Chapter 108 | My Fashion Gacha System Made Me a Cultivation Genius

Lin Zhiyue woke up very early on the day of her seventeenth birthday.

She had sent word to Cen Xi'er, Liu Fengyao, Chu Zhixun, Xiao Yuan, Jiang Yuezhan, and Senior Sister Qiao beforehand, inviting them to sit in her courtyard in the evening, without mentioning anything else.

She changed into the pink and white short skirt and apron of the Sweet and Clever Cook outfit, and began busying herself in the kitchen first thing in the morning.

The pink spatula flew in her hand as she precisely blended spiritual milk, spiritual honey, and spiritual fruits into various creations. The cake sponges rose soft and fluffy; the cream was whipped to a cloud-like texture; the surface of the baked milk was caramelized to perfection by spiritual fire; the tea base for the milk tea was brewed twice and filtered until crystal clear; and the puff pastry of the egg tarts formed distinct layers under the warmth of her palms.

She prepared a whole table of treats. Only when the counter was nearly overflowing did she take off her apron, fold it neatly to put away into her pocket dimension, and wash her hands to wait for her guests.

As evening approached, the guests began to arrive one after another.

Cen Xi'er was the first to push the door open. Carrying a bag of dried spiritual fruits, she set them on the stone table and gasped, “Your table is way too full!” Sitting down, she reached for a piece of baked milk. After taking a bite, she froze for a moment, then silently stuffed the remaining half into her mouth.

Liu Fengyao rushed in right after. She circled the stone table halfway before even sitting down, reviewing everything in sight. Finally, she picked a piece of cake and sat next to Cen Xi'er. Her eyes lit up after a single taste, and she immediately jabbed another piece with her fork.

Chu Zhixun and Xiao Yuan arrived together. The moment Chu Zhixun entered, he went straight for the plate of egg tarts. Xiao Yuan sat down unhurriedly behind him, picked up a cup of milk tea for a sip, and kept it close at hand.

Jiang Yuezhan was the last to arrive, carrying a small jar of spiritual wine that he said he had brewed himself on the back mountain. After placing it on the corner of the table, he sat down at the outermost seat. Instead of rushing to grab a snack, he took a sip of milk tea first before reaching for a pastry.

The others also began enjoying their favorite desserts.

Lin Zhiyue sat at one end of the stone table, cradling a cup of milk tea she had poured for herself as she watched everyone taste their way through the desserts on the table.

Cups clinked lightly against the edge of the table, sending out a few uneven clinks that were quickly drowned out by laughter and conversation.

Cen Xi'er pointed her fork at the plate of baked milk and asked, “Will there be more of this tomorrow?” while Liu Fengyao, caught trying to sneak some of her milk tea into Lin Zhiyue's cup, guiltily pulled her hand back. Beside them, Xiao Yuan quietly sipped his milk tea, staying out of the lively debate.

By the time Qi Yan arrived, twilight had already draped over half the courtyard.

Dressed in dark green ordinary clothes, he stood at the courtyard gate, casting a glance over the dessert-laden table and the group gathered around it.

As he stepped inside, everyone looked up and in unison shifted over to make room for him.

Qi Yan sat on the vacated stone stool. His gaze swept over the plates filling the table. Without any polite hesitation or refusal, he reached out, placed a piece of cake on the small saucer in front of him, took a bite, then another, and then started on a second piece.

He offered no commentary throughout. He simply sat there quietly eating cake while the others chatted and laughed, occasionally raising his teacup for a sip before bowing his head to eat the next piece.

Cen Xi'er and Liu Fengyao were laughing uproariously at the height of their conversation, while Chu Zhixun and Xiao Yuan engaged in a highly unserious debate over whether spiritual wine should be paired with desserts. Meanwhile, Jiang Yuezhan sat in the corner, taking small sips of his spiritual wine.

Senior Sister Qiao and Senior Brother Zhou almost came to blows over the very last egg tart.

