Mu Tianyi's breathing quickened.
He vaguely sensed that the path that had troubled him for two years was finally beginning to take shape.
"Did you think of something?" Mu En watched the change in his great-grandson's expression, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.
Mu Tianyi looked up. Morning light streaming through the window reflected in his dark eyes as he said with certainty,
"Xuan Zu, I might... have found the direction."
He paused, then added,
"Reign Over the World is spiritual suppression, but it incorporates your Bright Sacred Dragon, Xuan Zu."
"I'm thinking that if I merge the sacred aura of the Bright Sacred Dragon and the aura of the Dark Sacred Dragon into Reign Over the World and release them together, creating a double spiritual crushing force..."
"This might be the breakthrough for a Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
Mu En froze for a moment.
Then the old man set down his teacup and threw back his head in laughter.
His laughter was full of vigor, making the study windows hum and tremble.
"Good, good, good!"
Mu En said "good" three times in a row, his laughter echoing through the study.
"Xuan Zu knew it. That brain of yours works far better than Xuan Zu's!"
After finishing a morning of cultivation,
Mu Tianyi walked back toward his little courtyard, his mind still replaying the cultivation method for Reign Over the World.
Mu En had taught in great detail today, breaking down everything from the use of spiritual power to the rhythm of releasing one's aura.
But Mu Tianyi's thoughts were more focused on the flash of inspiration he'd had that morning.
The more he considered merging the auras of the Bright Sacred Dragon and Dark Sacred Dragon into Reign Over the World, the more feasible it seemed.
When he reached the entrance to his courtyard, Mu Tianyi took out his key and opened the door.
Then he froze.
The scent of food drifted through the air, warm and steaming, carrying the charred fragrance of scallions stir-fried in oil and the sweet freshness of meat broth.
Mu Tianyi sniffed, then instinctively swallowed.
Though his courtyard was not large, it had a three-room layout.
There were two bedrooms, a quiet room for cultivation, and a living room connected to the kitchen and bathroom. It had everything he needed.
Normally, he only used the kitchen to boil water now and then. The stove was as clean as new.
But today...
Full of confusion, Mu Tianyi pushed open the door.
He crossed the living room and found the kitchen door half-open, with the fragrance wafting out from within.
He walked over and pushed it open.
The range hood hummed in the kitchen. A small clay pot simmered on the stove, bubbling with steam.
A slender figure stood before the stove.
Zhang Lexuan stood at the stove.
She was not wearing her usual black fitted outfit today. Instead, she wore a simple light-gray set of casual home clothes, her long hair loosely pinned behind her head with a wooden hairpin, several loose strands hanging beside her ears.
A pale-blue apron was tied around her waist, its strings forming a pretty bow behind her and outlining her slender figure perfectly.
She stirred the clay pot with a spoon, leaned down to smell it, then nodded in satisfaction, a faint curve appearing at the corner of her lips.
The afternoon sunlight spilled in through the window, falling across her profile and making the small stretch of fair neck visible beneath it seem almost translucent.
Mu Tianyi stood at the kitchen door and watched for two seconds.
Apron, home clothes, stove, sunlight.
This scene...
How should he put it?
It looked exactly like the classic image of a "virtuous wife and loving mother" from the television dramas of his previous life.
Mu Tianyi gave a dry cough. "Sister Lexuan?"
Zhang Lexuan turned around. When she saw him, a smile naturally spread across her face.
"You're back?"
As she spoke, she turned back to turn off the heat and lift the clay pot from the stove.
"Wait a moment, it'll be ready soon. Go sit in the dining room."
Her tone was as natural as if this were her own home.
Mu Tianyi's mouth twitched. The questions on his lips circled around twice, but in the end, he obediently left the kitchen and sat down at a chair in the dining room.
The dining table was small and wooden, covered with a light-colored tablecloth.
Several dishes had already been laid out.
A plate of stir-fried vegetables, bright and fresh green.
A bowl of braised pork ribs, richly colored with sauce and fragrant with meat.
A dish of cold wood ear mushrooms garnished with strips of red pepper and cilantro.
In the center was a small pot of winter melon pork rib soup that had just been brought out. The broth was clear, with a few drops of oil floating on top.
It was not a lavish spread, but every dish looked appetizing.
Mu Tianyi stared at the braised pork ribs for three seconds before his stomach let out a rumble.
He swallowed.
Honestly, as the Mu family's great-grandson, he had eaten plenty of good food in Shrek Academy's cafeteria.
But cafeteria food and freshly cooked home-style dishes like these were entirely different things.
Especially...
He truly had not expected Zhang Lexuan's cooking to be this good.
That fragrance alone had lured out every bit of hunger in his stomach.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the final dish was served.
It was a plate of scrambled eggs with scallions. Bright green scallions were scattered over the golden eggs, making it look utterly appetizing.
