.

The girl had long hair draped over her shoulders and stood at least half a head shorter than Zhu Zhuqing. Her skin was fair and delicate, her features exquisite, and her large blue eyes seemed able to speak.

"Sorry, I interrupted you."

After being yelled at by Zhou Chen, the girl was clearly a little frightened. She said cautiously, "I just smelled the fragrance and wanted to come over for something tasty. I'll pay for it."

As she spoke, the girl took a small pouch from the Space Soul Tool at her waist. Hearing the clinking within, Zhou Chen immediately concluded that it was filled with Gold Soul Coins.

Clearly, she was a Little Rich Woman.

"Are you planning to insult us with money?"

Zhou Chen frowned and sneered. Anyone whose good moment had been interrupted would hardly have a pleasant expression.

"No, no, that's not it."

After Zhou Chen's cutting remarks, the girl—normally known as a little witch—could not muster even a hint of her usual arrogance. Instead, she looked as though she were about to cry.

She hurriedly said, "We can be friends. My name is Ning Rongrong. What are your names?"