Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Ling Caiyou carried the three-zhang-long giant python and walked proudly toward the Immortal Cuisine Shop, humming a tune she had brought from the modern world.

Then she saw the group of furry little monsters at the end of the street.

Then, she saw Chen Anran sitting not far away.

Ling Caiyou's steps suddenly stopped.

The giant python slid off her shoulder and crashed to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. She was completely oblivious, her gaze fixed on Chen Anran, her delicate face displaying a fascinating array of expressions.

Feeling guilty.

Scared.

I want to run away.

But his legs felt like they were nailed to the ground, and he couldn't take a single step.

Stone followed behind her, carrying the white fox, and asked in a muffled voice, "Sister Ling, why are we stopping?"

Lingcai did not answer.

She took a deep breath, then another, gritted her teeth, hoisted the giant python onto her shoulder, and continued walking forward.

It's not heading towards the entrance of Xian Shan Fang.

They were heading towards Chen Anran's direction.

She walked very slowly. The giant python trailed behind her, leaving a long trail on the ground.

The people on the street gradually quieted down. Everyone was watching Ling Caiyou as she walked step by step toward Chen Anran.

The group of little demons were still trembling. The rabbit demon huddled behind the fox demon, its long ears pressed tightly against its head, its red eyes brimming with fear. The squirrel demon's tail bristled even more, completely obscuring the smaller ones behind it. The fox demon stood at the forefront, trembling all over, yet stubbornly refusing to back down.

They watched as the woman carrying the giant python approached, admiring her delicate yet expressionless face and the three-zhang-long python dragging on the ground.

"It's all over, it's all over," the rabbit spirit sobbed softly, "we're going to be eaten too..."

The fawn stood before them, its fluffy ears standing straight up, its eyes fixed on the approaching woman. Her palms were sweaty, and her legs were trembling, but she didn't back down.

The immortal carrying the red gourd said he wouldn't eat them.

She believed him.

Ling Caiyou walked up to Chen Anran and stopped.

She threw the giant python off her shoulder onto the ground with a dull thud. Then she looked up at Chen Anran's expressionless face, opened her mouth as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

She just stood there, head down, like a child who had done something wrong and was waiting to be scolded.

Chen Anran looked at her and said with a smile, "I heard from Qi Lan that you want to transform your business?"

Ling Caiyou gave a soft "hmm".

"Shall we sit down and have something to eat together?"

Ling Caiyou gave a soft "hmm" and sat down properly next to Chen Anran.

The three-zhang-long giant python was still lying on the ground. She didn't bother to pick it up. She just sat there with her hands on her knees, her back straight, and her eyes fixed on the bowl and chopsticks in front of her, just like a young wife meeting her parents-in-law for the first time.

Stone stood there, carrying the white fox, his honest face full of confusion. He scratched his head and asked in a muffled voice, "Sister Ling, where do we put this snake...this fox?"

Ling Caiyou didn't turn her head, her voice low: "Go find Fatty Li."

Shi Tou said "Oh," then glanced at Chen Anran. Seeing that he had no expression, he carried the white fox towards the entrance of the Immortal Cuisine Shop. The women from the Joyful Union Sect quickly followed, some carrying and some lifting, disappearing into the crowd in a flash.

There was a moment of silence on the table.

Qi Lan held the teacup, took a slow sip, and her amber vertical pupils swept over Ling Caiyou's face. The corners of her mouth curved slightly, but she didn't say anything.

That smile was very meaningful.

Ling Caiyou felt uncomfortable under that gaze, but dared not look up. She just stared at the bowl in front of her, as if trying to see a flower in the rough porcelain bowl.

Little Ling'er blinked, looked at Ling Caiyou, then at Chen Anran, and whispered, "Sister Ling, why aren't you saying anything? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ling Caiyou stiffened and quickly waved her hands, "No, no, I'm fine! It's just... it's just that the monster we hunted today was a bit big, and I'm tired, yes, tired."

After she finished speaking, she even patted her shoulder, but the movement was so stiff and looked so fake.

Xiao Ling'er tilted her head, wanting to ask again, but Wei Yiran gently tugged at her sleeve. She turned to look at Wei Yiran, who simply shook her head slightly. Although Xiao Ling'er didn't understand, she obediently shut her mouth.

Chen Anran picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, ate it, and then said, "I thought you were going to avoid me for the rest of your life."

Ling Caiyou bit her lip, her heart pounding like a ton of rabbits. But she stubbornly said, "I wasn't avoiding you. You were in seclusion, and then you went to Tianjing."

Just as Chen Anran was about to say something more, a commotion came from the other end of the street.

"Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! We're not going to eat you!"

It was the sound of a deer, tinged with anxiety.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the group of little monsters were in complete chaos around the long table at the end of the street. The rabbit spirit huddled under the table, its long ears pressed tightly to its head, trembling all over. The squirrel spirit bristled its tail, protecting its smaller companions behind it, while it itself trembled like a leaf. The fox spirit stood at the very front, its four legs shaking, yet it stubbornly refused to back down, shouting the heroic slogan, "If we die, we die together!"

The other lesser monsters were also hiding, some crawling under the table, others hiding behind the greater demon, some crying and some shouting, creating complete chaos.

The little deer stood before them, arms outstretched, desperately trying to explain, "No, no! Those monsters aren't like us! They're unintelligent! Really! Don't be afraid!"

The more she explained, the more frightened the little monsters became.

The rabbit spirit shouted from under the table, "Those who haven't developed intelligence are demons too! We're demons too! If they eat them today, they'll eat us tomorrow!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" the squirrel spirit chimed in, "That's how those immortals are! They give us good food first, and then, once we lower our guard, they kill us one by one!"

The fox spirit's voice trembled, but she still stubbornly insisted, "Little deer, get out of the way! If they want to capture us to make elixirs, they'll have to step over my dead body!"

The little deer was so anxious she kept stamping her feet; she didn't know how to explain it to them so they would believe her.

You can't exactly tell them that she believes in that immortal Chen Anran, can you?

Seeing this, Chen Anran put down her chopsticks and stood up.

Ling Caiyou was stunned for a moment, and quickly got up, but was stopped by a look from Qi Lan.

"Sit down," Qi Lan said softly. "The more you get involved, the more complicated it will become to explain."

Ling Caiyou opened her mouth slightly, then obediently sat down again.

Chen Anran walked through the crowd to the end of the street.

The little monsters stirred even more wildly when they saw him approaching. The rabbit spirit peeked out from under the table, glanced at him, and quickly scurried back inside. The squirrel spirit hugged its smaller ones even tighter, its fur standing on end. The fox spirit stood in front, its four legs trembling like withered branches in the wind, yet it stubbornly refused to back down.