Chapter 44, first published on Jinjiang Literature City, is a bonus chapter!

Yao Sisi: "Kindness or something else? It doesn't matter! I've always been strict with myself and lenient with others. What others do doesn't affect me much. Otherwise, wouldn't thinking too much just make myself uncomfortable?"

Qi Mu realized that her answer wasn't what he wanted, and he didn't know if she genuinely didn't understand or simply didn't want to answer. He realized that he was too thoughtful and considered everything too carefully. If a man like that were to be completely open and honest with others, no one would like him.

He smiled gently, like the bright moon in the night sky, "Miss Sisi is more insightful. Thinking too much is just making trouble for yourself."

Yao Sisi said modestly, "Sigh, it's just that I'm a bit slow on the uptake. I just want things to be simple. If I really have to think about those complicated things, my brain just won't be able to keep up!"

Qi Mu didn't believe she really thought that way, and just took it as something she said casually during a chat, otherwise it would be awkward for the two of them to walk on the street in silence.

He thought to himself: No matter how bright and clear the moon is in the night sky, you can only see the craters and bumps in the shadows if you look closely.

A few days later, Yao Sisi sent Qi Mu a message. She was leaving the next day and was currently taking stock of the last supplies. There was everything from food to daily necessities, as well as blankets and other items. They were worried about getting cold while flying and about not finding a safe place to land. Occasionally, they would need to cover themselves with blankets to rest in the air.

Yao Sisi no longer lives in the private residence. Tonight, she will go to the cave outside the city to meet Ri Jiu, and they will set off early tomorrow morning. Speaking of which, she is full of anticipation for the unknown world.

Qi Mu arrived at the agreed-upon restaurant, where Yao Sisi ordered a table full of dishes for him. He glanced at the dishes and noticed many of them that he liked.

Yao Sisi: "I've been here for so long, and I'm so grateful for your hospitality. This is a farewell banquet. I've ordered some of your favorite dishes. Come and try them to see if they taste right."

Qi Mu's gaze softened as he moved from the table full of dishes to her face. The candlelight illuminated her with an exceptionally gentle glow. He thought to himself: I didn't expect Miss Sisi to know what I like to eat...

"I should be the one treating you to the farewell banquet."

Yao Sisi gently patted his shoulder, "At this point, there's no point in distinguishing right from wrong. Young master, don't be so serious. Sit down and have a taste. It's freshly made and will get cold soon."

Qi Mu rolled up the sleeves she had changed to larger ones, and following her words, picked up some food and put it in her mouth. As she said, the temperature was just right, and it left a fragrant taste on her lips and teeth. However, it felt uncomfortable in her stomach, as if the food had been tainted with bitterness as it passed near her heart. It tasted terrible.

"The food Sisi ordered is just to my liking. I didn't know you discovered that I like these kinds of foods."

Yao Sisi: "I'm not stupid. We've eaten together so many times. Do you think I don't know which dishes you like to pick? You like sweet and sour things the most, and I like them too."

Qi Mu: "Miss Sisi clearly loves spicy food the most."

Yao Sisi: "No way, I have a wide range of tastes. I like sweet and sour flavors too. For example, the stir-fried rice noodles with pickled bamboo shoots on the table are delicious."

Qi Mu: "..."

"Sisi, you're joking again. That dish isn't called stir-fried rice noodles with pickled bamboo shoots."

Yao Sisi picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her bowl. "These days, businesses like to give things fancy names that are hard to remember. This looks a lot like bamboo shoots, and it tastes sour and spicy, so I gave it a down-to-earth name right here and now. What do you think? Is it fitting?"

Qi Mu pursed her lips, wanting to smile, but the family rule was that one should not laugh out loud while eating, and it was even better not to speak at all. He had made too many exceptions for her.

"So, Miss Sisi, what do you think this dish is called?"

Yao Sisi glanced at it, paused for a moment, and said, "This dish is a bit unusual. It has all sorts of things in it, and the most important thing is the mystical beast meat inside. I can't even tell what kind of meat it is..."

Qi Mu couldn't help but laugh. He tried to cover it up by saying he wanted some soup, but he couldn't, so he put down the soup bowl. "Who says the dishes are indecent? I think you're the one who's indecent..."

