Chapter 21: Small Matters on the Peak

Outside a small wooden cabin on Shuiyue Peak, a man was simmering a pot of meat soup, while a woman sat nearby on a wooden stool, watching him intently, her tone full of eager impatience.

The scene looked like a warm domestic tableau, harmonious and serene—if anything was missing from this picture, it was perhaps a child in the woman’s arms.

“Junior Brother, is the soup ready yet?”

Lin Lingshu’s eyes were fixed on the bubbling pot before Wang Shuheng. The aroma of the meat broth filled the air—rich, savory, irresistible.

“Just a bit longer, Senior Sister,” Wang Shuheng replied, “the fire’s not quite right yet.”

Seeing her gaze full of longing, he chuckled quietly, stirring the broth with a ladle before scooping a bit to taste.

“Hey!” Lin Lingshu protested, eyes widening. “How can you drink it first if you said it’s not ready?”

“I was just testing if the heat’s right,” he said with a teasing smile, amused by her impatience.

Lin Lingshu caught that playful glint in his eyes and pouted, remembering that nearly half a month had passed since that incident.

Although Wang Shuheng had promised not to tell anyone, she could feel her authority had taken a blow—clearly visible from his behavior lately.

Before, he used to treat her with formal respect—“Senior Sister” this, “Senior Sister” that—proper and polite.
Now, he looked at her like one would at a mischievous little pet, teasing her whenever he had the chance.

He still called her “Senior Sister,” yes, but the tone carried an entirely different meaning—too casual, too familiar.
Hmph! No sense of reverence for one’s elders anymore!

“Senior Sister, the soup’s ready.”

Wang Shuheng took a wooden bowl from the table, ladled in the rich broth, and passed it to her.

Lin Lingshu’s eyes lit up. The golden broth shimmered with floating chunks of tender meat. She picked one up with her chopsticks, took a bite, then sipped the soup directly from the bowl.

“Ahhh… that’s heavenly!”

A warm wave spread through her entire body, settling comfortably in her stomach, and she couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of pleasure.

“Senior Sister, is it really that good?”

Watching her like a contented little cat, Wang Shuheng’s smile deepened.

“Mhm, not bad at all. Junior Brother, you should try some too.”

Damn! She’d forgotten someone was watching. She turned away slightly, cheeks tinged with embarrassment.

Before long, the entire pot was gone. Well—mostly by her. Wang Shuheng only had one bowl; the rest had vanished into Lin Lingshu’s little stomach.

Leaning back against the table, she rubbed her belly with satisfaction. She could have suppressed the feeling by circulating her spiritual energy, but the habit of rubbing her stomach was hard to break.

Meanwhile, Wang Shuheng quietly cleaned the table, watching her half-dozing, blissful face.

“Junior Brother, I think we can’t keep eating just meat like this.”

“Oh? What would Senior Sister like to eat instead?”

“We should go down the mountain sometime and buy some vegetables—no, better yet, some seeds! We could plant a little garden near your cabin. A proper cultivator needs a balanced diet, meat and greens alike.”

“If Senior Sister wishes, I’ll ask the next disciple heading down the mountain to bring some seeds up,” he replied with a smile.

“Thank you, Junior Brother.”

Lin Lingshu nodded, forcing herself to stay awake even though she longed for a nap. She’d learned her lesson—napping could lead to trouble.

Last time she’d eaten, fallen asleep, and when she woke up, she’d found herself in his bed.

Wang Shuheng had sworn repeatedly that he only moved her there to keep her from catching cold—and when she checked afterward, her robes were indeed untouched.

Still, she’d learned something important: Even in this world, being careless could get you “picked up like a corpse.”

After tidying up, Wang Shuheng looked over at her again—leaning sleepily against the table, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Senior Sister, want to sleep?”

“Huh? No, I’m not sleepy.” Her first thought was that he was flirting, and she blushed before realizing he was just asking.

Determined not to be lazy, she pushed herself to stand, muttering about resisting a “parasitic lifestyle.”

Yet despite her inner protests, her body turned toward her room, already anticipating a nap.

Just a short rest. It’s fine. I’m not a full-time cultivator anyway, she told herself.

“Junior Brother,” she said, pausing at the doorway, “I’m going to lie down for a bit. Wake me when it’s time for dinner.”

“Of course, Senior Sister. What should I make for dinner?”

“Mmm~ whatever you like.”

She yawned, shuffled into her room, and fell onto the warm jade bed without even removing her robe.

The sun sank westward; the moon rose in the east.

In her dream, Lin Lingshu was hugging her plush pillow, immersed in a game. The poison circle was shrinking—only two players left.

“Chicken dinner! I’m gonna win!” she shouted excitedly in her sleep.

“Senior Sister! Senior Sister!”

A voice broke through her dream. She blinked awake—and saw Wang Shuheng standing by her bed.

“Close your eyes!!” she yelled instinctively, fumbling for her robe.
She always took it off before sleeping—meaning she was probably wearing only her thin inner layer again.

Startled, Wang Shuheng obeyed instantly, closing his eyes.

After a few frantic seconds of groping around, she realized—her robe was still on her body.

Damn it! That’s even more embarrassing!

“Junior Brother… you can open your eyes now.”

He did so, tactfully avoiding any mention of her outburst.

But Lin Lingshu wasn’t going to let it slide so easily: “Why did you enter my room without permission?”

“Senior Sister asked me earlier to wake you for dinner,” he explained, pointing to the still-open door. “Also, your door wasn’t closed.”

Ah. So it was her fault. She remembered now—she’d gone in without shutting the door behind her.

Damn it again.

“Dinner’s ready—meat soup and roast meat,” Wang Shuheng said lightly. “By the way, you said ‘chicken dinner’ in your sleep… shall I roast a chicken for you?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You… heard that?”

“I only heard you shout about eating chicken,” he said innocently.

Thank the heavens he hadn’t heard anything else.

Wang Shuheng placed a bowl of steaming broth and a plate of roast meat on the bedside table.

“Senior Sister, if you don’t eat soon, it’ll get cold.”

“…Alright. I know.”