Stepping out of the hotel and walking along the road back to Yaomu District, Tao Bai surged his spiritual energy, shaking the scent of those two women off his body and letting it dissipate into the cold wind.
For Tao Bai, who had already mastered the "Eclipsed Moon Withered Phoenix Art," he could theoretically fight to his heart's content for 25 hours a day.
He was truly the fighter jet among fighter jets.
He arrived home at seven in the evening. Gui Nianqiu had already cooked dinner.
Seeing Tao Bai return, she stepped forward and gave him a deep hug, sniffing him vigorously.
There was no scent or trace of any other woman.
Where did he go?
He didn't tell me.
...
The next day, Fan Qinzhu messaged Tao Bai on QQ again, inviting him out for hotpot.
Tao Bai pretended not to see it and didn't respond.
Later, she invited him out for skewers (chuan chuan), but Tao Bai still ignored her.
"BIG Brother, don't be mad!"
"What will it take for you to stop being angry?"
"Give me Shen Yuan's photo, and I won't be angry."
Tao Bai replied.
"Fine. Wait for my news."
...
New Year's Eve.
Before evening had even arrived, the scattered sounds of firecrackers were already ringing out.
The red Daoist robe Tao Bai usually wore looked particularly festive on this day.
After finishing the cleaning, Tao Bai went to the door to paste the "Fu" character and the couplets.
Gui Nianqiu, wearing an apron, was cooking in the kitchen.
Steamed fish, poached chicken, sweet and sour ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables...
She made ten dishes.
After dinner, the two of them began packing red envelopes (hongbao).
They put 10 yuan into each packet, packing a full 200 of them.
These red envelopes were for casual distribution—
For the community security guards, customers in the shop, or strangers who offered New Year's greetings.
The "start-of-work" red envelope Gui Nianqiu prepared for Liang Yue was 100 yuan. The envelope she prepared for Tao Bai contained 520 yuan.
The envelope Tao Bai prepared for Gui Nianqiu contained 10,000 yuan.
That night, when Tao Bai opened his envelope and found 520 yuan, he was a bit puzzled.
What does this signify?
...
The "New Year flavor" was still very strong back then.
The two of them had stocked up on many holiday goods:
Fruits, dried nuts, candies, sunflower seeds, crisp cakes, firecrackers, and fireworks.
After setting off the fireworks, they watched them.
Gui Nianqiu leaned into Tao Bai's embrace, quietly watching the flowers of fire bloom in the night sky.
Although every firework differed in color, size, and shape, they all strove to bloom, using their lives to illuminate the dark night, even if only as a faint glimmer.
Tao Bai held Gui Nianqiu's shoulder tighter.
...
The eighth day of the Lunar New Year.
Tao Bai and Gui Nianqiu finished breakfast at home and walked down the stairs.
Walking up and down six flights of stairs every day was excellent physical training for Gui Nianqiu, who did not use any spiritual power.
They walked a bit further downstairs and saw a girl wearing Hanfu standing at the entrance of the silk shop, carrying two bags, one large and one small.
She was squinting at Tao Bai and Gui Nianqiu.
It wasn't until they were five steps away that she spoke: "Boss, Lady Boss, Happy New Year!"
It seemed she was a bit nearsighted, just like Gui Nianqiu used to be.
"Happy New Year!"
Tao Bai and Gui Nianqiu spoke one after another, simultaneously handing over a red envelope from their pockets.
Liang Yue put down the bags in her hands.
After she accepted those red envelopes, Tao Bai and Gui Nianqiu handed over another, slightly larger "start-of-work" red envelope.
Receiving four red envelopes before even starting work, Liang Yue was in a delightful mood. "Boss, Lady Boss, I brought you some things."
Saying this, Liang Yue lifted the bags from the ground and handed them to Gui Nianqiu.
Gui Nianqiu took them, opened the bag slightly to peek inside, and exclaimed in surprise, "You brought these from your hometown?"
"Mhm."
"Cured meat, cured sausages!"
Gui Nianqiu looked at the other bag, unable to identify the contents.
"And this is?"
"Cured ribs, and some dried sweet potato and dried radish strips.
