Chapter 211: Kiss

In the living room, all was silent.

Little Li Hua lay lazily across the sofa armrest, its tail dangling outside, swaying back and forth as it leisurely enjoyed the afternoon hours.

"Meow?"

Suddenly, little Li Hua twitched the tip of its nose, catching a faint scent of meat.

It climbed up, followed the aroma, and quietly crept to the kitchen doorway, curiously gazing at the figure before the counter.

On the induction stove, a small clay pot was steaming, its lid rattling gently.

The young girl lifted the lid and skimmed the foam floating on the soup with a spoon.

"Meow~" Little Li Hua drew closer.

Whether it had grown familiar with the girl or simply found her gentle enough, no one knew.

Little Li Hua actually climbed up that long leg, all the way to the top.

"Hmm?" Jiangjiang Ruyi lowered her head and spotted the little troublemaker by her leg.

She smiled, paid it no mind, and continued carefully skimming the foam from the soup.

Only when little Li Hua had trekked mountains and rivers to reach her shoulder did Jiangjiang Ruyi turn down the flame and replace the lid on the clay pot.

"Meow~" Little Li Hua cried out in dissatisfaction.

"Hungry?" Jiangjiang Ruyi patted that fluffy little head. "In a moment, okay?"

Suddenly sensing something, Jiangjiang Ruyi stepped out of the kitchen.

That increasingly violent energy fluctuation indicated a single fact.

Had Lu Ran succeeded?

Had he finally entered promotion mode?

Jiangjiang Ruyi stood at the kitchen doorway, gazing toward the small bedroom.

Clearly, the divine power inside the room was extremely dense! Beneath the bedroom door crack, plumes of white mist were billowing outward.

It was just like the dry ice sprayed upon a stage.

"Meow~" Little Li Hua rubbed against the girl's cheek, crying out as if refusing to accept this.

Jiangjiang Ruyi, however, seemed not to notice at all.

She stood still in silence for a long while, then returned to the kitchen; from her light, brisk steps, one could tell her mood was excellent.

At the same time, inside the small bedroom.

What had previously been a floor covered in demon crystals was now completely empty.

Lu Ran still sat on the ground, the energy fluctuations around him especially violent.

In his hand, he still gripped a demon crystal half the size of a palm.

With this single Jiang Pin demon crystal, Lu Ran had not yet absorbed it, yet he had already obtained the result he desired.

"Mmm," Lu Ran trembled slightly, forcibly suppressing the joy in his heart as he drew out a long nasal hum.

So comfortable~

The mist surging from between heaven and earth was continuously drawn into Lu Ran's body, then compressed by him into streaming currents.

"Crack."

Lu Ran opened his palm; the Jiang Pin demon crystal fell to the ground, for he feared that with even the slightest carelessness, he might absorb the demon crystal.

Better to keep it. After all, every other demon crystal had been absorbed; leaving just this one at home, the energy fluctuation wouldn't be so great, so it should be fine.

Next time I use it, or when little Jiang Ruyi promotes, I can lend her a hand.

Lu Ran gradually sank into a wonderful world.

He guided the streams, circulating them within his body, expanding his meridians again and again.

The flesh-and-blood body belonging to the human race was continuously nourished and transformed by divine power.

In the kitchen, before the counter.

Jiangjiang Ruyi held the spoon, ladled a little soup, and took a shallow sip.

"Meow~" Little Li Hua was frantic, yet held firmly in the girl's arms, it could only struggle in vain, utterly unable to escape.

Jiangjiang Ruyi nodded in satisfaction, extended the tip of her tongue, and licked her thin lips.

Although the taste was somewhat different, it wasn't bad, right?

In fact, even if she had brought lamb with her when visiting, it would have been no great issue.

The deity · Xiang Xiang Xianyang did not cultivate into godhood based on the essence of a "sheep"; it held no special affection for the sheep species.

But after thinking it over, Jiangjiang Ruyi still changed the ingredients.

After all, if you visit someone's home and serve lamb soup to a believer of Xiang Xiang Xianyang,

it doesn't sound very good when spoken of.

"Meow~ meow meow meow~"

Little Li Hua indeed possessed a bit of cleverness; seeing that escape was impossible no matter what, it began to act coquettishly.

It kept emitting soft whimpers, pressing and rubbing itself against the young girl within her embrace.

