After a long bout of intimacy, the two finally stepped out of the room—one thing worth noting: when getting dressed, Yun Xuechang still couldn’t bear to let go of Hua Yan.
It wasn’t until Hua Yan blushed and grew a bit frantic that she reluctantly released her hands and obediently used her magical power to change into outdoor clothes.
As soon as they exited, they saw the pink-haired girl already waiting in the courtyard, sitting on a small stool.
“Rongrong, what do you want for breakfast? Xuechang and I will make it for you.”
Hua Yan asked casually.
“Uh… I-I’m fine with anything! Whatever Mother says!”
Hua Xiangrong obediently replied, though she looked a little off.
“Girl, what’s wrong with you? Why are you tilting your head to look at me when you talk?”
Hua Yan gave the girl a strange glance—she was sitting sideways, her head perpetually tilted to one side.
She took a few steps left, then a few steps right. The girl’s eyes followed, but her neck still couldn’t straighten.
“Hahahahaha! Rongrong, did you fall asleep with a stiff neck last night? Hahahahaha!”
True to form, it was Hua Yan. Upon noticing her daughter’s odd condition, her first reaction was to point and laugh heartily.
“Mmph… Mother!”
Hua Xiangrong’s little face puffed up with anger, her mouth puckered high, but she didn’t retort like usual.
As for why—
“Host, whose fault is it that you were twisting in bed too much last night watching Hua Yan and Yun Xuechang interact and ended up straining your neck? 😏”
099’s teasing voice rang in her mind.
“099! Even you’re making fun of me!”
Seeing the pink-haired girl’s mouth pucker higher and her cheeks puff out, Yun Xuechang stepped forward and lightly patted Hua Yan’s arm:
“Alright, Yan’er, Rongrong’s about to get angry. Stop laughing at her.”
“Hahaha… fine, fine.”
Having laughed enough, Hua Yan wiped the tears of joy from the corners of her eyes, flicked her finger, and a beam of spiritual light shot from her fingertip, instantly sinking into the little girl’s neck.
“Girl, try now. Is your neck better?”
Hua Xiangrong moved her neck and found it didn’t hurt anymore, so her little face relaxed.
“Thank you, Mother. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Hey, girl, I’m the one who cured you. Why thank Xuechang and not me?”
Hua Yan raised an eyebrow.
“Hmph, if it weren’t for Mother talking about you, you would’ve kept making fun of me forever. I’m not thanking you.”
Hua Xiangrong slid off the stone stool, darted behind Yun Xuechang, grabbed her hem, rolled her eyes, and made a face at Hua Yan.
“Little grudge holder.”
Hua Yan reached out and gently pinched the girl’s plump cheek, making her pout and glare again before she let go with satisfaction and said to Yun Xuechang:
“Let’s go, Xuechang. We’ll make breakfast.”
…
After the last bite of soup noodles was finished, Hua Yan pulled out a handkerchief, wiped her mouth, and turned to Yun Xuechang beside her:
“Xuechang, what are you planning to do today? Still mulling over that secret manual you got from Su Feiyao in the courtyard?”
“Yes… I mean, no.”
Yun Xuechang wiped Hua Xiangrong’s little mouth after she put down her soup bowl, nodded as if to agree, then changed her tune:
“Yan’er, I promised you last night—I’ll cultivate less and spend more time with you, hoping you’ll like me more.”
This fool… why is she still hung up on that?
Hearing such a straightforward confession, with all her thoughts placed on her, Hua Yan felt a soft warmth in her heart, but she shook her head:
“No, Xuechang, you have to cultivate.”
“Why? I don’t have to. Yan’er, I can accompany—”
Yun Xuechang started speaking urgently but was interrupted again by Hua Yan:
“Then be honest with me: in your heart today, do you want to go out and stroll with me more, or practice this secret manual first?”
“…”
“Practice the manual.”
Yun Xuechang paused before answering honestly.
“See? Xuechang, I’m telling you, two people who like each other understand one another, it’s not about one side always accommodating the other.”
Hua Yan shook her head, looking into her eyes seriously:
“I won’t interfere with your cultivation. This is part of who you are. Liking to dig into these things is what makes you you. If my presence keeps you from doing what you love, that’s my problem.”
“If my joke last night made you anxious, afraid I wouldn’t like you, then I apologize—I spoke wrongly last night.”
“I’m sorry, Xuechang.”
She gazed tenderly at Yun Xuechang in front of her and sighed inwardly.
‘I knew it… there’s no way she’d get it that easily. When it comes to matters of love, I’ll have to teach this fool slowly.’
‘But… lucky me, I’m patient enough, and this fool I like is cute enough to be worth the effort.’
‘Heh, only I can teach her right.’
With that thought, she secretly curled the corners of her mouth in smug satisfaction.
“So that’s what mutual affection means… I understand…”
Hearing her explanation, Yun Xuechang breathed a sigh of relief.
“Then Yan’er, what are you and Rongrong planning to do today?”
“I’m going to play with Little Pomegranate today!”
Hua Xiangrong, who had been watching their exchange with keen interest, immediately raised her little hand and answered crisply—no matter whether Yun Xuechang decided to go out with Hua Yan or not, she had no intention of becoming a third wheel during these days of their budding romance.
“You’re really close with that kid.”
Hua Yan ruffled her head, then said to Yun Xuechang:
“I’m not going out today either. I’ll stay in the courtyard. I can even practice some moves with you, maybe spark some inspiration.”
“But, Yan’er, didn’t you just say that people who love each other should understand one another, not accommodate? Why—”
Listening to her words, Yun Xuechang looked confused.
“Ahem… I-I’m free anyway. And I already checked out most of this city yesterday. That Heavenly Mystery Pavilion crook’s New City has no interesting spots. So I might as well stay here and cultivate with you, read some books, or something…”
Hua Yan cleared her throat, blushing as she said:
“I-In any case, this is different from what you were doing! I’m not accommodating you!”
This… was there an obvious difference from what she was about to do?
Yun Xuechang felt even more puzzled hearing this.
“Mother means that, rather than going out shopping, she actually prefers staying here with you, Mommy!”
Hua Xiangrong immediately chimed in to explain:
“This is what she wants to do most right now! Mmph—”
“Shut up!”
Hua Yan blushed, quickly covering the little girl’s mouth to stop her from continuing.
‘So that’s it… Yan’er already likes me this much…’
She likes being with me, so staying in the courtyard to cultivate together isn’t accommodation—it’s her genuine desire.
“Alright, then today we’ll stay in the courtyard together.”
Yun Xuechang nodded with a gentle smile:
“Tomorrow, I’ll go out shopping with Yan’er.”
She paused, then added:
“This isn’t accommodation either—it’s something I really want to do.”
“O-oh…”
Hua Yan looked at her smiling, earnest face and, for some reason, her heartbeat quickened even more.