“Brother, are you really okay?”
Xu Moli's eyes were filled with concern.
She found Xu Xi to be a bit odd.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Xu Xi said with a smile, reaching out to gently ruffle his sister’s hair.
The world is often filled with suffering and lacks the rare blessings of beauty.
That’s why, when beauty and happiness arrive, people tend to feel empty and find it hard to believe in their reality.
But now, Xu Xi was certain that this beauty was real.
The soft strands of hair slipped through his fingers, swaying and moving under his touch. The sensation was smooth, almost addictive.
“By the way, Moli.”
“Are you and Yingxue doing okay?”
While comforting his sister, Xu Xi asked her.
“Y-yeah, we’re fine…” The girl’s eyes darted around, trying to maintain a composed facade as she responded to Xu Xi.
“I see, that’s good,” Xu Xi smiled.
He could tell though.
There seemed to be some kind of awkwardness between his sister and the princess.
That’s why earlier, when they met, his sister had directly suggested they spar.
But now, it seemed the tension wasn’t too deep, as the two could still communicate normally and return to the courtyard in one piece.
“Did you meet in the Chaos?”
As Xu Xi relaxed, he speculated with curiosity.
He thought that might be the answer.
The Chaos is vast, with multiple universes, but to an all-powerful Eternal like them, the Chaos is merely a garden for leisurely strolls.
It wasn’t difficult to understand that Xu Moli and Wu Yingxue had come into contact earlier, given their shared status as Eternals.
“Fate is truly mysterious.”
Xu Xi marveled at the wonder of fate.
It was fortunate that the two girls didn't harbor any deep-seated grudges, or else Xu Xi would have been worried.
“Let’s go, Moli.”
“We should start preparing for tonight’s New Year’s Eve dinner.”
The witch had finished her work, and the princess was done as well.
The chime of Spring Festival echoed through Yanshan City, where every household was adorned with lanterns and decorations. The red glow flowed over the city surface, reflecting the hope of the people for the future.
Within that festive glow, the courtyard, now decorated with various New Year’s ornaments, gradually blended into the scene.
Farewell to the old, welcome to the new.
Warm and harmonious.
Everything was beautiful.
At least, that’s what Xu Xi thought.
…
“Everyone, take your seats,” as the sounds of firecrackers outside filled the air, Xu Xi and the three girls sat down at the dining table.
This was a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner.
The meat was tender, the vegetables crisp.
The soup was rich and warm.
Each bite, with the clinking of utensils and the dripping of juices, satisfied the taste buds and erupted with incredible flavors.
“Brother’s cooking is getting better and better,” his sister praised.
She hadn’t lived off divine feasts from the Immortal Realm.
But to her, even the legendary delicacies like dragon liver and phoenix heart couldn’t compare to a single dish made by her brother.
“Agreed,” the witch nodded faintly. This was one of the rare moments where her opinion aligned with Xu Moli’s.
“Is it really that good?”
Only Wu Yingxue was half-doubting.
In her third simulation, the food Xu Xi and Wu Yingxue had eaten was mostly rough-tasting demon flesh. She had never seen Xu Xi’s true culinary skills.
After all, no matter how good a chef is, the ingredients matter.
Back then, not only were there few edible foods, but there were also no spices, so Xu Xi couldn’t fully showcase his cooking talents.
“Mmm… Delicious!”
With her chopsticks, she lightly picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth.
After a few bites,
Wu Yingxue’s face lit up with surprise.
“Sir, you’re truly amazing,” she exclaimed, reaffirming that her teacher was indeed omnipotent.
“Eat more if you like,” Xu Xi smiled, accepting Wu Yingxue’s praise.
The light from above cascaded down.
Warm and gentle.
It intertwined with the steam rising from the dishes.
Creating a scene of warmth and beauty.
A gust of wind struck the window, brushing against the snow blanketing the world, but that darkness and coldness couldn’t penetrate the courtyard at this moment.
In fact, it seemed to retreat slightly.
“Master, please eat more,” Krisha quietly put away her wand after giving a slight warning to the ignorant consciousness of this planet. She stood up and started adding food to Xu Xi’s bowl.
Once, the witch wasn’t good at using chopsticks, considering them her lifelong enemy.
But now,
she could skillfully use chopsticks to serve Xu Xi.
Every dish, every piece of meat, was carefully picked up and delicately placed into Xu Xi’s bowl.
When it came to matters concerning Xu Xi, the witch was always exceptionally attentive.
“Thanks, Krisha.”
The clinking of chopsticks against porcelain.
Chewing food, savoring flavors.
Xu Xi ate the dishes Krisha had placed in his bowl, relishing the deliciousness.
But soon,
Xu Xi noticed the atmosphere at the table was getting strange. Whenever he finished the food in his bowl, someone would immediately fill it up again.
The witch did it, his sister did it, and even the princess joined in.
It was as if some kind of endless challenge had been initiated.
Xu Xi found himself stuck in a loop of never-ending eating.
In the end,
Xu Xi had to politely refuse the feeding efforts of all three girls simultaneously: “Everyone, eat more yourselves. Don’t just focus on me.”
His sister was considerate, the witch was obedient, and the princess was well-behaved.
Thus,
the dinner returned to its proper pace.
No more waves, no more surges, just peaceful moments passing by, blending into the mingling of New Year’s joy and the snow outside.
Half an hour later,
the New Year’s Eve dinner was over.
The large dining table was still filled with many uneaten dishes, with oil stains spreading out, cluttering the entire surface.
But this wasn’t a problem for the witch.
With a light wave of her hand, all the dirt vanished without a trace, leaving only the clean plates and bowls quietly sitting in place.
“Master, please leave this to me.”
Krisha said softly, as she always did, taking the initiative to clean up. Or perhaps, she enjoyed doing so.
To the witch,
this was her reason for existence.
It was also one of the few things where, despite Xu Xi’s multiple suggestions to stop, she still continued.
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Krisha.”
Xu Xi had other things to do.
He planned to take Wu Yingxue to his bedroom and return the paper flower stored in his collection cabinet to the princess, who loved it.
But just as he was about to leave, Xu Xi suddenly stopped.
“I almost forgot.”
“Moli, Krisha, this is for you two.”
Xu Xi gave an apologetic smile and took out two red envelopes from his spatial ring, handing them separately to the witch and his sister: “This is your New Year’s money.”
He explained this.
Even though the two girls were far past the age of receiving New Year’s money.
Even though eternal beings didn’t need mundane riches.
He still prepared this.
Because Xu Xi wanted the two girls to be safe and sound.