Parting

Everyone looked toward the source of the sound and saw a handsome young man in black robes standing in front of the stall, exuding an air of nonchalance and composure.

The boy didn't look anywhere else; he stared intently at the girl's face, as if she were the only person he could see...

Wait, isn't that You Su?!

Someone in the crowd immediately exclaimed, "It's You Su!"

You Su ignored her and asked Ji Lingruo, "May I ask, young lady, what are they referring to as substandard products?"

Ji Lingruo's lips curled up, her eyes filled with affection. All the resentment she had felt earlier vanished, replaced only by the joy and relief of seeing You Su. So she cooperated and said:

"What, would you like to try some, sir?"

"Of course! I've been eating at this bakery since I was a child. How can I let it be slandered for no reason? Different people have different tastes. They say it's substandard, but I don't believe it."

"So, sir, you've come here to settle this matter?"

Ji Lingruo the back of her hand, her eyebrows and eyes like the moon, her charming smile captivating all who saw her.

Only when facing You Su did she truly become like a cunning and beautiful snake, easily connecting with You Su on a thought process. Her heart was filled with sweetness, feeling that she and You Su were truly of one mind and perfectly in sync.

You Su also laughed heartily, intending to continue standing up for his junior sister, "Not bad, please sell me one of your pancakes, young lady. If it's truly a substandard product..."

"No!"

The young man who seemed to be the leader of the three visiting cultivators suddenly shouted to stop the two of them from their coordinated act. His expression was ashen, and his hawk-like eyes darted back and forth between You Su and Ji Lingruo said in a deep voice:

"It was all a misunderstanding, Brother You. We are not from Chuyun City. There's nothing wrong with the cake; we just don't like the taste."

You Su was somewhat taken aback upon hearing this, not expecting the other party to change his tune so quickly. It was likely that someone had called out his name earlier, which the young man had overheard. You Su smiled wryly to himself, never imagining that his name could one day carry such a powerful aura.

Before You Su could reply, the young man shouted again, "Let's go!"

His two companions, who had been so arrogant, lost their composure and followed the young man away dejectedly.

You Su thought to himself: This was far too easy. He had thought of at least ten different ways to get revenge for his junior sister, but he hadn't even managed to humiliate her completely. These troublemakers were simply scared off by his name. How boring. He had originally planned to make a good impression on his junior sister, but now he had lost that opportunity.

In truth, most of the common people trusted Wang's Bakery's reputation implicitly, as it was a well-established and reputable shop in Chuyun City, passed down through generations. They also knew that this incident was mostly caused by those outside cultivators, but due to the difference in their social status, they dared not say much, only offering a few simple words of support for Granny Wang. Now, seeing You Su away those troublemakers, and witnessing his heroic deeds in saving the entire city, their respect for You Su grew even stronger.

You Su was instantly overwhelmed, exhausted from dealing with the crowd's commotion and clamor. It took her a long time to calm them down before she could finally disperse them.

Even Granny Wang, sensing the situation, called out, "Oh dear, the old man still needs his dressing changed!" and hurriedly ran into the inner courtyard.

The once noisy stall was now empty except for the two silent young people, their deep affection seemingly fueled by the oil pan between them.

"Ahem." You Su coughed twice, breaking the silence.

"Oh, the guest hasn't left yet?" Ji Lingruo raised her eyebrows slightly, feigning surprise, while continuing to knead the dough.

"Girl, you're joking. I came to buy cakes, and of course I won't leave if I don't get any."

"Pfft, what kind of cake would you like, sir?"

"The most delicious pancake in the world."

"Oh? What kind of cake is that?"

"This cake is called Junior Sister Cake, and it was made for me by my junior sister herself."

"I don't have 'Junior Sister Cake' here, only 'You Su Cake' made with flaky pastry. These 'You Su Cake' are very crumbly, would you like to eat them, sir?"

You Su wasn't bothered by his junior sister's joke. Instead, he became even more shameless. Seeing that Ji Lingruo had taken another pancake from the pot and placed it in the basket on the right, he simply reached out and took it.

