When She Stops Being Dramatic

’After all, a painting has different colors, varying shades, and lines of different thicknesses.’

’Different colors could be achieved by having different girls step on different pigments. The shades could be controlled by small switches on their feet to regulate the amount of ink released. And the line thickness could be managed entirely through the girls’ different foot movements...’

’Next week, she would need to create a score for the movements of the traditional painting performance. It would be best to incorporate a mix of classical instruments. Hmm, she could use changes in the instruments to show the passage of time...’

On Saturday, she once again fulfilled her man’s wishes, indulging him for over an hour.

Liu Mingkun had come with Huo Tianhao. This weekend, he was going to meet the parents at the He Family’s home with He Qingran.

The next day, Xia Zhaoyun woke up bright and early to prepare breakfast.

Northerners love noodle dishes, and they never get tired of handmade noodles!

Today, she was making hand-pulled noodles. She had started simmering the bone broth yesterday, and she had begun preparing the dough in the middle of the night.

Making hand-pulled noodles was a delicate task; among all the noodle dishes in Xiahua, it was the most technically demanding.

There was a saying in the trade for making these noodles: "Three times water, three times ash, and eighty-one times knead!"

With a pull and a flick, the dough in her hands grew progressively thinner. While saying it was as fine as a strand of hair might be an exaggeration, it was enough to convey He Qingran’s awe and admiration.

"Yunyun, you’re holding out on me! How come you’ve never shown off this incredible skill before?" He Qingran exclaimed in amazement, unable to stop herself from muttering, "You really are a heartless friend who forgets her pals the moment she sees a handsome guy..."

Xia Zhaoyun smirked, raising an eyebrow as she retorted confidently, "Of course. Can’t teach the apprentice everything, or the master will starve, right?"

"I want to learn! I want to learn..." He Qingran said, hugging her arm with sparkling eyes.

"Alright, alright, I’ll teach you later," Xia Zhaoyun quickly agreed.

The two of them had a relationship free of suspicion; they said whatever was on their minds. They were so open with each other that, aside from their initial clash when they first met, they had never really had a conflict.

The pulled noodles were set aside to rest, and all the various toppings were prepared, ready to be cooked as soon as their guests arrived.

Huo Tianhao and Liu Mingkun arrived quite early. Both were freshly dressed and full of energy. Already tall and handsome, they had caused more than a few young women and new wives to blush on their way over.

The hand-pulled noodles were smooth and chewy. Paired with thinly sliced meat, a rich and fragrant bone broth, and a variety of toppings, the meal was incredibly comforting. It made their already good moods soar.

After the meal, Xia Zhaoyun dressed the two children in small matching outfits, one in light blue and one in pink. The style was simple and elegant, but on the children with their fair skin and baby fat, the outfits looked especially adorable. Blinking their big, watery eyes with innocent expressions, they made you want to just scoop them up for a cuddle.

Huo Tianhao was also dressed simply, in just a short-sleeved white shirt and blue trousers. But he was tall and stood straight, with handsome, well-defined features. He looked like a black-and-white photograph from a studio of this era, which had then been color-tinted by a master artisan to look like a celebrity from a later generation with photo filters, every detail perfectly calibrated to make hearts flutter.

Xia Zhaoyun had finished her own outfit the night before: a sleeveless, pure red, ankle-length dress with a cinched waist. The style was just as simple and unadorned, but the fabric was comfortable and draped beautifully. Combined with her fair skin, radiant features, and well-proportioned figure, the splendor she usually suppressed with plain colors was now blooming in its entirety.

The one adult and two little ones stared, their eyes wide, endlessly praising how beautiful she looked.

Huo Tianhao, however, stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, muttering, "Wifey, you’re too beautiful. I just want to hide you at home so only I can look at you."

He said that, but in every other way, he was very respectful of Xia Zhaoyun.

It is in a woman’s nature to love beauty, and a woman who loves life and embraces elegance possesses an even more irresistible charm.

Xia Zhaoyun chuckled softly, applied some light makeup, and then took out her homemade perfume, dabbing a little behind her ears and on her wrists.

It had to be said that when she was a Ghost Cultivator, besides her Cultivation, she had spent her time wandering from place to place to broaden her horizons. She had learned a hodgepodge of things, mastering none of them, but now every single one of those skills was proving to be very practical.

The perfume even had top, middle, and base notes, all derived from flowers that bloomed in the current season. Its scent was elegant and enchanting, yet it expressed an endless romanticism and sophistication.

Huo Tianhao never knew a woman could be so multifaceted. She was already peerlessly beautiful, yet she could somehow ascend layer by layer from that pinnacle of excellence. Each time, he felt the same awe and wonder as if he were looking up from the base of a cliff.

’Just what kind of beauty was she?’

A golden goblet of clear wine costs a fortune; a jade plate of rare delicacies is worth even more. She was that rare delicacy—a perfect feast for all the senses.