Sour Plum Drink

The night was as dark as ink, and the moon shone brightly.

Ji Xueruo sat cross-legged at the table, moonlight streaming through the gauze curtains onto her dark veil, like a thin layer of frost.

She ran her fingertips over the tattered scroll on the desk, but her eyes and brows were not on it. Instead, her posture as she sat and turned the pages seemed somewhat nonchalant, as if she were burying her head in the sand.

Suddenly she heard a soft creaking at the window. Looking up, she saw a furtive figure climbing in through the window, his dark hair slightly disheveled by the night wind, with a red plum petal still clinging to it.

She knew this guy would definitely come tonight.

"You dare come here again!" she snapped in a low voice.

The boy's movements didn't falter at all; instead, he gripped the window latch with his other hand, his movements so light as if afraid of disturbing a pool of spring water, his fluid and graceful manner reminiscent of someone who frequently sneaks into a woman's boudoir.

"Shh, Xue Ruo n't worry, I avoided the elders on night patrol, and didn't even scare away a bird."

He walked over to the girl without a second thought, swirling the half-melted Ice Cup in his hand as if he were returning home.

"Iced plum Sour Plum Drink, Sister Hong Xiao said it's a reward for those who have made great contributions, would you like to try some?"

Ji Xueruo turned her face away, staring at the White Plum Blossom shadows on the table. "Honors should enter through the main gate, not climb through the window."

"I'd like to go through the main gate, but I'm afraid the clan leader won't allow it." You Su chuckled, then opened the lid of the cup and took out the beautiful pink and white dessert inside.

Ji Xueruo being retorted, so she had no choice but to change the subject. "This reward is probably not from me, but from them to you, the great contributor."

"That's perfect! I was just afraid that if you gave it to me, I would bring it back to you. I tried a bite, and it's delicious, but a bit too sweet. It might be too much for one person, but it's just right for two. Here, open your mouth."

As he spoke, he scooped a spoonful of Sour Plum Drink with a spoon and pretended to feed it to the imposing chieftain.

Ji Xueruo leaned back, frowning, and said, "How dare you! You gave me food that you already ate?"

Upon hearing this, You Su picked up the cup on her table, drank it all in one gulp, and said, "I don't mind the water you drank from, come and try it."

Ji Xueruo knew she couldn't do anything about this guy's shamelessness, so she stepped back a little more and narrowed her beautiful eyes, saying:

"If you share the Sour Plum Drink with me, what about my junior sister?"

"I brought her a different kind of ice cream, and she ate it all by herself."

"So the one you brought for her was one you bought specifically, but the one you brought for me was a gift from someone else?" Ji Xueruo raised one eyebrow, staring at You Su with ill intent.

You Su shook his head with a wry smile, thinking to himself that this arrogant little snake was waiting for him here. He had no choice but to eat the spoonful of Sour Plum Drink himself, and then put the Ice Cup on the table, giving up the idea of feeding it by hand.

Seeing You Su's disappointed expression Ji Xueruo pursed her lips slightly, "Why aren't you explaining?"

"If I harbor resentment, what explanation can I offer?"

"You have a grudge? What grudge do you have?"

"I brought this plum Sour Plum Drink just to remind the clan leader that I've done a good job for the snake clan once and for all. Even Sister Hong Xiao and the others know to reward me, but you, as the clan leader, are turning a blind eye." You Su seemed to have not had enough and scooped up another spoonful and put it in her mouth.

"Didn't you say that because you're living under someone else's roof you have to put in more effort? Since it's your duty, why talk about a reward?" Ji Xueruo looked at You Su eating one bite after another and felt a little sorry for him.

"You call yourself the clan leader? If your subordinates say they don't want a reward, then they should be rewarded even more. Otherwise, how can you expect them to be willing to work for you again?"

Ji Xueruo sneered, snatched the Ice Cup he had almost finished eating, and placed it beside her, as if guarding her food:

"You humans are not hypocritical; we snakes are not like you."

You Su looked at her deeply furrowed brows and eyes, and felt that what used to frighten people now only made them find her cute.

"I don't think it's that I'm being hypocritical, but rather that I'm too considerate of the leaders."

"What have you thought of for me?"