"Alright, alright." Jiangjiang Ruyi seemed to be the type who yielded to softness but resisted hardness; worn down by the little creature, she gave in.

She fished a piece of beef out of the clay pot, placed it in a bowl, carried little Li Hua back to the dining table, and sat down.

The beef and wolfberry soup in the pot simmered over a low flame; before the table, the young girl smiled as she teased little Li Hua.

As nightfall gradually descended, rain began to fall once more over Rain Alley City.

Inside the small bedroom, the promotion that had persisted for so long finally bore fruit.

"Whoosh!!"

A gust of wind surged up, causing the furniture within the room to shift.

Lu Ran suddenly opened his eyes, in which light still swirled, captivating the soul.

River Realm · Stage Two!

Only one stage left!

With just one more minor stage advancement, Lu Ran's combat power would undergo a qualitative breakthrough!

Whether it was the Night Demon Clan's Xie Fa · Night Demon Shadow, or the Evil Dog Clan's Xie Fa · Evil Shadow Flash, both were Xie Fa suited for River Realm · Stage Three.

At the very least, Lu Ran was very confident that once he possessed teleportation, he would definitely be stronger than a dog!

"Haha!" Lu Ran quickly got up, yanked the door open, and strode out.

The living room was brightly lit; a figure was just walking out of the kitchen, looking over here.

"Success!" Lu Ran strode forward vigorously, "Stage Two!"

Jiangjiang Ruyi looked at Lu Ran's excited appearance: "Congratulations. Oh!"

Jiangjiang Ruyi, who had just spoken to offer congratulations, was suddenly embraced by someone.

Overjoyed, Lu Ran felt warmth and soft jade enter his arms; he lifted the young girl and spun around once on the spot.

Jiangjiang Ruyi's face flushed slightly as she shared in this joy.

She wrapped her arms around Lu Ran, lowered her head slightly, and buried her face against his neck.

"So fragrant," Lu Ran said, having set Jiangjiang Ruyi down.

"Mm, the soup is already cooked—mmph." Jiangjiang Ruyi's eyes suddenly widened.

Because Lu Ran had suddenly leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against the young girl's.

Sneak attack~

In an instant, Jiangjiang Ruyi's already slightly red cheeks turned crimson.

"Mm." Lu Ran nodded inwardly.

Sneak attack successful~

Jiangjiang Ruyi retreated two steps in panic, her face flushed with shame, rendered at a loss by this sudden turn of events.

"Let me see what delicious food you've made?" Lu Ran immediately walked toward the kitchen.

Jiangjiang Ruyi:???

This person, this person, how can he...

Kiss once and then run?

"Ho!" Lu Ran lifted the clay pot lid, looking at the beef and wolfberry soup simmering over low heat, and casually scooped Little Li Hua into his arms.

This little thing really isn't afraid of the heat, is it?

And truly gluttonous too; I just opened the lid, and your little head was already diving into the pot?

"Jiang Ruyi! Where is Jiang Ruyi?" Lu Ran called out while ladling the soup.

"I, I'm going back first." Jiangjiang Ruyi's voice came from the living room.

"Ah?" Lu Ran quickly walked out of the kitchen, "It's raining outside; I'll walk you home in a moment."

"It's very late; I'm leaving first." Jiangjiang Ruyi's gaze dodged somewhat; she had already put on her leather boots.

Lu Ran hesitated for a moment, then said: "I just wanted to act early, to be bolder."

"What?"

"I think the Deng siblings' mindset is quite correct; they spend money freely and buy whatever they like."

Speaking thus, Lu Ran stepped forward: "After all, this world is so dangerous; one never knows when people might be gone."

Of course, the premise for Lu Ran doing all this was naturally that he had confirmed and felt her feelings.

At the same time, Lu Ran was also following his own heart.

The past two years and more, everything, everything, was all melted into these little drops and bits.

Since that was the case, Lu Ran naturally wanted to take the initiative.

Just like last year, when Lu Ran was made to stand in punishment on the playground, using team formation as a pretext, he had shouted those words, "I want to be together."

Since becoming believers, the two of them had faced the battlefield directly, making things even more dangerous.

The scene from a few days ago, when several of them confronted the River Realm · Evil Dog, was still vivid before their eyes.

Why wait any longer?

