let the elder go first," I said, nudging his shoulder.The old man was facing away from me, suddenly stiffened. I pushed him twice but he wouldn't budge. Just as I was about to pull my hand back, a c...I am not the one who cooks.

It was the King, he who had to stoop to enter. Though naturally tall, he now stood beside the stove, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his head bowed as he washed away the dew and dust from the fresh bamboo shoots in a basin of water.

"What are you looking at" he tilted his head and gave me a slight glance.

" ...No, I, I think... you can actually cook I really can't imagine it."

He was looked after in the city of the Wizard King, with no need to worry about food, lodging or transport. And that stone palace built into the mountain... it didn't seem to have a kitchen… perhaps it did, but I never saw one.

"What's on your mind Your eyes are different." Mu Wanchen's slender, powerful fingers stirred the clear water, occasionally raising his head to glance at me.

With gentle eyes.

That gaze was so clear and... innocent.

I couldn't have imagined Mu Wanchen having such a youthful gaze before. He had always been silent and resilient, with hidden forbearance and loneliness in his eyes.

It will make you feel heartbroken, and also soften your heart.

Perhaps we can't stay here for long. I'm eager to return home, Mu Wanchen must understand my feelings.

But now, listening to him speak in such a gentle tone, and watching him patiently peel the ingredients, I feel that even the wind blowing through the bamboo forest outside seems comfortable and pleasant.

“I can’t imagine what you were like as a child…” I answered honestly.

Mu Wanchen smiled and brought me a wicker chair, letting me lean against the door. As he rolled up his sleeves to work, he said, "I can imagine what you were like as a child."

"What do you think I was like as a child" I asked.

"... things aren't that different now, and with such pampering and indulgence, with so many senior brothers and sisters around, you being the youngest naturally received all sorts of favors. You didn't develop a bad temper thanks to your eldest brother's strict discipline — so even if he doesn't like seeing me, I don't hold any grudge against him. After all, he helped raise you." Mu Wanchen smiled.

"What about you when you were little" I knew my own story too well; I was more interested in Mu Wanchen's.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and shook his head. "It's been too long, many feelings are already forgotten... They say the human heart is greedy, but I feel that the human heart is actually very easy to satisfy. Before, I would still feel lonely, bored, even numb. After meeting you, listening to your chattering, I actually began to forget these feelings."

"Would you ever be mischievous, or have you ever done anything wrong" I didn't want to ask some sad topics to break this soft atmosphere, so I picked some that wouldn't touch on deep emotions.

He smiled. “When I was little, I often got punished by the previous Great Shaman Kings. But those were minor things. I’ve always been a rule-abiding person... because I received enlightenment too early, I learned too much too soon… So sometimes, knowing too much isn’t good. It makes you see the outside world as transparent and boring.”

He paused, then continued, "Humans have the good of being human... because life is short, there are always regrets. With regrets come various expectations and ideas, giving us the courage to take action."

“What kind of courage do you want” I faintly heard the implication in his words.

Mu Wanchen stopped his hands, smiled without saying anything, and pointed to the courtyard: "Go help me bring things in, we'll wash them together."

Turning back, I saw various mushrooms, such as wood ears and shiitake, along with some wild vegetables, falling from the sky.

The nine-tailed fox demon didn't come in, a gust of demonic wind threw these things down, and it floated away outside the courtyard.

"At first, I thought she was a man-eater." I crouched down to pick something up and turned to Mu Wanchen.

"Huh What happened next"

"Later on, I thought she wasn't so bad... I thought she had a crush on you, staring at you with her eyes half-closed all day. Turns out she was trying to get you to take her away from here."

“Hmph… Actually, if you want to attain enlightenment, it's easier here. However, it requires a long time, solitude, and boredom. You need to follow the rules and let time wear you down. Although the human world is dangerous and full of temptations, it's also easier to go against convention and achieve your goals.” Mu Wanchen sighed softly: “After all, the human world always attracts people... Throughout the Three Realms and Ten Directions, unless you've never heard of it, everyone has a yearning for the strange and wondrous human world.”

"Shall we head back early then Once the celestial master's condition improves, let's hurry back... Staying here for another day worries me, that sorceress might try to force her daughter onto you!"

"When the mind is still, no color can enter my eyes."

"Oh So those who say their hearts are still as water have all gone to become monks!"

"Mhm, you're the one who made my heart stop, little princess. Aren't you hungry I was worried you'd starve to death. Hurry up and pack your things."

I am really hungry, but I always feel that there are things more important than filling my stomach when I'm with him.

Pregnant women probably all understand that once you feel hungry, your whole body quickly feels that feeling of anxiety from front to back. Adults can hold on to their hunger, but the baby in the tummy doesn't understand. The baby needs to absorb nutrients for growth. If he is hungry, he will also make a fuss.

When I was rinsing rice, I suddenly felt something strange in my stomach.

That indescribable rustling sound scared me so much that I clung to the stove and dared not move.

A bubble seemed to suddenly pop out from her lower abdomen.

The dantian qihai is inherently a sensitive area. This sudden agitation makes me wonder if it's the gu spirit playing tricks.

"What's wrong" Mu Wanchen noticed my strangeness and immediately carried me to the rattan chair and helped me sit down.

"How are you feeling What's wrong with your tummy" He looked at me anxiously, immediately grabbing my hand to check my pulse.

I was stunned for a moment, then seeing his puzzled expression, I whispered, "His pulse is fine..." That's when I came to my senses.

"I'm fine, I'm fine... it's just that I felt like something was in my stomach a moment ago—"

"Nonsense, you're pregnant, what do you say is in your belly" he laughed.

“Oh, no, no, it's more like... something suddenly popped up. I felt my stomach move for a second, and then it was gone...” I gestured with my hand, unsure how to describe the feeling.

Mu Wanchen frowned slightly and shook his head, "Little Lu'er, this is the first time both of us are becoming parents. Pregnancy is always full of surprises and unknowns... If you have any feelings, don't guess on your own, tell me, I understand more than you."

"How come you know more than me I've read a lot of stuff, okay I've researched so much since I got pregnant..." I muttered.

"Then you tell me, why is that" He crossed his arms and stood before me, looking down at me from a superior height.

"...the female gu"

"Female Gu" Mu Wanchen was taken aback and couldn't help but poke my forehead: "Don't push everything onto the Female Gu. This is a very obvious fetal movement, Little Princess! Sit down, you don't need to wash rice."

Mu Wanchen wasn't joking with me, his brows furrowed slightly, his tone very serious.

A little boy appeared outside the door at some point. He leaned against the door frame, poking his head out and grinning, "Little Princess, are you finally getting a taste of what it's like to be a mother Hehe... Don't worry, I have a pill here given to me by the revered god. He was worried that your mortal body wouldn't withstand the journey and might suffer from pregnancy complications, so he left this calming and stabilizing pill to help regulate your Qi. Would you like to take it"

I shook my head. "No, no, I can't just eat anything from a fairy. My body is fine now, so I'll leave it with you for now... How is Ji Dou Xingjun doing"es to be a little different. Girls should be smart and fiery; that way they won't be bullied so easily, don't you agree, Zhao Jie'"Zhao Jie's face turned pale as soon as she heard the sound.Is Master...