Yao Sisi joked, "Uh, it's the chef who's being unprofessional, coming up with a dish like this that's completely unrecognizable."

Qi Mu was curious: if he didn't like remembering the names of the dishes, how did he accurately order the dishes he liked?

After dinner, there was a lot of leftover food. Yao Si thought that she would rarely have the chance to eat the food prepared by chefs when she was sleeping in the wild in the future, so she simply packed it up and put it in her storage bag.

Qi Mu took out a storage bag and handed it to her, "I've prepared some food for you, take it with you on your journey!"

Liu Yuan chimed in from the side, "Young Master made this himself. You're so lucky to have such a husband!"

He was subtly criticizing her, clearly resentful. How could someone be going on a long journey so soon after their marriage, with no idea when they'd be back? Wasn't this leaving his young master alone in an empty room?

Qi Muqing scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? What's wrong with me preparing some food for her when she leaves?"

Yao Sisi was used to Liu Yuan's fiery temper, so she didn't mind too much since he hadn't said anything. "I didn't even know you could cook! That's amazing! If it weren't for Brother Liu Yuan's quick tongue, I would have missed out on knowing one of your good qualities."

"By the way, is this the parting gift you said you'd give me?"

Qi Mu: "Anyway, it's all here, so you can take your time looking at it!"

Yao Sisi exclaimed, "Huh? Why are you being so mysterious? Did you put something fun in there?"

Yao Sisi had just finished clearing away the barely touched dishes from the table. "Luckily, I ate with you. If it were a social gathering with outsiders, I wouldn't have packed it up. I'm always worried about it being dirty."

Seeing his response, Qi Mu asked the question she had been wanting to ask: "Then... what am I in your heart?"

Yao Sisi: "You are like a hot spring!"

Qi Mu was stunned, never expecting this answer. What did he mean by hot spring? Did he want to soak in it?

But she didn't do that...

Yao Sisi realized something was off after she finished speaking. She thought to herself, "Oh no, what a terrible analogy!"

"I feel that you are as warm and gentle as a hot spring, with a tender and gentle nature, and this hatred will last forever..."

Qi Mu blinked: "This hatred will last forever?"

Yao Sisi: "Oh, I was just scared by your look just now, so I started talking nonsense. Don't mind me!"

Qi Mu: "I mind, but don't you want to give me something before you leave?" We're married now, and I've even shown you the chastity-preserving sand. How can you be so indifferent?

Yao Sisi scratched her head, a little embarrassed, "Actually, when I was refining magical artifacts a while ago, I used some of the best materials to make a bracelet, which would be perfect for a gentleman like you. But I felt that giving a bracelet as a gift would be too ambiguous, so I kept it..."

Qi Mu: "Let me see it!"

Yao Sisi took out a bracelet from her storage bag. The material resembled precious rattan, adorned with irregularly shaped minerals. The minerals were warm white, with what looked like cotton wool flowing inside, exuding both refinement and a wild, untamed charm, as if roughness and elegance coexisted.

"When I first created it, I felt that it was your work and that it suited you perfectly."

Qi Mu exclaimed with delight, "It's a top-grade Xuan weapon!"

Yao Sisi: "Yes, it's for calming the mind and nourishing the meridians. It's suitable to wear while meditating."

Qi Mu was satisfied that as soon as she finished refining it, she immediately thought of herself: "If I hadn't just blown you up, I would never have seen such a good thing in my entire life. Saying that giving it to me is too ambiguous, I think you just don't want to give it to me!"

Yao Sisi: "I'll give it to you! I'll definitely give it to you, so please accept it..." She was really afraid of the men here; even when they were angry, it was like they were being coquettish, making it hard to resist.

Qi Mu put the bracelet on in front of her, looking at her with amusement, his eyes hiding an unknown sense of determination. "You have no choice but to give it to me now. It's already in my hands, so don't even think about escaping!"

Yao Sisi thought to herself: It's just a bracelet, how could she not afford to give it away? Besides, this thing doesn't have legs, where can it escape to!