"Miss Xue Ruo rewarded everyone in front of so many clansmen, but only gave me a word of praise. I even saw several elders who disliked me look reluctant to do so. However, I had no complaints, because I knew that Miss Xue Ruo was under tremendous pressure to give me this opportunity. If she were to take this opportunity to reward me handsomely, it would inevitably arouse suspicion among the clansmen. So, she deliberately did not reward me in public to prove that she was wholeheartedly for the clan and that she gave me this opportunity only for Ice Room, and not for me."

You Su had already slowly pressed forward, and the usually assertive Ji Xueruo was forced to lean back repeatedly, her eyes flashing.

"So, our wise and selfless clan leader, I have suffered a great injustice. If you don't reward me openly, surely you can reward me privately?"

Ji Xueruo had nowhere to retreat, the young man's eyes were so close, a blush crept onto her fair face:

"Don't be so clever. I don't have that kind of scheming... I'm just certain that if I don't reward you, you'll definitely..."

Before she could finish speaking, the girl shut her mouth and turned to glare at the smiling boy with shame and indignation.

"What am I sure of? I'm sure... I would sneak into the clan leader's palace at night to secretly ask Miss Xue Ruo for a reward? So, Miss Xue Ruo deliberately arranged for me to come here at night."

The boy's warm breath brushed against my cheek, but it was more scorching than the hot wind under the blazing sun.

Ji Xueruo extremely ashamed, but she didn't even have the confidence to push You Su away. Knowing that she had been tricked, she could only turn her head away to maintain her outward arrogance.

"Don't get carried away. What reward do you want from a mere Ice Room?"

You Su did not answer immediately. Ji Xueruo felt curious and turned her head again. The spoon drew a silver arc and brought the trembling Sour Plum Drink to her lips.

"Open your mouth." You Su's thumb gently brushed against her tightly pursed lips.

The girl's back was ramrod straight. As the head of her clan, she usually had to maintain her dignity even when eating, but at this moment, she seemed to have lost all her strength and could only let the boy's spoon touch her lips.

The instant the icy sweetness exploded on her tongue, she heard her heart pounding like a drum.

The Sour Plum Drink, coated with tiny plum blossom petals, released a refreshing coolness between the teeth. You Su's fingertips remained on her chin, his fingertips gently caressing her muscles, which were tense from nervousness.

"Is it sweet?" You Su's voice was tinged with laughter. "I knew Miss Xue Ruo would like it."

"Who, who likes..." Ji Xueruo turned her face away, suddenly realizing that there was still a little bit of Sour Plum Drink on the corner of her lips, and all traces of her usual dignity were gone.

She hurriedly raised her hand to wipe it, but You Su grabbed her wrist first.

"You like it. I don't dare to ask you directly, but I can always get information from them indirectly. Sister Hong Xiao said that the clan leader works very hard and is extremely restrained in her meals. Even in the sweltering summer when she has no appetite, she will finish all the desserts after meals. But even though she loves sweets so much, she only asks for a very small portion each time. I feel sorry for Miss Xue Ruo, so I thought of saving this Sour Plum Drink for you."

The young man spoke softly, his fingertips brushing against her lips, his movements so light as if afraid of startling a kingfisher from the eaves.

Ji Xueruo stared at him blankly, while You Su put the bit of Sour Plum Drink that had been wiped off into his mouth, and sighed as if savoring the taste:

"It's even sweeter."

Ji Xueruo was so ashamed that she almost hid under the table, but then she suddenly felt wronged. As the clan leader, all her armor seemed to be meaningless in front of this young man, leaving only her heart beating wildly in the warm night.

"Open your mouth." He handed her another spoonful.

"You're just being presumptuous..." she scolded playfully, but obediently opened her mouth, letting the second spoonful of Sour Plum Drink slide into her lips.

As the icy sweetness melted on her tongue, she suddenly realized that the weariness of being the clan leader was dissipating with the sweetness in her mouth, leaving only the handsome face of the young man and the moon outside the window, half-hidden by clouds.

"So the illustrious snake clan chieftain, even when eating dessert, licks the spoon with his tongue like a little snake," You Su teased, looking at the Ice Cup that had been completely empty.

Ji Xueruo sat up straight and said, "The rewards are over, there's nothing else—"

"There's one more thing," You Su interrupted, "I have a request."

What do you want?

"Please, Miss Xue Ruo, help me regain my memories."

"What nonsense are you spouting..." Ji Xueruo a little confused, but instinctively felt that You Su wouldn't be planning anything good again.