"Pah, pah, pah, jinx." Jiangjiang Ruyi frowned slightly, somewhat dissatisfied.

Lu Ran took her hand, shaking it left and right just as he had done previously at school.

One didn't know whether this motion was a request, or a verification of whether he could wield this divine weapon.

Lu Ran: "You cooked this soup for so long; let's drink it together."

"In a moment, I'll walk you home."

Looking at Lu Ran with a mix of shame and anger, Jiangjiang Ruyi was ultimately led back into the room by him.

"Shoes—"

"It's fine; I'll mop the floor in a moment."

"I'll just change my shoes; what's there to fear? I'm not running away," Jiangjiang Ruyi said, both annoyed and amused.

"With words like that, weren't you just about to run?" Lu Ran muttered softly.

Jiangjiang Ruyi: "..."

Isn't it all because you sneak attacked!

Thinking about it, Jiangjiang Ruyi's face turned red again, as if burned by fire.

Jiangjiang Ruyi asked herself honestly; in her conduct and dealings with others, she had always been generous and poised.

But, in front of a certain person...

The two returned to the kitchen, where Lu Ran dug in with great relish.

Little Jiang Ruyi's culinary skills were truly impeccable!

Steaming hot, perfectly seasoned.

No need for rice; he just lifted the bowl and drained it.

Lu Ran was thoroughly satisfied.

Nothing was more refreshing than enjoying a bowl of beef and wolfberry soup after a smooth breakthrough.

Jiangjiang Ruyi, however, took only two bites before setting down her spoon.

Resting her elbow on the dining table and propping her cheek with her palm, she quietly watched Lu Ran gobble down his food.

"You should eat some too," Lu Ran mumbled through a mouthful.

"Mm." Jiangjiang Ruyi snapped out of her reverie, her emotions now steady. "The Divine Citizen Bureau of Yunshan City called me; they've agreed to let me join the Patrol Team."

"Good," Lu Ran mumbled. "Now you won't have to worry about not having enough points."

"All the major universities will surely recognize your talent."

Jiangjiang Ruyi smiled gently, gazing softly at Lu Ran. "Stop thinking only about me; think about yourself."

"I watched the January 15th episode of 'Lu Lu Tianjiao'; five people scored over 140 points."

"And those who scored 130? They were a dime a dozen."

"It depends on luck," Lu Ran said casually.

After the night of the fifteenth, 'Lu Lu Tianjiao' would assign scores based on the participating students' performances.

The full score was 150 points.

As for the five people Jiangjiang Ruyi mentioned who scored over 140, without exception, they had all encountered special events.

Four of those students had faced a Night of Roaming Ghosts, while one had encountered the descent of a Demon Lord.

It was evident that the frequency of special events occurring across Great Xia was truly increasing.

If this trend continued, the so-called special events would likely become the norm.

"Still, people say Rain Alley City is a cursed city," Lu Ran said, draining the last sip from his bowl.

Given Rain Alley City's past experiences, the intensity and level of Lu Ran's 'examination venue' would absolutely not be low.

In truth, Lu Ran's heart was somewhat conflicted; he didn't want Rain Alley City to endure more storms and hardships, but... well, never mind, it was best if no special events occurred.

He would just patrol more diligently, deal with more high-level River Realm demons, guard the residential districts, and help the Moon-Watchers more often.

Lu Ran firmly believed he would find a way for the two of them to shine brilliantly.

Just as he firmly believed he could keep Little Jiang Ruyi by his side to walk a very, very long road together.

"Everything will go smoothly, just like before," Jiangjiang Ruyi said softly.

Just like before?

Lu Ran's gaze swept across the kitchen counter, feeling the warmth of a kitchen long untouched, watching the wisps of steam rising from the pot.

Jiangjiang Ruyi extended her hand. "Shall I ladle some more for you?"

"I'll do it myself." Lu Ran picked up his bowl, stood up, and walked toward the counter. "Can we discuss something?"

"What is it?"

"From now on, before every major battle, will you make this soup for me?"

Jiangjiang Ruyi pretended to ponder for a moment, then said, "That depends on your performance."

Lu Ran carefully ladled the soup, afraid of spilling even a drop, a smile spreading across his face.

"Mm, okay."

Outside the window, the night rain fell with a pitter-patter.

The warm home glowed with cozy light.

Just like before.

Just like many years ago.

(End of Chapter)