None in This World Like Me

Xu Qi'an rarely had the following experiences, for the following reasons: First, mass-produced noodles don't taste good. Second, anyone can cook noodles, but cooking them well is actually very difficult.

Ninety-nine percent of people don't like noodles.

"At least the noodles I make by hand have the right amount of chewiness."

In the kitchen, Xu Qi'an was kneading flour, sometimes kneading, sometimes rubbing, sometimes pinching, all with focused concentration.

Set the kneaded dough aside, cut a piece of fatty pork to fry into cracklings, and then put them on a plate. Next, use the rendered pork fat to fry an egg.

He threw the pulled noodles into boiling water to cook, took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, and poured a simple version of chicken bouillon into the boiling broth.

The rich, fresh aroma filled the entire kitchen, making everyone's mouths water. Xu Qi'an, who hadn't eaten himself, swallowed hard.

On the other side, Chu Caiwei and Princess Huaiqing descended the stairs side by side. The princess, whose skirt trailed on the stairs, glanced at Chu Caiwei and said casually:

How did you discover that haunted house?

Chu Caiwei paused for a moment, then understood the princess's meaning and said with light steps, "Xu Ningyan wants to buy a house, I'll accompany him to look at the feng shui."

"I know all that. I'm asking how that house was discovered," the princess asked.

"Your Highness's words are quite strange. It was the old broker who told us to find out," Chu Caiwei said.

The old broker? A glint flashed in the princess's beautiful eyes, and in an instant, many thoughts came to mind. She tentatively asked, "What's so special about that old broker?"

"She has a good conscience." Chu Caiwei took out a pastry from her deerskin pouch, placed it in her fair palm, and handed it to the princess.

"Quite conscientious?" The princess waved her hand, indicating she didn't want it, and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Xu Qi'an thought the haunted house was cheap, and he kept trying to stop us, afraid of causing trouble." Chu Caiwei happily stuffed the pastries into her mouth. She loved being friends with Huaiqing the most because Huaiqing would never take any good food from her.

If it were that annoying Xu Ningyan, he might actually have eaten it if I had just been being so polite.

The eldest princess remained silent for a long time, then sighed. It was her own fault for not being rational enough to try to extract information from this girl.

Asking her for information is one thing, but to do it with such veiled sarcasm is no different from flirting with a blind man.

Thinking of this, Princess Huaiqing frowned slightly, scrutinizing her friend. "You've been associating with Xu Ningyan too closely lately."

"Really?" Chu Caiwei asked blankly.

"Do you associate with other men so frequently?" The eldest princess added, "My fellow students in the Bureau of Astronomy don't count."

Chu Caiwei thought for a moment, then belatedly exclaimed, "Oh, right! He always finds different ways to come and play with me."

Princess Huaiqing pursed her lips, lost in thought. Just then, she caught a faint, sweet fragrance that made her mouth water.

"Oh, it smells so good. Which senior brother bought this delicious food? Mmm, it's so fresh, something I've never tasted before." Chu Caiwei swallowed hard, her eyes shining with longing.

"Holding the bright moon in my hands and plucking stars from the sky, there is no one like me in this world."

Suddenly, a deep chanting sound came from the kitchen, startling Xu Qi'an. He turned his head and saw a white-robed Warlock with his back to him.

"Are you fucking crazy? You almost gave me a heart attack!" Xu Qi'an said calmly, his face grim. "You're here."

The calm and deep voice, like that of an old friend who has known each other for half a lifetime, evokes a sense of the passage of time and the vicissitudes of life.

The figure paused for a moment, then replied in the same deep and calm tone, "Yes, I've come."

After he finished speaking, he looked forward to seeing how the person behind him would respond.

A long sigh followed, a hoarse voice lamenting, "I never imagined that after twenty years, you would still prefer to turn your back on everyone."

Turning his back to all living beings?! These four simple words evoke a powerful sense of immersion in the white-clad figure, making him feel like a supreme powerhouse, where loneliness, coldness, and invincibility are the eternal themes.

After a moment's hesitation, she said softly, "Even someone like me is attracted to you."

"That's a pretty good guy, coming across like that so naturally." Xu Qi'an thought for a moment, then said wistfully:

"I knew it. The day this batch of Nine-Turn Golden Core is completed will be the day you make your move. You still won't let me go."