"I'm serious." You Su knelt before her, his gaze exceptionally sincere. "Although my cultivation has broken through to the Feather Transformation realm, I still feel unreal, without any sense of reality. But I think this realm shouldn't be unfamiliar to either of us, because we even broke through to the Half-step Void Glimpse at Jade Ring Pool. So... I would like to ask Miss Xue Ruo to help me recall what I felt back then, perhaps it can help me truly reach the Feather Transformation realm."

Ji Xueruo hearing this. Looking at the boy's serious expression, she murmured, "This... is it really feasible?"

"We'll only know if we try," You Su laughed. "Whenever I recall the cycles of reincarnation I spent with Miss Xue Ruo, all I can remember are her every smile and gesture; I have very little memory of the breakthrough experience. If it weren't for a real need, I'd rather only have Miss Xue Ruo in my memories."

Ji Xueruo these words, and she avoided eye contact with You Su.

She bit her lower lip, torn between Celestial Person. On one hand, she felt ashamed of her request, but on the other hand, she remembered the saying, "You'll only know if you try."

If this method is truly feasible, it will not only allow You Su to advance further on her cultivation path, but also benefit herself.

Now that things have come to this, she can't tell whether this is the boy's true thought or a trick he's using to lure her into practicing dual cultivation with her brother-in-law again.

All she knew was that if she really had the chance to return to that precious memory that had been repeated a thousand times, she couldn't refuse.

"Lingruo... do you know?"

"She knows." You Su had already taken her hand without her noticing.

Ji Xueruo glared at him reproachfully, but didn't pull her hand away. "Remember to tell her we're doing this for cultivation..."

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet it seemed to give You Su immense courage:

"Yes, of course, it's for cultivation."

The candlelight flickered in the room as the two sat facing each other.

Images from the past kept flashing through the girl's mind, and her cheeks grew increasingly hot. Those intimate moments with You Su surged back like a tide, leaving her somewhat at a loss.

The moment their fingers intertwined, all the hesitation and reluctance turned into a soft sigh.

Outside the window, the cicadas' chirping suddenly subsided, leaving only moonlight and sweet fragrance. In the shadows where two figures intertwined, a tenderness more real than any illusion was woven.

It wasn't until the very end that Ji Xueruo realized the purpose behind this scheming guy bringing her a bowl of Sour Plum Drink; all his sweet talk before was just a sugar-coated bullet.

His true purpose was simply because, during the cycle of illusion, the opportunity for him to break through to the next level of enlightenment was precisely the realization of his true nature at that time...

A day later, the Ice Room was shrouded in icy mist. You Su stood under the blue brick wall with his sleeves rolled up, his fingertips caressing the newly carved Volcanic Rock Mold.

To repay Miss Xue Ruo's kindness, he specially summoned Hong Xiao, Xiao Ling, and other women to plot their great cause once again.

On the table were seven Glazed Cup, each filled with a different kind of shaved ice: a small mountain of Milk Snow Cream topped with chopped sour plums; Snowflake Crisp made from pounded glutinous rice, coated with Gardenia Honey, gleaming warmly in a porcelain bowl; and most exquisite of all, Ice Jelly strained through a bamboo strainer, its amber broth floating with tiny ice crystals formed from frozen Rose Dew, like a galaxy crushed and sealed within the bowl.

"Young Master You, the market stalls are all set up." A silver Hong Xiao rang at the entrance of the Ice Room. Xiao Ling, hiding behind her, clutched her skirt, her fingertips still stained with lingering sugar frosting. "Xiao Ling has prepared all the 'tasting' cups you mentioned, but... but those elders..."

"Are you afraid I'll poison you?" You Su chuckled. "I've already proven that mortal methods aren't necessarily inferior to Immortal Method, and the same goes for the desserts that mortals eat. You are, after all, cultivators, and when it comes to enjoyment, you are actually a hundred thousand miles behind mortals who have shorter lifespans."

The women all agreed wholeheartedly, without a trace of doubt. The reason, of course, was that they had all tasted the novel chilled desserts developed by You Su and had long been captivated by their delicious color, aroma, and taste.

The market was located in the center of the ancestral land of the snake clan. Bamboo stalls were set up on both sides of the bluestone road. In the past, the stalls selling Shark Silk and spices were now surrounded by snake women whispering among themselves.

