Let me explain, it's not what you think.

On Zhuang Jingbai's side.

She lay on her bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall into a meditative state.

She now deeply regrets making that foolish decision in a moment of impulse, which led to a series of irreversible consequences!

She's such a bad woman!

At this moment, her mind was filled with Lu Chen's strange behavior at the dinner party.

Because she was from an outsider sect, she wasn't familiar with Wang Feng, and at the beginning of the conversation, she focused her attention on Lu Chen.

But when she saw that Lu Chen acted strangely after learning about Wang Feng's situation, she became curious about what Lu Chen was afraid of.

"Why is that so strange? And Yu Ning, she even cried! Although I sympathize with that so-called senior sister, it's not enough to make me feel this way."

"Could it be that she's just more emotional?"

Zhuang Jingbai couldn't figure it out, so she thought of Lu Chen again.

"Should I go ask him? It would be terrible if he never got married because of me!"

She made up a lame excuse for herself and got up.

But the next moment, she sat down again.

No, she has no reason to bother Lu Chen right now, and given that she is Lin Tian's... Lu Chen is even less likely to welcome her in the middle of the night; he might even misunderstand!

"Why is this so annoying? I should have listened to Lu Chen's advice back then!"

……

In the following days, everyone secluded themselves in their caves to cultivate and improve themselves.

On this day, Lu Chen, having solidified his Foundation Establishment Level 7 strength, emerged from seclusion with satisfaction.

He pushed open the door, and a faint aroma of food wafted into his nose. He paused for a moment, then followed the scent into the living room, where the scene before him left him completely stunned.

The cave has completely changed.

The clutter that was originally piled up in the corner was neatly tidied up, the dusty tables and chairs were wiped clean and shiny, and there was even a bunch of wildflowers picked from somewhere on the windowsill.

Even the ground was covered with wooden flooring.

Jiang Huaiyu was standing by the table, bending down to set out the bowls and chopsticks.

Today she changed into a light blue dress, with a matching ribbon tied around her waist, outlining her slender figure.

Her dark hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, with a few stray strands falling down her neck, exuding ultimate charm.

Hearing the noise, she looked up and met Lu Chen's gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"You... you're out of quarantine."

Lu Chen nodded blankly, his gaze sweeping over the newly renovated cave dwelling. He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Jiang Huaiyu followed his gaze and looked around, then lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly: "I... I'm just used to tidying up, and I couldn't help but tidy up wherever I saw a mess. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, I don't mind." Lu Chen quickly shook his head. "It's just... I'm sorry to trouble you, Senior Sister."

"It's no trouble at all." Jiang Huaiyu smiled, her smile gentle and warm, not like a smile directed at her junior brother, but rather like...

As she spoke, she turned and walked towards the kitchen, saying as she went, "Wait a moment, there are two more dishes, they'll be ready soon."

Lu Chen stood there, watching her busy figure in the kitchen, feeling somewhat dazed.

Her movements were practiced and skillful, clearly indicating that she was used to doing this.

Chopping vegetables, putting them in the pan, stir-frying—every movement is fluid and natural, carrying an indescribable beauty.

Before long, Jiang Huaiyu came out with the last two dishes and placed them on the table.

Lu Chen then realized that the table was already covered with food.

The spirit rice was steamed until it was crystal clear, the spirit vegetables were bright in color, and the spirit meat was fragrant. In the middle was a pot of spirit wine, which had a mellow aroma that was intoxicating.

These foods are very beneficial to monks.

"This..." Lu Chen looked at Jiang Huaiyu, his eyes full of surprise.

Jiang Huaiyu felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, lowered her eyes, and said softly, "I sensed a long time ago that you were about to emerge from seclusion. After all, I am at the ninth level of the Golden Core stage, so I have that kind of perception."

"So, I thought you'd be hungry after you come out of quarantine, so... I prepared a little something. It's just some home-style dishes, please don't mind."

Looking at the dishes on the table and the gentle, fairy-like woman across from him, Lu Chen felt a surge of complex emotions.

He transmigrated to the Hehuan Sect and lived a precarious life. Later, he escaped and joined the Xuantian Sect. His master treated him well, but he needed too many resources for cultivation, and he had to carefully calculate every spirit stone and every pill.

He had never experienced anything like this before... when he came out of the pass, he was greeted by people who had prepared hot meals for him and greeted him with gentle words.

"Senior sister."

Jiang Huaiyu looked up at him.

"Thanks."

Jiang Huaiyu felt a pang of sadness when she saw the complex emotions in his eyes.

She didn't know what he had been through in the past, but she could tell that such simple warmth seemed like a luxury for him.

"Sit down and eat," she said softly, pouring him a glass of wine.

"It won't taste good when it's cold."

Lu Chen nodded and sat down opposite her.

I picked up a piece of the dish with my chopsticks and put it in my mouth. The aroma of the food melted on my tongue. This special dish had a unique and indescribable flavor compared to what I usually eat.

Perhaps it was because someone was eating with them.

Jiang Huaiyu also picked up her chopsticks and ate in small bites, occasionally glancing up at him. Seeing that he was enjoying his meal, a faint smile would unconsciously appear on her lips.

If Ling'er were here at this moment, wouldn't they look like a family of three?

A real... family of three!

"Senior sister, you should eat too." Lu Chen noticed her gaze and, somewhat embarrassed, placed a piece of food on her plate.

Jiang Huaiyu was taken aback, looking at the food in the bowl, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"Thanks."

The two ate their meal in silence, occasionally exchanging a few trivial words. The atmosphere was quiet, but not awkward.

As Lu Chen drank the spirit wine and looked at the stunningly beautiful face opposite him, he suddenly felt that this kind of life wasn't so bad after all.

Although he was not used to this lifestyle of the wealthy, he did not reject it at all.

Jiang Huaiyu didn't say anything, and the two ate their own food.

until……

"Senior sister, what kind of wine did you give me? How come it's so strong? Even I, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, am a little drunk!" Lu Chen's face was flushed, and he couldn't help but lean on the table.

"This is the Hundred Flowers Brew from the Hundred Flowers Sect. This is just the lowest alcohol content among them. It seems you can't hold your liquor very well, Junior Brother!"

"Thanks to my senior sister! But I can't hold my liquor, so I'll go back to rest now."

As Lu Chen spoke, he slowly got up.

Seeing this, Jiang Huaiyu quickly got up to help him, but he raised his hand to refuse.

"Senior sister, we're completely innocent. Let's keep our distance. Besides, he has very good feelings for you. He might come looking for you in a couple of days!"

As he spoke, Lu Chen walked step by step toward his bedroom, leaving Jiang Huaiyu standing there stunned.