A Woman Who Always Had to Be Strong

After Lazuli left, Mo Yuan quickly conjured a set of clothes and put them on.

His original clothes had been torn apart when his body expanded.

Once he was dressed, Mo Yuan hurried after Lazuli.

"Big sister, go get some rest. I'll call you when the food's ready."

Mo Yuan had noticed the bloodshot eyes and exhausted look on Lazuli's face earlier.

She must not have gotten any rest while he was in trouble.

Mo Yuan couldn't help feeling warm inside.

It felt good to have someone care about him.

Ever since his parents had died in his previous life, no one had worried about him.

No one had ever looked after him like this, either.

"Are you sure you can manage?"

Lazuli looked at Mo Yuan with some doubt.

She wasn't questioning his cooking skills, of course. She was worried that he hadn't fully recovered yet.

"Of course I can!"

As he spoke, Mo Yuan flexed his biceps.

"Look, I'm completely fine now. You're the one who'll wear yourself out if you don't get some rest."

"Don't underestimate me, big sister o(´^｀)o. I have boundless stamina and unlimited energy!"

Lazuli looked utterly smug.

Mo Yuan pushed her toward the bed, guiding her by the back.

As he pushed, he played along. "That's right! You're the best, big sister. But you haven't rested in so long. It'll break my heart."

"I'm only resting because I don't want to break your heart, not because I'm tired."

A woman who always had to be strong still insisted on putting up a brave front, even when she could barely keep her eyes open.

Mo Yuan thought, Ha. Even the Omni-King could erase the universe, but he couldn't erase that mouth of yours.

Out loud, Mo Yuan said, "That's right, that's right. So, to keep me from worrying, please get some rest. I'll come call you as soon as dinner's ready."

He settled Lazuli on the bed and tucked her in.

The temperature had already dropped to minus fifty degrees, so she needed a blanket.

But to make sure Lazuli slept comfortably, Mo Yuan also set up an energy barrier beside her.

The barrier had no other function; it only blocked out the cold.

As soon as Mo Yuan set it up, the temperature around them rose from minus fifty to about twenty degrees.

That was a very comfortable temperature for sleeping.

The moment Lazuli's head touched the pillow, a powerful wave of sleepiness washed over her.

When something had gone wrong with Mo Yuan's cultivation, she had been on edge the whole time. Her fear had been so intense that she hadn't felt sleepy at all.

Now that Mo Yuan had recovered, all the tension she'd been holding onto suddenly melted away.

As soon as she relaxed, sleepiness came rushing over her like a tide.

Sure enough, it wasn't long after she lay down that her eyes closed and her breathing grew steady.

Seeing the exhaustion written across Lazuli's beautiful face, Mo Yuan couldn't help feeling a pang of heartache.

He gently brushed a hand across her face.

Her skin was soft and smooth. Lazuli's complexion was so fine and flawless that there wasn't a blemish to be seen.

This wasn't the first time Mo Yuan had touched Lazuli's face, but it felt different from every other time.

Without realizing it, Mo Yuan's fingers came to rest on Lazuli's red lips. The softness beneath his fingertips left his thoughts wandering.

So soft. I want to...

Certain indescribable scenes appeared in his mind.

Suddenly, Mo Yuan jerked his hand back as if he'd been shocked.

His fair face flushed bright red.

Then he fled in a panic.

After Mo Yuan left, Lazuli opened her eyes where she lay on the bed.

She slipped a hand out from under the blanket and touched the spot Mo Yuan had just brushed.

Then her fingers came to rest on her lips.

A trace of embarrassment flickered in Lazuli's beautiful eyes.

An unnatural blush appeared on her face.

At that moment, some feelings she couldn't quite put into words stirred in Lazuli's heart.

"Ah~"

Lazuli let out a bashful little cry, so quiet that almost no one but her could hear it.

Then she turned onto her side, pulled the blanket up, curled into a ball, and hid herself beneath it.

Perhaps because of her constitution, Lazuli wasn't very fond of meat.

What she loved most was soup.

The last time Mo Yuan had made a pot of slow-simmered soup, Lazuli had been amazed after tasting it.

Once Mo Yuan realized how much Lazuli liked soup, he started making a pot almost every day, with a different recipe each time.

As a Cantonese person in his previous life, making soup seemed to be written into his genes. He could whip up any kind of soup with ease.

Today, Mo Yuan planned to make Lazuli some "Codonopsis and Astragalus Chicken Soup" to nourish her.

She probably didn't need any medicinal nourishment, given her constitution...

But the soup tasted great, and Lazuli loved it.

After simmering the chicken soup for an hour,

the old hen had turned into a tender old hen.

Mo Yuan lifted the lid of the clay pot.

In an instant,

a cloud of steam billowed out of the pot, its molecules spreading through the air.

The flavor of the codonopsis and astragalus blended perfectly with the chicken.

A rich aroma spread through the air.

Before long, it reached Lazuli.

Still asleep, Lazuli's nose twitched slightly.

That's chicken soup!

Lazuli's eyes flew open.

She scrambled out of bed.

In a flash, she was beside Mo Yuan.

"Did you get enough rest, big sister?" Mo Yuan wasn't surprised at all to see Lazuli suddenly appear.

Whenever Mo Yuan made soup, Lazuli would appear beside him the moment she caught the aroma.

The first time, she'd nearly given Mo Yuan a fright, but he'd gotten used to it since.

"Mm." Lazuli gave a cool nod.

But her gaze was fixed on the chicken soup, and her throat bobbed discreetly.

Lazuli reminded herself, Stay calm. Keep it together. Don't look so eager. You'll ruin your dignity as the big sister!

However, she had no idea Mo Yuan had already seen right through her.

Otherwise, Mo Yuan wouldn't have made a pot of soup every day, trying a different recipe each time.

Watching Lazuli pretend to be serious, Mo Yuan couldn't help thinking she was kind of cute.

Mo Yuan deftly picked up a bowl, ladled in some chicken soup, and handed it to Lazuli.

"Big sister, try it and see if it needs more salt."

A glimmer of delight flashed in Lazuli's eyes, but she accepted the soup without showing it.

"Phew~"

After blowing on the soup to cool it a little, Lazuli eagerly brought it to her lips.

The moment the chicken soup touched her tongue, Lazuli's eyes lit up.

The rich, fragrant soup went down silky smooth, leaving a pleasant herbal sweetness in her mouth.

The flavor lingered delightfully.

Before long, Lazuli had finished the whole bowl.

She savored the taste of the soup, then calmly set the bowl down.

"Mm, it's just right."

"Then let's eat!"

With that, Mo Yuan carried the pot of chicken soup to the dining table.

Lazuli picked up the pot of rice beside her, too.

The table was already covered with all kinds of delicious dishes.

After they each served themselves a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup, they dug in.

But Mo Yuan noticed a problem: Lazuli hadn't touched one of the dishes at all.

For that dish, Mo Yuan had blended chicken with some seasonings and spices, shaped the mixture into all sorts of cute, pretty figures, and then fried them in oil.

They were not only delicious but adorable, too.

Yet Lazuli hadn't eaten a single one, which puzzled Mo Yuan.

Unable to hold back, he asked, "Big sister, why aren't you eating this dish?"

"Alas~"

Lazuli sighed, gazing reluctantly at the beautifully shaped dish on the plate. She murmured,

"Because the chicken paste is too beau..."