Mu Ran had temporarily settled down in Bishui Town with Cangshu Bai. The long journey had indeed been exhausting, and for several days in a row, she had stayed in bed until the sun was high in the sky.
Cangshu Bai indulged her laziness. He went out to buy groceries, cooked the meals, and washed the clothes. In short, by the time the sluggish Mu Ran crawled out of bed, he had already finished all the household chores.
Today was no exception.
The rising sun slightly dispelled the winter chill. The morning frost on the ground slowly turned into vapor and vanished, but the air still bit at the nose with every breath.
Even though it was still early, Cangshu Bai was already busy in the kitchen preparing lunch.
Mu Ran loved chicken and mushroom soup. Stewing it a couple of hours in advance made the meat much more tender, which was her favorite texture.
The young man, dressed in a blue and white robe, had his sleeves neatly rolled up to his forearms, revealing his lean yet strong wrists. His knife movements were steady and light as he chopped the vegetables. With the rise and fall of the blade, the mushrooms and chicken were neatly stacked, without the slightest hint of messiness.
The gentle glow of the stove fire reflected on his profile. His long eyelashes drooped, casting faint shadows, and his usually cold and aloof features were now filled only with focus.
Han Yu swam freely and leisurely in the water vat. Whenever this happened, it couldn't help but pop its head out to take a peek or two.
Its master possessed profound cultivation and had long reached the stage of inedia, no longer needing to eat at all. Yet, he always went out of his way to find things to do and make things so troublesome for himself, insisting on cooking meals and even starting the fire personally.
It was as if his profound cultivation was practiced for nothing.
It had never seen such a foolish person.
Outside the door, a slender figure quietly approached once again.
Han Yu skillfully and hurriedly lowered its head, hiding beneath the water's surface, pretending it didn't exist.
Cangshu Bai had already heard the deliberately lightened footsteps and felt the gaze intently staring at him. However, acting as if he didn't care, he didn't turn around to take a second look, merely lowering his eyes and earnestly continuing the work in his hands.
Mu Ran poked her head out from behind the door and sneaked peeks at him for a long time.
She didn't know what was wrong with her either. As if for no reason at all, she just felt that whenever Cangshu Bai got serious, he looked exceptionally handsome.
The way his eyes slightly lowered was beautiful, the curve of his falling hair was beautiful, and his slender, delicate hands with their distinct knuckles were beautiful too.
This perfect man, flawless in every way, was her husband.
Filled with joy, Mu Ran lifted her skirt and tried her best to lighten her movements as she quietly approached.
In the water, Han Yu caught a glimpse of its seemingly indifferent master, whose lips were actually already curling upwards slightly. No matter how aloof he appeared on the outside, he was probably already thrilled on the inside.
Tsk, humans. This old routine again.
Finally, Mu Ran hugged the man's waist from behind, leaning against his back in a dependent manner. Smelling his scent, she acted coyly in comfort and contentment, "Jinzhi."
She didn't know what she wanted to do by calling his name; she just wanted to call his name without any particular purpose.
Cangshu Bai unhurriedly placed the ingredients into the clay pot, covered it with the lid, and let it simmer on low heat. Afterwards, he put his hands into a water basin to wash them, and Mu Ran thoughtfully handed him a dry towel to wipe his hands.
Only after his hands were completely free of water stains and perfectly clean did he turn around to face her. Wrapping one arm around her, he gently stroked the back of her head with his other hand and asked softly, "Did you sleep well?"
Mu Ran nodded, "I slept well."
"Go wash up. I made some porridge for you to line your stomach."
She obediently nodded again, but lingered in his arms without moving.
Cangshu Bai leaned down and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Ranran, be a good girl."
With that, Mu Ran seemed to have absorbed enough energy. She lifted her face full of vitality, kissed his jaw, left his embrace, and happily went to wash up.
In the water vat, the small blue fish blew a few more bubbles.
Tsk, humans. So sickeningly sweet.
After having lunch today, Cangshu Bai took Mu Ran up the mountain to pay respects to their parents.
During the winter season, it was even colder on the mountain. Even hunters wouldn't stay in the mountains to hunt at this time. They didn't see anyone else on the way up, but fortunately, the mountain path wasn't icy, otherwise, it would have been truly impossible to climb.
Cangshu Bai said, "I'll carry you."
Mu Ran was panting slightly, exhaling puffs of warm air. She shook her head and said, "I can walk by myself. I don't need to be carried."
He knew she was just afraid of tiring him out.
Whenever this happened, a strong urge would rise in Cangshu Bai's heart. He wanted to tell her his true identity and reveal his strength before her—whether it was shrinking the ground to a mere inch or flying on a sword, it would all be effortless for him.
But she was just an ordinary girl.
If she knew that his hands were stained with heavy sins of slaughter, would she feel frightened and uneasy?
If she knew that his initial purpose for marrying her was merely to spend a mortal lifetime as husband and wife, after which they would part ways in life and death with no further ties, would she be disgusted by him?
She often told him about the rumors she heard—how cultivators scheming against each other was commonplace, and how sects frequently slaughtered one another. She had no desire to be overly involved with those so-called cultivators. What if she found out his identity and asked for a divorce?
How ridiculous. He had always been decisive in killing and had used his fair share of despicable methods. Yet, when it came to Mu Ran, he was cowardly and timid, lacking the courage to take even a single gamble.
Noticing that something was wrong with Cangshu Bai's mood, Mu Ran tilted her face up and asked, "Jinzhi, what's wrong?"
He bent down, leaning closer to her, dark lights flickering in his pitch-black eyes. "Ranran."
Mu Ran: "Hmm?"
Faintly, purple specks of light seemed to flicker in his eyes. Mu Ran was staring at him wholeheartedly and naturally had her guard completely down. Her gaze slowly turned hollow as she lost consciousness, falling forward into the young man's embrace.
Cangshu Bai picked her up, kissed her forehead, and with a light tap of his toes, he soared from the ground like a startled swan.
The hold in his arms was steady and gentle, safely shielding her against his chest and blocking out the biting cold wind. With his robes fluttering, he had already swept past the layers of verdant treetops.
In just a moment, they landed steadily on the mountain peak.
He gently set her down, his fingertips still lingering affectionately at her waist. Tilting her face up once more, he planted a soft kiss on the corner of her lips. A dark gleam flashed in his eyes as he called out in a low voice, "Ranran, we're here."
The light suddenly returned to Mu Ran's eyes. As if waking from a dream, she looked up to see a sea of clouds covering the mountains and a boundless expanse of sky. Looking slightly dazed, she touched her head in confusion.
Cangshu Bai gently tapped the tip of her nose. "I told you last night to stop hiding under the covers to sneak peeks at your storybooks. You must be groggy. Coupled with the fact that we walked for so long to get up the mountain, is your head feeling a bit dizzy?"
Mu Ran nodded, "A little."
He said, "No staying up late reading storybooks tonight."
Feeling a bit guilty, she replied, "Alright, I know."
