Chapter 56 – A Spirit Beast’s Weakness
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After a short pause, as if worried that his words were not convincing enough, he added.
"Very, very good."
The solemn expression on his face made it seem as though he were discussing a matter of great importance rather than praising a meal.
Lin Xin stared at him for a moment before a small smile slowly bloomed on his lips.
His eyes curved into gentle crescents, unable to hide the happiness in his heart.
"Yan’ge... is it really good?" Lin Xin asked again. He tried his best to maintain a worried expression, though the teasing smile in his eyes gave him away.
Han Yan nodded with complete sincerity, failing to notice the teasing look in Lin Xin’s eyes.
"Yes."
After saying that, he lowered his head and quietly continued eating, as though the matter had already been settled.
However, no one noticed that his ears had turned slightly warm.
Dong Hai happily continued eating, completely unaware of the sweet atmosphere blooming between the two adults.
Meanwhile, Zhi Zun sat nearby, doing its best not to flip the table.
Watching the two adults openly display their affection made it want to roll its eyes. In its opinion, the two of them had become increasingly unbearable to watch.
If they were going to keep throwing dog food at him, they should at least give him more food to eat.
He had already swallowed so much saliva that there was practically nothing left to swallow. Could they give this ancestor a break?
Hmph. Since they wanted him to eat vegetables so badly, he will not eat a single bite of their food.
However, the rich fragrance of the braised pork slowly drifted toward him, carrying with it an aroma that was simply impossible to ignore.
Who would have thought Lan Xin actually possessed such a skill? The brat had been hiding it this whole time. Even this ancestor had been fooled.
Tch.
Its golden eyes flickered as its nose twitched once. Despite trying his best to remain unmoved, his cat body slowly leaned toward the dish on its own. He only needed a single taste... just one bite.
How else was it supposed to determine whether the brat’s cooking was truly as good as it smelled?
After all, this ancestor was merely trying to determine whether the taste matched the fragrance.
It absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that his stomach was protesting loudly from hunger.
Lin Xin looked at the struggling cat nearby and felt a little guilty.
Although Zhi Zun had been acting proud and stubborn all this time, refusing to admit he was tempted.
His eyes had been fixed on the dishes for quite a while, even his body unconsciously leaned closer.
Seeing this, Lin Xin could not help but soften a little.
Lin Xin gently pulled at Han Yan’s sleeve, his gaze falling on the pitiful-looking cat.
"Yan’ge, can we give him some food?"
Han Yan paused and looked toward the black cat.
At this moment, Zhi Zun was sitting there with his golden eyes staring instantly at him.
The usually arrogant gaze was now filled with a hint of grievance, as if he had suffered some great injustice.
Han Yan stared at him silently.
This cat was clearly a glutton.
If it continued putting on such an arrogant attitude, he would simply prevent it from enjoying Lin Xin’s cooking. Surely that would make it behave, Han Yan thought.
Yet because Lin Xin had spoken, Han Yan naturally would not refuse.
"Alright."
After agreeing, Han Yan picked up a bowl and placed a generous portion of meat inside.
Since they had prepared plenty of dishes today, there was no need to be stingy. He especially added several pieces of the fragrant braised pork belly, the rich sauce still clinging to the tender meat.
When the bowl was placed in front of Zhi Zun, his golden eyes instantly brightened.
However, he quickly restrained himself, desperately trying to maintain the dignity of a mighty spirit beast.
He should not be so easily tempted and lose himself over mere mortal food that contained barely any spiritual energy.
...
Unfortunately, the moment the rich aroma entered his nose and he took his first bite, all those thoughts disappeared.
Zhi Zun quickly lowered his head and began eating.
One bite turned into another before he even realized it.
Pieces of pork belly went flying as he devoured the food in a frenzy, completely forgetting his image.
Zhi Zun’s golden eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction.
As expected, Lan Xin was not an ordinary brat. Even this ancestor had to admit that he had some impressive skills.
Thinking about how the little one had learned such a skill without showing off, a strange feeling of pride rose in his heart.
Hmph. He knows his judgment had always been correct. How could the person he had chosen possibly be mediocre?
Although he would never admit it out loud, he was quite pleased.
As for the fact that Lan Xin had never cooked for him before... that was merely a minor setback. It was not worth mentioning at all.
(PS: Zhi Zun is basically a proud dad in cat form.)
Before he realized it, the entire bowl had already been emptied. Zhi Zun stared at the clean bowl for a moment before slowly raising his head, his golden eyes landing directly on Lin Xin.
He knew better than to look at Han Yan. That stingy human would definitely refuse to give him more.
