At the Heavenly Kitchen Pavilion, Xue Xi wielded her knife herself. Before long, one delicious-looking dish after another took shape beneath her hands. Ai Chen propped her head up by the window and gazed dreamily at Xue Xi's every move.
The Culinary Spirit Fire she had pulled over from the Cultivation Planet scattered pale yellow sunlight from high above. It streamed through the kitchen windows and fell on Xue Xi, while faint specks of light drifted through the air. Her rolled-up sleeves revealed her fair arms, and her high ponytail swayed with every rise and fall of the knife. In perfect harmony with the kitchen's rhythm, the focused Xue Xi seemed wrapped in a warm veil of light, lively and charming.
Ai Chen slowly became entranced, her heart stirring without her noticing. Only when Xue Xi tapped the Abyssal Pot with her wok ladle, producing a clear ringing sound, did Ai Chen snap out of it. "Hey, hey, Ai Chen, give me a hand! What are you spacing out for? Take these finished dishes out first. I'll be out as soon as I finish two more."
Ai Chen came to her senses and stood at attention, the blush on her face vanishing in an instant. "Oh, right! Then send me out first, okay? Hurry, everyone's waiting for you!"
Xue Xi, absorbed in her work, didn't notice anything amiss. She watched Ai Chen gather up the dishes on the counter, nodded, and sent her out of her Internal World before returning to her work.
Ai Chen's vision blurred, and she found herself back in the loft where everyone had gathered. They were talking about their experiences over the years, especially Luo Feng's adventures in the Xueluo World. Rong Jun was so captivated that he wished he could grab a greatsword and