Ye Qianxue's Departure

Ye Xiao and Huo Wu were highly efficient. Before long, the two returned home laden with large and small bags.

Ye Xiao carried a heavy sack filled with premium Fruitwood Charcoal and several packets of Secret Seasoning Powder in different flavors.

Huo Wu carried a large Bamboo Basket in each hand. One was filled with freshly prepared meats: ribs with a perfect balance of lean and fat, tender Lamb Leg Meat, skewered Chicken Wings, and chunks of unidentified Spirit Beast meat.

The other basket contained colorful vegetables—mushrooms, green peppers, corn, eggplants, and even several crisp, fresh Chinese Cabbages.

There was a wide variety, and plenty of it. Clearly, it was not just meant for the three of them. Ye Xiao had also considered inviting Ye Lingling, Dugu Yan, and the others over in a couple of days.

When Ye Qianxue, who had been admiring the sunset, saw them return, a bright smile immediately bloomed across her face. Her Golden eyes sparkled with anticipation.

She hurried over and naturally reached out to take the heaviest sack of charcoal from Ye Xiao.

"Father, let me help!"

Ye Xiao had wanted to refuse, but when he saw the filial look in his daughter's eyes, he let go.

Ye Qianxue effortlessly lifted the sack, which weighed dozens of pounds, with one hand as though she were carrying a bag of cotton. Huo Wu, standing nearby, secretly clicked her tongue in amazement.

"The grill is over there. I specially picked a flat spot sheltered from the wind." Huo Wu pointed toward one side of the clearing, where a clean area had already been cleared.

The three of them got to work together.

Although Ye Qianxue was of noble status and possessed extraordinary strength, she worked with remarkable efficiency, without the slightest trace of delicacy.

She also looked extremely practiced.

She first skillfully placed the heavy Iron Grill in its intended position, then slightly adjusted the angle of its supports according to the terrain to ensure it was stable and heated evenly.

Next, she accepted the Fruitwood Charcoal Ye Xiao handed her. A nearly imperceptible Golden Spark flickered across her fingertips and ignited the center of the Charcoal Pile.

Without using any accelerant, the Charcoal Fire began burning steadily and vigorously, soon radiating heat infused with Fruity Fragrance.

Ye Xiao began preparing the Ingredients.

Huo Wu helped wash the vegetables and threaded them onto clean Bamboo Skewers.

Ye Qianxue did not remain idle either. She voluntarily took on the task of preparing the tableware and laying out a simple picnic cloth.

She seemed to understand Ye Xiao's tastes very well. Even he could not help nodding in praise at the Dipping Sauce she mixed.

The tempting fragrance of seasonings mingled with Ingredients gradually filled the air.

Ye Xiao focused on turning the Meat Skewers on the grill. Huo Wu chattered away about which vegetables tasted best grilled, while Ye Qianxue rested her chin in her hand and watched her father's busy back without blinking, her eyes filled with contentment and deep attachment.

To her, this was not merely a barbecue. It was a rare, happy moment spent with her father and a mother after crossing vast stretches of time and bearing so many responsibilities.

The conflicts of the God Realm, the rights and responsibilities of the family, and the uncertainties of the future all seemed temporarily shut out by the warmth of the Charcoal Fire and the aroma of food.

How long had it been since things were like this?

Ye Xiao evenly sprinkled seasoning over the first batch of sizzling, grease-dripping Meat Skewers. The rich aroma instantly burst forth.

"Alright, dig in." Ye Xiao handed several perfectly grilled Meat Skewers to Huo Wu and Ye Qianxue.

Ye Qianxue accepted the still scorching Meat Skewer, gently blew on it, then carefully took a bite.

A familiar yet long-lost taste blossomed on her tongue. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she revealed an incomparably happy, nostalgic smile.

"Mmm! This is the taste! Father's barbecue is the best!"

The lingering warmth of the Charcoal Fire gradually faded, and the last few skewers on the grill had long since gone cold.

The Charred Aroma of grease and seasoning still lingered in the air, mingling with the bitter freshness of the nighttime Grass and Trees.

Ye Qianxue set down the empty Bamboo Skewer in her hand, raised her head, and quietly looked at Ye Xiao.

Firelight danced across her face, illuminating her flawless features.

But at this moment, her expression was somewhat complicated. There was attachment, reluctance, and the clear-eyed understanding that she had to leave.

"Father." She spoke softly, her voice gentler than ever. "I... have to go."

The smile on Ye Xiao's face slowly faded at that moment.

He said nothing. He merely looked quietly at the daughter from the future standing before him.

Though they had only spent a single day together, every moment of that day had made him truly feel that this girl was his child.

The farewell had come too quickly.

Huo Wu set down the Meat Skewer in her hand, rose to her feet, and took the initiative to walk over to Ye Qianxue.

She said nothing unnecessary. She simply opened her arms and gently embraced the daughter she had only recently met, yet already felt incomparably close to.

"There will be time in the future." Huo Wu's voice carried a hint of bright consolation, though she could not conceal its nasal edge. "Next year, the year after that, and many, many more years."

Ye Qianxue buried her face in Huo Wu's shoulder and took a deep breath.

Then she released the embrace, stepped back, and nodded firmly.

"Mm!" She nodded heavily, and tears seemed to flash at the corners of her eyes.

"Father, Mother Huowu, I'm leaving."

Her voice regained its calmness and even carried a smile.

Yet the reluctance in her eyes was too deep to dissolve.

Ye Xiao rose to his feet as well.

He looked at Ye Qianxue and solemnly waved. "Come again next year."

Four simple words—no attempt to keep her, no sorrow—yet they surpassed a thousand words.

They were an agreement, and a promise.

Once the Chat Group upgraded in the future, perhaps she would be able to stay here for a long time.

Ye Qianxue froze for a moment, then broke into a radiant smile.

Her smile was sweet and brilliant, like fireworks suddenly blooming across the night sky.

The next moment, Star Brilliance rippled outward.

Her figure gradually faded and grew faint, until she finally merged completely into the night.

A clear, cool aura of starlight slowly drifted away in the Night Wind.

The clearing returned to silence.

Huo Wu and Ye Xiao stood side by side, gazing at the now-empty direction in silence for a long time.

Then Huo Wu softly sighed, pulled Ye Xiao along, and sat back down on the grass.

She picked up a Meat Skewer that had already gone cold and took a bite. As she chewed, she found that it no longer tasted as good as it had before.

"Ah..." Resting her cheek in her hand, she gazed up at the night sky, revealing a rare trace of melancholy. "In the end, we're not people from the same world."

Distance, time and space, the future and the present—those grand words became incomparably tangible at that moment.

The girl who called her mother had come from a distant future, possessed powerful strength, and bore a heavy mission.

And she herself was still only a Soul Master slowly cultivating at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Ye Xiao said nothing. He only reached out and gently rubbed Huo Wu's head.

The gesture was tender and comforting.

Huo Wu froze, then, like an angry little cat with its fur standing on end, turned her head in displeasure, shoved his hand away, puffed out her cheeks, and protested, "Hey! I'm the older sister, and you're the stinky Younger Brother, got it?!"