But Lan Xin was so kind and gentle. He had practically taken care of him surely he would not have the heart to refuse.
Most importantly, Lin Xin was the one person who could control that stingy man.
This ancestor was not afraid of Han Yan. He simply understood the importance of choosing the correct strategy.
Zhi Zun’s golden eyes narrowed slightly as he moved closer.
"Lan Xin..."
His voice directly sounded within Lin Xin’s mind.
"Tell your husband to give me extra meat."
He paused, then added awkwardly,
"Use your charm on him."
"Hmm... this ancestor is still very much starving."
"Zhi Zun, it’s Lin Xin, not Lan Xin. We are no longer in the Upper World," he said helplessly.
Hearing the familiar correction, Zhi Zun paused.
Whether it was Lan Xin or Lin Xin, he was still the same little brat he had watched over.
As for changing how he called him... that was unnecessary. He had called him Lan Xin for so many years. Why should he change just because the brat had been reborn?
Zhi Zun’s voice sounded in Lin Xin’s mind again.
"This ancestor is still hungry. Instead of correcting how I call you, shouldn’t you be giving me more food?"
Lin Xin looked at the black cat before him, doing his best to suppress a sigh as it shamelessly asked for more food.
The sight made him unable to hold back a light chuckle.
"Alright, I’ll ask Yan’ge."
Lin Xin turned toward Han Yan and gently tugged at his sleeve again.
"Yan’ge..."
Han Yan looked at Lin Xin, unable to stop the helpless smile from appearing in his eyes.
He then turned his gaze toward Zhi Zun, who was sitting there obediently.
Han Yan could clearly see the expectation hidden in its eyes.
"Xin’ger, you are spoiling it too much."
A trace of soft fondness appeared in Han Yan’s eyes.
"If you continue feeding it like this, sooner or later it will become so round that it won’t even be able to walk."
Zhi Zun’s ears twitched.
How dare this stinky human insult this ancestor?
Round?
Unable to walk?
That is definitely impossible. He is still very fit and strong!
However, before Zhi Zun could express his dissatisfaction, Lin Xin looked at Han Yan with a pleading expression.
"Just this time, Yan’ge. He seems really hungry."
Facing his pleading gaze, Han Yan could only fall silent.
He had no idea why Lin Xin seemed to understand the cat so well, but since Lin Xin had asked...
"Alright."
Han Yan finally gave in.
"Only this time."
He picked up another bowl and placed some more meat inside before setting it in front of Zhi Zun.
The black cat immediately lowered its head eating happily, completely forgetting about anything else.
Han Yan watched him for a moment and shook his head.
He really did not understand how this arrogant cat managed to make Lin Xin worry about him so much.
Meanwhile, Dong Hai, who had already finished helping clear the dishes, rubbed his eyes sleepily.
After taking a warm bath, his small body was already tired.
"I’m going to sleep."
After saying that, he quickly ran toward his room without waiting for anyone to reply.
Seeing his hurried figure, Lin Xin and Han Yan exchanged a glance before smiling.
After making sure everything was settled, Han Yan shifted his attention back to Lin Xin.
"You should go wash up too. it’s getting late."
Lin Xin nodded before making his way to wash up.
After freshening up, he returned to the bedroom.
The room was quiet, the warm glow of the lamp casting a gentle light over the surroundings.
When Han Yan entered the room, he saw Lin Xin sitting there, gently drying his damp hair with a soft cloth. After watching for a moment, he walked over and took the soft cloth from his hands.
"Let me help you."
Before Lin Xin could refuse again, Han Yan had already moved behind him and carefully began drying his hair.
His movements were slow and careful, afraid of pulling too hard on the soft strands.
The damp locks slipped through his fingers as he gently wiped away the remaining moisture.
Neither of them spoke.
Only the quiet sound of the cloth moving through Lin Xin’s hair filled the room.
Lin Xin lowered his eyes, feeling a warmth slowly spread through his heart.
Ever since Han Yan woke up, there were many small things he had noticed.
The way Han Yan cared for him.
The way he remembered the smallest of details.
The way he always placed him first without making a fuss.
These little things slowly softened Lin Xin’s heart.
In the past, the old Han Yan had always been distant. Although they were husband and wife, there had always been an invisible wall between them.
Lin Xin had long grown used to being alone, quietly accepting that perhaps this was simply how his life would be.
But the current Han Yan was slowly proving that perhaps he no longer needed to walk that path alone.
The person who had once made him feel like a stranger was now the same person who quietly stood beside him, making him realize that perhaps this life did not have to be lonely anymore.
....