"Perfume." A flash of inspiration passed through Zhang Hupan's mind. He had been living among mortals for almost four months now, and had come into contact with many different kinds of women, especially at the bar. He knew very well how important perfume was to women.
Having decided that giving her perfume was a pretty good idea, Zhang Hupan naturally prepared to put it into action at once. He knew perfectly well that good perfume was very expensive. The last time, Fatty Hu Zhiming had spent nearly two thousand yuan to buy a bottle of Chanel that was supposedly decent, all to pursue a plump girl. Although Zhang Hupan possessed countless priceless treasures, in a certain sense he was also a very poor college student. He rarely had more than a thousand yuan in his pocket; otherwise, he would not have needed to work at the bar. Thus, buying perfume at a mall was unrealistic for Zhang Hupan, whose finances were rather tight. However, this posed no difficulty for him. One must not forget that he was a Nascent Soul Stage expert, an immortal who understood plants even better than a botanist. Perfume was nothing more than the extraction and processing of various plant essences. Although chemical synthesis was now commonly used to make perfume, how could such perfume compare with the purely natural kind?
Ambergris, Thousand-Year Agarwood, Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus... Precious plants that drove the world mad appeared one after another in Zhang Hupan's palm. Their delicate fragrances filled the air above him. Misty droplets spiraled out of those precious plants, flying against Earth's gravity and gathering like vapor above Zhang Hupan's palm. Gradually, the fragrant mist seemed to be drawn together by an immense force, converging until it formed a crystal-clear droplet about the size of a quail egg, suspended above his palm.
A flawless, crystal-clear Ten-Thousand-Year Crystal floated in midair, refracting a dazzling rainbow under the sunlight. Zhang Hupan softly recited a few incantations and traced several strokes in the air with his finger. The Ten-Thousand-Year Crystal immediately began spinning rapidly, radiating brilliant, multicolored light beneath the sun. If Liu Xizhen had seen it then, she would certainly have been stunned by the mysterious and wondrous world of color before her. Unfortunately, she was still completely unaware of it as she showered.
Soon, Zhang Hupan used his supreme magical power to shape the Ten-Thousand-Year Crystal into a dazzling, crystal-clear conical container. If a diamond or jewelry-processing master had seen the radiant crystal vessel in Zhang Hupan's hand, he would certainly have regarded it as a stroke of divine inspiration and marveled at it as an unparalleled masterpiece. There were no traces of craftsmanship, as if it had formed naturally, yet the principles of optics had been brought into full play, allowing light to reflect perfectly across the crystal vessel.
The perfume condensed in the air, the size of a quail egg, split off a thin, transparent stream that flowed continuously through the air and into the crystal vessel. The suspended "quail egg" gradually shrank, finally vanishing into thin air and leaving behind only a faint, refreshing fragrance. The crystal vessel filled with precious perfume stood quietly in Zhang Hupan's palm, shining brilliantly. Through the crystal, one could see the clear, crystalline perfume within. The combination of perfume and crystal looked so perfect and noble that no one could escape its allure. Zhang Hupan seemed quite satisfied with the gift he had thought up and made on the spur of the moment. He smiled as he looked at the perfume in his hand, then slipped it into his pocket, preparing to give Liu Xizhen a surprise.
Since her father's death, Liu Xizhen had never again felt such familial warmth. Whenever she went exercising or mountain climbing with her father, she would hurry upstairs to shower afterward while her father busied himself preparing delicious food. Now she was also showering upstairs, while a man downstairs was preparing lunch for her. The scene was so similar. Although this man was merely a freshman, the warmth of family still moved Liu Xizhen deeply. Tears slipped down her cheeks, only to be washed away by the running water. The hardships of life—her uncles' bullying, her boyfriend's abandonment, and raising her daughter—had taught Liu Xizhen to be strong over the years, and also to live behind a mask. Only when she was with Zhang Hupan, this especially approachable freshman, did she inexplicably feel a little relaxed, free, and warm, allowing some of the coquettishness unique to women to return.
When Liu Xizhen appeared at the top of the stairs, her alluring appearance—fresh as a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful and untouched by artifice—made Zhang Hupan, a centenarian, forget everything. He stared blankly at Liu Xizhen as she walked toward him step by step, radiating charm.
"Bookworm, have you never seen a beauty before?" Liu Xizhen cast him a coquettish glance and chided him.
"N-no, no, no!" Zhang Hupan had none of the bearing of a Nascent Soul Stage expert at that moment. If a Wudang disciple had seen their patriarch acting like such an idiot and making such a spectacle of himself, who knew whether they might have chosen to leave the sect voluntarily.
"Giggle!" Seeing Zhang Hupan so flustered, Liu Xizhen could not stop herself from trembling with laughter. Although she knew that Zhang Hupan was only a freshman while she was an older single mother, and that an insurmountable gulf lay between them, Liu Xizhen still felt extremely happy.
As a mid-Nascent Soul Stage expert and the highest-ranking existence in the Wudang Sect, when had Zhang Hupan ever behaved so awkwardly? And in front of a beauty, no less. Of course, the incident at Wudang Mountain did not count. Even though Zhang Hupan had long since become immortal and his skin was thick enough to stop bullets, he still could not prevent a blush from spreading across his face.
Suddenly, Liu Xizhen's adorable little nose twitched. She hurriedly searched for the source of the fragrance with her eyes. When her gaze landed on the Hangzhou Cuisine spread across the dining table, complete in color, aroma, flavor, and presentation, she completely forgot her dignity. With a delicate cry of "Ah!", she flew down the stairs and rushed to the table. Looking at the sumptuous, enticing dishes before her, tears glistened in her beautiful eyes. After a moment, she suddenly turned around and quickly kissed Zhang Hupan on the cheek. With his abilities, Zhang Hupan could easily have avoided this unexpected stroke of romantic fortune. Fortunately, he was not a cultivation expert with zero emotional intelligence and did not make such a dismaying move. Even so, the lingering warmth of Liu Xizhen's lips on his cheek left Zhang Hupan, who had never experienced such an encounter, utterly helpless, his mind completely blank.
While Zhang Hupan stood there like a wooden statue, Liu Xizhen cheered and hopped once like a mischievous girl. Then, completely disregarding her status, she quickly picked up a piece of Braised Pork Ribs with her slender hand and stuffed it into her cherry-red mouth. She smacked her lips as she ate, and when she finished, she even slipped her jade finger into her mouth and sucked it enticingly. Poor Zhang Hupan had not yet recovered from the kiss when the beauty's inelegant yet alluring way of eating stunned him all over again.
"This is delicious! I've never eaten such tasty Braised Pork Ribs in my life! It would be a real waste if you didn't become a chef!" With her mouth full of ribs, she sucked on her fingers and mumbled to Zhang Hupan.
Although Zhang Hupan had complete confidence in the skills he had honed through a century of experience, Liu Xizhen's praise still allowed him to quietly let go of the worry he had been holding inside. He was secretly delighted. Smiling, he said, "It's nothing special. As long as you like it, Sister Xizhen, I'll cook for you often from now on!"
"Really?" Hearing Zhang Hupan say that, Liu Xizhen unexpectedly revealed a girlish expression and gazed at him with eyes full of anticipation.
Who could resist a beauty's hopeful gaze? Even a mid-Nascent Soul Stage expert could not. Thus, our comrade Zhang Hupan hurriedly promised again and again that he would cook more often for her, stopping just short of swearing an oath. (To be continued)
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