Li Yundong ushered Zhou Qin and Su Chan into his home, smiling at Zhou Qin, who was looking around curiously. "It's definitely not as grand as your place. Don't laugh at me."

Zhou Qin pursed her lips and chuckled. "Do you think everyone living in the compound lives luxuriously? In terms of decoration and amenities, the compound is actually inferior to your place. It’s just that with armed police on duty, entry and exit are strictly controlled, making it safer. Your place is quite surprising; the house is so large and spacious, and the decor has real taste and style! Did you buy it or rent it?"

Li Yundong carried the large bags of groceries into the kitchen as he replied, "Rented. How could I afford to buy a place?"

Zhou Qin surveyed the room's interior design and laughed, "This is truly a case of a golden house hiding a beauty!"

Li Yundong felt a surge of pride and grinned, "It's hardly a golden house hiding a beauty; it’s more like a golden house hiding a pig."

Su Chan immediately retorted with feigned indignation, "You're cursing me again! You’re the pig!"

Li Yundong laughed and cursed back, "You ate so much just now, what are you if not a pig? You won’t get any dinner later!"

Su Chan stamped her foot and turned to Zhou Qin, "See, see! He only knows how to bully me!"

Although Zhou Qin felt intense admiration for Su Chan, Su Chan's innate charm and innocence prevented any genuine jealousy or resentment from taking root. She said with a smile, "This is an internal contradiction among the people; no foreign power can interfere."

Seeing Zhou Qin settling in to watch the conflict from the sidelines, Su Chan puffed out her cheeks and sat alone on the sofa, flicking through television channels randomly. Every press of the channel button seemed forceful, as if that exertion could vent her frustration.

Su Chan’s almost childlike demeanor made Li Yundong chuckle. He tied on an apron and said to Zhou Qin, "Wait a moment, I cook very fast. Or perhaps you'd like to use my computer to surf the web for a while?"

Zhou Qin smiled. "You go ahead and be busy; don't mind me. I'll have a look around."

Li Yundong smiled. "Look wherever you like. Then I'll head in." With that, he pulled the kitchen door shut and busied himself with clanging and banging inside.

Zhou Qin wandered around Li Yundong's home and discovered that he and Su Chan surprisingly slept in separate rooms. She found no trace of Su Chan's belongings in Li Yundong's room, nor any sign of Li Yundong in Su Chan's room.

"They're living together, yet they haven't even slept together?" Zhou Qin couldn't help but feel surprised.

She dropped onto Li Yundong's bed, gently stroking the surface of the mattress, as if trying to absorb the strong scent of his masculinity, her expression growing distant.

Zhou Qin turned to glance out the door and saw Su Chan curled up on the sofa watching TV, while Li Yundong was busy in the kitchen. Gathering her courage, she picked up the pillow from Li Yundong's bed and cautiously took a light sniff.

Li Yundong was suffused with a powerful, surging Yuan Yang Qi. Although Zhou Qin’s constitution was not as utterly Yin as the little fox spirit’s—the ultimate Yin in the world—it was still a rare pure Yin body, which was highly susceptible to the immense Yuan Yang Qi of Li Yundong. Thus, merely inhaling the scent from the pillow caused her heart to flutter erratically.

Zhou Qin quickly put the pillow down, feeling her cheeks flush hot and her body grow warm, as if she had committed some shameful, guilty act.

Though no one was watching, Zhou Qin stood up feeling like a thief, pretending to be composed as she looked around. She casually flipped through the books stacked in front of Li Yundong's bed.

Most of the books were novels. As Zhou Qin flipped through them, she found a recorded disc tucked inside. Written on the disc were the words: "Days Living with an Air Hostess."

Zhou Qin curled her lips into a smile, thinking: This guy sure watches something appropriate for the situation!

She lingered in Li Yundong's room for a while longer, growing increasingly bored. She quietly pulled open the kitchen door just a crack and peered through the sliver of opening at Li Yundong, who was busy moving about in his apron.

Li Yundong’s knife skills were excellent; his chopping was fast, precise, and accurate, carrying the air of a seasoned chef. They say men are most captivating when they are serious, but Zhou Qin believed men were most captivating when they were serious and busy.

Especially when Zhou Qin watched him expertly toss and stir-fry the ingredients, his entire focus locked on the task, her heart swelled with emotion. She suddenly yearned for this kind of quiet, ordinary life: a home that didn't need to be huge, not too much money, a man who understood her completely and loved her, someone who could cook for her from time to time, and who could soothe her when she was upset—wasn't that enough?

Zhou Qin looked at Li Yundong’s back, her gaze inexplicably tender.

She stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Do you need any help?"

Li Yundong glanced at her and said, "No need, I can manage by myself."

Su Chan heard them talking and scampered over to join in, "I’ll help too! I’ll help!"

Li Yundong immediately burst out laughing and pointed at her, "Stand back, stand back! Stay far away from the kitchen! Listen up, for the rest of your life, you are forbidden from setting foot in this sacred kitchen!"

Su Chan stomped her foot, irritated, "Hmph, I was just trying to be helpful!"

Li Yundong roared with laughter, "When was the last time you helped without making things worse?"

Su Chan pouted and stamped her foot again, crying out dramatically to Zhou Qin, "See, see! He's bullying me again!"

Zhou Qin knew that Su Chan had once nearly blown up the kitchen, causing a major disaster, which was why Li Yundong never dared let her near the cooking area again. She smiled faintly and said, "We should wait outside then, lest we cause him more trouble. Times have changed now; women rarely cook, and every man is a chef."

Li Yundong said proudly, "Good that you know. Go wait in the living room."

Zhou Qin and Su Chan went to sit in the living room. Feeling restless, Su Chan began to scrutinize Zhou Qin closely.

