“Miss Yuan, do you like Five-Spirit Chicken?”
After sitting down, Xiao Li kept glancing at Yuan Shu as she ate. Seeing the plate of Five-Spirit Chicken pieces in front of her quickly emptying, he asked the question.
Yuan Shu nodded. “The Five-Spirit Chicken at Fallen Immortal Sect is delicious. It tastes as though it was raised on medicinal cuisine. The flavor is quite unique.”
The corners of Xiao Li’s lips curled upward. “Then why don’t you try mine, Miss Yuan?”
As he spoke, he pushed the chicken pieces in front of him toward her.
Yuan Shu raised an eyebrow. “Is there any difference between them?”
“Try it, and you’ll know.”
Seeing the confidence in his eyes and brows, Yuan Shu became intrigued. She immediately picked up a piece and tasted it, her eyes lighting up at once.
If the chicken she had eaten earlier carried only a faint medicinal fragrance, then the pieces on Xiao Li’s plate were infused with the fragrance of the finest medicinal herbs!
Medicine was bitter by nature, but once its flavor seeped into the meat of the Five-Spirit Chicken, it became extraordinarily rich and fragrant.
“These Five-Spirit Chickens are raised entirely on spirit plants. They’re also bathed in and fumigated with the liquid of specific spirit medicines to scent their feathers. That gives the meat an especially rich aroma.”
Seeing the surprise in her eyes as she picked up two more pieces and put them in her mouth, Xiao Li’s smile deepened as he explained.
Yuan Shu tried several more pieces and nodded approvingly. “It really is special. And so fragrant!”
Then, thinking of something, she looked up at him. “You know so much about it. Don’t tell me you’re the one raising these Five-Spirit Chickens?”
The people under his command raised them, so that could count as him raising them too, couldn’t it?
Xiao Li smiled and nodded. “We raise spirit ducks, spirit rabbits, spirit fish, and other animals the same way. They all taste quite good.”
“If Miss Yuan is interested, why not come with me and have a look?”
Yuan Shu’s beautiful eyes curved into a smile.
This boy had deliberately approached her when she came to the dining hall, then brought out a plate of Five-Spirit Chicken that completely outclassed the food served there.
Was he trying to lure her in?
“Is Junior Brother Xiao going to cook personally?”
Xiao Li looked up and met her smiling, knowing eyes. His heart tightened slightly with nervousness, but he still answered earnestly, “I’d be honored.”
When Yuan Shu had appeared at the betting platform during the sect competition, she had left a deep impression on him.
He wanted to get closer to her.
He just didn’t know whether she would give him the chance.
The hope in those dark eyes was far too obvious—so obvious that Yuan Shu could hardly pretend not to see it.
She smiled and pointed at the chicken pieces on Xiao Li’s plate. “Did you cook these yourself too, Junior Brother Xiao?”
Under Yuan Shu’s perceptive gaze, the tips of Xiao Li’s ears grew hot. He nodded and said, “Nothing gets past you, Miss Yuan.”
He had personally cooked all of this, using the finest ingredients and seasonings to make the best possible meal, all because he wanted Yuan Shu to taste it.
Now that she had seen through him, he had no reason to hide it and simply admitted it openly.
“Since that’s the case, we shouldn’t waste it. Let’s eat first.”
Knowing that all of this had been prepared for her, Yuan Shu did not hold back and began to eat heartily.
However, Xiao Li’s gaze was far too heated. He watched her without blinking, the depths of his eyes churning with nervousness and anticipation.
Yuan Shu simply picked up a piece of chicken with her own chopsticks and held it to his lips.
“Want some?”
Xiao Li froze for a moment. He lowered his eyes to look at the piece of chicken by his mouth, and his eyes widened slightly.
Those were the chopsticks Yuan Shu had just used.
Coming back to himself, Xiao Li hurriedly opened his mouth and bit down on the chicken, afraid she might change her mind.
Seeing that he had actually eaten it, the smile in Yuan Shu’s eyes deepened. She did not seem to mind at all and simply lowered her head to continue eating.
