{T/N: After 23 days together, Volume 1 is now complete. Thank you all for your support. Volume 2 will begin with the next chapter.}
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Chapter 60 – The Reliable Gu Yuena
By the shore of an unknown lake.
Zhang Lexuan sat atop a massive rock, quietly watching Huo Yuhao as he set up a makeshift barbecue.
The moonlight was perfect, shimmering over the lake's surface. A gentle breeze carried a faint, refreshing moisture, making the night air both cool and serene, soothing the mind and spirit.
The unprecedented calm seemed to blur Zhang Lexuan's focus. She couldn't tell whether she was watching Huo Yuhao, the rippling lake behind him, or both at the same time.
After a while, she finally spoke.
"Yuhao… was that barbecue wrap you made last time?"
"Ah…"
Huo Yuhao looked up, a trace of confusion crossing his features. He thought for a moment, recalling the incident two years ago in the Star Dou Great Forest.
"That's right. How did it taste?"
A smile tugged at Zhang Lexuan's lips as memories of that day flooded back.
"The very first bite… I regretted sharing the meat."
"Really? Then next time, I'll make sure you get to eat more, Sister Lexuan. But tonight, we won't eat anything pre-cooked."
Huo Yuhao lifted a freshly hunted roe deer from the forest, grinning. "We'll have something fresh."
Zhang Lexuan said nothing, keeping her body curled slightly, elbows resting on her knees, hands supporting her chin, silently observing Huo Yuhao's busy movements.
Soon, the warm flames rose, illuminating her eyes—and reflecting the profile of the boy in their depths.
For Huo Yuhao, cooking barbecue was second nature. This roe deer was plump enough that it didn't even need oil; as it sizzled over the flames, golden droplets of fat occasionally fell into the fire, sending up brief bursts of sparks.
As the meat gradually shrank, an irresistible aroma filled the air, causing Zhang Lexuan's nose to twitch involuntarily.
Perhaps because she had embarrassed herself before him, or perhaps because there was no one else around, Zhang Lexuan no longer tried to hide her swallowing. Her beautiful eyes followed the rotating meat with an unmistakable eagerness.
Finally, after sprinkling on the last seasonings, Huo Yuhao announced the words that sounded like celestial music in her ears:
"All done."
"Thank you."
Zhang Lexuan reached for the meat, taking a bite. The taste blossomed on her tongue, and a spark of delight shone in her eyes.
After chewing and swallowing, she looked at Huo Yuhao, speaking almost casually.
"Yuhao… are you planning to do something?"
A brief pause, then she added: "About the Evil Spirit Masters."
Huo Yuhao hesitated mid-flip with the skewer, but then continued as if nothing had happened, though his tone now carried a teasing edge.
"Sister Lexuan, eavesdropping isn't a good habit."
"I just happened to overhear!"
Zhang Lexuan laughed, showing no embarrassment at all.
"So… I guessed right?"
Huo Yuhao was silent for a while, flipping the meat before softly replying, "Mm."
"Even if it doesn't concern you?"
"Even if it doesn't concern me… I still want to do something for them."
He lowered his gaze to the burning coals, letting out a light laugh.
"Sister Lexuan, I'm still just a kid… passionate, impulsive, prone to doing foolish things when my heart drives me. Isn't that normal?"
"Still a kid?"
Zhang Lexuan didn't give him an inch. She stuffed a few pieces of meat from her skewer into her mouth, glared at him, and spoke through the chew:
"Apart from your looks, where do you look like a kid? Most kids your age would be fussing over their elder sisters. You're all alone doing big things quietly."
Huo Yuhao's expression twitched, but he had no real comeback, and quietly continued turning the meat.
"Still…"
Zhang Lexuan stretched lazily, arms raised, her graceful figure highlighted by the movement. With a contented exhale, she seemed to release the lingering worries from her heart.
"Still… thank you."
"Hm?"
"Thanks to the guidance of a certain little junior, I finally understand some things that have been troubling me for a while."
She had no intention of becoming someone like Yan Shaozhe or Xuan Zi, but even if she lacked the power to change the world, as Huo Yuhao said, as long as one acts with a clear conscience, at least they needn't betray their past beliefs.
The world was far from perfect, yet it was precisely because of that imperfection that the beautiful things stood out so vividly.
Seeing Huo Yuhao's puzzled expression, Zhang Lexuan blinked and smiled brightly.
"Though I'm a little older than you… I suppose I haven't yet outgrown foolishness."
"So, if you need me while being foolish, don't hesitate to ask."
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"Sister Lexuan, take care. Come visit when you can."
Not long after lunch, Huo Yuhao stood at the doorway, waving goodbye to Zhang Lexuan. Only after her figure disappeared into the crowd did he step back to his house.
Closing the door, he turned—and froze at the sight of two figures on the sofa staring at him.
"Mom… wha-what's wrong?"
Compared to Gu Yuena's calm, simply observing him, his mother's expression was infinitely more complex.
"Yuhao… what's going on with your appearance?"
She wasn't curious about Zhang Lexuan—after a few past experiences, she had long since understood her son's… efficiency with girls. Had a trip ever gone by without him returning with a girl, perhaps she might have been curious.
As for Zhang Lexuan, she was slightly older, and aside from noting that nowadays girls could even pursue boys a decade younger than them, Huo Yun'er had no particular reaction.
Appearance, however, was different. Previously, that face alone could charm one girl after another. Now, if he went on a trip like this… who knew what would happen?!
"I changed after gaining my second spirit ring. Don't worry, Mom, it doesn't affect my body negatively."
Huo Yun'er nodded, and just as she was about to speak, the front door opened again.
"I'm home!"
Before she appeared, her voice reached them, and soon a familiar, beautiful figure entered: Tang Ya, just returned from vacation.
"You won't believe who I ran into… the senior sister from the inner academy actually showed up in Heaven Dou—"
Her voice faltered as she saw the long-haired boy on the sofa smiling at her.
"You—"
After a careful observation, Tang Ya's eyes went wide.
"Yuhao?! How did you get so good-looking?!"
Huo Yuhao had no choice but to explain again. Tang Ya thought for a moment, then became serious.
"This can't be treated lightly. Tonight, I'm sleeping in the same room. I'll check your health properly."
"Huh…?"
Feeling a sudden stir in the Sin of Lust progress in his Spiritual Sea, Huo Yuhao nearly lost his composure.
He instinctively looked to his mother for help. Huo Yun'er cleared her throat and smiled at Tang Ya.
"Xiao Ya just got back. I'll go cut some fruit for you."
Without looking back, she walked to the kitchen.
One plan failed; Huo Yuhao then turned to Gu Yuena, desperately signaling with his eyes.
Understanding his meaning, Gu Yuena blinked twice.
No words were exchanged, yet Huo Yuhao felt an immense relief.
After two years together, they had a silent understanding: "No problem. I've got this."
At that moment, he almost teared up.
Gu Yuena really was reliable!
Evening.
Sandwiched between Gu Yuena and Tang Ya on the bed, Huo Yuhao stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
(End of Chapter)
{ End of Volume 1}