“Mm~ Little Yaoshi, you’re amazing. I’m almost done for. Little Yaoshi, my belly’s gotten bigger because of you, so you have to take responsibility~”
“Hey, hey, if you ate too much, just say you ate too much. Don’t say things that’ll make others misunderstand.”
Feng Yaqin lay against the pile of grass, gently holding her slightly swollen belly. Her expression clearly showed that she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
Jiang Che maintained his usual unsmiling demeanor, swiftly tidying up the bowls, chopsticks, and stove.
Every movement was so practiced it was almost painful to watch—except for Feng Yaqin, who didn’t lift a finger.
“What’s there to be afraid of? There’s no one else here, who’s going to misunderstand? Or are you hoping something will happen between us?”
Feng Yaqin’s eyes and tone were full of temptation as she lightly poked Jiang Che’s back with her bare toes.
Jiang Che’s mouth twitched slightly as he silently cursed her madness.
Seeing Jiang Che remain silent, Feng Yaqin stopped teasing and said,
“Little Yaoshi, I have a question for you.”
Jiang Che was momentarily stunned.
This woman who often toyed with him rarely spoke so seriously, and he was a bit unaccustomed.
Meanwhile, Feng Yaqin’s eyes were as gentle as water, as if imagining something beautiful.
Jiang Che gave a soft “Hmm.”
Feng Yaqin continued, “Do you have anything you want to do in the future?”
That question caught Jiang Che off guard.
Ever since he had shrunk, he hadn’t thought about the future at all.
Rather than because he shrank, it was more that from the moment he was crippled, his life had no future.
Now, with someone asking, “Do you have anything you want to do? What do you want to do in the future?” his mind suddenly sparked to life.
He thought back to the days when he was still Senior Brother, but those memories drifted like clouds, fading away.
The last images left in his mind were imagined scenes of Hu Qiao’er and Grandpa Hu Jingzhong standing before him.
Maybe if Feng Yaqin hadn’t appeared, Jiang Che would have one day moved into Hu Jingzhong’s house and inherited his pharmacy.
But he still couldn’t voice this answer. Deep down, there were still some reservations.
“Not really. Someone like me—what could I possibly do in the future?”
Jiang Che’s tone was laced with unspeakable melancholy.
“After all, I can’t see anything, and this life will probably just be like this. Maybe, like you said the other day, I’ll open a small restaurant in town. Business would definitely be booming.”
Behind the coarse cloth, Feng Yaqin couldn’t read Jiang Che’s eyes, but she could feel the helplessness and bitterness beneath.
She didn’t know how to comfort him, but she had her own plan.
She leaned in and wrapped her arms around Jiang Che from behind.
Jiang Che felt a wave of warmth engulf him. Feng Yaqin usually did this, but he always resisted—this time, he didn’t.
“Then do you want to come with me? I’ll take you away from here, and… I’ll take care of you from now on.”
Feng Yaqin’s tone was soft, though she hesitated a little on the last part, unsure how best to express it.
Jiang Che’s heart involuntarily started beating faster.
This feeling was something he rarely experienced since arriving in this world.
Taking care of his Shimei and Shidi was so natural to others that he never received a shred of concern in return.
Only praise, as if it were all so obvious and expected.
But now, someone was willing to repay him for his efforts.
Still, even so, his past experiences quickly suppressed this feeling.
He pulled away from Feng Yaqin’s embrace and said lightly, “Give me a break. What can you really give me? You don’t even know how to wash dishes. In the end, I’m probably the one who’ll be supporting you.”
Feng Yaqin smiled. With her own strength and status, Jiang Che would probably never finish enjoying the benefits for many lifetimes.
Jiang Che continued, “I think you can just be my assistant. Whether I’m a doctor or a cook, you can help hand me things. I still won’t let you starve.”
Though he said it so casually, Jiang Che didn’t mean it that way. It was just a small joke.
Feng Yaqin was definitely not an ordinary person, and she shouldn’t be tangled up with someone like him.
So he thought Feng Yaqin would eventually return to where she truly belonged.
But the speaker spoke unintentionally, while the listener took it to heart.
Feng Yaqin was immediately defeated by the slight smile at Jiang Che’s mouth corner.
She suddenly grabbed him fiercely again.
This time, not from behind—she pressed Jiang Che’s face firmly into her jade peaks.
Damn… that’s at least a C cup…
Jiang Che snapped back to reality and immediately struggled free from Feng Yaqin’s embrace.
“I-I-I’m going out for a bit. You should rest early.”
Jiang Che felt his face burning unbearably, as if he had a fever.
Seeing this, Feng Yaqin couldn’t help but giggle.
“Oh? Going out? What for? I’ll come with you.”
Her voice carried a teasing undertone.
“Uh… I’m just going to the restroom. Don’t follow me!”
Jiang Che stood up, groped for the cane on the ground, and limped out of the temple.
Everything seemed so normal…
Feng Yaqin touched her face and felt it slightly warm as well.
Thinking about Jiang Che’s earlier suggestion of making her his assistant, she began to imagine another possibility for their future together.
She stood up and vanished from the spot.
***
The Ruined Temple was nestled in the forest beside Shuiquan Village.
Though inside the temple, the messy piles of dry grass were scattered, it was still kept neat and orderly.
But from outside, the temple looked overgrown with weeds and dilapidated.
Entering the forest, Jiang Che calmed down considerably.
Though he didn’t know Feng Yaqin’s appearance, from the feel of her body, he could still sense her alluring figure.
Even through that red dress, Jiang Che could feel the slender waist and the full curves from head to toe.
If desire existed, it was very faint.
He figured that if shrinking was a new life, this was already his third incarnation. Though all had been brief, the memories were vivid.
As for close contact with girls, in his first life on Blue Star, his daily routine was just school and work—there was basically no experience with close contact.
During his time as Senior Brother on Lingjian Peak, the most intimate contact was guiding Shimei’s cultivation and taking care of their daily lives.
This time, however, it was different. Someone was willingly coming close to warm him.
The sharp contrast stirred his heavy, painful memories he preferred not to recall.
Having experienced life’s highs and lows, Jiang Che had become cautious about such feelings.
He lifted his cane off the ground but didn’t strike it down.
The night wind rustled through the trees.
In this environment, Jiang Che quickly entered a state.
His crippled right leg barely touched the ground, shedding some of its frailty, showing a hint of strength.
Following familiar memories, he wielded the cane.
There was no sharp sword whistle, only the urgent whoosh of the cane slicing through the air.
His wrist subtly twisted, turning the cane from a diagonal strike to a horizontal sweep.
The movements were fluid and continuous, like practicing a sword technique imprinted deeply in his soul.
This was exactly the sword method he had learned at the Shenxiao Sect.