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Fellow Daoist! Grant this pitiful author a 5-star rating, or I shall instantly drop realms back to Qi Condensation! While you're at it, share your Dao in the comments so this humble one can comprehend enlightenment.
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After half an hour, they finally reached the top of the mountain. Du Yue had taken off her face cover a long time ago. She hugged him so tight that sometimes he had difficulty breathing. Although Su Wen had a black face and an indifferent attitude, she could feel that he was very happy and wanted to tease him more.
Finally, just a few steps away from the house, she got off his back, not wanting to be teased by Grandma. "Oh, looks like my meridians are fine now. Thank you for the ride, Young Master of the Mountain," she said shyly.
Su Wen looked at her with a blank face and pinched her nose. "Let's go."
Du Yue felt embarrassed and quietly followed behind him like a virtuous wife. As they entered the house, they saw their grandparents seated, looking at them with bright eyes.
Little Sparrow couldn't wait; she simply attacked his forehead and said, "-Chirp! Where are my sweets, Dumb Su Wen?"
Su Wen, without wasting a second, took out many boxes of the sweets and gave them to her.
Suddenly, he opened a box and took out a few sweets, handed them over to the Little Sparrow, and quickly put all the boxes back into the storage ring. "You can have only this much sweet in a day."
"Come tomorrow," he added.
"-Chirp, Y-You!!..." Before Little Sparrow could reply, he held her in his hands, gave her ten quick pecks, and said satisfied, "Don't be a bad sparrow..."
Little Sparrow could only snort indignantly and flew off, going to Du Yue, acting bullied. Du Yue took her in her hands and, just like Su Wen, gave her ten pecks.
Little Sparrow could only eat her sweets in defeat.
Su Wen looked at his grandparents' faces and felt something was off, and his heart tightened, but he didn't show it on his face.
"Grandma, Grandpa, we are back," Su Wen said, going to his Grandma and kissing her on the forehead, making Grandma's smile wider.
Grandma hugged him and thought to herself, 'What could grandparents expect from their children? Just some care, love, and importance, and they would feel that they are the luckiest grandparents in the world.'
"Welcome back, my little grandson. How was your 'date'?" Grandma asked mischievously.
Su Wen's face turned red, and Du Yue could only look down. "It was fine, Grandma."
He took out the green stone he bought for her to divert her mind, to which Du Yue internally gave a thumbs up. "Grandma, I bought this for you. It is a Mind Calming Stone, which, as the name says, helps in calming people's minds."
Grandma looked at the beautiful green stone pendant and felt another surge of joy in her heart. She quickly wore the pendant and showed it off to Grandpa, as if saying, 'My grandson bought this for me.'
Grandpa snorted and said, "Oh, so you too had fun at your little date, hah?"
To which Su Wen replied by throwing a book towards him, which Grandpa caught immediately. "Latest version of The Legends of Boss Wife."
Grandpa's face immediately brightened, and he laughed out loud. "Good, good, you know your Grandpa the best." Seeing his reaction, Su Wen felt happy and also a surge of sadness in his heart.
He took out a bottle of fine wine which he brewed himself something a mortal could drink, and set up a table in the courtyard, placing the board of chess on the table. Grandpa was stunned and wondered how Su Wen knew that he wanted to drink wine today.
Before he could say anything, Su Wen had already poured wine in a cup and handed it over to him.
Grandpa accepted the cup, his eyes softening as they met his grandson's calm, composed expression. He settled into his seat and took a slow, appreciative sip.
"Good wine…" he murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Then, a spark of curiosity appeared in his eyes. "Brat… where did you learn to make wine like this?"
"I am such a heaven-defying genius," Su Wen said with a sly grin, puffing out his chest. "Making a fine wine of your choice is nothing for someone like me."
Grandpa raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Hmph! I've got the wine… but I need something to eat with it," he retorted, leaning back with a playful glint in his eyes.
Without wasting a moment, Su Wen pulled a compact stove from his storage ring, along with some slices of mortal beast meat, a selection of spices, and a few iron grills. He quickly arranged the firewood and set it alight, the flames flickering and crackling as the aroma of burning wood filled the air.
He placed the meat on the grills, letting it sizzle. Moments later, he sprinkled it carefully with salt and fragrant spices, the rich smell making mouths water. With a flourish, he plated the perfectly barbequed meat and set it in front of Grandpa, who stared in stunned silence, unsure what to say.
Du Yue watched quietly, a strange feeling prickling at her senses, as if something unspoken was passing between the two of them. Meanwhile, Grandma's gaze lingered on Su Wen, her eyes deep and unreadable, as though she were trying to peer into the boy's very soul.
Su Wen pulled two more chairs up to the table and invited them all to sit. Tonight's dinner was a simple but delicious hot barbeque, the aroma still lingering from the grill.
As they ate, Grandpa and Su Wen fell back into their familiar bickering during a game, trading teasing jabs and playful arguments. Meanwhile, Du Yue and Grandma quietly discussed the events of the day… their conversation revolving around the "date" she had shared with Su Wen.
Although they already knew most of what had happened thanks to Little Sparrow's live broadcast, she had been careful not to show the fight scene.
She cut off before those people arrived and only started the broadcast when Su Wen was patting her head after the fight.
Grandma's gaze lingered on Su Wen and Du Yue, a mixture of happiness and nostalgia shining in her eyes. As if remembering something long cherished, she reached into her sleeve and carefully took out a small, ornate box. With a gentle smile, she handed it to Su Wen.
The moment Su Wen saw it, his expression softened… he immediately understood both what the box contained and the intention behind her gesture.
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Y-You?? Where is my 5-star rating and your profound Dao comments?!
If you have already shared your enlightenment, then watch as this humble author weaves your Dao into the very soul of the novel!