Hong Xiao placed the carved wooden box on the table. When she opened it, the rising steam made the women gasp in surprise—in six celadon dishes, various frozen treats displayed their beauty: a small snow mountain made of sorbet with candied plum branches inserted, Ice Jelly shimmering with tiny rainbows in Glazed Cup, and the most wonderful of all, Milk Roll frozen in bamboo tubes, wrapped in Coconut Flakes shimmering softly in the sunlight.

"This... this is really made of ice?"

You Su was up to with Hong Xiao, stepped forward, her golden scales shimmering in the mist.

There were quite a few snake women as excited as her, and everyone gathered around when they saw this. It was because the pastries and the like made by the snake tribe were usually too simple, and this was the first time they had ever seen such beautifully presented desserts.

Development in aspects such as clothing, food, housing, and transportation is closely related to the level of education.

Such an impact was undoubtedly enormous for these snake women. Women are naturally fond of beauty, and snake women are even more so. Seeing these exquisitely presented desserts, they didn't even need to know how they tasted; just looking at them was enough to make them extremely happy.

Xiao Ling gripped the porcelain spoon used for tasting, her voice sweet as honey. "Sister Jin, try this Lychee Ice Cream. The milk is condensed by hanging it in a bamboo tube from the ceiling of the Ice Room, and the lychees are soaked in mint water. You can hear cicadas chirping when you bite into it." She suddenly remembered what You Su had taught her, and her ears turned red. "Young Master You said that sweetness is the antidote to summer heat, and ice is the clothing of sweetness."

The first snake woman to taste the sorbet had dewdrops clinging to her eyelashes. Her eyes lit up when her tongue touched the crushed plum. "Even more refreshing than the Plum Wine the elders brew!" Her fingertips unconsciously traced the rim of the bowl. "I always thought human food was crude, I never imagined it could be so exquisite..."

You Su stood behind, smiling without saying a word. The two races were inherently opposed, and it was common for them to slander each other in front of their own people. Just like how most people in the human race thought that the Demon Race were all brutes with three heads and six arms and big backs, they would never have imagined that there was such a beautiful and colorful Daughter Country.

"In my opinion, it's not that human artifacts are exquisite, but rather that Young Master You's ingenuity is truly unparalleled!"

Hong Xiao happily handed out the sweet soup to her sisters who were "thirsty for ice," but she didn't forget to boast about You Su's contribution.

During this time, she spent a lot of time with You Su and found that the young man was not only handsome and good-looking, but also gentle, knowledgeable, and exceptionally talented. She couldn't see any flaws at all. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't surprising that the Second Young Lady could fall for him.

Upon hearing this, the snake women cried out in delight, all casting fiery gazes at You Su, no longer scrutinizing him with the coldness they had shown a few days ago.

At this moment You Su not only allowed every woman in the snake tribe to use ice at will, but also gave them a deeper level of enjoyment. How could anyone think that You Su was there to cause them trouble? He was clearly there to help them improve their lives!

Even without Ji Lingruo's previous explanation, they would definitely believe that the so-called Evil Demon rumors from the outside world were a blatant frame-up against Young Master You!

The hustle and bustle of the market spread like melting sugar water. When the seventh basket of exquisite desserts was completely devoured, Xiao Ling suddenly noticed that the snake women who had previously looked down on You Su were now all surrounding Hong Xiao, asking her how to make them.

You Su was very satisfied with the change. He quietly pulled Hong Xiao aside and coughed lightly, "Sister Hong Xiao, the Second Young Lady instructed that all of the Eldest Young Lady's desserts after meals will be replaced with these newly made styles. She said she will definitely like them."

"Second Young Lady. I'll change it." Hong Xiao smiled and agreed, then put the two bowls of chilled desserts that You Su had asked her to leave behind in the basket and handed them to You Su.

You Su thanked him and accepted the gift, then left alone.

Hong Xiao watched the young man's departing figure with a hint of curiosity. Why was the Second Young Lady's request being given to Young Master You?

Meanwhile, in the Snake Mountain Bamboo Hut, the sun blazed fiercely, and the volcano roared.

The ethereal Fairy, with her elegant face, struggled to enter a meditative state for a long time. Her plain white silk robe was already soaked with fragrant sweat, and the double phoenix patterned silk on her chest shone with a translucent light and shadow through the damp patches.

She pulled open her robe slightly, looking somewhat impatient; this Fairy, who was always as serene as a lotus, now revealed a hint of annoyance.

"Why isn't Su'er dreaming yet...? She's clearly lingering in the dream, has she even forgotten her Mistress...?"