Zhang Lexuan came over carrying rice. She placed one bowl before Mu Tianyi, held the other herself, and sat down across from him.
"Try it."
The girl untied her apron, folded it, and set it on the empty chair beside her, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
Mu Tianyi did not stand on ceremony. He picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of braised pork rib first.
The moment it entered his mouth, his eyes lit up.
The ribs had been stewed until tender and flavorful. The sauce was rich and fragrant, and the meat slipped off the bone with the slightest bite.
The perfectly balanced salty-sweet sauce coated the meat, making every bite deeply satisfying.
"Delicious!"
Mu Tianyi praised her sincerely, then picked up some stir-fried vegetables.
They were crisp and tender, cooked to perfection. They retained the vegetables' natural sweetness without any raw taste.
Watching him eat until his eyes narrowed in delight, Zhang Lexuan's lips curved faintly as she lowered her head and took a bite of rice.
"Sister Lexuan, your cooking is incredible." Mu Tianyi took another sip of the winter melon soup. The broth was clear and fresh, while the winter melon had been stewed until translucent and melted in his mouth. "It's much better than the cafeteria."
The tips of Zhang Lexuan's ears reddened slightly. "I'm glad you like it."
After a pause, she added, "If you like it... I can cook for you every day."
Mu Tianyi's chopsticks paused.
Every day?
Why did that sound...
Before he could think further, Zhang Lexuan naturally changed the subject.
"Oh, right. There's something I need to tell you."
"Hmm?"
Zhang Lexuan put down her chopsticks, sat up slightly straighter, and looked at Mu Tianyi with a serious expression.
"It was Elder Mu's arrangement. He wants me to move in here and stay in the side bedroom next to yours."
Mu Tianyi stopped chewing his rib.
He looked up at the tightly shut door on the side of the living room.
His little courtyard had a two-bedroom layout. He lived in the master bedroom, while the side bedroom had always been empty, filled with some miscellaneous things.
Someone was moving in now?
Mu Tianyi blinked.
With his way of thinking, as soon as he connected the information, he understood almost instantly.
It was Xuan Zu's arrangement.
Sister Lexuan was moving in.
She would be living next door to him.
Wasn't it obvious?
Mu Tianyi fell silent for two seconds, picked up a piece of egg, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
Honestly, he did not dislike this arrangement.
Such a beautiful woman was exactly his type.
She was gentle but not without her own opinions, and she could cook too.
Why would he refuse having her move in with him?
He was just a little surprised.
His Xuan Zu had arranged things far too thoroughly.
He was already setting the two of them up to live together this early.
Would the next step be holding his great-great-grandchild directly?
Mu Tianyi's mouth twitched slightly as he flung that dangerous thought out of his mind.
"What? You don't welcome me?" Zhang Lexuan asked softly as she watched his shifting expression.
Her tone sounded calm, but the fingers holding her chopsticks tightened slightly.
Mu Tianyi came back to himself and broke into a grin.
"Of course you're welcome. Why wouldn't you be?"
He picked up some wood ear mushrooms, his tone casual yet sincere.
"If Sister Lexuan moves in, this courtyard will be livelier. And with your cooking, I couldn't ask for more."
Zhang Lexuan froze for a moment, then lowered her head, her lips curving into a soft smile.
"That's good."
She spoke softly, and the tension in her voice quietly faded away.
In truth, she knew perfectly well.
When Elder Mu told her to move in, she could have refused.
But she had not.
Or rather, she did not want to refuse.
On the night they returned from the Star Dou Great Forest, Zhang Lexuan lay in the single dormitory assigned by the Inner Court, tossing and turning as she thought about many things.
Elder Mu had saved her. The Mu family had given her this life.
When Elder Mu asked whether she was willing to become Mu Tianyi's fiancée, she nodded.
It was not to repay a debt.
At least, not entirely.
She had always remembered the way that eight-year-old boy had seriously told her by Sea God Lake, "If you have any trouble in the future, come find me."
His voice had not been loud, but his gaze had been sincere.
She had seen far too much hypocrisy, so she could distinguish genuine sincerity all the more clearly.
Since she was already his fiancée, there was nothing wrong with living a little closer to him.
She was only worried...
Would moving in so abruptly make him feel offended?
Would he think she was being too forward?
After all, he was still so young.
Though the way he spoke and acted always carried a maturity beyond his age, he was only eight years old in the end.
Zhang Lexuan secretly glanced at Mu Tianyi.
The boy was shoveling rice into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out as he ate. It was not exactly an elegant sight, but it somehow made her feel at ease.
Her lips curved as she picked up a rib from her bowl and placed it into his.
"Eat more."
Mu Tianyi looked up, his mouth still full of rice, and mumbled, "Thank you, Sister Lexuan," before lowering his head and continuing to eat.
The afternoon sunlight shone through the dining room window, falling over the two of them and stretching their shadows long, long behind them.
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