Just some small side dishes from home."
"They smell so fragrant!
They must be delicious.
Thank you so much!"
Gui Nianqiu said.
"I'm the one who should say thank you. Thank you, Lady Boss, for giving me the chance to work here."
By this time, Tao Bai had unlocked the silk shop's main door.
"Let's go, let's head inside!"
...
Throughout the day, fifty or sixty people entered the store, and they sold about a dozen pieces of clothing.
They made around three hundred yuan in profit just from opening shop after the New Year.
From the end of last year until now, the shop's profitability had been steadily increasing.
After getting off work at 8 PM, Gui Nianqiu took Liang Yue out for dinner alone.
...
Shortly after Tao Bai carried the local specialties Liang Yue brought back home, he received a QQ message from Gui Nianqiu saying she planned to eat out with Liang Yue tonight.
He replied "Stay safe," and was just about to toss his phone aside to meditate quietly when the notification sound chimed again.
He received another message.
He clicked it open to see a photo!
A photo of Shen Yuan!
In the photo, a little girl wearing a red cloak was riding on his shoulders.
The little girl held a small plush mouse toy in one hand and a stick of candied hawthorn (tanghulu) in the other, smiling very happily.
"Where was this photo taken?"
Tao Bai immediately sent a message back.
"Waiting for you on the second floor of Nancheng Local Home Cooking."
...
"BIG Brother, haven't seen you for ten days, three hours, and seven minutes.
Did you miss me?"
Seeing Tao Bai walking briskly toward her, Fan Qinzhu spoke with a beaming smile, "Sit. Here's the menu."
"Let's talk business."
Seeing that Fan Qinzhu was alone this time, Tao Bai sat down and got straight to the point. "Where was that photo taken?"
"It's a holiday today, are you still angry?"
"No."
"Then let's eat first before talking!
The food at this restaurant is extremely authentic!"
"Just eating?"
"After eating, we'll watch a movie.
I heard 'Double Room,' which came out two days ago, is pretty good!"
"We can talk about the meal and the movie next time."
Tao Bai pulled a thick envelope from his inner pocket and opened a corner of it.
"Take a peek at this.
Tell me the specific location where the photo was taken, and this envelope is yours."
"BIG Brother is going to accompany the one at home tonight?"
Seeing the money, Fan Qinzhu didn't show much excitement;
Instead, she looked a bit annoyed.
"Valentine's Day isn't 'Wife's Day'!"
"Westerners celebrate Western Valentine's Day.
What Western festivals do we children of HuaXia celebrate?
If you don't tell me, I'm leaving."
"Then leave!"
Fan Qinzhu's face instantly turned cold.
"Hehe,"
Tao Bai suddenly flashed a brilliant smile.
"Sis Piggy, are you angry?"
He leaned in closer and continued, "Back when I was being played by you, I felt even worse than this!
But let me say the ugly truth first:
Eating and watching a movie is no problem, but if you don't tell me exactly where the photo was taken tonight, I won't talk to you ever again."
Fan Qinzhu was that kind of person.
If Tao Bai continued to provoke her, she might transform on the spot—turning into a mountain, the legendary "Laozi Shudao Shan" (I'm Counting to Three).*
*(TN: A pun on a Sichuan dialect meme implies a woman's rage is imminent.)
Unfortunately, Tao Bai hadn't learned any spells to control human souls yet, otherwise, he wouldn't be so at her mercy.
"Sit. Eat properly." Fan Qinzhu's expression softened slightly.
Hearing this, Tao Bai obediently sat down.
Fan Qinzhu picked up a piece of kidney flower (yao hua) and placed it in Tao Bai's bowl.
"Eat more of this. Later on, you'll have to feed me hard!"
"Let me send a message to the one at home first."
Tao Bai took out his phone from his pocket, intending to text Gui Nianqiu.
"Didn't you say before that you weren't henpecked?"
Fan Qinzhu smirked, mocking him.
"Outside, a man has to give himself his own face!"
Tao Bai replied with a sheepish laugh.
"Then send it! Just say you're not coming back tonight.
As for the excuse, make one up yourself."