Not long after the two finished their meal, Ri Jiu arrived, wearing a cloak. His face was tightly covered by a veil, revealing only half of his alluring face. He came between the two as if he didn't see Qi Mu at all, saying, "Sisi, why haven't you come back for so long? We're going to have a good night's sleep tonight!"

Otherwise, it will be difficult to travel tomorrow.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he didn't say the second half of the sentence.

Qi Mu had been tense ever since he arrived, especially after seeing him so lewd and unmanly, which made her feel nauseous.

"Miss Sisi was a little late just now because she was keeping me company."

Ri Jiu then seemed to notice him, giving him a casual glance. What do you mean, "to accompany you"? It was clearly you who shamelessly wasted time.

"I knew Sisi wouldn't make me wait this long on purpose!"

Yao Sisi surrendered with both hands. She didn't know why, but even though it was a perfectly normal scene, something seemed off whenever the two of them were together. She didn't know if she was being too sensitive or if she was overthinking it, but it was as if she could smell gunpowder. It was really strange.

"Well then, Young Master Qi Mu, it's getting late, so I'll be taking my leave now. Oh, and thank you for your gift, I really like it!"

Qi Mu smiled gently and stepped forward to straighten Yao Sisi's collar. "The road is dangerous, you need to take care of yourself."

Yao Sisi stiffened. She had never seen him so considerate before. Why was he suddenly straightening her clothes?

Ri Jiu watched from the side, secretly pursing her lips. With her face veiled, no one could see her: "Let you cause trouble. Anyway, we're leaving soon, so you won't be able to cause trouble anymore, hmph!"

It wasn't until the two left that Liu Yuan complained to Qi Mu, "That man really doesn't know his place. Young Master, you shouldn't have given him face!"

Qi Mu watched the two figures from behind, especially when she saw the red cloak rubbing against Yao Sisi without any restraint, only to be blocked and pressed back by Yao Sisi's hand. A fire of jealousy still rose in her heart.

I don't know where this guy came from, he's so wild and lewd, shamelessly pulling and tugging at people in the street, what would happen if they did this in private...

He shook his head, completely unable to imagine that this man would be pestering him for sex in private!

He felt so angry and frustrated that he wanted to bury the other person alive.

Seeing that he swayed, Liu Yuan quickly asked, "Young Master, please don't get upset because of him. Your health is very precious!"

Qi Mu didn't say a word, but touched the chain on his hand. The warm touch made him feel a little better.

Liu Yuan: "Hey? Young Master, where are you going?"

Qi Mu: "Let's go back to the manor!"

On the other side, Yao Sisi nudged Ri Jiu's head and said, "Why are you being so clingy today? We're on the street, you don't see anyone acting like this."

Ri Jiu: "I'm not human, why should I learn from these mortals whose lifespan is as short as a fleeting flower?"

Yao Sisi: "?? Lifespan as short as a night-blooming cereus?"

Ri Jiu: "In the eyes of our demon race, a lifespan of several decades is nothing more than a fleeting moment, Sisi. Was my analogy apt?"

Yao Sisi said, "I don't know if it's accurate or not, but you can't say that. If you say that, no one will like you."

Ri Jiu felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart: "Huh? Then I won't say that anymore, but I really don't need to follow their example. Anyway, we're about to enter the grove, and then there will be no outsiders. We can do whatever we want!"

Yao Sisi: "..." Something about this sounds off.

"You call the Mystic Beast Forest a grove? Even if it is a grove, it's a large grove!"

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Author's Note: I saw a comment saying I was too embarrassed to urge the author, but you're sorely mistaken! I really enjoy being urged by readers. Those who followed my last book know that when I'm urged, I get all fired up, like I'm on steroids, and I immediately climb onto the keyboard to start typing!

The reason I stopped updating before was because the comments were so quiet, making people think that readers didn't care whether I wrote or not! (Sigh~)

Well... it's okay if the profits aren't good, and it's tolerable to be broke as long as you don't starve, but without love, it's truly devastating...

Shout it out with me!! Where does love come from?! As long as there are comments, nutrient solutions, thunderous comments, and urging for updates, the author is like a seedling that has been watered, it springs back to life!