Xiao Li, however, stared at her with his eyes slightly widened, his Adam’s apple rolling uncontrollably.
Yuan Shu had used the chopsticks she had eaten with!
Did that count as kissing him indirectly?
Could it be that she… had feelings for him?
As his thoughts ran wild, Xiao Li’s heart began pounding uncontrollably.
He swallowed and could not help leaning closer, wanting to confirm his suspicions. Looking at the hand holding the chopsticks, he asked cautiously, “Miss Yuan, may I have another piece?”
Yuan Shu raised an eyebrow and used her chopsticks to give him another piece.
Xiao Li opened his mouth and ate it. A savory fragrance spread through his mouth, accompanied by the faintest hint of pear-blossom fragrance.
Yuan Shu used the same chopsticks to pick up another piece for herself. Seeing Xiao Li still gazing at her expectantly from across the table, she simply gave him another piece as well.
This time, Xiao Li was quick to catch on. Before Yuan Shu could say anything, he opened his mouth and ate it.
Seeing this, Yuan Shu could not help teasing him with a laugh. “Junior Brother Xiao, if I give you half of the food you prepared for me, I won’t get enough to eat.”
At that, the tips of Xiao Li’s ears grew hot again. He had not meant to compete with her for food. It was just that… those were the chopsticks she had used.
He merely wanted to become a little closer to her.
“I made all of this in the small kitchen at the Beast-Taming Garden. If Miss Yuan doesn’t mind, come with me. You can eat as much as you like!”
“Oh? Is that so? Then I’ll have to trouble you, Junior Brother Xiao.” Yuan Shu smiled brightly.
Xiao Li quickly shook his head. “It’s no trouble at all. I’d be honored!”
Yuan Shu’s lips curled slightly, and she used her chopsticks to offer him another piece.
He hurriedly accepted it, but his eyes remained fixed on Yuan Shu’s face.
From those smiling eyes, which shimmered like rippling water, to the small, pert tip of her nose, and then to her bright, moist red lips…
He leaned a little closer to Yuan Shu so that it would be easier for her to feed him.
Yuan Shu did not refuse. She would take a bite herself, then give him one as well.
This continued until the plate was empty.
Yuan Shu rubbed her stomach and looked up at Xiao Li. “I’m still not full.”
“Then… will Miss Yuan come with me to the Beast-Taming Garden now? I’ll cook something fresh for you!”
“All right!”
…
The Beast-Taming Garden was located close to the dining hall and was divided into two sections.
One section housed high-level spirit beasts. Most of them were used for taming, sold, or offered to the sect’s disciples for contracting.
The other section was used to raise spirit poultry for consumption. These spirit birds generally lacked intelligence and were much like the chickens, ducks, and geese raised for food in the mortal world.
However, because they were raised differently and lived in an environment with a higher concentration of spiritual energy, the meat of these spirit birds was also different.
It was more suited to cultivators.
Yuan Shu had never visited Fallen Immortal Sect’s Beast-Taming Garden before, so she was quite interested. She walked along, looking around as she went.
Seeing her interest, Xiao Li introduced everything to her as they walked.
It was obvious that Xiao Li had his own unique insights into taming beasts. He knew the spirit beasts’ habits and abilities in great detail.
His explanations were not complicated, and Yuan Shu could understand them perfectly.
Moreover, his voice was pleasant to listen to. At the time of the betting platform, it had been his voice that first attracted her attention, after which she had noticed the man himself.
When she had seen the black markings on his face, Yuan Shu had felt it was a pity. She had thought that if she ever got the chance, she might be able to help him.
She had not expected that, in just a few short months, he would complete his transformation through his own efforts.
“This is a Green-Patterned Deer. It has the build of an ordinary young deer, with pale-cyan fur and faint cyan markings along its back and limbs. It has a gentle and tranquil temperament, inhabits valleys surrounding spiritual veins, and dislikes fighting…”
Xiao Li was explaining the creature carefully when he suddenly turned his head and discovered that Yuan Shu was staring at him without blinking. He paused.
“Miss Yuan, is there… something dirty on my face?”
