Chapter 2160

The day after receiving the red moon prophecy, the farm had to, under the pretext of developing new dishes and renovating the garden, suspend the restaurant's external business; visitors' reservation activities were mainly arranged as farm stays.

Bard Keluoni volunteered to return to the forest to gather intel, agreed with Lin Mian to contact via mailbox, and under Jin Chen's gaze pressure, repeatedly promised not to be bribed by the Elder Council.

Although Qin Zong is still human, he couldn't bear the fear of being buried alive in a pit, let alone having to worry daily about elves coming to threaten him repeatedly; Jin Chen pried out a lot of information from him.

This includes that the evil wizard and the elves plan to join forces to seize the magical seeds and take over the farm.

Taila, Shiyan, and the three elk elves, under Lin Mian's command, reinforced the farm's periphery, especially the area where the magical seeds are planted.

The rabbit is responsible for guarding these vegetables and fruits; the reward is twenty crystal radishes a day, a treatment only big spenders get, and the rabbit is very willing to serve.

On the fifth day of the prophecy, a sudden storm swept the mountaintop, with no weather warning at all, even the local meteorological bureau was caught off guard.

The storm continued for three days without signs of stopping; power lines were snapped by fallen trees, and according to the relevant department, at least a week is needed to repair.

The farm thus fell into cold overcast days and dark, powerless nights.

Lin Mian feared the storm would affect Hope Village and the scenic area, so when there was a faint signal, he contacted the village chief and a few familiar villagers.

He had them notify each other to avoid unnecessary outings recently, and not to engage with any strange things they saw.

This surprised Lin Mian a bit: the village elders seemed not to be experiencing this for the first time, and they accepted it well.

However, upon thinking of what Lady Lin Yao and his father experienced living here, Lin Mian rarely felt comforted.

It seemed as if this storm had become an ordeal that an excellent farm owner must undergo.

Fortunately, he also had his lover by his side.

Outside the window, the wind howled, the rain poured down, and the sky seemed torn apart.

The farm was shrouded in gloomy overcast; branches wildly swayed in the wind, emitting sharp whimpers.

Inside the wooden house, however, was a starkly different scene: warm yellow candlelight flickered, firewood crackled in the hearth, and even the storm's clamor was shut out.

Lin Mian knelt before the hearth, using tongs to stir the fire; sparks flew, making his face flicker between light and dark.

"Jin Chen, are the potatoes and cabbage washed?" he asked, turning his head.

Jin Chen stood by the wooden table, sleeves rolled to his elbows, his long fingers gripping a potato to peel; the blade swiftly traced an arc in the candlelight.

"Right away."

"Our ingredients are ready!" the rabbit exclaimed cheerfully.

Peeling food and such is nothing for the rabbit!

Shiyan brought another bundle of firewood; Terra loudly lamented that Crony, who returned to the forest, couldn't enjoy the delicious hot pot, and without hesitation shoved two bites of corn into his mouth.

The black cat sat on the windowsill, tail swaying, supervising.

Ling Gun Gun lay beside the warmest part of the hearth, wrapped in a blanket yawning, claws hooked onto a persimmon, nibbling slowly; the fruit's aroma mingled with the smoky scent of firewood, drifting in the air.

Jin Chen turned, saw Ling Gun Gun's mouth smeared with persimmon jam, disliked it, grabbed its neck and tossed it into the sink: "Wash yourself clean, look how dirty you are."

"Ow!"

Ling Gun Gun shook its head, quickly washed clean, then flopped onto Lin Mian's back, squeaking and ow-ing for food, and still didn't forget to make a face at Jin Chen.

In this household, who's the boss is absolutely obvious!

Jin Chen understood the meaning, smirked threateningly: 【Who's your boss I know very well.】

【……】

This wavering master-pet affection, ah.

Ling Gun Gun swiftly retracted its claws, then patted Jin Chen's shoulder ingratiatingly.