"Hmph, treasures belong to the virtuous."

"Ha, Yang Qianhuan, have you ever lost?"

Steam rose and drifted between the two, instantly creating a tense atmosphere in the kitchen. But just then, a crisp voice broke the silence.

"What are you two doing?" Chu Caiwei stood at the door, looking at the two of them blankly.

Xu Qi'an immediately lowered his head and stirred the noodles in the pot, trying to hide the embarrassment churning inside him.

Yang Qianhuan remained unmoved, standing with his hands behind his back, his back to the crowd, and snorted, "Even if Junior Sister pleads for you, I absolutely will not."

Chu Caiwei asked, "Senior Brother Yang, what are you doing in the kitchen?"

Yang Qianhuan: "Oh, I've come to eat noodles."

Chu Caiwei ran happily to the stove, drooling as she stared at a pot of noodles, and said with a smile, "How did you know I hadn't eaten?"

"Because I arrived right on time," Xu Qi'an said with a smile. "I promised to make you noodles."

Just then, the noodles in the pot were cooked. Xu Qi'an looked at the beautiful woman in the pink palace dress behind him and tentatively asked, "Princess, would you like a bowl?"

The aloof Princess Huaiqing hesitated for a moment, her gaze involuntarily falling on the pot, and nodded somewhat awkwardly. "Alright."

Considering Chu Caiwei's appetite, Xu Qi'an cooked a lot of noodles, enough for four people to have a bowl each.

He scooped the noodles out of the water and soaked them in cold water. Then he ladled out some broth and poured it into four bowls. He then evenly distributed the noodles into the bowls, topped them with a poached egg, and sprinkled them with chopped green onions and fried pork cracklings.

"Senior Brother Yang, come and eat with us," Xu Qi'an invited, thinking to himself, "This is a good opportunity to see what you look like."

The thought had barely formed in his mind when he saw array patterns spreading from the soles of Yang Qianhuan's feet. Immediately afterward, Yang Qianhuan vanished, taking a bowl of noodles with him.

Chu Caiwei sat at the table with her bowl in her hands. She first ate a piece of fried pork fat, nodded with satisfaction, and then eagerly took a sip of the soup.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she felt her taste buds were being stimulated like never before.

She felt every cell in her body screaming:

Tasty!

Tasty!

Tasty!

For someone tasting enhanced food for the first time, it was indeed an unforgettable experience. Xu Qi'an smiled smugly and looked at the Princess.

The princess ate elegantly, but very quickly. Noticing Xu Qi'an looking over, she stopped eating and looked back expressionlessly.

Xu Qi'an chuckled dryly and lowered his head to eat his noodles.

The eldest princess immediately followed suit, lowering her head and eating her noodles in small bites, as if she didn't want to waste a single moment or wait.

In the quiet, deserted room, Yang Qianhuan, with her back to everyone, squatted in a corner, holding a bowl and slurping noodles.

This kid is really interesting. He knows Alchemy, speaks very well, and cooks delicious noodles. Thinking of this, Yang Qianhuan suddenly stopped. Isn't this kind of attention, being the center of attention, exactly what he wants?

This kid is a formidable opponent.

After finishing his noodles, Xu Qi'an looked at Chu Caiwei and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"It's delicious." Chu Caiwei pecked her head.

"This is my secret recipe, an essence extracted through a unique Alchemy," Xu Qi'an said. "This is what I will teach you, the key to advancing to the level of Alchemist."

Princess Huaiqing, who was wiping her rosy lips with a silk handkerchief, stopped abruptly, a glint of something special flashing in her beautiful eyes.

"Is it difficult?" Chu Caiwei's first concern was the difficulty of the question.

"It's difficult, after all, I only have a superficial understanding myself," Xu Qi'an said. Seeing Chu Caiwei's face immediately fall, he added seriously:

"If you can't make it, you'll never be able to eat noodles like this again, or anything better."

The pretty girl with an oval face opened her almond-shaped eyes wide and suddenly felt a strong fighting spirit.

"Is this your own creation?" Princess Huaiqing asked.

"Yes, it was a work I poured my heart and soul into creating for Miss Caiwei." As soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it; he shouldn't have said such a thing in front of his first wife.

