The kid who moved here?
"Are you talking about the one with bells on her waist?" Yun Qian thought of Gu Qiancheng's silly appearance.
"Yes." Xu Chang'an nodded.
"She talks to me." Yun Qian said, slightly frowning, "The jingling of the bells is somewhat noisy."
"I guessed as much." Xu Chang'an smiled slightly, thinking his wife prefers quietness.
Yun Qian's annoyance was written all over her face, and he wondered what was wrong with that girl, why she liked Yun Qian so much.
"Miss, you are really likable, even a girl from the Immortal Sect... hmm." Xu Chang'an said as he stuffed meat jelly into dumplings.
"Whether she likes me or not doesn't matter, as long as you like me." Yun Qian said.
"..." Xu Chang'an was taken aback and turned his head.
The breeze from outside passed by Yun Qian's body, and Xu Chang'an looked at the serious girl in front of him, instinctively shifting his gaze to the meat jelly, as if there was something fascinating inside it.
His family's Miss Yun could sometimes make this grown man blush and his heart race.
Xu Chang'an knew Yun Qian wouldn't deliberately speak sweet words, but because they come from the heart, they are the best kind of sweet talk.
"You don't want me to like you?" Yun Qian looked at Xu Chang'an, who didn't respond, slightly frowning, gently tugged on his shirt, and asked, "Unhappy now?"
"Who's unhappy?" Xu Chang'an steadily put down the dumplings and said, "I'm happy."
"Where do you look happy?" Yun Qian said, then turned to get some candied fruit and leaned against the door frame, watching Xu Chang'an work.
Xu Chang'an wouldn't let her help, and she had nothing to do, so she ate candied fruit while watching Xu Chang'an's hand movements idly.
Xu Chang'an was really skillful; soon two trays of dumplings were steaming, and the aroma filled the room.
"They're almost ready." Xu Chang'an said, preparing the dipping sauce, and as he chopped the chili, he said, "I must say, I'm feeling a bit hungry too."
Even though he had been cultivating for a year, those in the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer needed to eat regularly.
"You're hungry too?" Yun Qian blinked, then walked over to Xu Chang'an's right side.
Xu Chang'an chopped the condiments rhythmically and said to Yun Qian, "Stay clear of the knife, stand over here."
"Oh." Yun Qian nodded, obediently standing on Xu Chang'an's left side, then spread her palm open in front of him, asking, "You're hungry, so want to taste this?"
Xu Chang'an looked, and in Yun Qian's jade-like palm lay a cloud-shaped candied fruit, like a jewel set in jade.
"Okay." Xu Chang'an gently bowed his head, pecking at the candied fruit in Yun Qian's palm, and then "hmm"-ed twice.
"..."
Yun Qian felt a slight wetness in her palm and asked, "How does it taste?"
"A bit too sweet." Xu Chang'an said truthfully, "Miss, you like sweet things, but I prefer stronger flavors."
Just like with the dumplings, although he made them slightly sweet for Yun Qian's sake... Xu Chang'an prepared a hot sauce she couldn't stand just for himself.
"I didn't used to eat sweets." Yun Qian placed her right hand on her cheek and blinked, "You always made sweet things for me on the island."
"Sweet things are simpler to make. When I started making desserts, even if I messed up, they wouldn't be inedible." Xu Chang'an skillfully picked up the vinegar, pouring it into a dish, then casually tossed the vinegar bottle back to the stove where it stood firmly.
Yun Qian thought for a moment and said, "Those burnt, bitter residues you used to make, were they sweet things too?"
"I didn't control the heat well; the dessert got charred." Xu Chang'an's eyes twitched slightly.
His cooking skills weren't always this good.
Yun Qian witnessed his growth along the way; it wasn't easy.
"Good thing you could eat them back then." Xu Chang'an recalled the past with a fond smile.
"They wouldn't kill me." Yun Qian said, "I quite liked them?"
She enjoyed the way the young man blushed with embarrassment when his food tasted terrible.
"...I'm sorry for putting you through that." Xu Chang'an sighed, having finished the candied fruit, he was about to spit out the seed when Yun Qian extended her hand towards him.
"Handkerchief." Xu Chang'an reminded helplessly.
"Mm." Yun Qian took out the handkerchief from her bosom and placed it in her palm, and Xu Chang'an then spit out the seed, saying, "Miss, sometimes I think if we hadn't left the island, living there together wouldn't have been bad."
"What's good about it?" Yun Qian said, picking up another candied fruit and gently biting it open, removing the seed before stuffing the flesh into Xu Chang'an's mouth.
Feeling the sweet taste in his mouth, Xu Chang'an blinked and said, "If we were still on the island, we might have had a child by now?"
Yun Qian paused, then lowered her head, placing her palm over her flat stomach, and said seriously, "Although it might be difficult, if you want a child, I can try."
"I said that was on the island." Xu Chang'an was helpless with his wife's earnest nature; he shook his head, "Leaving the island made us realize how vast and exciting the outside world is... also dangerous... so much to do."
After seeing the world outside, Xu Chang'an no longer believed their small island he could leave in half a day by boat was very safe.
"To me, there's no difference between outside and the island." Yun Qian lowered her hand and said, "If you're tired of the outside, we can go back."
"Having left, we can't just give up." Xu Chang'an smiled slightly, saying, "We eloped from the island; if your family found out what I did, who knows what would happen?"
Xu Chang'an still believed Yun Qian had a family behind her.
Yun Qian didn't explain, she simply said, "If anyone says you overstepped, I'd be angry."
"What happens if Miss gets angry?" Xu Chang'an asked.
"Maybe I'd want to hit someone." Yun Qian looked at her delicate fist, then lightly tapped Xu Chang'an's waist and said, "So, should we go back?"
Xu Chang'an set down his work and asked, "Why go back?"
"Outside, I can't see you often." Yun Qian said seriously.
"We'll find a chance to meet regularly." Xu Chang'an thought to discuss this matter with Yun Qian after dinner, not wanting to spoil her mood.
While making dumplings, Xu Chang'an ended up preparing two cold dishes.
Otherwise, drinking alcohol with dumplings seemed really odd.
"..."
By then, Yun Qian had already sat at the table, resting a hand on her stomach and her slightly closed eyes shimmering.
"His child..."
Wanting one.
Could she bear it?
Never had one, so unclear.
Sighed.
She discovered she had troubles and things she couldn't understand too.