Su Chan thought to herself: In terms of beauty, Zhou Qin is no lesser than my Master. In terms of temperament, she is coldly exquisite, rare even in the cultivation world. What struck her most deeply, however, was the wealth and power Zhou Qin displayed during their interactions, coupled with her unique Pure Yin Maiden Physique.

A woman possessing the Pure Yin Maiden Physique was not only an excellent vessel for others but also provided superb tonic effects for those practicing the cultivation of Yin essence to supplement Yang. Even for herself, cultivating with such a body would undoubtedly yield twice the result with half the effort.

"If this woman could be of use to Yundong, then his future cultivation truly would have no obstacles!" Having spent time with Li Yundong, the little fox spirit deeply understood the hardship of being unable to move an inch without money.

Once a cultivator obtains a method of practice, they must immediately prepare the necessary finances.

As the saying goes, "Poverty leads to literature; wealth fosters martial arts." The poor can only study literature because it doesn't heavily tax the body, whereas the rich qualify to study martial arts. Martial arts consume vast amounts of physical energy and vital essence, requiring various foods and herbs to replenish the losses; otherwise, a martial artist might practice themselves to death within a few years.

And what costs far more than learning martial arts? Cultivation!

The expense of cultivating for a single year would be astronomical, unimaginable to outsiders! Even securing a decent place for cultivation requires immense wealth!

Trying to cultivate while simultaneously earning money inevitably hampers the progress of cultivation.

Thinking of this, Su Chan couldn't help but want to build a relationship with Zhou Qin. She smiled sweetly and asked, "May I call you Elder Sister?"

Zhou Qin already felt guilty about something, and hearing this made her imagination run wild: calling each other sisters—what did that imply? In ancient times, didn't the principal wife address a newly acquired wife as 'sister'? But she arrived first; why should she call me Elder Sister?

In an instant, Zhou Qin felt flustered, her heart pounding like a drum, her mind a tangled mess. Her cheeks flushed crimson, and all her usual composure vanished without a trace. She stammered, "Call... call me Elder Sister? Th-that doesn't seem quite right, does it?"

Su Chan had no idea Zhou Qin was spiraling through so many thoughts in a single blink. Seeing a hint of pleased surprise in Zhou Qin's eyes, she secretly thought, There's hope!

Su Chan smiled, "It's fine. You really look like my elder sister!"

After a period of panic, Zhou Qin managed to calm down slightly and asked, "Elder Sister? You have an elder sister?"

Su Chan laughed, "A Senior Sister in practice, that is."

Zhou Qin was greatly puzzled, "Senior Sister? What Senior Sister?"

Su Chan thought: Blast it, my mouth moved too fast. I said something I shouldn't have. Her eyes darted around, trying to formulate an explanation, when suddenly Li Yundong pulled open the door, carrying out a dish. She quickly clapped her hands and pointed at him, laughing, "The food is here! Time to eat!"

Although Li Yundong had sharp hearing and sight, he couldn't possibly overhear what the two girls were discussing over the roar of the kitchen exhaust fan. He set the dish on the coffee table in the dining area and glared at Su Chan playfully, "I told you not to eat it all, you’re turning into a pig!"

Su Chan made a face at him, "I'll sneak a bite, hmph!"

Li Yundong laughed and went back into the kitchen, soon returning with several more dishes.

Although Su Chan had devoured a considerable amount earlier, the aroma of Li Yundong’s cooking still made her mouth water. Zhou Qin, smelling the feast, also smiled, "Not bad! It has excellent color, aroma, and flavor. I didn't realize, Li Yundong!"

Li Yundong beamed but feigned modesty, "It's alright, alright. Merely third best in the world."

Zhou Qin served herself a bowl of rice and picked up her chopsticks, laughing, "Then I won't be polite!"

Without waiting for Li Yundong's invitation, she immediately grabbed a piece of the most fragrant beer-stewed duck. The moment it entered her mouth, Zhou Qin's eyes lit up, and she praised repeatedly, "Excellent, excellent! Better than what a master chef in a high-end restaurant makes!"

Li Yundong was so pleased his mouth couldn't close, "That's a bit too much praise, Student Zhou Qin. You can't try to kill me with excessive compliments!"

Zhou Qin smiled faintly, about to respond to Li Yundong, when she suddenly noticed Su Chan beside her was silent, her chopsticks sweeping across the dining table with the speed of a gust of wind clearing fallen leaves.

Zhou Qin's smile froze. Li Yundong immediately cried out loudly, "Hey, you're being too ruthless! Eating like that with a guest here! Leave some for me!"

But even as he spoke, the amount of food on the table noticeably decreased.

Li Yundong knew he couldn't afford to be polite any longer; if he waited, he’d only be ordering takeout. He quickly urged Zhou Qin, "Quick, eat, eat! It’ll all be gone soon!"

Zhou Qin was slow to react and mumbled an absent-minded, "Oh!"

But by the time she registered what was happening, half the table of food had been cleared by the other two in mere minutes. Seeing the impending doom, Zhou Qin realized that if she maintained her reserved ladylike demeanor, she wouldn't get a single bite. She put aside her reservations, rolled up her sleeves, and joined the raiding party.

The three of them ate the meal amidst loud exclamations and a veritable battle cry.

Zhou Qin, raised in comfort and luxury, had always eaten with elegance and decorum. She had never gorged herself like this, scraping the plate clean. Yet, despite the inelegant and uncivilized manner of eating, Zhou Qin still felt this meal was the happiest and most memorable one she’d had since childhood.

"It's just a pity... this meal wasn't made solely for me. If it had been just for me, I could eat at leisure, savoring every bite. But now, I have to fight for it..." After finishing, Zhou Qin looked at the grinning, triumphant Su Chan and sighed inwardly once more.