Sure enough, Princess Huaiqing gave him a meaningful look, her tone ambiguous, "You seem quite fond of Caiwei."

"Miss Caiwei is my benefactor, so of course I care about her," Xu Qi'an said.

"How much do you care?" The oval-faced beauty was quite happy to hear this.

"I'll be firm if you ask me to," Xu Qi'an said reservedly.

Then, remembering that Princess Huaiqing was also a benefactor, he added, "I feel the same way about the princess."

Princess Huaiqing remained noncommittal.

Princess Huaiqing had other matters to attend to, so she took her leave after a short while. Xu Qi'an took out the prepared "Alchemy Manual," which contained the process of making chicken essence and the concept of MSG.

After discussing with Caiwei for a long time, Xu Qi'an said, "I have something I'd like to ask the senior brothers at the Bureau of Astronomy for a favor."

He planned to ask the Warlock of the Bureau of Astronomy for help to save the poor child at the health center. The reason he didn't ask Song Qing was because he was afraid that the concept of "human and beast" would stimulate Song Qing's crazy brain nerves.

He might use the guise of treatment to study the child; his intentions certainly wouldn't be malicious. However, Song Qing's half-baked bio -Alchemy would mess things up.

It's also possible that before they even have a chance to experiment, the monk Hengyuan will stop them, causing an unpleasant situation.

"Holding the moon in my hands and plucking stars from the sky, there is no one like me in this world." Yang Qianhuan's figure appeared, and she said calmly, "What is it?"

Xu Qi'an glanced at the innocent, food-loving girl and pondered, "Let's talk in private."

He and Yang Qianhuan went outside and told the other party about the poor child, "Senior Brother Yang, that child won't survive more than three days. I would like to ask the senior brothers in the Bureau of Astronomy for help in saving him."

"Okay!" Yang Qianhuan agreed, then asked, "Why should we avoid Junior Sister Caiwei?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head. "Why should I tell her?"

Yang Qianhuan nodded. "Indeed, you possess the same noble qualities as me."

Late at night, at the health clinic.

Hengyuan, who was meditating, suddenly opened his eyes. He was inspired and left the room. He used his teleportation ability to quickly reach the backyard.

The door to the woodshed was open, and in the dim moonlight, a figure in white could be vaguely seen standing in the darkness inside.

Hengyuan stopped, his ears twitching slightly. Hearing the child's steady breathing, his expression relaxed, and he said in a deep voice:

Who are you?

"To hold the bright moon in one's hand and pluck the stars from the sky, there is no one like me in this world," the man in white said calmly.

Hearing such arrogant words, even the monk Hengyuan, a Buddhist monk, couldn't help but twitch his brow, feeling a slight urge to challenge him.

To put this sentiment simply: I can't stand your arrogant attitude.

The man in white scoffed and sneered, "Judging from your posture, you don't seem to recognize me. There are actually people in the capital who don't know me?"

He seemed to be provoking this person, making him seem difficult to deal with; Hengyuan frowned deeply.

The man in white chuckled dismissively, the array patterns beneath his feet spread out, and he abruptly disappeared.

Monk Hengyuan let out a breath, his tense muscles relaxing as he lowered his guard. Somewhat bewildered, he walked into the woodshed, lit the oil lamp, and checked the child's condition.

His breathing was steady, his heartbeat was normal, and he was much better than during the day. Only then, by the light of the oil lamp, did he notice a porcelain bottle and a prescription next to the child.

The man in white robes who presented the prescription was Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy. Only now did Hengyuan realize that this fellow had come to see a doctor.

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was there to cause trouble.

After putting away the prescription and the porcelain bottle, Monk Hengyuan suddenly realized that the man in white was a formation master, a fourth-rank Warlock.

Lord Xu was actually able to persuade a fourth-rank Warlock to treat the child. Heng Yuan was slightly moved and greatly shocked.

P. S.: I've been experiencing writer's block lately. It's not that I don't know how to write, but rather that there's just too much to write, and I'm unsure how to structure the plot.

I'm torn between writing more slice-of-life chapters and continuing to advance the plot. If I focus on slice-of-life, there's Huaiqing, Lin'an, Erlang, the younger sisters—lots of girls I could write about. But that would make the plot feel a bit weak and not tight enough. So I'm torn, feeling anxious, and my writing speed is affected.