Top-Grade Perfume

"Perfume," a lightbulb went off in Zhang Hupan's mind. It had been almost four months since he'd entered the mortal world, and he'd encountered many different types of women, especially in the bars. Zhang Hupan knew very well how important perfume was to women.

Since he'd decided that giving perfume was a pretty good idea, Zhang Hupan naturally prepared to act on it immediately. Good perfumes were very expensive; Zhang Hupan was well aware of this. The last time, Fatty Hu Zhiming had spent almost two thousand yuan to buy a bottle of Chanel, which was rumored to be quite good, just to chase after a chubby girl. Although Zhang Hupan possessed countless priceless treasures, in a sense, he was also a very poor college student, rarely having more than a thousand yuan in his pocket. Otherwise, he wouldn't have to work in a bar. Therefore, buying perfume at a department store was unrealistic for the financially strained Zhang Hupan. However, this didn't stump Zhang Hupan. Don't forget he was a Nascent Soul Stage expert, a celestial being who understood plants better than any botanist. Perfume was nothing more than extracting different plant juices and processing them. Although many chemical synthesis methods were used to make perfume nowadays, how could those perfumes compare to all-natural ones?

Ambergris, Thousand-Year Agarwood, Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus... precious plants that drove the world crazy, appeared from time to time in Zhang Hupan's palm. A fragrant aroma that permeated the nose filled the air above Zhang Hupan. Droplets of liquid, like swirling mist, gathered above Zhang Hupan's palm from those precious plants, defying the principles of gravity, like mist. Slowly, the fragrant mist water, as if drawn by a powerful force, converged, finally forming a crystal-clear droplet the size of a quail egg, suspended above Zhang Hupan's palm.

A flawless, crystal-clear Ten-Thousand-Year Crystal, refracting colorful light under the sun, floated in mid-air. Zhang Hupan uttered a few incantations and traced a few lines in the void with his finger. The Ten-Thousand-Year Crystal instantly began to spin at high speed in the air, emitting dazzling, multicolored light under the sun. If Liu Xizhen were here, she would surely be stunned by the mysterious and wondrous world of brilliant colors before her. Unfortunately, she was still showering, completely unaware.

Soon, the Ten-Thousand-Year Crystal was transformed by Zhang Hupan's supreme magical power into a radiant, crystal-clear conical container. If a master craftsman of diamonds and jewelry were to see the dazzling crystal container in Zhang Hupan's hand at this moment, they would surely consider it a stroke of genius, an unparalleled masterpiece. There were no traces of processing; it seemed entirely natural, yet it perfectly utilized the principles of optics, allowing light to reflect fully on the crystal container.

The quail-egg-sized perfume condensate, suspended in the air, separated into a thin, transparent stream. It continuously flowed in the air into the crystal container. The suspended "quail egg" gradually shrank, finally disappearing into the air, leaving only a faint, refreshing fragrance lingering in the space. The crystal container, filled with precious perfume, stood quietly in Zhang Hupan's palm, radiating light. Through the crystal, one could see the clear, transparent perfume. The combination of the perfume and the crystal container looked so perfect and noble that one's eyes could not escape its allure. Zhang Hupan seemed quite satisfied with the gift he had spontaneously thought of and created. He smiled, looked at the perfume in his hand, then put it in his pocket, preparing to give Liu Xizhen a surprise.

Since her father's passing, Liu Xizhen had never felt the warmth of family as she did today. Every time she went hiking or exercising with her father, she would always rush upstairs to take a shower, while her father would busily prepare a delicious meal. Now, she was also showering upstairs, and a man downstairs was preparing lunch for her. The scene was so similar. Although this man was just a freshman, the feeling of family warmth strongly moved Liu Xizhen, and tears involuntarily flowed down, only to be washed away without a trace by the running water. The hardships of life – bullying from uncles, abandonment by her boyfriend, and raising her daughter – had taught Liu Xizhen to be strong over the years, and also to live with a mask on. Only when she was with Zhang Hupan, this incredibly approachable freshman, did she inexplicably feel a sense of relaxation, freedom, and warmth, regaining some of her feminine tenderness.

When Liu Xizhen appeared at the top of the stairs, her alluring appearance, like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally unadorned, made the centuries-old Zhang Hupan forget everything. His eyes were fixed on Liu Xizhen, who was walking towards him step by step with captivating charm.

"Bookworm, haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman!" Liu Xizhen playfully glanced at Zhang Hupan, chiding him.

"No, no, no!" Zhang Hupan now had none of the demeanor of a Nascent Soul Stage expert. If any Wudang disciple saw their ancestor acting so foolishly, so out of sorts, they might choose to leave the sect voluntarily.

"Hehe!" Seeing Zhang Hupan so flustered, Liu Xizhen couldn't help but giggle, her body shaking with laughter. Although she knew Zhang Hupan was just a freshman and she was an older single mother, with an insurmountable gap between them, Liu Xizhen still felt very happy.

As a mid-stage Nascent Soul expert, the highest existence in the Wudang Sect, when had Zhang Hupan ever been so flustered, especially in front of a beautiful woman? Of course, that time on Wudang Mountain didn't count. Even though Zhang Hupan was already immortal and his skin could withstand bullets, he couldn't help but blush.

Suddenly, Liu Xizhen's cute little nose twitched, and she quickly scanned with her eyes to find the source of the aroma. When her gaze fell upon the Hangzhou-style dishes displayed on the dining table, which were perfect in color, aroma, taste, and form, she completely forgot her image and exclaimed, "Ah!" She leaped down the stairs and rushed to the dining table, looking at the incredibly rich and appetizing dishes before her. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes. After a moment, she suddenly turned and quickly pecked Zhang Hupan on the cheek. Although Zhang Hupan's skills were more than enough to avoid this unexpected fortune, thankfully, Zhang Hupan wasn't a cultivation expert with zero emotional intelligence and didn't do anything so embarrassing. However, the lingering taste of her lips on his cheek left Zhang Hupan, who had never experienced such an encounter, in a state of helplessness and mental blankness.

While Zhang Hupan stood there like a block of wood, Liu Xizhen, like a mischievous little girl, cheered and jumped. Then, completely disregarding her status, she quickly picked up a piece of braised pork rib with her delicate hands and popped it into her cherry-like mouth, eating it with a "slurp, slurp." Afterward, she didn't forget to stick her slender finger into her mouth and suck it alluringly. Poor Zhang Hupan hadn't recovered from the kiss yet and was once again stunned by the beauty's ungraceful yet incredibly enticing way of eating.

"This is delicious! I've never eaten such delicious braised pork ribs in my life! It's a waste that you're not a chef!" she mumbled to Zhang Hupan, her mouth full of ribs, while sucking her fingers.

Although confident in his skills, honed by a hundred years of practice, Zhang Hupan's heart quietly settled upon hearing Liu Xizhen's praise, and he was secretly happy. He smiled and said, "It's just alright. As long as Sister Xizhen likes it, I'll cook it for you often in the future!"

"Really!" Hearing Zhang Hupan say that, Liu Xizhen surprisingly showed a rare girlish expression, looking at Zhang Hupan with expectant eyes.

Who could resist a beautiful woman's expectant gaze? Not even a mid-stage Nascent Soul expert. And so, Comrade Zhang Hupan hurriedly promised repeatedly to cook more meals, almost to the point of swearing. (To be continued)