Sitting at the edge of the stone table, Lin Zhiyue had already finished half her milk tea. She looked at the expressions of the people around the table, then glanced at Qi Yan, who sat at the other end silently eating cake. He finished the last bite on his plate, set down his fork, took a sip from his teacup, and then raised his eyes to glance at her before looking away.

Most of the dessert plates had been cleared, and the lively chatter at the table gradually wound down into a relaxed, casual hum.

Liu Fengyao was the first to set down her empty plate. She pulled a palm-sized brocade box from her sleeve and handed it over. Upon opening, a pair of delicately crafted silver-threaded flower earrings lay inside. She explained that she had found them in the market the last time she went down the mountain and bought them because she felt the color suited Lin Zhiyue.

Lin Zhiyue accepted them, looking down to admire them. Saying they were beautiful, she placed them in the side compartment of her Wardrobe.

Cen Xi'er gifted a handwritten travelogue with a line of small characters penned on the cover and a few pressed, dried maple leaves tucked inside. She said it contained casual notes from her own travels over the years and told Lin Zhiyue to flip through it in her spare time.

Chu Zhixun presented a newly forged short dagger with a blade that gleamed with a cold light. He mentioned he had a blacksmith friend make it, and it would be handy whether she was slicing spiritual fruits or cutting ropes.

Xiao Yuan gifted a scroll. Unrolled, it revealed an ink wash landscape painting with light, sparse brushstrokes, leaving plenty of empty space between the distant mountains and nearby waters.

Jiang Yuezhan remained silent for a moment before pulling a beast tooth threaded on a thin string from his robe. Polished round and smooth, he explained it was the canine tooth of an adult spirit beast he had hunted on the back mountain, meant to ward off evil.

Lin Zhiyue accepted them one by one, placing them on the table behind her and thanking them all.

Qi Yan was the last to present his gift. Reaching into his sleeve, he produced a fruit only the size of a baby's fist. It gleamed with a pale golden luster, and as soon as he set it on the stone table, it exuded a crisp, sweet fragrance.

Before Lin Zhiyue could inspect it closely, Honghong trotted over from nearby. The deer leaned in to sniff the fruit, its ears twitching, sniffed it again, then looked up at Lin Zhiyue before lowering its head to look back at the fruit.

Lin Zhiyue reached out and picked up the fruit to examine it. Its surface was smooth and warm, radiating a thin layer of spiritual energy. The scent she inhaled carried a refreshing crispness that instantly energized her mind.

She carefully stored the fruit in her system space and said to Qi Yan, “Thank you, Master.”

Sitting on the stone stool with his teacup resting at his hand, Qi Yan nodded. “This is a Colorful Mist Mountain Cherry. It will be of some benefit to it.” Qi Yan looked at Honghong beside her.

By the time everyone had mostly dispersed, the sky had turned completely dark.

Lin Zhiyue cleaned up the dishes in the courtyard while Cen Xi'er and Liu Fengyao helped pack the remaining desserts to take home. Chu Zhixun carried off the unfinished jar of spiritual wine, saying he would continue drinking back at his place.

Xiao Yuan carefully rolled up the scroll and placed it on the bookshelf in Lin Zhiyue's room.

Jiang Yuezhan cast a Cleaning Technique in the courtyard, sweeping the scattered dry leaves layer by layer into the corner.

Qi Yan said nothing, but with a slight flick of his fingers, a technique soundlessly descended. The grease-stained dishes on Lin Zhiyue's table instantly returned to their pristine state, looking as clean as if they had never been used.

Night had fully fallen, and the lanterns in the courtyard lit up, casting a warm yellow glow over the corners of the blue-brick ground.

Drying her hands, Lin Zhiyue stood under the veranda, looking at the stone table and empty stools that had grown quiet once more. The wind dispersed some of the lingering sweet scent from the tabletop, only for it to gather back.