Chen Wu Returns to the Team (3)
"It smells so good--"
After tidying up the house, Xiao Wu sniffed and ran into the kitchen. She peeked at the stove from the door frame, her eyes sparkling like a little rabbit smelling meat.
"Brother Lin Chen, I can finally eat your cooking! It's all my favorite food!"
"I knew you loved to eat that." Lin Chen smiled and gently pinched the tip of her nose. "Go wash your hands, it'll be ready soon."
Before long, the square table in the main room was filled with food.
The roasted lamb chops were glistening with oil and fragrant, the edges slightly charred; the braised pork was a tempting reddish-brown, stewed until tender and falling off the bone; the sweet and sour fish lay on a white porcelain plate, drizzled with a clear sugar syrup; the crispy on the outside and tender on the inside dragon whiskers and phoenix wings were piled high, accompanied by refreshing stir-fried winter bamboo shoots, while in the center, a clay pot simmered ginseng and chicken soup, the steam rising and blurring the faces of those around the table.
Xiao Wu held her rice bowl, her eyes crinkling with delight as she ate. A bite of fragrant lamb chop, a bite of sweet and sour fish—her cheeks were bulging, like a little squirrel hoarding food.
"It's so delicious..." She swallowed, her eyes curving into crescents. "Eating roasted meat and stew every day in the valley, I almost forgot what home-cooked meals tasted like. Brother Lin Chen's cooking is the best in the world."
She paused, poking at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, and added softly, "Being with Brother Lin Chen is so wonderful."
Lin Chen paused slightly in the hand holding the soup spoon.
He looked up at Xiao Wu across from him. The firelight illuminated her face, revealing her long eyelashes and eyes filled with flickering firelight. Her smile was pure and bright.
From the love expressed through picking the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, to the desperate situation of sacrificing the Soul Ring, to the day and night tempering at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and then to the trials in the Star Dou Great Forest, four months have passed with her always by my side.
They insisted on tempering their bodies together, nervously guarding the spring, always with unwavering trust.
He put down the soup spoon, stood up, and walked around to Xiao Wu's side.
Xiao Wu looked up in confusion, her mouth still full of rice.
Lin Chen bent down and gently hugged her.
Xiao Wu's body was soft and pliable, carrying a faint aroma of food and the fresh scent of soap. Her hair brushed against his chin, causing a slight itch.
"We'll always be happy." His voice was soft, yet resolute, falling on Xiao Wu's ear. "From now on, we'll be together for the rest of our lives. I'll cook for you for the rest of my life."
Xiao Wu froze, forgetting to swallow the food in her mouth.
The next moment, she stretched out her arms and wrapped them tightly around Lin Chen's waist, burying her face in his warm clothes.
The snow outside the window fell softly again, landing on the window frame with a sound as light as a sigh.
The stove crackled in the room, and steam rose from the table full of food. The two teenagers embraced tightly, cherishing their peaceful and warm time in the small house they had been away from for four months.
A lifetime is so long.
But as long as this person is by my side, it seems that no amount of wind and snow ahead is anything to fear.
The early spring wind still carried a chill, but the snow on the edge of the training field had already begun to melt. The meltwater flowed slowly down the drainage ditch, carrying the earthy smell of the soil, and overflowed the bluestone slabs.
Shouts and the sounds of Soul Power clashing filled the training ground as the trainees shed their heavy winter clothes and intensified their training under the clear spring weather.
The Imperial Fighting Team's exclusive training area is located at the innermost part of the training field, and it is also the largest area. It is surrounded by a wooden fence. Yu Tianheng is leading the Shi Mo and Shi Mo brothers in practicing offense and defense. The collision of lightning and stone dust makes the ground tremble slightly.
The gate was gently pushed open.
Lin Chen and Xiao Wu walked in side by side, both dressed in light training clothes, the morning light falling on their shoulders, their figures upright.
"Lin Chen! Xiao Wu!"
Ye Lingling was the first to spot them. She was sitting on a stone bench, meditating. The aura of the Nine Heart Begonia had not yet dissipated. When she saw the two of them, her eyes lit up and she quickly stood up.
At that shout, everyone on the training field stopped.
Yu Tianheng turned around abruptly, saw Lin Chen, his eyes lit up, and he strode over, punching Lin Chen's shoulder hard. "You're finally back! Four months without a word, we thought you were locked up in seclusion by Senior Dugu!"
As he spoke, he looked Lin Chen up and down, his brows furrowing more and more as he looked. "How much has your cultivation increased? I feel like I can't see through you anymore?"
"I've only made a slight improvement." Lin Chen smiled, not elaborating on his cultivation level, and glanced at everyone. "Is everyone alright?"
"Great!" Shi Mo shouted cheerfully, scratching the back of his head and laughing. "Lin Chen, you're back! Our team can play team matches again!"
Shi Mo nodded, his eyes filled with joy.
Dugu Yan stood behind with her arms crossed, chin slightly raised, and said casually, "So what if you're back? What's the big deal? We'll still win the game even without you."
But the slight upturn of her lips had already betrayed her thoughts.
What are you all doing here? Are you done training?
Qin Ming's voice came from behind. He walked over with the training record book in his hand, and when he saw Lin Chen and the other person, a smile appeared on his face, "You're back? I thought you wouldn't be here until the afternoon."
He received the notification from the Education Commission yesterday, knowing that the two had returned to the team, but he didn't tell the team members in advance, just wanting to see how the boys would react.
"Teacher Qin." Everyone greeted her.
Qin Ming nodded, gesturing for everyone to gather around. He opened the record book and said, "Now that everyone's here, let me tell you about the upcoming arrangements. As you all know, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is coming soon."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, their eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and seriousness.
The Continent-Wide Elite Tournament is the stage that all young Soul Master dream of.
"Our Imperial Fighting Team is currently only at the Bronze Soul Fighter Great Soul Arena level." Qin Ming's fingertip swept across the record book. "When Lin Chen was still with us, we played one team match. After he left, I was afraid of losing points due to an incomplete roster, so we haven't played any more team matches. For the past four months, we've been slowly accumulating points through individual and doubles matches. It's been steady, with both wins and losses, but the points are increasing very slowly."
Yu Tianheng nodded. "That's my idea. Without your control, we're not confident against strong teams in the team competition, and losing would be even more troublesome due to the drop in points. It's better to play it safe and wait for you to come back."
Lin Chen nodded slightly.
Although Yu Tianheng is proud, he is not a reckless person; his composure is rare.
Qin Ming continued, "According to the rules, every spring, academies in various regions must submit the list and information of participating teams. Summer is the selection time for each kingdom and duchy, and in autumn, the continent-wide preliminary rounds officially begin."
"On our side of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy has an extra spot for a seeded team to be guaranteed a place in the main competition, each of its subordinate regions has five spots, and each of the kingdoms and duchies below it has two teams. That means a total of fifteen teams will compete in the qualifiers to vie for the final spots in the main competition."