【Host, don't act rashly, don't act rashly; harmony brings wealth.】

The patting made a pat-pat sound.

The hot pot broth bubbled in the iron pot; the beef bone broth had already boiled, heat wrapping the rich aroma, spreading through the wooden house.

The elves vied to toss fish balls into the pot; the splashed broth, in candlelight, fell back into the pot.

Lin Mian picked up a slice of lamb, swished it in the red broth; the meat curled in the scalding liquid, and when dipped and eaten, the meat fragrance mixed with the richness of sesame sauce exploded on the tongue, heat surged, then was pressed down by a sip of chilled morning dew wine.

There's nothing more delightful than, in stormy weather, cooking hot pot with friends around the hearth in the wooden house.

Lin Mian again used the tip of his chopsticks to lift a fish ball, blew gently near his lips, and brought it to Jin Chen's mouth.

"Try this; I added plenty of dew when mixing the fish balls."

Jin Chen lowered his head, biting the dumpling; his fingertips naturally stroked Lin Mian's wrist, pulling him into his embrace, and as he lowered his head close, he pushed the remaining half dumpling back into Lin Mian's mouth.

"It's delicious." Jin Chen nodded satisfactorily.

Lin Mian's ears turned red, he mumbled indistinctly: "Don't mess around."

Yet his body shrank back into Jin Chen's embrace again.

The violent rain outside hammered against the window, making a pattering sound, which instead made the interior feel even warmer.

Jin Chen pulled the blanket over Lin Mian's shoulder, obsessed with snatching food from his bowl, he had barely moved his chopsticks.

Lin Mian scooped a spoonful of half-melted pumpkin and fed it into Jin Chen's mouth; the sweet, cloying aroma mingled with their breath, and he suddenly asked softly: "Will there be a red moon tonight?"

"I don't know." Jin Chen glanced out the window as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled.

Tala was discussing with Milu the culinary question of how long to cook beef rolls for the best taste; hearing that, he also stole a glance out the window, silently watching for a few seconds.

"It's probably not time yet." Tala tried to regain composure, then said: "I haven't sensed any evil spirits on this land."

Mr. Milu retorted: "What if they're flying in the air?"

Tala: "……"

How could there be spirits dumber than Crony!

He pressed Milu's head toward the window: "Do you think this is just an ordinary storm? Spirits' wings can't fly in this!"

Another round of fighting broke out.

After they finished dinner, the spirits volunteered to clean up the leftovers and the kitchen; it was already deep night.

The candle had burned down to its last half, wax pooled on the holder, and the firewood in the hearth still crackled.

The storm outside the window grew stronger.

These past few nights have been special; they've been sleeping in the wooden hut, which is the closest place to the magical seed and not easy for opportunists to pick off one by one.

A simple bed frame was set up; the elves snuggled together and fell asleep, Ling Gun Gun still occupied the best spot, curled into a fluffy ball, and the area beside the fireplace was warmer than the sofa.

Rainwater slammed against the window glass in the gale; Lin Mian leaned in Jin Chen's embrace, drowsily counting raindrops, hearing a rabbit hum an elf song in the corner, and her thoughts sank deeper.

"Go to sleep." Jin Chen kissed his forehead, covered them both with a thick blanket, rested his chin on his head, and said, "Don't worry, I'm here."

As he spoke, Jin Chen's breath brushed the back of Lin Mian's neck, and she smelled firewood, rain, and the familiar sandalwood scent on him.

It was a very reassuring scent.

Even though the storm poured outside, even with no signal or power, even though danger could strike at any moment,

but with his lover by his side right now, he felt fearless courage.

【Villain Heartthrob Value +5, total 86!】

Lin Mian gave a soft hum, buried herself in Jin Chen's chest, and let her thoughts drift into sleep.

The black cat had already leapt onto the highest wooden rack, its tail dangling and swaying; the candlelight stretched its shadow, gently covering everyone.