Ning Xian continued to stare at the rice cooker's instruction manual, her brow furrowed slightly.
She recognized the characters of this world, but the meaning of some terms was uncertain.
Cup, scale, water volume.
She read it three more times before she suddenly understood.
So that's what the numbers engraved on the cup meant.
She carefully washed the rice, poured it into the pot, added water, and closed the lid.
When she pressed the switch, her finger hesitated for a moment before she pressed down firmly.
The light came on, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she looked toward the range hood.
This thing would blow air, so she had to learn how to use it too.
She studied it for a good while before finding the switch.
When she pressed it, a buzzing sound rang out, and the draft blew several strands of her hair upward.
She quickly turned it off and glanced back at Fang Xuan.
Fang Xuan was sitting on the sofa, lost in thought, a silly grin on his face.
Ning Xian withdrew her gaze.
What is my junior brother thinking about? Why is he still smiling so foolishly...
She continued to study the stove.
How to start the fire, how to adjust the size, and how to use the spatula.
She learned these very quickly; they were indeed much simpler than the formations in the cultivation world.
She began to stir-fry.
The oil heated up, the vegetables hit the pan with a sizzle.
Her grip on the spatula was a bit stiff, but her movements were earnest.
How much salt, how much soy sauce—she relied entirely on her intuition.
Her intuition shouldn't be wrong.
...
After finishing the meal and cleaning up.
Ning Xian changed her clothes, putting on Fang Xuan's hoodie and his pants.
They were very loose, but they couldn't hide her temperament or her figure.
“Let’s go,” Ning Xian said, reaching out her hand.
Fang Xuan was stunned for a moment, then he took it.
Their fingers interlocked...
...
After leaving the house, the two walked down the street.
The streetlights glowed faintly, stretching their shadows long across the ground.
The shops along the street were open, and warm yellow light spilled out from within, casting a glow on the sidewalk.
Ning Xian walked very slowly, every step steady.
Fang Xuan followed her pace, neither fast nor slow.
They were similar in height, and as they walked together, their shoulders almost touched.
Ning Xian felt this was very good; she didn't have to look up or stand on her tiptoes when she kissed her junior brother...
Her hand was very soft and cool, yet also carried a hint of warmth.
Holding her hand, Fang Xuan’s heart beat faster than usual, but he felt much calmer than he did at home.
The evening breeze by the river was very comfortable.
The heat on Fang Xuan’s face gradually faded, and his thoughts began to drift...
Without saying a single word, they just walked quietly.
But why did it feel so comfortable?
It felt as if they could go forever without speaking, or speak at any moment.
It felt as if they had been walking like this for a long time, and would continue to walk for much longer...
People came and went on the walkway.
There were people walking dogs, jogging, and pushing strollers.
Ning Xian watched with some curiosity.
The people of this world seemed very ordinary.
No spiritual energy, no laws, no transcendent power of any kind.
But they lived vibrantly and earnestly.
The river breeze blew her hair into a mess. A few strands drifted onto her face, covering half an eye.
Fang Xuan instinctively reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear... then his hand paused on top of her head, giving it a gentle pat.
Hmm...? He suddenly froze.
Why did he do that? It felt as if he had done it many times before...
“You’re not allowed to just pet your Senior Sister’s head,” Ning Xian said, her face becoming serious as she spoke instinctively.
Fang Xuan was a bit embarrassed; he really didn't know why he had reached out.
“O-okay, Sister...”
...
The two continued to walk forward, hand in hand.
The night market gradually became lively.
Barbecue stalls, milk tea shops, and carts selling small accessories crowded both sides of the street.
The air was thick with the clamor of voices and the scent of street food.
Fang Xuan used to think he didn't like crowds at all.
Now he realized it was only because that liveliness hadn't belonged to him...
Coming to a stand for candied hawthorns, he saw the bright red fruit skewered on a straw display, coated in a crystal-clear sugar glaze that shimmered under the lights.
Fang Xuan stopped.
“Boss, I’ll take one.”
He pointed to a strawberry one.
Ning Xian glanced at the price tag... ten yuan.
Ten yuan? That was so expensive; it could buy two catties of rice.
She tugged on Fang Xuan’s sleeve. “No need, Junior Brother.”
The house her junior brother lived in was so small; he probably didn't have much money.
Although she didn't know the cost of living here, spending ten yuan on a single skewer of fruit was too wasteful...
It wasn't that Fang Xuan was poor.
The apartment was small, but it was a school district apartment in the city center...
“Sister... do you not like it?” Fang Xuan asked.
“Mm...” Ning Xian replied softly.
Fang Xuan looked up and said, “Sorry, Boss, we don't want it anymore.”
The owner glanced at him but didn't say anything, sticking the skewer back into the display.
The two continued forward.
Fang Xuan thought for a moment and asked again, “Sister... is there anything you want to buy?”
Ning Xian thought about it seriously.
“Pork.”
What her junior brother liked most was pork; he didn't like it too fatty, but it couldn't be completely lean either—it had to have just a little bit of fat.
And he liked it with lots of chili...
Fang Xuan was visibly stunned. “Huh?”
Pork? He had imagined a hundred different answers, but he had never expected this one.
He pretended to open his phone and quickly typed.
【King Doubao, what does it mean when a girl says she wants to buy pork while shopping?】
“Because she likes you...”
King Doubao’s voice popped out, and Fang Xuan hurriedly and clumsily pressed the stop button...
But it was too late.
The voice of the automated response was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
He coughed a few times, the tips of his ears turning red again...
Ning Xian’s ears twitched; there was a woman’s voice.
She immediately became sensitive.
“Who are you talking to?”
She looked over, her gaze cool.
Fang Xuan quickly shoved the phone into his pocket. “It’s not a phone call... it’s...”
“If you talk to other women,” Ning Xian interrupted him, her voice not loud, but every word was crystal clear.
“I will punish you until you can’t even get out of bed...”
She could endure anything, but she could not stand her junior brother being close to other women; even talking was not allowed.
Her junior brother could only ever be hers, even if she knew that everything here was fake—merely the world within her junior brother’s memories...
Fang Xuan suddenly sucked in a breath of cold air and then swallowed hard.
He quickly shook his head.
“There’s no other woman. It’s the phone, the phone assistant.”
Ning Xian looked at him, watching him for a long time.
After confirming he wasn't lying, she withdrew her gaze.
“Mm...”
She held his hand and continued walking forward.
Fang Xuan walked beside her, his heart racing...
That line just now... punish me until I can't get out of bed...
What exactly does that mean...?
Rate on N.U.