The pancake had a sheen slightly darker than golden, and its aroma was incredibly appetizing. Ji Lingruo getting into the swing of things, and this was arguably the best pancake she had ever made.

Without hesitation, You Su took a big bite. The crispy and savory flavor was irresistible. It was hard to imagine that this was made by her junior sister, who couldn't even make egg noodles properly.

"Young lady, you may not know this, but this cake is called Oil-Crisped Cake, also known as Junior Sister Cake. It's Junior Sister Cake favorite, while my junior sister's favorite is You Su Cake." You Su spoke, she didn't seem to mind the heat and took a few more bites of the pastry.

"Talking complete nonsense."

Ji Lingruo rolled her eyes playfully. You Su's intimate words were undeniably cheesy, but the girl didn't feel embarrassed at all. Since they were about to part, she even hoped that the blind man would say more.

Night fell before we knew it.

The twinkling stars, like glittering gems, are set against the dark night sky.

Night quietly crept in, like an enormous black cloth covering the entire meadow.

You Su and Ji Lingruo lay on the grass, gazing at the silvery sky in the distance.

This morning until now, You Su and Ji Lingruo have not returned to the sect.

They spent the whole morning learning how to make Oil-Crisped Cake together. Actually, it wasn't difficult at all; the key was the secret recipe for marinating the filling. Ji Lingruo studied very diligently, even writing down all the key points on a cheat sheet. The final result was still passable.

After finishing her lessons, she secretly left some money and tonics for Granny Wang, then left with You Su to their favorite restaurant. It was funny, though; although they often ordered takeout from their restaurant, this was the first time the two of them had ever eaten there together. Because of You Su's arrival, the restaurant's business improved somewhat.

After eating and drinking their fill, the two had no intention of returning to their sect. They finally managed to hold hands and strolled around Chuyun City. Only then did Ji Lingruo begin to properly observe the city where she had lived for three years. Along the way, they encountered many people who recognized You Su. Ji Lingruo tried to pull her hand away, but You Su held it even tighter, making Ji Lingruo extremely embarrassed, like a young bride meeting her groom's family for the first time.

Before they knew it, the two of them strolled around, ate, and bought quite a few things. You Su's smile never faded, which made up for the regret of never having strolled Chuyun City with her junior sister.

After dinner, they took a walk together to the grassy area where they had fought True Man Ling. Looking back, You Su felt as if the experience was a dream, but fortunately, the most important people were by her side.

Throughout the day, neither of them tacitly expressed their sorrow at parting, focusing instead on enjoying their time alone together.

On the lawn, the boy and girl still held hands, whispering softly. No one could hear what they were saying; their voices were only audible to each other.

It was a beautiful night. A gentle breeze stirred, and the delicate flowers shyly closed their petals, drifting into a hazy slumber, yet exuding a faint fragrance.

Ji Lingruo sat up, looking at You Su sleeping face with reluctance, and finally couldn't resist leaning in to kiss the boy's lips.

"Second Young Lady." An old woman's figure appeared in the darkness, Granny Liu reminded her softly.

Ji Lingruo, and after a long while, their lips parted. Ji Lingruo stood up gracefully, looked at the old woman with a furrowed brow, and calmly said:

"Granny Liu, let's go."

"There's still some time before Chen Shi (7-9 AM)."

"No need."

Since they would meet again eventually, why linger over this fleeting moment? Ji Lingruo feared she might never want to go again. She turned back for one last look at You Su before disappearing into the darkness with Granny Liu.

Outside You Su's room, He Shutong stood upright in front of the door.

"Master, why hasn't Junior Brother returned?" Wangshu Fairy asked sweetly.

He was saying goodbye to his junior sister.

"Oh..."

He Shutong suddenly frowned, her fragile mind on the verge of collapse, but she still forced herself to endure the discomfort and softly said to her disciple:

"Wangshu, go and pick up your junior brother, we're going back to the peak."

"Yes."